FreePress 9-5-14

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 5, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 24 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.
FREEPRESS
Education .............. 18-19A
Business ........................17A
Sports ...................... 21-24A
Opinion ........................... 5A
Classifed .......................20A
QUICK FINDER
LOCAL, 11A EDUCATION, 18A
EDITORIAL, 4A
WOMANS BATTLE CRY IS NO
NUKES, YALL
FEMALE SCHOOL RESOURCE
OFFICERS BALANCE TOUGH
WITH LOVE
DEKALB COUNTY IS
EXHAUSTED
See Foodie on page 15A
Culinary curiosity leads to Buford Highway
by Gale Horton Gay
W
hether her global
travels or her
zeal for cuisine
thats anything
but pedestrian are the catalyst,
Emily Allred has embarked on an
unusual culinary journey.
Allred and her husband
Adam, both 28, began exploring
ethnic restaurants and so far
have dined at 100 in two and half
yearsall along Buford Highway.
Allred, who blogs about
her culinary adventures on her
spatialdrif.com website, said she
Once a week for more than two years
Emily Allred has dined at different eth-
nic restaurants along Buford Highway.
Photo by Gale Horton Gay
Nasi padang
A dish from Machu Picchu
Assorted sashimi
Chadolbaegi (Grilled Beef Brisket) at Han II Kwan.
Jeff Brickman, former county commissioner Elaine Boyers
attorney, said his client is cooperating in every way pos-
sible. There are no limitations on how long or to what extent
Elaine is willing to cooperate. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
See Boyer on page 15A
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
F
ormer DeKalb County Commis-
sioner Elaine Boyer, who faces federal
charges of mail fraud conspiracy and
wire fraud, is extremely remorseful for
what shes done.
Tats what Jef Brickman, Boyers court-
appointed attorney, said afer Boyers Aug. 26
hearing in a federal court.
Today is a sad day, obviously, for her
[that has put] a shadow on her otherwise stel-
lar career, Brickman said. She has done a lot
of good for the people of DeKalb County, but
Former commissioner to plead guilty
Remorseful
Page 2A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014

See Doreen on page 8A
Secretary of state race is a calling for Lithonia woman
15 K-9 offcers
you
Innovative thinking about new ways to
improve security helped MARTA achieve
Flagship Agency status, the highest ranking
any police department can earn*. We could
use your eyes, too. If you see something
thats not right, call us. Well take it from there.
See
Say
something
something
If you
*Awarded by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA).
Use MARTAs See & Say App.
Txt MPD: (404) 334-5355
or
Call (404) 848-4911 if you see something out of the ordinary.
by Andrew Cauthen
Doreen Carter of Lithonia believes running
for Georgias secretary of state position is a
calling.
I believe that the people of Georgia need a
voice that will stand up for their rights especially
when it comes to voters, said Carter, president
of the Greater Lithonia Chamber of Commerce
and a former Lithonia City Council member
who owns the Wealth and Wisdom Resource
Group, a fnancial services frm.
I have a business background. Ive been
in the community, engaged in economic
development and with my skillset and my
passion and my advocacy, that was really what
drove me to believe that this is a time for a
change in Georgia in that secretary of state
seat, said Carter, who is also chairwoman of the
South DeKalb Improvement Alliance and the
East Metro DeKalb Community Improvement
District formation committee.
Te issue that was Carters biggest driver
for entering the race was voter rights.
Voter suppression has been such an issue
in the southeast, especially in Georgia, Carter
said. Were still having conversations about
equal pay for women, and were still having
issues around voter suppression.
Carter is one of four DeKalb residents
running for state ofces, including state Sen.
Jason Carter, for governor; former state
senator Connie Stokes, for lieutenant governor;
and former City Schools of Decatur board
member Valarie Wilson, for state school board
superintendent.
Doreen Carter said it speaks volumes that
40 percent of the Democratic ticket is from
DeKalb County.
I dont think its any surprise that you have
that many people on this statewide ticket that
are from DeKalb, she said. It also says that
DeKalb leaders are ready to lead the state in the
direction in which the people are ready for it to
go.
If each of the DeKalb candidates is elected,
I believe it would defnitely give you more eyes
looking at DeKalb, and it should cause caution
and celebration that with that type of power we
must walk with upmost integrity and we have an
opportunity to show that people in DeKalb do
know how to lead, Carter said.
Carter is also one of fve Black females
running for state executive ofcesa
historic Democratic ticket.
I didnt really think about
my ethnicity or my gender,
I just thought it was time
for a change, Carter said.
When we look at the
voters in Georgia, the
majority of the voters are
frst and foremost women.
Women drive the polls.
Additionally, Carter
said, approximately 67
percent of the voters in
the Democratic Party are Black.
When you look at the demographics of
the party and you look at our constitutional
ofcers, it does not look representative of
who Georgia is, Carter said. As an African-
American female, it is only beftting, especially
in the current time that were in[that]
someone from amongst us
who I consider myself to
beto stand up.
Carter said her
statewide reception as a
candidate has been just
short of amazing.
Weve gone into
predominantly Black
Doreen Carter
The Champion FreePress, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014 Page 3A
This old school
Group looks to revitalize old Bruce Street School
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
L
ithonia is in the preliminary stages of
coming to an agreement to transfer own-
ership of the old Bruce Street School to
the Lithonia Downtown Development
Authority (DDA).
Te Lithonia City Council will meet Sept. 8 to
discuss the possible agreement. Once the owner-
ship is transferred, the DDA will lease the building
to Eagle Rock, an education and community de-
velopment corporation. Fred Reynolds, an Eagle
Rock representative, said the group plans to reno-
vate the property.
Te plan is to bring people in from the com-
munity to revitalize the building to get people
involved, he said. We want to partner with the
Lucious Sanders Recreation Center to get the chil-
dren involved with the project as well.
Eagle Rock plans to use the building to ofer
training in trade jobs such as construction, car-
pentry, facility maintenance and more. An agree-
ment with DDA will allow Eagle Rock to have a
long-term lease on the property, while the city
could only ofer an agreement up to fve years.
Lithonia City Councilman Al Franklin, who is
also the DDA boards vice chairman, said the rea-
son the DDA was interested in taking ownership
of the school building is Eagle Rock wants a long-
term agreement.
Tey want a long-term agreement because
theyre investing their own personal capital,
Franklin said. For them to have an agreement
thats less than three to fve years with a commit-
ment coming from the city is not really strong
enough for them to say theyre going to take on
that particular facility.
Te DDA has the ability to go up to 50 years
on an agreement, Franklin added. Tat gives
[Eagle Rock] more stability, more comfort in
knowing that they can do it.
Franklin said the DDA will put together an
agreement in which the city will have an opportu-
nity to be a benefciary of the DDA taking over the
building.
Tat means from a fnancial prospective the
city has an opportunity to earn [money], he said.
Bruce Street School was established as the
frst school for the Black community in DeKalb
County afer the Lithonia Public School system
was incorporated in 1938. Te ownership of the
structure was transferred to the city sometime in
the 1980s.
Te buildings exterior walls of granite remain
intact, but the interior and roof have deteriorated.
Eagle Rock hopes to revitalize the old Bruce Street School once
ownership is transferred to the Downtown Development Authority.
The Champion FreePress, Friday Sept. 5, 2014 Page 4A
OPINION
A prescription for treating runaway CEO pay
by Marjorie E. Wood
Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, your pre-
miums are now guaranteed to pay for health care
instead of executives yachts.
Youve surely heard many things about the
Affordable Care Act, including the website head-
aches that embarrassed the Obama administra-
tion during the new programs rollout.
But you probably didnt realize that when you
pay your premium today, you can rest assured
that its paying for health care and not a CEOs
new yacht. You can thank the way ACA treats
CEOs and other executives in the health
care industry for that.
When lawmakers debated this landmark leg-
islation, some members of Congress worried that
it might produce a bonanza for health insurers
by delivering millions of new customers to them
practically overnight. Who would hold those
companies accountable as all this new cash rolled
into their coffers?
A major concern was that health insurance
executives might fatten their own paychecks
instead of investing in health care. One way these
companies benefit from high executive pay is to
deduct the cost of so-called performance pay
from their federal income taxes. Corporations
use that loophole to avoid billions of dollars in
taxes every year.
Why not close this performance pay loophole
as a requirement for health insurance companies
under the Affordable Care Act?
Thats exactly what Congress did.
A new Institute for Policy Studies report I co-
authored takes the first look at the impact of clos-
ing this loophole for health insurers. We found
that for the 10 largest health insurance compa-
nies, the share of executive pay that could be
deducted as a business expense fell dramatically
from nearly 100 percent to only 27 percent after
the Obama administration rolled out the ACA.
For 2013, that translated into $72 million in
additional tax dollars.
In the future, this amount will likely be much
higher. Why? Because most health insurer execu-
tive stock options exercised last year pre-dated
the ACA and were therefore exempt from the
new rules. From now on, such exemptions wont
be an issue.
Of course, once corporate boards realize how
much excessive pay is adding to their corporate
tax burden, they may decide to stop doling out
extravagant compensation packages altogether
freeing up money to be invested in care. But
even if high pay continues, at least health insurers
will have to pay taxes on it like the $72 million
they had to pay for 2013.
And what could that $72 million pay for?
Dental care for 262,000 people for an entire
year. Or the annual deductible for 28,000 Ameri-
cans for an entire year.
In addition to closing the pay loophole, the
Affordable Care Act also requires health insurers
to spend at least 80 percent of customer premi-
ums on health care.
More than 10 million Americans have already
gained coverage because of the new law. That its
also holding the profit-making side of the health
care industry accountable is a great bonus for all
of us.
OtherWords columnist Marjorie E. Wood is a
senior economic policy associate at the Institute for
Policy Studies, the managing editor of Inequality.
org, and the co-author of Executive Excess 2014:
The Obamacare Prescription for Bloated CEO
Pay, a new Institute for Policy Studies report.
OPINION

Let Us Know What You Think!
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinions from its readers.
Please write to us and express your views. Letters should be brief, type-
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for verifcation. All letters will be considered for publication.
Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-
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to publication date.
EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do not
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Publisher: John Hewitt
Chief Financial Ofcer: Dr. Earl D. Glenn
Managing Editor: Andrew Cauthen
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Photographer: Travis Hudgons
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The Champion Free Press is published each Friday by ACE III
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FREEPRESS
STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER
We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this and
any issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was
founded in 1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse
for all community residents on all sides of an issue. We have
no desire to make the news only to report news and opinions
to effect a more educated citizenry that will ultimately move
our community forward. We are happy to present ideas for
discussion; however, we make every effort to avoid printing
information submitted to us that is known to be false and/or
assumptions penned as fact.
Unrested over Michael Brown
The world is full of unrest; every time you
turn around there are wars, killings, senseless
deaths, crimes and stupid challengesall of
which we take very personally. Why? Because it
threatens our way of life; you just know that some
way, somehow, the craziness that happens outside
of your home may just one day find its way onto
your doorstep and we would much rather it stop
before it gets that far.
When we are young things dont resonate
with us as they do when we are older and are
personally and directly responsible for other
liveslives that we have birthed and lives that
we have seeded. It is scary to think that there are
people out there who would think of these lives as
less than human. People who wouldnt consider
that every person is a direct connection to
someones heart strings. Just because that person
has no direct connection, or blood relation to you
does not mean they are not special.
As my family sat around the TV [and] we
watched the Unrest in Ferguson on the news.
We watched intently, with lowered brows, heavy
hearts and swollen throats. Mike Brown, as far
as we know, is no relation to us, but we feel the
sorrow that family must be going through all the
same. We feel the anger, hurt and pain that the
people must be feeling. We feel, and anybody
with a heart must feel.
But, for anybody who is a fan of equality,
justice, fairness and civility, the feeling is deep.
There is no excuse in any situation, county, state,
country or world to continue shooting a young
man while he is down, and there is certainly no
excuse for our police to be the ones doing the
shooting.
My sister raised a point which I am sure
we all can relate to. When something like this
happens the question in the minds of most Blacks
or those people who are fans of equality, justice
and fairness is, If this were a White man or a
different neighborhood with a more diverse
police force, would the result be the same?
There is a family grieving in the midst of all
thisa mother missing her baby, a father missing
his sonwhile the media seemingly sides with
the cops to justify such a thing as killing a boy
while he was down. The hell with questioning
him, the hell with just stopping him, or making
him obey; just kill him. It is unlikely that he
could be of any use to the world, or they would
rather not know. Despite there was no weapon on
him which would [suggest] no real threat to the
policejust kill him, we dont need him anyway.
Its like watching our young Black men being
euthanized because they seemingly hold no value,
because they seem to be up to no good, because if
they were up to no good there is no way they can
change and become productive citizens. We the
people of Black America are tired of our young
men being hunted, intimidated, disrespected and
deemed unworthy of life.
I will not go on to name all the young Black
men who have died at the hands of another who
deemed them unworthy to live. I simply cant.
Blacks kill Blacks all the time, I heard an analyst
say. What does that mean? Does it mean its
OK? It is never OK for one human being to kill
another, but it is especially not OK when they are
killed by the very people we trust to protect and
serve.
It may not be right for the people to riot the
way that they are, but the people are hurting
and built up rage has a way of coming out in a
sometimes violent way. I watched an interview
done with three young Black men from the
community who said for them the fear of police
is a very real thing. These three men one a
generation ahead expressed fear of those given
the responsibility to protect them. If this were
a family matter, the state would call this abuse.
Well, if they wont call it, I will; its abuse of both
power and responsibility.
Ultimately these things affect all of us, and
none of us will win if we live in a world where
things like this continue to be debated without
resolution. We will never win if these sorts of
things are allowed to happen because of a good
spin to the story and a clever twist on words to
justify them. I pray every day because only God
can protect those closest to us. I suggest you pray
too, and give God your unrest, because only he
can deliver us all from the evils of this world.
Natasha Session Kanu, Decatur
Letter to the Editor
Page 6A The Champion FreePress, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014

If you would like to nominate someone to be
considered as a future Champion of the Week,
please contact Andrew Cauthen at andrew@
dekalbchamp.com or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.
W
hen Miller
Grove High
School
boys basketball coach
Sharman White asked
Aretha Watson to join
the basketball teams
booster club, she did not
hesitate.
I like to be involved
with my child and whats going on with him,
Watson said. I dont just drop him off and
leave him there, although he doesnt need a
babysitter, but I like to know whats going on
with him.
Watson, 47, is the mother of Miller Grove
senior shooting guard Kendall Williams.
Watson has been involved with the basketball
program for four years. She is the president of
the booster club where she sets up fundraisers
and keeps parents informed of what is going
on with the team.
I pretty much do anything coach White
asks me to do, she said. I try to take the
business part out of the basketball program. I
let him handle the basketball, and I take care
of the parents and other stuff.
[The basketball program] is a good
program, Watson added. Theyre a good
team. I like basketball, and its given me an
opportunity to give back to the school itself.
Along with her volunteer work at Miller
Grove, Watson also gives back through her
employer, Voya Investment Management.
Watson said giving back and volunteering
is important because it gives people an
opportunity to see what is going on in the
community and different areas.
There are a lot of parents that dont get
involved, she said. And to see kids expressions
when youre giving back to thema lot of these
kids are very appreciative [of ] everything that
you do for them. That makes me feels good as a
parent and in general.
Watson said she makes sure her two sons
understand the importance of giving back.
They both volunteer at their schools, she
said. Coach White has [the team] doing a lot
of volunteer work. Every Thanksgiving they
collect cans for Hosea Feed the Hungry and
Homeless.
My sons understand that the good you do
will come back to you, she added.
ARETHA WATSON
There are a lot of parents that
dont get involveda lot of these
kids are very appreciative [of]
everything that you do for them.
That makes me feels good as a
parent and in general.
Our focus is more to
incentivize sustainability
so it can improve their
daily lives. Drew Cutright
A tale of sustainability
Dunwoody makes commitment to sustainability
by Lauren Ramsdell
lauren@dekalbchamp.com
Te city of Dunwoody is poised
to adopt a new sustainability plan,
a document intended to help guide
city policy to make it more main-
tainable.
Many of the citys other plans
have called for the creation of a
sustainability plan, according to the
city memorandum recommend-
ing approval at the citys August 25
meeting. Te purpose of the sus-
tainability plan is to synthesize the
sustainability focus from each of our
existing plans and implement them,
the memo reads.
Dunwoody development coordi-
nator Drew Cutright is a member of
the citys sustainability committee.
Trough her work with the commit-
tee and as a city employee, Cutright
helped research and write the sus-
tainability plan.
Te major impetus for develop-
ing the plan was the comprehensive
plan developed in the frst years of
being a city, which called for having
a sustainability plan, she said. We
have a fairly active sustainability
committee through the city, particu-
larly with events: recycling events,
educational events and that sort of
thing. We kind of thought the time
was right and we had a lot of sup-
port behind sustainability.
In 2012 the city hosted public
meetings for residents to input what
they might like to see implemented
as part of the plan. Te fnished plan
includes fve years of a short-term
work plan and 10 years of action
items.
Te plan includes four major ac-
tion areas: resource conservation
and waste reduction; ecology, biodi-
versity and health and wellness; edu-
cation and outreach; and economic
prosperity. Tough many do have
an eco-friendly bent, Cutright said
that the focus is not just on green
development in terms of recycling.
Sustainability is one of the citys
focuses we already have a green
space plan, we have a comprehen-
sive transportation plan, compre-
hensive master plan, and some
sub-area plans for Georgetown and
Dunwoody Village. Tis is one more
plan. Its not the singular focus, but
it is one thing wed like to focus on,
making decisions that have long
term impacts.
City planner and director of sus-
tainability Rebecca Keefer also said
the plan will help focus Dunwoodys
policies.
Since sustainability is a multi-
faceted concept, the residents ben-
eft from a more holistic perspective
for economic decisions (taking into
account long-term expenditures
and costs), accessibility issues and
designed actions for the protection
of natural resources all of which
contribute to the character and qual-
ity of life of a community, Keefer
said via email.
Te plan calls for incorporating
sustainability into all city depart-
ments. For years Dunwoody has
had an unofcial policy in place
that when departments wanted to
increase sustainability they would
consult with the sustainability com-
mittee. Te city ofces already tried
a paperless policy, but found it is
more wasteful to use electronic de-
vices all the time. Te city is also
looking at its purchasing policy for a
more efcient use of resources. And,
according to Cutright, a lot of the
sustainability plan will go into edu-
cation and outreach for Dunwoody
residents.
We are ofering citizens an op-
portunity to put sustainability in
place in their own lives, even things
like a steam cleanup or opportuni-
ties for citizens to get involved with
city sponsored events, Cutright
said. Our focus is more to incentiv-
ize sustainability so it can improve
their daily lives. By saving energy
you can also save money, that sort of
thing.
Tough Dunwoody is not unique
in having a sustainability focus, it is
actively getting its residents to think
about sustainable options.
City communications director
Bob Mullen said Dunwoody is not
a didactic town, telling its residents
what to do. Rather, they aim to pro-
vide resources.
Somebody whos looking to
recycle a television, recycle paint
or fnd a way to put in place some
best practices, they are looking for
someone to help educate them and I
think the city fulflls that need for its
residents, he said.


COMMUNITY
AROUND
DEKALB
CRIME BRIEFS
Atlanta
Audubon Society offering
backyard sanctuary tour
Atlanta Audubon Society (AAS) will host

its annual Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary Tour on
Saturday, Sept. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Te tour will feature fve properties located
along an 18.5-mile route between Dunwoody,
Sandy Springs, Peachtree Corners and Berkeley
Lake.
Te tour is being hosted in cooperation with
Dunwoody Community Garden, Dunwoody
Nature Center, Dunwoody Womens Club,
Georgia Native Plant Society, Mt. Vernon
Printing, Linda and Steve Edwards, Nancy and
Richard Fonde, and Susan Hanson.
Tickets are $15 for AAS members and $20 for
nonmembers. Te tour is free for children ages
12 and younger accompanied by a paying adult.
Tickets also will be available on the day of the
tour at the Backyard Sanctuary sites.
All proceeds will support the education and
conservation eforts of Atlanta Audubon Society.
For further information, tour details and to
purchase tickets, visit www.AtlantaAudubon.org.
Chamblee
Website now available in
81 languages
With a diverse population that is more than
58 percent Hispanic, Chamblee has added a new
feature to its city website enabling residents to
more easily access information. At the bottom of
www.chambleega.com, a small box with Googles
logo is now present. Clicking on the box brings
up the Google Translate option that will translate
the sites pages into one of 81 languages from
Afrikaans and Zulu.
Te citys motto, Community Feel, Global
Appeal is refected in the change, a city
statement said.
Decatur
Organization to host Ebola
panel discussion
Our Seeds Tomorrow will host a panel
discussion, EBOLA: Shaping Solutions to West
African Crisis, Sept. 4 at Decatur Recreation
Center from 5 - 8 p.m. Te discussion will
center on strategies to address the crisis in West
Africa and how to support the cause through
fundraising eforts to provide supplies and
advanced medical research. Dr. Neil Shulman,
professor at Emory University, will be a featured
panelist as well as medical professionals from
institutions such as the Centers for Disease
Control, Morehouse School of Medicine,
University of Georgia Medical school, and many
others. Decatur Recreation Center is located at
231 Sycamore St. For more information, contact
Dazia Fumbah at (470) 257-2600 or ebola@
ourseedstomorrow.org.
Doraville
Volunteers needed for task
force on schools
Doraville City Council approved a task
force to study academics in Doraville on Aug.
18. Volunteers are now needed to fll task force
positions.
Members will research issues relating to
academics at Doraville schools, from learning
environment to testing. Te task force will make
recommendations to city staf on how to improve
city schools.
Applications must be turned in to city hall
and be received by Sept. 10. Te application can
be found by going to www.doravillega.us and
clicking on Latest News.
Brookhaven
Police partners with Nextdoor
Te Brookhaven Police Department has
partnered with Nextdoor, the private social
network for neighborhoods, to build stronger,
safer communities with the help of residents.
Te partnership will enable Brookhaven police
to communicate online with Brookhaven
neighborhoods. Residents and police will be
able to work together to improve safety and
strengthen neighborhood watch eforts. Tose
interested in joining their neighborhoods
Nextdoor website can visit www.nextdoor.com
and enter their address. Residents who have
questions about their Nextdoor website, can visit
help.nextdoor.com.
City to recap parks master plan
Brookhaven Parks and Recreation Steering
Committee will have a meeting to recap the
Parks Master Plan process on Sept. 4 at 4 p.m. in
the council chamber at city hall, 4362 Peachtree
Road. For more information, visit www.
brookhavenga.gov.
Convenience store
clerk shot in head
A convenience store clerk is in critical
condition afer an early morning armed
robbery.
At 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 2, an armed man
entered the Texaco store at 3521 Flat Shoals
Road, said Capt. Stephen Fore of the DeKalb
County Police Department.
He robbed the store; the clerk was
completely compliant [and] gave the suspect
everything he wanted. As the suspect was
leaving the location, he turned and fred,
striking the clerk in the head, Fore said.
Te clerk is in critical condition. Police are
currently interviewing a person of interest, but
no charges have been fled.
Decatur couple kidnapped, handcuffed
and shot
A couple was kidnapped from Coleen Court
in Decatur on Aug. 30 and taken to Atlanta,
where they were shot.
Te kidnapping occurred Aug. 30 at ap-
proximately 12:30 a.m. Te couple was returning
home when they were taken by suspects. Before
they got to the residence, they were approached
and grabbed. Tey were handcufed and taken
away in a van, said Capt. Stephen Fore of the
DeKalb County Police Department.
Later they were found in the city of Atlanta
sufering from gunshot wounds, Fore said.
According to the Atlanta Police Department,
ofcers responded at 6:11 a.m. to a call about two
shooting victims at 175 Ridge Ave. NW.
One adult male victim was deceased on
scene and one adult female victim was trans-
ported to Grady Hospital in critical condition,
according to a statement from the Atlanta Police
Department.
Witnesses told police that there were at least
two suspects who were dressed in black clothing.
Te victims reportedly were both shot in the
head and have been identifed by family mem-
bers as Jeronta Brown,24, andBriana Brooks,
21. Brown is deceased and Brooks, who was sev-
en months pregnant, gave birth to a healthy baby
girl and is on life support.
Browns family is ofering a $15,000 reward
for information about the crime.
LOCAL NEWS
The Lithonia Amphitheater, which was once a popular entertainment spot, could become
a thriving place again once the Lithonia city council transfer ownership to the Downtown
Development Authority. File photos
Doreen Continued From Page 2A Brookhaven City Council
revises tree ordinance
Afer lengthy debate and public
input, the Brookhaven City Council
adopted a revised tree ordinance de-
signed to preserve the citys tree canopy,
protect the wooded character that older
trees create in the city and respect the
rights of private property owners to
manage their trees as they see ft.
Brookhaven staf and city council
have been working for more than six
months on the proposed ordinance
afer determining that the existing ordi-
nance, inherited from DeKalb County,
did not meet the needs of Brookhaven.
Homeowners were allowed to remove
up to fve trees per year for any reason,
with no requirement for replacement,
management of increased runof or
other factors.
Brookhavens ordinance is intended
to facilitate and promote tree canopy
preservation and make tree replace-
ment an integral part of the land
development process in the city of
Brookhaven.
We have worked very hard to
strike a balance between respecting the
rights of property owners to manage
their trees and their property as they
see ft, and protecting the natural beau-
ty that trees bring to Brookhaven, said
city Councilwoman Rebecca Chase
Williams. Its taken a long time, but I
believe weve found that balance.
Te new ordinance has been writ-
ten to protect specimen trees, create
standards for preserving trees as de-
velopment occurs, discourage clear-
cutting and mass grading of land dur-
ing construction that results in the loss
of mature trees. If tree loss cannot be
prevented, the tree ordinance creates
standards for ecologically appropriate
replanting or monetary recompense.
Lithonia Amphitheater may get new owner
by Carla Parker
N
early every weekend
concertgoers can check
out performances and
events at one of the many popular
amphitheaters in metro Atlanta.
However, none of those
popular amphitheaters are in
downtown Lithonia. Kings of Leon
fans will have to travel to Aarons
Amphitheatre at Lakewood in south
Atlanta to see them. Lyfe Jennings
and Carl Tomas fans will have to
go to Wolf Creek Amphitheater in
south Fulton County.
Tere will be other concerts
at Delta Classic Chastain Park
Amphitheater in Buckhead and the
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
at Encore Park in Alpharetta.
However, Lithonia Amphitheater
had not hosted concerts in almost
10 years.
Te city of Lithonia and its
Downtown Development Authority
(DDA) are working to change that.
Te city council is expected to vote
Sept. 8 on an agreement to transfer
ownership of the amphitheater from
the city to the DDA.
City Councilman Al Franklin,
who is also the DDA boards vice
chairman, said the city had a
management agreement in the past
to move the amphitheater forward.
For a variety of reasons they
decided that it wouldnt be in the
best interest for the city to run the
management agreement, Franklin
said. Terefore, to separate the
city from the actual activities and
dealing with the amphitheater, we
felt that it would be better run if the
DDA had an opportunity to run
and manage the facility.
Te citys DDA was inactive
for almost a decade, according to
Franklin, and was reactivated in
January 2013 by Mayor Deborah
Jackson and the city council.
Our role is to partner with
the city to advance any type of
initiatives that the DDA may
see ftting of what the city wants
to pursue, Franklin said. Not
everything is benefcial or makes
sense for the city, but it may make
better sense for the DDA.
Once ownership of the
amphitheater is transferred to the
DDA, it will appoint a management
company that can oversee and
manage the amphitheater.
Te beneft of that is when
[the amphitheater] is turned over
to the DDA, the DDA then has the
opportunity to disperse the funds,
Franklin said. Which means that if
it wants to reinvest into downtown
or the Main Street area, if it wants
to focus on landscaping to improve
the city outlaythe DDA deems
to have funds to approach those
opportunities and also create more
community events that may not
necessarily be revenue-generating
events, but they are events that
maybe the city will beneft from.
Te DDA also will be able to
have a long-term agreement with
a management company, while the
city could only ofer an agreement
up to fve years.
Franklin said the amphitheater is
in pretty good condition, but there
are some areas in the amphitheater
that are not operational.
Te major issue is taking care
of the electrical [aspects], he said.
Te other issue is bringing in
[portable] potties. We would like
to have permanent bathrooms.
Once we get building things up
to speed in those regards, then
it will defnitely make us more
competitive.
areas, we gone into predominantly White areas and just last night
we were in the most diverse meeting that Ive seen around the
entire state, Carter said. And no ones looking at me like whos
this Black woman running for ofce. Teyre saying, Heres
somebody who is courageous enough and has the heart and
intention to serve the people of Georgia. And theyre excited.
I actually have been surprised...at the welcome reception,
Carter said. Of course you always know your community is
going to accept you or you think your community is going to
accept you. You dont know how other people are going to accept
you. Its been amazing.
Its so exciting and its encouraging and its refreshing
because you just dont know when you decide to run how people
are going to accept you, she said.
Carter said she believes her chance of winning the election
is the same as every other Democrat on this ticket.
We have enough Democrats in Georgia for Georgia to be
blue; if they come out to vote, we all win, Carter said.
Im African-American, and we have this historic ticketthe
fve African-American femalesthat nobody planned, she said.
We have a lot of work to do. I have a lot of work to do.
Weve got to get around the state and keep our message in front
of people, but I think if any Democrat can win a constitutional
ofce, all the Democrats can win.
LOCAL NEWS
Te State Charter Schools Commission
denied the application of Brookhaven
Innovation Academy (BIA) to open a
charter school.
Te ruling came down Aug. 28, but the
commission encouraged city ofcials to re-
apply next year.
Even though we asked the State
Charter Schools Commission to give
us more time to address the issues and
their concerns in their recommendation,
they chose not to do that. We respect
that decision and feel we will be able
to satisfy and address their concerns in
our petition next year, said Brookhaven
Councilmember Bates Mattison.
Tree of the seven members of the
State Charter Schools Commission Board
spoke in favor of the BIA and strongly
encouraged petitioners to come back next
year for the 2015 petition cycle.
We will begin working with the
State Charter Schools Commission staf
immediately and feel very optimistic that
we will be able to address their concerns in
our 2015 petition, Mattison said.
Although the charter application
was made to the State Charter Schools
Commission, the BIA has earned the
support of DeKalb County School District
Superintendent Michael Turmond, who
has described BIA as an innovative idea
with tremendous potential.
Current plans call for the BIA to
open with 420 students in grades K-six,
and later enroll up to 1,300 students as a
K-12 public charter school with multiple
campuses and a virtual component. BIA
will ofer a student-centered learning
environment implementing a combination
of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math focused, project-based and blended
learning curricula.
Were going to continue to meet
with Superintendent Turmond quarterly
and deepen our relationship with DeKalb
County Schools, Mattison said. Tis is
a state process, but well be working in
partnership with DeKalb going forward.
Brookhaven charter school petition denied
by Carla Parker
Citizens for a Healthy
and Safe Environment
(CHASE) continues to fght
against a biomass plant that
is expected to be built in Li-
thonia, and the organization
took its fght to the Georgia
Public Service Commission
Aug. 28.
Members of CHASE,
led by president Renee Cail,
voiced their opposition to
the proposed gasifcation/
biomass plant that Green
Energy PartnersDeKalb
wants to construct. Te
plant, which will be operated
by Green Energy Resource
Center, would be located on
21 acres at 1770 Rogers Lake
Road.
Cail told the commission
that she does not under-
stand why the commission
approved the project that is
detrimental to the commu-
nity.
We have written the
commission, we have deliv-
ered information, we have
documented evidence that
its bad for the community
and we dont want it, Cail
said. So why is it being ap-
proved when the public com-
mission is supposed to work
in the best interest of the
consumers?
A member of the com-
mission said President
Barack Obama is encourag-
ing the commission through
the Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) to cre-
ate new forms of renewable
energy.
Tis is a form of renew-
able energy and its some-
thing that we see popping up
all over Georgia, the com-
missioner said. So biomass
is a renewable energy, its
green energy and its some-
thing that the president is
pulling behind.
Cail said CHASE visited
a biomass plant in Dalton
and said it is not green en-
ergy.
It may be renewable; it is
renewable because it comes
back as toxin and pollution
and it gets in our lungs,
she said. President Obama
wants whats best. Maybe he
didnt read the report yet,
and I will send it to him. He
wants reliable sustainable
and healthy projects.
Cail said CHASE will
continue to fght the con-
struction of the plant.
Afer the DeKalb County
Board of Commissioners
approved the facility in June
2011, CHASE fled a lawsuit
against DeKalb County to
prevent the construction
of the facility. Te lawsuit
claims the county engaged
in contract rezoning when
it granted a special land
use permit for the facil-
ity afer the county already
had signed a contract with
Green Energy Partners to sell
wood waste for an estimated
$200,000 per year.
In July 2011, Green Ener-
gy Partners pulled its permit
application afer failing to
complete the environmental
permit application in time.
Te withdrawal was in re-
sponse to a Georgia Environ-
mental Protection Division
(EPD) request for additional
information on the planned
gasifcation process to be
used in the plant.
On Feb. 14, 2012, the
Development Authority of
DeKalb approved a resolu-
tion declaring its intent to
issue $53 million in bonds to
help Green Energy Partners
get started. Te authority
later approved a 10-year tax
abatement for the facility.
Green Energy Partners
fled its air permit application
to the Georgia EPD April 24,
2012, and it received the per-
mit April 26, 2013.
Green Energy Part-
ners proposed to use wood
biomass, purchased from
DeKalb County and deliv-
ered by truck, to generate
electricity by processing ap-
proximately 165,000 tons per
year of untreated wood and
yard waste.
Te facility would be
constructed on property in a
heavy industrial zone.
Wood biomass would be
stored uncovered in an ini-
tial receiving area capable of
storing a minimum of a sev-
en-day supply. Te biomass
would then be transferred
to a covered area. Follow-
ing screening, the biomass
would be fed to two bio-
mass units.
CHASE pleads case to Georgia Public Service Commission
No charter, for now
CHASE president Renee Cail, right, speaks with supporters after
the Georgia Public Service Commission Public meeting. Photo by
Carla Parker
LOCAL NEWS
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid
Transit Authority will hold public hearings for the purpose of considering:
Proposed Bus Modications for December 13, 2014
Notice of Public Hearings:
September 8 & 9, 2014
Copies of the proposed service
modications will also be available at
MARTAs Ofce of External Affairs, 2424
Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324
during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30 A.M.
5:00 P.M., Sat 9:00 A.M. 12 Noon and on the
website at www.itsmarta.com.
For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance
with the ADA and Limited English Prociency
regulations contact 404-848-4037. For those
patrons requiring further accommodations,
information can be obtained by calling the
Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 404-848-
5665.
In addition, a sign language interpreter will
be available at the hearing. If you cannot attend
the hearing and want to provide comments you
may: (1) leave a message at 404-848-5299; (2)
write to MARTAs Ofce of External Affairs, 2424
Piedmont Road, N.E, Atlanta, Georgia 30324-
3330; (3) complete an online Comment Card at
www.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your comments
no later than September 15, 2014 to 404-848-
4179.
All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the
Counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett
whose interests are affected by the subjects to
be considered at this hearing are hereby notied
and invited to appear at said time and place and
present such evidence, comment or objection as
their interests require.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority complies with all federal regulations and
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color or
national origin, in its programs, benets, services
or activities. Complaints or inquiries regarding Title
VI compliance may be directed in writing to the
Ofce of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at 2424
Piedmont Road, N.E., Atlanta, Georgia 30324 or
404-848-5240.
Route 89 Flat Shoals Road/Scoeld Road will be realigned to assume the Old National
Highway (between Godby Road and Jonesboro Road), Jonesboro Road, Londonderry Way,
Lancaster Lane, and Shannon Parkway segments currently operated by Route 189-Old National
Highway/Union Station on all service days. Route 89 will be renamed Route 89 Old
National Highway/Union Station.
Route 140 North Point/Mansell Road Park and Ride will be realigned to provide service
along the east side of Old Milton Parkway via Haynes Bridge Road, Left onto Old Milton Parkway,
right onto Brookside Parkway, right onto Alexander Drive, and left onto Old Milton Parkway and
continue regular routing. The proposed new service along Old Milton Parkway would operate non-
peak hours (9:00 AM -3:00 PM) on weekdays only.
Route 143 Windward Park and Ride will be realigned to provide service along the east
side of Old Milton Parkway via GA 400 to Old Milton Parkway exit (Exit 10), right onto Old Milton
Parkway, right onto Brookside Parkway, right onto Alexander Drive, and left onto Old Milton
Parkway then continue regular routing. The proposed new service along Old Milton Parkway would
operate alternating trips during peak periods. During A.M. peak periods, service would be operated
in the Northbound direction to Windward Park and Ride. During the P.M. peak periods, service
would be operated in the Southbound direction to North Springs Station.
Route 180 Fairburn/Palmetto will be realigned to operate a short turn alignment from
College Park Station to the Fulton County Comprehensive Career Center-Fulton County DFCS Service
Center (South Branch) via Stonewall Tell Road and Camp Drive and continue operation from College
Park Station to Palmetto every other trip (alternating) during peak periods (6:00 AM - 9:00 AM and
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM) on weekdays only.
Route 189 Old National Highway/Union Station will be realigned to assume the Godby
Road, Scoeld Road, Surrey Trail, Pleasant Hill Road, Old National Highway (between Pleasant Hill
and Flat Shoals Roads), Flat Shoals Road, Feldwood Road to South Fulton Park and Ride segments
currently operated by Route 89-Flat Shoals/Scoeld on all service days. Additionally, the alternating
trip service along Hillandale Drive, Carriage Lane, Ocean Valley Road, Old Farm Road, Harper
Valley Drive, Kimberly Mill Road, and Cadiz Circle will be provided by Route 189 realignment.
Route 189 will be renamed Route 189 Flat Shoals Road/Scoeld Road.
Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO
2424 Piedmont Road NE
Atlanta 30324
MARTA HQ
HEARING: 7:00 P.M.
Community Exchange: 6-7 P.M.
Riding MARTA:
Across the street from
Lindbergh Center Station.
Monday, September 8 Tuesday, September 9
3595 Webb Bridge Rd
Alpharetta 30005
North Fulton
ALPHARETTA
HIGH SCHOOL
HEARING: 7:00 P.M.
Riding MARTA: Rt. 140 from
Windward Park and Ride.
5600 Stonewall Tell Road
College Park 30349
South Fulton
SERVICE CENTER &
GOVERNMENT CENTER
HEARING: 7:00 P.M.
Riding MARTA: Rt 180 from
College Park Station.
Proposed routing and/or segment adjustments for the following bus routes:
State brings order
to cityhood drive
by Carla Parker
Overlapping boundaries on the
proposed maps for three DeKalb
County cities was one of the reasons
why the cityhood bills failed in the 2014
legislative session, according to state
officials.
To help solve the boundary issues
between Briarcliff, Lakeside and Tucker,
State Reps. Mike Jacobs (R-Brookhaven)
and Tom Taylor (R-Dunwoody)
met with cityhood proponents to
discuss directions issued by House
Governmental Affairs Committee
Chairwoman Amy Carter (R-Valdosta)
for the cityhood boundary line
proposals.
The House Governmental Affairs
Committee oversees legislation in the
Georgia House of Representatives
involving the creation of new cities.
Tom Taylor and I worked with Rep.
Carter, chair of the House Governmental
Afairs Committee, to develop a process
for DeKalb County cityhood proponents to
follow as we approach next session, Jacobs
said. Our goal for this process is to en-
courage all stakeholders to engage in con-
versations now about cityhood boundary
lines and to ensure any remaining disputes
are resolved prior to 2015.
The maps of the three proposed
cities had overlapping areas, including
the Northlake area. Lakesides map also
included part of Tuckers 30084 ZIP code.
Each of the three cityhood proponent
groups was instructed to identify one
authorized signatory for a compromise
boundary map by Sept. 5. They have
until Nov. 15 to come to a mutual
agreement on city boundary lines and
submit the agreed-upon map bearing
three signatures from the authorized
signatories to the House Governmental
Affairs Committee.
Te cityhood proponents also were told
that if an agreement cannot be reached
by that date, Carter will appoint a panel
of fve state House members to carry out
the task of drawing city boundaries for the
proposed cities. Te panels sole charge
will be to produce a boundary map no
later than Dec. 31 by majority vote of the
panel. Either the agreed-upon map by
cityhood proponents or the map drawn by
the legislative panel will be the only version
that the House Governmental Afairs
Committee will consider.
Tis process Rep. Jacobs and
Rep. Taylor developed gives cityhood
proponents in DeKalb County the best
chance for successful passage of legislation
that will allow new city proposals to
go before the voters for consideration,
Carter said. Tere is a need to bring
order to this process and the directions
outlined to the stakeholders today will
accomplish just that.
In a post on the City of Tucker 2015
Facebook page, a representative said,
We are fully confident this will produce
a positive outcome for Tucker.
Lines on a map
Jacobs Taylor
SUMMER CLEARANCE
Call 678.640.2184
Quality Mens Suits
$99 and up
State Representatives Mike Jacobs and Tom Taylor met with Briarcliff, Lakeside and Tucker cityhood
proponents to discuss directions for DeKalb County cityhood boundary line proposals.
LOCAL NEWS
Decatur womans battle cry is
by Andrew Cauthen
In
April 1986 a reactor at the
nuclear power plant near
Chernobyl, Ukraine, exploded.
A fre there burned for 10 days,
31 people died afer the explosion and more
than a quarter of a million people were
permanently driven from their homes.
It is considered the worst nuclear
disaster ever.
Te next year in metro Atlanta,
hundreds marched protesting the use of
nuclear power, and Glenn Carroll was one
of them.
Carroll, now the coordinator of
Nuclear Watch South (www.nonukesyall.
org), was attracted to the organization,
originally founded as Georgians Against
Nuclear Energy, afer the Chernobyl
accident.
I was horrifed because my
understanding of nuclear power is that
its a hunky-dory way to boil water
and generate steam and make electricity
if nothing goes wrong, she said. If
something goes wrong theres such an
unprecedented amount of radiation
concentrated in running reactor.
Founded in 1977, Nuclear Watch
South is possibly the oldest grassroots
environmental group in Georgia, Carroll
said.
Nuclear Watch South was founded to
react to reactors that were being built in
Georgia and have been built, she said.
One ongoing focus of the group
has been the large nuclear weapons
complex on the South Carolina side of the
Savannah River.
Once called Savannah River Plant,
in its heydayit was one of the biggest
nuclear weapons complexes in the country.
Its now mostly shut, but its got enormous
quantities of nuclear wastes, Carroll said.
Te major focus of Nuclear
Watch South currently is Plant Vogtle
nearWaynesboro where two new nuclear
reactors are under construction. According
to Georgia Power, the new unitsare
among the frst new nuclear units being
built in the United States in 30 years. Te
addition of the new units will make Plant
Vogtle the only four-unit nuclear facility in
the country.
Te reactors, Carroll said, are being
funded in part by a nuclear construction
cost recovery included in the bills of
Georgia Power customers.
It amounts to a tax thats up to about
9 percent, she said. Only residences and
small businesses are paying it. Its only the
little guy thats getting charged this.
We are still calling for a repeal of
the tax, Carroll said. What were saying
is that now that we know that [nuclear
power] isnt needed, we need to stop it.
Approximately a decade ago, Nuclear
Watch South entered a major lawsuit about
the MOX plutonium fuel factory at the
Savannah River Site.
We are opposing license from the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for this
fuel factory, Carroll said. Tey want
to put weapons-grade plutonium fuel in
commercial nuclear reactors. We have
opposed the license for 13 years, and they
dont have a license yet, and were still
opposing it. Tere are no reactors that are
willing to use the fuel, so it may be a moot
point.
Carroll described the members of
Nuclear Watch South as just really
humble regular people who are moved and
have studied.
Te organization keeps members
informed about commission meetings
and the environmental impact statement
hearings.
Te committees transcribe what you
say and then it seems like they never do
anything with it, but then somehow or
another we add up to getting the results we
want, Carroll said.
Teres nothing to be done with
nuclear waste, and if you have an accident,
its too much, Carroll said. Since you
can get your energy from the sun and the
wind nowwhich wasnt the case when
we started with nuclear, but it is the case
nowits time to move on. We dont need
it. We dont need to work it out. We dont
need to perfect it.
no nukes, yall
Upcoming Seminars at DeKalb Medical
For a referral to a DeKalb Medical physician or to reserve
your space for these free seminars, please call 404.596.4772.
Light refreshments will be served. Parking is free.
Doc Talks
www.dekalbmedical.org dekalbmedical
Celebrating Womens Health:
Ladies Night Out to
Empower Women to
Make Health a Priority
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
6:008:00 p.m.
Community Room
Hillandale campus
Our expert panel of doctors
will ofer information on
a wide range of womens
health topics such as healthy
aging, breast cancer, ftness
and nutrition, menopause
and more. Come early and
receive a complimentary
bone density scan of the heel
which indicates whether
you may need further
osteoporosis testing.
Call 404.596.4772 or visit
www.dekalbmedical.org.
Te DeKalb County
Board of Registration &
Elections will hold a special
election to fll the District 1
commission seat vacated by
Elaine Boyer.
Tis election will be held
in conjunction with the gen-
eral election on Nov. 4.
Qualifying for the special
election will begin Monday,
Sept. 8, at 8:30 a.m. and close
Wednesday, Sept. 10, at noon
and will be in the ofce of
the DeKalb County Board of
Registrations and Elections,
4380 Memorial Drive, De-
catur.
Te fee to qualify is
$1,151.24.
Te special election will
be held in all the regular
polling places in Commis-
sion District 1.
Te last day to register
to be eligible to vote in this
special election is Oct. 6. If a
runof is required, it will be
held on Dec. 2.
For more information,
visit www.dekalbvotes.com
and look under Notices
and Current Election Infor-
mation.
Special election set to
replace commissioner
Glenn Carroll has been campaigning against nuclear reactors for more than 25 years. Photo by
Andrew Cauthen
LOCAL NEWS
Arabia Mountain: A county treasure
by Lauren Ramsdell
A
rabia Mountain National Heritage area is
a little smaller and weirder than its bigger,
more famous cousin, Stone Mountain.
It ofers no Instagram-worthy view of
downtown Atlantas skyline from the top. But its every
bit as fun.
Te hike to the top starts at a little parking lot
near AWARE Wildlife Center. Tats the Atlanta Wild
Animal Rescue Efort. Te parking lot flls up quickly
with hikers, bikers and PATH walkers, though, so
parking a half mile away at the Davidson-Arabia
Nature Center and walking along the road may be
necessary. Teres no gondola to take visitors up, so
if you want to see the top, they should bring sturdy
shoes.
At the trailhead, stop to apply sunscreen. Youll
needed on the bald granite slope. Very few trees ofer
shade along the half-mile trek with an elevation of 954
feet. Along the way are the shallow depressions Arabia
Mountain might be famous for. Tese depressions
fll with water that slowly leeches out minerals and
contributes to soil formation. Some plants, including
the vibrant diamorpha smallii, make their homes
exclusively in these pools. Teyre most colorful in the
winter, but nature abounds throughout the year.
On a Saturday afernoon hike there were only a
handful of people on the trail, which is marked by
cairns. Along the way, hikers can use odd, geometric
rock formationslefovers from when Arabia
Mountain was an active quarry, supplying building
materials for homes and businesses around DeKalb
County. Some of the historic buildings in nearby
Lithonia, named in reference to the mountain, have
facades made from Arabia Mountain stone.
Ranger Robby Astrove said its hard to keep a
tally of people who visit the mountain because there
are six parking lots and trailheads throughout the
park. He said around 80 percent of people who visit
the nature center dont sign in.
However, that doesnt mean the spots not popular.
Just a little hidden.
I always refer to Arabia as DeKalbs best kept
secret, Astrove said. I do take a lot of pride that all
of our entrance fees and programs to the public are
free. Tats diferent compared to the sister mountains
Panola and Stone Mountain.
Astrove leads guided hikes around the park on
Fridays and Sundays. He said his goal is to get people
interested and excited about nature.
Te real goal of mine is that people come
out here and they appreciate what they have in
their backyard, he said. Tey have a greater
understanding of how the world works and their
place in it. For example, when theyre washing their
car, they may think Do I even need to wash my car
because of precious water resources? I am seeking
behavior change in people.
At the top of the mountain, its easy to feel small
standing on hundreds of cubic feet of solid, rock
surrounded by dense forest.
If I blindfold you and brought you up top, would
you believe you were in DeKalb County? Astrove
said. Tis is what real DeKalb county is its a good
reminder for people. Who owns the park? Its us. Its
the public.
Remnants of the quarrying operation that used to support the community of
Lithonia are still apparent on the mountainside.
Reaching the top of Arabia Mountain is a half-mile hike with a more than 900-foot elevation change. Photos by Lauren Ramsdell
A variety of plants and animals make Arabia Mountain their home.
Shallow depressions worn away by time and water
collect moisture, which can support rare plants.
LOCAL NEWS
WEEK
PICTURES
In
Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

For a programming guide, visit www.yourdekalb.com/dctv
Now showing on DCTV!
Finding DeKalb Countys Missing
Stories of our missing residents offer profound
insights and hope for a positive reunion.
DCTV Your Emmy Award-winning news source of DeKalb County news. Available on Comcast Cable Channel 23.
Photos brought to you by DCTV
Robert Bob Statham, a deputy chief assistant district attorney in the trial division of the DAs Offce,
was recently recognized for 31 years of service to DeKalb County. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
Members of the ML King marching band perform during the Battle of the Borders games Aug. 30. Photo by Travis Hudgons
Kindergarten students at Ashford Park Elementary have the
option to learn in a German language immersion class. Students
sort bren (bears) by color and count in German how many there
are. See page 19 for full story. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell
LOCAL NEWS
A BETTER WAY FORWARD
Launch your
educational future.
visit gpc.edu/secondhalf
Its not too late to register or apply for second-half classes at Georgia Perimeter
College. You have until September 22 to submit all documents. Nows your chance to
join more than 21,000 students who call GPC home.
Second-half fall classes start October 13, so what are you waiting for?
ChampionAd9-4.indd 1 8/25/14 3:06 PM
Its a happy world
7-year-old author featured at Decatur Book festival
By Kathy Mitchell
T
he Decatur Book Festival Labor Day
weekend featured dozens of authors at
various stages in their careers. Perhaps
the youngest was 7-year-old Decatur
resident Myles Shulman.
Myles, a second-grade pupil at Laurel Ridge
Elementary who also illustrated the work,
presented his book Make the World Happy! on
the childrens stage on Aug. 29, to second- and
third-graders who were bused to the festival
from local schools as part of the festivals
opening day tradition.
Banker Judy Turner, a member of the
festival board of directors, learned of the book
and squeezed it in as a last minute addition to
the Decatur Book Festival.
Myles has always enjoyed creating stories
and telling them to us, explained his mother,
Zoe Haugo. He loves to draw and as he draws
pictures he tells the story behind the picture.
His dad [physician and author Neil Shulman]
suggested that we help Myles turn one of his
stories into a book. This became our spring
break project.
The book was produced as a PosterBook,
a copyrighted concept created by Neil
Shulman, who has written more than 30 books,
including the novel that became the major
motion picture Doc Hollywood. As with other
PosterBooks, this one was designed to teach
life lessons. Through the story of an elephant
thats having so much fun spraying water
that he doesnt notice how the water spray is
annoying a cat, Make the World Happy! offers
readers advice about conflict resolution and
controlling anger. Novelist Carl Hiaasen said
the book is funny, touching and very, very
wise, whether youre 70 or 7.
Dr. Shulman has created PosterBooks on
the dangers of smoking, how to behave when
stopped by the police and other issues. Each
of the books opens into a poster that can
be displayed to remind people of the books
message.
Haugo, called it ironic that Myles should
become an author as such a young age. He
has some learning disabilities that have made
language more of a challenge for him than it is
for most children. Writing this book has been
a big help to him as well as a big confidence
booster, she said.
Working on the book became a big mother-
son bonding experience, according to Haugo,
who created comments by Mom sprinkled
throughout the story. We could have done
a lot of things together while Myles was on
vacation, but I dont think anything could have
brought us closer than creating this book, she
said.
The book debuted in Haugos native
Canada, where Myles held a book signing at
a large bookstore in Kingston. He also was on
radio there, where his message was, Hey guys,
do you want to be nice? Be nice to each other.
Do good things. Be happy. Think of others. Do
all the things you want to do. Learn about all
people. Be like Cat, Dog and Elephant at the
end of my book. My book is called Make the
World Happy!It turns into a big poster.
The Canada book signing event was a
fundraiser for a local food bank and thats in
keeping with the vision Haugo and Shulman
have for their childs project. We want to offer
it to nonprofits at a very low price so they can
sell copies to raise money, Haugo explained.
The book was published by RxHumor, a
publishing company owned by husband-and-
wife team Schulman and Haugo.
Among the young authors experiences
has been teaming with Naomi King, sister-
in-law of Martin Luther King Jr., and author
of AD King and ML King: Two Brothers Who
Dared to Dream, in a joint book presentation.
Haugo noted that each of the books is designed
to inspire readers to work toward creating a
happy world. The common message embodied
in these two works will appeal to a wide age
spectrum, she said.
Haugo said she hopes that in addition
to spreading a positive message and being
a source of funds for nonprofits, she hopes
the book will inspire other youngsters to
tackle similar projects. Its a great tool for
empowering children to express their creativity
and building their self-esteem, she said.
The Champion FreePress, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014 Page 15A LOCAL NEWS
Boyer Continued From Page 1A
Foodie Continued From Page 1A
and her husband have stayed away
from chain restaurants and focused
on Mexican, Korean, Indian,
Chinese, Vietnamese and other
eateries along the well-known strip.
Most are mom and pop operations,
and ofen communication can be
challenging when owners and staf
have limited English skills. Many of
the restaurants have an exterior that
is less than inviting but ofer great
food, she said.
Teres a lot of authentic great
food here that just kinda has a lousy
exterior, said Allred.
Allred said their 130-week
journey began afer she was seeking
a creative outlet and one with which
she could work on her photography
skills. Te Allreds rate their
experiences on a one-to-fve scale,
giving details of each encounter.
She said they focus on the food with
less said about the dcor or service,
noting that various cultures put
diferent emphasis on service.
Tere are always cultural
diferences, she said.
Allred has traveled to Tokyo
with her husband, who works in
information technology, on one of
his business trips as well as to Hong
Kong, Amsterdam and Grenada.
Allred, a graphic designer who
lives in Toco Hills, said they usually
head to Buford Highway once a
week and started the endeavor
along the southern end and have
steadily moved north. Along the
way theyve had some great meals
such as a Korean barbecue at Han II
Kwan, ceviche at La Pastorcita, banh
hoi at Nam Phuong and Shanghai
dumpling at Chef Liu.
Allred said her adventurous spirit
has led her to try many new dishes,
many of which she isnt sure of all
the ingredients. Asked what was the
worst dish shes eaten during her
Buford Highway dining experience,
Allred immediately said tripe soup.
It still smells like what it is,
Allred said of the soup made from
an animals stomach.
She said she doesnt research a
restaurants health inspection report
until afer shes dined there and so
far hasnt gotten food poisoning.
Although she admits they both have
had rumbling stomachs afer a few
meals.
To mark the 100-restaurant
review milestone, Allred has
compiled a list on her blog of nine
of their favorite spots and seven
others they recommend on Buford
Highway.
She encourages locals to be more
adventurous when dining out. It is
so easy for us to stick to what we are
used to, Allred said.
Asked for advice for those
interested in exploring ethnic
cuisine but who have reservations,
Allred said, Keep an open mind
and try not to have any expectations.
Tat way you cant be disappointed
but pleasantly surprised.
Banchan dishes served at Han II Kwan.
unfortunately she has made some errors in judg-
ment.
Boyer accepts full responsibility for the deci-
sions that shes made and she acknowledges that
she has abused the trustof DeKalb County,
Brickman said.
Te 22-year veteran commissioner is very
apologetic to the people she has worked with and
for, Brickman told reporters. Tis is somebody
who is very ashamed of what she did but some-
one who has a very good reputation otherwise
who has done a lot of good for the county.
Boyer will enter a guilty plea at her next court
appearance and continue to cooperate with the
U.S. Attorneys Ofce in any way that they ask,
Brickman said. An arraignment hearing was
expected to be held within 10 days of her Aug. 26
court appearance.
She is cooperating in every way possible.
She is willing to assist them in any direction the
investigation goes, Brickman said. Tere are no
limitations on how long or to what extent Elaine
is willing to cooperate.
Boyers case was not presented to a grand jury
for indictment as is the norm, Brickman said.
Boyer did not see the need to put the burden
to the government, Brickman said. Mrs. Boyer
fully admits her involvement with those charges.
U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said that
Boyers cooperation could help mitigate her
sentence, but it doesnt wipe the slate clean. Tis
was a very serious crime for which she needs to
be held responsible.
Yates said her ofce will ask a federal judge to
sentence Boyer to some jail time. Boyers attor-
ney said he will ask for probation and added that
no plea agreement had been made with federal
prosecutors.
Yates added that there are a number of
DeKalb County ofcials currently under investi-
gation.
We do have a broader investigation of
DeKalb County government going right now,
she said.
Viola Davis of the Unhappy Taxpayer &
Voter, released a statement on Aug. 28 saying,
DeKalb County taxpayers and voters deserve
leadership that is ethical, transparent, and
accountable to the people.We deserve leadership
with integrity.With Elaine Boyer resigning from
ofce, she has moved DeKalb County forward in
the right direction.
Davis fled an ethics complaint against Boyer
earlier this year, alleging improper use of county-
issued credit cards and using taxpayer money as a
bank for bridge loans. Boyers aide Bob Lund-
sten was also named in the complaint which is
still under investigation by the DeKalb County
Board of Ethics.
Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton has
ofen claimed the ethics complaints were/are
frivolous and political, Davis stated. However,
we will let the evidence and facts that have been
brought to light speak for themselves.
U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates calls commissioners crimes serious. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
LOCAL NEWS
Tucker CID Continued From Page 9A
DeKalb County schools to
become charter district
Change could be implemented as early as 2015-2016 school year
Regional superintendent Trenton Arnold presents the proposal
for a charter district in DeKalb County to residents at Dunwoody
High School. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell
T
he DeKalb County
School District is plan-
ning to proceed and
transform itself into a charter
district within the next year.
Following the Georgia
legislatures instruction to de-
cide whether to remain a sta-
tus quo district, an Investing
in Educational Excellence
(IEE) system, or a charter sys-
tem by June 30, 2015, DeKalb
County school ofcials are
working towards the charter
district option.
Te charter option was
one of three options that were
available and each of the op-
tions has varying levels of dis-
tributive governance, fexibil-
ity and accountability require-
ments, said Trenton Arnold,
assistant superintendent for
District 3. Matching citizen
input with advisory commit-
tee [showed that] the best of
those three options was the
charter system option.
Based on feedback from
residents gathered by the
districts fexibility advisory
committee, members of which
were selected by school board
members and staf, the dis-
trict determined at its April 1
meeting that a charter district
was the way to go. Te district
has submitted its letter of in-
tent and is now working on
drafing the district charter
petition.
In every one of our
schools across the district, we
have engaged parents, Arnold
said. We know its there; the
capacity is there. We want to
just further support a process
and a mechanism to allow for
that localized decision-mak-
ing authority so they further
take ownership of the success
of their schools and their chil-
dren.
Te proposed charter
district petition may be avail-
able for view at the Sept. 8
board of education work ses-
sion. Following that, and the
open comment section at that
meeting, the fexibility adviso-
ry committee will meet again
and update the petition. Te
fnal petition may be available
for comment and adoption as
early as Oct. 6. Georgia law
states that the petition must
be received by Nov. 1 the year
prior to the start of the fscal
year that the charter system
contract would begin.
Te county board of
education has the fnal au-
thority to push it forward or
not, Arnold said. Assuming
they were to vote for it, then
the next step is for it to go
to the Georgia Department
of Education, then to the
charter advisory committee.
Tey recommend to the state
Board of Education approval
or not. If everything follows
the Department of Education
timeline, it would allow for
the district to begin operating
in school year 2015-2016.
Te charter district will
difer from the current or sta-
tus quo system in a number
of ways.
Currently, if a district
wants to have any part of state
law waived, for example, class
sizes, the entire district must
request the waiver, which
then would be applied to all
schools in the district. Under
a charter district, all schools
would have a blanket waiver,
except for public safety and
legal requirements such as
asbestos removal and consti-
tutional rights. Each school
would then be able to request
changes from its district and
implement them on a school-
by-school basis. So if a middle
school wanted to eliminate
physical education and add
a core math teacher in that
teachers place, it would not
afect schools across the dis-
trict. However, attendance
zones still will be used to de-
termine school placement.
Choice programs will
remain in place and will be
available to be applied for.
DeKalb has more than
50 choice programs; about
40 percent of our facilities of-
fer choice programs, Arnold
said. So there is that avail-
ability there.
Tese kinds of changes
will be proposed and drafed
by local school governance
councils, one team for every
school. Te makeup, appoint-
ment or election and level of
autonomy given to a council
will be spelled out in the dis-
trict petition. Any change that
a council proposes will have
to be reviewed by the central
ofce staf, so as not to in-
fringe on any laws or impair
student safety for example,
if a council recommended
an unsafe jungle gym for stu-
dents to use during recess.
To be accepted, the peti-
tion must address how the
challenges faced by DeKalb
County would be addressed
by becoming a charter district
and what districtwide waiv-
ers, if any, it would seek. Te
petition also must include
how growth and performance
would be measured and met.
Charter districts renewal
will be based in part on col-
lege and career readiness
performance index (CCRPI)
scores as well as a charter
district-only metric called
Beating the Odds (BTO).
BTO measures the districts
and schools performance ver-
sus schools of similar size and
demographics from across
the state. To pass, the schools
must be achieving at the same
rate or better than comparable
non-charter system schools.
A charter system does not
change the election or gover-
nance of district leadership,
such as elected school board
members, Arnold said.
Te key diference from
whats currently in place: the
[local school governance
councils] in many cases mir-
ror what the DeKalb Board of
Education would do from the
district perspective, he said.
Tey will be under the same
rules as the board of educa-
tion, with open meetings, a
requirement to publish their
minutes and to accept com-
ments. Tey will represent
the needs of the community.
Tere is a level of gravitas on
these school boards to the
service of their schools and
how they go about making
decisions.
At a community meeting
hosted by Arnold, some of the
charter district school options
were presented. Some, like
virtual schools and length-
ened school days, would be al-
lowed under the blanket waiv-
er from certain requirements,
like seat time mandated by the
state.
Any existing start-up or
conversion charters in the
district, such as Peachtree
Middle School or Chamblee
Charter High School, will be
able to either continue under
their existing charter or to
join the new charter district.
Also, if any school wants to
either start as a new charter or
become a conversion charter,
it will have the ability to peti-
tion and do so.
Te charter system schools
difer signifcantly from a
start-up charter in that they
still must have their variances
approved by the county school
board, which will function as
a governing board does for a
start-up charter. Te elected
school board, the hired super-
intendent and the superinten-
dents organizational chart will
remain. Parents at the meeting
expressed a desire to not in-
crease the number of employ-
ees at the central ofce.
We hear a lot that it is
going to beneft some with
the exclusion of others, Ar-
nold said. Tat is simply not
the case. What the district is
hoping is that the decision to
pursue charter system status
will beneft all of the students
in the district.
However, not all are
pleased. Te city of Dun-
woody is currently exploring
options to create a citywide
school system, similar to City
Schools of Decatur.
BUSINESS
The Voice of Business in DeKalb County
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org
Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030
Soul Food Caf features family recipes
by Kathy Mitchell
A
mong Tammy McRaes favorite
childhood memories is the familys
traditional frst Monday in August
gatherings at her grandmothers south
Georgia home. Seeing all the relatives was great,
she recalled, and the food was amazing.
McRae, who recently opened a restaurant
in Stone Mountain Village with her sister
Keyshaun, said that during many years in
the tax preparation business she dreamed of
opening a restaurant featuring recipes from
her mother and her aunts. Te dream came to
fruition with the opening of Mazel & Sisters
Soul Food Caf in August. Te restaurant name
honors her mother, Mazel, who died in 1994,
and her mothers sisters.
Every dish on the menu, McRae said, is
one that either her mother or one of her aunts
developed. I would call my cousins and ask,
When you think of this aunt, what food do
you think of? Te answers I got became the
restaurants specials. Yellow rice and sausage
that would be Ann. Chicken in the potthats
Jeannette.
McRae explained that her mother, who
along with other family members taught her
to cook, ofen had been the lead cook at family
dinners. Afer she passed away, I just took over.
You wont fnd any hamburgers and french fries
on the menu. I dont think my grandmother
ever cooked a french fry. Everything is a family
recipe. People who remember how much they
enjoyed going to grandmas house for dinner
will love coming here, she said, adding that
cakes and pies are made in-house and the
lemonade is fresh squeezed.
Te menu includes items diners might
expect to fnd at a soul food caffried
chicken, smothered pork chops, creamed corn,
collardsalong with such oferings as an aunts
special goulash. At lunch and dinner, customers
can request the Obamacare speciala half
order of meat at a reduced price.
Te owners
pride themselves in
serving the freshest
ingredients in
DeKalb County.
Te menu includes
the humorous
notation no cans
are harmed in the
making of our food.
Afer 10 years of
gathering recipes
from aunts and
cousins she was ready to open an eatery. But,
as McRae learned, appealing food is only one
side of being a restaurant owner; theres also
the business end. If anyone thinks opening
and running a restaurant is easy, Im here to
tell them its a lot of hard work. Just fnding
a location and fnancing for the project took
several years, she recalled, noting that because
this was her frst business venture she had
difculty fnding the support she needed.
McRae said she found the city of Stone
Mountain Downtown Development Authority
(DDA) as well as her business neighbors to be
welcoming and helpful. I dont know
what I would have done without
them, she said, adding that even
other area restaurant owners
have been cooperative. Te
owner of Bevs Place a few doors
away has been just wonderful,
she said. Te other restaurant
owners in the village dont see
me as a competitor because my
business is diferent to theirs.
Bevs Place is a bar and
grill; its not at all like a
soul food caf.
Mechel McKinley, executive director of the
DDA, said in the short time Mazels has been
open the community has rallied around to
support them. Its another great addition to the
village.
Te space Mazel and Sisters now calls home
used to be an Italian restaurant, but it had been
vacant for years. When I came to look it over
the frst thing I noticed was the orange chairs
and booths. I knew immediately I was in the
right place. Orange is my favorite color, said
McRae, who has continued the orange theme in
the uniforms and dcor.
Te food is pre-cooked and served from
cafeteria-type warming trays, but wait staf
bring orders to the customers. We wanted
to be able to serve people quickly, but
we didnt want people to have to stand
in line for their food. Mama always
brought food to us at the table; I want our
customers to have that same experience. I
just know Mama is looking down on this
and smiling, McRae said.
McRae and Mary George, right, her
sister-in-law who works at the eatery,
show some of the home-style desserts
available every day.
City of Stone Mountain officials look on as restaurant owner Tammy McRae prepares to cut the ribbon, symboli-
cally opening her caf. Photos by Kathy Mitchell
The Champion FreePress, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014 PAGE 18A
EDUCATION
It takes a village
Female school resource officers balance tough with love
by Lauren Ramsdell
D
eKalb County elementary
school resource ofcer
Zandra Jackson said
she remembers when
she worked for the Atlanta Police
Department, taking children,
sometimes as young as 11, to juvenile
detention facilities. She loved kids
and wanted to make more of a
diference than she was while leading
them to their frst brush with the
courts.
She made the transition to
working with the school department
of public safety and has been a school
resource ofcer for nine years. She
said she is able to confront more
directly the issues children are facing
before they run into police on the
streets.
A lot of kids do not have a mom
and a dad at home, Jackson said.
Coming from being a parent, we
know for a fact the importance of
an education in raising kids. A lot
of kids, if you see them in the street,
they come into school and you can
attack it in a diferent way. You can be
a police [ofcer] but also a mother.
School resource ofcer Debra
Reeves said she also takes on the
role of mother while protecting her
campus.
Im just trying to make a
diference in the lives of someone
elses child, Reeves said. Im a
mother and a grandmother, so I
know how it is. I have seen them
come up and seen where they start
from and where they can end up, so,
[Im] just trying to make a diference
in the middle somewhere.
But, thats not to say shes going
to let students get away with bad
behavior.
I love them and I would do
anything for them that I can but I
have some tough love, she said.

The job
Te ofcers say the majority of
their job is showing children that
they care. Helping buy food, asking
about grades and just being a positive
authority fgure in their lives is
helpful. Many kids they interact with
may not have enough to eat, may be
acting out to get attention and may
have never known a successful adult.
Te ofcers ofen put the resource
in resource ofcer.
A lot of parents even come
into the school and they dont know
what to do, Jackson said. Youre the
police, the unemployment ofce, the
social worker, the mama, the daddy,
the grandma youre everything.
Tey are new to Georgia, dont have
anything to eat, kids sleeping on the
foor you point them in the right
direction.
School resource ofcers are fully
functional police ofcers who serve
in county schools. Most middle and
high schools have at least one full-
time ofcer and this year the district
introduced ofcers to clusters of
elementary schools. Ofcers are
responsible for the safety of the
school and responding to any security
threats. Many, including Jackson and
other female ofcers Linda Philpott
and Feliccia Kendrick, have previous
experience in city law enforcement.
But, according to the ofcers,
security threats have not increased
in recent years. Although kids know
not to try them, the ofcers say
they mostly try to resolve confict
peacefully while building trust and
rapport with the children.
It requires a lot of patience
almost a sixth sense in dealing
with children because working
with children is a lot diferent than
working with adults on a daily basis,
Kendrick said. You have to have a
love for children to do that and be
successful. I treat every child the way
I would treat my child or I would
expect someone to treat my child.

Ups and downs
Tat doesnt mean issues dont
happen. Jackson, who has served
nine years with DeKalb schools,
said she once had a gun on campus
situation when she worked in a high
school. She only learned about the
gun because a student was confdent
enough to tell her and knew that
Jackson would keep the information
confdential. Jackson found the gun
in another students backpack in
a closed classroom; there was no
immediate danger to students or staf.
Jackson had to arrest the student
who brought the gun, but said that
the trust she had built with other
students paid of that day.
Our male counterparts, they
may be a little more aggressive,
Philpott, a 12-year ofcer with
the school system, said. Tey
treat it like, Im going into a battle
situation. We go into it more with a
compassionate type approach because
we want to solve the problem. Tey
want to get on top of the problem
immediately. We are trying to fnd
out the root of the problem and solve
the problem in a peaceful manner
with less testosterone.
Sometimes there are downsides
though. Children act out, or, as with
Jacksons incident with the gun, make
poor choices outside of school that
bleed into the classroom.
You see the ugliness of what
a poor home life can lead to in a
child, Philpott said. Teyre hungry;
theyre needy because they want
attention. Tey need attention and
sometimes they go about it in the
wrong way.
But, Philpott said with a smile,
Te rewards are better.
Tat includes kids seeing
the ofcers outside of school
and running to give them a hug.
Jackson and Kendrick, who work
in elementary schools, say their
students are in awe of them, instead
of being afraid like older kids might
be.
Some of the kids call the women
Miss Ofcer, auntie or mama.
Philpott says she ofers candy to
students if they come to her ofce to
talk.
If you had been mean to them,
they would have gone the other way,
Philpott said.
From left, Feliccia Kendrick, Zandra Jackson, Linda Philpott and Debra Reeves are school resource offcers with the DeKalb County School District. They say they act as
both protection and mothers to the children at their schools. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell
The Champion FreePress, Friday, Sept. 5, 2014 PAGE 19A
EDUCATION
Guten Tag
German immersion program goes beyond the basics
Recent data collected by Beyond The Bell in unincorporated Decatur and the
City of Stone Mountain shows there is no awareness of the issues of heavy and
binge drinking in their community and further there was only vague awareness
in Unincorporated Lithonia.
Fact: The reality is the level of binge and heavy drinking in DeKalb County is a particular
concern; with more than 19% of adults or nearly one-ffth of adults report this behavior. This
prevalence is higher than both the state and national averages.
The younger an individual is when they begin drinking, the greater the likelihood they will
develop serious alcohol problems later in life including alcoholism.
Long term heavy alcohol use is the leading cause of illness and death from liver disease in the
US.
Change occurs at the community level so we are asking people to
get involved in our efforts to help reduce heavy and binge drinking in
DeKalb County.
For more information- Call (770) 285-6037 or
E-mail: beyondthebell@comcast.net
Did you know?
by Lauren Ramsdell
K
indergarten is a loan-
word from German. It
literally means chil-
dren-garden: a place
where kids grow.
Some kindergartners and frst-
graders are doing some serious
growing at Ashford Park Elementary
School. Te school ofers immersion
classes in German for students who
apply through student choice.
Te class is co-taught: Laura
Miltner covers math, science and
social studies in German, while
Dawn Fleming teaches English in
English, while reinforcing Miltners
lessons.
Honestly, its kids from across
the spectrum, Fleming said of her
students. Most of them have par-
ents who have done their research
or heard about the benefts of dual
enrollment program.
We do have some parents that
their family has German heritage,
but in general its a wide range of
students, Miltner said.
Te program, in its second
year, is sponsored by three grants
awarded by the Georgia Department
of Education. Fleming said that all
students who were in the immersion
kindergarten class last year have
moved up to an immersion frst-
grade class this year. None dropped
out of the programs.
On one Friday, students were
learning how to count from Frau
Miltner. Te subject of the day was
15, or fnfzehn.
Ist das fnfzehn? Miltner
asked, holding a red paper with 20
written in black type.
Nein, chorused the class. Das
ist zwanzig.
Te kindergarten students
walked in the door their frst day
with big eyes, not understanding
a word of German, said Ashford
Park Principal LaShawn McMillan.
But on that Friday, they confdently
counted in German all the way to
15.
It is thought that younger chil-
dren are able to pick up subjects a lot
faster because they can absorb lan-
guage rather than learn language.
Children in an immersion program
will lag behind their native-language
peers in school subjects for a few
years but will eventually catch up,
according to the book Foundation of
Bilingual Education and Bilingualism
by Colin Baker.
Te class has even had students
whom English was not their frst
language. Last year, Fleming said,
there was a Spanish-speaking stu-
dent who struggled a bit more but
ended up learning German and Eng-
lish.
His situation was a little dif-
ferent, but he was a great language
learner, Miltner said. We had a stu-
dent who her father was French and
she spoke French at home. I some-
times think those students are at an
advantage in terms of how intensely
you need to listen. Tey are not un-
derstanding every word that goes by,
but they are picking it up.
With Spanish being the predom-
inant non-English language spoken
in DeKalb County, it may be surpris-
ing that the immersion programs
there are French programs at Rock-
bridge and Evansdale elementary
schoolsare not teaching Spanish.
But Ashford Park had a plan.
We chose German because our
kids will feed into Chamblee Middle
and Chamblee High, and those
schools have world-renowned na-
tionally ranked German programs,
McMillan said. We wanted our kids
to be able to feed into those pro-
grams. By the time our kids leave in
ffh grade, they will be fuent.
Nearby, Kittredge Magnet El-
ementary School also has a German
program.
Research shows that children
in these dual learning environments
excel, Miltner said. It promotes
fexibility in thinking, and they also
excel in scholastic endeavors. I think
it promotes also cultural under-
standing, more of a worldview. Uni-
versity is free in Germany, it would
be an option for scholarships and
exchanges. Tey will have the op-
portunity to work for German com-
panies; they are looking for bilingual
employees.
And, despite the historical
achievement lag with immersion
students, Fleming said she has not
seen that in the two years the pro-
gram has been active. Fleming has
been at Ashford Park for 11 years,
Miltner for two.
I really feel like the children
that are in our German immersion
are far above grade level, Fleming
said. Its a unique experience to
work with such high-level children.
Even by the end of the kindergarten
years, I am thrilled to send them on
to frst grade.
Student Ben helps complete the number line. The immer-
sion program is elective, with parents applying through
the choice program. Photos by Lauren Ramsdell
A chart displaying how the students get home. Kindergartner Delaney holds up her work with blau,
rot, grn and gelb Kreise.
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SPORTS
Cedar Grove routs SWD in revived rivalry
by Carla Parker
F
or the frst time in seven attempts, the
Cedar Grove Saints beat the Southwest
DeKalb Panthers.
Te Saints dominated the Panthers 34-6 in
their season opener at Panthersville Stadium Aug.
29. Heading into the game, Southwest DeKalb
led the series 6-0. Te teams last played in 2007,
when the Panthers won 17-6.
Cedar Grove coach Jermaine Smith said the
win was really big for his team.
What people dont know is that I told the
kids all week that weve never beat [Southwest
DeKalb], Smith said. I got three coaches on
my staf that went to Cedar Grove, and they
understand that its a big thing and it was very
important to us to get this win.
Te Saints went 75 yards in their opening
drive of the game and scored on a 10-yard
touchdown run by running back LaBron Morris
to give Cedar Grove an early 7-0 lead. However,
the ofense stalled the rest of the frst quarter.
We started of kind of slow, Smith said. I
think we can do a better job passing the ball. We
have a young quarterback [sophomore Jelani
Woods] right now, and were going to bring him
along slowly.
Te ofensive line did a really good job in
quarters two through four, but in the frst quarter
we started of too slow for me, so were going to
fnd a way to fx that, Smith added.
Te ofensive line controlled the line of
scrimmage and blocked well on a touchdown
before halfime. Morris ran for 18 yards out of the
Wildcat play to the end zone to give Cedar Grove
a 14-0 lead.
Southwest DeKalb got back in the game
during the kickof of the second half. Defensive
end Ebere Ohaya caught the short kick and
returned it for a touchdown to cut the lead to
14-6. However, Cedar Grove responded on the
following drive with a 20-yard touchdown run by
Trey Shaw to extend the lead to 21-6.
Morris got his third touchdown of the game
in the fourth quarter on a 40-yard touchdown
run, and James Hartfeld scored on a 25-yard
run to bring the fnal score to 34-6.
Te Saints defense was able to hold the
Panthers ofense out the end zone the entire
game.
Cedar Grove (1-0) will face another rival, the
Columbia Eagles (0-1) Sept. 5 at Panthersville
at 8 p.m. Te Saints have a 9-5 record against
the Eagles. Southwest DeKalb (1-1) will face
Tri-Cities (1-0) at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 6 at
Panthersville.
More scores from Aug. 29

Miller Grove (2-0) 20, Pebblebrook (0-1) 14
East Coweta (1-0) 42, Arabia Mountain (0-2) 14
Druid Hills (1-0) 22, Chamblee (0-1) 14
Lithonia (1-0) 39, Clarkston (0-2) 7
North Cobb Christian (1-0) 36, Cross Keys (0-1) 12
Osborne (1-1) 20, Lakeside (1-1) 7
McNair (1-0) 19, Redan (0-2) 6
Campbell (2-0) 33, Stone Mountain (0-1) 8
Cedar Grove running back LaBron Morris scores one of his three touch-
downs against Southwest DeKalb.
Quarterback Jelani Woods looks for a receiver down field.
Morris (5) jump over a Southwest DeKalb defender. A Southwest DeKalb player is gang tackled by Cedar Grove defensive players. Photos
by Travis Hudgons
SPORTS
DeKalb goes 1-3 in Battle of the Borders
See Battle on page 23A
by Carla Parker
Te Miami, Fla./Dade County area has been
known for breeding football players of great
athleticism, talent and dynamic speed.
DeKalb County got an opportunity to see
those skills on display and unfortunately, DeKalb
players could not keep up with the fast kids
from Miami as the Florida teams went 3-1 against
the Georgia teams in the second annual Georgia-
Florida Battle of the Borders Showdown Aug. 30.

Marist 17, Godby 14
Te Marist War Eagles defeated Godby of
Tallahassee 17-14 on a last second feld goal to
give Georgia its only win of the day. Marists Joey
Goegel kicked a 19-yard feld goal with eight
seconds lef to lead Marist to the win.
Te game could have been disastrous for
Marist afer the team fumbled the ball three times
in the third quarter. However, the defense held
strong and only allowed one touchdown out of
the three fumbles, which tied the game at 14 all.
Marist coach Alan Chadwick said his team
showed a lot of heart and character.
We had a number of things that went against
us, Chadwick said. Im real pleased with how
hard they fought. Tey didnt quit.
Marist went 65 yards on its opening drive
to take a 7-0 lead afer a quarterback 1-yard
sneak by Sam Phelts. Godby responded in the
second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown run by
quarterback Darius Bradwell to tie the game at
7-7. Te touchdown was set up by running back
P.J. Simmons, who had runs of 27, 11 and 29
yards in the drive.
Marist took a 14-7 lead before halfime on a
6-yard touchdown run by running back Spencer
Taylor.
Marists third quarter troubles began afer
fullback Ian Gipson fumbled. Godby took
advantage and evened the score at 14-14 afer
Bradwells 5-yard run. Marist fumbled on its next
two possessions, but the defense forced Godby to
a 3 and out and Godby kicker Alex Rubes missed
a 29-yard feld goal attempt with 35 seconds lef
in the third quarter.
[Te defense] always believed in themselves
that they were going to go out there and get
a stop regardless of where the ball [was],
Chadwick said. We talked about putting the
fre out regardless of what happens on sudden
changes like that and they responded big for us.
Both teams failed to get a successful scoring
The second annual Georgia-Florida Battle of the Borders was held Aug. 30 at Hallford Stadium. Florida teams went 3-1 against Georgia team. Photos by Travis Hudgons
Marist defensive end Kenneth Brinson (43) tackles a Godby player.
Marist fullback Ian Gipson (42) runs for extra yardage before Godby defensive back Tyrone Tillman (31) closes in
for a tackle.
SPORTS
See Battle on page 24A
drive going in the fourth quarter until Marists
fnal possession of the game. Te War Eagles
drove 59 yards to Godbys 2-yard line to set up the
winning feld goal.
Te winning kick was set up by Chris Martell,
who ran 32 yards on a reverse play to reach the
10-yard line. Goegel was Marists MVP for the
game and Bradwell was Godbys MVP.

Norland 30, M.L. King 0
Te M.L. King Lions were no match for the
Norland Vikings of Miami as Norland shut out
the Lions 30-0.
Te Norland defense held the Lions out of the
end zone, allowed only 45 yards of total ofense,
sacked M.L. King quarterback Jordan Douglas
six times and picked him of four times, twice by
Norland defensive back Carlton Davis, who was
named MVP.
Te Vikings frst score came on a 25-yard
interception return by Kion Holder to give the
Vikings a 7-0 lead.
Norland quarterback Rodrick Robinson ran
26 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter
and threw a touchdown pass to Steven McIntosh
for 22 yards to give Norland a 21-0 lead at the end
of the third quarter, before the game was delayed
due to lightning.
Te game resumed 40 minutes later and
Norlands defense resumed its dominance with
a safety to extend its lead to 23-0. A 21-yard
touchdown run by Jaquez Stephens brought the
fnal score to 30-0.
Running back Robert Pritchett III was
named M.L. Kings MVP.

Miami Central 21, Stephenson 20
Te Stephenson Jaguars battled neck-and-
neck with the No. 5 ranked Miami Central
Rockets, but missed extra points ailed the Jaguars
and they came up short 21-20.
Te game was scoreless afer the frst
quarter, but the Jaguars got a drive going in the
second quarter and capped it of with a 1-yard
quarterback sneak by Dewann Ford to give the
Jaguars a 6-0 lead. Stephenson missed a two-point
conversion, which kept the score at 6-0.
Late in the second quarter, defensive lineman
Fermin Silva recovered a Stephenson fumble,
which set up a 7-yard touchdown run. Kicker
Beymore Piraquive kicked the extra point to give
Miami Central a 7-6 Central lead at halfime.
Central opened the third quarter with a 10-
play, 70-yard drive, which ended in a 1-yard
quarterback sneak touchdown by Jerrod Tomas
to extend the lead to 14-6.
Stephenson answered before the end of the
third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown pass from
Ford to receiver Dexter Neal. Te two-point
conversion was no good and Central held a 14-12
lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Running back Cedric Miller had runs
of 15 and 16 yards in a 34-yard drive by the
Rockets to set up a quarterback sneak by Malik
Witherspoon and extends Centrals lead 21-12.
With time running out, Stephenson drove
down the feld and running back Ivonte Paterson
scored from 1 yard out with 45 seconds to play.
Ford hit Neal on the two-point conversion pass to
pull Stephenson to within 21-20.
Central recovered the onside kick attempt
by the Jaguars and ran out the clock. Defensive
end Chauncey Rivers, who had two sacks, was
named the Stephenson MVP. Miller, who had 125
rushing yards, was named Centrals MVP.

Booker T. Washington 19, Tucker 7
Last year, the Booker T. Washington
Tornadoes of Miami, Fla., shocked some Georgia
fans and players afer defeating defending state
champions Norcross 55-0 at Norcross in its home
opener.
Te Tornadoes returned to Georgia for the
Battle of the Borders to face Tucker, and although
they had the same results as last year (a win); it
Battle Continued From Page 22A
Photos by Travis Hudgons
SPORTS
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Battle Continued From Page 23A
was not by as many points. Te Tucker
Tigers defense held Booker T. Washington
to 19 points, its lowest point total since
2011, but the Tigers only manage to get 7
points.
Te defending national champions
struck midway through the frst quarter
on a 19-yard touchdown pass from
quarterback Maurice Alexander to
receiver Vaquan Smalls. Te Tigers
blocked the extra point.
Te Tornados extended their lead late
in the frst quarter to 12-0 afer a 45-yard
punt return by Antonio Callaway.
Booker T. Washington extended its lead
to 19-0 when Alexander connected with
Callaway on an 11-yard touchdown pass in
the fourth quarter.
Te Tigers answered when Yaquis
Shelley took the ensuing kickof at Tuckers
nine-yard line and ran 91 yards for a
touchdown to pull Tucker within 19-7 with
6:53 to play.
Te Tornadoes were able to run out the
clock and gave Tucker its second loss of
the season. Tis is the frst time Tucker has
started 0-2 since 1991.
Shelley and Washington linebacker
Terry Jeferson were named MVPs for
their respective teams.
Tucker fans look on in disappointment as their team loses to Booker T. Washington. Photo by
Travis Hudgons

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