Free Press 7-17-15

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FRIDAY, julY 17, 2015 • VOl. 18, NO. 16 • FREE

• A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS • Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

F REE P RESS

See Ellis on page 15A

See Center on page 15A

Frazer Center includes all

Ellis jailedby Andrew [email protected]

An indictment, suspension fromoffice and two trials culminated in aprison sentence for convicted DeKalbCounty CEO Burrell Ellis.

A judged handed him a five-year

sentence with 18 months to serve.Ellis, accused of strong-arming

county vendors to contribute to hisre-election campaign, was sentencedto five years to serve 18 months forattempting to commit extortion, andfive years to serve 18 months on threecounts of perjury. The sentences will

run concurrently.During the July 8 sentencing hear-

ing, Superior Court Judge CourtneyJohnson said she took into consider-ation the service of Ellis, but did notbelieve he had accepted responsibilityfor his actions.

“You chose to serve your own in-

by Andrew [email protected]

Since 1949 the mission of theFrazer Center has been to ensurethat “people with disabilities are fullyincluded in the community and areable to stay active in their homes andcommunity life,” said the center’sexecutive director, Paige McKayKubik .

The Frazer Center, located at 1815S Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta,offers an early education programserving approximately 200 children.The program, which also has asummer camp, serves children fromnewborn to 5 years old.

The program is inclusive, Kubiksaid. “About 70 percent of ourchildren are typically developing, butabout 30 percent either have a specialneed or they are at risk for one.”

The children—who havedisabilities such as Down syndrome,autism or cerebral palsy or similardevelopmental disabilities—arefully included in the early educationprogram.

“When you go into a classroom,…sometimes it’s even hard to tell whothe child with disabilities is when thedisability is like autism…when there’snot a physical manifestation, because

For the next 18 months, ex-DeKalbCounty CEO Burrell Ellis is stateprison inmate No. 1001583400.

Ex-DeKalb CEO to spend 18 months behind bars

lOcAl, 2A lOcAl, 6A SpORtS, 18A

Business ........................16A

Education .....................14A

Sports ...................... 18-19A

Opinion ...........................5A

Classified .......................17A

QUICK FINDER

DECATUR CLINICTO SERVE 20,000VETS

FOUR FOOTBALLTEAMS COMPETE INTOURNEY

DEKALB’SDISTRICT 5 CHOOSESA COMMISSIONER

he Frazer Center helps people with disabilities to be fully included inociety. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

Kim Walton of Lithonia has participated in Frazer Center programs for 14ears.

The 39-acre Cator Woolford Gardens at the Frazer Center serveas a special events venue which supports the Frazer Center.

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Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

LOCAL

by Andrew [email protected]

Two years after theircommissioner was appoint-ed as the county’s interim

CEO, DeKalb County’s Dis-trict 5 voters have chosen anew commissioner.

Mereda Davis Johnson,an attorney and wife of Con-gressman Hank Johnson,received 53.12 percent of theJuly 14 vote to become thenew District 5 representa-tive on the DeKalb CountyBoard of Commissioners.

“I’m excited for my elec-tion and I’m also excitedthat we finally have repre-sentation in the Fifth Dis-trict after two years,” John-son said. “I look forward to

serving with my colleagueson the commission and I’mgoing to hit the ground run-ning.”

Johnson thanked hersupporters for their “vote ofconfidence.”

During a June 29 forumwith her opponent, GeorgeTurner, she pledged to“work with the chambersand also East Metro DeKalb[community improvementdistrict]–to establish and toattract quality economic de-velopment within the area.

“I’d like to see interna-tional partnerships withDeKalb County, as well asin DeKalb County schoolsfor our students need to be

exposed to different culturesso that they will understandthat this is [a] global soci-ety,” Johnson said.

“And in 10 to 20 yearsfrom now they can expandupon the progress and theresources and the economicdevelopment that is broughtinto this county.”

Turner, a District 5

Community Council presi-dent and a retired MARTAmanager, received 46.88percent of the votes.

During a candidate’s de-bate Turner said that he wasalready serving the countyand would continue to do soif not elected.

“I serve my communitybecause I want to. I hope tobe elected to this position,and if I’m not elected I’mstill going to serve my com-munity,” Turner said. “That’s

just a part of my DNA.That’s what I do. That’s whatI love doing.”

Johnson and Turner

faced each other in a runoffafter defeating eight othercandidates in the June 16special election to fill theseat vacated by interimDeKalb County CEO LeeMay .

May stopped represent-ing District 5 constituents asa commissioner in July 2013when he was appointed

interim DeKalb CountyCEO by Gov. Nathan Deal,following the indictmentand suspension of DeKalb

County CEO Burrell Ellis.Approximately 4.56

percent, or 3,776, of thedistrict’s 82,732 registered

voters participated in thespecial election to fill the

seat which officially became vacant May 8 when May re-signed after nearly two yearsof being the interim DeKalbCounty CEO.

In the special electionto fill the vacated GeorgiaHouse of RepresentativesDistrict 80 seat, AttorneyTaylor Bennett and FormerBrookhaven mayor J. MaxDavis will be headed to arunoff.

Bennett received 35.97percent of the vote. Davisreceived 32.9 percent; Ber-nard, 29.57 percent; and

Collins, 1.47 percent.The District 80 seat be-

came empty when formerRep. Mike Jacobs was ap-pointed by Gov. NathanDeal as a State Court judgeof DeKalb, replacing Elea-nor Ross, who is now a fed-eral judge for the NorthernDistrict of Georgia.

A runoff election for theDistrict 80 seat will be heldAug. 11.

Mereda Davis Johnson is the new commissioner for District 5 which has not had representation for twoyears. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Law enforcement agenciesaround the country are taking stepsoward building relationships withheir communities.

On July 10 the DeKalb CountySchool District Department of Pub-ic Safety followed suit with their

partnership with DeKalb CountyPolice Department, DeKalb CountySheriff Department, DeKalb CountyFire Rescue Department and manyothers to host a day a jamboree forhe county’s students and parent.

The day of fun featured McGruffhe crime dog, Mickey and Minnie

Mouse, food, horseback riding, live

bands and a host of other activities.Director of DeKalb CountySchool District’s public safety Don-ald Smith said working for thechool district puts his force in a

unique position.

He said, “As the DeKalb school’spolice we communicate with theschools, the administration, the

students and the parent every day.The purpose of this event was tocontinue to strengthen an alreadyestablished relationship.”

Smith said, “It’s important forthe children to see police officers ashuman beings, fathers, brothers andsisters as opposed to all the othernegative things they see as it relatesto police officers.”

He added, “This is an extensionof the relationship that we have al-ready formed with the students thatwe every day.”

Dozens of students and theirparents came out to the afternoon

event at the district’s East DeKalbCampus located on Memorial Drive.Officer Zandria Jackson has

worked for the district’s public safe-ty department for 10 years and wasa key organizer for the jamboree.

Jackson assisted the departmentin obtaining a partnership withWalMart and other sponsors to do-

nate school supplies and other mate-rials for DeKalb County students.

Jackson said the department hasalready “opened the door of com-munication” for the communitywith its Halloween trunk-or-treatevent where officers delivered candyto students at school and its fooddrives for Thanksgiving and Christ-mas.

She said, “We just wanted totake it to another level. So many badthings are out there about police inthis society. I want [the children] tobe more comfortable around police.”

Jackson, retired from the Atlanta

Police Department, said, “Eventslike this jamboree are very impor-tant because a lot of times childrenonly see police when they come totheir home on bad terms.”

Jackson said her plans for the

jamboree were to “start off the 2015school year with a policeman serv-ing them ice cream, snow cones,

popcorn, cotton candy, chaperoningthem on a horse and in the bouncyhouse… . I just wanted them to seethe police serving them in differentcapacities than they might be usedto seeing.”

Jackson is assigned to severalschools in the district. She said herwork in the schools has encouragedthe students and parents to speakwith her. “When the parents startto trust me then that helps me withthe children in the schools,” Jacksonadded.

Jackson said the department iscurrently planning a back-to-school

event for August that will assiststudents in getting schools suppliesthat they need.

Public safety officers foster community relationships

DeKalb’s District 5 finally has a commissioner

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 3ALOCAL

by Kathy Mitchell

Rev. Glenna Shepherd, foundingpastor of what is now Decatur UnitedChurch of Christ, returned to DeKalbCounty July 10 to weigh in on ques-ions of religion and sexual preference

being explored in light of the recentU.S. Supreme Court decision uphold-ng same-sex marriage.

Now a resident of Tennessee,Shepherd introduced her new bookOut on a Limb: Sermons of Risk andRevolution, which she said highlightsradical messages of the prophets ofudeo-Christian scriptures.”

Speaking at Charis Books andMore in East Atlanta, Shepherd talkedabout growing up in Christian com-munities in Tennessee and Mississippin the 1960s. “I heard people talk-ng about all people being created in

God’s image and being loved equallyby God. Then I saw those samepeople not treating certain people ashough they were created in God’smage. I was really confused,” she re-alled.

The most obvious example, Shep-herd said, was Black people, but therewere others, including women, whowere “pushed into the margins.”

“I developed an acute sense ofustice. I became a Christian feminist.worked for a while in the Georgia

Corrections System. Even amongwomen in prison, I found a commonheart as I learned of their hopes anddreams,” Shepherd said.

Originally chartered as ChristCovenant Metropolitan CommunityChurch, the DeKalb County churchShepherd helped to found in StoneMountain started with 12 peopleon Easter Sunday 1992. Four yearsater, it moved to Decatur. Under

Shepherd’s leadership, membershipgrew to more than 300. “We wanteda church where absolutely everyonewould feel welcome,” she said.

Shepherd contended that the Bibledoes not denounce committed same-ex relationships. “People who say

the Bible condemns all homosexualrelationships usually quote Leviticus,which says ‘Do not lie with a man asone lies with a woman.’ Leviticus alsosays one shouldn’t use two differenttypes of thread in the same cloth or

sow different seeds in the same field.Those were rules for specific peopleat a specific time and were not meantto apply to all people at all times,” shesaid.

The sin for which Sodom wascondemned, she said, was not ho-mosexuality, but the threat of rape.New Testament references, Shepherdcontinued, often are a matter of trans-lation. “If you go back to the originalterms from which the Bible has beentranslated, you find that terms thatappear to condemn all same-sex re-lationships in fact condemn prostitu-tion or rape.”

Inclusion, she said, is a recur-rent theme in both the Old and NewTestaments. Churches that reject gaysand lesbians are missing the biblicalmessage that Christ’s love is for all,according to Shepherd. “God is a Godof justice,” she said. “Many of his greatprophets—Isaiah, Amos, Micah—talked about justice in radical ways, inways the people of their times weren’talways pleased to receive. Churchesshould seek and care for those whomsociety rejects, because that’s what theBible teaches.”

Shepherd added that Jesus soughtthose whom the society normallyexcluded—Samaritans, lepers, tax

collectors, women with questionablereputations. “Eunuchs at one timewere not allowed in the temple be-cause they were not considered realmen, but the story of Philip teach-ing the Ethiopian eunuch who wastrying to understand the scripturesunderscores the concept that thosewho were once excluded are includedthrough Christ.”

Justice, from a biblical perspec-tive means more than committingno wrongs against others, Shepherdsaid, it means being an advocate for

Pastor releases book with‘radical’ messages on inclusion

society’s disenfranchised. “There aremore than 2,000 verses in the Biblethat equate justice with feeding thepoor,” she said.

Shepherd said that many whorealized that she had preached mes-sages of inclusion over the yearsurged her to select from among hersermons on that theme and publish

them as a book. When she complet-ed the task, she begin consideringwho might write the foreword. Withsome hesitation, she recalled, sheasked her friend Congressman JohnLewis. “I wasn’t sure this was a bookhe would want his name associatedwith,” she said, “but he said yes im-mediately.”

Pastor Glenna Shepherd says inclusion is a central theme of both the Old and NewTestaments.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 4AOPINION

My heart ached lastweek when I read about twobrothers who were roof-ers who preyed upon theelderly. Tey overchargedheir customers; made un-

necessary, unauthorized andhoddy repairs and returnedagain and again for pay-ments that in some casesheir aged customers had

forgotten they had alreadymade.

Te sentencing of thebrothers—Keith and JeffreyOgles—in DeKalb Courto 20 years—10 years toerve—along with payment

of $100,000 in restitutionbrought a degree of satisfac-ion that justice has been

served.However, what about the

victims?Tese are our neighbors

many of whom have workedall their lives, are on fixedincomes and now in theirsunset years are grapplingwith a depletion of theirfinancial resources in addi-

tion to having to deal withpolice, prosecutors and thecourt system. Ten thereis the emotional toll thatcomes with being victimizedand falling for a scam.

DeKalb County DistrictAttorney Robert James saidthe brothers were engagedin a “calculated scheme thattargeted and exploited elder-ly homeowners. Te Ogleseslined their pockets with themoney many of our victimsworked a lifetime to accu-

mulate.” All of the victimswere in their 80s.

“We all have to be vigi-lant in making sure our par-ents and grandparents arenot being taken advantage of

and exploited by criminals…,” James said.Family members cer-

tainly are the first line ofdefense for their senior rela-tives, keeping watch overhow they are doing and ask-ing the right questions andintervening when necessary.Offering to be availablewhen work, services and fi-nancial terms are first beingdiscussed is one suggestion.

However, that adage thatit takes a village also applies

here. We all should be look-ing out for one another, es-pecially our older neighbors.

Tere’s nothing wrongwith being that nosy neigh-bor who keeps an eye on

what’s going on, looks forwarning signs and kindlyinquires if our seniors arecomfortable with contrac-tors or service providerswho are coming and goingfrom their homes.

Te sunset years shouldbe a peaceful, low-stresstime for seniors. As many ofus as possible should see toit that the elders around usare protected and appreci-ated, not preyed upon.

Gale Horton Gay

[email protected]

Lifestyle Editor

Nothing wrong with a little nosy neighboring

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OPINIONThe Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 5A

le us Know Wha Yo think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encour-ages opinions from its readers. Pleasewrite to us and express your views. Lettersshould be brief, typewritten and containthe writer’s name, address and telephonenumber for verification. All letters will beconsidered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P.

O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send emailto [email protected] • FAX To: (404)370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779 . Deadline for newsreleases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto publication date.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions written by colum-nists and contributing editors do not necessarilyreect the opinions of the editor or publishers. ThePublisher reserves the right to reject or cancel anyadvertisement at any time. The Publisher is notresponsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

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F REE P RESS

STATEMENT FROM THE

PUBLISHERWe sinerey areiae hedisssion srronding his and anyisse of ineres o DeKab cony.The Champion was fonded in 1991exressy o rovide a form fordisorse for a ommniy residenson a sides of an isse. We have nodesire o make he news ony oreor news and oinions o effe

a more edaed iizenry ha wiimaey move or ommniyforward. We are hay o resenideas for disssion; however,we make every effor o avoidrining informaion sbmied os ha is known o be fase and/orassmions enned as fa.

We must never forgetSince the Charleston

hootings, there has beenmuch debate regarding theo-called Confederate flag

and seemingly all things thatepresent what most of us

would collectively refer to asa dark period of Americanhistory—the Civil War.

On the heels of SouthCarolina removing theConfederate” flag from the

grounds of the state capitol,Atlanta NAACP spokesmanRichard Rose is seekingupport to remove the Con-ederate leaders carving at

Stone Mountain Park. Rosehas also suggested removingall references to the Confed-eracy from the park and anytate-owned property.

Many do not realize thatwhat is commonly referredo as the Confederate flag

was never flown as a flagof the Confederate Statesof America; its first usagewas by a specific regimentof the Confederate Army ofNorthern Virginia. It was,however, incorporated intohe design of the second of-icial flag of the Army of the

Confederacy.I fully support the no-

tion of removing any sym-bol that may be offensiveto any citizen or residentfrom government buildingsand property; and, yes, thisincludes religious-themed

holiday decorations. Un-less a governmental entityis willing to recognize allreligious or cultural holidaysand events, it should notshow favoritism to any par-ticular one.

I don’t however agreewith the notion of removingthe carving of Confeder-ate leaders Jefferson Davis,Robert E. Lee and Stone-wall Jackson from the faceof Stone Mountain. hat is

part of the history of thisarea and can just as easily belooked on as sort of spoilsto the victors as being per-ceived as offensive.

Every day thousands enjoy Stone Mountain Park; itis the No. 1 tourist attractionin the entire state. Becauseof the Confederacy being onthe losing side of the CivilWar, all are allowed to walkfreely in the shadows of thefamous Confederate leaderswithout fear of intimida-tion. his is something thatshould now be relished as acelebration of freedom forall people.

If we were to remove thecarving from Stone Moun-tain Park, what would be

the next demand? Wouldthere be outcries to removeConfederate cemeteries andsections of historic cemeter-ies such as Atlanta’s OaklandCemetery? Would those de-mands also suggest removalof graves of Black Confeder-ate soldiers?

Some may not realizethat there were Black sol-diers in the ConfederateArmy—some who wereforced to fight, some who

were free to choose whetherto join the cause, and somewho were hired to supportthe troops. According toBlackConfederateSoldiers.com, the number of Blacksoldiers ranged from 3,000-10,000 and there were asmany as 50,000 Blacks whoserved in support positionsduring the war.

Like it or not, the Span-ish American War, War ofIndependence, Civil War,WWI and WWII are allparts of our collective his-tory as Americans. As in anywar, there were segments ofour society who supported,either secretly or openly,one side or the other. Wehave not demanded that

references to other wars beremoved.

he government of Ger-many has not removed allreferences to the atrocitiescommitted under the reignof Adolf Hitler; it has how-ever banned the use of theSwastika on governmentproperty. Nor has SouthAfrica removed referencesto the racial struggles thatoccurred there; there aremonuments, museums and

historic sites that are visitedby thousands each day.

Perhaps we should takepause in our rush to con-demn reminders of our past.

As a civilization, we shouldnever forget the reasons forour struggles and we shouldnever forget to celebrate theultimate outcomes of goodovercoming evil.

It is impossible to removeall references to our collec-tive past; but as the famousquote of Spanish Ameri-can philosopher and poetGeorge Santayana said,“hose who cannot remem-ber the past are condemnedto repeat it.” Interestingly,this quote is also inscribedon a plaque at Germany’s

Auschwitz concentrationcamp.

John [email protected]

Chief Operating Officer

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LOCAL

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

CALLEB OBUMBA

Decatur clinic to serve 20,000 veteransby Andrew [email protected]

Area veterans needing medi-cal care no longer have to fight

he crowds at the Atlanta VAMedical Center. A smaller facil-ty with many of services in the

medical center is now open at250 North Arcadia Avenue, De-catur.

The Atlanta VA Clinicopened in March in the

00,000-square-foot facility thatonce house DeVry University.The clinic will house severalpecialties, including behavioral

health, empowered veterans re-covery program, dental clinic,dermatology program, lab ser-vices and a sleep study clinic.

“When we moved those spe-cialties here, that allows us spaceover there to expand and pro-vide access to the ones that aretaying at the medical center,”aid Al Rosado, the site’s admin-strator.

“The main purpose of [theAtlanta VA Clinic] is to provideadditional space in order toncrease our access to care,” Ro-ado said. “We are also trying to

decompress the medical center.The medical center is really full.This offers a better healing envi-onment for our veterans whenhey come in for other special-

ies that we are moving from themedical center to here.

“It provides services closer toveterans,” Rosado said.

The Atlanta VA Clinic also

has a women’s clinic.“This used to be at the medi-

cal center and was really an in-adequate space,” said ThomasGrace, associate director for

the Atlanta VA Medical Center.“Moving it out here allows us re-ally to provide the services thatour women veterans deserve.”

Grace said the Atlanta VAClinic is “one of our major strat-egies to be able to accommodatethe amazing growth that we havein the number of veterans thatwe are seeing this year.

“We are on track to see over6,500 additional veterans thisyear than we did the prior,”Grace said. “This year we areprojecting that we will be serv-ing between 102,000 to 103,000

veterans in the Atlanta metro-politan/ northern Georgia area.”

Grace said issues with park-ing and overcrowding at themedical center are well-known.

“By moving specialties suchas dermatology and dental andour sleep center out here, that al-lows us also to be able to decom-press the medical center from aparking standpoint and also tobe able to in the future expandour services,” he said.

The clinic is projected toserve approximately 20,000 vet-erans a year, Grace said.

“This was part of our efforts

to be able to expand care to beable to improve our access for

veterans and we are very, verythrilled to have this facility,”Grace said.

Calleb Obumba’s had alot of sup-port as a child.

As an adult, Obumba has dedi-cated his life to helping into the cur-rent generation. Obumba, 32, does thisthrough the Phi Kappa Kappa Chapter

of Omega Psi Phi and the DeKalbCounty Chapter 100 Black Men ofAmerica, Inc.

“I always admired what the two or-ganizations’ mission and vision stoodfor,” Obumba said.

The mission of the DeKalb CountyChapter 100 Black Men of America,Inc. is to improve the quality of life inour communities and enhance educa-tion and economic opportunities forall African-Americans. The Phi KappaKappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi

works to maintain a high standard incommunity service through mentoringprograms, habitat for humanity buildsand football camps.

“As an active member for twoprominent organizations, it is my fidu-

ciary duty to uphold the tradition ofuplifting and engaging communitiesthrough economic empowerment, fi-nancial literacy, mentoring, education,scholarship, and other social actionprograms,” the Stone Mountain nativesaid. “As a true product of the ‘village,’I am passionate about volunteeringbecause giving back is one of the great-est forms of humility. I would not bewhere I am today without people in-

vesting their time into my future.”Obumba works for Communi-

ties In Schools as a site coordinator atClarkston High School. Communi-ties In Schools site coordinators workwithin local schools to address barriersto students succeeding in school in-cluding poor attendance and behavior,

low levels of parental involvement, lim-ited exposure to academic and careerenrichment opportunities and a lackof access to basic necessities includingshelter, clothing and school supplies.

Through his work and free time,Obumba finds ways to volunteer histime to youth.

“Volunteering is very critical be-cause the younger generation needsmore successful individuals to investtheir time and talent,” he said.

The Atlanta VA Medical Clinic recently opened in Decatur to alleviate overcrowding in the VA Medi-cal Center. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

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Atlanta

Nonprot to fd th homlss

Blessings on Wheels, a nonprofit in Decatur,will team up with Kingdom Living Ministries July18 to feed and clothe the homeless at the GatewayCenter, 215 Pryor Street in Atlanta. The group willmeet at the center at 11 a.m. To volunteer or to do-nate, contact Keischa Robinson at (404) 820-6341.

Chambl

Amrcan rock band to hghlght Chamblsummr concrt

Mark your calendar for the Chamblee SummerConcert Series in downtown Chamblee.

On July 24 American hard rock band Drivin’N Cryin’ will perform in Peachtree Park, 5468Peachtree Road from 6:30 – 10:30 p.m.

With a gold album in 1991, Drivin’ N Cryin’had hit songs such as “Honeysuckle Blue” andStraight To Hell”, this show is sure to be a night to

remember in Chamblee.In 1991 the more hard-rocking “Fly Me Coura-

geous” ended up being the band’s most commer-cially successful album, with the album being certi-fied gold. The next few years the band toured withartists such as Neil Young and Soul Asylum.

Residents are encouraged to bring blankets andawn chairs or reserve a VIP tables to enjoy an eve-

ning of music in Chamblee’s downtown.The event is free but VIP tables are available for

$200 each.The concert will offer food and beverages for

purchase onsite. Concert goers may also bring their

own food and beverages, excluding alcohol.Call (770) 986-5016 for additional information.

Clarkston

Cty offrs fr movs n th park

The city of Clarkston invites the public to amovie on July 18 at Milam Park, 3867 Norman Rd.n Clarkston.

The event will start at 7 p.m. with a bouncyhouse, music, snacks and cold drinks.

The feature movie for the event will be Big

Hero 6 and will start promptly at 8:30 p.m.Families are encouraged to bring chairs and

blankets for the movie viewing.For more information contact city hall at (404)

296-6489.

Dcatur

Nonprot to hold annual Tralblazr Awards

Suite 20 Day Spa, through its nonprofit foun-dation JABY Inc., will host its 2015 InternationalTrailblazer Awards on July 19 at the Porter SanfordPerformance Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive,Decatur.

The awards program, in its sixth year, recog-nizes outstanding community leadership and thisyear will honor: Senegal Ambassador Jane Gard-ner, DeKalb Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie,former WSB-TV anchor Monica Pearson, actor RoBrooks of Tyler Perry ’s The Haves and Have Nots,Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church Pastor Dr.

William E. Flippen, Atlanta Rotary District 6900Gov. Alicia Michaels, community activist DarleneLewis, international makeup artist Rubby Polanco,Florida State University Law student and Miss Tal-lahassee Northwest Florida 2015 Lauryn Collier.

The red carpet event, which will be hosted byWSB-TV’s Veronica Waters, will start at 5:30 p.m.,followed by a buffet dinner.

Tickets, which are now on sale and must bepurchased in advance, are $25 per person, $40 percouple, and $50 for VIP admission. There will beno ticket sales at the door. For more information,go to www.jabyinc.com, Eventbrite.com, or call(404) 286-9664.

Cano outng at South Rvr

Canoers can paddle the South River July 25with the South River Watershed Alliance. The ca-noe outing will begin at 9 a.m. and canoers willtravel from Panola Shoals to Klondike Road (5.5miles). The cost for the trip is $40 per person andincludes lunch, insurance and canoe rental. Tosign up or questions, call Jackie Echols at (404)285-3756.

Dunwoody

Wast rcyclng vnt to b hld n Dunwoody

Thinking about doing some cleaning? Now’s

the time to gather all of those old cans of paint andother materials lying around the hose to bring infor recycling or disposal.

On July 26 at Georgia Perimeter College Dun-woody campus, 2101 Womack Road Dunwoodywill host its biannual household hazardous waste

recycling event.The event will take place 1 – 4 p.m. in parking

lot 11. During the event residents are encouragedto bring cleaners and swimming pool chemicals,fluorescent bulbs, pharmaceuticals, photo chemi-cals, paint, aerosols, adhesives, resins, lawn careproducts and other related products for properdisposal.

Agricultural wastes, ammunition, bio-hazard-ous/bio-medical waste, explosives, radioactive ma-terials and poisons will not be accepted.

Disposal is limited to Dunwoody residentsonly. Driver’s license or other proof of residency.

LthonaCty to host back to school jambor

Lithonia will host a back to school jamboreeJuly 25, 10 a.m. to noon, at Lithonia Stewart Am-phitheater. The event will be a community festivalfun, food and school supplies. School supplies anddonations are being accepted at Lithonia City Hall,6920 Main Street. The Lithonia Stewart Amphi-theater is located at 2501 Park Drive. To RSVP, call(770) 482-8136.

Church to hold communty awarnss/ngagmnt vnt

Overcomers Christian Fellowship Church,pastored by Apostle Benny Momoh and locatedat 7373 Covington Highway, Lithonia, will hold acommunity awareness/engagement event on Satur-day, July 26, at noon.

The purpose of this event is to raise awarenessof, and increase individual and group involvementin, issues such as child abuse and neglect, domestic violence and substance abuse. The event will fea-ture songs, praise dances, as well as a play that fo-cuses on a family’s struggle with domestic violence.

There will be more than 30 organizations withinformational booths about resources regardingeducation, foster care and behavior health. In addi-tion, free health screenings and HIV testing will beoffered.

For more information, contact Sharon Hill at [email protected], or call the church at(770) 465-8687.

Ston MountanCompany to host bk, musc fstval n StonMountan

IBMF Atlanta, Inc. will host an InternationalBicycle and Music Festival July 18, from 12 to 10p.m. The free event will take place along MainStreet in Stone Mountain Village. The event willfeature a bicycle ride through Main Street, infor-mational booths and free health screenings. IBMFAtlanta meet up ride will kick off at 9 a.m. Therewill also be activities for the entire family includingface painting, raffles, live music and internationalcuisine. For more information, call (678) 485-9930.

AROUNDDEKALB

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LOCAL

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Clarkston approves lower millage rate

Brookhaven lowers millage rateby Carla [email protected]

The Brookhaven City Council vot-ed July 7 to lower the city’s millage rateo 2.740 from the current rate of 2.795.

According to city officials, the citys tied with Dunwoody for having theowest incorporated millage rate in

DeKalb County, something Council-man Bates Mattison is proud of.“It’s sensitive to the fact that we are

till in startup mode. We still need togrow our reserves and until we have abetter understanding that we can giveo the citizens about how we’re goingo allocate their tax dollars for capitalmprovement projects. It’s importanto show that we’re willing to allow theaxpayers to keep more of their moneyn their own pockets until we do a bet-er job of showing them why the city

needs more money,” Mattison said.Councilmember Linley Jones also

said she was pleased with the millagerate.

“Our history is that we have eachand every year reduced the millage ratehere in the city of Brookhaven [and]this continues that strong pattern thatwe have established of taxing citizens

no more than absolutely necessary toprovide the level of services that thecity of Brookhaven do so well,” Jonessaid.

Councilmember John Park ap-proved lowering the millage rate butsaid he preferred keeping the currentmillage rate.

“I’m a strong believer in tax stabil-ity,” Park said. “I would have preferredto have kept the millage rate the samein order to build up our reserves evenmore and maintain a level of certainty,

but we are still putting over half a mil-lion dollars of our budget into thereserves. I don’t really see a problemwith [lowering the millage rate] as wecontinue to add to our reserves.”

“We’re in a fortunate position nowwhere our economy is coming backstrong,” Councilmember Joe Gebbiasaid. “We are getting a higher tax rev-

enue base than what we were anticipat-ing. So, I think it’s responsive of us togive, in kind, back and I think that iswhat this represents.”

Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams said lowering the millage rate is “a pru-dent move to give money back to thetaxpayers.”

“Let the taxpayers keep some of theadditional money that has come fromwhat have really been increased as-sessments,” Williams said. “We have tokeep our finances strong.”

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

At the third public hear-ng on July 7 to discusshe city’s millage rate, the

Clarkston Council votedo lower the originally pro-

posed rate of 21.15 mills to17.11 mills. This reductionwould amount to a tax de-crease of 4 percent from the2014 millage rate of 21.11and would result in a net taxdecrease of $160 on a prop-erty appraisal of $100,000.

City Manager KeithBarker said the estimatesfor reductions are based onappraised values.

When residents receiveheir tax bills, if the amount

has not decreased Barker

aid it could mean thatyour home has increased invalue.”

Barker presented themillage rate information viaa PowerPoint presentationhat highlighted key terms

and mathematical equationsusing real numbers.

Barker said, “What we’rerying to do is demystify this

whole mystery of millage.We’re really about transpar-ency here in Clarkston, andwe want to make sure thateverybody understandshow we came up with these

numbers.”Barker said the rate was

calculated by using the dif-ference of the city’s plannedexpenditures and forecastedrevenue.

“It’s basically how muchyou need minus propertytaxes divided by what yournet digest is,” he added.

According to Clarkston’sfinancial report, officialshave estimated $5 million inexpenditures and $4 millionin revenues; not includingproperty taxes.

Clarkston’s adoptedmillage rate of 17.11 repre-sents $38 million.

Barker said, “Now thatwe are in a better financialsituation we can catch upon some lost ground. What

we’re recommending thisyear is a 4 percent adjust-ment in the pay scale andthen next year with the ad-ditional annexation, we feel

very comfortable that we’llbe in a good financial posi-tion.”

Councilwoman JeanBrown moved to approvethe 17.11 millage rate. Themotion was seconded byCouncilman Ahmed Has-san.

Councilman DeanMoore said, “Over the pastfour years [Barker] has giv-

en this presentation aboutour millage rate and I think

he does an excellent job.”Moore said, “The city

really benefits by havingthis kind of information.”

words

hurt

stop the

bullying

championnewspaper

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Ingrid ID#26949466 is awiggly little galwho can’t waitto be your newBFF! She is 5years young andcan definitely stillkeep up with you.She is an active

girl who wouldlove to go forwalks with you,go to the parkand learn somefun tricks! Shegets along with other dogs and probably wouldn’tmind having her own canine companions in hernew home.

Come meet this sweetie at the DeKalb shelter.If you adopt her during July you’ll pay only$17.76 during our “Celebrate their IndependenceDay” special; including her spay, vaccines andmicrochip at no additional charge. If you wouldlike more information about Ingrid please email

[email protected] or call(404) 294-2165. All potential adopters will bescreened to ensure Ingrid goes to a good home.

Pet of the Week

Soccer fans gather forwomen’s World Cup finalby Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Soccer fans came out in the dozens forhe U.S. women’s World Cup viewing onuly 5 in Brookhaven Park.

The event was hosted by Soccerfest, anAtlanta-based organization that began inCabbage-town in 2010.

Last year the organization hosted aive viewing in Brookhaven Park that drew

more than 20,000 soccer fans to cheer onhe USA vs Portugal in its second match ofhe FIFA World Cup.

This year Soccerfest showed the thirdplace match of the FIFA Women’s WorldCup on Independence Day and the WorldCup Final, as USA played Japan on July 5.

USA won the tournament with a final

core of 5-2.Along with the World Cup viewing par-

ies, Soccerfest hosted a movie night, soccerournaments and games throughout the

weekend. Food trucks, a kid’s fun zone, andFIFA Xbox tournaments were also availableor attendees.

Soccerfest founder Craig Fanti said, “Ialways look forward to seeing the crowdout there having fun.”

He added, “My favorite part about Soc-cerfest is when the USA scores.”

Fanti said the idea of Soccerfest beganix months from the World Cup in 2010.

He and his wife were sitting at a barwatching an international match wherehere was a big, public viewing.

“We had been helping with the Chompand Stomp festival in Cabbagetown so weknew people that worked with festivals andoutdoor viewing parties. We talked about

it one night over a couple of beers, startedtalking to people who actually knew how toput on an event like this…”

Fanti said, “It was just the four of us:me, my wife and two other guys that helpedwith sponsorships and logistical things thatorganized the Cabbagetown 2010 viewingparty for the world cup.”

Fanti said his vision for the festival is tocontinually grow supporters and fans.

“Soccerfest is going to help grow sup-port for the Atlanta MLA team and soccerin general. You really need fan support inorder to have a league that can be financial-ly competitive and get the players needed tobe as competitive as the European league.Atlanta MLS is doing pretty good aboutthat,” Fanti said.

Soccerfest and its sponsors Georgia

Soccer and Dragon Goal USA put on one ofthe largest showing parties in the southeast.

Nicola Vidali, founder and managingdirector of Dragon Goal, said, “DragonGoal USA is once again proud to partnerwith Soccerfest to deliver happiness bycreating high-quality events to engage andenergize communities. We also know thatour product is an effective vehicle to buildand strengthen the technical foundationsof soccer for any player’s age and skill level.This is why this year at Soccerfest we orga-nized youth and adult 3v3 and 4v4 DragonGoal tournaments.”

A portion of proceeds of this celebra-tion of women in sports was donated tothe Susan G. Komen Foundation as wellas Keep Kickin’; both with the mission offighting cancer.

For additional information about Soc-cerfest visit atlantasoccerfest.com.

Soccerfest attendees play quick matches of soccer games on theDragon Goal portable elds.

Soccer fans sit in the park with lawn chairs and blankets to watch the USA team play.

8/20/2019 Free Press 7-17-15

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LOCAL

Residents against proposed development behind DeKalb tax office

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contest:Share your best shots of DeKalbCounty Parks.For informaon and to register visit

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by Carla [email protected]

In his State of the Countyaddress in February, interimDeKalb County CEO LeeMay introduced his vision ofurning the Memorial Drive

corridor into “DowntownDeKalb.”

“The catalyst for thiswhole transformation will behe creation of a new govern-

ment center at the heart ofMemorial Drive,” May said.With access to the interstate,

MARTA rail station and thehundreds of acres of publiclyowned land, this area is ripefor development.”

On May 8, Avondale ParkLLC filed an application tohe county’s department of

planning and sustainability to

ezone nine acres of propertybehind the county’s tax officeon Mountain Drive.

The development com-pany wants to rezone the areafrom a C-1 [commercial] toa PC3 [pedestrian commu-nity], or a mixed-used devel-opment of office buildings,etail and residential, accord-ng to the application.

Some residents inhat area, including Matt

Leatherman, are not happyabout these plans.

“There are a lot of issueswith this particular project,”Leatherman said.

Residents are concernedabout the extensive “defores-ation” of the plan and build-ng non-affordable housing.

The area has been probed foredevelopment since 2004

when a Kensington LivableCenters Initiative (LCI) wascreated.

“The idea of KensingtonLCI is to put more densitynear the Kensington MARTAtation because DeKalb

County owns a lot of prop-erty out there,” Leatherman

aid.A majority of MARTAail stations are located with-n an LCI, including Kens-ngton. Leatherman said the

argument that some peoplehave with LCIs at MARTAtations is affordable housing.

“They are putting thesehigh-dollar housing at theseMARTA stations, but thefolks who actually live onMARTA lines can no longerafford to live on MARTA,” heaid. “The people that need

MARTA the most are beingkind of driven out furtherand further as each one ofhese things are developed.”

Leatherman said he andother residents are afraid thatwith development ideas such

as the Downtown DeKalb,the county will become toodense.

“[Developers] are com-ing down from north metroAtlanta because it’s so over-developed up there theyfigured they can get cheapproperty down here and kindof do what they want to doand make a lot of money,” hesaid. “The problem is they’remodeling it after SandySprings, Buckhead and thingslike that.

“DeKalb is slowly turn-ing from a very diverse and

affordable county into Buck-head, driving us folks out andbasically putting more Whitepeople in,” Leathermansaid. “It’s really concerningtoo that everybody is beingdriven out and they’re kind ofturning our area into a placewhere we don’t want to live.I don’t want to live in SandySprings or Buckhead. We canafford to live and work here.”

At a community meet-ing last month AvondaleLLC developers introducedtheir plans. A committee, ofeight people representing the

county voted unanimouslyto deny the development.The recommendation fordenial was scheduled to bediscussed during the July 7planning commission meet-ing, but was deferred.

Leatherman said whenresidents bring up the rezon-ing application for the pro-posal at commission meet-ings, planning meetings andzoning meetings “nobodywants to talk about it.”

“It’s almost like it’s beingswept under the table,” hesaid.

Although some residentsin the area do not favor theproposal for a DowntownDeKalb, they do want to seethe area improve.

“We do want to see development and it’s a hard pillswallow,” Leatherman said. “Ithink DeKalb County needsto come up with a really solidplan where they can incorpo-rate the people that alreadylive here and how can they beinvolved in this too.”

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WEEKPICTURESIn

Photo brought t you by DCTV

DeKalb County begins one-day-a-week sanitation collection service July 6, 2015

Residential customers will have same-day garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection

For more info, call or visit:

(404) 294-2900

www.rollingforwardtoone.com

Two Eagle Scout troops greet guests at the entrance of the Buckhead Theatre.

2015 Atlanta Area Council Eagle Scouts pose for a photo with donors and sponsors of the organization.

agle Scouts march in the theater to be honored.

8/20/2019 Free Press 7-17-15

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LOCAL

Hanchell

Thompson Noel

Laower Dubose Bell

Forum for usnsss ntrstd n countywatrshd contracts announcd

The DeKalb County Department of Water-hed Management’s Capital Improvement Proj-

ects (CIP) Division will host an industry forumon Friday, July 17, for companies interested inhe county’s upcoming engineering services con-racts. The forum is scheduled to start at 8:30

a.m., and will be held at the Manuel Maloof Au-ditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

“This is the largest procurement for profes-ional services ever obtained by the county, and

we anticipate the opportunities created by thiseffort will generate a lot of excitement withinDeKalb’s business community,” said KennethSaunders, CIP program director.

The CIP Division currently oversees a5-year, $1.34 billion countywide capital improve-ment program to make repairs and upgradeso DeKalb’s antiquated water and wastewaternfrastructure. The upcoming project is the pro-

gram’s fourth largest procurement, expected tocreate a number of opportunities for small-to-medium-sized businesses within the county. Theingle largest water infrastructure project to bemplemented in the county’s history, the capital

mprovement program will ensure continued reli-able service delivery to the DeKalb’s water andewer residents and create sustainable growth ofts $5 billion water and wastewater assets.

County commssonrs’ nanc commttto hold udgt rtrat

The finance, audit and budget committee ofthe DeKalb County Board of Commissioners willhold its 2015 midyear budget retreat July 16, from9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The retreat will be at the DeKalb CountyPublic Library Processing Center, 3560 Kensing-ton Road, Decatur.

The agenda includes discussions and updateson timetable for millage adoption and reviewsof the tax digest, fund balance and millage ratechanges. Additionally, there will be a review ofthe interim county CEO’s midyear recommenda-tion, including reviews of the individual fundsand departments.

Convnnc stor ownr plads gulty totrafckng n food stamps

Tessema Lulseged, owner and operator of BigT Supermarket in Decatur, has pleaded guilty totrafficking in food stamps. Lulseged allowed cus-tomers to exchange food stamp benefits for cashin a scheme that netted him $6.5 million.

“Food stamps are intended to provide assis-

tance to our citizens most in need,” said ActingU.S. Attorney John A. Horn. “This defendant rana corrupt exchange scheme that, until his schemewas discovered, undermined the purpose of theprogram and resulted in great financial benefit to

himself.”From January 2009 through April 2014,

Lulseged unlawfully allowed customers to ex-change food stamp benefits for cash at the rateof 60 cents on the dollar, according to Horn,the charges and other information presented incourt.

“As part of the deal, Lulseged required cus-tomers to purchase eligible food products equalto 10 percent of the value of the transaction. Forexample, if a customer wanted to sell $100 worthof food stamp benefits for $60, that customeralso had to purchase $10 worth of eligible foodproducts from Lulseged’s store. The fraudulentscheme netted Lulseged approximately $6.5 mil-lion,” according to a news release.

After search warrants were executed inFebruary 2014, the government seized and for-feited more than $700,000 in funds “tainted bythe fraud,” according to the news release. Thegovernment also required the department toforfeited his personal residence in Gray, and hisstore property in Decatur, on the grounds thatthey were proceeds of the fraud and propertiesinvolved in money laundering transactions.

Lulseged, 49, of Decatur, pleaded guilty be-fore U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May .

His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 22,10 a.m.

NeWS bRieFS

Dunwoody sting operation a successby Justin Beaudrot

Dunwoody Police successfully executed a sting opera-ion June 25 to rescue victims of human trafficking.

Among those arrested for misdemeanor pimpingwere Shaquenta Bell, 24, of Louisville, Ky., and Damon

Hanchell, 41, of Orlando, Fla. Among those arrested formisdemeanor prostitution were Delisa Thompson, 26,Louisville, Ky.; Deja Nutter, 20, of Marietta; Tenesha John-on, 31, of Norcross; Tantiwa Gassanuka, 29, of Richmond

Heights, Ohio; Ivey Curry , 19, of East Point; RebeccaDubose, 27, of Doraville; Katherine Laflower, 19, of Or-ando, Fla.; and Saidah Abdul Karim, 18, of East Orange,

N.J. Dubose and Bell were also charged with misdemeanormarijuana possession. Kasey Noel, 22, of McKees Rock,Penn., was charged with misdemeanor counts of marijuanapossession, prostitution and pimping.

Dunwoody Police rescued a 26-year-old female whowas held in sexual servitude by the group, and recovered aeported-missing 16-year-old female who “was participat-ng in acts of prostitution,” according to the press release.

The operation began due to complaints receivedhrough Crime Stoppers and Dunwoody Tip Line. Of-

ficer Tim Fecht of Dunwoody Police said DunwoodyPolice worked with FBI Metro Atlanta Child ExploitationMATCH) Task Force and Gwinnett County’s vice officerso accomplish a successful sting operation. Fecht said the

MATCH task force was “eager to help.” There was also helpfrom a cooperating hotel that partnered with the operationo provide a place for the sting.

Fecht advises residents to use the tip lines if they areuspicious of illegal activity or if they are involved in some

way and need help.

Johnson Gassanuka

Nutter Karim Curry

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LOCAL

Girl Scouts impress President Obama

CRiMe bRieFSOfcr hosptalzd wth multpl gunshotwounds

The GeorgiaBureau of Investiga-tions is looking intoa shooting that sent aDeKalb County Policeofficer to a hospitaland left a suspectdead.

The officer,43-year-old Chester Lamb, a seven-year

veteran of the DeKalbCounty Police De-

partment, is in serious but stable condition atGrady Hospital, according to police spokeswom-an Mekka Parish.

The incident occurred July 12 at approxi-

mately 3:30 a.m. DeKalb officers responded to acalled of a suspicious person banging on doors athe Marquis Pointe apartment complex in Stone

Mountain.“Officer Lamb arrived on the scene and be-

gan to walk up to the location when the male sus-pect, without warning, began firing on the officerstriking him multiple times,” Parish stated. “Theofficer was able to return fire striking his assail-ant who died at the scene.”

Fmal shootng vctm ds

A woman died early July 13 from gunshotwounds after being discovered lying in a street inunincorporated Decatur.

The woman was discovered after midnightwhen DeKalb County Police officers respondedto a call of shots being fired on To Lani FarmsRoad, said police spokeswoman Mekka Parish.

When officers arrived, they found a female victim, believed to be in her mid-20s, lying in thestreet, Parish said.

Police have canvassed the neighborhood “try-ing to determine if there are any additional wit-

nesses or information in that case,” Parish said.“At this point they have not been able to find

any evidence that would suggest what led up tothe shooting,” she said.

exxon clrk ds n shootng

A convenience store clerk was shot a killedearly July 13 at the Exxon station on MemorialDrive near Covington Highway.

At approximately 4 a.m. DeKalb County Po-lice officers received a call of person shot at theconvenience store. When officers arrived theyfound a clerk suffering from a gunshot injury, ac-cording to police spokeswoman Mekka Parish.

The man, identified by family members asHarry Wells, a part-time pastor and father of six,died of the gunshot injuries.

“There are some preliminary indicationsthat the suspect walked into the store and for anundetermined reason pulled out a weapon firedstriking that clerk,” Parish said.

Investigators, who have no motive in the case,are reviewing video from the store’s security cam-

era.There are no solid leads, but witnesses told

police they saw somebody running out of that lo-cation, Parish said.

by Ashley [email protected]

Girl Scout troops Nos. 934 and 9073 inDecatur have been on a mission to serve theircommunities.

Throughout the year the cluster of sixhrough nine-year-olds Caitlyn Rideway-

Turner, Wyunna Knighton, AaliyahWhite and Neaira Myers operated a petupply drive, donating newspapers, blankets

and other items to PAWS Atlanta, a no-killanimal shelter in Decatur. They hosted a“trunk or treat” where they gave candy tochildren on Halloween at Midway RecreationCenter, held a winter gloves and socksdrive at Avondale Elementary School andndividually volunteered at their churches

and nonprot organizations around the city.As a reward for the girls community

nvolvement, Girl Scouts of Greater AtlantaVolunteer Support Specialist EbonieCleaves entered the troops in the PresidentialVolunteer Service Awards (PVSA) program.

Cleaves said she wanted to get themtarted with loving community service.

She said, “The especially exceptionalpart of all of this is that these are consideredoutreach troops, which means they live inareas that are considered high risk and low-ncome, and they are absolutely blowinghose stereotypes out the water.”

PVSA is an initiative that was startedby the President’s Council on Service andCivic Participation in 2003 as a way to honorAmericans who inspire others to engage involunteer service. The Council no longerexists, but the program continues as annitiative of the Corporation for National and

Community Service and is administered byhe Points of Light volunteer organization.

The organizations aim to celebrate andnspire more people to get involved in their

communities.The PVSA recognizes United States,

esidents who have achieved a requirednumber of hours of service over a 12-month

time period or cumulative hours over thecourse of a lifetime.

The awards are offered in multiple levels: bronze, silver, gold and the highest honor, thePresident’s Lifetime Achievement Award forthose who contribute more than 4,000 hoursof service in their lifetime.

Cleaves said, “This is a hardworking

group, they are driven, they are all honorroll students, they’re absolutely exceptional.My biggest job as their leader is to let themknow that they are not these titles, theyare whatever they want to be and that’s thereason that I work so hard to expose them toopportunities like this Presidential VolunteerService Award.”

As a result of the scouts’ communityservice efforts, each girl was recognized by the White House and President BarackObama with bronze Presidential ServiceAwards.

The bronze award is given to childrenages ve through 10 who have devoted 26-49hours to their community.

Along with the honor of presidentialrecognition, recipients received a personalized certicate, an ofcial pin anda congratulatory letter from the president ofthe United States.

Cleaves said, “They can keep this on theirresume forever. It’s a national award andthat’s a big deal, especially for them; comingfrom an area where people believe that 40 percent of the children in their area willnot see high school and here they are doingthings on a national level,” she said.

Cleaves, who has worked as a leader atGirls Scout of Greater Atlanta for six years,said, the biggest reward is seeing the girlscome back each year.

She said, “They could be cheerleaders and

a million other things; being a Girl Scout andgoing camping isn’t seen as the coolest thingto do but they keep coming back. They arecommitted.”

amb

Girl Scout Wyunna Knighton shows off the badges she’s earned.

A Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta volunteer support specialist andparents gather around the troops as they pose with their PresidentVolunteer Service Awards.

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EDUCATIONThe Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 14A

DeKalb schools’ jobfair attracts hundredsby Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

DeKalb County School District,he third largest district in Georgia,

hosted a job fair July 8 at the admin-strative and instructional complex

auditorium.The fair drew more than 700 ap-

plicants for teaching positions in thechool district.

Job fair organizer Mildred Camp-bell said the district has roughly 325obs available.

The district has 74 elementarychools, 18 middle schools, 26 highchools, eight centers and serves ap-

proximately 102,000 students.A hiring manager and school dis-

rict secretaries facilitated the hiringprocess.

Principals and their staff inter-viewed and made recommendationfor hiring.

After candidates were screened

for certification they were allowed towalk through and interview for posi-ions that interested them.

According to the human resources

department’s June report presented byDr. Tekshia Ward-Smith at the June1 board meeting, the district has hadmore than 170 resignations.

Campbell said, “A lot of peoplethink that when there are numbers in-

volved during the summer that thereis something wrong with the districtbut this is something that is normal

for every district. Teachers have reci-procity and their certificates are goodanywhere. They have that ability touse that certificate and move freely.”

Campbell said DeKalb County hasattracted a lot of great professionals.

“Whereas Gwinnett is the largestschool district, our beginning salaryhas been above theirs for the past twoyears. I think we’re consistent withour surrounding counties but it justdepends on how they stagger theircost of living increase and their stepincrease,” she said.

District officials reported theevent resulted in 125 recommenda-

tions for employment and numerousfollow-up interviews.

DeKalb County School District principals and staff interview potential teachers for the 2015-2016 school year.

Applicants wait in line to be interviewed by the school district’s staff.

Fair organizer Mildred Campbell helps an applicant navigate through the job fair.

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Ellis Continued From Page 1A Center Continued From Page 1A


erests,” said Johnson, adding that thereare “hundreds of thousands of victims inhis case.”

In his recommendation, DeKalbCounty District Attorney Robert James aid that while “the state believes in mer-y…we also believe in accountability.”

James said his office made four pleabargain offers during the course the tworials against Ellis—the one that endedn a mistrial in 2014, and the recent onehat led to a conviction.

“We tried to resolve the case fourimes,” James said. “I wanted the countyo move on. I knew the spectacle of a

public trial…would damage the county’seputation.

“It was not my desire to separate Mr.Ellis from his family,” James said.

James said his office tried to get Elliso “accept some responsibility of his ac-ions” and resign as the county’s CEO.

In the proposed plea bargains, Ellis

had the opportunity to accept a misde-meanor charge, say “it’s in my best inter-st to plead guilty,” and resign.

“Mr. Ellis turned that offer down,”ames said. “We did everything we could

as a state to resolve this case…to makeure Mr. Ellis will not be incarcerated.

“It’s time for Mr. Ellis to stand upand take responsibility for what he did,”ames said. “Today is a day of reckon-ng.”

In his statement to the judge, Ellisagain denied profiting from his fundrais-ng efforts.

Ellis said, “I chose to run for officebecause of the calling on my life, because

felt that I could make a difference. I

never, ever once sought to enrich my-elf personally, nor did I, in fact, every

personally enrich myself through publicoffice.

“As a candidate for CEO I had toampaign and fundraising was part ofampaigning for public office,” Ellis said.All of the money raised in our campaign

was used to pay legitimate campaign ex-penses. None of it went into my pocket.

“I have contacted government ven-dors as part of my fundraising efforts,which in and of itself is a common, legalpractice,” he said. “In doing so, I neveronce believed that I was in any way com-mitting a crime or that my actions would

be interpreted that way.“I do however sincerely apologize tohe citizens and regret if any of my ac-ions cast this county in a bad light. That

was never my intention,” Ellis said.Ellis asked the judge to consider his

motive for serving, overall record of ser-vice in the county for 15 years, and “theact that I have never once sought or re-eived personal enrichment.”

“On a personal note, I beg the court’smercy and consideration on behalf of mywo young children,” Ellis said. “They

have sacrificed much over the past sevenyears while their father served as a full-ime elected official, and particularly

over the past two and a half years of in-

vestigations, charges and trials.”Judge Johnson said wanted to hear

some acceptance of responsibility.”

“I don’t know that I heard that today,”Johnson said. “I think that I heard a littlebit of it today, but I will say that I don’tbelieve when you took office as CEO ofthis county that you intended for theseevents to happen.

“I recall that during your campaign

one of the things that you stressed was achange in DeKalb County, a new era inDeKalb County politics, and an oppor-tunity for transparency in government,”Johnson said.

“I do believe that you intended tokeep those promises that you made butsomewhere along the way, your inten-tions became more focused on your ownpersonal interests rather than those ofthe citizens of this county,” she said.

The judge denied a request for an ap-peals bond that would have allowed Ellisto remain free until his anticipated ap-peals are over.

“There are a number of different is-

sues that we will be dealing with in theappellate court,” said Ellis’ defense at-torney Craig Gillen, adding that “not asingle dime ever went into Burrell Ellis’pocket other than the salary that he got.”

“A trial is like a play,” Gillen said.“You only get to see what’s put on stage;you only get to see what’s admitted intoevidence. There was a whole lot of thingsthat we weren’t able to talk about.”

Gillen said Ellis defense team wantedto bring in vendors to testify that theyreceived no retribution when they refuseto support Ellis’ campaign.

“The jury…in our view they didn’t getthe full story in terms of the relevance ofhow vendors were contacted and dealt

with and the lack of any kind of retribu-tion or retaliation against the vendorswho said, ‘No. I’m not giving to you.’”

Ellis supporters, including Dr. Wil-liam Watley , pastor of St. Phillip A.M.E.Church where the Ellis family attends,disagreed with the sentence.

“The sentence was much harsherthan it needed to be. I do not know ofany redemptive value that will comefrom it,” Watley said.

Cal Murrell, known as “the happypreacher,” said, “I wish they could havesent him home and let him appeal athome. He’s a humble man and very, verykind. He’s no threat to nobody. With his

height and his weight, he can’t beat upnobody. I love Burrell Ellis.”Ellis’ wife Philippa said she is “so

very proud” of her husband. She also wasgrateful for the support of well-wishers.

“I want to thank the citizens ofDeKalb County for all of the love, all ofthe support, all of the prayers,” she said.

DeKalb’s DA said his hope and prayer“is that DeKalb County can move be-yond this very early period in our his-tory and begin to heal.”

“There’s a lot of thing going on in thiscounty right now. Our reputation is notthe best, to say the least, and this hasplayed a big part in that.

“Mr. Ellis has done a bad thing and

Mr. Ellis has to be punished,” James said.“It had to be done for justice to be servedin this case,” James said.

they are so fully included withthe learning that’s happening,”Kubik said.

Frazer Center’s adultprogram serves more than100 adults.

“The public school system

is mandated to serve childrenin as inclusive a setting aspossible through their 21st birthday, but after that, thenwhat happens?” Kubik asked.“We try to pick up at thatend.”

Kim Walton of Lithoniahas participated in FrazerCenter programs for 14 years.

“I like working here.The people are nice. I lovemy job,” said Walton, 46,who is a kitchen assistant atFrazer Center. She has alsoworked in the center’s daycare

program and café.“I do a lot of things,” saidWalton, who works 20 hoursa week at the center. “I washdishes. I prep food.”

Walton also soon will serveon Frazer Center’s programcommittee. To prepare forthat volunteer role, she hasbeen received training fromGeorgia State Center forLeadership and Disability,which helps “people withdisabilities to be prepared toserve on advisory councilsand boards,” Kubik said.

“The whole idea is to

help folks understand whatboard membership meansand prepare them so theycan be their own advocatesand can speak up from theirperspective and not haveother people speak for them,”Kubik said.

“Our long-term goal for allof our participants is to helpthem find meaningful life inthe community,” Kubik said.“We believe that for a lot ofthe folks we serve that meansemployment, that they will get

jobs in the community and

be contributing members intheir neighborhoods and theirhomes.”

For older adults notlooking for employment,Frazer Center tries “to makesure they’ve got meaningfulthings to do, that they’reincluded in their community,”Kubik said.

This may include “justparticipating in all the greatthings Atlanta has to offer,”Kubik said. Others volunteerfor such organizations as theCenter for Civil and HumanRights, Fernbank, Holmestead

Linear Park, and CliftonSanctuary Ministries.

Additionally, the centeroffers prevocational servicesto determine participants’

skills and interests, andprepare them to enter theworkforce.

“Our supportedemployment specialists workwith employers to try to carveout jobs that are a match for

this person’s skills,” Kubiksaid.

Kubik said that employerswishing to hire peoplewith disabilities sometimesmust think creatively abouttheir skills and talents andfind places where they cancontribute them. This is called

job carving.“The idea of job carving

is going into a workplaceand [asking] what are all thethings that need to get doneevery day but are low oneverybody’s priority list and

nobody ever gets to them, butthey really need to happen,”Kubik said.

Employers must ask, “Canwe piece those together in acreative way that creates workthat [we] really need but thatalso would be really suitablefor someone that’s looking forsomething where they’ve gotroutine,” Kubik said. “Whenyou find the right match thepay is really good on bothends.”

July 2015 is the 25thanniversary of the Americanswith Disabilities Act

(ADA) which prohibitsdiscrimination based ondisability.

“Disabilities is no reason todiscriminate against people,”said Kubik, explaining theintent of the ADA. “Childrenneed to be educated inthe least restrictive settingpossible. Adults also needto be served in the leastrestrictive setting possible.

“What we see 25 yearsafterwards is that theeducation system wasmuch quicker on the draw

in implementing the ADAthan a lot of folks,” Kubiksaid. “So we’ve got childrenwho’ve come through thepublic school system in theseinclusive settings. That’stheir expectation and it’s theexpectation of their parents.

“You’ve got these folkswho have high expectations,who’ve been challengedbecause they’ve been in theseinclusive settings and theygraduate and the programs onthis end are kind of behindin being up to the task ofbeing inclusive opportunities

for adults after they leave[school],” Kubik said.

That’s what Frazer isaddressing, Kubik said.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 16ABUSINESS

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

GLOBALLY AWARE

Natural foods grocery opens at Emory Pointy Kathy Mitchell

When Earth Fare, a 40-year-oldrganic and natural foods groceryhain, opened its first urban storeuly 8 at Emory Point, the store

was packed with shoppers withinminutes of the 7 a.m. opening. Therowd included patrons who had

waited hours.“The first customer was here at

:30 a.m. She wanted to be the first,nd she made it,” explained Earth

Fare President and CEO Frankcorpiniti. The first 100 guests wereiven “mystery” gift cards of varyingalues—one was worth $500. “They

were all gone in the first 10 minutes.“This is an ideal location for our

irst urban store,” said Scorpiniti,who explained that other stores inhe approximately 37-store chainre all in suburbs. “It’s in a vibrant

health-conscious community nearEmory University, Emory Hospitalnd the CDC. Our real estate teamearched for just the right locationefore deciding this was it.” Emory

Point is a mixed-use developmentwith 80,000 square feet of retailpace and 443 apartment homes in

Phase I.

Because it’s in a mixed use com-munity, the Emory Point Earth Farehas a larger “grab-and-go” depart-ment, where ready-to-eat foods andbeverages are available, than otherstores in the chain, according toScorpiniti.

“This is our first urban store,but I am confident there will soonbe more,” said Scorpiniti, who de-scribed the community as warm andwelcoming.

As part of the opening festivi-ties, a check was presented to OpenHand, an Atlanta-based nonprofitorganization that seeks to helppeople prevent or manage chronic

illness through better nutrition.“We chose Open Hand as our firstcommunity outreach because theirmission aligns so well with ours,”Scorpiniti explained, noting thatEarth Fare’s mission is to connectcommunities and improve livesthrough food.

Earth Fare was founded nearAsheville, N. C., by Roger Der-rough. Inspired by an outdoor lead-ership course that involved living offwhatever food those participatingin the course could find on the land,Derrough took an interest in natural

food. After becoming ill from eatingtainted food, he decided to open ahealth food store, since there wereno others in the area at the time, ac-cording a biography on the Univer-sity of North Carolina at Asheville’swebsite.

Earth Fare has its own lexiconof terms such as “food philosophy”and “boot list,” references to the cor-porate practice of banning certainingredients and production meth-ods. “We offer only foods that meetour health standard,” Scorpiniti said.“Our foods contain no high fructosecorn syrup, artificial fats or artificialtrans fats, artificial colors, artifi-

cial flavors, artificial preservatives,artificial sweeteners, antibiotics orsynthetic growth hormones and wework to avoid genetically modifiedfoods. But more important is whatwe do have. We have one of the larg-est selections of organic produceanywhere and a wide selection ofgrass-fed beef.

“Our philosophy goes beyondour products,” Scorpiniti continued.“We know that our customers arecontinually educating themselvesabout what they put in and on theirbodies. We have a knowledgeable

staff, who can answer their ques-tions and offer superior customerservice.” Earth Fare’s website statesthat is seeks staff members who are“kind and gracious hosts” with a“passion and excitement for healthyliving.”

Earth Fare also promotes what itcalls its “100-mile commitment,” apromise to offer food grown within100 miles of where it’s sold, whenpossible. There also are productsgrown on family farms rather thancorporate farming facilities. Bothare identified with signs in large redcircles.

When the first Earth Fare

opened in 1975, Scorpiniti said, itsclientele consisted of a relativelysmall health-conscious segmentof grocery buyers, but that haschanged. “Our customer base hasreally grown as more and morepeople have become increasinglyconcerned about what they’re con-suming,” Scorpini said, adding thatthe grocery chain’s philosophy alsoemphasizes value—keeping prod-ucts affordable for average consum-ers. The motto, he said, is “healthyfood for everyone.”

atrons wait in line for the 7 a.m. opening of the rst Earth Fare in DeKalb County.

Earth Fare has one of the largest selections of organicproduce to be found anywhere, according to President andCEO Frank Scorpiniti.

A sign inside the grocery lists Earth Fare’s quality stan-dards.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 17ACLASSIFIEDS

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 18ASPORTS

Four DeKalb County teams competeby Carla [email protected]

Money and bragging rights were on the line July10 at the annual DTLR’s 7-on-7 Invitational Tourna-ment.

Atlanta Falcons player Jonathan Babineaux ,Green Bay Packers player Morgan Burnett andformer NFL players Chauncey Davis and DanielWilcox hosted the tournament at Grady Stadiumin Atlanta. The tournament featured 10 teams fromDeKalb, Clayton and Fulton counties, and AtlantaPublic Schools. Representing DeKalb were CedarGrove, Lithonia, McNair and Redan.

Babineaux, Davis and Wilcox designed the 7-on-7 Invitational Tournament (7 offense/7 defense)to showcase talented football players from metroAtlanta. This year’s tournament also featured Babi-neaux’s “Big Man’s Challenge,” a competition betweenoffensive and defensive linemen. The challenge was

judged on power tests, drills, quickness, footworkand technique.

Wilcox, a 1996 Decatur High School graduate,said the tournament is an opportunity for him andother NFL players to give back to the communities inAtlanta.

“That’s why we made it a battle of the counties,”Wilcox said. “We wanted to pull [schools] from allparts of Atlanta, from every county and have the guyscompete for bragging rights. They can walk away andsay, ‘We’re the best in the county’ or ‘We’re the best inthe state right now.’

“This is an opportunity for every team to getbetter, to work on their timing, to work on theirmechanics, work on their routes and work on theirdefense to build the team chemistry it takes in orderfor a team to be successful throughout the season,”Wilcox added.

The firs-round matchups of the tournamentfeatured Cedar Grove against Redan and Lithoniaagainst McNair. Cedar Grove and Lithonia were win-ners in the first round. Cedar Grove’s squad featuredreturning starting quarterback Jelani Woods, run-ning back LaBron Morris and safety Tre Shaw .

“It’s a good opportunity for us to compete and just get better,” said Cedar Grove coach JermaineSmith said.

Lithonia coach Marcus Jelks said the tournamentwas an opportunity for his team to get extra work in.“It’s good work, good competition in the sum-

mer,” he said.The Bulldogs team features top defensive end

prospect Jordan Smith, who has more than 30 Divi-sion 1 offers. Lithonia is coming off a season wherethe Bulldogs made their first playoff appearancesince 2002. Jelks said last year’s success has broughtmore attention to the team and increased participa-tion.

“[The players] have been doing good and they’vebeen working hard this summer,” Jelks said. “We havethe most numbers we’ve had ever at Lithonia thissummer.”

Redan coach Roderick Moore wanted his teamto “get some work in against some top quality com-petition.”

“This gives us a measuring board to see wherewe’re at as far as competing and so forth,” he said.

DTRL 7-on-7 tournament

A ball is thrown out of reach of a Lithonia receiver (right) during the DTRL 7-on-7 tournament.

A Lithonia receiver scores a touchdown against McNair in the DTRL 7-on-7 tournament. Photos by Carla Parker

edar Grove quarterback Jelani Woods receives the snapped ball during the DTRL 7-on-7 tournament.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015 Page 19ASPORTS

by Carla [email protected]

Former Decatur HighSchool running back andcorner back Elijah Rachelleceived money for college

from Detroit Lions wide re-ceiver Calvin Johnson.

Rachell was one of sixecipients of the scholarship

from the Calvin Johnson Jr.Foundation. The foundationawards tuition scholarshipso student-athletes in the

metro Atlanta and metroDetroit areas. Recipients areelected based on scholastic

achievement, leadership onand off the field, academic

goals and financial need.The scholars also partic-

pate in Johnson’s “Scholarswith a Mission” LeadershipConference, where new andpast scholarship recipientsnetwork and work with spe-cialists to develop variousets of skills, including men-oring, goal setting, leader-hip development, financial

planning and healthy living.Rachell said receiving

he scholarship was truly ablessing.

“I really just appreci-

ate him and his foundationaking the time to entertainmy scholarship applicationbecause to my understand-ng there were maybe a fewhousand that applied and

only six that got the schol-arship,” he said. “It’s truly ablessing.”

Rachell said he heard of

the scho

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Free Press 7-17-15