Champion Free Press 5/7/2010

8/9/2019 Champion Free Press 5/7/2010

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AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 VOL. 13, NO. 6 FREE

FREEPRESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

Business............................15

Around DeKalb .................18

Education ..........................16

Health.................................12

Classifieds.........................17

Opinion ................................. 5-6

Sports .......................... 19-20

WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM

QUICK FINDERLOCAL: Lakeside tripletsgraduate ranked Nos. 1, 2, 3in academics...............PAGE 9

See Tickets on Page 13ASee Olympic on Page 13A

Editors Note: If your idea of a seniorcitizen is someone who sits aroundidly and who has lost the zest for life,you havent meet the hundreds of local

seniors who compete each year in theDeKalb Senior Olympics. They bringtheir competitive spirit to these gamesthat range from line dancing, swimming,tennis, water volleyball, golf, bowling,track and field and plenty more. The Se-nior Olympics will be held May 10-20 atvarious locations throughout the county.Opening ceremonies are planned for 10a.m. on May 10 at the Porter Sanford IIIPerforming Arts and Community Center.

Olympicbronzedoesnt

keep

Isabelfrom

going forthe gold

This 1956 bronze track relay medal (left) fromthe Olympic Games in Melbourne, Australia,is one of Isabel Holstons prized possessions.Photos by Gale Horton Gay

by Gale Horton Gay

Isabel Holston knows

what its like to go forthe gold in the truestsense of the phrase.

In 1956, Holston, knownthen as Isabel Daniels, com-peted in the Olympic Gamesin Melbourne, Australia,winning a bronze medal inthe relay that she ran alongwith teammate Wilma Ru-dolph.

These days Holston, 72,has not lost her competitivespirit.

She will be completingin the DeKalb Senior Olym-pics this month in track andfieldthis time in the shot

by Jonathan [email protected]

Charles Edward approachedthe entrance to the DeKalb CountyRecorders Court on April 30 as alook of terror stretched across hisface. A line of hundreds stretchedfrom the courts front door up thesidewalk along Camp Circle, and

it ended over a hill, probably nearMemorial Drive.

As Edward stopped to stare atthe stalled line, Thomas Bakerwas leaving the court, clutching areceipt. He told a reporter hed justpaid his ticket. He said hed arrivedat the court at 5:45 a.m. It was now1 p.m.

Six hours! said Edward, 47,of Berkeley Lake. You gotta bekidding!

Baker nodded affirmatively.Youre done? Edward said.

How much did you pay?Fifteen dollars, said Baker, 53,

of Buckhead.All that for fifteen dollars?Yep.

Recorderscourtamnestyequalsmassivelines, tiredticket payers

Hundreds of people lined up in front ofthe DeKalb County Recorders Court topay outstanding traffic tickets during thecourts amnesty program, which endedApril 30. The court is trying to clearroughly 500,000 outstanding tickets

from its rolls. Photo by J. Cribbs


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A Section Page 2A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010

DeKalb master gardenershelp ART Station

The DeKalb MasterGardeners Associationecently completed a new

Zen Garden at ART Station.Sara Crews, coordinator

f the ART Station GardenProject, said: We donthave any funds to giveo ART Station, but weertainly can do our part as

master gardeners to makehe ART Station exteriorook better.

A crew of 10 DeKalbmaster gardeners installedhe new garden last

weekend. They also

designed and plantednew window boxes at artcomplex.

David Thomas, presidentand artistic director of ARTStation, said, The mastergardeners came to me aboutsix months ago with the ideafor the project. I am amazedat how fast they installed the

garden and how beautifulit is. We are so thankfulfor their support of ARTStation.

A grant for the projectwas provided by theAdvisory Board of the

Georgia Master Gardenersin DeKalb. Materials forthe project were donatedby Landscape Extremesand Atlanta LandscapeMaterials. The Japanesemaple for the garden wasdonated by Carl Wright.

ART Station is locatedat 5384 Manor Drive in

the Historic District of theCity of Stone Mountain.For additional informationcall (770) 469-1105 or visitartstation.org.


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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 PAGE 3ANEWS

Forward thinkersMiddle schoolers qualify for international Odyssey of the Mind competitionby Robert [email protected]

Will Bass has seen how much hisyounger siblings enjoyed partici-pating in the Odyssey of the Mindcompetition at their elementaryschools.

However, the charter atPeachtree Middle School, where

Will is a seventh grader, does not al-low participation in Odyssey of theMind, according to Wills motherKaren Bass. But that didnt stopher from getting her son in on thefun.

I just found seven kids andformed a team, Karen Bass said.

Sponsored by the DunwoodyHomeowners Association, Bassteam not only participated, it won.The team is headed to the interna-tional finals May 26-29 at MichiganState University. To qualify for theinternational competition, the teamfinished second at a regional com-petition at Parkview High Schoolin Gwinnett County, then placedsecond in the state competition inColumbus.

Im really excited, said teammemberJack Jarrell, a seventh-

grader at St. Martins. Its just coolgetting to go there. Im not reallyworried if we win or not. And I getto miss the last week of school.

Other team members are AnnaGrace Nall, Max Noto and Kend-all Lowery, all seventh graders atPeachtree Middle; Jennifer Kiser,a sixth grader at Peachtree Middle;and Sofia Gonzalo, a sixth grader at

St. Jude.I want to place, but were notsuper in-your-face competitive,Will Bass said. Just getting to go isfun.

All it took was a few phone callsfrom Karen Bass and her son, andthe team was set.

All but two of them had doneit at some points, but it had been afew years since most had been on ateam, Karen Bass said.

Odyssey of the Mind is an inter-national problem-solving competi-tion for children from kindergartento college. Team members work ontheir own to solve a predeterminedproblem. The team then presents thesolution at the competitions. Thecompetitions are divided by ageand problem choice there are fiveproblems to choose from.

Also, there is a spontaneouscomponent, where the team has tocome up with answers on the spotfor problems they have not seenbefore.

Bass team chose the Classicscategory, and the problem was Dis-covered Treasures.

They had to create a characterand discover real treasures, Karen

Bass said. They chose the EasterIsland heads, then they had to gointo the future and discover some-thing built after 1900.

The team created a pirate calledPink Beard, made costumes, wrotesongs, created an eight-minute skitand built the treasures. In additionto the Easter Island heads, the teamchose the London Eye as its seconddiscovery. The team used a bicyclewheel and plastic fruit cup con-tainers to replicate the giant Ferriswheel.

The spending limit on the projectis $125 and each team had to solvethe problem with no help from itscoach.

They did an amazing job,Karen Bass said. The hard part isif you dont know the problem andwatch the skit, its kind of stupid.

But if you know what youre look-ing at, it helps to be able to under-stand it. They came up with all theideas and built everything on theirown. They did a great job.

The team presents the same solu-tion at each level of competition,but can tweak their presentation.

The competition usually startsin September, just after the begin-

ning of the school year. Bass puther team together and started in De-cember, but the group worked welltogether and easily made up for losttime.

Youve got to be kind of well-rounded, but everybody has theirstrengths, Will Bass said. I wasreal good at the physical aspectslike the public speaking parts.

Jarrell, who participated as asecond-grader at Austin Elementary,was eager to be back on a team andknew most of the members.

There are a lot of creative kidson the team, Jarrell said. I thinkI was one of the better actors andhelped with some of the funnierscenes. But there was a lot to doand we all did a lot of it. We workedwell together.

From left, coach Karen Bass and the Dunwoody Homeowners Association team of Anna Grace Nall, Jennifer Kiser, Max Noto, Will Bass, Jack Jarrell (Sofia Gonzalo andKendall Lowrey, not pictured) will participate in the Odyssey of the Mind international competition May 26-29. Photo provided


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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 PAGE 4AOPINION

Guest Opinion

Apples and orangesby Eugene Walker

Never let a few facts get in the

way of a good story. Thats an oldwitticism among politicians and

ournalists that comes to mind today.A trusted, venerable institution

named Georgia State University justcompleted a study on DeKalb staff-ng. Im sure youve heard of it, but I

doubt you read it.It made a big splash in the news,

decreeing that DeKalb County wasoverstaffed, that 909 people had tobe fired and that DeKalb has twicehe paid staff of Gwinnett and Cobb

counties, which have a comparablepopulation. From a story-tellingtandpoint it was a hatchet job, al-hough Im not sure why it played

out that way.

The troubling thing to me is theway the misinformation was dealt ashough DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett

are all identical commodities, and byvirtue of paid staffing levels, Cobb

and Gwinnett are somehow moreefficient that DeKalb. It specificallycited that Cobb had 4,600 employees,Gwinnett 4,800 and DeKalb 8,077.

When you look at the break-

down, its a lot closer. Cobb andGwinnett have some outsourcedservices, like watershed managementand sanitation. DeKalb County oper-ates its own services in these areas.

We can argue the relative meritsof privatizing government servicesanother day, but one thing is certain.There are human beings picking upthe trash and fixing the water linesin Cobb and Gwinnett. Machinesare not doing it. It is not being per-formed by animals or extra-terrestri-als. Human beings. The taxpayers ofCobb and Gwinnett are paying forthese human beings to do these jobs

(and possibly others). The differ-ence is they may be paying a privatecontractor or entity separately, orthey are paying through the county,and the county is paying the out-

sourced staff.Either way, there are employ-

ees and they are being paid. Butthe study contemplates zero peoplein both departments in Cobb and

Gwinnett. So if we are compar-ing apples to apples, you have totake out DeKalbs watershed andsanitation, right? When you do that,the DeKalbs staffing level falls to6,563. Take away the 820 employeeswho are taking the countys early re-tirement package, and the total dropsto 5,743.

Now we are down to about1,000 paid staff that separate DeKalbfrom Cobb and Gwinnett, and thatsjust with two glaring errors found inmaking a side-by-side comparison.There are other areas of governancethat may be outsourced on a smaller

scale. In the case of Gwinnett, thestudy showed that zero people werefixing county owned cars and trucks.Again, I can guarantee you thatsomeone, specifically human beings,

is repairing those vehicles and tax-payers are paying those someones todo it. They are not counted there, butthey are counted here.

If I can find a 1,500 person dis-

crepancy in 10 minutes, what else isaskew in this report?

Why would Georgia State Uni-versity rush to promote skewed data,and why would the Atlanta papers bein such a hurry to copy an unvettedpropaganda piece?

I honestly dont know, otherthan the fact that if you comparedapples to apples DeKalb is quitesimilar in size and stature to otherarea counties. Thats not a very ex-citing story. But if you spin it so itlooks like government run amuck,then that tall tale might make thefront page of theAtlanta Journal

Constitution.Dr. Eugene P. WalkerDeKalb County School BoardDistrict 9

The Newslady

A first look at candidates in the 4th

We werent even halfwayhrough qualifying but south DeKalb

residents were treated to a first lookrecently at the crop of candidatesrunning for the 4th District Congres-sional seat currently held by hard-o-beat Hank Johnson. The Decatur

alumnae chapter of Delta SigmaTheta Sorority Inc. held the first ofwhat will be many forums in the 4th

District race.The event was well organizedand well attended. And, for the firstime in recent memory there is abumper crop of Republican chal-engers, two of whom are standouts,

namely businesswoman Liz Carterand corporate executive Cory Ruth.Both of these candidates acquittedhemselves very well during the fo-

rum. Its going to be a lively and in-eresting race. When the dust settles,ts very likely to be incumbent Con-

gressman Johnson against business-woman Carter, based on my observa-ions at this first forum. As they say,

first impressions are lasting.Attorney Deborah Jackson sat

n for Johnson, Former DeKalb CEOVernon Jones and CommissionerConnieStokes were there on the

Democratic side.The Republican candidates in at-

tendance were Victor Amerandiaz,Liz Carter, Larry Gause and CoryRuth. The questions posed ranged

from domestic violence, health carereform, jobs and education to whythe candidates thought they werebest for the job.

Jackson did an able job speakingfor Congressman Johnson, toutinghis record in Congress and stat-ing confidently why she believedhe should be returned for a thirdterm. The congressman was not atthe forum because of obligations inWashington. Dont expect to see himat most of them. Hell reserve hisstrength for the home stretch usingstand-ins like Jackson to make thecase for him.

Commissioner Connie Stokesdid a decent job, but was clearlyupstaged by Jones who takes fulladvantage of his height and record asformer CEO. While both belaboredtheir respective legislative records,Jones had a better grasp on the issuesand offered more solutions. Stokeslost a bit of ground when she sug-gested the audience go to the Internetfor a wealth of information onone of the issues. Never send youraudience to look for answers. Yourethere to offer them. She did stick toher message and made the ask forthe job citing 16 years legislative ex-perience both as a former state sena-

tor and county commissioner whichmade her the most qualified choice.She also stressed that she could re-late to everyday people and the life

issues they face because of her ownlife experiences seeing domestic vio-lence, alcoholism and poverty allchallenges she overcame before be-coming successful.

Liz Carter, the only femaleamong the four Republican candi-dates, was poised and polished. Shecame across as knowledgeable andcompetent despite her lack of electedexperience. For instance Cartergained points by telling the audiencethat she had read the entire healthreform law, evidence that her opposi-tion to it was not based merely onemotion, but analysis.

The other standout on the Re-publican side of the debate was CoryRuth, a young corporate executivewho drew nods of approval when heoffered that No Child Left Behind

was a dismal failure and should beeliminated. He also suggested thatwe do away with federal payrolltaxes and allow school choice. Ruthwaxed poetic about the Constitutionand our Founding Fathers during hisopening remarks and suggested thatthe nation needs a spiritual renewal.

Gause came across as a real solidcitizen. He billed himself as a fam-ily man, not necessarily politicallycorrect, but a problem solver whowanted to be a part of competent so-lutions. He connected as honest andcredible, a workhorse who wouldcome in third among the other thor-oughbreds.

Finally there was Victor Ameran-diaz, who drew the most laughs withhis cut-up style. He said he is not aseasoned politician, having never

held political office, but he believesin we the people and the need toget government back into the handsof the people, whatever that over-worked phrase means. He tap danced

on most of the issues like a rejectfrom theJay LenoShow. Born andraised in the district, Amerandiazshould stay here.

For the Democrats theres HankJohnson riding on his incumbencyand a heavyweight endorsementfrom the president. Vernon Jones isriding on a solid record as a builderand claims that hes humbled, newand improved. Many were laterheard wondering out loud if hes re-ally changed or is it just Vernon themasterful politician. Itll be Johnsonby a nose.

On the Republican side, put your

oats on Liz Carter. Her message thatshe wants to make DeKalb County ashining jewel of Georgia once againwill resonate with voters. With fourpeople in the Republican primary,there might be a runoff betweenCarter and Ruth depending on howwell he campaigns.

But the safe bet is Carter takingit to Johnson in November and Mr.Johnson returning to Washington. Itwas great to witness first hand thisfirst forum between the candidates.Its always a thrill to see democracyat work.

Steen Miles, The Newslady, is a

retired journalist and former Geor-gia state senator. Contact Steen Mi-lies at [email protected].


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www.ChampionNewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 A Section PAGE 5A

William C. Crane, 1974-1992 One Mans Opinion C. William Bill Crane, 2009 - ?

Georgia is home to the headquar-ers of 14 of 15 of theFortune 500.

Here in DeKalb County we havea board of directors that oversees6,000 employees, roughly 100,000

daily customers and an annual budgetexceeding $1 billion. That board ishe DeKalb County Board of Educa-ionand their regular meetings are

anything and everything but boring.Board of directors set policy, stra-

egic vision and direction and overseehe CEO and senior management,or in this case the superintendent ofchools. This job is intentionally part-ime, and based on the low salary that

comes with being a member of theDeKalb County Board of Education,ntended as more of a thank you for

public service than a full-time sourceof income.

During the early 1990s, theAtlanta Board of Education meetingshad devolved into a monthly circus ofcatcalls, charges and counter-chargesbetween board members, political in-fighting and grandstanding that madevirtually each meeting a mess. Regu-

ar viewers of the APS BOE cable

televised episodes often found themmore entertaining than early realityTV, and certainly as dishy and diceyas todays The Real Housewives ofAtlanta, minus the sex.

In 1993, the Metro Atlanta Cham-ber of Commerce and the AtlantaChamber Foundation spun out anindependent organization, now aself-contained political action com-mittee, with its own board of directorscalled EduPAC Atlanta. EduPAC wasformed to recruit, educate, supportand to eventually endorse a slate ofthe most qualified and professionalcandidates to serve on the AtlantaPublic Schools Board of Education.

EduPAC endorsed challengers, aswell as some incumbents, and sincethose elections in 1993, and everyAPS BOE election since, EduPACAtlanta candidates have won between80-100 percent of the contested elec-tions. Not a bad track record. Andalthough the APS BOE is far fromperfect, their meetings have now be-come pretty dull TV, their business isconducted professionally, student testscores are higherand that schoolsystems bond rating, credibility andbalance sheet are all measurablystronger today.

Though few would allege that theDeKalb Board has ever reached suchlow depths, the acrimony betweenseveral board members and the con-tinual back-biting, name calling androutine charges of political conspiracy

are appearing to cause our school

board to have lost focus. While work-ing to close a $115 million budget gapthis year the entire board has beendrawn into a battle royale over thepotential closure of four to12 system

schools.The APS Board, post-EduPaC,closed schools, sold facilities, re-opened schools in neighborhoodswith growing populations as well asbegan trial development of charterschools. Many of those former APSfacilities now house businesses, artcenters, community centers, condosand continue to contribute to thecommunity as well as the property taxbase.

Next years DeKalb school sys-tem budget will likely require evenmore leadership, stamina and abilityto make tough decisions. Unlike theAPS, where all board seats are upevery four years, the DeKalb Board ofEducation has staggered terms. In thecurrent election cycle, district seats 1,3, 5, 7 and 9 will face the voters non-partisan elections in the fall generalelection. Qualifying for those seatswill take place in July.

Though many of the currentmembers of the DeKalb Board haveserved with only the best of inten-tions there may be members of ourcommunity better qualified to serve,and in a better position to contributeto consensus and leadership insteadof division, micro-management andactivism.

The DeKalb Chamber of Com-

merce has created and more recentlyspun-out eduKALB to follow in thetrail and example of EduPAC At-lanta. A diverse and seasoned groupof business executives, non-profit

and charitable entity leaders willsoon begin the eduKALB processof candidate education and recruit-ment, public awareness building andholding numerous candidate forumslater this fall. Eventually, eduKALBwill also endorse its slate of the mostqualified candidates to serve. And Ihope, by the next elections, watchingDeKalb Board of Education meetingswill rightfully put viewers to sleep.

As a product of DeKalb CountySchools who plans to have a childalso attending DeKalb Schools in thefuture, I feel we deserve a board thatputs our children firstnot their par-ticular neighborhood, re-election orcommunity activism. We also deserveleaders who can disagree withoutbeing disagreeable and setting a badexample for the same children theywere elected to educate and serve.We need and deserve a boring boardwhere business is conducted, andresults, instead of ranting, come at apremium.

Bill Crane is a DeKalb Countynative and business owner, living inScottdale, Georgia. He also serves aschief political analyst and commenta-tor for 11Alive News and WSB Radio,News/Talk 750. Contact Bill Crane at

[email protected].

Board meetings should be boring

Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinions from its readers.Please write to us and express your views. Letters should be brief, type-written and contain the writers name, address and telephone number for

verification. All letters will be considered for publication.

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EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do not necessarilyreflect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel

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FREEPRESS


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I coulda been ahedge fund manager

Apples and oranges

by Donald Kaul

Columnist

When I was in high school,had a guidance counselor

named Mrs. Cameron. She wassweet woman, gentle of man-

ner, soft of voice. She ruinedmy life.

It was her job to give careerounseling to the students in

her charge. To that end, shewould make us take an aptitudeest, then go over the results

with us.Part of the test was of the

Would you rather variety.Would you rather be a garden-r or an engineer? Would youather arrange flowers or buildgarage? And so on.

It was hard for me. I wantedo be neither a gardener nor anngineer. Even less did I wanto arrange flowers or build a

garage. (I wanted to play short-top for the Detroit Tigers, butdidnt tell her that. She wasnt

much into foolish dreams.)So I faked the test, puttingdown answers I thought wouldplease herand they did.

During her review of my testhe said: Well, you certainly

have a wide range of interests,Mr. Kaul. I think you can beust about anything you want to

be.That wasnt what I wanted to

hear. (Nor was it true. I couldnte shortstop for the Detroit Ti-

gers, for example.)What I wanted was to be

old what I wanted to be.When I pressed her for spe-

ifics she went through the listof possibilities: doctor, lawyer,ngineer, dentist, plumber,eacher, truck driver, police-

man, fireman, accountanttheusual. None of it appetizing.

Thus was I cast rudderlesson the uncharted waters ofhigher education, where I drift-d into journalism. I stand now

before you a pitiful, ink-stainedwretch, held in angry contemptby the yahoos of the nation,corned by its intellectuals.

I blame Mrs. Cameron. Ifonly she had told me about

other careerslike hedge fundmanagement.Did you see that story the

other day about the moneyhedge fund managers make? In

2009, the managers of the top25 funds made an average of $1billion.

Yes, thats what I saidbil-lion with a B.

Of course, thats an average.Some made more. David Tep-per of Appaloosa Managementmade FOUR billion. GeorgeSoros: $3.3 billion.

And to make things evenbetter (for them), they paya lower tax rate than therest of us because theyvebeen able to persuade(bribe) Congress to letthem claim most of theirearnings as capital gains.

That allows them to payonly 15 percent, rather than

the top income tax rate of 35percent.

Just a word from Mrs. Cam-eron and I could have gone tobusiness school, studied hard,and wound up with my ownhedge fund.

What do hedge fund manag-ers do, after all? They manageother peoples money. Id begood at that. Buy low, sell high,thats my motto. Works everytime.

Typically, managers take a

healthy cut of the profits fromtheir investment of those otherpeoples money.

And should they lose thismoney? Well thats too bad.They walk away looking fornew investors (suckers) withoutfretting about losing those priorprofits. (Youd be surprisedhow long you can make a bil-lion dollars last if you econo-mize.)

Big-time bankers do almostas well, particularly if they getfired.

TheNew York Times re-cently reported the sad story of

Charles O. Prince III, chair-man and CEO of Citigroup,who was fired in 2007 afterpresiding over a loss of $64 bil-lion in the firms value. Yet, asa going-away present the boardgave him a severance packageof $12.5 million, along with anoffice, a car and a driver for thenext five years. That was on topof the $68 million the companyhad paid him through the years.

Getting paid for failure. Isntthat what we all want?

Mrs. Cameron, you were myteacher. You shoulda looked out

for me, just a little bit. I couldahad class. I coulda been a con-tender. I coulda been somebody.

A guidance counselor cast me rudderless on the uncharted wa-ers of higher education, where I drifted into journalism.

by Eugene WalkerGuest Opinion

Never let a few facts get in the way

of a good story. Thats an old witti-cism among politicians and journaliststhat comes to mind today.

A trusted, venerable institutionnamed Georgia State University justcompleted a study on DeKalb staffing.Im sure youve heard of it, but I doubtyou read it.

It made a big splash in the news, de-creeing that DeKalb County was over-staffed, that 909 people had to be firedand that DeKalb has twice the paidstaff of Gwinnett and Cobb Counties,which have a comparable population.From a story-telling standpoint it was ahatchet job, although Im not sure whyit played out that way.

The troubling thing to me is theway the misinformation was dealt asthough DeKalb, Cobb and Gwinnett areall identical commodities, and by virtueof paid staffing levels, Cobb and Gwin-nett are somehow more efficient thatDeKalb. It specifically cited that Cobb

had 4,600 employees, Gwinnett 4,800and DeKalb 8,077.When you look at the breakdown,

its a lot closer. Cobb and Gwinnetthave some outsourced services, likewatershed management and sanitation.DeKalb County operates its own ser-vices in these areas.

We can argue the relative merits ofprivatizing government services anoth-er day, but one thing is certain. Thereare human beings picking up the trashand fixing the water lines in Cobb andGwinnett. Machines are not doing it.It is not being performed by animals,or extra-terrestrials. Human beings.The taxpayers of Cobb and Gwinnettare paying for these human beings todo these jobs (and possibly others).The difference is they may be paying aprivate contractor or entity separately,or they are paying through the county,

and the county is paying the outsourcedstaff.

Either way, there are employeesand they are being paid. But the studycontemplates zero people in both de-partments in Cobb and Gwinnett. So ifwe are comparing apples to apples, youhave to take out DeKalbs watershedand sanitation, right? When you dothat, the DeKalbs staffing level falls to6,563. Take away the 820 employeesthat are taking the countys early retire-

ment package, and the total drops to5,743.

Now we are down to about 1,000paid staff that separate DeKalb formCobb and Gwinnett, and thats just withtwo glaring errors found in making aside by side comparison. There areother areas of governance that may beoutsourced on a smaller scale. In thecase of Gwinnett, the study showed thatzero people were fixing county ownedcars and trucks. Again, I can guaranteeyou that someone, specifically humanbeings, are repairing those vehicles andtaxpayers are paying those someones todo it. They are not counted there, but

they are counted here.If I can find a 1,500 person discrep-ancy in 10 minutes, what else is askewin this report?

Why would Georgia State Univer-sity rush to promote skewed data, andwhy would the Atlanta papers be insuch a hurry to copy an unvetted propa-ganda piece?

I honestly dont know, other thanthe fact that if you compared applesto apples DeKalb is quite similar insize and stature to other area counties.Thats not a very exciting story. But ifyou spin it so it looks like governmentrun amuck, then that tall tale mightmake the front page of the Atlanta Jour-nal Constitution.

Dr. Eugene P. WalkerDeKalb County School BoardDistrict 9


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www.ChampionNewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 A Section Page 7A

Suzanne Gooch

Champion of the Week

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a fu-ture Champion of the Week, please contactKathy Mitchellat [email protected] or at 404-373-7779, ext. 104.

Beforeshe attended

OakhurstPresbyterianChurch about33 years ago,SuzanneGooch wasat a differentchurch aBaptist churchnot far away. OneSunday, members of thecongregation were askedto donate money, andwhen Gooch found out itwas to buy the pastor anew car and a mink coat,she said she bolted.

Gooch, 60, has been

at Oakhurst Presbyterianever since, donating hertime in myriad ways. Shecurrently serves as anelder, helping to overseethe churchs managementand finances. Its the thirdtime shes been an elderin about 15 years, shesaid.

Ive always felt if Ilived somewhere, I haveto give something back,Gooch said. Its a feel-good when you can makesomebody else feel goodto me.

Gooch sold her

Decatur home and movedto East Point abouttwo years ago, but shesaid she continues towork in Decatur and atthe church. When shewas living and sellinghomes in Decatur asa real estate agent,Gooch said she used to

donate $100 fromeach home sale

to the OakhurstCommunityGarden, where sheused to take hergrandchildren whoplanted there.

I made a profitin there, so I felt

I had to give somethingback, she said. I like tosee that the youth reallybenefited from that inOakhurst.

Gooch said shes alsohelped spearhead threefundraising campaignsthat netted the church

about $500,000 forseveral additions andrenovations, including amuch-needed elevatorfor disabled and elderlyparishioners.

She said she givesback to the churchbecause she loves thepeople who attend it, andshe enjoys interactingwith people.

We have peoplefrom everywhere all overthe world, she said.We have people frommixed marriages, gaysand lesbians. We accept

everybody there, and Ilike that. Theyre different.Everybodys not alike.

She said shes at thechurch nearly every dayand plans to continuegiving her time.

Anything that Im amember of, I participatein, she said.

Gambling operatorsface bribery chargesby Robert [email protected]

A six-monthinvestigation into illegalcommercial gambling andbribery led to 10 arrestsand the seizure of 68 videogambling machines aswell as about $164,000,according to the ChambleePolice Department.

Search warrants ontwo residences and eightbusinesses were carriedout on May 1. Each of thebusinesses, five of whichare in DeKalb County, areeither owned by ThienNguyen or his wife, or wassupplied machines by DuocVan Le, police said.

Le was arrested athis home, and Nguyenis still at large. Le wasarrested on two counts ofbribery, and Nguyen ischarged with five counts

of bribery and one countof commercial gambling.

The investigation is stillongoing and the amount ofmoney seized may increaseonce two safes are opened,Chamblee Police said.

The investigationbegan in October of 2009after police raided severalbusinesses and seizedseveral video gamblingmachines. Nguyen ownsone of the businesses thatwere raided.

After the raids, bothNguyen and Le contacteda Chamblee Policeinvestigator and offeredmoney if the investigatorwould let the two menknow of future gamblinginvestigations. Over a six-month period the two menmet with the investigatoreight times and gave himmore than $10,000 incash and gift certificates,

Chamblee Police said.Investigators

determined that Le leasedgaming machines toseveral businesses in theAtlanta area and that hehad a revenue-sharingarrangement with thosebusinesses. ChambleePolice and informantsvisited each of thesuspected businesses toverify they were payingout illegal winnings. Eachinvestigator or informantwas able to receive cashpayouts for their winningson video gamblingmachines.

Under Georgia law,video gaming machinesare allowed as long as thepayouts are store credits orprizes. Payouts cannot bemade in cash and they mustbe worth no more than $5in a single play.

Atlanta schools chief gets national award

ATLANTA (AP) Atlantaschools Superintendent

Beverly Hall is the firstK-12 school administratorto win a prestigious nation-al award from the Ameri-can Educational ResearchAssociation.

Hall received the orga-nizations public service

award May 2 during anannual meeting in Denver,

which was attended bythousands of education re-searchers from around theglobe. Gerald E. Sroufewith the association saidthe award recognizes Hallsuse of test data to improveschools and increase stu-

dent learning.Past recipients of the

award include RichardAtkinson, president of theUniversity of California;Jack Jennings, director ofthe Center on EducationPolicy; and Ronald Wolk,founder of EducationWeek.


8/20


Weber to retire after six years inGeorgia Senate

Join the DeKalb Chamber of CommerceJoin the DeKalb Chamber of CommerceJoin the DeKalb Chamber of CommerceJoin the DeKalb Chamber of CommerceJoin the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce100 Crescent Center Parkway, Suite 680, Tucker, GA 30084404.378.8000 www.dekalbchamber.org

To celebrate Earth Daynd continue efforts to

protect water quality inDeKalb County, the NaturalResources ManagementOffice hosted students fromhe Academe of the Oakst Little Creek Horse Farm

on Friday April 23. LittleCreek, a county park onLawrenceville Highwaycross from North DeKalb

Mall, is home to more than0 horses, and offers ridingessons and public walkingrails.

More than 45 highchool students, parents,

nd staff pulled tires,bottles, cans, and other lit-

ter out of South PeachtreeCreek. The hardest itemsto remove were the buriedtires and shopping carts.The most interesting find ofthe day was a ceramic pigsprinkler that squirts waterout of its tail.

Collaborative projectslike these make my jobmore enjoyable, said DaveButler from the NaturalResources Management Of-fice.

Several neighbors on thenorth side of the creek of-fered access through theiryards and gave the students

tools and encouragement tocomplete their task. County

departments also participat-ed in the effort by providingtools, equipment and staff.

Sophomore studentLeana Combs said, Whenwe first got there and re-alized all that was in thecreek, it was disgusting. Iwas shocked at what peoplewill throw in our creeksthe most random things.But then, as we worked,there was this completechange. It was awesometo see what we had accom-plished at the end.

Academe of the Oaksis an independent, non-

sectarian, co-educationalhigh school in Decatur.

A unanimous vote bythe entire Georgia GeneralAssembly made Georgiaone of the first states in thecountry to restrain excessivezero tolerance discipline

policies in schools. Thelandmark legislation by Sen.Emanuel Jones (D-Decatur)received final passage onthe last day of the 2010Legislative Session, and nowgoes before the governor forhis signature before it canbecome law.

This legislation giveskids in Georgia a voice.They will now have dueprocess against a policythat makes no distinctionbetween well-behavedstudents who make youthful

mistakes and those whosemisconduct warrants harsherpunishment, said Jones.Its time we start applyingsome common-sense whendisciplining our children,rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.

Senate Bill 299 makesallowances for studentswho commit infractionswithout any intent to harmothers. The bill changesGeorgias juvenile criminalcode to make a first offenseequal to a delinquent act,rather than a designated

felony. Now, when a studentcommits an infraction,juvenile court judges cantake the circumstances intoaccount before automaticallyprosecuting them, giving thejudges more discretion.

Across the country,students are being expelledfor bringing Tweety Birdkey chains or plasticguns for show-and-tell toschool because of stringentzero tolerance policies.Commonly referred toas a pipeline to prison,

these policies can resultin entrapping kids into alife of crime after they areexposed to the juvenilejustice system. A reportby UCLAs Civil RightsProject titled OpportunitiesSuspended: The DevastatingConsequences of ZeroTolerance and SchoolDiscipline Policies,notes the upswing in thenumber of children whoare criminally charged andcalling it one of the most

detrimental effects of zerotolerance policies.

The bill constitutes Jonessignature piece of legislationthis year, a measure hebegan working on prior to

the start of the 2010 session.Jones took up the torch tolimit zero tolerance abusesafter intervening on behalfof a 14-year-old MorganCounty student who wasexpelled for accidentallybringing a pocket knife toschool. Even after turningin the pocket knife to hisprincipal, the student wasexpelled from school andsent to a youth detentioncenter overnight before hereceived a hearing from ajudge.

The bill received earlysupport from Judge StevenTeske, immediate pastpresident of the Councilof Juvenile Court Judgesof Georgia. After meetingwith Judge Teske, Jonesmodeled the legislationafter a program the judgeestablished in ClaytonCounty. Eric John,executive director of thecouncil, testified in supportof the bill as it movedthrough the legislativeprocess and emphasizedthat judges want and need

the legislation to deal withdisciplinary problems inthe school systems. Aftermeeting with Judge Teske,I was inspired to completethe task and ensure thatwe changed the law toput Senate Bill 299 on thebooks, added Jones.

He has worked closelywith legislative leaders toensure passage of the bill,and upon its final passageexpressed his gratitude fortheir support. I wouldlike to thank the lieutenant

governor for his strongsupport of the bill from thebeginning. Id also liketo thank both chambersof the legislature for theirunanimous support ofSenate Bill 299, whichwill protect the rights ofGeorgias schoolchildren.This is a victory for ourstudents, parents, schooladministrators and juvenilecourt judges across the state;its a win-win for everyone.

DeKalb County hosts Academe ofthe Oaks students for creek clean up

After six yearsof service, State

SenatorDan Weber(R-Dunwoody) last weekannounced his retirement.

Senator Weber hasbeen a champion foreducation reform andserved the state withdistinction and honor. Ashe retires from theState Senate, he leavesknowing that he made asignificant impact on the

lives of Georgians, andin particular, the students

of Georgia. We will misshim greatly and wish himand his family all thebest, said Lt Gov. CaseyCagle.

Weber, who representsthe 40th district, was firstelected to the Senate in2004. Throughout the2010 legislative session,he served as the chairmanof the Education and

Youth Committee. Hewas the Secretary for

the State and LocalGovernment Committeeas well as a member ofthe Natural Resourcesand EnvironmentCommittee, SpecialJudiciary Committee, andUrban Affairs Committee.

Weber owns his aprivate law practice inDunwoody.

News Brief

Georgia Legislature unanimouslyapproves landmark zerotolerance discipline bill

Volunteers celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up South Peachtree Creek.


9/20


See Triplets on Page 16A

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Bank 706-674-2215; MemberFDIC, Equal Housing Lender

by Jonathan Cribbs

[email protected]

A number ofquestionable Internetsources claim the chancesof a mother having tripletsare about 1 in 8,100.

The chances of thosetriplets, 17 years aftertheir birth, ranking first,second and third in theirgraduating class are likelyso low, it would take toolong for this newspaperto figure out or to findsomeone to calculate it.

Regardless, such is thecase with the Boden tripletsof Atlanta.

Meet Allison,Stephanie and Lauren.They are 17 years old,and they graduate thismonth from LakesideHigh School. Lauren isthe schools valedictorianessentially because sheearned an A in her APCalculus BC class, thetougher of two calculusclasses Lakeside Highoffered last fall. Through

high school, Lauren hasnever earned less than anA.

Her two sisters have,however. In fact, the onlyBs Stephanie and LaurenBoden ever received inhigh school were in thesame AP Calculus classthey attended with Lauren.Up to that point, all threeshared an essentiallyperfect high schoolacademic record. So, as itgoes, Lauren was namedvaledictorian recently andStephanie and Allison are

tied for salutatorian.Its a little frustrating,

Stephanie said of therazor-thin distancebetween herself and herNo. 1-ranked sister. ButLauren earned it. Sheearned her A. It wasnt that

big a deal. Its kind of like,That one class. If I hadonly you know. Butits all right.

If she sounds a littlelike a seasoned athletematurely lamenting the lossof a championship game,theres an explanation forthat too. The triplets andtheir 15-year-old sister,Susanne, have spearheadedtwo state championship golfteams at Lakeside High,and the triplets also play onthe basketball and softball

teams.And while its that focus

Lakeside triplets ranked Nos. 1,2, 3 in academics

that lead the triplets to highlevels on the field and inthe classroom, their drivestarted with their parents.

Their father, Scott Boden,is a professor of orthopedicsurgery at Emory Universityand is director of the Emory

Orthopaedics & SpineCenter. Their mother, Mary

Lauren, left, Stephanie and Allison Boden. Lauren is Lakeside High Schools valedictorian of the class of 2010, and Stephanie and Allisonare salutatorians. Photo provided


10/20


Gobbling greens: ELF Market

celebrates the humble collard

with a cook off

Some like them spicy.Some like them flavored

with smoked meat. Othersprefer vegetarian prepara-ion. However theyre pre-

pared, collards are a famil-ar dish on most Southernables.

Who serves up the bestgreens? It was the questionof the day at the inauguralCollard Greens Cook OffMay 1 at the East LakeFarmers (ELF) Market at2nd Avenue and Hosea L.Williams Drive in Atlanta.Proceeds from the eventbenefited an organizationfounded by the person for

whom the street is namedHosea Williams. A $10donation to Hosea Feed theHungry and Homeless al-owed visitors to sample

professionally cooked andhome-cooked collards andvote for a favorite.

Hosea Williams was

a longtime resident of ourcommunity and we are

proud to help carry out hislegacy by donating proceedsfrom this event to the foodpantry that he founded, At-lanta City Council memberNatalyn Archibong, oneof the competition judges,noted in a news release.

Open to amateurs andprofessionals, the competi-tion drew cooks from localrestaurants and neighbor-hood folks whore justproud of their greens. Some,who were there on scholar-ship, cooked their shareof 100 pounds of greens

that were distributed bythe farmers market to EastLake senior citizens whowanted to enter. In addi-tion to visitors picking theirfavorites in the PeoplesChoice competition, therewas a judging panel thatincluded Archibong; Elisa-

See Collards on Page 11A Lauren Crain, left, and Heather Devlin are among those offeringvegetarian greens.

East Lake resident Shirley Cleavessays a little okra on top gives hergreens a special touch.

Andy Gonzales of Steinbeckscalls his greens aggressiveand multi-layered.

Adrienne Howard proudly serves greens made with an old familyrecipe. Photos by Kathy Mitchell


11/20


beth Omilami, executiveirector of Hosea Feed the

Hungry & Homeless, andGina Hopkins, co-owner ofRestaurant Eugene. Awardswere given in both catego-ies.

Among the professionalswas Andy Gonzalez, a cheft Steinbecks, who said heakes a Spanish approach tohe greensmore aggres-ive, multi-layered. Brianones of Decaturs Water-hed said his more classicpproach uses country hamtock. Smoked turkey wasopular seasoning choicend one of the ingredientsn Grannys Spicy Collards,ooked by Jocelyn Christ-

mos and Jalissa LekekofBuccs BBQ. The recipe,hey said, was handed down

rom GrandmotherKather-ne Flemming.

A number of the cooks,uch as Cameron Lukkar ofevananda, prepared veganreens, using no animalroducts at all.

While most of the ama-eurs said they were justhere to support the neigh-orhood event, severaleemed delighted with thepportunity to show off theirkill in the kitchen. In ad-ition to the opportunity toee friends and neighbors,

Kat Lindholm wanted tohow off her special collardecipe that includes fresh or-nges, garlic and champagneinegar. Matt Olson saidis kitchen sink was full ofreens the night before as heipped the ribs off more than0 pounds of greens. I dontnow why people cook them

with the ribs. The ribs areitter. I always cut them off,

Olson said.Area resident Adrienne

Howard even decorateder Bishop Familys Fin-st station with a photo of

er mother, through whomhe received the family col-ards recipe. Everybody inur family makes these,he said. The only thinghat changed over the yearss that they used to be made

with ham hocks. Now I usemoked turkey because itsealthier. Howard said sheften cooks a batch and takest to a homeless shelter.

Part of the reason for theollard cook off was to ac-uaint people with the ELF

Market, which was started in

009 as a way to help buildhe community. The marketperates on Saturdays Mayhrough October on a lothat is vacant at other times.

Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance underthe current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests ofyour community to [email protected].

DeKalb County Wants to Hear From YouRegarding the Proposed Franchise Agreement Renewalwith Comcast Cable Communications

ELF Market officials say theempty business intersection,located at the conjunctionof the East Lake, Kirkwoodand Oakhurst communities,has a history of drug activ-ity. The ELF Market seeks

to develop and support thelocal and sustainable foodeconomy by bringing lo-cally produced products toAtlanta in DeKalb/south-ern Decatur communities.The market specializes inhealthy foods as a way ofcreating a healthy commu-nity, said event organizerDoug Williams.

CollardsContinued From Page 10A

New

5/13

Full

5/27

The Northeast will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies with a few showers and

thunderstorms today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 88 in New

York, N.Y. The Southeast will see mostly clear skies with isolated thunderstorms

today and Friday, scattered thunderstorms Saturday, with the highest temperature of 92 in Dothan,

Ala. The Northwest will see scattered rain today, mostly clear to partly cloudy skies Friday and

Saturday, with the highest temperature of 68 in Medford, Ore. The Southwest will see mostly clear

skies today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 97 in Carlsbad, N.M.

THURSDAY

Sunny

High: 88 Low: 64

First

5/20

The Champion Weather May 6, 2010Seven Day Forecast

Local UV Index

WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High:80 Low: 58

TUESDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 81 Low: 59

MONDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 77 Low: 56

SUNDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 76 Low: 51

SATURDAY

Mostly Cloudy

High: 78 Low: 53

FRIDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 86 Low: 61

In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map

Sunrise

6:43 a.m.

6:42 a.m.

6:42 a.m.

6:41 a.m.6:40 a.m.

6:39 a.m.

6:38 a.m.

Sunset

8:25 p.m.

8:25 p.m.

8:26 p.m.

8:27 p.m.8:28 p.m.

8:29 p.m.

8:29 p.m.

Moonset

1:43 p.m.

2:38 p.m.

3:33 p.m.

4:29 p.m.5:26 p.m.

6:25 p.m.

7:27 p.m.

Moonrise

2:30 a.m.

2:59 a.m.

3:25 a.m.

3:52 a.m.4:19 a.m.

4:49 a.m.

5:22 a.m.

Last

6/4

2010. Accessweather.com, Inc.

Weather History

May 6, 1988 - A major storm

brought high winds to the

western half of the country. A

wind gust of 74 mph at

Pueblo, Colo. broke the May

record that city established

just four days earlier. Winds in

the Arapahoe Ski Basin area

of Colorado reached 85 mph.

Weather Trivia

Tonight's Planets

What is a waterspout?

Answer: A waterspout is simply a

tornado traveling over water

instead of over land.

?

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

SundayMonday

Tuesday

Wednesday

National Weather Summary This Week

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - Planispheres

Today we will see sunny skies with a high

temperature of 88, humidity of 40% and

an overnight low of 64. The record high

temperature for today is 92 set in 1952.

Friday, skies will be mostly sunny with a

high temperature of 86.

May 7, 1988 - A powerful

storm in the north central

United States produced up to

three feet of snow in the

Bighorn Mountains of

Wyoming and the mountains

of south central Montana. Up

to five inches of rain poured

down upon central Montana

within less than 24 hours.

With the warmer weather of spring upon us and vacations beckoning, Id like to suggest a handy little tool that will make your sojourns with the nighttime

sky more enjoyable. The device is called a planisphere, and it is the most efficient way to take a personalized portrait of the heavens along with you on your

travels. They are inexpensive, about $10.00 in a plastic version, and flat, so they pack well and are very space efficient. And most importantly, they work.

An inner circle containing the hours of the day rotates around an outer circle which contains the days of the months. The view of the heavens is oval-shaped,

showing the sky in all four directions. If you match the hour of the night with the day of the year, a correct representation the sky at that moment is achieved. To use a

planisphere, simply look down upon it, holding th e direction in which you are viewing closest to you. The sky in front of you will be depicted on the Planisphere quiteaccurately. Use a flashlight covered with red cellophane for illumination. Planispheres always give the standard time representation of the sky. Since we have jumped

ahead one hour and are now on Eastern Daylight Time, subtract one hour on t he planisphere to achieve the most accurate results. If its 11 p.m., EDT, set the planisphere

time for 10 p.m. which would be the correct standard time. Planispheres are also designed for a specific latitude location which cannot be altered. So if you are planning

a trip to Australia, a planisphere purchased at our latitude of 40 degrees north would be useless in Oz. Forget about planispheres with glow-in-the-dark stars. Youll still

need a flashlight. Purchase your planisphere at a local photo dealership. www.astronomy.org

Rise Set

Mercury 6:14 a.m. 7:19 p.m.

Venus 8:18 a.m.10:41 p.m.

Mars 12:57 p.m. 2:46 a.m.

Jupiter 4:29 a.m. 4:17 p.m.Saturn 4:26 p.m. 4:49 a.m.

Uranus 4:39 a.m. 4:37 p.m.

3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

UV Index

0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate,

6-7: High, 8-10: Very High

11+: Extreme Exposure

Atlanta

88/64

Decatur88/64

Doraville

87/64

Dunwoody

86/63 Lilburn

87/64

Snellville

88/64

Lithonia

89/64

Morrow

89/64

Smyrna

87/64

Hampton

90/65

Union City

89/64

College Park

89/64

*Last Weeks AlmanacDate Hi L o Normals Precip

Tuesday 66 50 76/54 0.00"

Wednesday 67 43 76/54 0.00"

Thursday 74 44 76/54 0.00"

Friday 82 52 76/54 0.00"

Saturday 82 67 77/55 0.00"

Sunday 88 69 77/55 0.00"

Monday 83 68 77/56 4.11"Rainfall . . . . . . . .4.11" Average temp . .66.8

Normal rainfall . .0.84" Average normal 65.5

Departure . . . . .+3.27" Departure . . . . .+1.3*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport

Valencia McClinton, right, gives a festivalgoer a taste of greens that she says have a lit tle more tex-ture because of a shorter cooking time.


12/20

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7 , 2010 PAGE 12AHEALTH

Emoryconductinglandmark studyto treat ALS

Pollen seasonnothing to sneeze at

Emory University researchers are par-icipating in a groundbreaking clinical trialo treat patients with Amyotrophic Lateral

Sclerosis (ALS) using human neural stemcells.

The phase 1 trial, approved in 2009 byhe U.S. Food and Drug Administration,s studying the safety of stem cells and the

surgical procedures and devices requiredfor multiple injections of the cells directlynto the spinal cord.

This is the first U.S. clinical trial ofstem cell injections into the spinal cordfor the treatment of ALS, said JonathanGlass, M.D., professor of neurology, Emo-ry School of Medicine, and director of theEmory ALS Center and principal investiga-

or of the clinical trial site.Our main goal in this early phase is to

determine whether it is safe to inject stemcells into the spinal cord and whether thecells themselves are safe, Glass said.

Since the trial began in January, threepatients with ALS have received injections.Up to 12 individuals will be enrolled in thefirst phase of the trial.

Nicholas Boulis, M.D., assistant pro-fessor of neurosurgery at Emory Schoolof Medicine and a pioneer in developingsurgical methods for delivery of therapeu-ics to the spinal cord, is performing the

surgical procedures. Eva Feldman, M.D.,Ph.D., director of research at the University

of Michigan Health System ALS Clinic,s the overall principal investigator of theALS clinical trials program.

I am confident this study is taking ther-apies for the spinal cord to a new level,said Boulis. Depending on the success ofhis initial trial, there will be a follow-up

phase II trial or a modified phase I trial thatutilizes the techniques of surgical imple-mentation.

Also known as Lou Gehrigs disease,ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative diseasewith no known cure. It causes the deterio-ration of specific nerve cells in the brainand spinal cord called motor neurons,which control muscle movement. As thellness progresses, patients lose their ability

o walk, talk and breathe. According to theALS Association, approximately 30,000Americans have ALS at any given time andpatients with the disease usually die withinwo to five years of diagnosis.

The stem cells used in the study, devel-oped by the Maryland-based biotech com-pany, Neuralstem Inc., were prepared fromcultured neural stem cells and may have theability to mature into various types of cellsn the nervous system. This includes motor

neurons, the ones that are specifically lostn ALS.

Scientists say these stem cells will notgenerate new motor neurons but may helpprotect the still-functioning motor neurons

and slow the progression of the disease.We will closely follow these patientsand will be eager to see results, Glasssaid. We are hopeful this is the first stepoward a new way of treating the people

who face this devastating disease.

Watery eyes. Sneezing.Sniffles. Headaches. Earaches.Some Metro Atlanta residentsare suffering due to the arrival ofallergy season.

Pine pollen season will be in

full swing within the next fewdays, and oak and alder will addto allergy sufferers angst. Theyellow pollen that you will seeis pine pollen, which is about 60microns in size. However, it isthe much smaller, microscopic,oak pollen which is causing themost problems, said DeKalbMedical Allergist GeorgeGottlieb.

Gottlieb said basic precautionscan help area residents cope andsurvive pollen season. He offeredthese suggestions, which he saidare especially important for thosewith asthma or who suffer from

wheezing or shortness of breath: Minimize your exposure to

outdoor air. Keep the windowsclosed in your house, andkeep the windows rolled upin your car. Turn on the airconditioning in your car anduse the setting that recirculatesair throughout your vehicle. In

general, no special filters arenecessary in either your houseor car and vacuuming air ductsis not necessary.

Wear a face mask if you aregardening, raking leaves,

mowing the lawn or engaging inany other outdoor activity.After returning home, changeclothes and take a shower.

Use your home A/C to deliverclean, dry, and cool air.

Do not use an attic fan forventilation.

Schedule outdoor activitiescarefully; pollen counts arehighest early in the morning.Outdoor exercise in the eveningis best.

Avoid outdoors on dry windydays.

Wash your clothes and your hairafter being out in the pollen.

Dont hang your sheets andclothes out to dry in the pollen

Wash you pet after letting it outin the pollen

Avoid mowing lawns or rakingor blowing leaves as theseactivities stir up pollens andmolds.

Those who suffer severely may

choose to take a vacation duringthe pollen season. The seashoreis likely to have lower pollenexposures.

Before asking your doctor for aprescription, try a potent over-

the-counter allergy medicationsuch as Claritin.

Gottlieb added that Claritin isinexpensive, effective and evensafe for young children. Pregnantwomen and nursing mothersshould consult their physiciansbefore using this medication.Prescription cortisone nasalsprays Nasonex and Flonaseand antihistamines Allegra andZyrtec will also bring relief to thesufferers nose.

According to Gottlieb, allergysufferers have a long seasonin front of them. The current

yellow pine tree pollen seasonshould end by mid May, butwill be followed by hickory andpecan tree pollen season towardthe end of May. Then, Gottliebsaid, grass pollen season willkeep allergy patients misty-eyedthrough June.

Photo by Travis Hudgons


13/20

www.ChampionNewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 PAGE 13AA Section

OlympicContinued From Page 1A

put and the discuspossibly the long jump.I dont try to win, I just compete, said Holston.But winning seems to come easily to Holston

who has scores of medals from the DeKalb games,Gwinnett Senior Golden Games and even some fromhe Georgia Golden Olympics.

In 2009, Holston traveled to San Francisco forhe National Senior Olympics and said that though

he didnt win anything, she had a good time.I just went with my friends, just enjoyed beinghere, said Holston, noting that it was inspiring toee others being activesuch as a 90-year-old. That

encourages me.Asked what she thinks about the DeKalb Senior

Olympics, Holston commented, Its great. It keepsyou focused.

Holston said her training regime doesnt con-ist of much more than walking regularly at North

DeKalb Mall.I dont strain myself, she admits.Holston, who was a member of the Tiger Belles

Track Team when she was a student at TennesseeState University, said she was introduced to the lo-cal competition through a friend who told her aboutt and she concluded why not. This year will be

Holstons fifth time competing in the DeKalb gamesI know if you stay active in physical activities

you improve your health, said the Decatur resident.Track and field events take place at Panthersville

Stadium on May 15.Holston crosses the finish line in this photo from her earlytrack and field days.

TicketsContinued From Page 1A

Bakers story was not anuncommon one last month whenhe Recorders Court created an

amnesty program through the monthof April to clear roughly 500,000

outstanding parking tickets a totalhe courts new chief judge, Nelly

Withers, called outrageous andunacceptable.

The amnesty program allowedpeople with outstanding tickets tohave them paid without added finesfor missing their court date. Othereductions were also included,

Withers said. Initially, lines of peo-ple who jammed the courts lobbyhad until April 30 to pay the tickets,but after hundreds remained whenhe court doors closed that Friday,

court officials gave many peopleblue tickets allowing them to take

advantage of the amnesty programhe following week.Ticket holders without a blue

ticket will have 28 days to pay theirtickets before theyre reported tothe state, which will suspend theirdrivers licenses. Roughly 8,000people took advantage of the am-

nesty program, Withers said, andmany of those people had more thanone outstanding ticket.

Its a drop in the bucket, butwere not stopping with just amnes-ty, she said.

Withers took over the court after agrand jury showed the court had notcollected millions in fines and severalformer employees were indicted in aticket-fixing ring.

So, previous neglect of clearingoutstanding tickets led to mayhemoutside the office for most of the lastweek in April.

Wendy Dave, 46, of Duluth

emerged from the court after eighthours of waiting. She had a beachchair slung over her shoulder, which

she used to wait in line.This is rigamarole. This is crazy,

she said.April 30 was the second day shed

stood in line, she said. When she got

the notice she had outstanding tick-ets, it didnt list how many tickets orthe amount she owed. So, she waitedthree hours in line on April 23 tofind that out. When she did, she wastold she had to pay in cash, whichshe didnt have. So, she had to comeback. The total: $465.

Thank God it was $465. I had$480 in my checking account. Its agood thing my cable bills paid, shesaid. Its a good thing I got some Ra-men noodles and some eggs and somegrits. Im not coming back to DeKalbCounty if they paid me.

She said she had two tickets, one

issued in 2005, the other in 06. Asshe walked to her car, she said thecourt had served about 50 people be-

tween 4:45 a.m. when she got there at12:30 p.m. when she finally paid herticket. She looked at the massive linestretching to the highway.

None of these people are getting

in, she said. I guarantee it.Alfred Robbins, 48, of Mc-

Donough went through a similarordeal and said he didnt think it wasright to put warrants out on peoplewho had not paid their tickets.

Do they need to be in jail? (Isthe court) making streets safer? hesaid. No. Its not about justice, itsabout money.

Withers said the court gavepeople ample time far more than itshould have, actually to pay theirfines and then offered amnesty onsome of the fines.

Suffer a little inconvenience,

but youre getting a pretty goodbenefit from it, she said.


14/20


March for Babiesteam raises morethan $23,000

Student awarded for gospelvalues

Benfield encourages young

women to enter essay contest

DeKalb County CEOBurrell Ellis announced

that 175 DeKalb Countyemployees participated inthe March for Babieswalk on Saturday, April 24,raising more than $23,000with additional funds stillbeing collected for theMarch of Dimes.

Led by DeKalb CountyCommissionerLarryJohnson, who served as thegrand walker, the DeKalbCounty team braved therain to fulfill their goal.This marks the countyseighth year of participation,

which raises DeKalbsoverall contributions to theorganization to more than$85,416.

We are extremely proud

of the way our employeescame together for such a

worthwhile cause. Somedepartments sold hot dogs,while others held rafflesand bake sales. They werequite resourceful in theirefforts to raise funds. It wastruly heartwarming to seeDeKalb employees giveso much of themselves forthe March of Dimes, Ellissaid.

Funds raised by theMarch of Dimes Marchfor Babies support variousMarch of Dimes programs,including the neonatal

intensive care unit familysupport programs at localhospitals and communitygrants targeting Georgiasmost high-risk groups.

Immaculate Heart ofMary Catholic Schoolpresented its first ReneeRichardson LegacyAward on April 29.

Renee Richardson, aformer IHM student,always placed the needsand concerns of othersover her own needs and

concerns, according toa statement from schoolofficials. She trulymodeled gospel valuesand was a positive,

productive member ofsociety. This award isgiven to an eighth gradestudent who, like Renee,models gospel values and

exemplifies a positiveattitude at IHM. Thisaward was presented toPaige Vega. Her namewill be inscribed on a

perpetual plaque that willbe placed in the schooland she will receive acertificate.

Helping Paige Vega, center, celebrate her award are second grade teacher Beverly Moody, left;middle school teacher Haydee Vader, second from left; Pat Richardson the mother of the youngwoman for whom the award is named, second from right, and libraran Sandy Wilson, right.

The National Foundationfor Women Legislators

(NFWL) and the National RifleAssociation are co-sponsoringheir 13th annual Bill of Rights

Essay Contest for college-bound female high schooluniors and seniors. This years

contest is titled Freedom andCivic Virtues. The contestsseven winners will each receivea $3,000 college scholarshipand an all-expenses-paid tripo NFWLs annual conference

Nov. 18-22 at The Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes inOrlando, Fla., where they willnetwork with, be mentored

by and speak to hundreds ofwomen lawmakers from acrosshe United States.

This is an excellentopportunity for local membersof the class of 2010 and 2011,said NFWL member stateRep. Stephanie Stuckey-Benfield. This contest willhelp seven young womenenhance their understanding ofhe role of women in politicshrough a hands-on learning

experience. It provides anexcellent opportunity to developeadership skills while assisting

with college tuition expenses.

The Millennial Generations the future of American

politics, said Stuckey-Benfield. By understandingand explaining the importance

of American virtues and rights,young women can make a

lasting impact on the future ofAmerican policies. This essaycontest is an opportunity foryoung women to win a collegescholarship while makingtheir voices heard on the trueintentions of the Bill of Rights.

Entries must be receivedor postmarked no later thanJuly 30, after which an NFWLselection committee will judgeeach essay and determine theseven winners. The judges willprimarily weigh the factors ofstorytelling, understanding ofthe Bill of Rights and original

insight.The National Foundationfor Women Legislatorsprovides female Members ofCongress, state legislators,county commissioners, andcity council members withstrategic resources, includingdebates and briefings onthe issues, leadership skilldevelopment and opportunitiesfor networking.

Questions by potentialapplicants may be directed toRep. Stuckey-Benfield at (404)656-7859 or to the NFWLoffice, (202) 293-3040 ext.

1005. Potential applicants canalso e-mail [email protected] or visitwww.womenlegislators.org.

The DeKalb County team joins other walkers for the April 24 March for Babies.


15/20

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 PAGE 15ABUSINESS

by Robert [email protected]

The timing is right forTerriRogers. And the location couldnt bebetter.

Rogers, owner of Decaturs Feastrestaurant, soon will have a placewhere area residents can go for theirfix of fresh comfort food. Rogers is inhe process of transforming the former

Depeaux restaurant into Farmstead303, which is across the street fromFeast.

The restaurant is targeted to openhis month, said Rogers, who iseasing the property and the building

from the city of Decatur.

We didnt have to do much tohe building, just give it a face lift,

Rogers said. We got rid of the MardiGras beads look and the design ismore of a California-style farmhouse.

The menu will be fresh, simplecomfort food in an atmosphere that iswarm, welcoming and relaxing.

Farmstead 303 will featurelocally grown food and some organicofferings, Rogers said. She also plansto grow vegetables to be used in therestaurant on property adjacent to thebuilding. The restaurant will feature afull bar and a deck that seats about 75people, she said.

Our prices will be in the range ofFeast, if not lower, Rogers said. Idlike to attract city people for lunchwhere they can have a nice, home-cooked meal for about $10.

Built in 1891, the structureoriginally was a train depot and

housed the popular Freight Roommusic venue in the 1980s and 90s.After the Freight Room closed, thebuilding sat vacant for years andwas threatened with demolition.

The Decatur Preservation Alliancestepped in to save the structure, whichwas moved 34 feet off CSX railroadproperty and onto city property.

It reopened in 2007 as theDepeaux, a Cajun-style restaurant, andwas closed in February.

I was looking for another space acouple of years ago until the bottomfell out of the economy, Rogers said.When the Depeaux closed, it seemedlike a great opportunity to me, and Idecided to take it over.

City officials also are excited aboutthe new business.

I think it will be a fabulous editionto Decatur, said Linda Harris,assistant director for economic

development for the city of Decatur.(Rogers) presented an excellentbusiness plan to the DowntownDevelopment Authority and really didher homework.

Farmhouse 303 pulls intoold Decatur train depot

May 11th New Members Lunch

Reception Sponsored by Georgia State

University / Brookhaven Center Event

open to new and existing Chamber

members only. Time: 12:00 pm -1:00pm. RSVP required. For information, visit

the Chambers website or call 404-378-

8000 (www.dekalbchamber.org.)

May 19th - Network DeKalb Leads Group

Second Quarter Location - Location: Le

Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts

1927 Lakeside Parkway, Tucker, GA 30084

Phone: : (770) 938-4711. COST: $10.00-

Members (advance) / $15.00 (door)

/$20.00 Non-members.

May 20th Business Builder Series

Seminar Change or Go Broke. Straight

Talk about Small Business. Presenter:

Kevin Hanville. Free for Chamber

members to attend. Register online at

www.dekalbchamber.org.

May 25th Online Webinar Easing into

Office 2007. Are you finding it difficult to

make the transition to Office 2007?

Register to attend. Only 16 slots open.For additional information call 404-378-

8000.

Celebrating more than 70 Years

of Service

EVENTS

For more information on DeKalb Chamber related

events or to receive email updates, call 404-378-

8000 or visit www.dekalbchamber.org

Farmstead 303 will feature locally grown food and some organic offerings. Photos by Robert Naddra


16/20

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010 PAGE 16AEDUCATION

y Jonathan Cribbs

[email protected]

A new non-profitrganization backed byhe DeKalb Chamber of

Commerce will evaluatend endorse candidatesn school board elections

with the goal of improvinghe 11-member bodyseadership, officials said.

The new group,duKALB, said it planso hold a school boardeadership forum thisummer to educate

andidates running foreats this November. Termsf sitting board membersxpire in districts one,hree, five, seven and nine.

Those seats are held by JimRedovian, Sarah Copelin-Wood, Jay Cunningham,Vice ChairZeporaRoberts and Gene Walker,espectively.

This is a critical timeor our schools, said Chris

Marquardt, co-chair ofduKALB. Its a realmportant time for folks to

et involved.The organization seekso influence board electionss the school system facesprojected $115 million

budget deficit next year and

the looming need to selecta replacement for formerSuperintendent CrawfordLewis, who resigned lastmonth after being ropedinto an investigation ofschool district constructioncontracts.

Business has a role ineducation, and educationstarts at the board level,said Leonardo McClarty,president of the chamberand secretary of eduKALB.Its not meant to be seen assomething adversarial.

While eduKALB

literature and its officialswere keen to avoidbadmouthing sitting boardmembers, an organizationalstatement said eduKALBwould ask board candidatesto be interviewed andcomplete questionnairesand participate in forumsand trainings. Theorganization would endorseits candidates in the fall, andMarquardt and McClartysaid eduKALB will notrecruit residents to run.

Two school board

members were there tosupport the new group:Don McChesney and H.Paul Womack. Womackwas blunter, saying

board members were too

parochial.They dont think inthe universe, he said. Itsabout my school, thatneed, and its about power.

The board is toofrequently distracted byracial concerns as well,Womack said.

You should not makedecisions on White versusBlack, he said.

Womack also said itwas important for businessinterests to be involved inschool district elections.

We lose business if

youve got a lousy schoolsystem, he said.

After the Novemberelection, eduKALBwould endorse a slate ofcandidates for the boards2012 election. Districtseats two, four, six andeight will be up for electionthen. Those seats are heldby McChesney, Womack,ChairThomas Bowenand Pamela Speaks,respectively.

State Rep. Fran Millar,R-District 79, said he

expects eduKALB couldserve as a good model.Were going to have

school boards across thestate doing this, he said.

Boden, is also a doctorand worked for CignaHealthcare as a medicaldirector and vice presidentfor the region.

They got a lot of

attention when they wereyoung, Scott said. Theyunderstood that mom anddads job was to work andtry and support the family,and their job was to work ashard as they could to dowell in school.

When it came to studies,Scott and Mary wereessentially strict, but theysaid they tried to create azeal for learning amongtheir daughters ratherthan using incentives orpunishment as reasons toperform well.

We didnt use anycarrots, and we didnt useany sticks, he said. Therewas an expectation and aculture in this entire housethat they needed to try theirhardest. If you score a90 on a test, even if you getan A, theoretically theressome stuff you didnt right.

Genetics likely playedits role as well. Scott saidhe was ranked seventh outof a class of 650 when hegradated from high schoolin 1978 in Livingston, N.J.,

a suburb of New York.Mary said she was rankedsixth in a class of 600 whengraduated in 1978 in TerraLinda, Calif., north of SanFrancisco.

Scott and Mary metwhile in medical schoolat the University ofPennsylvania. Afterthey moved to Atlantathey had triplets, whowere born several weekspremature. Both parentswere concerned aboutdevelopmental issues.Allison, for instance, gave

them a scare when Marynoticed odd arm movementsthat seemed like a symptomof cerebral palsy. Luckily,there was no problem. ButMary said she was focusedon their education from dayone.

Im not sure exactlywhat I did, she said. Itried to make sure thatthey were hitting theirmilestones. I read to them.We played with blocks. A lot of it was justtrying to make things fun

and entertaining for thembecause they wanted tolearn.

And that continuedthrough middle school

and high school. As otherhigh-achieving studentsgrew older, Mary said, theyfound other interests. Thetriplets did too but noneof it came at the expense

of extraordinary academicperformance, which setsthem apart. They evenscored the same on the ACT 33 out of 36, placing themin the 99th percentile of testtakers.

Allison said sheremembered early exercisesthat may have helped herand her sisters get a jumpahead of other students.

I can remember doingworkbooks over the summereven in like first grade, sowe were constantly learningover the summer. We were

doing workbooks that wereone or two grades ahead,she said. Were reallycompetitive. We reallypushed each other to dobetter. We knew that itwas always easy to compareamongst ourselves. If oneperson did well on a testthen everyone should have.

If theres any differencebetween their parentsand the parents of otherstudents, the tripletsessentially agreed that itwas a constant demand

that they do their best nomatter the circumstances.A lot of kids that I

know, their parents arentreally involved and neverreally pushed them,Stephanie said.

They always put usfirst. They never steppedback and just let us go free,Allison said. They werealways very involved withour education. Pretty muchevery aspect of our life.

All three are headedto Pomona College inCalifornia next year, and the

triplets have been eagerlyrecruited by the golf andsoftball team coaches, thesisters said. Each sister isdeciding which sport toplay.

We all choseindependently, Stephaniesaid. We didnt necessarilywant to go to the sameschools.

But thats what happenedanyway.

Weve always likedCalifornia, Lauren said.Its right near the water

and the mountains. And itsa top school. Were verydifferent, but we have a lotof the same interests.

TripletsContinued From Page 9A

Chris Marquardt is co-chair of eduKALB. He is also an attorney with Alston & Bird in Atlanta.

Business chamber-backedgroup to endorse schoolboard candidates


17/20


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Teen dating violenceprevention workshop of-ered

Violence Has No Face,a teen dating violenceprevention workshop, isscheduled for Saturday,May 15, 8 a.m. noon atWhite Hall on the EmoryUniversity campus inDecatur. The event issponsored by Saint PhilipAME Lay organization.Teens, friends and par-ents are invited to attend

his free workshop, whichwill teach how to preventeen dating violence.Also, teens will be givensuggestions on how tomake a difference in theirves, in friends lives, inhe schools

Documents

Champion Free Press 5/7/2010