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The O�cial Legal Organ of DeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

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MAY 21 - 27, 2015

See Beacon on page 15A

See Hydrants on page 15A

DeKalb fire hydrants to be color-coded

by Andrew [email protected]

Over the next 12 to 18 months, DeKalb County’s approximately 23,000 fire hydrants will get tested and

will be color-coded to show the water pressure for each hydrant.

“By flow testing them we will know exactly how much water each hydrant can produce,” said DeKalb

County Fire Rescue Chief Darnell Fullum at a news conference during which interim county CEO Lee May, dressed in a firefighter’s outfit, helped personnel test

by Carla [email protected]

Decatur city officials, residents and many who grew up in the historic Black Beacon

community, gathered May 16 to celebrate the dedication of the new Beacon Municipal Center.

The $38 million project includes buildings that house City Schools of Decatur’s administrative buildings,

Decatur Police Department and the Ebster Recreation Center. The cen-ter is built on the site of the historic Black Herring Street, Beacon El-ementary and Trinity High Schools. The center includes a museum that features exhibits on the history of the Beacon community.

Decatur Mayor Emerita Eliza-beth Wilson, who spearheaded the project, said she was happy to see the complex opened.

“It’s been a very long time com-ing,” she said.

The site, known as Beacon Hill, was home to several schools, a li-brary and the Ebster Recreation Center in the 1960s. After schools were integrated, the city took own-ership of the school buildings and recreation center, and operated it as a recreation center. It also housed the police department.

Wilson said she began collecting

information on the old community to celebrate it during Black History Month.

“I did a lot of interviews with family members who lived here long ago and I was like, ‘We’ve got to do something with all of this,” she said. “Even though we don’t have the houses and we don’t have the buildings and business, we have the

Decatur dedicates Beacon Municipal Center

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May works with fire personnel to test and paint a fire hydrant.

Two fire department recruits hold down a fire hose during a hydrant test. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

Decatur Mayor Emerita Elizabeth Wilson spearheaded the Beacon Municipal Center project.

The Beacon Municipal Center includes buildings that house City Schools of Decatur’s administrative buildings, Decatur Police Department and the Ebster Recreation Center. Photos by Travis Hudgons

A The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015

LOCAL

See Judge on page 3A


“Hero. Partner. Friend.”That’s the inscription on a

monument unveiled May 15 to recognize the importance of po-lice dogs.

“This K-9 memorial al-lows us to recognize, remember and honor public safety K-9s that have served the citizens of DeKalb County,” said interim DeKalb County Police Chief James Conroy about the only permanent statue in Georgia dedicated to K-9s.

“K-9s have become an in-tegral part of the public safety operations, are deployed on a daily basis for various tasks such as explosives and narcotics de-tection, criminal apprehension, [and] locating missing children and elderly persons,” Conroy said.

The monument, a statue of a dog named Hero mounted on a marble block, is located at DeKalb County Police Head-quarters, 1960 West Exchange Place, Tucker, on the hill where the current police headquarters signage overlooks the proposed police and firefighter monu-ments location. Leading to the monument is a walkway of pav-ers with the name of each K-9 and its handler and the years of the dog’s service.

“We are honoring truly an important aspect of our law enforcement agency here in DeKalb County,” said interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May.

“It’s something that I don’t think has been acknowledged by the general public the way that it should have been,” May said.

“Our K-9 unit, these K-9 dogs that have been trained from a very young age to protect and preserve life of our citizens here in DeKalb County, but also to protect and preserve life with our officers.

“You don’t think about things like this until things go bad,” May said.

DeKalb County Police Of-ficer Mark Taylor, whose K-9 partner passed away last year, said the “memorial is about the K-9s. It’s about every dog that’s ever been working in and around DeKalb County.

“It’s all for them just so that we can remember them and say thanks for what they did. They spent their whole lives working for us, and now we have this to say thanks,” Taylor said.

DeKalb County Police Of-ficer J. D. Huckabey was the handler for Rysa, who retired in 2010 after working as a K-9 for five years.

“I think that it is a good rec-ognition for dogs,” said Hucka-bey, who has been a K-9 handler for almost 10 years and with the department for 28 years.

“They do a lot of work,” Huckabey said. “[Rysa] put in a lot of years and all the dogs do. It’s a great memorial for them. They need to be recognized.

“They give 110 percent ev-ery day,” said Huckabey, who works with another dog, Luca. “When I don’t want to go to work, she does.

“Being a police officer is awesome, but being a K-9 han-dler is incredible,” Huckabey said. “It’s the best job in the department. I have definitely found my calling for that.”

K-9 memorial unveiled

Governor appoints new DeKalb judges by Carla [email protected]

Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven) is leaving the state legislature to become a State Court judge of DeKalb County.

Gov. Nathan Deal an-nounced May 12 the ap-pointment of Jacobs as State Court judge of DeKalb, replacing Eleanor Ross, who is now a federal judge for the Northern District of Georgia.

Deal also appointed Jean-Paul “JP” Boulee as

Superior Court judge of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit. Boulee replaces for-

mer DeKalb Superior Court Judge Cynthia Becker, who resigned in March.

Boulee is a partner with Jones Day in Atlanta. Bou-lee said he is honored to be

nominated by the Judicial Nominating Commission and humbled to be selected.

“The judges in DeKalb County are exceptional,” he said. “I am excited to join them and learn from them. I will, though, very much miss my colleagues at Jones Day. I owe them, especially Richard H. Deane Jr., the head of the office, and Li-zanne Thomas, the head of the Southern Region.”

Boulee previously served as a captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Gen-eral’s Corps. Boulee earned

Boulee Bernard Jacobs

DeKalb County Police officers and their K-9 partners participated in the official unveiling of the county’s K-9 memorial. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

DeKalb Police Officer J. D. Huckabey with Rysa. DeKalb Police Officer K. R. Brown poses at the K-9 statue.

Plans for the memorial began the death of DeKalb Police Officer Mark Taylor’s K-9 partner.

Interim county CEO Lee May said K-9s are an important part of the police force.

The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 ALOCAL

Sally J. Friedman as Her-self by Judy Blume, and the Little House Books. Beverly Cleary also wrote some young adult books; Jean and Johnny was my favorite in middle school. Of course there was also was my love affair with Sweet Valley High.”

McVoy said her writing is for entertainment though readers may find life lessons in her books. “I’m never interested in pounding any messages into my pages, but because of the kind of read-er I was at that age—and still am—I’m always interested in writing about the deeper challenges of discovering who you are. Friendship, family and being someone of character are issues close to my heart, so I can’t help but make those the center point of my work, too.

“I’ve loved writing since I was very young. Parts of it are thrilling, and parts of it are frustrating. There’s a deep pleasure I still derive from it that’s hard to de-scribe,” she said. “Writing does, however, take a lot of time and a lot of energy; I don’t simply sit down and pour out pages. Sometimes you work for several hours to only get 500 good words out—or not even that much. Other times you have to re-work your entire plot, even after agonizing over the outline for months. It isn’t straightforward work, but it is intensely gratifying, and I feel privileged every day that I get to do this for my job.”

While Drive Me Crazy is McVoy’s first novel for preteens, it won’t be her last. “Currently I’m work-

ing on the companion book to Drive Me Crazy, which will come out in 2016,” she said. “This is All Your Fault, Cassie Parker is about Cassie’s ex-best friend, Fiona, and what happens to her over the course of the summer in which Drive Me Crazy takes place. I’m really enjoying writing for this age group, and hope there are many more to come.

“One thing I enjoyed a lot about Drive Me Crazy

was involving the grandpar-ents in the adventure. While Tess and Howie aren’t the main characters, they both play very large roles, and writing about the special relationships you have with your grandparents was a big pleasure. This is also about a fun, summer cross-country road trip, with both real and made-up locations along the way,” McVoy said.

by Kathy Mitchell

After six successful young adult novels, Decatur author Terra Elan McVoy has released Drive Me Crazy, for readers 8 to 12 years old. She said having a book come out is “a blessing every single time. This one was particularly exciting, since it’s my debut in the middle grade arena, but it’s always a special occasion.

“I’ve wanted to write for middle grade readers for a long time, in part because books were especially vital to me during that phase of my life,” she said. “I also work closely with kids this age in my job as a bookseller at Little Shop of Stories, and have deeply enjoyed the smart, thoughtful conversa-tions I have with them. I thought switching over to a slightly younger perspective would help me continue to grow as a writer, and also have fun at the same time.”

Like McVoy’s other books, Drive Me Crazy is written in the first person. She said of mentally shifting to another person’s perspec-tive, “There’s a lot of char-acter work that goes behind each [narrator] to get the voice exactly right. In writ-ing middle grade, the biggest difference is there’s definite-ly far less self-analysis going on. When Lana is scared, she’s just sacred—she doesn’t have a big monologue with herself about why. If Cassie’s angry, she’s angry, and she doesn’t try to rationalize or justify it.”

Keeping the language appropriate for a pre-teen girl means “not being vul-gar but also keeping the language sophisticated and savvy enough that modern tweens could relate to it,” she said. “There’s much more popular culture crossover

among adults and children these days, so the key is to make the prose age-appropriate, without dumb-ing things down. Listening closely to the kids around me definitely helped.”

Some content, McVoy acknowledged, may be too intense for pre-teen read-ers. “I save all the sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll for my young adults,” she said with a smile, “but I will say that many kids today are still going through difficult and challenging things, so not everything has to be sweet-ness and roses when you write for younger readers, either.”

McVoy, who was born in 1974, said she recalls her preteen years vividly but reminds herself that much has changed. “One thing that was very different when writing Drive Me Crazy was remembering that the girls would still be in touch with their parents or friends on a regular basis, instead of off on their own without cell phones. In some ways that felt constricting, but in other ways it really aided my plot.”

She said that as a teen she liked the kinds of books she now writes: books about real girls going through real-life situations. “I loved Ramona Quimby, Starring

Local author releases first book for preteens

a bachelor’s degree in politics from Wash-ington and Lee University and a law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.

Boulee said he brings a “diversity of ex-perience” to the bench.

“I plan to work hard to become known as a judge that does his homework and tries his best to get to the right answer and to be respectful and fair to everyone who walks into the courtroom,” he said. “I like to think that one of the reasons I was selected was because my candidacy was supported by many of DeKalb’s different communities. I hope to earn the trust and support of all of the citizens of DeKalb County as I transition to this new role.”

Jacobs has been representing the 80th district for 10 years. He operates a law prac-tice in Sandy Springs.

On the day Deal announced the ap-

pointments, Brookhaven resident Catherine Bernard announced her candidacy for Ja-cob’s vacant sent.

“I am asking for the privilege to serve you as your next state representative,” Ber-nard said in a released statement. “House District 80 is one of the most vibrant parts of metro Atlanta, and needs representation focused on building strong communities through free enterprise and accountable, transparent government. I am committed to reading every bill, providing a public reason for every vote, and always listening to the people of our district–not outside interests attempting to drive the legislative process. Bernard served as chair of the Brookhaven Redevelopment Referendum Committee, which defeated the November 2014 Re-development Powers Law referendum in Brookhaven.

Judge Continued From Page 2A

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Terra Elan McVoy says she always wanted to write for middle grade readers.

McVoy’s latest novel tells of two preteen girls on a road trip.

The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 AEDITORIAL

Avondale City Hall 21 N. Avondale Plaza AvondaleChamblee Civic Cntr Broad Street Chamblee Chamblee MARTA 5200 New Peachtree Rd. Chamblee Champion Office 114 New Street, Suite E Decatur Decatur Court Professional Bldg. 315 W. Ponce de Leon Decatur DeKalb County Courthouse McDonough St. Decatur DeKalb County Public Safety Camp Circle Decatur Kroger Food Store 2875 N. Decatur Rd. Decatur Kroger Food Store 4919 Flat Shoals Prky. Decatur Kroger Food Store 2385 Wesley Chapel Rd. Decatur Kroger Food Store 6678 Covington Hwy Decatur Maloof Building 1300 Commerce Dr. Decatur Suburban Plaza Church Street Decatur Doraville Courthouse Park Ave Doraville Doraville MARTA 5936 New Peachtree Rd. Doraville Dunwoody MARTA 1111 Hammond Drive Dunwoody Kroger Food Store 2090 Dunwoody Club Drive Dunwoody Kroger Food Store 4498 Chamb-Dunwoody Rd Dunwoody Lithonia City Hall 6980 Main Street. LithoniaPine Lake City Hall 459 Pine Lake Drive Pine Lake Kroger Food Store 1232 S. Hariston Rd. Stone Mountain Kroger Food Store 965 N. Hariston Rd. Stone Mountain Kroger Food Store 3479 Memorial Dr. Stone Mountain Stone Mountain City Hall 922 Main Street Stone Mountain Kroger Food Store 3559 Chamblee/Tucker Rd. Tucker Kroger Food Store 4357 Lawrenceville Hwy Tucker Kroger Food Store 3959 Lavista Rd. Tucker Kroger Food Store 2205 LaVista Rd. Tucker

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Consider the risks of a new superintendent

What are we to think of DeKalb’s selection to replace superintendent Michael Thurmond? We reported on May 13 Stephen Green had been selected by the DeKalb County Board of Education as the sole finalist for the superinten-dent position and we agree, he meets the qualifications. However, is he prepared to step into Thurmond’s ever-chal-lenging shoes?

The DeKalb County School District has more than 101,000 students and more than 13,400 employees. In-cluded among those employees are more than 6,000 teach-ers across 137 schools within the district, which is the third largest in Georgia.

By contrast, where Green is now there are 39 schools in the Kansas City Public Schools District and 16,700 stu-dents.

That’s a ginormous difference. On top of that, Kansas City Public Schools is struggling

to stay accredited with threats similar to Gov. Deal’s oppor-tunity school district takeover in DeKalb.

And though some may consider it a sliver of hope that he will understand DeKalb’s struggles and see us through the dark clouds, this is not the best thing to consider as a common ground for an incoming superintendent.

No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. We know DeKalb needs a positive change but Thurmond assisted in helping our school district upgrade this year. Could a new superintendent charge us back into accreditation danger?

Being that the district is in the midst of a five-year plan, how are we going to continue that plan with someone who may have another plan.

A new superintendent means new ideas, possibly new staff and administration and his decisions may be valuable to our schools but clearly, more time is needed to fully vet the candidates regarding the change that our people want to see.

It would be very disappointing to see DeKalb going backwards after almost two years of steady progress.

The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 AOPINION

Gale Horton [email protected]

Lifestyle Editor

R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Are we losing it?

ONE MAN’S OPINION

“I think we let emotions take over in ‘12 versus real-ly thinking about it. I think that is the difference with ‘16. Now folks are really looking for a candidate who can win.”–Glenn McCall, a Republican National Com-mittee member from South Carolina, the first southern GOP Presidential Primary state in 2016.

The 2016 GOP presi-

dential candidate field is growing as if injected with yeast. The Republican Party has tradition, mathematics and a tired incumbent in President Barack Obama giving them the perception of an edge in 2016.

Prior to the GOP hold-ing the White House for two terms by Ronald Reagan, followed by one term of President George H. W. Bush; the last two times either party maintained the White House for more than eight years were during FDR’s long tenure and the first elected term of LBJ, following his completion of JFK’s second term after his assassination.

The pendulum that is American politics tends to swing right and then back left or vice-versa and makes a mid-course correction just

shy of every 10 years. Partisan infrastructure, fi-

nances and voters lists con-tinue to play a significant role, and in the state GOP tent, a big and noisy battle is under way.

Here in Georgia, that will play out at the GOP convention in Athens May 15-16. There may be as many as a dozen credible presidential candidates, with six already officially having entered the field, and yet with nearly as many of the biggest names and guns still “officially” not quite off of the sidelines. But there may end up being enough GOP contenders to field a pla-toon, the battle shaping up is largely over the general direction and focus of the Grand Old Party.

The most recent poll of potential GOP Iowa Caucus voters finds former Florida Governor Jeb Bush with the highest name identification, but the support of only 5 percent of potential caucus goers. But before you begin to write off probably the brightest of Barbara Bush’s talented progeny...remem-ber...in 2008, the GOP Iowa Caucus was won by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, with Mitt Rom-ney a distant second. In 2012, Romney tied with Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, a standard-bear-er for GOP conservatives. In addition, the Iowa Caucus winner is rarely a White House predictor any more...much less even a strong GOP nominee indicator.

All that said, there are largely two schools and groups of candidates vying for the right to run well to the right of Hillary Clinton in the fall of 2016.

One school envisions a broader and larger GOP tent, more friendly to minorities and particularly stronger in the fast-growing Hispanic community, as well as more open on key social issues such as medicinal cannabis oil and gay marriage, which have long caused the GOP

establishment to be labeled as “cranky old White men.”

Across the parking lot, or in another wing of the Des Moines, Iowa Conven-tion Center, a more vocal GOP faction is more simply focused on firing up and turning out the base. Push the tent stake pole higher, but just keep the revival go-ing by throwing out more red meat. Audit the Federal Reserve, secure the borders, deport illegals, protect the family and pass laws pro-tecting Christians from faith discrimination.

Without choosing sides, I have seldom seen an ar-gument of separatism and “staying small by choice” win the day in the long haul.

Clinton already under-stands that, and is making a direct appeal to do all that a president legally can to con-vey “legal” status upon an estimated 11-14 million un-documented foreign visitors here. This will be one of the dividing issues of this elec-tion cycle, but for the GOP to have a cogent response, they first have to reach a consensus, something that does not appear to be in the cards anytime soon.

Head over to Athens for the GOP convention if you want to see some red fly-

Bill [email protected]

Columnist

A bigger tent...or a longer revival?ing and there is no football game or spring training there for a bit.

The outcome of the Georgia GOP chairman’s race is now being fore-casted for the incumbent chair, John Padgett of Athens. The convention is in his backyard and home turf, and the Georgia GOP experienced its most suc-cessful statewide election in party history, in terms of offices won, voter margin of win and state and local offices now held. However, hear me well those of you who like to place your bets early. Never, never, never underestimate the GOP’s long-proven ability to deftly snatch defeat from the open jaws of victory!

Bill Crane also serves

as a political analyst and commentator for Channel 2’s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk 750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as a columnist for The Champion, Cham-pion Free Press and Georgia Trend. Crane is a DeKalb native and business owner, living in Scottdale. You can reach him or comment on a column at [email protected].

May is getting an awfully bad reputation.

While it’s the time of year when many folks are filled with pride and joy, it’s also when bad manners are being exercised and are on public display.

At high school and col-lege graduations exuberant parents, relatives and friends scream, applaud and sound noisemakers when their graduates’ names are called during ceremonies to mark the occasion. Some purpose-ly arrive late to avoid the speeches, and others leave the event immediately after their child’s recognition.

School officials often urge audiences to remain silent until all students are recognized and to wait until

the program concludes be-fore exiting, however, these cautions usually fall on deaf ears.

A colleague of mine shared that at a recent con-vocation for Georgia State University students, what should have been an enjoy-

able event devolved into a barely tolerable one as fami-lies rose and left the room after their child’s name was called and people began cel-ebrating loudly in an adja-cent hallway while the cer-emony was still under way.

Such unbridled joy is somewhat understandable—some students are the first in their families to graduate and for others it’s been a hard-fought achievement. However it’s disrespectful for one family’s moment of joy to come at the expense of everyone else. That loud and prolonged applause and those shout-outs often mean that the next student’s fam-ily misses hearing his or her name announced. Walking out of a program before it’s

over shows a lack of respect for the speakers, the other graduates and their families and the institution. It’s also disruptive as people are shuffling about as individu-als are getting up and leav-ing. And consider the mes-sage it’s sending to younger family members.

Unfortunately, what hap-pens at graduations is just one example of the broader lack of respect that we have for each other. Sometimes it seems that we have all become so self-centered that we have little regard for the implications of our own actions on others. We’ve become too focused on our priorities, our convenience and our interests.

Walking out of events be-

fore they are over, convers-ing during formal programs, scanning cell phones while someone is speaking are just a few examples of behavior that’s increasingly becoming commonplace.

We’re better than that. We should remember that we are a community—part of a collective whole. If we would think about how our actions might negatively others, we might make other choices. Choosing to be more considerate of others and choosing to be more patient and tolerant could lead us to becoming a more respectful society. Wouldn’t that be nice?


LOCAL

When Renee Bazemore joined Junior League of DeKalb County in 2011 she had just turned 40.

“My kids were heading to college and I felt it was just time for me to do some-thing for myself and [find] a way to get involved and give back to the community,” said Bazemore, who is the vice president of community for the Junior League’s board of directors.

Junior League “has been a great experience,” Baze-more said. “It has helped me to further develop my professional skills, my lead-ership skills as well as be-ing able to bond with other

women who have like goals. We all want to better serve our community. “I am a firm believer in

being involved in the com-munity and giving back, especially in the community where I live,” said Bazemore, who is the alumni asso-ciation director at Georgia State University.

The Stone Mountain resident said, “Volunteerism is important…because…you have an opportunity to get involved and do something that you like outside of your day-to-day work. When you’re a volunteer, you have the opportunity to expand your knowledge and skills.

“We have an opportunity to bring ideas and a different perspective,” she said.

Bazemore said organiza-

tions need more help than can be provided by paid staff.

“One of the quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. says we all can be great because we all can serve. Being a servant leader is very impor-tant,” Bazemore said.

In addition to volunteer-ing with Junior League, Ba-zemore is active at Greater Travelers Rest House of Hope. She is the chairwom-an of the steering committee for Advancement of Women at Georgia State University and is a volunteer instructor for the first-year learning experience classes at the col-lege. Additionally she works

with the Teacup Girls men-toring organization.

“Being a volunteer is very fulfilling as an indi-vidual, and I believe organi-zations definitely are in need of volunteers and people who care,” Bazemore said.

According to Bazemore, volunteers save companies and organizations approxi-mately $22 per hour. “If you think of the money that as volunteers we are saving an organization, …it’s invalu-able to the organization we are serving.”

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthen at [email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

RENEE BAZEMORE

Ellenwood girl addresses commissioners about parksby Andrew [email protected]

Six-year-old year Gabrielle Manning of Ellenwood has some concerns about her community and she told the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners about them May 12.

“I am here to request funds for the things that I care about,” Gabrielle said. “I would like for you to do a few things for me.”

Gabrielle asked commissioners to renovate County Line Park.

“It is really old and the tennis and basketball courts are in a state of disrepair,” Gabrielle said. “I would like for the park to be fixed up.”

Gabrielle also asked for a new park on River Road. “It would be great to have a recreation center and awesome playgrounds and a place to have my birthday parties,” she said.

The homeschooled girl told commissioners she wants their help with tennis.

“I would like you to bring the lights on the Dottie Bridges tennis courts up to code so that I can play tennis at night time,” she said. “I also would like for you to pay for junior

tennis courts and balls at the Sugar Creek tennis courts.

My mom takes me there to practice, but the nets are too

big for me. Please buy the children’s size nets so I can

practice with the same nets and balls that I will use at my tennis matches.

“I know some of these things will take time but I think you can fix my tennis issues now,” Gabrielle said.

When asked why she addressed the commissioners, Gabrielle said, “because my mom told me to.”

“She wants me to learn how to speak in front of people so one day I can be president or something,” said Gabrielle, who added that she was “kind of nervous.”

Tricia Manning, Gabrielle’s mother, said she encouraged her daughter to address the commissioners because “the children are the ones who primarily use the parks and they’re the ones who when we go to the parks, they notice that the playground is old or they have complaints and issues.

“I wanted her to know where to go to field those issues and who should be listening to her,” Manning said.

“I think this is something we’ll do once a month to see what’s going on in our community and let her have a voice,” Manning added.

Foreground, from left, 6-year-old Gabrielle Manning meets Roy Wilson, DeKalb’s parks and recreation depart-ment director, after asking commissioners to fix the parks she uses. Background, from left, Gabrielle’s mother and sister, Tricia and Nadia Manning, accompanied Gabrielle at the commissioner’s meeting. Photo by Andrew Cauthen


Avondale EstatesImprov summer camp begins in June

The Brink Improv will host a week-long im-provisational comedy camp June 1-5, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at DeKalb School of the Art. The camp is for children ages 8-12 and teenagers ages 13-17. The week will consist of improvisational exer-cises and games crafted to focus on confidence, listening, acceptance, communication and find-ing the fun. For more information, visit www.thebrinkimprov.com/summer-camp.

Clarkston

Residents can take part in budget project

The city of Clarkston has budgeted $10,000 to be used for community budgeting initiatives. On May 18 and June 15, residents have been invited to share how they want their tax dol-lars spent, and assist and vote on proposals. The participatory budget project begins at 9 p.m. and will take place at the Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Ave.

Mayor Ted Terry said he is hopeful for resi-dents to join in “this exciting exercise in citizen democracy.”

ChambleeCenter for Pan Asian Community Service receives grant

Komen Atlanta recently announced that it will grant approximately $1.5 million to 16 local healthcare organizations to provide breast health services to Metro Atlantans who otherwise might not have been able to afford them. Komen Atlanta’s fundraising efforts through Race for the Cure and other initiatives support the women and men in our community and Komen Atlanta’s mission, enabling thousands of Metro Atlantans to detect and survive breast cancer.

Komen Atlanta’s 2015 grant scope includes programs that address critical needs in our com-munity, funding innovative breast health and/or breast cancer services. The grant of approxi-mately $135,000 awarded to the Center for Pan Asian Community Service Inc. will support the CPACS Asian Breast Care (ABC) Program.

This program is a linguistically and cultural-ly competent screening and diagnostic program geared toward educating Asian women about the importance of mammograms and clinical breast exams (CBE), providing low/no cost clinical breast exam and mammography services, and linking women to linguistically and culturally competent providers if follow-up treatment is required.

DecaturMental Health and Wellness Fair scheduled

DeKalb County Superior Court Clerk Deb-ra DeBerry invites the community to a “day of changing the way we look at mental healthcare in DeKalb” on Sat., May 23 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The event will be held in the Manuel Maloof Auditorium at 1300 Commerce Drive in Deca-tur. Presentations will be made by behavioral health care providers, information sessions, ac-cess to new and innovative therapy methods, numerous resources and representatives from DeKalb CSB, Behavioral Health Link, NAMI DeKalb, DeKalb County Jail, Veterans Affairs and local community behavioral health agencies and providers.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dana Patterson in the Clerk of Superior Court’s office, at (404) 687-4076.

DeKalb recruiting for poll o�cials

DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elec-tions invite residents of DeKalb County to take part in its meet-and-greet to learn more about what it takes to become a poll official and addi-tional ways to service the community.

Two meet-and-greets will be held for the recruiting initiative: June 20, from 10 a.m. to noon, and July 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.

The events will take place at the voter reg-istration and elections office, 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300.

To confirm your attendance call (404) 298-4045 or email: [email protected].

Lithonia

Commission candidates to appear in forum

Restore DeKalb is sponsoring a question-and-answer forum on May 26 for the candidates for the vacant District 5 seat on the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners.

The forum will be held at the Stonecrest Li-brary, 3123 Klondike Rd., Lithonia, at 6:30 p.m.

Stone MountainLibrary to hold book sale

The Friends of the Stone Mountain-Sue Kel-logg Public Library will host its annual book sale June 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All hard covers will be $1and paperbacks will be $.50, unless otherwise marked. All proceeds go to fund pro-grams and materials at the Stone Mountain- Sue Kellogg Library. The library is located at 952 Leon Street in Stone Mountain. For more infor-mation, call (770) 413-2020.

Countywide

County recreation centers to hold summer day camp parent orientation

DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cul-tural Affairs will be hosting Parent Orientation Night on Thursday, May 28 at 7 p.m. at all recre-ation centers.

The orientation informs parents on the ac-tivities and programs to be provided during the Summer Day Camp programs for youth, ages 5 through 15. Parents will have an opportunity to meet staff and are welcomed to tour the facility.

DeKalb county swim season begins May 23

The 2015 swim season is scheduled to run Saturday, May 23, through Friday, July 31. Select pools will remain open on weekends until Labor Day weekend, Sept. 7.

Pool patrons have the opportunity to partici-pate in water aerobics, swim lessons and swim leagues throughout the summer. A grand open-ing ceremony and ribbon cutting is scheduled for Saturday, June 6, at the new Exchange Spray Ground.

Pool hours of operation are: • Browns Mill Aquatic Facility, 4929 Browns Mill

Rd., Lithonia—Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 7 p.m.

• Gresham, 3113 Gresham Road, Atlanta–Mon-days, closed; Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

• Kittredge - 2535 N. Druid Hills Road, Atlanta–Mondays, closed; Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 6 p.m.

• Lithonia - 2501 Park Drive, Lithonia-- Mon-days, closed; Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sundays, 1 to 6 p.m.

• Tobie Grant - 644 Parkdale Road, Scottdale–Mondays, closed; Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.

• Kelly Cofer, 4259 N. Park Dr. Tucker—Mon-day, Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; and Tuesday, closed.

• Midway, 3181 Midway Road, Decatur, Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, closed.

• Medlock, 874 Gaylemont Circle, Decatur, Monday, Wednesday-Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, closed.

The N.H. Scott pool will be closed for the season. For more information, contact Al Shep-pard, athletics and aquatics recreation program manager, at (404) 371-6270.

AROUND DEKALB


LOCAL


After weeks of politics, a heated debate among county commissioners and a tie vote cast by the interim CEO, on May 12 county leaders approved $39.4 mil-lion in reallocated bond funding for sidewalks, li-brary, greenspace and parks projects.

At its May 12 meeting, the Board of Commissioners was considering allocating $6.5 million in 2006 county parks bonds funding to a new Tobie Grant Recreation Center. The board had been considering the project since March 24, but Com-missioner Sharon Barnes Sutton has been holding up approval of it in favor of re-leasing funds for a library in her district.

In a substitute measure, Sutton proposed an alternate expenditure of the remain-ing 2001 and 2006 bond funding.

“The 2006 bond money allows for all [of] us to move forward with projects in [our] districts,” Sutton told commissioners. “All of these are really important to our constituents.

“Pulling the projects out one at a time signals to me that there is an intent to try to get certain projects funded that commissioners support and leave the rest behind and leaving those citizens without the proper resources and attention that they deserve,” she said.

“It is unconscionable that the people of District 4 did not receive funding for a new public library,” Sutton said. “How is it that every other district received a li-brary and they did not? How

is it that all of these years Tobie Grant has been fight-ing and working to receive money for that recreation center?

“They have been denied for years and years,” she said. “This money was available. This money could have been appropriated back in 2006. We can’t continue to play politics with these people’s lives.”

Commissioner Jeff Rader said the projects need more consideration.

Sutton “is frequently outraged by all manner of things,” Rader said. “One of the things she is frequently outraged about is the cir-cumvention of her commit-tee in issues under its juris-diction.

“The proposal that she advances is basically to empty the District 4 parks acquisition fund in favor of transferring that money to an account that would sup-port the library,” Rader said. “The committee of jurisdic-tion, the [employee relations and community services committee], is working at all deliberate speed to ac-complish that and there’s no reason to act as though people are being cheated by that process.”

In the end, commission-ers were tied on the vote for release all of the fund-ing. Commissioners Larry Johnson, Sutton and Stan Watson voted in favor of it, while Commissioners Ka-thie Gannon, Nancy Jester and Rader were against it. Interim DeKalb CEO Lee May broke the tie in favor of the measure.

“With this vote we can utilize the dedicated funding that is already in place and get these important projects

completed for the people of DeKalb County,” May said in a statement.

In addition to funding for a new Tobie Grant rec-reation center, the funding includes:

• $3.5 million for deferred maintenance of existing recreation and parks build-ings

• $2.8 million toward the $10 million total acquisi-tion cost of the property near Briar Lake Park

• $800,000 for development of Ellenwood Park

• $4.3 million for the Brookhaven Community

Library • $4.2 million for the Ellen-

wood Community Library• $3.3 million for a new

Stone Mountain Library• $850,000 to complete the

central annex library facil-ity

• $4 million for road resur-facing throughout DeKalb County

• $600,000 for a sidewalk on Glenwood Road from Candler Road to Columbia Road

• $150,000 for a sidewalk on Rockbridge Road from Ridge Road to Wade Walk-er Park

• $150,000 for a traffic signal

and sidewalk on Shell Bark Road

• $100,000 for a sidewalk on Idlewood Road from Tucker Middle School to Lawrenceville Highway

• $100,000 for a sidewalk on Briarcliff Road from Clif-ton Road to LaVista Road

“With this action we are serving the needs of citizens all over DeKalb County, but I am especially proud of the new Tobie Grant Recreation Center in Scottdale and the brand new public library in Stone Mountain, which has been a need for a long while,” Sutton said.

Millions approved for parks, libraries and sidewalksPedestrians walk along an area of Glenwood Road that has no sidewalk. DeKalb commissioners just approved $600,000 for sidewalks in the area. Photos by Andrew Cauthen


DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOL 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Real & Personal 22,184,019,392 19,310,211,337 17,578,034,324 17,512,942,085 18,945,661,424 21,084,298,895Motor Vehicles 1,254,986,790 1,225,978,410 1,265,293,750 1,359,311,440 1,135,212,830 781,124,040Mobile Homes 656,584 510,171 440,056 396,572 355,333 358,733Timber - 100% 0 0 0 0 0 0Heavy Duty Equipment 65,347 82,712 77,829 34,308 57,864 2,208Gross Digest 23,439,728,113 20,536,782,630 18,843,845,959 18,872,684,405 20,081,287,451 21,865,783,876Less M& O Exemptions 3,039,974,697 2,913,503,127 2,847,239,428 2,826,254,552 2,923,178,437 3,089,898,865Net M & O Digest 20,399,753,416 17,623,279,503 15,996,606,531 16,046,429,853 17,158,109,014 18,775,885,011State Forest Land Assistance Grant Value 0 0 0 0 0 0Adjusted Net M&O Digest 20,399,753,416 17,623,279,503 15,996,606,531 16,046,429,853 17,158,109,014 18,775,885,011

Gross M&O Millage 22.98 22.98 23.98 23.98 23.98 23.98Less Rollbacks 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00Net M&O Millage 22.98 22.98 23.98 23.98 23.98 23.98

Total School Taxes Levied $468,786,333 $404,982,963 $383,598,625 $384,793,388 $411,451,454 $450,245,723

Net Taxes $ Increase ($18,084,407) ($63,803,371) ($21,384,338) $1,194,763 $26,658,066 $38,794,268Net Taxes % Increase -3.71% -13.61% -5.28% 0.31% 6.93% 9.43%

NOTES:1. THE NET LEVY DOES NOT REFLECT ACTUAL REVENUE RECEIVED OR AVAILABLE DUE TO VALUE ADJUSTMENTS RESULTING FROM APPEALS, DELINQUENT TAXES, COLLECTIONS FROM PRIOR YEARS, AND A FEE OF 1.25% PAID TO THE COUNTY FOR BILLING AND COLLECTIONS.2. THE 2015 MILLAGE RATE IS THE PROPOSED RATE. THE PROPOSED SCHOOL OPERATIONS MILLAGE IS 23.98 MILLS.3. 2015 DIGEST FIGURES ARE AN ESTIMATE.

CURRENT 2015 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY

The DeKalb County Board of Education does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held at theDeKalb County School District Administrative & Instructional Complex, 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain, Georgia

on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 7:00 p.m., and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. 48-5-32, does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax digest and levy

for the past five years.

by Ashley [email protected]

Move a piece, capture a piece, drop a piece, promote a pawn, castle, take a move back–the game of chess is demanding.

United States Chess Federa-tion certified tournament direc-tor and chess instructor Beau Hardeman, in collaboration with Unconditional Love for Children (UCL) held his 20th annual in-vitational chess tournament on May 2 at Gresham Park recreation center.

UCL, a nonprofit organiza-tion aimed to provide opportuni-ties for disadvantaged children and promote critical thinking, launched CheckMate Chess Acad-emy in 2012 and recruited Har-deman to assist in coaching the students.

Hardeman first began teach-ing chess in 1992 and held his first tournament in 1995. He said his goal is to “teach kids to com-pete early.”

He added, “Students need to know how to compete in a posi-tive and constructive way early and the very nature of what’s go-ing on, on the chessboard teaches management. You’re managing

time, materials and your goals.”He added, “My approach

has been to engage the student. I try to show them what their bad moves are and how to improve because while the child is play-ing they don’t get any coaching, they are completely on their own,” Hardeman said.

Director of CheckMate Chess Academy Barry Gray said the most rewarding aspect of working with coach Hardeman and UCL has been the commitment and support for the children.

“This is another pathway of learning. It’s amazing to see young kids, who are adults now, in col-lege, out of college, doctors, law-yers, and in many other profes-sions who have gone through our chess program, received private lessons and to see how successful they’ve become,” Gray said.

He added, “When you get a kid interested in chess, especially younger kids, after a while their self-esteem is out of this world. They feel confident about them-selves and that’s something re-warding to see.”

For additional information on ULC and CheckMate Chess Acad-emy, visit facebook.com/uncondi-tionalloveforchildren.

CheckMate Chess Academy members compete in tournament

Students strategize and formulate tactics to use in the game in order to beat their opponents.


LOCAL


Fannie Mae, one of the largest owners of foreclosed homes in the country, has been accused of housing discrimination in DeKalb County and metro Atlanta in addition to 33 other met-ro areas around the nation.

“What we’re alleging in this complaint against Fannie Mae is that they have neglected properties in neighborhoods of color, failing to properly maintain and market in the same way that they have marketed in White neighborhoods,” said Joyce Catrett, director of enforcement for Metro Fair Housing Services Inc., dur-ing a news conference in Decatur May 13.

At various news confer-ences around the nation, the National Fair Housing Alli-ance (NFHA) and 19 local fair housing organizations announced the filing with HUD of a housing discrimi-nation complaint against Fannie Mae.

The groups allege that “Fannie Mae maintains and markets its foreclosures (also known as real estate owned or “REO” properties) in White neighborhoods consistently better than in middle- and working-class African-American and La-tino neighborhoods, a prac-tice that violates the federal Fair Housing Act,” according to a news release.

“Fannie Mae properties

in communities of color had broken doors and windows, unlocked doors and win-dows allowing access to the home, excessive litter, dead or overgrown lawns, dead animals or live animals on the property, and other ma-jor deficiencies. Conversely, most Fannie Mae properties in predominantly White communities did not. These problems are simple to fix and are the responsibility of Fannie Mae and its contrac-tors,” stated a news release.

The problem is “per-vasive,” Catrett said. “One, our vacancy rates are still high, lingering from the housing bust. Secondly, it’s pervasive because REOs being received by banks in their portfolios are being left without appropriate market-ing.”

The complaint is the result of a five-year investi-gation. In the metro Atlanta area, a study by the National Fair Housing Alliance shows that in “communities of col-or,” 38 percent of the REO properties had overgrown or dead shrubbery, compared to 12 percent in White com-munities. Approximately 30 percent of the REO prop-erties in communities of color had broken or boarded windows, versus 16 percent in White communities. Thirty-two percent of the REO properties in minority communities had a damaged fence, compared to 4 percent in White communities.

In minority communi-

ties, 50.7 percent of the REO properties in communi-ties of color had peeling or chipped paint. The number was 28 percent in White communities. Twenty-three percent of the REO proper-ties in minority communi-ties had no professional “for sale” sign marketing the home, compared to 4 per-cent in White communities.

Catrett said that “any real estate related transac-tion that is administered or delivered or serviced in a discriminatory manner vio-lates the Fair Housing Act.”

The complaint against Fannie Mae was made to urge “HUD to bring Fannie Mae to the table to answer why [does] this discrimina-tory practice [exist] and to

seek a remedy,” Catrett said.“With a previous bank

that did step up early we set up a remedy that includes some more emphasis on homebuyer priority and also monies that are funneled back into these neighbor-hoods for rehabilitation of this type of housing,” Catrett said.

Mortgage giant Fannie Mae accused of racial discrimination in DeKalb

CITY OF DORAVILLE PUBLIC NOTICE

Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Notice is hereby given that the proposed budget for the City of Doraville shall be available for public inspection beginning May 22, 2015, in the City Clerk’s office from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA.

A Public Hearing shall be held on the 1st day of June at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA before the Mayor and Council of the City of Doraville at which time public comment pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016) budget shall be sounded. All citizens of Doraville are invited to attend.

A Public Hearing shall be held on the 8th day of June at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA before the Mayor and Council of the City of Doraville at which time public comment pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016) budget shall be sounded. All citizens of Doraville are invited to attend.

A Regular Meeting shall be held on the 15th day of June at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA before the Mayor and Council of the City of Doraville at which time the Fiscal Year 2016 (July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016) budget shall be approved and the budget ordinance adopted in accordance with O.C.G.A. 36-81-5. All citizens of Doraville are invited to attend.

NOTICE OF PROPERTY TAX HEARING

The Mayor and the Atlanta City Council will adopt a millage rate which will require no tax increase.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing to be held at the Atlanta City Hall Complex, 55 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia in the City Council Chamber located on the Second Floor on Thursday, May 28, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.

Mortgage financier Fannie Mae has been accused of neglecting properties in minority neighborhoods. Photos provided


On May 15 just after dusk, hundreds gathered at Color Wheel Studio on E. Howard Avenue in Decatur for the annual Decatur Lantern Parade. Parade artist Chantelle Rytter, center image, taught lantern-making workshops at Color Wheel. The handcrafted, illuminated lanterns and other whimsical creations floated, hovered and danced through Decatur streets to the square, led by music from the Black Sheep Ensemble. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Decatur Lantern Parade


LOCAL

Ethics board will investigate complaint

Discover DeKalb’s Reunion Specialist will teach you everything you need to

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DeKalb County’s ethics board will look into an al-legation that Commissioner Stan Watson violated the ethics code when he voted for Panola Slope Resort while he was a consultant for the developer, APD So-lutions.

From 2012 to 2014, Wat-son was a paid consultant for APD Solutions, earn-ing approximately $500 a month, said Robert Brown-ing, an investigator for the ethics board. In 2012, Wat-son received $6,800. In 2013 and 2014, he received $6,500 each year. He ended his em-ployment with the company early in 2014.

“On April 10, 2012, …there was a vote to award $1M to APD solutions and National Property Institute,” Browning said. The motion passed with Watson voting in favor of the award.

On Jan. 8, 2013, the Board of Commissioners “took up an agenda item to award an additional $500,000 to APD Solutions to continue with the same project,” Browning said.

“Commissioner Watson was there at the meeting,” Browning said. “Commis-sioner [Sharon] Barnes Sutton makes the motion to give the money to the com-pany and Commissioner Watson seconded the mo-tion.”

The motion passed unanimously.

Browning said when he interviewed Watson about the vote, Watson said “he missed it. He had been busy. He said he’s been trying to cover District 5, along with his district and he’s been a little overwhelmed. And he just missed it.” Watson also told the investigator that Watson said he did not ask for the item to be put on the agenda.

“Watson wanted me to stress that he owns no stock

in APD Solutions and that he did not receive a bonus or anything for his vote on this agenda item,” Browning said.

“This would probably…be a violation of ethics being that he was a paid consul-tant and he did vote on the contract,” Browning said.

Ethics board member Clara Black-Delay did not think there was a need for an ethics investigation.

“Whether or not he should have voted is a ques-tion,” she said. “Whether or not the vote gave ADP an unfair advantage over any other company is to me a different issue. Based on the fact that the vote, though probably improper and should have not occurred, I don’t think it rises to the lev-el of…an ethics violation.”

Ethics board member Edwinett Perkins-Murphy said, “There needs to be more investigation concern-ing this. There’s a need for that.

“If…he abstained from voting…this wouldn’t be on the table concerning him,”

Perkins-Murphy said. “If he had refrained from voting altogether, then he would not be involved in the ethics violation. He voted twice…knowing that he had some connection to the company.”

The ethics board dis-missed two other parts of the complaint against Watson made by DeKalb resident and government watchdog Rhea Johnson, who asked that Watson be removed from office.

One dismissed com-plaint alleged that the cell-phone Watson was using was a personal cell phone that he had prior to being elected as commissioner, Browning said.

Because he had number already out there he contin-ued to use that one,” Brown-ing said. “While I think there were some personal phone calls on that, and he admits there were, a large majority of his…cellphone use …was for county busi-ness.”

“It was his personal cell-phone, but I don’t believe it was any violation,” Brown-ing said. “He has, as a sign of good faith, repaid those cell phone bills.”

Other commissioners, Browning said, have used their personal cellphones just as Watson did.

Another dismissed eth-ics complaint alleges that he violated the use of his county-issued purchasing card to pay for his website, Browning said.

“Other commissioners do the same thing when they pay out of their county budget an independent web-master to handle their own website,” Browning said. “They contend that the IT [information technology de-partment] within the county is not capable of keeping up in a timely manner the

amount of information that comes in.”

Browning said the coun-ty’s IT department agrees that “due to the level of information from each inde-pendent commissioner that they cannot keep up and put things out in a timely man-ner on the DeKalb County website.”

The problem cited in the allegation against Watson is that on his website he had two portals—one for dona-tions to community events and projects, and one for campaign contributions.

The portal for campaign donations “would probably be in violation, however, after speaking to [Watson’s webmaster], there was never any information given to him to set up a PayPal portal for anybody to donate mon-ey,” Browning said.

Watson’s webmaster asked for the information but never received it; thus, the donations portal was never live, Browning said.

“The portals themselves being there would techni-cally be a violation,…but no money ever exchanged hands through those por-tals,” Browning said.

The portals were only on Watson’s website for approx-imately three days, Brown-ing said.

DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson will have to answer to an ethics complaint. Photo by Travis Hudgons


WEEK PICTURESIn

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Ariane Preston and LaTasha Smith helped pick up trash along DeKalb Medical Parkway. Photos by Carla Parker

LaTasha Lewis (right), founder of Tadda’s Fitness Center, unveiled the center’s DeKalb Adopt-a-Road sign May 16 on DeKalb Medi-cal Parkway in Lithonia. The Adopt-a-Road area is approximately a mile from Snapfinger Woods Drive from Panola Road to DeKalb Medical Parkway.

Members of the Chinese Qipoa Society wore the colorful, traditional Chinese dress as part of a worldwide event to set a Guiness world record. More than 150,000 participated in the event organized by the China Qipoa Association. Photos provided


LOCAL

Words HURTStop the Bullying


A great way to spend a summer day is enjoying mu-sic with family and friends and binging on food truck treats.

On May 13 from 5 to 9 p.m., the Doraville Food Truck Rally took place on Park Avenue in Doraville.

Mayor Donna Pittman said, “We were extremely pleased with the turnout for this first-time event and feedback from our citizens has been very positive.

“We are proud of our diverse community and we will continue to try to bring in trucks that appeal to a wide audience.”

She added, “I felt the choice of trucks and the variety of menus provided a terrific selection… every-thing from New Orleans fare, to island conch fritters and shrimp tacos to Indian specialties. Mixed in was solid American fare such as burgers and cheesecake, to name a few.”

The event was held in

partnership with the Atlanta Street Food Coalition and featured music from the local band, the Chamblee Tuckers.

The event will continue to be held on the second Wednesday of each month.

Pittman said, “We will pass suggestions from residents along to the food truck coalition and rely on them to continue to provide a wide variety of menu op-tions.”

She said, “They do plan to rotate the different trucks each month so there is always something new to sample.”

Pittman said, “The wonderful thing that I noticed last night was the sense of community that resonated throughout the evening. Any time we can provide the opportunity for our citizens to gather and socialize, I believe, of-fers everyone the chance to get to know neighbors they may have never met or make new friends. It also gives the leadership of the city the opportunity to get to

know people and hear their thoughts and input in a re-laxed atmosphere.”

The food trucks com-mitted to the event included: C’est Bon Tout (New Or-leans fare including po’boys, Bayou Burgers, and Garden Dogs); On Tapa the World (Spanish tapas empanadas, carne asada and sliders); Linkz Express (American fare including salads, chees-esteaks and burgers); Five Finger Philly (cheesesteaks and desserts); Tracy’s Tasties (mini cheesecakes and push pops); Loaded Burger (load-ed burgers, unique sides and desserts); and Bollywood Zing (authentic Indian food).

Other participants in-cluded Incrediball Falafel (serving Israeli favorites: falafel, humus, pita, beef ka-bobs, shawarma, and crispy fries); Refuge Coffee (cof-fee, tea, and espresso); and Island Chef Mobile (island conch fritters, lobster tacos with mango salsa, grilled Snapper and more).

Food trucks rally in Doraville


On May 7, Dunwoody officials announced Sep-tember Guy, the city’s mu-nicipal court senior solicitor has been appointed as a DeKalb County magistrate court judge.

Mayor Mike Davis said, “Dunwoody’s municipal court system has attracted phenomenal talent over the last six years, and while we hate to lose exemplary personnel, we are proud to provide an environment that fosters and produces judi-ciary leaders.”

Guy attended the Uni-versity of Georgia for her undergraduate studies and graduated in 2001 from Georgia State University law school.

“I worked in a small private practice my first year out of law school in Rossville, Georgia, then moved back to At-lanta where I worked at the DeKalb County Public De-

fender’s Office from 2002 until 2012. At that point, I went to work at the DeKalb County Solicitor General’s Office in the Diversion Unit handling the G.O.A.L.S pro-gram for youthful offenders and the Phoenix Diversion Program. I left that office in 2013 and became a solicitor in the city of Dunwoody.”

Guy added, “I am excit-ed to continue to serve the people of DeKalb County as a magistrate court judge.”

Other solicitors elevated from their positions in Dunwoody include Judge Candice Howard, Sandy Springs Municipal Court; Judge Leigh Dupree, Atlan-ta Municipal Court; Judge Warren Atkinson, Fulton County Magistrate Court; Judge Sharon Dixon, San-dy Springs and Dunwoody Municipal Courts.

Dunwoody’s current assistant solicitors include Ladonya Horton, Josie Stevens, Chuck Rooks and Victoria Aronow.

Dunwoody solicitor to become court judge

Dunwoody Municipal Court Judge Sharon Dixon, Mayor Mike Davis, Judge September Guy and City Attorney Bill Riley pose in front of the official seal of the city.

Attendees shop food trucks provided by the Atlanta Street Food Coalition on Park Avenue.


and paint a hydrant on Idle Creek Way in Decatur.

A partnership between the county’s fire and watershed management departments, the program Fullum said “is really an effort to make fire hydrants a little more visible in our neighborhoods.

“Obviously, fire hydrants are our lifelines,” Fullum said. “When firefighters go into a building they think of that hose as their way of not only getting back out, but also of saving our citizens.”

Each hydrant will be col-or-coded to show how much pressure it has: red for 0-500 gallons per minute (gpm); orange, 500-1,000 gpm; green, 1,000-1,500 gpm; and blue, 1,500-2,000 gpm.

“[In] our ISO recom-mendation it was com-mented that we should add a fifth color because we do have some hydrants here in DeKalb County that they term as super hydrants,” said Deputy Chief Garrett Smith. “For our system we will be adding gold for any-thing that flows above 2,000 gallons per minute.”

The barrel of each hy-drant will be silver.

May said the color-coding and testing is “really about the quality of life of our county—to know that when our men and women show up to a scene where there may be a fire, they have the ability to know what they’re going into to preserve life, to preserve property in the county.

“Rest assured, DeKalb County. We are doing those things that are necessary to make sure that we are pre-

serving life in our county,” May said.

“We’re glad to be out here saving lives and saving time,” said Commissioner Larry Johnson. “As we get into the summer time, things can always happen with fires and deck fires and barbecues. We want to make sure that the fire hydrant—the flow—is right. This test-ing will only help us.”

“When we pull up to a structure, whether it be a house, apartment, we make a determination on what our

required gpm is going to be to extinguish that fire effec-tively and safely,” Smith said. “We pull up to this hydrant; they see it’s got a blue top on it. They know they have at least 1,500 gallons a minute available from this hydrant, which in most cases is going to be more than enough for operations on a residential structure fire.

“If they pull up and it’s a red top hydrant and it only gives you 500 gallons a min-ute or less, they know right [off] the bat that they need to bring another water sup-ply in,” Smith said. “This is a huge, huge, huge benefit to us coming off the truck.”

To date, Smith said, the watershed manage-ment department has spent $90,000 on flow test kits, cap-and-gauge kits and “a whole lot of paint for 23,000 hydrants.”

The hydrants are being painted by firefighters, fire recruits, fire reservists and homeowners associations. Reservists have painted more than 800 hydrants, Smith said.

Hydrants Continued From Page 1A

Beacon Continued From Page 1A

‘[In] our ISO recommendation it was commented that we should add a fifth color because we do have some hydrants here in DeKalb County that they term as super hydrants.’

–Deputy Chief Garrett Smith

spirit, it’s in our hearts.”Wilson said she asked city officials

about what the city could do to reserve the history of the community.

“They [were] willing [and] decided that they would help,” she said.

The exhibit includes pictures of former students and provides information about their accomplishments. The exhibit also includes facts about the Trinity High School 1965 football state championship team. Bobby Pierce, who graduated from Trin-ity High School in 1965, said the people of the old Beacon Hill community needed the historic element of the community in the center.

“We truly needed some of it because…I’ve seen all of it removed, all of it,” he said. “It was nothing left but the apartments—Gateway, Allen-Wilson and Swanton Heights. Everything else was whipped out.”

Decatur Mayor Jim Baskett said the center has been a dream of the city’s for a long time.

“When we talked about it, and I looked at plans and so forth, I never imagined it was going to look this wonderful and be this beautiful,” he said.

Most of the structures of the complex include portions of the old buildings, ac-cording to Andrew Rutledge of Rutledge

Alcock Architect.“It was a modern building for its time,

so we wanted to pull the rest of the build-ing—the work that we did off of that,” Rutledge said.“We saved the front of the building on Electric Avenue as well as W. Trinity Place, three quarters of the structure in the new gym is the old structure. In the school building, every bit of the structure is existing structure from the old building. We tried to save as much as we could.”

Baskett said all residents could benefit from the center.

“We haven’t done any real capital im-provement projects in 50 years, and the police department was just in the old school building and they had really poor digs,” he said. “The school board [building] is a big improvement, a real access for city schools. We all benefit from it.”

“We’re very proud of the building that we have and we hope that it’s very warm and inviting to the community,” said De-catur Police Chief Mike Booker. “We can hold [community] meetings in here now, it’s very functional. We’ve been patiently wait-ing and we’re very excited that it’s here.”

Residents and many who grew up in the historic Black Beacon community gathered May 16 to celebrate the dedication of the new Beacon Municipal Center. Photos by Travis Hudgons


LOCAL

NOTICE OF PROPERY TAX INCREASE

The DeKalb County School District has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 10.47 percent.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be held at 6:15 p.m. June 1, 2015, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at:

11:30 a.m. June 17, 2015, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

6:15 p.m. June 17, 2015, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 23.98 mills, an increase of 2.272 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 21.708 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $175,000 is approximately $130.64 and the proposed tax increase for non‐homestead property with a fair market value of $275,000 is approximately $249.92.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE 2015-2016 PROPOSED BUDGET

FOR THE CITY OF DECATUR, GEORGIA

There will be public hearings on the proposed 2015-2016 budget for the City of Decatur at 7:30 p.m. on June 1, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. on June 8, 2015, and at 7:30 p.m. on June 15, 2015 in the City Commission Meeting Room at City Hall, 509 N. McDonough Street, Decatur. The proposed budget is summarized below and is available in its entirety for public inspection at Decatur City Hall and at the Decatur Library on Sycamore Street. After May 20th, the budget will be available on the City’s website at www.decaturga.com/budget. All citizens are invited to attend the public hearings, to provide written and oral comments, and ask questions concerning the entire budget.

FY 2015-2016 PROPOSED GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES

REVENUES Taxes 19,171,750 Licenses, Permits & Inspections 1,207,310 Penalties, Fines & Forfeitures 1,318,500 Interest 500 Charges for Current Services 1,535,350 Intergovernmental Revenues 490,120 Miscellaneous Revenue 137,820 Sale of Fixed Assets 10,000 Operating Transfers (382,310) Appropriation From (To) Fund Balance (271,800)

TOTAL REVENUES $23,217,240 EXPENDITURES Governmental Control Department 187,100 General Government Department 1,808,540 Community & Economic Development Department 1,913,610 Administrative Services Department 3,356,330 Police Department 5,541,350 Fire & Rescue Department 3,567,570 Public Works Department 2,964,840 Design, Environment & Construction Division 2,028,990 Active Living Division 1,848,910

TOTAL EXPENDITURES $23,217,240


LaVista Hills will have a surplus of more than $1.7 million, according to the pro-posed city’s new feasibility study.

The Carl Vinson Institute of the University of Georgia released its study of the pro-posed city of LaVista Hills May 15. According to the re-port, LaVista Hills can provide public safety, parks, planning, zoning, business development and road maintenance with no tax increase and a “substantial” annual surplus of more than $1.7 million.

“The UGA analysis con-firms what we already knew, that LaVista Hills will provide increased services with no new taxes,” said Allen Venet, co-chair of LaVista Hills YES. “UGA completed as conserva-tive and accurate a study as possible, and they still project a surplus of more than a mil-lion and a half dollars every year.”

The Georgia General As-sembly passed the LaVista Hills cityhood bill April 2, and Gov. Nathan Deal signed the bill May 12. The bill was intro-duced before a new feasibility study was done.

Forming a new city in Georgia is a two-year process that includes a financial feasi-

bility study. When the House DeKalb County Cityhood Sub-committee held a hearing in December 2014, it decided to waive the rule and not require LaVista Hills and the proposed city of Tucker to do a new fea-sibility study, despite changes in each map.

LaVista Hills was previ-ously using the Lakeside feasi-bility study.

According to a press re-lease from LaVista Hills YES, the new study adopted more conservative spending projec-tions.

“It assumes an increased police force of 104 officers, which will represent a three-fold increase in the number of officers on patrol in LaVista Hills,” the statement read. “The study also assumed much lower HOST tax credit revenues for the city, consis-tent with new HOST legisla-tion and the reduction in HOST proceeds allocation.”

The feasibility study pro-jected annual revenues to be more than $36 million and total annual expenses of more than $34 million. The city will have an estimated population of more than 67,000 residents, 439 lane miles of roads and more than 50 acres of parks.

Voters will vote on the LaVista Hills referendum Nov. 3.

Report: LaVista Hills is feasible


General Fund Special Funds Nutrition Fund Capital FundsESTIMATED REVENUESLocal Taxes 30,931,292$ 3,480,000$ Local Other 2,687,287 1,001,100$ State General 21,510,183State Other 700,000$ 37,000 Federal 1,581,656 651,000 Transfers from Other Funds 264,072General Fund Balance Obligated 2,168,528Capital Fund Balance Restricted 16,467,385Total Revenues 57,297,290$ 2,545,728$ 1,689,100$ 19,947,385$

ESTIMATED EXPENDITURESInstruction 37,185,924$ 2,215,545$ Pupil Services 1,871,607 34,404Improvement of Instructional Services 1,563,979 197,926Educational Media Services 1,289,049Federal Grant Administration 78,719General Administration 1,337,817School Administration 4,191,539Support Services - Business 419,521Maintenance and Operation of Plant Services 4,960,846Student Transportation Service 1,373,944Support Services - Central 1,033,598Other Support Services 7,000 19,134School Nutrition Program 999,912 1,689,100$ Community Services Operations 87,010Facilities Acquisition and Construction Services 16,388,521$ Transfers to Other Funds 264,072Debt Service 711,472 3,558,864 Total Expenditures 57,297,290$ 2,545,728$ 1,689,100$ 19,947,385$

Board Room of the Central Office at 125 Electric Avenue.

City Schools of DecaturBudget for Fiscal Year 2016

July 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016

The Fiscal Year 2016 Tentative Budget will be considered for final adoption by the Board of Education at 6:30 PM at the regular board meeting scheduled for Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The meeting will be held in the

DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING

FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2016

Monday, June 1, 2015 TIME LOCATION 5:45 p.m. J. David Williamson Board Room Administrative & Instructional Complex 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd. Stone Mountain, GA 30083 The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold a public budget hearing to solicit feedback from the public regarding the 2015-2016 school system’s budget.

FOR INFORMATION, CALL THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT 678-676-0133.


When suspended DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis goes back to court June 1 for his retrial, he will be facing new allega-tions of perjury.

Superior Court Judge Courtney Johnson ruled May 11 that prosecutors could introduce evidence of Ellis’ alleged perjury related to his involvement with the bid process for an ambu-lance contract.

Ellis is accused of strong-arming vendors to donate to his reelection campaign. His first trial in October 2014 ended in a hung jury.

According to the judge’s order, prosecutors plan to present evidence that Ellis “falsely testified to the spe-cial purpose grand jury that an RFP [request for propos-al] committee member nev-er disclosed to him details of an RFP evaluation process during an active RFP.”

The order states that prosecutors plan to show that Ellis conversed with former DeKalb fire chief Edward O’Brien about the RFP while it was active and while O’Brien was on the RFP committee. Prosecutors also plan to present evidence of Ellis conversations with Kevin Ross, a representative of Rural Metro, an ambu-lance company competing

for the RFP.Additionally, the District

Attorney’s Office intends to show that Ellis “testified falsely that he never had a conversation with a ven-dor…about the RFP process during an active RFP,” court documents show.

While Ellis’ attorneys argued in motions that the “alleged perjury constitutes a distinct, actual alleged of-fense which [prosecutors] failed to charge [Ellis] with,” the court said a defendant’s

“uncharged bad acts is ad-missible when it is intrinsic to the crime charged.”

The court states “there is sufficient proof that the jury can find that [Ellis] com-mitted the act” because “the conversations at issue are recorded.”

In motions, Ellis’ at-torneys asked the court to reconsider and reverse itself on 28 rulings that the “defendant deems were det-rimental to his defense and violative of his constitutional

rights,” according to court documents.

The ruling denying the motions states there was nothing new that would warrant such a reversal. The judge ordered that Ellis’ le-gal team cannot:

Argue that the special purpose grand jury which investigated Ellis legally exceeded the scope of its authority or that the DA’s Office “did not disclose that [Ellis] was the subject of an investigation” when he testi-

fied before the grand jury.• Make “any examination or

argument or [present] any evidence concerning his powers or duties as CEO or his belief of the same under the DeKalb Organi-zational Act, as that act is irrelevant as a defense to the unauthorized acts of bribery, extortion, etc., as detailed in the indictment.”

• Describe “how [the] de-fendant interacted with other vendors that are not the subject of the indict-ment” because this is ir-relevant.

• Argue the Ellis was “urged” by Kelvin Walton to take “certain actions.”

Ellis’ team can, the judge ruled, present “relevant spe-cific instances of conduct related to [Ellis’] good char-acter and good reputation.”

According to the judge’s order, Ellis’ legal team is barred from making any reference about Ellis “leav-ing a ‘lucrative’ legal career for public service.” The de-fendant’s attorneys are also barred from making any reference to the punishment and possible effects of Ellis’ conviction.

A motion to resched-ule the start of the trial was denied. Ellis’ attorneys pre-sented “various concerns and commitments” of at-torney Dwight Thomas, but the court found that Ellis is represented by multiple counsel.

Suspended CEO to face new perjury allegations in retrial

Suspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis will have to defend against new perjury allegations during his retrial. A judge also ruled that Ellis’ team can mention his “good character and good reputation.”

The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 ABUSINESS

by Kathy Mitchell

Three years ago when the Ewe family opened a bakery on Buford Highway, they weren’t sure whether Atlan-ta area diners would like the Asian baked goods the shop offers. “Most of them are lighter than the baked goods you usually find in America. The sweet items are less sweet and there’s less fat,” explained Howie Ewe, one of the owners.

“We already owned this property and we all had experience in the restaurant business, so we decided to take a chance,” he said.

The family needn’t have been concerned; Sweet Hut was an immediate success. The owners report dine-in customers often are unable to find a seat and at times there are long lines, espe-cially on weekends. As a result, they have opened a second location in midtown and have plans to expand the Buford Highway shop and open additional Sweet Huts in Cobb and Gwinett counties.

“Asian people love being able to find authentic baked goods like the ones their mothers used to make,” Howie Ewe said. “That’s our specialty—home-style treats more like what is baked at home than what you usually find in a bakery or restaurant.”

The items are a hit out-side the Asian community as well, he added. “We have a very international clientele. Americans and people from non-Asian countries like them as well. People are very health conscious these days, but they still enjoy sweets. The lighter baked goods are especially appeal-ing to young people.”

Customers come not only from all across the metro-politan Atlanta area, but also from other Georgia cities and from neighboring states. “There’s nothing like this in most of the Southeast,” Howie Ewe said. “People drive from Alabama, Ten-nessee and other states to shop here.”

His niece Rachel Ewe, who manages the midtown store, said young people like

having places to hang out and have snacks while visit-ing with friends or work-ing on personal computers. “This is an alternative to the coffee shops,” she said, noting that Sweet Hut offers more than 50 tea, milk and fruit drinks in addition to a wide variety of coffee op-tions.”

She said young custom-ers also like the atmosphere. “The chairs are comfortable and the tables are perfect for a computer. The décor and colors are relaxing and inviting.”

The dozens of baked goods at the Buford High-way store are sold in a self-serve cafeteria format. Cus-tomers take a tray covered with a sheet of waxed paper then use tongs to place their selections on the tray. At the end of the line, a cashier to-tals the order which is boxed for the customers.

The most popular items are buns stuffed with sweets such as coconut or fruit or with such savories as barbecued pork or curried chicken. “The Portuguese egg tart is very popular, too. We sell about 800 of those a day,” Howie Ewe said of the cupcake-sized custard baked in a pastry shell.

After expansion of the Buford Highway store is complete, it—like the mid-town store—will offer sand-wiches, salads and burgers. Many items familiar to Americans are prepared with an Asian influence such as the Bulgogi burger, which is a ground beef patty topped with Bulgogi sauce and vegetables not usually found on American burgers, including cucumbers, baby spinach and pickled carrots.

“We are Malaysian,” Howie Ewe said, “but we offer foods influenced by China, Japan and other Asian countries.” Some, he added, have an Ameri-can twist, such as the bun laced with hot dog bits and cheese.

The products are baked fresh daily at a central loca-tion, using locally sourced ingredients, when they are available, according to Howie Ewe. “We choose our bakers carefully. Even

those from outside the fam-ily must know Asian baking techniques.”

Family members say they have been approached by several national and in-

ternational companies that are interested in creating a Sweet Hut franchise. “We’re not ready to do that right now,” Rachel Ewe said. “We may do it at some time in

the future, but it’s very im-portant to us to control the quality of our products and we can’t consider franchis-ing until we’re sure that we can do that.”

COLLABORATIONDeKalb Chamber of Commerce • Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 • 404.378.8000 • www.dekalbchamber.org

Asian bakery a hit in Atlanta and beyond

Millage Rate Public Hearing

The City of Doraville has tentatively adopted a millage rate of 8.5 mills.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be held at the Doraville City Hall located at 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA 30340 on June 1, 2015 at 6:30pm.

Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at the Doraville City Hall on June 8, 2015 at 6:30pm and on June 15, 2015 at 6:30pm.

NOTICE OF PROPERY TAX INCREASE

The DeKalb County School District has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 10.47 percent.

All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase to be held at 6:15 p.m. June 1, 2015, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

Times and places of additional public hearings on this tax increase are at:

11:30 a.m. June 17, 2015, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

6:15 p.m. June 17, 2015, DeKalb County School District J. David Williamson Board Room, 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia

This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 23.98 mills, an increase of 2.272 mills. Without this tentative tax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 21.708 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fair market value of $175,000 is approximately $130.64 and the proposed tax increase for non‐homestead property with a fair market value of $275,000 is approximately $249.92.

Seated from left are Rachel Ewe, Amy Ewe, Howie Ewe and Patrick Ewe, who all have a role in the family busi-ness. Standing behind them is another family member who also works at Sweet Hut. Photo by Kathy Mitchell

The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 PAGE 19AEDUCATION

New county schools superintendent named by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

The five-month search for a successor to Super-intendent Michael Thur-mond is coming to an end.

DeKalb Board of Edu-cation chairman Melvin Johnson announced on May 13 that the board had selected Kansas City, Mo., school superintendent Dr. R. Stephen Green as the finalist to lead the DeKalb County School District.

Green is currently in a five-year contract with Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS). He started with the district in August 2011 as interim superintendent. He took the job permanently in 2012. A formal contract is expected to be offered on May 27.

Thurmond is scheduled to step down in June but has agreed to be a consultant for the new superintendent to assist in a “smooth transi-tion.”

Johnson said Green is expected to join the DeKalb County School district on July 1.

“After a comprehensive nearly six-month search, the board has selected an experienced, well-suited educational leader to move the district forward under his successful innovative approaches to teaching and learning,” said Johnson. “Dr. Green brings an im-pressive record to DeKalb not only from Kansas City, but also from New York, New Jersey and Indiana. He was a stabilizing force in Kansas City and will do the same here in DeKalb County.”

“Dr. Green is excited to come here,” Johnson said. “He has children and grandchildren here so for his family it is sort of a home-coming.”

Green is credited with leading KCPS back to pro-visional accreditation within two years of being named

superintendent in 2012. He had previously served as KCPS interim superinten-dent for several months.

Johnson said, “We feel in terms of his leadership style,

his ability to work with board members and super-intendents in a collaborative way and certainly his exper-tise in finance resulting in the last three years having an audit with no recommen-dations – that’s impressive.”

Under Green’s leader-ship, KCPS earned 92.5 points toward Missouri’s school achievement stan-dards in 2014. That was 8.5 points more than the school district earned in 2013, and a 54.5-point increase from the 2012 results.

In August 2014, Mis-souri’s board of education recognized the district’s gains by granting KCPS

provisional accreditation.Earlier this year, he was

recognized for his achieve-ments by being named Mis-souri’s 2015 Pearce Award winner–“Best Superinten-dent of the Year”–by his peers in the Missouri As-sociation of School Admin-istrators.

Green said in a press conference, he had a great experience serving the stakeholders of KCPS, which makes the decision to leave for DeKalb difficult.

“I have had a unique and wonderful opportunity to make a difference for a deserving community and work with a great team at

KCPS,” Green said. “I wish them all the best as they rise to success. I know they have the talent, focus and grit to make it happen.”

KCPS Board of Direc-tors Chair Jon Hile thanked Green for his service and wished Green well moving forward.

Green said, “I am look-ing forward to helping lead DeKalb schools to new elevations and to being able to spend a lot of quality time with my children and grand-children,” Dr. Green said. “These opportunities don’t come around very often, and I simply could not pass it up.”

1

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Mayor and City Council of the City of Chamblee, Georgia will hold a public hearing on Thursday, June 11, 2015, at the Chamblee Civic Center, 3540 Broad Street, Chamblee, GA 30341 at 6:00 p.m. to receive public comments regarding the following matters:

1. The Chamblee Mayor and Council will consider adopting policies and procedures for calling and conducting public zoning hearings consistent with O.C.G.A. Sect. 36‐66‐5 (Georgia Zoning Procedures Law).

2. The Chamblee Mayor and Council will consider adopting standards governing the exercise of zoning power consistent with O.C.G.A. Sect. 36‐66‐5 (Georgia Zoning Procedures Law).

3. The Chamblee Mayor and Council will consider approval of an ordinance adopting a new “Unified Development Ordinance” (UDO) for the City of Chamblee, dated March 17, 2015, along with three Addenda that shall be known as “UDO Addendum 1 ‐ Design Guidelines For Multi‐Family Districts, Infill Development and Adaptive Reuse”, “UDO Addendum 2 ‐ Buffer, Landscaping, And Tree Preservation Administrative Guidelines“, and “UDO Addendum 3 ‐ Streetscape Guidelines.” The ordinance adopting these documents will repeal conflicting ordinances including Chapter 34 – Environment; Chapter 93 – Development Regulations; Appendix A ‐ Zoning Ordinance; Appendix B – Subdivision Regulations; Appendix C: Airport Related Provisions; Tree Preservation Ordinance Administrative Guidelines; Streetscape Guidelines and Street Designations Map, as well as other conflicting provisions of the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances.

4. 2015V‐09: Darron Kusman, on behalf of Roma Ventures, LLC requests a stream buffer variance pursuant to Sect. 310‐3(c) of the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance in order to develop a subdivision consisting of 4 single‐family residential lots on 1.4 acres of property zoned Neighborhood Residential ‐1 (NR‐1) located at 3062 Park Lane and 3114 Skyland Drive being DeKalb County tax parcels 18‐278‐03‐127 and 18‐278‐03‐125 in Chamblee, GA.

5. 2015V‐09: Darron Kusman, on behalf of Roma Ventures, LLC requests a floodplain variance pursuant to Section 330‐4(c) in accordance with Section 330‐6 in order to develop a subdivision consisting of 4 single‐family residential lots on 1.4 acres of property zoned Neighborhood Residential ‐1 (NR‐1) located at 3062 Park Lane and 3114 Skyland Drive being DeKalb County tax parcels 18‐278‐03‐127 and 18‐278‐03‐125 in Chamblee, GA.

6. 2015V‐09: Darron Kusman, on behalf of Roma Ventures, LLC requests a floodplain variance pursuant to Section 330‐5(f) in accordance with Section 330‐6 in order to develop a subdivision consisting of 4 single‐family residential lots on 1.4 acres of property zoned Neighborhood Residential ‐1 (NR‐1) located at 3062 Park Lane and 3114 Skyland Drive being DeKalb County tax parcels 18‐278‐03‐127 and 18‐278‐03‐125 in Chamblee, GA.

7. 2015V‐09: Darron Kusman, on behalf of Roma Ventures, LLC requests a floodplain variance pursuant to Section 330‐4(c) in order to develop a subdivision consisting of 4 single‐family residential lots on 1.4 acres of property zoned Neighborhood Residential ‐1 (NR‐1) located at 3062 Park Lane and 3114 Skyland Drive being DeKalb County tax parcels 18‐278‐03‐127 and 18‐278‐03‐125 in Chamblee, GA.

8. 2015PUD‐04: Mr. James Jacobi, on behalf of JEH Homes and property owner Atlanta Animal Alliance, Inc. requests approval of a modification of an existing Planned Unit Development on 5.03‐acres located at 3550 Chamblee‐Dunwoody Road pursuant to Section 280‐6(c) of the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance in order to construct a residential subdivision consisting of 41 townhomes on private streets on property being DeKalb County tax parcel 18‐249‐11‐008 in Chamblee, GA.

9. 2015PUD‐06: Mr. Neville Allison, of Acadia Homes and Neighborhoods, requests approval of a major modification of an existing Planned Unit Development on a 19.84‐acres zoned Corridor Commercial (CC) located at 4251 North Peachtree Road, 2215 Perimeter Park Drive, and 4250 Perimeter Park South pursuant to Section 280‐6(c) of the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance in order to construct a mixed use development consisting of 123 townhomes, 33 single‐family detached residences, and a 2.1 acre commercial tract on DeKalb County tax parcels 18‐334‐05‐001, 18‐334‐01‐169, and 18‐334‐01‐001 in Chamblee, GA.

10. 2015V‐10: Mr. Harry Patel, on behalf of Global Hotel Group, requests approval of variances from the following provisions of the City of Chamblee Code of Ordinances, Appendix A, Unified Development Ordinance in order to construct a principal freestanding sign with a height of 25 ft. and area of 64 sq. ft. on property consisting of 1.838 acres zoned Corridor Commercial (CC) at 5280 Peachtree Boulevard, being DeKalb County tax parcel 18‐291‐01‐003 in Chamblee, GA:

Section 260‐7(b)(3) that limits height of a principal freestanding signs to 8 ft. Section 260‐7(b)(5) that limits the area of a principal freestanding sign on properties with less than 200 ft. of street frontage to 40 sq. ft. 11. 2015Z‐03: The Chamblee Mayor and Council will consider approval of an ordinance amending the Official Zoning Map of the City of Chamblee to change the

zoning classification of the following parcels from Village Commercial (VC) to Corridor Village Commercial (CVC): DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐277‐02‐006, also known as 4761 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐277‐02‐005, also known as 4775 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐277‐02‐004, also known as 4783 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐277‐02‐003, also known as 4805 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐277‐02‐002, also known as 4829 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐277‐02‐001, also known as 4839 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐278‐02‐012, also known as 4847 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐278‐02‐011, also known as 4849 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA DeKalb County Parcel ID: 18‐278‐02‐010, also known as 4865 Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA.

Green

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The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 ASPORTS

DEKALB COUNTYBOARD OF EDUCATION

1st PUBLICMILLAGE RATE HEARING

Monday, June 1, 2015

TIME LOCATION 6:15 p.m. J. David Williamson Board Room

Administrative & Instructional Complex 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd. Stone Mountain, GA 30083

Citizens interested in reviewing a detailed copy of the program based budget may do so by visiting the DeKalb County School District website atwww.dekalb.k12.ga.us.

FOR INFORMATION, CALL THE OFFICE OF THECHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT 678-676-0133.


It was a historic day for the boys track teams of Ce-dar Grove and Southwest DeKalb high schools at the 2015 Georgia High School Association Boys Track and Field State Championships.

For the Cedar Grove Saints, the team won its first state track and field title in program history. The Saints won the Class AAA state title, outscoring Decatur 67-45. The Saints were led by the relay teams, with both relay teams winning gold.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Andre Burrell, Dar-ius Freeman, Adrian Green and Isreal Spivey won gold with a time of 41.77 seconds. The 4x400 relay team of Burrell, Freeman, Green and Jessie Reverio finished first in a time of 3:18.98.

Freeman also won gold in the 400-meter dash with a time of 48.21, and won silver in the 200-meter dash with a time of 21.80.

Decatur was led by Sam Ellis, who won the 800-meter (1:55.91) and the

1,600-meter (4:21.03). Southwest DeKalb end-

ed the “farewell” season for coach Napoleon Cobb win-ning the Class AAAAA state championship trophy. Cobb is retiring after 50 years of coaching.

The Panthers won their ninth state title, outscoring Banneker 58-44. It was the 11th state title for Cobb, who won three titles with Gordon.

The 4x100-meter relay team of Travis Bacon, Terry Conwell, Terryon Conwell and Justin Tomlin brought home Southwest DeKalb’s only gold medal with a time of 41.26. The 4x400-meter relay team of Terry Conwell, Terryon Conwell, Tomlin and Raymond White came in second with a time of 3:14.74.

Terryon Conwell picked up two more medals in the 100-meter dash (silver) and 200-meter dash (bronze). His twin brother Terry won silver in the 400-meter.

Montavious Cole-man picked up a silver medal in the discus throw (162.01.00).

Stephenson finished fourth in Class AAAAA with Denzel Harper lead-ing the way with two gold medals. He won the long jump (23-03.50) for the second consecutive season, and the 300 meter hurdles (37.81). Stephenson also got a bronze medal in the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 41.88.

Abbas Abkar led Clarkston to a 13th place

finish with a gold medal in the 800-meter run (1:54.43).

In Class AAAAAA, Lakeside’s Davis Stockwell took silver medal in the 1,600-meter run (4:15.91).

In Class AAAA, Marist tied for second with 40. Kenneth Brinson won his third consecutive state title in the discus throw (185-06). He also won silver in the shot put (52-06.50). Frank Pittman won the

1,600-meter (4:16.38) and the 3,200-meter (9:23.27).

St. Pius finished fifth with 32 points behind Coo-per Metzler, who bronze in the 800-meter (1:55.50), and helped the 4x400-relay team won bronze (3:19.79).

Chris McBride led Re-dan to a ninth place finish with his second consecutive state title in the long jump with a leap of 23-11.00.

SWD champions again, Cedar Grove wins first state title

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The Cedar Grove Saints boys’ track and field team won its first state title in program history, winning the Class AAA title with 67 points.

Southwest DeKalb boys’ track team won the Class AAAAA state title, the program’s ninth overall title.


Perfect season St. Pius boys win state soccer title, go undefeated


Cross Keys was in the way of a perfect season for St. Pius boys soccer team.

Behind the leg of Louie Aponte and good defense, the Golden Lions ended a perfect season with a 1-0 win over Cross Keys May 14 at Mercer University’s Five Star Stadium.

St. Pius coach David O’Shea was pleased with how his young team came together for this perfect run.

“We lost a good group of seniors last year, so we got a pretty young team with a few sophomores,” O’Shea said. “All season we had Fedo Ceccagnoli, who is a freshman who started as the center midfielder all the way through the game. So, we had a different balance of players in there. We came together and that was a perfect season. We’ve won every game that we’ve played this season. You can’t ask for more than that.”

Aponte scored the only goal in the first half from nearly 30 feet out of left field. He said his goal was due to the right spacing.

“I knew they were going to have me tight the whole time…so I was trying to get as much space as I

could, and I got a little space, I got my head up and I saw some guys in the box and I just tried to loft it in there,” he said. “Luckily it went in.”

Cross Keys goalkeeper Alexis Briceno tipped the ball, but it hit the cross bar and fell into the net,

giving St. Pius a 1-0 lead.“We knew if we put pressure

on the goalkeeper that we’d have a chance it could go in and, [Aponte] is a guy that can create anything,” O’Shea said. “He got that goal there and it ended up winning us the state championship.”

St. Pius had other opportunities to score, but Briceno and Cross Key’s defense stalled those opportunities.

“We knew they were going to be a strong team and they were,” O’Shea said. “They put a lot of pressure on us. We had some chances where we could’ve put it away there in the second half, but they were a good opponent and they gave us a great game today. It was good game.”

The boys completed the Class AAAA sweep, joining the girls’ team in winning the state title. It was the boys’ 10th title in program history. As with the girls team, this is Golden Lion third consecutive title.

“It’s a great thing for the program,” O’Shea said.

St. Pius girls and boys soccer teams each won the state title for the third consecutive year.

St. Pius celebrates after receiving the Class AAAA championship trophy.

St. Pius’ Allen Morgan (No. 24) jumps up to head-butt the ball.

St. Pius’ Nick Jones kicks the ball up field. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Cross Keys goalie Eduardo Ca-brera (right) goes up to block a goal attempt.

St. Pius coach Davis O’Shea congratulates his team after the win.


Three-Peat St. Pius girls win state soccer title on penalty kicksby Carla [email protected]

Before St. Pius freshman goal-keeper Emory Wegener took her position in front of the net for penalty kicks, she did one thing.

“I was just asking God to look over me,” she said.

Wegener went on to block three kicks to help the Lady Golden Lions win the Class AAAA 2-1 in penalty kick over their rival Marist May 14 at Mercer University’s Five Star Stadium.

It was the Golden Lions third con-secutive state title, eighth in program history.

The two teams battled through 80 minutes of regulation and two five-minute overtime periods, yet neither team could get the ball in the next.

“I think we were able to hang with them and slowly build [momentum],” St. Pius coach Sara Geiger said after the game. “I don’t think either team got into the momentum…I thought it was a well-fought battle.”

Both teams had their first pen-alty kick attempts blocked. Wegener blocked Katie MacGinnitie’s kick on Marist’s second attempt. St. Pius took a 1-0 lead when Nicole Rodriguez made her penalty kick.

Kelsey Carrier tied the score, but St. Pius regained the lead after Rachel Heard’s made kick.

Marist and St. Pius missed on their fourth attempts, with Wegener blocking Caroline Chipman’s at-tempt. Marist goalkeeper Carlin Za-prowski was Marist’s last chance, but her kick went wide right, sealing the win for St. Pius.

Heard, who ended kicking the winning penalty kick, felt no pressure walking up to the net.

“I just had to be confident and just place it where I picked the side and go there,” Heard said. “That’s what I did.”

Heard also played a big role defen-sively, keeping Marist out of scoring position for the majority of the game.

“Rachel has been a steady point in our center backfield,” Geiger said. “I don’t think you’ll find a girl that’s fast-er than her. She catches people from 10 yards [out], and it’s a nice comfort for the rest of the team. Sometimes it gets us in trouble because we watch her instead of closing the gaps. But

for the most part you’re not getting by her.”

Geiger also praised Wegener for her performance stepped.

“She was a huge addition to the team,” Geiger said. “She step up dur-ing the game, but she had great saves in the PK and as a freshman. We have a lot of potential there, and I can’t wait

to keep having her in the net for three more years.”

St. Pius players came into the game with revenge on their minds. St. Pius lost to Marist 2-1 March 30.

“We lost to them in the season, and it never really left us,” Geiger said. “We knew that if we could get to the final game that would probably be our

match-up, and it was time to get right back at them.”

“I was excited,” Wegener said. “They beat us the first time we played them, and we all came in here so pumped to play the game. We were just so excited, but we had to play our game, control the game and play our game.”

St. Pius goalie Emory Wegener blocks a penalty kick attempt. St. Pius goalie Emory Wegener celebrates after Marist misses its final penalty kick attempt.

St. Pius celebrates with the Class AAAA championship trophy. Photos by Travis Hudgons

St. Pius’ Rachel Heard (left) defends a Marist player. St. Pius won its third consecutive state title.


LOCAL

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Decatur Lantern

Parade...page 12

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‘Dunwoody’s best-kept secret’

THURSDAY, MAY 21 - 27 , 2015 SECTION:B

B LifeStyle The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015

Table of Contents

4

8

STILL TIME TO OBSERVE BIKE MONTH

RECIPE: TOSTONES EGGS BENEDICT WITH CILANTRO SAUCE 11

5 ST. LOUIS’ CITY MUSEUM IS A COLLECTION OF THE WEIRD

MOVIE REVIEW: FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD

B LifeStyle The Champion, Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015www.TheChampionNewspaper.com LifeStyle Thursday, May 21 - 27, 2015 Page 3B

Historic period coming to a close with resignation of church’s first female pastor

by Nigel Roberts

The Rev. Julie Pennington-Russell, a pioneer of the women in ministry movement, announced

her resignation as pastor of Decatur First Baptist Church. May 31 will be her �nal Sunday.

“I make this decision with sadness but without bitterness,” she told her congregation in an open letter. “In truth, my prevailing emotion is gratitude. Despite the challenges we’ve faced, I’m enormously grateful to have answered your call to serve as your pastor.”

Pennington-Russell, 54, cited “persistent tensions and divisions within our fellowship” as the primary reason for decision, which she and her husband made a�er prayer and contemplation.

She pointed to 2011 – 2012

as the “�rst of several challenging seasons.” A restructured church budget caused some sta� and numerous church members to leave.

“During these di�cult times, I have done my best to listen for God and to lead this congregation according to Holy Spirit’s guidance,” Pennington-Russell said. “However, I’m afraid that today our church has become stuck. �e sticking point for more than a few appears to be me and my leadership.”

First Baptist’s deacon chair, Lou Ann Brown, said the deacons accepted her resignation “with great sadness,” according to the Associated Baptist Press. Brown highlighted the congregation’s numerous accomplishments under Pennington-Russell’s leadership. She added, “We are praying and trusting that God will reveal new doors for us and Pastor Julie as we continue to strive to be His responsive servants.”

First Baptist courted controversy when it hired Pennington-Russell in 2007. �e Georgia Baptist Convention severed ties with the congregation two years later because calling a woman to the pulpit violates the Southern Baptist Convention’s understanding of the scriptures.

Baptist churches are independent and can hire anyone. But they face consequences from the convention if they hire a woman.

Pennington-Russell, an Orlando, Fla., native, was accustomed to controversy over her gender. In 1993, the California Southern Baptist Convention thrust her into the national spotlight when it rejected her leadership of the Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco.

Uproar followed Pennington-Russell when she accepted the senior pastor position at Calvary

Baptist Church in Waco, Texas, in 1998. Protesters greeted the pastor on her �rst Sunday at the church.

Pennington-Russell recalled, in the open letter, her decision to accept the senior pastor position at First Baptist.

She wrote: “I still remember the stirring in my chest as I listened to the search committee talk of First Baptist’s desire to make deeper connections with an increasingly diverse and unchurched Decatur community. �e unique needs of FBC and the people of Decatur presented clear challenges and ministry opportunities for which I felt called and gi�ed to respond.”

Pennington-Russell and her husband, Tim, are unsure about what comes next. “We trust that God will reveal our next steps in due time,” she said.

SpiritMatters


CarTalk

2015 Avalon shines in almost all waysby Gale Horton Gay

Those in the market for a full-size sedan should spend a little time with the 2015 Toyota Avalon

XLE touring edition. It’s likely to leave them hungry for second or third test drives.

It shines in almost all areas—performance, handling, comfort and visual appeal.

�e Avalon XLE touring edition is equipped with a 3.5-liter, 286-horsepower V-6 engine with six-speed automatic transmission.

Toyota’s Avalon comes in �ve di�erent trim levels with increasing options. �e touring edition includes: 18-inch wheels, fog lights, driver memory settings, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-tra�c alert and Toyota’s Entune Premium Audio with Navigation and App Suite, nine-speaker audio system, a 7-inch touchscreen display, a navigation system and smartphone app integration.

�e Avalon delivers a quality ride—seeming to �oat over uneven surfaces—and handling is e�ortless.

I’m a big fan of the vehicle’s interior styling. Almost everything is easily within reach and logically positioned. �e car features contemporary �ush-touch controls. And it looks good, too, with contrasting materials, bold top stitching, leather seats and trim, etc.

Several minor design features were a big hit with me—such as the sliding compartment where one can charge a cell phone and keep it hidden or have it exposed. Other convenience features include back seat grab handles on the roof with a small hook in the middle to secure hangers or bags.

�e only thing I found to complain about is the placement of the Eco/Norm/Sport buttons, which were at the bottom of the center console (almost at hip level)—way too far from my line of sight. Consequently I didn’t see them and didn’t switch driving modes for several days. However that’s minor considering all the checks in the Avalon’s plus column.

Also back seat passengers shouldn’t have any complaints either about the four-door Avalon.

It’s an easy in and out and has adequate space for two or three passengers. �ere’s also a center armrest in the rear with a nice feature—a hideaway compartment that can be locked.

�e test car had an exterior color called “attitude black metal” which was black with minute blue metallic shimmers that were only noticeable close up. Interior was mostly black with blue highlights here and there. Black and blue never looked so good.

From a safety standpoint, the Avalon XLE is equipped with stability control, anti-lock brakes, smart stop technology, whiplash lessening seats for driver and front passenger and 10 airbags.

It received �ve stars (out of �ve) in government side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. It was not rated in frontal crash tests.

�e Avalon gets 21 miles per gallon (mpg) in the city and 31 mpg on the highway, according to government fuel economy

and environment tests. No need to wonder how close to empty the vehicle is, miles to empty are continuously displayed on the dashboard—right in the driver’s line of sight.

�e Avalon XLE Touring edition I tested had a base price of $37,170 and the only additions to the price were $395 for paint protection �lm and $499 for remote engine starter. Final price with delivery and handling fee: $38,889.


Book grew out of letters to grandchildrenby Gale Horton Gay

Growing up in Barbados, Irvine Weekes lived a childhood markedly di�erent from children today.

Weekes said there are lessons for today’s young people in yesterday’s experiences, and he’s written a book to do share pass along those lession.

His book, From the Inside Looking Out: Coming of Age of a Boy in the African Diaspora, is intended for middle school-age children. Weekes said it includes 28 short stories told through the eyes of a boy between the ages of 4 and 13.

Weekes said he kept the stories succinct to accommodate the short attention spans of today’s children. “I didn’t want to overload them with a lot of �u�,” he said.

Asked if the stories are autobiographical, Weekes said they are somewhat. “It’s what I observed and what I actually experienced myself.”

�e stories involve lessons from island life in Barbados and colonial culture, the author explained.

Weekes, who’s been a resident of Stone Mountain for 30 years, le� Barbados when he was 18 and lived in Bahamas and Canada before moving to the United States.

Now retired, Weekes had a long career in banking and was a livestock farmer for a while.

Weekes, 79, said the book grew out of six letters he wrote to his grandchildren explaining what it was like when he was growing up. He decided that other children could bene�t from his experiences and decided to pursue writing the book.

Weekes said it took him nine months to write From the Inside Looking Out , three months to get it illustrated and three months to get it published on Amazon.com.

He said he hopes the book provides inspiration to its readers, “showing them how one can work with what they would consider very little.”

Weekes is now working on another children’s book for 7- and 8-year-olds initially titled Just Horsing Around.

Irvine Weekes


Dunwoody Community Garden:‘Dunwoody’s best-kept secret’


Gardening and growing one’s own food is becoming more popular each day.

New community gardens are popping up in communities and existing community gardens, such as the Dunwoody Community Garden, are growing.

Located in Brook Run Park, the Dunwoody Community Garden was founded in August 2009.

Art Simon, chairman of the garden, said the idea came from community residents.

“They were a group of people who saw a need to have organic gardening in the community to provide families with a source of organic vegetables,” Simon said. “So, they asked the city to give them some property in the park to start a garden, and the city agreed.”

The garden started with 60 4-by-8-foot plots that were leased to families for $60 a year. Simon said most of the plots sold on the first day.

“[It was] expanded twice since then,” he said. “We have 92 plots, plus 15 charity plots where we grow food

From left, Sonya White and her children Chloe and Miles work on their plot in the Dunwoody Community Garden. Photos by Carla Parker


Dunwoody Community Garden has 92 plots, plus 15 charity plots for food, herbs and more. Photos by Carla Parker

Art Simon, chairman of the Dunwoody Community Garden, said garden plots are in high demand.

and donate it to charity. We’ve got about two acres here at the main garden, and we also grow food at the greenhouse complex.”

The garden expanded to 92 plots and extensive border plantings in June 2011. It is maintained by volunteers, members and a volunteer board of directors.

“We provide free compost, free fertilizer and free water to each plot,” Simon said. “We have two greenhouses where we grow plants and sell them to our members at a low price.”

Before Dunwoody took ownership of Brook Run Park, the Brook Run Hospital for the mentally disabled was a part of the park. Simon said the hospital built greenhouses to grow food for patients. The hospital closed in 1997, and when the city took over the park years later, the city let the community garden use the greenhouses to grow plants and food year-round. Simon said he never thought the garden would attract many gardeners.

“We’re about 95 percent full, and it will probably fall off by June and then we’ll have a waiting list,” he said. “It’s very popular. We have room to expand and if we need to we can, but it

will be based on demand.”Sonya White, who is new to Dunwoody,

bought a plot after she and her children discovered the garden.

“We do a lot of gardening at our home,” White said. “We have grow boxes at our house, and we came up this way and saw that they had a community garden. It’s a really good way to let the kids see firsthand where food comes from.”

The White family’s plot will soon have tomatoes, zucchinis, potatoes, herbs, peppers, cucumbers and watermelons.

The garden is also a certified Audubon Wildlife Refuge, providing food and shelter for birds, such as bluebirds, owls and bats.

“We have about six bird houses in the garden and probably another four or five around the garden in bird-feeders,” Simon said. “We’re also a part of the Atlanta Audubon Society Certified Sanctuary.”

Along with providing hands-on gardening opportunities, the garden also offers educational classes and partners with the city for social events.

“We promote Eagle Scout and Girl Scout

projects,” Simons said. “We promote a lot of community spirit. We work closely with the city of Dunwoody…on projects that they like to sponsor, such as the Milkweed Project for monarch butterflies in conjunction with the Dunwoody Nature Center. We grow the milkweed plants for that.”

Although the garden is a known commodity to some Dunwoody residents, it is unknown by many, according to Simon.

“When people come here they say it’s one of the best-kept secrets in Dunwoody,” he said. “It’s hidden, and since we’ve only been in existence for six years now, people are not that aware of us. There are other activities in Dunwoody, and we’re one of the newer and less known spots in Dunwoody.”

Simon said more people should participate in gardening because it is “relaxing and stress-relieving.

“You get to work dirt and plant things and see them grow,” he said. “It’s very peaceful, and it’s also sociable. We grow a lot of flowers, so people who find gardening relaxing and beautiful would love the community garden.”


Sneaking some healthy, green fats into morning muffin treats

Peanut butter cookies

Recipe

by Melissa D’Arabian(AP) For me, this has been the year of the

avocado. In addition to using them in all the usual

suspects—guacamole, cobb salads and club sandwiches –my family also has been smashing them up on toast (try topping them with tomato slices, prosciutto, a drizzle of olive and a sprinkle of sea salt), tucking slices in flatbread wraps and sushi rolls, tossing cubes with tomatoes and balsamic for a quick salad, or using them as a nutritious and tasty topping for egg white omelets.

And it’s a great thing to do. Avocados are bursting with healthy fats that satisfy, as well as fiber that fills you up. They also are a good source of several vitamins, including vitamin C and folate. What you may not know is that because of its creamy-fatty texture, avocado also can be used in baked goods in place of other fats.

For best swapping results, only substitute part of a recipe’s regular fat with avocado. Also, be aware that avocados will add a pale green color to your baked goods. This goes mostly unnoticed in items such as chocolate cake, but could be off-putting in your vanilla cake. But in the case of my lime and avocado streusel mini muffins—one of my favorite weekend breakfast treats—the color can be a good thing.

I make mine gluten-free by using a combination of almond meal, coconut flour and a nice medium-weight gluten-free flour (check the flour label, as you are looking for 2 to 4 grams of protein per 1/4 cup for this recipe). Or you can use wheat flour, if you prefer.

Whip up a batch of these to enjoy on the weekend, then stick the extras in zip-close plastic freezer bag for a quick snack that thaws in minutes on the countertop. They also happen to make a great breakfast-in-bed treat for the moms in your life on Mother’s Day. Lime (and Avocado) Streusel Mini Muffins Start to finish: 30 minutes Makes 24 mini muffins For the muffins: 1/2 medium avocado, peeled and pitted (about 1/4 cup flesh) 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon lime zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 3/4 cup gluten-free baking flour or whole-wheat pastry flour 1/2 cup almond meal (finely ground almonds) 1/4 cup coconut flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon table salt 1/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup apple sauce For the streusel topping: 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 2 tablespoons flour (gluten-free or whole wheat pastry) 1/8 teaspoon table salt

Heat the oven to 350 F. Coat two mini muffin pans (you need 24 muffin cups) with baking

spray or line with paper muffin cups. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to

cream together the avocado, butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about two minutes. Mix in the zest and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each. Set the avocado mixture aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, almond meal, coconut flour, baking powder and soda, and the salt. If the almond meal is too coarse to pass through the sifter, simply whisk it into the sifted flours to ensure even blending. In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the buttermilk, lime juice and applesauce.

Add both the flour mixture and the buttermilk blend to the avocado mixture, half at a time, blending on low with the mixer until completely incorporated. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pans, filling each cup about three-quarters of the way.

In a small bowl, use a fork to mix together the streusel ingredients until the streusel resembles coarse sand or small pebbles. Spoon a small amount of streusel on top of each muffin, then bake until the muffins are turning golden and spring back when touched lightly, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from the muffin pans.

Nutrition information per muffin: 80 calories; 35 calories from fat (44 percent of total calories); 4 g fat (1.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 20 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 2 g protein; 95 mg sodium.


by Gary Peiffer and Jessica Hill

DeKalb Cooperative Extension answers home and garden questions in many different ways. Call (404) 298-4080 Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or leave a voicemail message after hours. E-mail gardening questions to [email protected] and all others to [email protected]. The website is www.ugaextension.com/dekalb. Here is a sampling of recent questions:

Q. I have several large older trees that I am worried about because of news reports of trees falling and severe storms this year. How can I verify they are safe and I am not risking life and limb?A. The best way is to get complete tree evaluations is by a certified arborist. His or her expertise includes performing tree inspections and decay analysis. Signs of possible tree issues include: large dead limbs, patches of loose or falling bark, sawdust on trunks, fungi growing at base or on

roots. Visual analysis does not work with large trees. Arborists need to have specialized equipment. Also, they need to know how to evaluate the presence of soft wood and decay versus soundness and safety of the tree.

Q. My son is interested in becoming a certified arborist. Where should he begin?A. He should start by taking training courses either online or at a local school. Nothing is more valuable than everyday practical experience learning from professionals and practicing up-to-date techniques. Professional associations can be helpful and

nothing takes the place of actual job experience. Before he tests, he should have two to three years’ experience in arboriculture or a related industry to acquire the background needed to get a passing score. Also, job experience would really help him decide if he is interested in this career. The more diverse the training and experience the better. He is welcome to talk to any of our staff by calling (404) 298-4080 or contacting local associations such as, Metro Atlanta Landscape and Turf Association or the Georgia Arborist Association for more information.

Q. I’ve seen a vegetable at the grocery store called ramps. What are they? A. It is a variety of onion and are often called wild leeks. The taste is strong like garlic and the smell is pungent. Their stalks are slim and transition from a white bulb to a purplish stem leading to a leaf-like top.

Contact DeKalb Cooperative Extension with questions.

Peiffer Hill

ExtensionService

Advice about tree health and ramps


A&ECalendar

Concerts on the Square

MUSICTrolley Stop CabaretART Station5384 Manor DriveStone Mountain(770) 469-1105

Theresa Hightower—May 29Veteran of concert halls and musical theater, vocalist Theresa Hightower brings her jazz, blues and show tunes talents to the Trolley Stop Cabaret. The cover charge is $20. Appetizers, desserts and bar drinks are available prior to and during the cabaret performances. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for drinks, snacks and desserts. The first set begins at 8:15 p.m. The second set begins at 9:15 p.m. Seating is by reservation only. For information call (770) 469-1105 or email [email protected].

ART Station 5384 Manor DriveStone Mountain

Theresa Hightower—May 29

Eddie’s Attic 515 N. McDonough St. Decatur(404) 377-4976www.eddiesattic.com

The Grahams — May 23

Previewing their forthcoming 2-CD set Glory Bound and documentary short film Rattle the Hocks. Featuring guests John Fullbright, the North Mississippi Allstars and Duwayne Burnside. Showtime is 5 p.m. Tickets are $8-12.

Decatur SquareDowntown Decatur

Concerts on the Square—May 16Blue Sky Concerts—May 20

Brother Hawk will perform at the May 9 concert at 7 p.m. Beulah Boys performs at noon on May 20. Free and open to the public. Concerts take place at the community bandstand.

Dunwoody Nature Center5343 Roberts DriveDunwoodywww.dunwoodynature.org/concerts

Gibson/Wilbanks—May 16

The 7 p.m. concerts are $3-$5. Bring a blanket or chair.

THEATER

Stage Door Players5339 Chamblee Dunwoody RoadDunwoody(770) 396-1726

Sylvia—May 15-June 7

Described as a modern romantic comedy about love, marriage and a talking dog. Tickets $15-$30.

Onstage Atlanta2969 East Ponce de Leon Ave.Decatur(404) 897-1802www.onstageatlanta.com

Die, Mommie, Die—May1-23

Play is directed by Suelhyla El-Attar and stars Topher Payne and DeWayne Morgan. Tickets are $12-$20.

ARTCallanwolde Fine Arts Center980 Briarcliff Road NEAtlanta

Tim Hunter Gallery Show—May 15-July 10 The work in this exhibition features two series that the artist has been working on for the past two years, both focused on nature. Opening reception 7-9 p.m. on May 15.


Schwarzenegger surprises in zombie drama Maggie

MovieReview

by Lindsey Bahr

(AP) Would you stand by your child if she was slowly dying of a gruesome and highly contagious illness? �at’s the central question that Arnold Schwarzenegger has to face in Maggie, a terminal illness drama where the malady at hand involves morphing into a member of the �esh-eating undead.

Director Henry Hobson’s �lm imagines a world devastated by zombies—although no one ever says that word. Instead of turning to genre conventions, though, Maggie stays small, intimate, and fascinatingly realistic.

Set in a small Midwestern town, society is still tenuously functioning amid the breakout. Hospitals diagnose the a�icted and set terms for mandatory quarantines before the diseased turn truly dangerous. �e police, also, are there to enforce. Other institutions, though, are all but abandoned. Gas stations are empty and electricity is unreliable.

For many, life continues as

normally as possible. �ere are no rogue bands of hostile survivalists competing over bunkers and land and no massive zombie armies attacking. Maggie is a zombie tale that is more interested in the microcosm—the e�ects of the virus on the family unit and the community, not the shocks and thrills of an all-out war.

If this seems like a surprising choice for Schwarzenegger, it is. Even more surprising? He’s pretty great.

�e heart of the movie is the relationship between Wade (Schwarzenegger) and his teenage daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin). She’s infected and missing when the �lm starts, but Wade searches for two weeks to �nd her and bring her back to the country home that he shares with his new wife (Joely Richardson) and their young children.

�ere, Wade waits for Maggie to transform, trying to spend as much time with her as possible in the interim. Maggie, in turn, �uctuates between all the emotions of dealing

with a life cut too short—and her fatal, itchy and grotesque wound.

�ere are a few jump scares and horror movie elements that help to break up the melodrama. Maggie’s carefully designed physical transformation is punctuated by frightening visions of what’s to come—even if it’s unclear whether they’re nightmares or symptoms.

Still, everything is restrained. Schwarzenegger’s Wade only resorts to violence when protecting Maggie, and even those moments seem to be done reluctantly. His despair is evident in his physicality and his eyes throughout.

Many of the scenes take place around the dinner table—some tense, some funny, but all with the heavy fear of the inevitable hanging over every moment.

Some of the more a�ecting parts involve Schwarzenegger weighing his options with various friends. �e horrifying reality is that death is really the only solution. �e “how” is the question.

And yet, for as fascinating as the conceit is (and as lean as

the movie is), the deep emotions at play don’t really hit as well as they should. Part of the problem is the distracting look of the �lm. Maggie appears as though it was shot through a variety of Instagram �lters—a dusty grey for the exteriors, and a warm, oversaturated orange for the interiors. Also, even at a brisk 95 minutes, the runtime feels like a stretch.

Maybe Hobson—a title designer in his feature debut—wasn’t going for tearjerker, though.

Maggie, ultimately, is a fascinating experiment in genre that has captured a side of Schwarzenegger that the movies have not seen before—an impressive, exciting and worthy accomplishment in and of itself.

Maggie, a Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for “disturbing thematic material including bloody images, and some language.” Running time: 95 minutes. Two stars out of four.


On May 15 just after dusk, hundreds gathered at Color Wheel Studio on E. Howard Ave. in Decatur for the annual Decatur Lantern Parade. Hand-crafted, illuminated lanterns and other whimsical creations floated, hovered and danced through Decatur streets to the square, led by music from the Black Sheep Ensemble. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Parade artist Chantelle Rytter taught lantern-making workshops at Color Wheel.

Decatur Lantern Parade

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TheChampion€¦ · The O˜cial Legal Organ of DeKalb County, GA. Serving East...

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