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FREEPRESS
SNOWSTORM HEROES HONORED
LOCAL, 3A
Left, A minivan was left in a ditch along Peachcrest Road where it slid during the recent snowstorm. Right, a block away, another vehicle was left overnight in the middle of the road. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
DeKalbs response
In DeKalb County, interim county CEO Lee May issued a state of emergency declaration Jan. 28. DeKalb County has endured heavy sleet, freeing rain and snow, May said in a statement. Many of
re:loom was started five years ago to create jobs for homeless and low-income persons.
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LOCAL NEWS
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working on county CIP projects, 23 percent of whom are DeKalb County residents. DeKalb County officials said At a Jan. 21 PWI meetits capital improvement plan ing, Saunders said the county (CIP) is progressing and expen- will begin the second phase of ditures show that the county is construction at the Snapfinger within the budget for the fiveWastewater Treatment Facility year program. in June, if everything goes as According to DeKalb County planned. Currently, he said, the Commissioner Stan Watson, county is finalizing up the scope chair of the Public Works and of each CIP project and will Infrastructure Committee place an request for proposal (PWI), the county has spent for CIP project managers in the approximately 6 percent of the next 45 days. $1.3 billion slated for the list of The construction of the projects. Snapfinger plant will cost apIt seems that were comfort- proximately $250 million. It is ably within the budget that we the largest project of the 83 on assumed for the five-year prothe CIP list and possibly, Saungram, said Ken Saunders, CIP ders said, the largest construcdirector. tion contract in the countys Saunders said the 83 conhistory. struction projects listed in the The first phase of construcoriginal program, introduced in tion was halted when the county 2010, have remained the same ordered all work to stop on the with a few slight variations in project after allegation surfaced price estimates. about shoddy construction and Additionally, Saunders water contamination at the site. said the CIP program has creSaunders said much of the work ated 388 jobs/projects where in Phase I has been added to the contractors are working 100 Phase II construction list. percent of their time on a speWe know that the work has cific county project. Saunders stopped there and thats still in estimated there are 863 people [the] legal [department] and
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Watson
Boyer
Rader
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners elected Commissioner Larry Johnson to serve as presiding officer of the board and Commissioner Stan Watson to serve as deputy presiding officer Jan. 28. Johnson said he looks forward to serving the residents of DeKalb County and continuing to move the board of commissioners in the right direction. This county and the things that we face are bigger than these seven individuals. Weve got bigger issues we need to talk about, Johnson said. Weve got cityhood; weve got the budget in front of us and weve got the economic development plan were working on. Commissioner Elaine Boyer said she supports anyone who was willing to step into the role of presiding officer. Its really a thankless jobtheres no extra money or prestige. If youre willing to go to all the trouble to do it then Im happy to support that. Youve served in the past and I think you served with honor, Boyer said of Johnson. Some commissioners were vocal in their opposition of Johnson however.
Commissioner Jeff Rader said he couldnt support Johnson because of the lack of commitment to reestablish an independent audit committee. Rader said his decision wasnt personal. Ultimately, elections are about peoples platforms and what they say theyre going to do and you have to vote for someone who is going to fulfill your aspirations, Rader said. This is really about the platform and the agenda of the presiding officer and not particularly about the person who fills that role. For reasons similar to Raders, Commissioner Kathie Gannon also stated she wouldnt be voting in favor of Johnson. Im looking for opportunities in leadership that will reach out to all of DeKalb County, leading with openness and inclusivity so that our county can see opportunities for us to come together, Gannon said. Johnson served as presiding officer in 2009 and was reelected to consecutive terms through 2012. He has been the District 3 commissioner since 2002. Commission Stan Watson was elected to District 7 in 2009, after 12 years of service in the Georgia General Assembly, where he chaired the local delegation.
Gannon
oPINIoN
ONE MANS OPINIoN
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Let it snow!
of life was extremely minimal, as were serious injuries, and the property damage from this storm is primarily banged up cars and trucks.However, given the gridlock on interstates, exit ramps and overpasses and thousands stranded in their cars, on school gymnasium floors or miles from home with their cars being abandoned, we in many ways truly dodged a bullet.And true to Southern form, the kindness of strangers and random acts of charity, assistance and support were truly inspirational, and for many restored their faith in humanity. Like you, I look forward to the recommendations of Gov. Deals 30-member task force, composed of government and business leaders as well as weather forecasters, to better prepare and plan for the next time. During the winter of 2000, Hartsfield Airport experienced a horrific winter storm.Flights were late being cancelled, and dozens of planes pulled away from their gates fully loaded, only to sit on the tarmac for as many as 12 hours. Restrooms filled with waste, food and water supplies were exhausted It was in many cases the next day when the planes returned to the jet way and unloaded weary, thirsty and uncomfortable passengers.The anger was palpable. Within a month, urged by Delta Airlines and then Aviation Commissioner Ben DeCosta the airport began a process to develop a standard operating procedures manual for dealing with inclement weather and particularly winter storms, and the inconvenienced passengers received refunds. And you havent seen overlapping jurisdictions until you begin to review the roles and sometimes conflicting authorities and responsibilities that exist among the FAA, TSA, Immigration, air carriers, the airport, gate agents and even the National Weather Service. And since that year, and that storm of 2000, there have been multiple blasts of winter, including the Snow Jam of 2011 and Snowmageddon, which grounded and/or cancelled hundreds of flightsbut no more planes stranded on the tarmac filled with passengers and overflowing waste.There is a manual and a process, and somebody wrote down an action plan, which now gets followed. Gov. Deal was just being inaugurated during Snow Jam 2011, so he gets a pass for that stormof sorts.Snowmageddon is the fool me once, shame on you.Another mishandled winter storm becomes fool me twice, shame on me.When you admit mistakes, apologize, and seek a defined and corrective path, Georgia voters have demonstrated, time and again, that they can be forgiving.But three strikes is out, and suddenly those re-election chances start to look a bit more like that melting snowball in hell. Plan well and execute, sir, plan well and execute.Let it snow. Bill Crane also serves as a political analyst and commentator for Channel 2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk 750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as a columnist for The Champion, Champion 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 billcrane@earthlink.net.
Sorry for the delay, dealing with this winter weather thing . schools closed in Savannah due to freezing rain?? a rare occurrence. Will be all better by Thursday.from an 11 a.m. email on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from GEMA Executive Director Charley English to local officials in west Georgia. Im a native Atlantan.I still smile when I see snow, as it is such a relative rarity.I spent the week prior to Snowmageddon 2014 in New York City while Manhattan suffered a sizable winter storm and an overnight accumulation of 1014 inches, depending on where you were in the city, outer boroughs or over in New Jersey.New NYC Mayor Michael De Blasio had the first real test of his administration, and passed it with flying colors.But for New York, Chicago, Boston and dozens of other cities across the Northeast, Midwest and Rust Belt, their snow response teams are a cost of doing business in those high-cost, low-temperature states. There is no question that mistakes were made here in the preparation, communication, logistics and response to the rapidly unfolding winter storm which swept in mid-morning on Tuesday, Jan. 28, but there is an adage as it relates to weather in metro Atlantajust call Anniston and Birmingham, and pretty much whatever theyve got, we will have in about two hours. Clearly, it was in many ways a perfect storm, with an imperfect and interconnected logistical cluster on the response side.My personal favorite nickname for this storm is Cluster Flake. And just as clearly, after being made a national laughing stock on the news and late night TV, and being beaten, bloodied and challenged repeatedly by the local media, our Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Gov. Nathan Deal and many a local area school superintendent all get that they are not receiving a passing grade for this test.Loss
OPINION
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Editor
I started Black History Month this year by watching the movie 12 Years A Slave. If you havent seen it and plan to, be warnedits intense. I actually heard a woman in the theater sobbing out loud as the film was shown. Coincidentally, the 1939 classic Gone With the Wind was on television that same weekend. The contrast between depictions of slavery is marked. The loyal, content, happygo-luckysometimes even sassy slaves of Gone With the Wind and other movies of its timeframe were
nowhere to be found in 12 Years A Slave. The difference, in addition to the fact that in the 75 years between the two movies the overall culture has become more sensitive to depictions of minority group members, is point of view. Gone With the Wind is told from the Southern plantation owners point of view while 12 Years A Slave is told from a slaves point of view. With the shift in point of view, movie audiences see slaves who sometimes pretend as a survival technique to be loyal and happy but in fact are fearfully scheming to change their situations. One depiction of slavery in an old (pre-1960s) movie that stands out in my mind as a departure from the usual is the 1947 movie The Foxes of Harrow. I read the book before I saw the movie on television. There was an incident in the book
that I was frankly surprised movie makers kept in their rendition. A slave woman gives birth to a boy she vows will never be a slave; she decides to drown him instead, screaming, My babys not a slave. My son is a prince. My son is a warrior. Hes not a slave! In the movie as in the book the master and the babys slave father rescue the infant, but the mother drowns. The Foxes of Harrow, while told from a slave owners point of view, was based on a novel by Black author Frank Yerby, which perhaps explains why slaves in that movie arent the two-dimensional stereotypes found in so many pre-1960s movies. What I love about 12 Years A Slave is that it shows slavery as a complex institutionpopulated with complex people, slaves and masters. The movie doesnt show
mean slave owners and kind ones. It shows slave owners who could at a point show some kindness then, because of a change in circumstances or mood, commit acts thatcertainly from the slaves perspective are harsh and terrifying. Slaves in 12 Years A Slave make a variety of choicesfrom becoming the masters lover to pretending to be far less intelligent than they areto stay alive and receive as little pain as possible. Every choice a slave makes is a risky choice as his or her life is always in the hands of people to whom he or she is ultimately an economic asset. History is probably never dramatized with 100 percent accuracy. Perspective always plays a part, but when all perspectives are allowed to be part of the conversation, perhaps we get closer to the truth.
F REE P RESS
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COMMUNITY
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DeKalb County commissioners recently voted in favor of demolishing and rebuilding an old fire station located in unincorporated DeKalb County. The fire station borders the city of Avondale Estates and approximately 20 percent of those serviced by the station live in Avondale Estates. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
For 18 years, Betty Johnston volunteered at Rockdale Hospital in Conyers. When her daughter and son-in-law decided that her Conyers home was too much for her to maintain alone, they moved her into their Decatur home. Then Johnston began volunteering in DeKalb Medicals cancer center where she greets people as they come in, answers phones and makes packets for the breast cancer center. A volunteer there since 2006, she also puts together the newsletter for the DeKalb Medical Auxiliary and is on the organizations board of directors. Betty is a joy to be around and her enthusiasm and positive attitude is contagious to those around her, said Leigh Minter, executive director of the DeKalb Medical Foundation and Volunteer Services. When youve been there for quite a while like I have, you kind of bond with the patients, Johnston said. Youd be surprised at DeKalb Medical when these people come in and theyre sad looking and you greet them with a smileyoud be surprised how it brightens them up. Johnston also volunteers in the VA Hospitals Eagles Nest, a nursing home for veterans, where she goes to visit, listen, play cardsjust be there. Some of them want you just to be there, Johnston said. They just like to have people come in and say hello. A lot
of them in the nursing home part dont have any close relatives. We have a lot of fun. We have a lot of laughs. Before retiring, Johnston worked for 34 years in a drug wholesale house in Louisville, Ky. When she retired she had been the manager of the data processing department for 25 years. All of those years that I was working, I always made a promise to myself that when the time came and I retired, I was going to give back, said Johnston, a member of Clairmont Presbyterian Church where she is secretary for the seniors Sunday School class. I spend all my time doing things, Johnston said. Like here in the neighborhood, Ive got a neighbornext door. She loves to have me come over and visit her. She cant get around as [well] as I can. Life has been good to me, Johnston said.
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Kathy Mitchell at kathy@dekalbchamp.com or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 104.
COMMUNITY
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ATLANTA
AROUNDDEKALB
BROOKHAVEN
Morris Brown women to hold scholarship luncheon The Women for Morris Brown College Inc. will hold the organizations 33rd annual scholarship luncheon, honoring founder Helen Kilpatrick Threatt.The event will be Saturday, March 8,at St. Philip AME Church, 240 Candler Road, SE, Atlanta, beginning at noon. This years luncheon will be hosted by Miranda Mack McKenzie of the Morris Brown class of 77 and current UNCF Southeast regional recruitment director. Tickets are $65; a table of 10 guests is $650. Contributions are tax deductible. For more information on tickets, in-kind donations and sponsorships, visit www. womenformorrisbrowncollege.com or call Willene White-Smith at (404) 243-8081. Author, sports lawyer to speak on the marketing of Super Bowl Sports law specialist Kenneth Shropshire will give a lecture on the marketing of the Super Bowl on Friday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. in the Robert W. Woodruff Librarys Jones Room on the Emory University campus. The event, which follows Super Bowl weekend, is free and open to the public. Shropshires lecture, The Great Sports Spectacle: Marketing the Super Bowl, is part of Emorys Race and Sports in American Culture Series. The annual series explores race and sports in American culture through the lens of history, sociology, politics, medicine, business, marketing and other fields, and seeks to foster interdisciplinary discussion and collaboration. It also encourages research on the topic of race and sports through the African Americans in Sports collection held by Emorys Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. The 2013-14 series focuses on professional football. Shropshire will discuss the Super Bowl, the sports business in general, and the role of race in the sports business in particular. A sports law attorney, Shropshire is a professor of legal studies and business ethics at the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School, and the author of the 1996 book In Black and White: Race and Sports in America. The Robert W. Woodruff Library is located at 540 Asbury Circle in Atlanta. Parking is available in the Fishburne deck.
Library to host cupcake decoration session Sari McIntyre of Saris Flair will host a Valentine cupcake decorating class for teens ages 13 17 Feb. 10 at the Brookhaven Library, 4:306 p.m. The class is to open to the first 15 participants. To register, call (404) 848-7140. Funding is provided by the Friends of the Brookhaven Library. The library is located at 1242 N. Druid Hills Road.
CLARKSTON
New date announced for South DeKalb business breakfast The2014 Annual South DeKalb Business Association (SDBA) Scholarship/Appreciation Breakfast, originally scheduled for Jan. 30, was rescheduled because of inclement weather. The new date is Friday, Feb. 7. The event will be 8:30-10:30 a.m. at theGeorgia Piedmont Technical College Conference Center, 495 North Indian Creek Road, Clarkston. The scholarships are an awesome aspect of this breakfast because we are making a difference in the lives of young students who are moving in the right direction, said LoyLeneJefferson-Shaw, president of the SDBA. These students will also get an opportunity to meet large/small business owners, DeKalb commissioners, and other government entities. The keynote speaker is Alisha Morgan Thomas and television and radio host Reggie Gay will be the master of ceremonies. For tickets or more information, email Info@sdbainc.org. Clarkston Festival receives $9,000
The Clarkston Festival Committee received a six-month grant for $9,000from the Community FoundaPorter Sanford center to host section of Greater Atlantas Neighborond annual Race for the Arts hood Fund. The Clarkston Festival, which will Runners, walkers and those who be held April 26, is focused on eduwant to support the arts can particicating, celebrating and appreciating pate in the second annual Race for the diversity of Clarkston. The grant the Arts 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, includes$5,000to support the festival March 29, 8-10 a.m. The race will and $4,000 in community coachbegin at the Porter Sanford III Peringfor the committee. forming & Community Center, 3181 The Clarkston Festival Committee Rainbow Drive, Decatur. was formed in 2012 in response to Registration is under way until an expressed interest throughout the March 27 and the fee to participate community for residents, neighbors, is $25 per person or $20 per person and stakeholders to come together for for a group of five or more. Event-day a common festival. registrations will be accepted along The first thought of a festival with cash or a money order payable came through a community conto the Porter Sanford III Performing versation with the youth, said Kim Arts & Community Center. Ault, a lead committee member. The
This month, Decatur Active Living and Decatur Visitors Center teamed up again with local restaurants for the Eat Well Indie-catur Campaign. Restaurant goers can visit a participating restaurant any day during February, choose one of their featured healthy entrees and get their Eat Well Indie-catur card signed. Cards will be available at participating locations and at the Decatur Visitors Center. Those who participate three times will earn a recipe book featuring Author to discuss book on longtime some of Decatur restaurants healthiest recipes. Recipes will be available women pals at the Decatur Visitors Center, 113 Clairemont Avenue. Participating resAuthor Edward Kelsey Moore taurants includes Victory, 246, Chai will be at the Decatur Library Monday, Feb. 10, 7:15-9 p.m. to discuss his Pani, Twains, Parkers on Ponce, Corner Pub, Colbeh, Cakes and Ale and book The Supremes at Earls All You Can Eat. The library describes Moore Sapori di Napoli. For more informaas an admitted eavesdropper from a tion, visit www.VisitDecaturGeorgia. com or call (678) 553-6541. young age and notes that he also is an accomplished cellist who resides Commissioners to hold county budin Chicago. get town hall session Earls All You Can Eat Diner is home away from home for the inResidents will have an opportunity separable trio of Odette, Clarice and to discuss the 2014 DeKalb County Barbara Jean. Dubbed the Supremes budget with county Commissioners by high school pals in the tumultuKathie Gannon and Jeff Rader durous 1960s, they weather lifes storms ing an upcoming town hall session. together for the next four decades. The event will be Monday, Feb. Through marriage, children, hap10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Avis G Williams piness and the blues, these strong, Library, 1282 McConnell Drive, Defunny women gather each Sunday at catur. the same table at Earls Diner for delicious food, juicy gossip, occasional tears and uproarious banter, states an announcement from the library. The Decatur Library is located at Sorority to present Heart Month 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. For more event information, call (404) 370-3070.
youth were from all over the community.They talked about the festival as a way to create a positive alternative to gang violence and fight bullying.They wanted to highlight their cultures and increase understanding. Angela Moore, another committee member, said, The grant will help the committee to produce an effective and successful festival. Festival plans include a variety of activities for all ages, live culturally diverse entertainment, storytelling, a childrens corner with pony rides, henna demonstrations, a dunking booth, food, arts and crafts, a soccer exhibition and so much more. The festival will be April 26 at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf and will include a 5K race.
In addition to the race, the event will include free food, beverages, health screenings, music and gifts for each registered participant. For more information, call David Manuel, executive director, at (404) 687-2737. Citys Eat Well Indie-catur campaign returns
DECATUR
LITHONIA
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Chi Tau Omega chapter, will present Pink Goes Red on the Runwaythe Heart Is A Serious Matter on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-3:30 p.m. at the Mall at Stonecrest. The event will include free blood pressure screenings, door prizes, and a fashion show featuring items from Macys, Phoebes Boutique and Cach. Donations of canned goods will be accepted. Lisa Rayam of Fox 5 News will be the guest commentator. The Mall at Stonecrest is located at 2929 Turner Hill Road, Lithonia. For more information, visit www.chitauomega.com.
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Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler spoke to DeKalb County officials and residents at Commissioner Stan Watsons Community Cabinet Breakfast Feb. 1. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
LOcAL NEwS
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The Decatur Police Department is working with other agencies and Decatur residents to minimize the number of robberies and burglaries in the city.
in spurts and that caused an increase in some of our crime, Booker said. After the rash in robbery and burglary crimes, Decatur officials noticed that similar crimes were happening elsewhere in DeKalb County and Atlanta. The three agencies began working together and sharing information to put a stop to the crimes. Zone 6 Atlanta and South precinct DeKalb began having a burst in burglaries and robberies and were getting the spill overs, said Sgt. Jennifer Ross, the departments community information and education officer. Its rare when we catch a burglar that theyre from Decatur. What we find is that they are from DeKalb or somewhere else and find their way to our city. Booker said he believes Decatur has been specifically targeted by criminal that was the case. Some of the folks that
weve interviewed that we had in custody would tell us that you all have nice things to steal, or its easy for us to come in here and do it, Booker said. The police department also noticed that the juveniles that were committing the crimes were not being held long in juvenile detention. Some of the folks are getting right back out there to what they were doing and would come back in the area, Booker said. The juvenile justice system is geared toward not incarcerating kids because they dont want them to become prisoners of the system but its not clicking for some of these kids, Ross added. To help spread the word to residents about what was happening and how to better protect themselves, the department hired Ross. Were trying to get information out there so that
the community understands what were dealing with and that they can help keep an eye out for us on some of those things and secure their phones, Booker said. Booker said the departments call volume began increasing after the department started sharing crimerelated information to the public. When calls go up, the arrests goes up, Booker said. So we understand the value of getting information out to the people and trying to get the community to understand we need assistance.
LOcAL NEwS
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Once a month, residents and public officials come together for Commissioner Stan Watsons Community Cabinet Breakfast. Watson said its a way for residents to learn about the issues the county faces and interact with their elected officials. Photos by Daniel Beauregard
New Years and July for Independence Day. Eight of the meetings are held at Chapel Hill Middle School, located in Decatur. The other two meetings are held at different locations throughout the county because Watson represents one of two super districts. I try not to bill it as a partisan breakfast because I think its about relationships, Watson said. During this cabinet, Georgia Department of Labor Commissioner Mark Butler spoke about the state of the economy. Additionally, county officials discussed the details of a new sanitation pilot program aimed at streamlining the countys trash pickup. Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May said Watson has supported him since day one when he was elected as District 5 commissioner in 2006. At the time, May was the youngest commissioner ever elected in DeKalb County, and he said Watson helped him become more involved in the community. He brought me alongside to partner with him with this community cabinet, May said.
In
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PICTURES
A DeKalb County Public Works salt truck was out monitoring the roads Jan. 30 looking for trouble spots after the snow storm. Photo By Travis Hudgons
Jaden Robinson, a student at DeKalb School of the Arts, was recognized for his role as Tiny Tim in The Christmas Carol, a production at the Alliance Theatre. Photo by Caleb Wade
Southwest DeKalbs Tynice Martin (23) dribbles past a Stephenson defender. Martin scored 21 points and had 14 rebounds in Southwest DeKalbs 81-67 victory over Stephenson. Photo by Travis Hudgons
DCTV Your Emmy Award-winning news source of DeKalb County news. Available on Comcast Cable Channel 23.
LOCAL NEWS
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NEWS BRIEFS
Congressman named ranking member of judiciary subcommittee
Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-04) was recently named the ranking member of the House Judiciary subcommittee on regulatory reform, commercial and antitrust law. As the former chairman of the subcommittee on courts and competition policy, I have long supported competition, consumer welfare and workers rights, Johnson said. I look forward to continuing my work on these issues as ranking member of the regulatory reform, commercial and antitrust law subcommittee. In addition to the subcommittee on regulatory reform, commercial and antitrust law, Johnson serves on the subcommittee on the constitution and civil justice. The subcommittee on regulatory reform, commercial and antitrust law addresses bankruptcy and commercial law, bankruptcy judgeships, administrative law, independent counsel, state taxation affecting interstate commerce, interstate compacts and antitrust matters. The subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice has jurisdiction over constitutional amendments, constitutional rights, federal civil rights, ethics in government, tort liability, including medical malpractice and product liability and legal reform. insurance plans and completed employer coverage tools, which are available at www.healthcare.gov. Enrollment sessions will be held: Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.1:30 p.m., Midway Recreation Center, 3181 Midway Road, Decatur. Saturday, Feb. 8, 11 a.m.2 p.m., Wesley Chapel Library, 2861 Wesley Chapel Road, Decatur. Thursday, Feb. 13, noon3 p.m., Gresham Library, 2418 Gresham Road, Atlanta. Saturday, Feb. 15, 11 a.m.2 p.m., Scott Candler Library, 1917 Candler Road, Decatur. DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon will hold an Affordable Care Act Enrollment event on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 6-8:30 p.m., Northlake-Barbara Loar Library, 3772 Lavista Road Tucker. Licensed navigators from Oakhurst Medical Center will be available at this event to help residents enroll and answer questions about the insurance exchange system. The event is cosponsored by state Rep. Michele Henson.
Kroger officials and Brookhaven elected officials cut the ribbon on the newly renovated Kroger located on Peachtree Road in Brookhaven.
locAl NEWS
the snow started falling. Schools remained closed for the rest of the week.
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A Good Samaritan
Daniel Palazzolo of Decatur became one of many Good Samaritans when he helped to rescue a pregnant woman during the winter event. I dont know if she was full-blown there yet, but she was having contractions when we picked her up, said the 33-year-old mechanic. Palazzolo came in contact with the woman on
Tammy Carden, re:looms operations manager, cuts fabric into strips, the first step in the weaving process. Fred Brown says he finds satisfaction in finishing a piece, showing it to colleagues and getting positive feedback on his work. Photos by Gale Horton Gay
One room at Weavers Warehouse is filled with donated bolts of fabric and clothing.
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PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE FOR PHASING OUT OF INSTRUCTIONAL FACILITIES Revisions for Clifton Elementary Facility and Gresham Park Elementary Facility
Note: This notice is an update to the previously published notice in the Champion Newspaper from February 14, 2013 to February 27, 2013, with changes (noted in bold, underline) to reflect the change in status for the Clifton Elementary Facility and the Gresham Park Elementary Facility.
In accordance with SPLOST IV and the 2011, ten-year master facility plan*, the DeKalb County School District proposes to phase-out twelve (12) instructional facilities over the next five years: 1) Austin Elementary Facility, 2) Avondale High Facility, 3) Clifton Elementary Facility, 4) DESA/Terry Mill Facility 5) Fernbank Elementary Facility, 6) Meadowview Elementary Facility, 7) Midway Elementary Facility, 8) Ronald McNair Middle Facility, 9) Pleasantdale Elementary Facility, 10) Rockbridge Elementary Facility, 11) Smoke Rise Elementary Facility and 12) Wadsworth Elementary Facility. Students from these schools will return back to their schools after construction as listed in Table 1 and Table 2. The date of phase-out, date of last instruction, and proposed use for each affected building is also listed below in Table 1. In Table 2, please note that Peachcrest ES and Gresham Park ES are two, new, 900-seat schools. It is envisioned that students from Clifton ES and Meadowview ES schools will move into the new Gresham Park ES at the current Clifton site. Students from Knollwood ES and Midway ES will move into the new Peachcrest ES. Any attendance lines adjustments for any receiving schools and their adjacent schools in order to accommodate the relocated students within each schools capacity limits will be discussed the year prior to phase out. Fernbank ES is presently scheduled to occupy Avondale MS during the construction period. * Ten-year Facility Master Plan (http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/www/documents/vision-2020/master-plan.pdf)
Date of Last Instruction at Facility and Date of Phase Out June, 2018 June, 2016 June, 2016 June, 2016 June, 2013 June, 2015 June, 2015 June, 2018 June, 2018 June, 2018 June, 2018 June, 2015
Resident Students Transferred and Where All students to attend replacement Austin ES facility All students to attend new Comprehensive Arts Magnet School at Avondale MS facility All students to attend new Gresham Park ES facility at current Clifton site All students to attend new Comprehensive Arts Magnet School at Avondale MS facility All students to attend Avondale MS during construction and then return to replacement Fernbank ES facility in Fall 2015 All students to attend new Gresham Park ES facility at current Clifton site All students to attend new Peachcrest ES facility All students to attend replacement McNair MS facility All students to attend replacement Pleasantdale ES facility All students to attend replacement Rockbridge ES replacement All students to attend replacement Smoke Rise ES facility All students to be housed at Knollwood ES facility
Future Use of Facility Torn down and replaced by new facility Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal Torn down and replaced by new facility Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal Torn down and replaced by new facility Torn down and replaced by new facility Torn down and replaced by new facility Torn down and replaced by new facility Declared surplus and possible reuse or disposal
Table 2. Receiving Instructional Facility, Proposed Size, Grade Configuration, and Cost
Receiving Instructional Facility Arts School at Avondale Middle Facility Austin Elementary Facility McNair Middle Facility Fernbank Elementary Facility Gresham Park Elementary Facility at Clifton site Knollwood Elementary Facility Peachcrest Elementary Facility Pleasantdale Elementary Facility Rockbridge Elementary Facility Smoke Rise Elementary Facility Address 3131 Old Rockbridge Rd 30002 5435 Roberts Dr 2190 Wallingford Dr. Avondale Estates, GA Dunwoody, GA 30338 Decatur, GA 30032
Prop. Facility Capacity (Students) 1,100 900 1,200 900 900 650 900 900 900 600
Grade K-12 PK-5 6-8 PK-5 PK-5 4-6 PK-5 PK-5 PK-5 PK-5
Expansion, Cost, and Funding Source Add auditorium, $4.0 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 1200 seat school, $34.6 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV No expansion necessary Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 900 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV Rebuild 600 seat school, $18.4 million, SPLOST IV** **Cost for 600-seat school pending review.
157 Heaton Park Drive NE Atlanta, GA 30307 3132 Clifton Church Rd 3039 Santa Monica Dr. 1530 Joy Ln 3695 Northlake Drive 445 Halwick Way 30083 1991 Silver Hill Road 30087 Atlanta, GA 30316 Decatur, GA 30032 Decatur, GA 30032 Doraville, GA 30340 Stone Mountain, GA Stone Mountain, GA
Note: This notice is an update to the previously published notice in the Champion Newspaper from February 14, 2013 to February 27, 2013, with changes (noted in bold, underline) to reflect the change in status for the Clifton Elementary Facility and the Gresham Park Elementary Facility.
EDUcAtION
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Chapel Hill Middle School students participate in the YWCAs Teen Girls in Technology. The program has more than 500 metro Atlanta students. Photos provided
Students participate in the Teen Girls in Technology programs annual kickoff event at Georgia Power.
A Delta training flight is one of the activities for the Teen Girls in Technology.
BUSINESS
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Designed just for children from toddlers through age 12, Kidz@play features a wide variety of play equipment, including slides, top left; a train that moves around the 35,000-square-foot facility, bottom left; an inflatable teddy bear whirl-around, center; and a house of numbers, bottom right. Vice President James Lee, top right, sits on the throne that is available for honorees in some of the birthday party rooms. Photos by Kathy Mitchell
by Kathy Mitchell kathy@dekalbchamp.com When Cathy Lee was looking for a safe, fun indoor playground for her 2-year-old she was frustrated that so many such places had been taken over by teenagers and had few areas where preschoolers and elementary school age youngsters could romp freely without interference from older youth. Finally she decided that the solution was to create such a place herself. With assistance from her father, a banker who helped arrange the financing, and her brother, James Lee, who became the enterprises vice president, she opened Kidz@ play, an indoor recreation area exclusively for children from toddlers through age 12. Lee Carbajal, Kidz@plays general manager, said that the play area, which opened in December on Rockbridge Road in Lithonia, is the largest such facility in Georgia. It
Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030 404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org
Classifieds
AUCTIONS
ADVERTISE YOUR AUCTION in over 100 newspapers for only $350. Your 25-word classified ad will reach more than1 million readers. Call Jennifer Labon at the Georgia Newspaper Service, 770-454-6776. fits available. Class A CDL & 6 months exp. Req. No Canada, HAZMAT or NYC! 877-705-9261. Experienced OTR Flatbed Drivers earn 50 up to 55 cpm loaded. $1000 sign on to Qualified drivers. Home most weekends. Call 843-266-3731/www. bulldoghiway.com EOE. COVENANT NEEDS DRIVERS! Truck Drivers are in Demand! Great benefits, stability, and earning potential! The avg. truck driver earns $700+/wk*! No CDL? 16 Day training avail! CALL TODAY! N. GA 866-494-7434 OR S. GA 866-557-9244. *DOL/BLS 2012. START THE NEW YEAR with a Great Career by Joining our Team. Class A Professional Drivers Call 877-277-7298 for more details or visit SuperServiceLLC.com Train to be a PROFESSIONAL TRUCK DRIVER through Primes Student Driver Program. Obtain your commercial Drivers License, then get paid while training. 1-800277-0212. www.driveforprime.com Train and work for us! Professional, focused CDL Training available. Choose Company Driver, Owner Operator, Lease
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cLASSIfIEDS
For Prices, Deadlines and Information
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Visit www.championclassifieds.com
Rates: $30.00 for up to 40 words, each additional word $0.60. All ads are prepaid! All Major credit cards accepted!
The Champion is not responsible for any damages resulting from advertisements. All sales final.
FOR RENTRESIDENTIAL
House For Rent 4 bedroom, 2.5 baths N lithonia, living room with fire place, dining room, kitchen with all appliances, laundry room and two car garage. Home is over 2700 square feet with ceiling fans in each bedroom and carpet throughout. Built in 2000 this home is located in Lithonia in a great theme school district. 1150/ month 1000/deposit. Contact jim 770-3313641
Earn $100K+ annually. Recruiting, Franchise Sales, Home Improvements, or Copier Sales a plud. For more information send resume to Jim Kinning: jkinning@federalmachine.com
REAL ESTATE
MOUNTAIN STREAM BARGAIN! Beautifully wooded acreage 390 crystal clear stream, natural yr-round spring, prime Blue Ridge Mountain location. Paved roads, utilities municipal water, more. Only $27,900. Excellent financing, little down. Call now 866-952-5303 ext 112.
MISCELLANEOUS
WELDING CARRERS Hands on training for career opportuities in aviation, automotive, manufacturing and more. Financial aid for qualified students housing available. Job placement assistance. Call AIM (877) 205-2968.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
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DRIVERS
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HEALTH/BEAUTY
PELVIC/TRANSVAGINAL MESH? Did you undergo transvaginal placement of mesh for pelvic organ prolapse or stress urinary incontinence between 2005 and present? If the mesh caused complications, you may be entitled to compensation. Call Charles H. Johnson Law and speak with femal staff members.1-800-535-5727.
Auction
Selling By Order of the Court Appointed Receiver
4001 Presidential Drive, Atlanta, Dekalb County, GA
3.576+/- Acres Vacant Land Zoned Light Industrial Great Location - Easy Access to I-85 & I-285 Approximately 416 of Road Frontage
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DISCLAIMER: We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate, or intend to discriminate, on any illegal basis. Nor do we knowingly accept employment advertisements that are not bona-fide job offers. All real estate advertisements are subject to the fair housing act and we do not accept advertising that is in violation of the law. The law prohibits discrimination based on color, religion, sex, nationalorigin, handicap or familial status.
SPORTS
three batters were hit by pitches as the Jags batted around the order. Phillips closed it out, setting down the last four Tigers and tossing two strikeouts. Marlow earned the win, fanning four, issuing only one walk and coughing up seven hits in 5 2/3 innings on the mound. In the second game, the Jaguars belted 12 hits, with Lindley, Bunting and Milton Miranda getting two apiece. The first three-and-a-half innings featured a pitchers duel between Alvey and the Tigers Andy Clay. Alvey entertained a no-hitter through four innings, striking out four, but he walked four and hit a batter. GPC lit up the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth with hits by Derrick Nelson and Lindley and RBI singles by Phillips and Ressmeyer. Chattanooga States Alec Meadow ruined Alveys no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the fifth. Michael Peel came on in relief, got a line out and a strikeout and then loaded the bases with two walks. Gray came out of the bullpen and walked in Chattanoogas only run. However, he finished the game with no more damage. Alvey was credited with the win. A two-run base hit by Charles Sheffield and an RBI single by Bunting sealed the outcome for GPC in the sixth inning.
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Sophomore catcher Pierce Ressmeyer had four hits in the weekend series against Chattanooga State.
GPC tied it 2-2 on Ressmeyers two RBIs, Marlow settled down in the middle innings. Bryant drove home a run in the second inning, and the Jaguars racked up three runs in the fourth when Jerad Curry led off with a double and Bunting, Tyler Schwartz and Bryant followed with RBIs. Chattanooga State (1-3) tagged Marlow for three runs in the sixth, closing the gap to 6-5, but the Jaguars exploded for four runs in their half of the inning. Taylor started it off with a double and
Each week The Champion spotlights former high school players from the county who are succeeding in athletics on the college level. Justin Colvin, Alabama A&M (basketball): The sophomore guard from Miller Grove was perfect from the field (4-4) and behind the arc (3-3) as he scored 11 points in the 63-62 win over Texas Southern Feb. 1. Colvin is averaging 3.7 points per game. Javon McKay, Tennessee Tech (basketball): The sophomore guard from Dunwoody scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in the 81-76 win over Belmont Feb. 1. McKay is averaging 4.7 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. Chancie Dunn, Clemson (basketball): The senior guard from Southwest DeKalb scored 12 points and had seven assists and six rebounds in the 80-79 overtime win over Georgia Tech Jan. 30. Dunn is averaging 7.6 points per game.
The Lithonia wrestling team won first place in the Region 6AAAA Area Tournament Feb. 1.
SPORtS
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P U B L I X C E L E B R AT E S B L A C K H I S T O RY
Reading books to learn about all of the historic contributions made by African Americans isnt the only way to celebrate Black History Month. Enjoying delicious, secret recipes passed down from family members during Sunday Dinner can also be satisfying for the soul. Publix joins you in celebrating African American history at the dinner table and beyond. Visit the Publix Sunday Dinners Tab on Facebook for traditional recipes, family dinner table topic discussions, and activities for each Sunday during Black History Month.
facebook.com/publix