Free Press 5-6-11

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WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011 VOL. 14, NO. 6 FREE

FREEPRESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

by Andrew [email protected]

His military card lists himas a Black Bayonet Fighterand Trainer with the M1rifle.

At 81 years old, re-tired Sgt. First Class Ma-cron Justice, a DeKalbCounty veteran of WorldWar II, the Korean War

and Vietnam War, may bethe oldest Black Purple

Heart recipient alive.And he is eager to find

out. Justice has written let-ters to several prominent

peoplechallenging them toverify the factincluding first

lady Michelle Obama.It would mean a lot to me,

Justice said from his south DeKalbhome.

Determining the oldest livingrecipient of the Purple Heart byrace would be nearly impossible, aspokesman with the National PurpleHeart Hall of Honor said. Records arenot kept with that kind of detail.

Recently, a man thought to be theoldest living Black recipient of theaward died in Ft. Leonard Wood,Mo., at the age of 84.

Regardless of the distinction, Jus-tices contributions that span threedecades are noteworthy.

Justice joined the Army near the

end of World War II and was sent toItaly to help escort German prisonersof war. After returning home brieflyin 1949, Justice was called to serve inthe all-Black, 24th Infantry in Japan.

In Frankfurt, Germany, Justiceserved on the honor guard for then-CommanderCreighton Abrams,who later was the general in com-mand of military operations in theVietnam War.

Justice received his Purple Heart

during the Korean War.On Sept. 9, 1950, as American sol-

diers were attempting to overtake ahill in Hammond, Korea, they set updirectional, anti-personnel mines. Butthe enemy discovered the mines andfigured out a way to reverse them.

A U.S. soldier hit a trip wire at-tached to the device causing shrapnelto hit Justice, he said. Bullets froma nearby enemy sniper hit Justicetwice. As medics strapped him to astretcher, a mortar landed near him inthe mud. Luckily, it was a dud, Jus-tice said.

The medics gave me a shot ofmorphine and the next thing I knew Iwas on a boat to Japan, Justice said.It was on that ship where a generalpinned a Purple Heart to his chest.

In addition to the Purple Heart,Justice was awarded a Bronze Star,three Loops and a chest full of othermedals, during his 22-year militarytenure.

Justice said the military is still a

good organization to join.I grew up in the military so I

learned everything from it, Justicesaid. The military is what you makeof it.

Go for it. The pay is good, Jus-tice said. I know we have three warsgoing on, but thats what you mainlytrain for.

Justices loyalty to the armedforces is no surprise given that sev-eral of his brothers also served in the

military.I remember my father telling my

oldest brother, I cant send you tocollege right now... so if you went tothe army, one day you can go to col-lege, Justice said.

That began the Justice familysmilitary involvement.

Leoper, his 74-year-old brotherand only living sibling of seven, wasin the Army. His brotherBenjaminwas in the 9th Cavalry of the Armyand James was in the 10th Cavalry.His brotherWalter, who served inArmy Airborne, was killed in theVietnam War. Another brother, Nor-man, served in the Navy.

We called him turncoat, a Bene-dict Arnold, because he went to theNavy, Justice said.

Justice said he has one military se-cret that he has never told anyone.

I want to share it with the presi-dent before I go to the big Army postin the sky or wherever it is, Justicesaid.

Black Purple Heart recipient

is among oldest alive

After being hit with shrapnel during theKorean War, retired Army Sgt. MacronJustice of Decatur is one of the countrysoldest, living Black Purple Heart recipients.Photo by Andrew Cauthen

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 Page 2AneWs

County asks court todismiss Taser lawsuitby Andrew [email protected]

Attorneys representing

DeKalb County have askeda judge to dismiss a wrong-ful death lawsuit whichalleges that excessive useof Tasers by police officerscaused the death of a man.

In its 20-page answerfiled on April 15, the coun-ys response states that its not liable for the death

of 29-year-old AudrecasDavis, who died after anncident in May 2010 at a

Budget Inn and Suites onChamblee Tucker Road.

The sole, direct and

proximate cause of any in-ury or damage which Davismay have sustained was dueo the negligence of Davis

or some other person, theesponse states.

Davis parents, Jimmyand Annie Davis, filed aawsuit in March against the

DeKalb County Police De-partment for wrongful death,personal injuries, funeralexpenses and punitive dam-ages.

According to the lawsuit,EMS personnel were called

to Budget Inn and Suitesbecause Davis, a registeredguest, appeared to be hav-ing a seizure. When Davis

allegedly resisted being re-strained to a backboard andtransported to a hospital, theDeKalb County Police De-partment was called.

Eight officers arrived onthe scene and during the in-cident Davis was allegedlyTasered multiple times.

A medical examinersreport from July 2010 statedthat Davis suffered fromheart disease and the Taserwas not a direct cause of hisdeath.

While the Taser did not

directly cause his death, inconjunction with his manyother maladies they collec-tively followed a commonroad ending in his demise,the report stated.

DeKalb Countys answerto the allegations states thatalleged injuries and dam-ages were brought about byand were the result of Da-vis actions.

When DeKalb CountyEMS responded to treat Da-vis, he was unresponsiveand lying in feces, accord-

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ing to the countys responseto the allegations.The county also claims

that any injury or damagewhich Davis may have sus-tained, if any were actuallysustained, was the result of alegal accident.

The police departmentsInternal Review Board ruledthat the officers were justi-fied in their use of Tasers inthe case. The board clearedthe officers of any wrongdo-ing and agreed that no poli-cies were violated.

File Photo

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The Newslady

Give the president his due

Donald gets trumpedby Judge Greg Mathis

After weeks of allegations, led by DonaldTrump, that Barack Obama was not born inthe United States and, as a result, not legallyable to serve in the nations highestoffice, President Obama releasedhis long-form birth certificate tothe public. According to the of-ficial document, the president wasborn in the United States, Hawaiito be exact, and not in Kenya orIndonesia, as his critics wouldhave you believe.

Fringe groups have been alleg-ing that Obama wasnt born in theUnited States since he announced his run forthe presidency three years ago. At the time,he submitted an official record of birth, adocument most states give to anyone seekinga copy of their birth certificate, as proof of hiscitizenship. But the birthersthose who main-tain Obama was not born in the United States didnt accept that document; they wanted tosee his original birth certificate.

The president, who chose to rise abovethe foolishness, said it was finally time todispel the rumors because the media was giv-ing more attention to this non-controversy

than it was to important national issues, suchas the economy and public safety. WhenObama released the document, he pointedlycompared those who were making an issue

out of where he was born to side shows andcarnival barkersand he was right; that isexactly what Trump has become. No one out-side of the fringe is taking Trump seriously asa presidential candidate. Instead, people tune

in to see what shocking thing hellsay next. Americans arent lookingto Trump for leadership they arelooking to him for laughs.

Now, Trump wants to see thepresidents school transcripts,saying he doesnt know how thepresident, who admitted to not be-ing the most studious youngster,

was accepted into Harvard Law.Trump maintains the president got

into Harvard because of affirmative action.We dont know how Obama got into HarvardLawbut he did. And he went on to edit theHarvard Law Review at the end of his firstyear and became president of the journal inhis second year. Even if affirmative actionopened the doors of Harvard to Obama, hemade the most of the opportunity given tohim and excelled. And that is all that matters.

The president should not bow to these lat-est demands; he should treat Trump like theclown he is, trapped in a big media circus ofhis own making.

Judge Greg Mathis currently provides le-gal advice to more than three million listenerson the Steve Harvey Morning Show and alsoon his website, www.askjudgemathis.com.

Mathis

Osama bin Laden is dead.President Obama ordered a strikeforce into Pakistan on Sundayhat captured and killed bin Laden

bringing about a victory of epicproportions for the United Statesand the world. Bin Ladens deathculminated months of intense co-vert operations begun last Augustwhen the long cold search for the

master terrorist got hot.At 11:30 p.m. Sunday, May 1,President Obama took to the air-waves telling the nation and theest of the world that bin Laden

had been captured and killed, thatustice had been served. With that,

President Obama kept another cam-

paign promise. He had said duringone of the debates as a presidentialcandidate, We will find Osama binLaden and we will kill him. Presi-

dent Barack Hussein Obama is aman of his word.The official word that Osama

bin Laden was dead sparked im-promptu celebrations in many partsof the country. Throngs of the jubi-lant lined the streets in front of theWhite House and at Ground Zeroin New York. They waved flags,chanted, sang patriotic songs andembraced each other until the weehours of the morning.

Reaction from heads of state,former White House officials andothers concluded it was a great

day for America and the world. Afew grudgingly gave Obama creditfor marshalling the forces that ac-complished what many thoughtimpossible. Bin Laden had eludedcapture for nearly 10 years. In fact,many people interviewed follow-ing the incredible news said they

had given up hope that bin Ladenwould ever be found. But found hewas.

Still the pundits and others

dont want to give the presidenthis due. One former official inthe Bush administration offereda weak assertion that PresidentObama only carried out the Bushadministrations plan to capturebin Laden. He ended up contra-dicting himself when he said thatthe search for bin Laden had beenongoing for nearly 10 years but heunwittingly admitted that the trailhad gone cold the past four or fiveyears.

I sincerely hope the bigots andthe birthers will get over them-

selves. The bottom line is themoment he took office, PresidentObama ordered a stepped up, in-tensified effort to find bin Laden.It became a priority for our intel-ligence forces. That push bore fruitin August with a possible lead onhim. The heat was on and the pur-

suit relentless for the global faceof evil. On Sunday, May 1, 2011,Osama bin Laden was capturedand killed. Families of some of

the thousands killed on 9-11 feela sense of closure, that justice hasbeen served. Like it or not it hap-pened on Barack Hussein Obamaswatch.

As the president so eloquentlyreminded us in his announcement,we were united immediately after9-11. We did not consider race, eth-nicity, gender or party as we cameto each other s aid. We should tryto recapture that spirit in the wakeof this very welcome news. In themeantime, give the commander-in-chief his due. Hail to the chief and

to our brave men and women in theintelligence and military forces!

Steen Miles, The Newslady, is aretired journalist and former Geor-gia state senator. Contact SteenMilies at [email protected].

The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 Page 4AOPINION

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One Mans Opinion

The accidental farmer

Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and containthe writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be considered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to [email protected]

FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior

to publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributingeditors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers.The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement atany time. The Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell

News Editor: Robert Naddra

Production Manager: Kemesha HuntGraphic Designer: Travis Hudgons

The Champion Free Press is published each

Friday by ACE III Communications, Inc.,114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030

Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110

FREEPRESS

A good farmer is nothing moreor less than a handy man with aense of humus, E.B.White,The

Practical Farmer, 1944

I have two brown thumbs. Ihave accidentally killed cactus andeven lucky bamboo. I have onehouseplant that has survived threeyears with me in the new home-tead, defying the odds, as well as

my tendency to overwater.But in my small quarter-acre

backyard, God, good top soil andaised-bed boxes have made mento quite the prodigious, though

completely accidental farmer. Ittarted about three years ago, with

one big raised box, roughly 20 feetby 8 feet. Living near DeKalbCountys complimentary soil com-posting station, with some greatfree topsoil, just off MemorialDrive, didnt hurt either.

With a springtime able assist

from a very talented and green-minded Athens area gardenerteaching me several of the simplersuccess tips for organic farming,we were off to the fall harvest.

Water and weed regularly,and the best thing a garden can seeeach day is the shadow of its gar-dener, I was told.

Travel schedules caused me toask neighbors for the occasionalwatering assist, and the good soil,sun and God did most of the rest.Letting them share in what wouldbecome a prodigious bounty oftomatoes, squash, cucumbers,peppers, radishes and a variety ofspices helped make sure that watergot in and weeds got out. Plant-ing several spices adjoining alsolured packs of morning honey beesto pollinate the crops, as well ascreating quite an elegant and min-iature morning ballet over all theplants.

Each year since, we haveadded new crops, and a few morevarieties of spices and flowers toattract the honeybees, and watchedthe wonders sprout. The sunflow-ers last year were more than sevenfeet tall, grown from seed in onlya few weeks. Our first eggplantsand squash were more than a footlong. This summer we are plan-

ning to add canning to the gardenproject and our repertoire. Mytwo daughters are both helping outa bit, and will be the beneficiariesof split proceeds from any sales

our crops reap at the bi-weeklyDecatur Organic Farmers Mar-kets.

Weve owned homes before,and Ive always tended the lawn,raked the leaves, pulled weeds andeven done a bit of landscaping.But somehow turning the soil togrow our own food has affectedme differently, beyond the occa-sional back pain and practicallycomplete inability to find a com-fortable way to sit on my kneeswhile I weed. Those first tomatoesand cucumbers were among myproudest moments. They werentbug infestedand after washingthem and refrigerating a bit, I cantremember when fresh produce hastasted better.

And though we have addedmore raised beds each year, thefirst of those produced well morefruits and vegetables than wecould ever consume, allowing ourneighbors and co-workers to alsooccasionally enjoy our bounty.Sadly, my travels often causedsome tomatoes and peppers tospoil unpicked in the sun. So we

have worked out a sharing ar-rangement in that respect for thisyear with our neighbors.

I had originally been inspiredin part by a Decatur Community

Garden near Agnes Scott. Thereis now another large and similarlyinspiring plot adjacent to DecaturHigh School and along DeKalbAvenue. It is amazing how mucha small patch of well tended dirtcan actually produce with a littlebit of water and some tender, lov-ing care.

Oh, and that sick houseplantsomehow has also managed to sur-vive. It wont win any awards, butit is budding and blooming again,when I thought I had drownedanother one. I may never qualifyfor a subscription to theFarmersAlmanac, but the brown thumbseems to be changing shades a bitafter turning just a little bit of dirt.Well be looking for you at theFarmers Market on Wednesdayand Saturday.

Bill Crane is a DeKalb Countynative and business owner, liv-ing in Scottdale, Georgia. He alsoserves as chief political analystand commentator for 11Alive Newsand WSB Radio, News/Talk 750.Contact Bill Crane at Bill@dekal-

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Page 6A The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 www.championnewspaper.com

Why are we the teapartys hostages?

by Donald Kaul

Columnist

Our deficit is manageable ifwere smart about it.

The following comments are pulled straight from our website andare not edited for content or grammar.

Water woes cost $1 million in legal fees

Yes, we in Dekalb are fond of paying legal fees.

Just look at how much the school system pays inannually. Most often it exceeds the amount beingsought.

Sherwayne Douglas posted this on 4/30/11 at 11:40p.m.

Yeah, what happened to that communica-tions campaign that was to be handled by SteenNewslady Miles. I didnt see one dang thing.Probably more like a $35K payoff from Ellis toMiles in return for supporting him in the runoff.

Jay posted this on 4/30/11 at 11:39 p.m.

Lucky we the tax paying citizens of DeKalbCounty got lots of money to pay all these lawyers !

Every citizen of DeKalb County should receiveFree Legal Services for all the Lawyer Fees wepay!

JerryMyer Jackson Jr posted this on 4/30/11 at12:13 a.m.

Finalists for top schools job withdraw

My grandchild attends a school that has not passedAYP since the school opens its doors. I want a Su-perintendent from outside of Georgia to come into ourschool system and clean houseadministrative house.We cannot afford for a small group of insiders to ruin

our school system. I am concerned that we are un-able to achieve hiring a qualified Superintendent in themiddle of a recession. If this does not say we need tomake changes, nothing will.

Desktop of a Praying Grandmother posted this on4/29/11 at 9:10 a.m.

I personally believe that the candidates may bewithdrawing due to the team that is already in place.Regardless of what their other options are, as theyhave been made known to us, they are eliminating thisposition as being one.

Perhaps the search needs to be more extensive andstart from within. Seems interesting that people are

running from any position, particularly one this lucra-tive, in todays economic environment.

Akina posted this on 4/27/11 at 10:35 p.m.

Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

The Barefoot Conser-vative Nation descendedon Washington in Aprilike a wolf on the fold.

Libertarians, creation-sts, birthers, Birchers,

flat-taxers, string savers,and tin foil collectorsall the wonder-ful groups that make up the tea partysntellectual wingcame to town waving

signs, shouting slogans, and collaringhapless Congresspersons in their dens.

They may not have achieved theirgoal of shutting down the government,but in the end, they achieved somethingeven more improbablethey made youfeel sorry for Congress. (Makes youkind of miss the Silent Majority doesntt?)

At issue was the federal budget,which needed to clear Congress to keephe government going. The protestorshink the government is spending wayoo much and the national debt is too

big. They want to cut both of them to thebone. And they intend to use the Repub-

ican Party as their knife.Democrats, on the other hand, are

more committed to using government todeal with the problems of the nation andend to resist cutting programs.

Thus, a civil war seems to have bro-ken out while we werent paying atten-ion.

This isnt the way to conduct a de-mocracy. The traditional way for ourwo-party system to resolve differencess for each party to give a little and

move forward without having satisfiedhe extremists on either side.

The tea party people and their cohortwont buy that. They dont want 60 per-cent of their agenda fulfilled. They dontwant 90 percent. They want it all.

House SpeakerJohn Boehner man-aged to keep his rebellious troops inine long enough to sign off on a com-

promise. President Barack Obama andSenate Majority LeaderHarry Reiddid the same with the Democrats. Theconservatives got some of the cuts theywanted, but were forced to give groundon public subsidies to Planned Parent-hood and government regulation ofgreenhouse gases.

Does that end the fight? Not on yourife.

In a few weeks, by Julyat the latest, Congress willbe asked to raise the debtceiling so the governmentcan continue to pay its billsand the rumble. The teapartiers have promised not

to be so compliant next time.If we escape that crisis without a

catastrophic meltdown, we will be look-ing at yet another new budget that needscongressional approval in the fall. Bythat time, the blood on the Capitolsfloor should be up to the gunwales.

This is nuts. We cant allow a rela-tively small minority of zealots to holdthe nation hostage to their ideology sim-ply because they throw themselves onthe floor and hold their breath.

Its not as though the tea party hasright on its sidealthough youd think soif you believed much of what you hearon radio and television.

Our federal debt is too big; Ill giveyou that. But the governments notbroke, as Republican leaders insist on

insisting. Were a rich nation, now andfor the foreseeable future. Our deficit ismanageable if were smart about it.

There are deficits and there aredeficits. Those produced by stimulusprograms are acceptable, even desir-able right now, because they bolster oursagging economy. If wed had a biggerstimulus two years ago, wed be betteroff now.

The long-term deficits we accruewith programs like Medicare, where wegive money to doctors and patients onlyafter weve paid a tribute to the insur-ance companies that guard the entrancesto our healthcare system like trolls on abridge.

Those deficits we can and should dosomething about.

We also need to raise taxes on upperincome people who havent shared inour shared sacrifice.

Government has to be about morethan making rich people richer. Theyrerich enough now. Its time we startedworrying about the rest of the peopleand about the future of generations yetunborn.

OtherWords columnist Donald Kaullives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. www.oth-erwords.org

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Mountain Industrialbusinesses seek upgrades

If you would like to nominate

someone to be considered as a

future Champion of the Week,

please contactKathy Mitchellat

[email protected] or at404-373-7779, ext. 104.

Champion ofthe Week

Larry Mathisby Andrew [email protected]

A group of businesses inhe Stone Mountain Industrial

Park area want to tax them-elves and use the funds topur local economic develop-

ment.On April 26, the DeKalb

County Board of Commis-ioners approved a com-

munity improvement districtCID) consisting of 88 prop-

erty owners with a total prop-erty value of approximately$241 million.

One of the benets of theCID is somebody wakes up

every morning thinking abouthow theyre going to improvehe CID instead of just selling

widgets in China, said Emo-ry Morsberger, a founder ofhe CID.

The majority of com-mercial property owners,who own 75 percent of thevalue of properties within thedistrict, consented to formhe CID. The main priorities

of the business owners aremproving property values,ecurity and quality of life.

Beautication of the dis-rict is another goal.

It just looks kind ofough, Morsberger said.

Coming off of U.S. 78,here is a rusty and broken

guard rail; overgrown grass;and junky signs on utilitypoles.

There are a number ofhings that can be xed up at

minimal cost, Morsberger

said. The owners want tomake the area more attractiveand inviting.

Joddie Gray, of Urban-trans Consultants, said theCID would increase the senseof community for the area.

Now, all the propertyowners will be working for acommon goal, Gray said.

The next step is to adver-tise for the June 16 electionof a CID board, consistingof seven members, two ofwhom would be appointed bythe Board of Commissioners.

Morsberger said the rstjob of the board will be to seta millage rate for the CID.The millage rate is expectedto be ve mills, which isstandard for CIDs. The annu-al budget for the CID is ex-

pected to be $482,000. Thosefunds will be used to leveragefederal and state grant money.

The CID tax is expectedto be placed on tax bills thissummer for property owners.

Other than the StoneMountain CID, the only otherCID in DeKalb is the CentralCID, which, along with onein Fulton County, forms thePerimeter CID. The Perime-ter CID has contributed $14.2million in additional propertytaxes for transportation andinfrastructure projects com-

pleted or under way in theI-285 perimeter area.

Were long overdue for

another CID, said Commis-sionerKathie Gannon.DeKalbs Chief Com-

munications OfcerBurkeBrennan said there are sev-eral other CIDs in the works,including Northlake, Tucker,Brookhaven and Wesley Cha-

pel.

During a meetingin his neighborhood,Larry Mathis learnedthat his neighbor-hoods park was a lotlarger than it looked.

For years, resi-dents in the Stone-view neighborhoodnear Rays Roadhad been enjoy-ing a 1.5-acre park.

But the webpage ofthe DeKalb CountyParks and RecreationDepartment liststhe park, located at850 Dunleith Courtin Clarkston, at nineacres.

I promised theneighbors then wewere going to takeback the park and ourneighborhood, saidMathis, 44.

That was a fewyears ago and sincethen Mathis has led

an effort to clearnearly an acre ofovergrowth so far.

Were trying to getthe park revitalized,Mathis said. Were

just trying to showinterest and hopeDeKalb County willstep up its game inmaintaining the park,which has a play-

ground, gazebo anda water fountain.

Its just a basicpark, said Mathis,who would like to seeanother gazebo builtin the park.

Mathis, who isalso a neighborhoodwatch coordinator forStoneview, has beenconcerned aboutbreak-ins in his area.On several occa-

sions, burglars havestolen items fromhomes and dumpedthe loot in the over-growth until theycan safely retrieve it,Mathis said.

My goal is to getpeople to cut theseovergrown shrubber-ies, Mathis said.

Eighteen-year resi-dents of Stoneview,Mathis and his wife

Kristle have threedaughters.

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Summer jazz atWonderland Gardens

The rst Sunset N Jazz Concert Series

will be held at Wonderland Gardens inDecatur from May 6-July 2. Music be-gins at sunset and each show will honor aformer DeKalb County community activ-ist.

The six-week concert series will fea-ture such acts as Casuell & The SoulKitchen, vocalist Rael Charles andsaxophonist Reggie Harris. There willalso be a benet Jazz and Blues Jam Ses-sion and The Blueberry-Sunower Jazz &Blues Festival featuring top local jazz andblues artists.

Concert goers are encouraged to bringtheir own blankets and lawn chairs. Allproceeds from the concert series will goto the Wonderland Gardens Health Initia-tive.

Wonderland Gardens is an 8.5-acrepublic garden promoting organic gar-dening, green education, recycling andhealthy living. It was founded in 1997 byexecutive directorSheldon S. Fleming,who won the Jane L. Taylor award for hisgardening work with community youth.

Schedule:

May 6 Tribute to Porter Sanford IIIfeaturing vocalist Casuell & TheSoul Kitchen

May 20 Tribute to Lou Walkerfeaturing vocalist Rael Charles

June 3 Tribute to William C. Brownfeaturing vocalist Casuell & TheSoul Kitchen

June 17 Tribute to Hosea Williams Wear your overalls, featuring saxsoloist Reggie Harris and specialguests

June 24 The benet Jazz & Blues JamSession featuring top jazz andblue artists in metro Atlanta

July 2 The Blueberry-Sunower Jazz &Blues Festival featuring top jazzand blue artists in metro Atlanta

Single Tickets: $12.50/ $15 at the gateSpring season pass: $60Free Parking: 3145 Rainbow Dr., DecaturE-mail:sunsetjazz@wonderlandgardens.

org or call (404) 286-6163

by Robert [email protected]

After deliberating for twohours, a DeKalb County Su-perior Court jury found Tal-madge Kenar Monfort Jr.,31, guilty on charges of childmolestation, aggravated childmolestation and 11 counts ofexual exploitation of children.

Monfort was a close familyfriend of the victim, accordingo chief assistant district at-orney Nicole Marchand. Ac-

cording to evidence presentedat trial, the accused and thevictim had known each otherfor nearly 12 years.

On Aug. 22, 2009 in Mon-forts home, a few weeks be-fore the victims 18th birthday,

the victim found Monfortsvideo camera that he hadused to lm the victim in theshower. Monfort later told thevictims mother he had beenlming the victim for veyears, according to the DAsofce. Detectives analyzed theDVD, which was created inDecember 2006, just monthsafter the victims 15th birth-day. According to the DAsofce, there were 50 imagesdepicting the victim engagingin sexually explicit conductwith Monfort.

Sentencing is scheduledfor May 5 in Judge CourtneyJohnsons courtroom. Mon-fort could face up to 270 yearsin prison.

Man convicted on childmolestation charges

Former DeKalb Schools employeeindicted on fraud charges

Fees to increase atLithonia water park

y Andrew [email protected]

DeKalb County will beesting the waters this year for

fee increase at its BrownsMill Aquatic Center.The fee increase, approved

y the Board of Commission-rs on April 26, is expected toring in $636,000 this year. In010, the Browns Mill centerollected $302,000 in fees.

CommissionerLee Mayaid the increase is a goodxample of developing a busi-

ness model based on the facil-ty.

The old fees, which haveeen in place since the poolpened in 2008, were $3 forhildren, $5 for adults and $75

or an annual pass.Under the new fee sched-

ule, the costs for children anddults increase by $2, whilennual passes are now $80.

For non-residents, the fees wille $10 for children and $12 fordults.

The board approved a feef $90 for annual passes for

non-residential individuals.However, that amount was alerical error discovered by

The Champion. The intendedmount of $160 for non-esidents will have to go backo the Board of Commission-

rs for approval, according toChief Communications OfcerBurke Brennan.

There is a separate ratechedule for residents who liven all cities in DeKalb except

Lithonia and Pine Lake, thenly two of the countys 10ities that opted to continueontributing to the countys

recreation department. Thoserates are $7 for children; $9for adults; and $85 for annual

passes.Residents can now rent

Browns Mill for private partiesafter hours at a cost of $1,280for three hours. City residentswill pay $50 more for parties,while non-county residentswill pay an extra $100. All

parties require security by off-duty DeKalb County Police of-cers, which is not included inthe party fee. The security costis $35 per hour per 35 patrons.

Roy Wilson, director ofthe countys department ofRecreation, Parks and CulturalAffairs, said the rate increaseswill not hurt attendance atBrowns Mill.

I think it will help con-trol attendance, Wilson said.Every day it is overwhelmed.People are anxiously waitingoutside the gate.

The facility has a maximumcapacity of 800 people.

We are charging what isfair and what the market will

bear, CommissionerJeffRader said. It reects a busi-ness model that DeKalb Coun-ty needs to extend throughoutDeKalb County.

The Browns Mill center isvery individualized and werethrilled it is in DeKalb Coun-

ty, CommissionerKathieGannon said.

Last year, the facility, locat-ed at 4929 Browns Mill Roadin Lithonia, attracted 94,000visitors. The 34,776 square-foot, $7 million aquatic centerconsists of three areasa lazyriver, leisure pool and toddlers

pool.

by Robert [email protected]

A former bookkeeper at StephensonHigh School was indicted April 26 onfraud and forgery charges.

Shirlene Benton was indicted bya DeKalb County Superior Countygrand jury on three counts of nancialtransaction card fraud, three counts ofrst-degree forgery and one count of theftby taking.

Benton allegedly used a Stephenson

High School purchase card to buy morethan $1,300 in electronics for personaluse, according to the indictment. Amongthe items purchased was a 50-inchplasma screen television valued at more

than $600. She is accused of forging thesignature of a Stephenson administratoron a purchase card authorization form onthree occasions during January 2010.

She also is accused of stealing morethan $12,000 from the school, betweenSept, 8, 2009 and Feb. 17, 2010, accordingto the indictment. The alleged theft wasdiscovered after an audit by the DeKalbCounty School System.

Benton was terminated from herposition at Stephenson on Feb. 22, saidchief assistant district attorney Nicole

Marchand.No trial date has been set, but it is

expected to be put on a docket soon,Marchand said.

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NEWS BRIEFS

Decatur namedwalk-friendly

communityThe Pedestrian and Bi-

cycle Information Centerdesignated the city of Deca-ur a Silver Walk Friendly

Community for its walkabil-ty initiatives and programs.

Walk Friendly Communitiess a national program aimed

at recognizing communi-ies for their commitmento pedestrian safety and isponsored by the U.S. De-

partment of TransportationFederal Highway Adminis-

ration.Decatur actively promoteswalking through a numberof outreach programs andcommunity events. The citywill kick off a new Walk forLunch program in May thatprovides participants withwalking maps and lunchon event days. Other walk-ng events include Terric

Thursdays in November andDecember, Car Free Day,Art Walks and free Concertson the Square in May andSeptember. Decatur alsohas a model crossing guardprogram with 21 guards as-igned to six schools. Also,he city has formed Team

Decatur to participate in theannual Kaiser PermanenteRun/Walk Corporate chal-enge. Decatur is among 12

communities recognized inhe inaugural round of Walk

Friendly Communities an-nounced recently.

Water workshops

begin May 14DeKalb Adopt-A-Stream

s partnering with StoneMountain Memorial Asso-ciation to host a series to getesidents involved in learn-ng about and protecting the

countys water resources.The workshops are designedo train volunteers on howo collect and interpret data,

and to learn what impactsDeKalbs water quality.

The four-part series be-gins May 14 when attendees

will be introduced to Adopt-A-Stream and discover howo conduct a visual survey.

Participants in theJune 11workshop will learn how to

perform chemical monitor-ing. The third workshop,July 9, will focus on biologi-cal monitoring and the nalevent, Aug. 13, will trainvolunteers on how to con-duct bacteria monitoring. Atthe end of each workshop,volunteers will be able toearn a certicate that willallow them to enter informa-tion into a statewide data-base.

The workshops are de-signed for rst-time volun-teers, however current orpast volunteers are welcome.It is recommended that vol-unteers attend all four work-shops, but it is not required.

The free workshops willbe held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. atStone Mountain Parks Con-federate Hall Historical andEnvironmental EducationCenter, 2003 Robert E. LeeBlvd. Pre-registration is re-quired and limited to the rst20 people.

For more information or

to register for the workshop,contact Michael OShield,environmental education co-ordinator, at (770) 724-1456or [email protected].

Youth athleticgroupsreceive grants

Three DeKalb Countyyouth organizations wereamong 10 baseball and soft-ball groups throughout Geor-gia that received an Atlanta

Braves Foundation PinchHitter Grant. Presented inpartnership with the GarthBrooks Teammates for KidsFoundation, a total of $8,000was awarded to the youthleagues to help pay for lostor stolen equipment, uniformand equipment shortagesand damaged facilities. Jerry

Clark Foundation RBI ofLithonia, Midway HeightsLittle League of Decatur andPatillo RBI were the DeKalborganizations that receivedthe funds.

Fine arts campcoming to PorterSanford center

The inaugural Inter-national Fine Arts CampDeKalb is scheduled forJune 6-July 29 at the PorterSanford III Performing Arts

Center. The camp, dividedinto four two-week sessionsis open to children ages6-14. Registration is ongo-ing.

The camp is presentedby the Erintude Youth In-stitute and the DeKalbCounty Recreation, Parksand Cultural Affairs Depart-

ment. Children will receiveinstruction and residenciesfrom renowned artists andarts educators. Breakfastand lunch will be provided.Each two-week session willfocus on a different part ofthe world, ending with apresentation distinct to theculture studied. The EYI is anon-prot organization thatfocuses on the enrichmentof young people and theirfamilies through communityprogramming, physical ac-tivity, cultural exchange andvolunteerism. The agencyis named in honor of authorand youth development pro-fessional Ralph Cheo Thur-

mans son, who was killedcrossing the street afterbasketball practice at BereanChristian Church in StoneMountain.

For more information orto register call EYI at (678)667-8394 or visit www.dekalbcamps.org.

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Georgia leaders praise operation that led to death of Osama bin Laden

Has DeKalbTechbeen a part ofyour life?

We want to reconnect with you

through our newly launched

DTC Alumni Association website!

DEKALB TECH ALUMNI

(Degree, Diploma or TCC)

Please Register at

dekalbtech.edu/alumni404-297-9522 x1139

y Gale Horton [email protected]

Georgias congressionaleaders wasted no time in ap-lauding the military and intel-

ligence opera-tion that result-ed in the deathofOsama binLaden. Hoursafter Presi-dent BarackObama an-nounced the

uccess of the mission, severalof Georgias leaders postedtatements on their websites.

This is a historic momentfor the U.S. special operationsand intelligence communi-ies, stated a release from Sen.

Saxby Chambliss, vice chair-man of the U.S. Senate SelectCommittee on Intelligence and

a member of the U.S. SenateArmed Services Committee.I highly commend the specialoperations units who under-took this mission and carried itout with no injuries to women

or children insidethe compound.The CIA andothers in theU.S. intelligencecommunity dida phenomenal

job over severalmonths in carry-

ing out this assignment.Likewise Sen. Johnny

Isakson praised the military,intelligence and security agen-cies.

This is an historic momentthat brings to a close an unfor-tunate chapter in American his-tory, read the statement fromIsakson. This day comes as a

result of the hard work by theCentral Intelligence Agency,the national security agenciesand especially our military. Wehave hunted down and killedthe mastermind of the 9/11

attacks, but wemust not stophere. The threatof terrorism stillexists and wemust remainsteadfast in ourmission to eradi-cate it around the

globe.Congressman Hank John-

son also commended the presi-dent for his leadership.

This victory in the ongoingght against violent extremismshows the resolve of the Amer-ican people and the leadershipof President Obama, statedJohnson on his website. We

are grateful to U.S. intelligencepersonnel and military forceswho carried out this essentialmission and brought Osama

bin Laden to justice.Rep. Tom Price noted in

his statementthat the deathof Osama binLaden is wel-come news tofreedom-loving

people aroundthe globe. Evilhas met justice.

The brave men and women ofour military forces and intel-ligence services are to be com-mended for their defense of ourliberty and freedom. May God

bless America.However Rep. John Lewis

had a slightly different take.I am not one to rejoice

in the death of any person,

but Osama bin Laden tookthe lives of thousands of in-nocent people in this countryand around the world, notedLewis in his statement. Hecommitted heinous crimes that

ended the hopesand dreams ofmany coura-geous public ser-vants as well as agroup of excitedyoung childrenand dedicatedteachers on a

field trip to California. Manypeople left home for work thatday never to return. Todaythousands of families are miss-ing their fathers and mothers,sons and daughters due to theviolence this man fomentedand supported.

Isakson Johnson Price LewisChambliss

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 Page 12Ahealth

CDC predicts smoking bans in every state by 2020

Winship Cancer Institute offers clinical trial for rare form of lymphomaEmorys Winship Cancer In-

titute has opened a clinical trialfor treatment of a rare form ofymphoma called WaldenstromsMacroglobulinemia (WM) ands the only cancer facility in thetate of Georgia where this treat-

ment is available. Thomas Heff-ner, M.D., associate professor ofhematology and medical oncol-ogy at Winship, is the principalnvestigator.

WM is a slow-growing formof non-Hodgkins lymphoma,

which affects a persons immuneystem and produces a condi-ion in which the blood contains

high levels of proteins and be-omes too thick to ow normally

through small blood vessels.Symptoms include weakness,extreme fatigue, weight loss andbruises/bleeding or enlargementof lymph glands.

There are only approximate-ly 1,500 cases of WM diagnosedannually. Median age at diagno-sis is 63.

The study provides a drug,RAD001, for previously un-treated patients older then age18 with symptomatic WM. Thedrug is to be taken orally each

day for 28 days. Respondingpatients may continue treatmentfor up to 48 months.

In a previous phase II studyof the drug given to 50 patients

with symptomatic relapsed/refractory WM showed a 70percent overall positive responserate. RAD001 has been used asan immunosuppressant in solidorgan transplantation since 1996.In addition, RAD001 has beenapproved for treatment of ad-vanced renal cell carcinoma.

This trial is being conductedat Winship as part of a national,multi-institutional study donethrough the Waldenstrom Mac-roglobulinemia Clinical Trials

Group. More information isavailable at http://winshipcan-cer.emory.edu/clinicaltrials orthrough the National Cancer In-stitute at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

by Mike Stobbe

ATLANTA (AP) By 2020, everystate may have bans on smoking inrestaurants, bars and the workplace,federal health officials recently pre-dicted, based on the current pace ofadopting anti-smoking laws.

The number of states with com-prehensive indoor smoking banswent from zero in 2000 to 25 in2010.

It is by no means a foregoneconclusion that well get there by2020, said Dr. Tim McAfee, di-rector of the Center for DiseaseControl and Preventions Office onSmoking and Health.

But the success of the smoking

ban movement has been astounding,and seems to be accelerating, headded. Im relatively bullish wellat least get close to that number.

Nearly half of U.S. residents arecovered by comprehensive state orlocal indoor smoking bans, the CDCestimated, in a new report.

Another 10 states have laws thanban smoking in workplaces, barsor restaurants, but not in all threevenues.

Some other states have less re-strictive laws, like requiring smok-ing areas with separate ventilation.

Only seven states have no indoorsmoking restrictions, although someof their cities do: Indiana, Kentucky,Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas,

West Virginia and Wyoming.Gary Nolan, director of a smok-

ers rights group, said he wouldntbe surprised if the CDCs predictioncame true. Public health officialsand others have been putting tre-mendous pressure on bars and busi-nesses to bar smoking, he added.

It wouldnt surprise me ifthey prevailed, said Nolan, of theSmokers Club. Its just a little bitmore liberty slipping away at thehands of big government.

Tobacco smoke is an establishedcause of lung cancer, heart diseaseand other maladies, and smokinghas been called one of the nationsleading causes of death.

The science on the impact of

smoking bans is younger. Becauseit takes years or even decades forcancers to develop, theres littleinformation on the impact of banson cancer rates. But studies have al-ready charted declines in adult heartattack rates and in childhood asthmaattacks after smoking bans were ad-

opted in some communities.The American Heart Asso-

ciations chief executive, NancyBrown, said the CDC report bringsgood news. But she said advocateshave a lot of work ahead of themto make the 2020 prediction cometrue.

Its too soon to rest on our lau-rels, she said, in a prepared state-ment.

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by Kathy Mitchell

Most people who have heardofBonnie Parker andClyde Barrow, the couple

who went on a crime spree in theheart of the Great Depressionprobably know the events from the

967 movie, starring Faye Dun-away and Warren Beatty.

The two robbers and killerswere real people who made theiriving between 1932 and 1934 rob-

bing banks and stores and shootinghose who got in their way. The

part of this that appears to fasci-nate the public is that this also is aove storya complex tale of two

people who realize almost as soonas they meet that they have a des-iny together.

Also compelling is the couplesalent for public relations. They

court the imagination of Depres-

ion-weary America by promotinghe ideaactually mailing notesand poems to newspapersthathey are modern-day Robin Hoods,

defying the evil banks that hadcost so many their homes andheir farms. The truth, however, is

that most of their robberies werenot committed against banks, butagainst small grocery stores and

gas stations owned by familieswho were struggling along withmost of the rest of the nation.

The version now on stage atART Station TheatreBonnie &Clyde, the Two-Person, Six-GunMusicaladds music and theat-

rics to that story. Like most ARTStation productions, this one usesminimal props, depending largely

on audience imagination to carrythe show. A cast of two actorsAnna Kimmel and Doug Gra-hamexcellently keep the high-energy production moving for twohours. The production is physicallydemanding as well as filled with

fast-moving music and dialogue.Kimmel and Graham dont miss abeat.

In the midst of the fun, cleverlyconceived show one might be in-clined to be stopped by the thoughtthat these are not just two younglovers on a great adventure. They

are cold-blooded psychopathickillers with a reckless disregard forhuman life. However, this is notthe story of desperate criminals ro-manticized into a comic lark. Thecouples tender moments with eachother along with Bonnies affec-tion for her stolen pet rabbit makethe ruthless killings all the moreblood-chilling.

The performances are Thurs-days through Saturdays at 8 p.m.and Sundays at 3 p.m. An addition-al performance has been added forWednesday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m.Ticket prices are $27 for adults and

$23 for students and seniors. Topurchase tickets, call (770) 469-1105 or visit www.artstation.org. A$1 facility fee is added per ticket.All performances are at the ARTStation Theatre, 5384 Manor Drivein Stone Mountain Village.

Bonnie & Clydeentertains without romanticizing blood-thirsty couple

Photo provided

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 Page 14Abusiness

Chamber program targets new residents in market area

Decatur native helps ice creamcompany honor firefighters

Your competitor is likely a member!DeKalb Chamber of Commerce

100 Crescent Center Pkwy., Suite 680. Tucker, GA 30084 (404) 378-8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

CHRIST THEREDEEMER

ANGLICAN CHURCHSundays at 9 a.m. Serving Conyers,

Covington, McDonough & Stockbridge

1500 Klondike Road, Ste. A105, ConyersChristTheRedeemerChurch.org 404.317.0038

by Kathy Mitchell

[email protected]

To celebrate its fth 31 CentScoop Night, Baskin-Robbinshad some of its executives per-sonally deliver ice cream to restations. Vice President of U.S.Operations Bill Mitchell chosea station in his hometownDe-catur.

I really wanted to do this inDecatur. I grew up here. I havefamily and friends here, saidMitchell, who showed up atFire Station No. 2 on West HillStreet with two tubs of ice creamand an ice cream cake with the

inscription Thank you! FireFighters of Station No. 2.

One of the tubs was of theApril avor of the month, re-house No. 31. Created to honorthe nations reghters, the icecream avor is a blend of hotand colda bright red atomicreball ribbon laced through-out with hot cinnamon and redhot candy pieces in vanilla icecream. Mitchell, who acknowl-edged that rehouse No. 31isnt my favorite, brought analternativepralines and cream.

Ofcials from the city of De-

catur along with some of Mitch-ells family members joined ina celebration at which the cor-porate executive served frozentreats and thanked the reghtersfor their dedication to the com-munity. LindaHarris, assistantdirector of community and eco-nomic development for the cityof Decatur, who knew Mitchellwhen they were children, jokedwith him about mischief they gotinto together as youngsters.

The annual event was createdto support the National FallenFire Fighters Foundation (NFFF)

in an initiative Baskin-Robbins

calls Scooping Up Thanks.During 31 Cent Scoop Night,which this year was April 27,customers are offered 2.5-ounceice cream scoops in any avorfor 31 cents. More than 4 millioncustomers nationwide partici-pated in the event in 2010.

This annual tradition notonly provides Baskin-Robbinswith an opportunity to thankour loyal guests by offering 31cent ice cream scoops, but also achance to let the brave men andwomen who risk their lives ght-ing res know how very muchwe appreciate them, Mitchell

said.As part of the event Baskin-

Robbins is making a $100,000donation to the NFFF to thankcurrent reghters and help sup-port the families of those whohave lost a fallen hero. For therst time, the ice cream com-pany is also offering consumersthe chance to help support theNFFF as well by texting in a do-nation. Consumers can text 6333(NFFF) to 50555 to make a $5donation.

Explaining why it choseNFFF for its community out-

reach, Baskin-Robbins issuedthis statement: According to theU.S. Fire Administration in 2009there was an estimate of 356,200residential building res, result-ing in 2,480 deathswhichmeans for every re there weresignicant numbers of re ght-ers on site to help with the emer-gency. During these res, thereality is some of the men andwomen who risk their life daily,may not return to their familiesdue to a re related death. Onaverage, an estimated 100 re-ghters die each year.

The DeKalb Chamber ofCommerce is now offeringhe DeKalb ChamberMailprogram to assist its mem-bers in nding new custom-ers. ChamberMail targetsnew homeowners and newrenters in the chambersmulti-town service area, ands currently offered only to

members. The program isdesigned to assist chambermembers in nding newbusiness during the currentdifcult economic climate.

All of our membersare diligently working tomaintain and increase theirbusiness as they always are,said Leonardo McClarty,

president of the DeKalbChamber of Commerce.The DeKalb ChamberMailprograms goal is to offerour membersand our newneighborsa tangible, use-ful, tool.

ChamberMail is a busi-ness-to-consumer direct mailbrochure delivered weekly

to new homeowners andnew residents in all citiesand towns located in DeKalbCounty. The publicationincludes a welcome letterfrom the chamber, ads andpromotions from chambermembers. Delivery of thebrochure takes place approx-imately two to four weeks

after the move-in of the newresidents.

Accepting the Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake created forhem are, clockwise from left, Chief Toni Dixon, Capt. David

Ratledge, Firefighter Chris Hitchcock and Firefighter Ninet-a Violante. Photos by Kathy Mitchell

Staff at Decaturs Fire Station No. 2 welcome Baskin-Rob-bins Vice President Bill Mitchell, left.

Baskin-Robbins executive Bill Mitchell and firefighter Ninet-a Violante compare flavors of the ice cream brought to the

Decatur fire station as a thank you.

FAO Jim Palmer gets the firstice cream because its his birth-day.

Firefighter T.L. Brown samplesthe goodies.

Bill Mitchell mans the scoop asfirefighters come forward for afrozen treat.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 Page 15AeDuCatiOn

by Daniel [email protected]

Recent statewide changeso the pre-kindergarten pro-

gram will have more of aneffect on DeKalb County thananywhere else in the state.

Under Gov. NathanDeals new pre-K plan class-es will increase from 20 to 22students, the school year willbe reduced to 160 days from180 and teachers will take a10 percent pay cut. The planalso calls for the statewideclosure of 306 pre-K classes,nine of which are in DeKalb.

Stacey Moore, a spokes-woman for Bright from theStart, the state departmenthat administers Georgias

pre-K program, said theDeKalb County School Sys-em is the states largest pre-K

provider.The closures of classes are

based on both an individualevel and a county level. Athe individual level, program

closures are based on vol-untary submission or otheradditional data such as lowrosters and probation status;he county level is based

on county level reductions,county level saturation ratesand county level waiting lists,

among other things.Starr White, whose

daughter attends the pre-Kprogram at Atherton Elemen-

tary, one of the schools beingclosed this year under the re-districting plan, said that sheis worried about her daughterhaving to go to a new schoolwith teachers and classmatesshe doesnt know.

My concern is that shesgot to be relocated and has toadapt to a new environmentall over again, White said.

White said that she at-tended Atherton and there arestill some teachers there thatshe remembered.

It kind of hurts. Its likea family being broken up,White said.

She thinks that addingtwo children to pre-K classeswill not affect the overalleducational standards but ifthey keep cutting programs itcould become an issue downthe road.

Its something that theyneed to address because theschools will become over-crowded. If I could get mydaughter in a private schoolI would because I think shewould have a smaller classsize and a better education,White said.

Jamel Kimbro, the pre-K

teacher at Atherton, said thatadding two children to eachclass is something that someof his colleagues have ex-pressed concern about.

Pre-K is such a demand-ing level to teach becausethe state requires so muchpaperwork for each student,Kimbro said.

He explained that someteachers are worried that themore students they get theless time they will have withthem because of the enor-mous amount of paperworkrequired.

He said that many parentshe has spoken to hope thatthe county will nd anotherway to fund the 20 days thatwere cut from next years

calendar and that parents areworried the shorter calendarmight affect their work lives.Kimbro said parents have toldhim that their children arentgetting the education theydeserve.

If we dont gure out away to hone in on the [prob-lems] that are really plaguingpre-K, it could be a programthat could be eliminated alltogether, Kimbro said.

Kimbro, who has beenteaching at Atherton for fouryears and has been the pre-Kteacher for one, said pre-Kis important because it helpschildren develop the manysocial skills that they will usefor the rest of their life.

Teaching pre-K is re-ally the only level where you[can] focus on social develop-ment, and practices and meth-ods that [children] require inorder to be successful, Kim-bro said.

DeKalb residents uneasy about pre-K

Clayton MBA inClayton MBA inClayton MBA inClayton MBA inClayton MBA in

RockdaleRockdaleRockdaleRockdaleRockdalerockdale.clayton.edu/mba/

Classes start in May!

GPC student named Alpha BetaGamma national president

Georgia Perimeter College student Nathan Singletonwas named the Alpha Beta Gamma national president dur-ng the organizations National Leadership Conference heldn April in Cozumel, Mexico. Alpha Beta Gamma is thenternational honor society for business students at two-year

colleges.Singleton is currently the president of the Dunwoodycampus Alpha Pi Chapter of Alpha Beta Gamma. He willserve the national organization for one year as presidentwhile continuing to serve the Dunwoody campus chapter.

It is a great honor and will be a rewarding experiencefor Nathan to lead a national organization, said GPC Presi-dent Anthony Tricoli. Nathan has been very active on theDunwoody campus, leading a number of organizations andclubs while maintaining his high GPA.

As president of Alpha Pi, Singleton said, he will takehe lead role in recruiting new members, gathering speakers

and organizing community service projects, which includevolunteering for the Dunwoody Road Race and visiting andhelping senior citizens at care facilities.

As president of the national organization Ill be incharge of developing the national community service

project guidelines, Singleton said. Service is central toeverything we do. When you think about it, when you goo college and graduate you then go into the world to help

people no matter what your degree is. Life is all about help-ng people. Its all about service.

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Theater camp offered atcommunity center

The Decatur-DeKalb YMCAand the Clarkston CommunityCenter offer theater camp thissummer. The camps, opento children ages 8-14, will beheld June 6-10, June 13-17,June 20-24 and July 25-29.Campers will be taught towrite, produce, direct and per-form in an original 30-minuteplay. Campers also will betaught set design. The fee is$125 per week and is limitedto 24 campers. The commu-nity center is at 3701 CollegeAve. in Clarkston. For more in-formation, contact the commu-nity center at (404) 508-1050.

AROUND DEKALBATLANTA

CLARKSTON

AVONDALEESTATES

STONEMOUNTAIN

DECATUR

Youth Wind Symphony toperform

Atlanta Youth Wind Sym-phony (AYWS) will perform ina free concert Monday, May16, at 8 p.m. at the SchwartzCenter for Performing Arts,Emerson Concert Hall, 1700

N. Decatur Road, Atlanta.The AYWS was establishedn 1988 as the premier youthwind ensemble in the Atlantametropolitan arts commu-nity. It is composed of highschool wind and percussionnstrumentalists in the areaand performs traditional andcontemporary wind band litera-ure. The AYWS is sponsoredby Emory University, wherehe group performs four con-certs annually on campus andours regularly, participates in

commissions and frequentlyperforms with guest soloists,composers and conductorsof national and internationalrenown. For more information,call (404) 727-5050, [email protected] or visitwww.arts.emory.edu.

Art-B-Que to be bigger thanever

The fourth annual Art-B-Quewill be held Saturday, May 7,and Sunday, May 8. Organiz-ers say it will be bigger andbetter than ever. Thousandsof visitors are expected. Therewill be events for the entireamily, more than 100 artists,more than 30 bands, a kidszone, a custom car show, bar-becue and more. Those inter-ested in volunteering should

contact Lyda Steadman [email protected]. Formore information, visit www.avendaleestates.org/events.

Judge Rosh to speak atPRISM meeting

The Pride Rings In StoneMountain PRISM program for

Thursday, May 12, will featureJudge Jeryl Debra Rosh, whoreturns by popular request.She will speak on estate plan-ning in DeKalb County, howguardians of both children andadults are appointed, mentalhealth concerns and the law,little known facts of the legalsystem and more. The pro-gram, which is free and opento the community, is at 7 p.m.at St. Timothy United Method-ist Church, 5365 MemorialDrive, Stone Mountain. For fur-ther information, contact StateRep. Michele Henson, pro-gram chair, at (404) 296-1442or [email protected].

Soil and water conservationmeeting scheduled

The DeKalb County Soiland Water Conservation Dis-tricts monthly meeting will beheld Friday, May 13, at 10 a.m.at the Clark Harrison Building,330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.,in downtown Decatur. For ad-ditional information, call (770)761-3020.

Meeting addressesunderage drinking

As part of DeKalb Com-munity Promises year longunderage drinking campaign,a town hall meeting was heldrecently in Decatur as part ofan ongoing campaign imple-mented by Beyond the BellInc.

Sandra Walker, projectdirector of Beyond the Bell,invited a number of commu-nity leaders who spoke on thedangers of underage drinking.This panel of speakers in-

cluded representatives from lo-cal legal, educational and lawenforcement organizations.The meeting also featured a

demonstration by represen-tatives of the Decatur PoliceDepartment who used specialgoggles that simulated varyinglevels of blood alcohol content,allowing youth to experiencethe negative effects alcoholconsumption can have on ac-tivities as simple as walking orbending over.

Community members at-

tending the town hall meetingwere also provided informationregarding the legal ramifica-tions associated with underagealcohol consumption and weretold stories of individuals whohave had life-changing experi-ences because of alcohol.

Beyond The Bell, Inc. is ayouth organization focused onproviding programs that targetissues related to youth, ado-lescents and teens in the com-munities of Lithonia, Decaturand East Atlanta. Beyond TheBell recently received fundingto develop a program designedto reduce the incidences of ar-rests and related consequenc-es of alcohol possession andconsumption. DeKalb Com-munity Promise was created toimplement programs support-ed by Beyond the Bell Inc.

For additional information orto get involved with the cam-paign contact Walker at [email protected] or (404)374-8624.

Author takes humorous look

at Georgia historyThose who enjoy Georgia

historyor want to learn moreabout the state in a humorouswaycan explore the statespast through a program withHarlan Hambright, photog-rapher/author of a new bookthat the library describes asboth historical and hysterical,The Idiat and the Odd-yssey:The Adventures of Oddyferrusthrough International Geor-gia. Want to see pyramids inCairo? Temples in Athens? A

shroud in Turin? The barber ofSeville? Theyre all in Georgia,and we can show you where.We invite you to take a mostunusual trip around the Peach

State and find out where someof the oddest things around gottheir names, the library an-nouncement states. The eventis Monday, May 9, at 7:15 p.m.at the Decatur Library Audito-rium, 215 Sycamore St., Deca-tur.

Decatur to host Green Fest

The Dogwood Alliance andthe Decatur Preservation Alli-ance will host the third annualDecatur Green Fest on May7, 3-9:30 p.m. There will begreen vendors, services andorganizations, a kids zone andfree music concerts by Na-than Beaver, Jeff Hix and theHeretics, Copius Jones andNerd Parade/Chris Sheldon.There will also be a light bulbexchange with Atlanta LightBulbs Inc. and artists workingon recycled materials. Terap-

pin Beer will be on tap as wellas Haras de Pirque, an organicwine from Chile.

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RATES: $30.00 for up to 40 words, each additional word $0.60. All ads are prepaid!All Major credit cards accepted!

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ClassifiedsTheChampionFor Prices, Deadlines and Information

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Ads Due By Friday - Noonfor next publication date The Championis not responsible for

any damages resulting from advertisements. All sales final.

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 notbona-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, national origin, handicap or

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The Claxton Enterprise is seek-ing a full-time editor to write lo-cal news,Features, and handlesome page layout. Experiencewith QuarkXpress, NetworkediMacs, and digital photographyhelpful. Compensation open tomatch Individuals ability, workethic, and commitment to com-munity journalism. Send resumeto Editors Position, The ClaxtonEnterprise, P.O. Box 218, Clax-ton, GA 30417; email: [email protected].

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Sir Figalot Wins Again!BEXAR COUNTY Ricky Taylor, after using Thera-Gesic on his sore

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, May 6, 2011 Page 18AsPORts

Dunwoody: The Wildcatsclosed out the regular

season with wins overChamblee (10-0) and Mays16-1) to wrap up the No. 2

seed from Region 6-AAAAheading into the stateplayoffs. Mason Woodand James Cunninghameach had two hits againstChamblee, and CamYoung had two RBIs. WesBancroft was the winningpitcher, allowing ve hits,wo runs and two walksn seven innings, while

striking out seven. AgainstMays, Jared Laidlaw andJonathan Rhoden each

drove in three runs. Also,Adam Julian had two hitsand an RBI.

Arabia Mountain: TheRams clinched the No. 3seed from Region 5-AAAby sweeping North Springs11-2 and 13-5 in a best-of-hree series on April 29.

Alfred Francis went 6-for-9 with four RBIs whileTevin Martin was 6-for-9with two RBIs in the series.Chris Jones also had threehits and John Bryant was

he winning pitcher in therst game. Bryant allowedhree runs and two hits

while striking out ve inseven innings. ZacharyLowe had four hits andwo RBIs in the clincher.

Also, Jordan Scott was thewinning pitcher, allowinghree runs and ve hits

while striking out seven inseven innings.

Redan: Wesley Jonesdrove in ve runs and washe winning pitcher in the

Raiders 14-3 win overMiller Grove on April 29hat clinched a playoff berth.

Jones had two hits, pitchedsix innings and allowed twoearned runs while strikingout nine. Darryl Watkinshad two hits, including ahome run, and two RBIs forhe Raiders who enter the

Class AAAA state playoffson a six-game winningstreak.

Cross Keys: MoisesMedina scored two goalsas the Indians built a 4-0ead before defeating Union

County 4-2 in Blairsville on

April 29 in the rst round ofthe Class AA state playoffs.The Indians other two goalscame from Jordy Banegas,with an assist from JeffreyArezalo, and LazaroMartinez. The Indians led2-0 at halftime and scoredtwo goals in the rst two

minutes of the second half.Cross Keys, the No. 3 seedfrom Region 6-AA, playedNorth Murray in the secondround May 4 at HallfordStadium.

St. Pius: Sam Bonniescored two goals to helpSt. Pius shut out HeritageCatoosa 6-0 in the rstround of the Class AAAstate playoffs. DevinHurley, Tyler Alexander,J.D. Manzo and DrewMorgan each added onegoal. GoalkeeperAndrew

Wolverton recorded theshutout, the 11th time thisseason opponents havefailed to score against St.Pius. The Golden Lions (17-0-1) faced Gainesville onMay 4 in the second round.

Dunwoody: FecundoGerdi scored on a penaltykick in the second half asthe Wildcats lost 2-1 atClarke Central on April29 in the rst round ofthe Class AAAA statetournament. Gerdis goal

tied the game midwaythrough the second half,but Clarke Central got thegame-winner less than 10minutes later.

Lakeside: The Vikings (14-1-1) beat Heritage-Conyers2-0 in the rst round of theClass AAAA state playoffsand faced No. 1 Lamberton May 4 in the secondround. Evor Mendoza andNick Harris scored goalsand goalkeeperRobert

Nicholson was creditedwith the shutout for theVikings.

St. Pius: Taylor Glennscored two goals to lead theGolden Lions to a 5-0 winover Dalton on April 29 inthe rst round of the ClassAAA state tournament.Molly Donehoo, KelseyKeown and AmandaVocelka each scored a goal.The Golden Lions, thedefending state champions,

faced Columbus on May 3in the second round.

Lakeside: The Vikings(11-5) beat Winder-Barrow2-0 in the rst round of theClass AAAA state playoffsand faced Pope (16-3) onMay 3 in the second round.

Chamblee: The Bulldogswere eliminated 1-0 (3-1 onpenalty kicks) by HeritageConyers in the rst round ofthe Class AAAA tournamenton April 29. Paige

Holbrookscored in theshootout for the Bulldogs.

Dunwoody: GoalkeeperMegan Grove made 24

BASEBALL

BOYS SOCCER

GIRLS SOCCER

BASKETBALL

DeKalb High School Sports Highlights

saves but the Wildcats lostto Flowery Branch 2-0 onApril 26 in the rst roundof the Class AAAA stateplayoffs. The Wildcatsended the season 11-6.

DeKalb County Senior All-Star games: Sedarius Boydof Chamblee scored 17points and Miles Harris of

Tucker added 13 as CoachDwayne McKinneysAll-Stars defeated CoachCurtis Gilleylens All-Stars 85-80 on April 26 inthe second annual game.Jameir Hughes of CrossKeys, the countys leading

scorer this season, addednine points for the winners.Stephensons JonathanTinch scored 16 points

See Highlights on 19A

Lakesides Matthew Peng, left photo, battles a Heritage Conyers player for possession and Eyal Schecter, right photo, cant knock the ballloose from the Heritage goalkeeper in the Vikings 2-0 win in the first round of the Class AAAA state playoffs.Photos by Bruce James

Lakesides Nick Harris, center, celebrates after scoring a goal withteammates Nick Stinson, left, and Jake Haber

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