Champion Free Press: 11-23-12

Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker
and Stone Mountain.
FREEPRESS
Children played balloons while waiting to go into a judges chamber for the finalization of their adoptions during National Adoption Day. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, NOV. 23, 2012 VOL. 15, NO. 35 FREE
A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS
Patrick and Amanda ONeill, of Tucker, used a private agency to adopt Morgan, 20 months old, from China. The couple plans to adopt again next year.
McKeithan, Justin and Raven pose with their father Devon Mott, before their adoptions were completed.
New families formed during National Adoption Day

by Andrew Cauthen andrew@dekalbchamp.com he courtroom of Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams was decorated with balloons and teddy bears as children yelled and played Nov. 16. The children, more than 30 of them accompanied by their parents, were at the courthouse for DeKalb Countys second observance of National Adoption Day, an event that brings awareness to the need for more adoptive parents. Its just wonderful to see all the beautiful families here, said Debra DeBerry, DeKalb Countys clerk of Superior Court, who started the DeKalb event last DeBerry year. Adoptions are probably the greatest thing we do in this office, DeBerry said. Its a joyous and happy occasion to provide a warm, nurturing home for a child who doesnt have one. DeBerry said there are more than 1,000 children waiting to be adopted in DeKalb County. Nationally, 4,500 adoptions were expected to take place on adoption day. Our purpose is not only to celebrate the families who have joyously opened their hearts and opened their homes to provide a family for a child, but to also bring recognition to the event and to urge others to consider doing the same, she said. Families that adopt children are special people, DeBerry said. Theres no greater love and service
IS SHE WHYIS SHE SO SOHAPPY ? WHY

SO
HAPPY
IS SHE
The courtroom of Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams was decorated with teddy bears and balloons for DeKalb second annual observance of National Adoption Day.
Because she gets her news updates online from the The Champion. Because she gets her news updates online from the The And you can too! Follow us. Champion.
Kash, Beautiful and Diamond await the finalizations of their adoptions. Kash and Diamond were adopted by Delois Spencer, while Beautiful was adopted by Gwendolyn Lee.
Because she gets her news updates online from the The Champ
See Adoption on Page 17A
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From back left, Devon and Dian Mott pose for a picture with Judge Gregory Adams in his chambers after the adoption www.facebook.com/championnewspaper finalization of Justin, McKeithan and Raven.
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012
Local News
by Carla Parker carla@dekalbchamp.com Since June, motorists who travel along the Ashford Dunwoody Road interchange at I-285 have driven through Georgias first Diverging Diamond Interchange. On Nov. 16, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle along with Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis, and representatives from the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs) and the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) dedicated the interchange. The $6 million Diverging Diamond Interchange was initiated in 2009 by the PCIDs to improve the 40 year old interchange. The Diverging Diamond Interchange design, which originated in France, shifts the flow of traffic to the opposite side of the road to reduce points of traffic conflict and improve traffic flow and safety. Under normal free-flowing traffic conditions on surrounding highways, traffic delays are expected to be reduced by 15 to 20 percent during evening rush hours. Traffic studies are now underway to determine the impact. PCIDs officials said results should be available by next summer. This innovative project is a testament to the drive and dedication of the Perime-
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Dunwoody dedicates Georgias first Diverging Diamond Interchange

ter Community Improvement Districts to improve traffic congestion in the important Perimeter market and to the Georgia Department of Transportation for being receptive to creative, low cost ideas to meet traffic challenges, Cagle said. The economic health of the Perimeter market is important not only to the businesses and cities located in this area, but also to local and state government that depend on the tax revenues generated in the Perimeter area. The PCIDs initiated the Diverging Diamond Interchange project and secured more than $1 million funding for the engineering and project design. GDOT funded the $4.6 million cost of construction which began in mid-January interchange re-opened to crossover traffic June 3. Recent work has included final paving and completion of crosswalks and a protected pedestrian median on the bridge. Davis said that he is excited about Dunwoody being the showcase for Georgias first Diverging Diamond Interchange. This is working better than what some expected, he said. Its not only bringing traffic relief and safety to this major entry way into the city of Dunwoody, but its also helping to brand Dunwoody as a great place to live, work and play.
Trim: 11"
Georgia Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle (bottom row, center) poses for pictures with representatives from the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, the Georgia Department of Transportation and DeKalb County officials at the Diverging Diamond Interchange dedication on Nov. 16. Photos by Carla Parker
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The Diverging Diamond Interchange at the Ashford Dunwoody Road and Interstate 285 is the first in Georgia. The project was completed in June.
See Interchange on Page 13A
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News Briefs
Stone Mountain city manager Barry Amos suspended from duties
by Carla Parker carla@dekalbchamp.com The Stone Mountain City Council suspended city manager Barry Amos of his duties at its business meeting on Nov. 6. A released statement by the city council, states that the council will decide the next course of action, which is unknown at this time. Amos has been the city manager since 2008. City council member Steve Higgins said there were problems with communications between [Amos] and the council. And also between him and other city personnel, Higgins said. Thats all I can really say. The council hired former Stone Mountain mayor Gary Peet as the interim city manager for the next six months.
Woman pleads not guilty to charge of killing baby with cough medicine
by Daniel Beauregard daniel@dekalbchamp.com A DeKalb County mother pleaded not guilty Nov. 14 to giving her 4-month-old son a lethal dose of cough medicine. Carlitha Yvette Hardy, 34, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct following her sons death in November 2010. She was indicted Sept. 25. Although prosecutors say they believe it was an accident, they said she acted recklessly by administering the child cough syrup meant for adults. We also believe it may have been multiple types, and the child wasnt sick, District Attorney Robert James said. According to the indictment, Hardy received the reckless conduct charge for consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk by providing her son with the medicine. The indictment also states that Hardy acted with a gross deviation from the standard of care any reasonable person would exercise in the situation. At the time she administered the medicine to the child, prosecutors said, there were others in the house who were sick but Hardy should have known better than to give the child adult cough medicine. It wasnt an accident she gave the medicine to the child, James said. But, were not accusing her of purposefully killing her child, which is why the charge is involuntary manslaughter. Hardy is currently out on $15,000 bond; court officials said a trial date has not yet been set.
School district loses one of its two legal teams

by Daniel Beauregard daniel@dekalbchamp.com The DeKalb County School Board voted during a business meeting Nov. 12 to search for a new legal firm after learning their general counsel, Southerland Asbill & Brennan had resigned. Spokesman for the DeKalb County School District (DCSD), Jeff Dickerson, said that by canceling the contract the district will save approximately $2.5 to 3 million a year. Theyre going to continue to manage some of the pending litigation, Dickerson said. When the board does hire a new general counsel, Dickerson said it will use the opportunity to explore how the district can realign its legal structure. In the past year, DCSD has spent millions in legal fees for various things including more than $30 million in accrued legal fees to firm King & Spalding, which is representing the district in its civil suit against construction firm Heery International.
Audit uncovers school district problems

by Daniel Beauregard daniel@dekalbchamp.com An audit released Nov. 13 shows the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has had a series of accounting difficulties and central office errors in recent years. The 31-page audit, performed by firm KPMG, is addressed to Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson and states the data included in the report was obtained on or before November, 8, 2012. The district hired the firm in May to perform an analysis of the movement of cash between DCSDs specific funds, the districts purchase and approval process, SPLOST III activity, Title I and II activity and aspects of budget reductions from 2011. SPLOST III is the third round of a penny sales tax implemented to pay for school construction projects. Districts receive Title I federal funding for being in low-income areas and Title II federal funding for teacher training and technology improvements. The report states that the findings within the report are limited to the data KPMG was provided by the district. According to the audit, the DeKalb County school board approved a budget reduction in 2010 that was to eliminate 150 central office positions. However, the audit states the districts finance and human resources departments differ on the number of cuts made. The district was not able to provide a list of central office individuals who comprised the 150 people/positions eliminated by the board, the audit states. The audit states that only 109 were eventually eliminated and 56 were either rehired into a different position or reassigned. David Schutten, president of the Organization of DeKalb Educators, said the findings of the audit raise the question of whether district employees were actually doing their jobs. Its obvious that for the last several years the human resources reports have been inaccurate and theres people working theres that arent on the organizational chart, Schutten said. Schutten said many of the problems being uncovered date back to the districts previous administration under former Superintendent Crawford Lewis, who is currently under indictment for running a criminal enterprise within the school system. Atkinson keeps on uncovering more and more problems like this, Schutten said. We have this billion dollar enterprise and whos steering the ship? It seems like it didnt have a captain until Dr. Atkinson started asking questions. Additionally, the report states that the manner in which cash is disbursed and transferred between accounts is inconsistent with the process that DCSD employees indicated to KPMG. The firm also took a random sampling of the transactions of the districts accounts. There are instances of cash being transferred between SPLOST III, Title I, and Title II bank accounts; support could not be located for all sampled transactions, the report states. Other observations made by KPMG in the audit refer to missing documentation for transactions from the districts SPLOST III account and missing board minutes relating to the purchasing fees of textbooks. The district does not use the state approved codes to account for federal funds, the report states. Additionally, the audit said using the wrong codes could lead to the misreporting of funds expended and requested for reimbursement of different federal programs. Recently the district was ordered to pay back nearly $1 million in misspent federal Title I funds. In March, as part of its sampling, Georgia Department of Education (GDOE) selected DCSDs Communities In Schools (CIS) contract. Like many other metro Atlanta school districts, DCSD has been under a CIS contract since 2008. This year, [GDOE] deemed that the CIS services provided in the contract did not qualify as an allowable activity, a DCSD press release stated. As a result, the district is required to repay $885,000 from its general fund to the GDOE to resolve the issue. School officials said since the expenditure had not been cited in the past four years, the district had no indication it was unallowable. School spokesman Jeff Dickerson said the districts Title I administration is currently undergoing restructuring to ensure more accountability in the future. Additionally, GDOE has ordered the district to repay approximately $25,000 of expenditures that are unrelated to the districts CIS contract, which brings the total to $910,000. Schutten said he has heard frustrations from both parents and staff members and said the recent audit confirms many of the allegations made against DCSD in a report from AdvancED, the districts accrediting agency. I guess now everyone is just waiting for the [AdvancED] report, Schutten said. The accrediting agency visited the school district Oct. 17-19 to investigate claims such as undue influence by the board in the hiring of personnel, interference with budgeting procedures and accounting and lack of financial oversight by district officials. Jennifer Oliver, a spokeswoman for AdvancED, said officials from the agency interviewed staff members, board members and community members. Oliver said the agency expects to release a report of its findings before Thanksgiving.
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Grateful 2012
barbershop, gym, spa, nail or beauty salon, be grateful for the luxury to be able to eat out or to those little creature comforts in these difficult economic times. We should be grateful that, be it ever so humble, homes in America are lavish compared to many places in the world. Case in point, in the beautiful island of Jamaica there are places most tourists rarely see. I am especially grateful this year to Dr. Earl and Carolyn Glenn, owners and publishers of this Champion Newspaper and founders of Unconditional Love for Children Inc., for affording me the opportunity to see Jamaica through another lens. Each year the Glenns through their ULC sponsor a month-long summer camp for children in a remote mountain village outside Montego Bay. Picture in your minds eye a small enclave high in the hills above the posh hotels and shimmering sea accessible only by a deeply rutted one-lane unpaved road. The village is anchored by a small church along with a threeroom cinderblock school. The houses are crude dwellings built into the hills. The only commerce is a little shanty on the side of the road with an enterprising dreadlocked merchant selling sodas, chips, candy and such. I taught elementary and high school children basic public speaking and presentation skills. I also produced and coordinated the closing program with the assistance of John Hewitt The Champions chief operating officer, and some wonderful Georgia Perimeter College students and staff. The program incorporated Jamaicas history and its 50th year of independence, which occurred this year. But the children and their families were amazing. Even with so precious little in the way of material goods, the children were bright, happy, well-mannered and eager to learn. Their parents made sure the children were freshly scrubbed and in place on time. They were extremely grateful for the Glenns benevolence and that of other loving strangers the Creator sent their way. Their names and smiling faces are indelibly etched in my mind and on my heart. My problems became shameful and miniscule in the faces of their gratitude. My own gratitude soared. So even in these difficult and sometimes harsh economic times, let us be grateful for the abundance we enjoy in this land of the free and home of the brave. Let us be grateful for the democratic process. Whether our candidate won or lost, we should pledge to move forward in a spirit of cooperation and for the greater good of our communities and country. Let us be grateful for our armed forces fighting on foreign shores protecting the freedoms we enjoy throughout the year. Let us be grateful for the men and women of our emergency respondersEMTs, firefighters and DeKalb police who go into harms way each day. Let us support our leaders and elected officials, whothough they dont always get it right and often times have horrific lapses in judgment still make the personal and family sacrifices for service. Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful American tradition. It is steeped in relationships. So let us dare not take for granted life, health, food, shelter, clothing and most of all each other. Grateful! Steen Miles, The Newslady, is a retired journalist and former Georgia state senator. Contact Steen Miles at Steen@dekalbchamp.com.
Opinion The Newslady
The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 23 , 2012
For each new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything Thy goodness sends. - Ralph Waldo Emerson If youre reading this at home, look around into the faces of your family and even the family pet. How grateful we should be to have them. Many of us will have an empty seat at the table this year, but cherish the memories of Thanksgivings past and all the other wonderful years with our loved ones. Think how fortunate we are to be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast in the comfort of a warm home. There are those among us who have lost our homes to foreclosure and have had to downsize. Think of those among us waiting in long lines for a decent meal. And, if youre reading this at a restaurant,
Opinion
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The Trojan Horse in the debt debate

Dozens of CEOs are running a misleading campaign that would just make matters worse
by Sarah Anderson Its budget showdown time in Washington. With various tax increases and spending cuts set to kick in at the end of the year, the pressure is on for Republicans and Democrats to make a deal. A major player in this hot debate is a new corporate coalition called Fix the Debt. Theyve recruited more than 80 CEOs of Americas most powerful corporations and raised $60 million for a big media and lobbying blitz. Their ads call for what appears to be a moderate agenda of balancing spending cuts with some tax in overseas profits. Combined, increases to bring down the deficit these firms stand to gain as much and ensure a bright future for the as $134 billion in tax windfalls if United States. But a closer look the territorial system is adopted. suggests the Fix the Debt campaign Thats $134 billion that wont go is a Trojan Horse. toward fixing the debt. To Behind their moderput that figure in perspecate slogans is an extreme tive, it would be enough agenda focused on further to cover the salaries of reducing corporate taxes two million elemenand shifting the burden onto tary school teachers for a the poor and elderly. year. Take a look, for examOne of the biggest ple, at a slideshow presentapotential winners from a tion the campaign has preterritorial tax system is Anderson pared as a CEO tool for Microsoft, which could wooing supporters. You can check reap a savings of $19.4 billion on it out right on their website. It says its $60.8 billion in accumulated flat out that the so-called fiscal foreign earnings. cliff is an opportunity to push for Why does Microsoft have so considerably less spending on much dough stashed overseas? A Medicare and Medicaid. It also Senate investigation this year shed calls for a shift to a territorial tax light on this question. They found system, which would permanently that Microsoft takes the patents for exempt U.S. corporations foreign software developed at its U.S. reincome from U.S. taxes. search facilities and registers them At the Institute for Policy in tax haven countries. That way, Studies, we analyzed how much when a U.S. customer buys a copy the Fix the Debt member corporaof Microsoft Office, a hefty chunk tions would have to gain from this of the profits is recorded in no-tax particular corporate tax break. The zones. results are staggering. Under current rules, Microsoft We focused on the 63 Fix the would have to pay U.S. taxes on Debt member companies that are such foreign earnings if they bring publicly held and therefore must them back to the United States report how much theyve amassed to invest or pay shareholder dividends. But under Fix the Debts favored territorial system, they would be permanently exempted. The Fix the Debt campaigns CEOs are attempting to portray themselves as the reasonable compromisers. Some of them have even offered to give up the Bush-era tax cuts for the rich in exchange for other parts of their agenda. But given the massive windfalls they could get from a shift to a territorial tax system and other corporate tax breaks, this is hardly surprising. If their companies save billions in tax dollars, corporate profits will soar and their CEO pay will skyrocket too. Beware of this Trojan horse. These CEOs may try to conceal their tired old agenda of more corporate tax breaks in a patriotic package. But if theyre serious about helping America, they wouldnt be trying to balance the budget on the backs of the most vulnerable. Sarah Anderson directs the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC and is a co-author of the new report: The CEO Campaign to Fix the Debt: A Trojan Horse for Massive Corporate Tax Breaks. www.ips-dc.org
FREEPRESS
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, typewritten and contain the writers name, address and telephone number for verification. All letters will be considered for publication.
Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to Kathy@dekalbchamp.com FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779 Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior to publication date. EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. The Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.
Publisher: Dr. Earl D. Glenn Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell News Editor: Andrew Cauthen Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt Graphic Designer: Travis Hudgons The Champion Free Press is published each Friday by ACE III Communications, Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.
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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.
Community
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Championof HunGER the Week kEEps Brian Ego up On cuRREnT EVEnTs, TOO.
Brian Ego has been a resident of the Oakhurst neighborhood for 10 years. Ego has also been a volunteer with Trees Atlanta for more than 15 years. He said the nonprot has made an enormous positive impact on the city of Decatur, as well as all over Atlanta. Each month, Ego works two to four Saturdays planting 25 to 50 trees with volunteers. Ego is a project manager and works with volunteer groups such as fraternities or ROTC members, who are helping plant the trees. I also help from the fundraising standpoint and we have an annual tree sale, Ego said. In 1996, when Ego rst started volunteering with Trees Atlanta, he said the organization was being run out of a small shed on DeKalb Avenue donated to the nonprot by MARTA. Now, Ego said, Trees Atlanta has a beautiful facility located off Chester Avenue in Atlanta. In addition to planting trees nearly every weekend, Ego also volunteers with the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper organization, an environmental advocacy organization with more than 6,000 members dedicated solely to protecting and restoring the Chattahoochee River Basin. Ego works for Auto Trader, which is owned by Cox Enterprises, and said his company is very involved with the community through volunteer projects. Twice a year, Ego and his co-workers team up with Habitat for Humanity and build houses. Recently, Ego worked with the Outdoor Activity Center in Atlanta to help build ADA accessible trails for the disabled. Growing up in Boston, Ego said, he and his family volunteered at several organizations but when he moved to Atlanta he began to volunteer at local nonprots to meet people who had the same interests as he. A lot of my close friends today Ive met through nonprots and volunteering, Ego said. Ego said for him the most important thing in life is getting out and helping the community. When he thinks of all the projects he has done in the past 15 years with Trees Atlanta and other organizations, he said, he could simply walk down the street and see they have made a difference. I can walk or ride my bike through Decatur and see all of the trees we planted, and how beautiful they look and the shade that they offer people, Ego said. So, you get that intrinsic reward out of it as well.
1 in 6 AmERicAns sTRuGGlEs WiTH HunGER.
TOGETHER WERE
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Kathy Mitchell at kathy@dekalbchamp.com or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 104.
Hunger is closer than you think. Reach out to your local food bank for ways to do your part. Visit FeedingAmerica.org today.
Community
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ATLANTA
AROUND DEKALB
acoustic, rural, country music alive. The Smithsonian calls their adventure, the Traveling Museum of Music. The Everharts will present a variety of music, including country, blues, blue grass and more, highlighting the historic stories of how songs came into being, why they became popular, and why they have lasted throughout time, according to the library. Funding for the event was provided by the Friends of the Decatur Library. Decatur Library is located at 215 Sycamore St., Decatur. For more information, call (404) 370-3070. Library to show movie Contagion Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library, as part of its Friday Movie Series, will show Contagion, starring Matt Damon and Kate Winslet, Friday, Nov. 30, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. The 2011 movie is rated PG13 and runs 106 minutes. Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library is located at 1282 McConnell Drive, Decatur. For more information, call (404) 679-4404. The Friday Movie Series features a mix of new releases and old favorites. When available, movies are presented with closed captioning to assist the hearing impaired. Author to discuss leading Southern architect Robert M. Craig, professor emeritus of architectural history at Georgia Tech, discusses his latest book, The Architecture of Francis Palmer Smith, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 7 8 p.m., at the Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library. Francis Palmer Smith was one of the leading Southern architects of the early 20th century. He trained some of the regions most significant architects, including Philip Trammell Shutze. His own architectural designs had a lasting impact on the metropolitan Atlanta area, including his most well-known work, the Cathedral of St. Philip. Funding for the program is provided by the Friends of the Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library. Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library is located at 1282 McConnell Drive, Decatur. For more information, call (404) 679-4404 Cornwell, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division, Air Protection Branch, 4244 International Parkway, Suite 120, Atlanta, Georgia 30354. For more information, contact Thomas Smith at (404) 362-2790.
Dine & Dance returns to Northlake Mall Northlake Mall will hold its monthly Big Band event Tuesday, Nov. 27, 6 8 p.m. Visitors can swing, sway and savor the sounds of the Atlanta-New York Connection in Northlake Malls Food Garden. Held the last Tuesday night of every month, this social affair is free and open to the public. This month, Santa will make a special visit. Participants can come early to have dinner before dancing the night away. Northlake Mall is located at 4800 Briarcliff Road., N.E., Atlanta. For more information, call (770) 938-3564.
STONE MOUNTAIN
Village to hold annual Christmas parade The annual Stone Mountain Village Christmas parade and fireworks will be held Nov. 23 in the historic village of Stone Mountain. Festivities run from 4-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 23. The parade starts at 6 p.m. and includes bag-pipers, the amphibious duck from Stone Mountain Park, classic cars and motorcycles, elves, merchant cars and floats, choir music and the Conundrums Womens Drumming group. Pony rides, marshmallow roasting and a letter writing station for letters to Santa will be available from 4-8 p.m. Santas arrival in the parade and the lighting of the tree are highlights before the fireworks extravaganza at 7:30 p.m. The Christmas Parade is sponsored by Main Street Stone Mountain. For more information, contact Susan Ryles, executive director of Stone Mountain Main Street and Downtown Development Authority at (770) 413-0607. Church to hold Christmas program Grace Presbyterian Church will hold its annual Christmas program titled Christ the Savior is Born on
Sunday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m. The program will feature a childrens nativity scene, Christmas carols and dramatic readings of the story of Jesus birth. The church is located at 650 Rowland Road, Stone Mountain. The public is welcome and refreshments will be served following the program. For more information, call (404) 292-5514 or visit the church website at www.grace-pca. org.
LITHONIA
EPD to hold public hearing on biomass plant The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will hold a public meeting and hearing at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, Lithonia. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss Green Energy Resource Centers application (Air Quality Permit Application No. 21128) to construct and operate a biomass fired boiler for the production of electrical energy for sale. Immediately following the public meeting, a hearing will be held to receive formal comments on Green Energy Resource Centers application. At the public hearing, anyone may present data, make a statement, comment or offer a viewpoint or argument either orally or in writing. EPD has provided an unofficial draft permit and technical narrative online at http:// www.georgiaair.org/airpermit/ html/meetings/index.htm. Written comments are welcomed. To ensure their consideration, written comments must be received on or by Dec. 26. Comments should be addressed to Eric
TUCKER
Tucker groups to hold holiday decorating contest The Tucker Business Association, Main Street Tucker Alliance and the Tucker Historical Society have partnered to sponsor a holiday decorating contest for downtown Tucker businesses. Businesses within the downtown area, as defined by Brockett Road, LaVista Road, Lawrenceville Highway and Tucker Industrial Road, are encouraged to celebrate the holidays with festive and imaginative decorations for their windows and buildings. There is no registration fee to enter; all that is required is that the business decorates for the holiday. A panel of judges with representatives from all three of the sponsoring organizations will view the area businesses on the evening of Saturday, Dec. 1. Winners will be announced on Monday, Dec. 3 and will be posted on www. tuckerbiz.org as well as listed in Tucker Patch. Prizes awarded are as follows: first place, $500; second place, $300; and third place, $200.
DECATUR
Poetry event to be held at library Poetry Atlanta will return to the Decatur Library Wednesday, Nov. 28, 7:15 - 9 p.m. for another evening of readings featuring some of the finest poets in this area. Once again poet/novelist Collin Kelley will be the host. Details on the guest artists will be announced. The Decatur Library is located at 215 Sycamore Street, Decatur. For more information, call (404) 370-3070. Musicians to perform at library Smithsonian recording artists Bob and Shelia Everhart will perform at the Decatur Library Tuesday, Nov. 27, 7 8 p.m. The Everharts are founders of the National Traditional Country Music Association, an organization dedicated to keeping traditional, classic, old-time,
Local News
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A DeKalb County man has plans to convert four bays of a 10-bay car wash on Memorial Drive into minor car repair bays. The countys Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the matter in January. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
Mechanic wants to open car repair shop on Memorial Drive

by Andrew Cauthen andrew@dekalbchamp.com Arrington said he and other residents have been engaged in a 20-year effort Vietnam refugee and to support and, not stabimaster mechanic Chen Dzo- lize, but to enhance and rean Le, who has lived in the build Memorial Drive. United States since 1995, The District 4 Commubelieves he is close to fulfill- nity Council for the area ing a dream. recommended a denial of the My American dream is application citing potential to own my own automotive pollution impacts within the repair shop, he wrote in a 100-year flood plain and letter to the DeKalb County nearby streams from fluids Board of Commissioners. draining from the auto repair Le is trying to get county facility. The council also approval to convert part of stated that there could be a 10-bay car wash at 5030 potential code enforcement Memorial Drive into a car problems with the restricrepair shop. He plans to con- tion of outdoor storage of vert four bays for car repair vehicles on the property that and two for office space, and have been repaired or are hire three technicians and a awaiting repair. receptionist. The site is not suitable The Board of Commisto accommodate auto repair sioners is considering Les activities, according to the application for a special land community council. use permit. The countys planning Located on the northwest commission and planning side of Memorial Drive, near staff also denied the applicaMemorial College Avenue, tion, but the planning staff the property has approxihas since reversed its decimately 100 feet of frontage sion, approving the applicaon Memorial Drive and con- tion with conditions after the tains 1.01 acres. applicant submitted a letter Some residents of the from Accurate Engineering Memorial Drive corridor Inc. stating that the site can who have been longing for be designed so as not to ala revitalization of the area low contamination of the say the road does not need adjacent Snapfinger Creek another car repair shop. Tributary. The saturation of [these] One condition of the types of businessesdoesnt planning staffs approval enhance a neighborhood, is limiting the business to Joe Arrington, a member minor automobile repair, of Pride Rings in Stone which would exclude transMountain, a community mission and engine repair or action group, told commispainting. Other conditions sioners during a Nov. 13 include the requirement that meeting. In fact they have a all automobile repair work tendency to take away from be done completely inside it. The whole reason this ap- the building with the bays plication is before you is to closed; and the prohibition act as an intermediate check- of outdoor storage of equipand-balance, which you are ment and materials. Cars in control of. could not be stored beyond 24 hours. All temporary storage of vehicles would be limited to the back portion of the parking lot and if a new sign structure is constructed, it must be a monument sign with a brick base not to exceed 10 feet in height or 32 square feet in size. Sonia Muhammad, an agent with Avant Architecture, which is representing the business owner, said Le wants to improve Memorial Drive. I love Memorial Drive, Muhammad said. Ive live in that area for a long time. Nothing that we would want to recommend would be to
make it worse than it is right now. The Board of Commis-
sioners deferred voting on the application until Jan. 22 when a public hearing will be held.
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Commissioners approve part of disputed Druid Hills project

by Andrew Cauthen andrew@dekalbchamp.com A proposed fence and wall in the Druid Hills community is proving to be divisive, but one of the owners of the three-lot property said he is just following county guidelines. In 2004, Robert H. Buckler and Anthony McCullar bought three lots on Clifton Road with plans to sell them after subdividing them into seven lots, ranging from two-thirds to fourtenths of an acre. The property is located in the historic Druid Hills which was designed by renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York and the grounds of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. The community is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 Nov. 13 to approve the appeal of Buckler and McCullar and reverse the decision of the countys Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) which denied the two property owners a certificate of appropriateness for a proposed faade of a retention pond wall and fence required by the county. Commissioner Jeff Rader, whose district includes the Druid Hills community, moved to uphold the decision of the HPC and deny the appeal. A decision to reverse the HPC on this particular decision is not going to make this issue go away, he said before the boards vote. There will be required multiplenew HPC applications that, if this development is to go forward with a cloud over it that exists, it will continue to require decisions by the HPC, the potential for appeals to this board and ultimately to the courts. This is opening up a huge can of worms that will be open on a regular basis. Rader reminded his fellow commissioners that this is a matter that has been litigated and debated over 10 years and that the county has never lost on this matter. This is not a matter of some insignificance, Rader said. If indeed this development goes forward, theres great potential for many parcels in this historic district to be subdivided. The districts primary and essential character, which is that of a landscape plan would be undermined and ultimately destroyed by this type of subdivision activity. The commission is certainly getting into very deep water if it chooses to approve this and I hope everyone can swim really hard, Rader said. The countys attorney, Lisa Chang, told commissioners that their vote on the appeal would have nothing legally to do with the pending litigation. The lawsuit is a separate action, Chang said. The vote against the appeal may have a practical effect, but its not going to have a legal effect. The lawsuit thats pending has to do with the propriety of the planning commission granting the right to subdivide. In other words, Mr. Buckler went to the planning commission without getting a certificate of appropriateness from the HPC. The Druid Hills Civic Association is challenging that action, Chang said. This has to do with the retaining pond. It deals with the same property but its not the same issue. Commissioner Elaine Boyer, who made the motion approved the appeal, said, This issue is about a fence and about a faade. All these other issues are not germane. The historic commission was not right in going beyond those two issues. Commissioner Kathie Gannon, whose Super District 6 contains Druid Hills, joined Rader in opposing Boyers motion. Based on the number of appeals that come to [the Board of Commissioners], a good number of them have had to deal with fences and walls, Gannon said. Its one of those guidelines that is difficult for people outside of the community to understand, but they go along with the rules,the design and vision of Olmsted, to create a park-like community where the lawns and properties all flow together so that you have the appearance of a park. Gannon said she and Rader represent the area and have had many hours looking at and dealing with walls and fences. Commissioner Boyer does not live in District 2 or District 6 nor does she represent that area, Gannon said. For the 16 years that this district has been in existence, never once has one of the other commissioners moved in to make a motion or decision on this districtan area they do not represent, guidelines they have probably never read and an issue they do not understand. I find this highly irregular and I would question motivation. Boyer countered, saying, I really am offended by Commissioner Gannons comments that because we have a difference of opinion or a different reading theres some ulterior motive or corruptness going on. Thats absolutely offensive. People can have different readings and different ideas and not be corrupt.
See Druid Hills on Page 13A
Local News
Page 9A
Residents of the historic Druid Hills community are opposing the subdivision of a property adjacent to Burbanck Park on Clifton Road. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis reminds you of the Best Practices for Proper Disposal of
F.O.G. enters plumbing through garbage disposals, sinks and toilets. It coats the inside of plumbing pipes and also empties into DeKalb Countys sewer system. Here are three simple guidelines to help keep F.O.G. out of our pipes and sewers:
1. 2. 3.
POUR fats, oils or grease into a sealable container, allow it to cool and throw it in the trash. Do not pour down the drain or toilet. SCRAPE plates and cookware before washing. Do not throw scraps of any kind down the drain. Instead, place them in waste containers or garbage bags. WIPE excess grease from all plates, pots, pans, utensils, and surfaces with a paper towel before washing. Throw the greasy paper towel away.
Plumbing and sanitary sewer systems are simply not designed to handle the F.O.G. that accumulates in pipes. When it gets into the pipes and hardens, blockages occur and cause sewage to backup and overflow out of manholes or into homes. This is expensive for you, and for the County. The damages caused by fats, oils and grease in the sewer system are costly to repair. Over time, they increase the costs of our water and sewer services.
Local News
Page 10A
DeKalb County breaks ground for two new senior centers

by Carla Parker carla@dekalbchamp.com DeKalb County senior citizens and elected officials had a lot to celebrate as they broke ground for two new senior centers. On Nov. 14, DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, and the City of Chamblee held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new 15,000-square-foot North DeKalb Senior Center at 3393 Malone Drive. The next day, Ellis and the commissioners joined the seniors of the South DeKalb Senior Center for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new center at 1931 Candler Road, which will also be 15,000 square foot facility. The centers cost $5 million each to construct. The county received a total of $15 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to build three senior centers. The third center will be located in Decatur in the Toco Hills area. All three are expected to be completed next year. Chris Morris, the countys director of human and community development, said she and her staff are excited about the new senior centers. When you look at each of the centers theres something special about them, she said. They are about lifelong community initiative. Each center will have a commercial kitchen, community meeting rooms, computer lab, fully equipped fitness room, access to walking trails and sitting areas both inside and around the grounds. The main dining hall at both centers will accommodate approximately 120 people for dining and is designed to easily convert and serve as a meeting space for educational seminars and civic events. Activity rooms will be made available for ceramics billiards and games such as chess, bridge, and backgammon. A large social lounge will also be included in the new facilities. The North DeKalb Senior Center will be in walking distance to Senior Connections, Mercy Housing, the Chamblee MARTA station, a future city of Chamblee pathway and other existing mixed-use developments. South DeKalb Senior Center will be a part of a mixed use development along Candler Road, including the new community senior center, a new library and future senior housing. Parking will be provided and incorporated within the overall mixed use development. The location of the South DeKalb Senior Center provides direct access to a MARTA bus line and the recently completed streetscape and sidewalk along Candler Road, connectivity to the new Scott-Candler Library, and access to the surrounding residential neighborhoods. During the ceremony for the South DeKalb Senior Center, Ellis thanked the seniors for partnering with the county on this project. For the last four years we have been working overtime to bring quality of life improvement to DeKalb County, he said. And we would have not done it without you. District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson said building a new center on Candler Road was a long time coming. This is just the beginning of the plan we talked about a couple of years ago to have a library, a senior center, senior housing and a park, he said. I cant wait to come here in 2014 and see all of these things come to fruition.
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, and other DeKalb of- A construction worker digs up concrete and dirt with a bulldozer during the groundbreaking ceremony of the South DeKalb Senior Center ficials celebrate the groundbreaking of the new South DeKalb Senior Center on Nov. 15 on Nov. 15. Photos by Carla Parker
Local News
and the family lived in a house on Rambling Way in Lithonia. Patillo testified that Ellington had told her he was separated from his wife and in the process of divorcing her. On May 17, 2006, Ellington made plans with his friend Sean Fennell to watch a basketball game at Patillos home. When the two arrived, Patillo was not yet home from work, but Ellington let himself in. After watching the game for about 10 minutes, Ellington said he had been unable to reach his wife and asked Fennell to go with him to his house to check on her and the children. At the Ellington home, Berna and the children were found dead. According to the medical examiner, all three died from blunt force trauma caused by the claw end of a hammer. Initially Ellington claimed his family was killed by an intruder, but later he told an officer that he found Berna beating the twins with a hammer, grabbed the hammer and lost control, hitting her
Page 11A
Court overturns death sentences for man found guilty of killing wife, children
The Supreme Court of Georgia has unanimously thrown out the death sentences given to a man who was convicted in DeKalb County of the 2006 murders of his wife and their 2-year-old twin sons. However, in the Nov. 19 opinion, the court upheld the murder convictions, and Justice David Nahmias wrote that the state may again seek the death penalty against Clayton Jerrod Ellington, whose case is being remanded to the trial court for resentencing. In his direct appeal to this court, Ellingtons attorneys had argued that the trial court was wrong to prohibit them during jury selection from asking prospective jurors whether they would consider a life prison sentence for someone convicted of murdering young children, rather than only considering the death penalty. While the court concluded that Ellingtons death sentences must be reversed, it affirmed his murder convictions in the 77-page opinion. We hold that there was sufficient evidence to support the jurys findings that two statutory aggravating circumstances existed as to each murder, and as a result, the State is not barred from seeking the death penalty again in a new sentencing trial before a properly qualified jury. State law requires the presence of at least one aggravating circumstance to impose the death penalty. According to evidence reported by the court, Ellington was married to Berna Ellington, although he had been having an affair with Tomeka Patillo for several months. The couple had identical twin sons, Christian and Cameron, with it until he killed her. In October 2008, a jury found Ellington guilty of the three murders and recommended the death sentence. Ellington then appealed to the state Supreme Court. On appeal, his attorneys argued that numerous errors were made at various stages of his trial. The Nov. 19 opinion examines most of them, finding that the majority have no merit, but the trial court made a reversible error in limiting questions about the child victims.
DeKalb County Wants to Hear From You Regarding the Proposed Franchise Agreement Renewal with Comcast Cable Communications
Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance under the current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests of your community to www.dekalbcountyga.gov.
The Champion Weather

Seven Day Forecast THURSDAY
Sunny High: 67 Low: 44
Nov. 22, 2012

Today's Regional Map Weather History
Nov. 22, 1988 - Wet and windy weather prevailed across the western U.S., with heavy snow in some of the higher elevations. Winds gusted to 62 mph at Vedauwoo, Wyo., and reached 75 mph at Tillamook, Ore. Shelter Cove, Calif. was drenched with 4.37 inches of rain in 24 hours. Nov. 23, 1943 - Northern New Hampshire was in the grips of a record snowstorm that left a total of 55 inches at Berlin and 56 inches at Randolph. The Randolph total was a 24-hour snowfall record for the state. Dunwoody 65/43 Lilburn Smyrna Doraville 66/44 66/44 66/44 Snellville Decatur 67/44 Atlanta 67/44 67/44 Lithonia College Park 68/44 68/44 Morrow 68/44 Union City 68/44 Hampton 69/45
In-Depth Local Forecast

Today we will see sunny skies with a high temperature of 67, humidity of 55%. North wind 5 mph. The record high temperature for today is 74 set in 1940. Expect mostly clear skies tonight with an overnight low of 44. The record low for tonight is 19 set in 1937.
FRIDAY
Mostly Sunny High: 68 Low: 41
*Last Weeks Almanac

Hi Lo Normals Precip Date Tuesday 59 35 64/44 0.00" Wednesday 51 40 64/44 0.01" Thursday 52 40 63/44 0.00" Friday 61 34 63/43 0.00" Saturday 60 36 63/43 0.00" Sunday 64 43 63/43 0.00" Monday 60 42 62/43 0.00" Rainfall . . . . . . .0.01" Average temp . .48.4 Normal rainfall . .0.99" Average normal 53.3 Departure . . . . .-0.98" Departure . . . . .-4.9
*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport
SATURDAY
Mostly Sunny High: 54 Low: 32
SUNDAY
Sunny High: 58 Low: 36
MONDAY
Partly Cloudy High: 60 Low: 39
TUESDAY
Mostly Sunny High: 65 Low: 41 Full 11/28
Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

Day Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Sunrise 7:16 a.m. 7:17 a.m. 7:18 a.m. 7:19 a.m. 7:20 a.m. 7:20 a.m. 7:21 a.m. Sunset 5:31 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:29 p.m. 5:29 p.m. Moonrise 2:02 p.m. 2:34 p.m. 3:06 p.m. 3:41 p.m. 4:18 p.m. 4:59 p.m. 5:43 p.m. Moonset 1:49 a.m. 2:46 a.m. 3:42 a.m. 4:37 a.m. 5:32 a.m. 6:26 a.m. 7:19 a.m. New 12/13
Tonight's Planets
Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Rise 6:24 a.m. 4:50 a.m. 9:55 a.m. 6:09 p.m. 5:14 a.m. 2:41 p.m. Set 4:58 p.m. 4:01 p.m. 7:39 p.m. 8:19 a.m. 4:17 p.m. 2:55 a.m.
WEDNESDAY
Partly Cloudy High: 62 Low: 38 Last 12/6
First 12/20
Local UV Index
National Weather Summary This Week

The Northeast will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies today, isolated rain and snow Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 57 in Germantown, Md. The Southeast will see mostly clear skies today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 77 in Perry, Fla. The Northwest will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain and snow today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 62 in Colville, Wash. The Southwest will see mostly clear skies today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 82 in Gila Bend, Ariz.
Weather Trivia
The zone of atmosphere that we stand in is known as?
Answer: The lithosphere.
0 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11+
UV Index 0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate, 6-7: High, 8-10: Very High 11+: Extreme Exposure
www.WhatsOurWeather.com
StarWatch By Gary Becker - Sixty Second Sky Sprint

I get to bed late, usually after 1 a.m. It is a perk that I have taken advantage of since retirement. Usually before showering, I pop outside for a few minutes to survey the sky and say Hi to my celestial friends. Since Sandys arrival three weeks ago and the noreaster about one week later, virtually all of the hours of darkness have been cloudy at my location. But a few days ago when I literally sprinted from my front doorway into the chilled night air to perform my routine sky check, the heavens were clear and ablaze with the winter constellations. It was quite lovely, even as I shivered, cross-armed, my breath condensing in ethereal puffs of white around my face. I was looking south and brilliant white Jupiter caught my attention first. It was high in the heavens, just about five degrees above Aldebaran, the mad, orangey eye of Taurus the Bull. To the right of the eye were the seven sisters, also known as the Pleiades, looking like a tiny, frozen patch of exhalation. Jupiter dazzled, the unmatched lord of the heavens, at least for that moment. Next, blue-white Sirius caught my attention, flashing conspicuously in and out of the skeletal branches of my neighbors maple. Because of this tree and the glare of a nearby yellow sodium vapor lamp, Sirius of Canis Major and the brightest star of the night, is always hiding behind something. Shifting my gaze between Jove and the Dog Star, however, revealed the true prize of the upcoming winter season, Orion the Hunter. The stars of his body and much more were all there, red Betelgeuse and blue Rigel and midway between them, Mintaka, Alnilam, and Alnitak, the three bluish diamond stars of his belt. Even Orions dagger-like sword was noticed beneath his leather strap. I drank in this winter sky for about 60 seconds, and then bounded back into the house. It was obvious that the next time I did this, a warm jacket would be necessary. www.astronomy.org
Local News
Page 12A
Amber Raley was one of three DeKalb residents who won prizes in a metro Atlanta Bike to Work challenge. Raley, who bikes to work from East Lake to near the High Museum, won fourth place in the challenge. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
County residents place in Bike to Work challenge

by Andrew Cauthen andrew@dekalbchamp.com Three DeKalb County residents earned individual top-10 places in a metro Atlanta Bike to Work Challenge in October. The challenge, organized by The Clean Air Campaign, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, the Atlanta Regional Commissions RideSmart division and local transportation management associations, encouraged bicycle commuters to compete as individuals or on teams with other cycling enthusiasts in the metro area. Participants, who competed as individuals and teams of two to five people, registered at www.atlbiketowork. org, and logged their bicycle commute trips, tracked their progress and earned points to compete for prizes. They earned points throughout October by riding their bikes to work, participating in bicycle classes and events, and submitting photos for an online contest. During the challenge Mary Ann Schneider, 59, who lives in downtown Decatur, biked to her job at the corner of 10th and Peachtree in Atlanta. She biked 12 miles a day for 22 work days in October, for total of 264 miles. Since I ride my bike to work every day, I thought, Well, why not? said Schneider, who came in third place in the challenge. Schneider started biking as transportation in college and continued when she worked in Washington, D.C., and Buffalo, N.Y. She has biked for most of her 30 years in Atlanta. I hate cars, she said. Im a bad driver. I tend to fall asleep at the wheel. I had a couple of crashes that way. That doesnt happen on a bicycle. Schneider said she thinks its silly to take one to two tons of steel to get one small person from Point A to Point B if they can do it on their own power. Riding an old Raleigh bicycle because theyre really heavysturdy going over curb and speed bumps, Schneider said she also bikes because its cheap, for the exercise and to help the environment. The air quality in Atlanta is getting worse and worse and worse. Because biking to work is important to her, Schneider said her family moved where that would be convenient. We save all kinds of money by not owning a [second] car, she said. Heather Miller, a speech therapist, said she learned of the challenge on Facebook. She came in sixth place in the challenge. It seemed like a fun challenge, said Miller, who averaged eight miles a day, five to six days a week. Living in Kirkwood, she bikes to Georgia State University and to work. I was already biking. It was just fun. Miller, who started cycling when she lived in Oakland, Calif., said social rides are a really good way to get involved in cycling. Theres a pretty good community here for bike commuting. She said there are some challenging aspects of biking: the weather and the traffic. Some mornings, its like 35 degrees and there are some crazy intersections, she said. Fourth-place winner Amber Raley said her usual commute was seven miles to work, but with the opening of the Beltline it has dropped to 5.5 miles. She bikes from near East Lake to near the High Museum in Atlanta. Going home from work, Raley often makes various pit stops. It takes her approximately 45 minutes to get to work by bike. It takes about the same time whether biking or driving, she said. Since she is allowed to take her bike into her office building, biking is generally faster. Raley began biking in April. When I got on the bike for the first time, I fell off, she recalled. For me [the challenge] was a no-brainer because I was already coming to work at least three days a week, said Raley, who participated in the challenge with a team of four other women. Raley said her advice to anyone considering bicycle commuting is to get a good bike mentorsomeone who will ride with you the first time [or] give you tips and tricks to get around the first time. Find someone who is already doing it. In the team competition, DeKalb resident Aika Yano was a member of Thunder Spokes, which won second place.
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DECATUR 608 DeKalb Industrial Blvd Corner Dekalb Ind. & N Decatur Rd (404) 499-9008 NORCROSS 4590 Buford Highway 2.5 miles North of Beaver Ruin Rd. (770) 558-6100 TOCO HILLS 2979 N. Druid Hills Rd. Behind Toco Hills Publix (404) 633-5555
Doggie Daycare Boarding Grooming
Local News
Page 13A
Interchange Continued From Page 2A

DeKalb PCID Vice-Chair Kay Younglong, a senior vice president of Jones Land LaSalle, who has leased office buildings in the Perimeter market, said the Diverging Diamond Interchange helps continue the transformation of Perimeter community from a trafficclogged market into sustainable model community. Companies want to locate and expand in a centralized area with good transportation infrastructure that provides access and connectivity, Younglove said. Improvements like the Diverging Diamond Interchange continue to make Perimeter and obvious choice.
Druid Hills Continued From Page 9A

Andrea Sneiderman is accused of having an affair with her former boss Hemy Neuman and conspiring with him to kill her husband. Neuman later admitted to killing Sneidermans husband. In court Nov. 16 prosecutors alleged Sneiderman may have convinced Neuman to kill her husband, not so she and Neuman could be together, but so she could be with another man she was involved with. Photos by Daniel Beauregard
Plot thickens in Sneidermans alleged conspiracy to murder husband

by Daniel Beauregard daniel@dekalbchamp.com Andrea Sneiderman was allegedly having an affair with her boss Hemy Neuman; however, prosecutors suggested in court Nov. 16 that another man may have played a role in the alleged plot to murder her husband Rusty Sneiderman. Neuman later admitted to killing Sneidermans husband in November 2010. He was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. In the indictment against Sneiderman, prosecutors said she and Neuman conspired to kill her husband to claim his nearly $2 million in assets. However, an updated witness list given to defense attorneys includes the name Joseph Dell, whom prosecutors said is currently living with Sneiderman at her parents house, where she is under house arrest. We believe it credible that Mr. Dell left his wife six months pregnant about six and a half months after the murder of Rusty and at that time, openly took up a relationship with the defendant, Chief Assistant District Attorney Don Geary said. Prosecutors said Sneiderman may have convinced Neuman to kill her husband so that she and Dell could pursue a relationship. The Nov. 16 hearing was for a motion filed by Sneidermans defense team to allow her to attend, in-person, the depositions for a wrongful
Mark Goldman, cochairman of friends of Burbank Park, said the Friends of Burbanck Park and all neighbors of the property are unanimously opposed to Bucklers plans to turn the three lots into a seven lot cul-de-sac subdivision. Goldman said residents in the area have signed the future. However, defense a petition against the deattorney Thomas Clegg said velopment and Friends of Dells relationship with the Burbanck Park has written defendant will have no bear- a letter indicating our oping on the outcome of the position. case. Every neighbor that we They are close friends have talked to has supported and at this time Mr. Dell is leaving the three lots as providing invaluable assisthree lots, Goldman said. tance for Mrs. Sneiderman by We fully support the HPC virtue of helping her pick up on this matter. The proposed her kids from school, which wall and fence changes she may not do, and taking to the natural landscape the kids to dance practice or and would be inconsistent soccer practice, Clegg said. with the Druid Hills design Sneiderman is currently under house arrest and since she is barred from having contact with any of her friends on the states witness list, needs the help Dell is Andrea Sneiderman providing, Clegg said. To prohibit her from havdeath suit against her that was ing any sort of contact with filed by her late husbands him just because his name has brother and parents. Additionally, defense law- now appeared on a list of witnesses seems inappropriate, yers asked that Sneiderman Clegg said. There is absobe allowed to attend a hearlutely no basis whatsoever ing in Fulton County, where for doing this to this poor her assets have been frozen. woman. Sneidermans bond condiHowever, prosecutors tions bar her from having any contact with witnesses, some disagreed, saying that recent evidence theyve discovered of whom have been called to indicates Sneiderman and testify in both the civil case and the one in Fulton County. Dell may have been emailing back and forth prior to her Judge Gregory Adams husbands death. later denied the motion Nov. Evidence is starting to 20 and ordered that Sneidercome up that might show it man may listen to the dewasnt Mr. Neuman that was positions electronically and confer with her attorneys who supposed to be with the defendant but someone elseMr. are present as long as she is not heard by any other person Dell may be someone else, Geary said. attending the deposition. Adams said lawyers have Sneidermans defense atuntil Dec. 7 to file any additorneys described the exact nature of her relationship with tional motions before setting a trial date. Dell as to be determined in
guidelines. Goldman said the proposed wall would negatively impact the immediately adjacent Burbank Park and would be a dangerous precedent for reconfiguring many other parts of our historic neighborhood. Reached after the boards vote, Buckler said commissioners did what was legally correct. Buckler said to next step is the get a land disturbance permit that will allow construction of a road to the subdivision, Buckler said. The proposed homes in the subdivision will exceed the value of the homes in the vicinity of the lots, Buckler said. It wont affect the character of [Druid Hills]. This is not going to do anything but enhance it.
Education
Page 14A
Diane Maslia, a gifted students teacher and STEM chairwoman at Henderson Mill Elementary, points to a broccoli plant growing in one of the class plots at the school. Recently, Henderson Mill became the first state-certified STEM school in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD). Photos by Daniel Beauregard
Henderson Elementary first STEM certified school in DCSD

by Daniel Beauregard daniel@dekalbchamp.com Henderson Mill Elementary school recently became the first STEM-certified school in the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) by the Georgia Department of Education. However, gifted students teacher Diane Maslia said the school has been moving in that direction for years. We believe were the first elementary school, too, Maslia said. In recent years, many schools have begun embracing a curriculum centered on the hands-on teaching of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). There are several other STEM-certified schools in Georgia, including Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, which Maslia said she visited when Henderson Mill was working on its STEM application. We saw it and said, You know, were doing a lot of this stuff anyway and its the best hands-on way that we can reach our kids, Maslia said. Several years ago Maslia and other teachers at the school began thinking of different ways to meet the needs of its student population, she said Henderson Mill is a Title I school, which means it receives federal funding because many of its students come from low-income homes. Maslia said Hendersons demographics are approximately one-third White, onethird Black and one-third Hispanic. We decided that we needed to find a way between all the languageswe have about 20-25 languages spoken herethat we could get hands-on math and science to our children, Maslia said. Before beginning the STEM application process, Maslia said the school looked at the possibility of becoming a charter school but decided against it because of the contentious charter debate happening in Georgia at the time. We knew that engineering, math and science was the way of the future, Maslia said. Maslia is the schools STEM chairwoman and teaches most of the engineering classes. As a student walked up and handed her his engineering homework, Maslia said many of the children at the school havent had the opportunity to learn about STEM subjects. She said things even as small as gardening gives the students a new hands-on experience that helps reinforce what they learn in the classroom. We have a huge garden outside and were partners with an engineering firm, Maslia said. Outside in the garden
area, each class has a plot and grows vegetables such as broccoli, lettuce and Swiss chard. The garden is watered by a system of pipes that feed into several elevated rain barrels. When the vegetables are ready to be harvested, Maslia said, the staff and students prepare them and talk about what theyre eating. Currently, Henderson Mill uses the Engineering is Elementary program, a research-based curriculum that integrates engineering and technology concepts and skills with elementary science topics. The school, like several other schools in DCSD, also participates in the Small Fry 2 Go program, where students hatch fish and raise them in the classroom then release them into the wild. Each year the program releases approximately 72,000 fish into the Chattahoochee River. The fish, or fry as theyre called when they are small, are cared for by the students and parent volunteers, who feed them during the week and check on them each weekend until theyre big enough to be released. As we progressed we learned how to take common everyday lessons and develop them into some type of hands-on project, Maslia said.
Business
Page 15A
Upscale shoe store opens in Dunwoody

by Kathy Mitchell kathy@dekalbchamp.com Ninety-year-old Allen Edmonds Shoe Corporation prides itself on two things: At a time when most shoe manufacturing has gone overseas, it remains an American footwear manufacturer; and using a 212-step process, it takes shoemaking to the level of an art form. Wisconsin-based Allen Edmonds recently opened its only Georgia store in Dunwoody. We are delighted to open our first store in Atlanta, President and CEO Paul Grangaard said in a statement announcing the store opening. The Allen Edmonds offering is a perfect fit for the men of this area. Store Manager Lupe Sandoval said the company had been looking for a location in the Perimeter Mall area for a couple of years. We were at first concerned that customers might not see the store from the street, he said of the location at Park Place Shopping Center, across from Perimeter Mall on Ashford-Dunwoody Road, but the signage is good and customers havent had a problem finding us. The Allen Edmonds brand is already widely known and has enthusiasts throughout Georgia, according to Sandoval, who said customers have been coming from such areas as Peachtree City an hour away. He added that a customer had come recently from Savannah to shop there. Sandoval said approximately 70 percent of the customers coming to the new Dunwoody store already are Allen Edmonds customers who order online or buy the companys products that are offered in upscale department stores. The new store carries Allen Edmonds full line. The shoes, according to Allen Edmonds literature, since 1922 have appealed to men from all walks of life, including U.S. presidents, international dignitaries, business executives and celebrities. Only 1.4 percent of the shoes worn in America were made in America, Sandoval said. Customers tell us that they like walking around in American-made shoes. The company does have a line of Italian shoes that it began offering in response to customer requests. Italian shoes were the rage worldwide for a while, Sandoval explained, but that is changing. The demand for American shoes is growing globally. Were opening our first store in Asia this year. Describing Allen Edmonds market niche as entry point luxury, Sandoval said shoe prices start at approximately $300 a pair. Thats really a good value when you consider that these shoes will last 10 years or more compared to shoes that will last six months to a year. You can pay a lot more and get a lot less. Sandoval said the company has continued to grow even in an uncertain economy. At a time when other companies were letting people go, we hired 100 more since 2010. I think people value quality in a tight economy. Allen Edmonds offers what it calls recrafting to restore old shoes to newlike condition. We had a man come in recently with a pair of shoes that had belonged to his father, Sandoval said. He said the facility at the companys home office in Wisconsin not only was able to restore the shoes, but adjusted them to fit the sons wider feet. In addition to offering shoes from classic dress models to weekend shoes and boots, Allen Edmonds also offers clothing items and such mens haberdashery items as ties, belts and caps as well as accessories such as shoe racks, shoe trees and belt racks.
Although shoes are the flagship product at Allen Edmonds, the store also sells other mens furnishings. Manger Lupe Sandoval, left, and Assistant Manager Andrew Eckhardt show shirts, ties and other items the Dunwoody shop features. Photos by Kathy Mitchell
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(www.cityofclarkston.com)andcopiestoviewwillbeavailableattheClarkstonCityHallandthe ClarkstonPublicLibraryonNovember6,2012.TheClarkstonCouncilwillholdaPublicHearingson Tuesday,November27,2012,startingat6:30pm,attheClarkstonCityHall,3921ChurchStreetforthe purposeoftakingpubliccommentonthe2013ProposedCityofClarkstonBudget.TheCouncilwillvote toadopttheClarkston2013BudgetattheirregularCouncilMeetingonDecember4,2012at6:30pm. Thepublicisinvitedtoattend.
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Adoption
Continued From Page 1A
that a family can do than to adopt a child. Its a beautiful, wonderful thing. Patrick and Amanda ONeill of Tucker, adopted Morgan, now 20 months old, from China. Its been a very rewarding process, Patrick ONeill said. We look forward to starting the process again next year. Patrick ONeill offered advice to people considering adoption: Definitely do your research. Definitely find an agency you believe in and feel good with and go for it. Its been a wonderful journey. It was love at first sight, Amanda ONeill said. We dont even think of her as adopted. Shes just our daughter. Devon and Dian Mott of Conyers finalized the adoptions of three DeKalb County children, Raven, 8; Justin, 6; and McKeithan, 5. The Motts, who have been foster parents since 1996, worked with a private agency, Community Connection of Stone Mountain, during the adoption, which began in January. We love children, Dian Mott said. We have two grown children of our own. When these kids came into our home, we loved them so much we didnt want them to go anywhere else. We just wanted them to be a part of our family. Justin said he was glad to be a part of the new family because my mom cant work with memy other mom. So I went from house to house to house. During the adoption finalization, one by one each family was called into Judge Adams chambers where they were sworn in by an adoption attorney who questioned them to ensure they understood the adoption process. [Do] you understand that you have certain rights and obligations to the childrenfood, clothing, shelter, education, things that parents do for children? asked Attorney Willie Hamilton. Youre doing that already because theyre living in your house. Youre going to continue to do that. Judge Adams asked, Mr. and Mrs. Mott, is there anything you want to tell me before I excecute the final judgment? You cant turn back. After the couple said they had no questions, the judge said, I grant your request. Congratulations. It is final. Adams, who spent several minutes posing for pictures with the new family, said, We do adoptions year-round. Its probably one the highlights of the things we do as a superior court judgebringing families together. I was more than willing to do this because I think its very important to have families united so that children will have support. Its just the right thing to do. Adoptions generally take approximately a year, but can range from a few months to several years, Adams said. Some of the adoptive parents are adopting children with special needs, Adams said. That is a need within the greater community for people to step forward and help. Adams said adoptive parents are to be commended. Im doing the easy partbringing them together and signing the legal documents, he said. Theyre doing the real workrolling up their sleeves and providing a loving home, safe environment, nurturing environment.
The courtroom of Superior Court Judge Gregory Adams was filled with parents waiting to finalize adoptions during DeKalb Countys second observance of National Adoption Day. In DeKalb, there are approximately 1,000 children waiting to be adopted, according to Debra DeBerry, clerk of Superior Court, who organized the event. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
Dian Mott receives final instructions from adoption attorney Willie Hamilton. Below, Mott and her husband Devon finalize the adoptions of three children as they are questioned by Judge Gregory Adams and Hamilton.
Page 18A
M.L. King defeats Sequoyah, advances in playoffs
On the dotted line

Basketball stars ink signatures to play college ball
by Carla Parker carla@dekalbchamp.com hree of DeKalb Countys most talented basketball players have already decided where they plan to play college basketball next season. Arabia Mountains Bakari Copeland, Decaturs Jordan Dillard, and Moses Johnson of GreenforestMcCalep Christian Academy have signed or will sign their letters of intent to their schools of choice. Johnson on Nov.14 signed her letter of intent to play at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in front of family, friends and teammates. Johnson said she was excited and overjoyed about signing with UTChattanooga. I have so many emotions at one time, she said. But, Im very happy. The 5-foot-11 center has led Greenforest in scoring and assists for the past three years, averaging 28 points and six assists. She scored her 1,000th point last season against Whitefield Academy on Jan. 17, 2012. She scored a career high of 45 points last season, and finished as the second highest scorer in Georgia. For the last three years, she has made the All-Region Team. Johnson said she chose UTChattanooga because she loves the schools environment. The coaches were amazing, she said. I had an immediate connection to them. And the players were awesome. Johnson, who is good at driving to the basket, said she has been working to better her shooting skills. Thats what [the coaches] are expecting me to doto be a shooter, she said. Im hoping to go down there and knock down some buckets.
Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academy center Moses Johnson signed her letter of intent to play at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Nov. 14.
Decatur High School power forward Jordan Dillard signed her letter of intent to play at Villanova University on Nov. 15. Photos by Carla Parker
by Carla Parker carla@dekalbchamp.com The Martin Luther King Jr. Lions earned another home playoff game after a 34-14 win over the Sequoyah Chiefs. The No. 2 ranked Lions improved to 11-0 for the second consecutive season after its win on Nov. 16. The Lions will host No. 10 ranked Allatoona (10-1) on Nov. 23 at Hallford Stadium in the second round of the playoffs. The Lions got off to a fast start on offense behind backup quarterback Roland Rivers, who was in for injured quarterback Monquavious Johnson. Rivers threw for a total of 338 yards and four touchdowns. Lions head coach Rober Freeman said he knew Rivers would play well. He settled down from his first game last week against Miller Grove, Freeman said. He had a great week of practice, so we knew he was going to come out and play well. On the Lions first two possessions, Rivers connected with wide receiver Donald Clark twice on touchdown passes of 36 and 59 yards in the first quarter to give the Lions a 14-0 lead. The defense also played well in the first quarter, forcing Sequoyahs offence to backto-back three and outs. Sequoyah got on the scoreboard in the second quarter after a bad snap on a Lions punt, which gave the Chiefs the football on the Lions 8-yard line. A personal foul by the Lions on a field goal attempt gave the Chiefs a first and goal at the 2-yard line and Sequoyah running back Blake Ingleton scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the Lions lead to 14-7.
See MLK on Page 19A
Johnson
Dillard
Dillard signed her letter of intent to play at Villanova University on Nov. 15. She said signing with Villanova was an exciting time in her life and for her basketball career. Im looking forward to this next chapter in my life, she said. The six-foot power forward, who averages 20 points per game, is a three-star recruit, according to espn. com and is ranked No. 56 among power forwards in the nation. She chose Villanova over Georgia Tech and Memphis because she wanted to get away from the south. [Going up north] is something that Ive always felt I needed to do, she said. Im looking forward to going up to the Big East [Conference] program that theyre involved in. Dillard said she will bring her leadership, scoring and rebounding skills to Villanova next season. Copeland is set to sign his letter of intent to the University of South Carolina-Upstate this month at Arabia Mountain. The shooting guard is Arabia Mountains first Division 1 basketball signee. Copeland said he is happy finally to be able to sign his letter. Now, I can just focus on my
team and win the state championship, he said. Copeland said he chose to sign with South Carolina-Upstate because it was the best fit for him. Not just for basketball for my education as well, he said. I felt like they have a real good plan for me after college. During his junior year, Copeland had a breakout season, scoring 310 points for a 14.1 average, which was seventh best in the DeKalb County statistics. He was also in the Top 25 in the county in three-point field goal percentage (37.0) and free throw percentage (71.0). Copeland was also named to the DeKalb County Tip-off Club AllCounty Team and the All-Region 5-AAA First Team selections last year. He said South Carolina-Upstate will be getting a good leader with many offensive tools. Ill be bringing a lot of scoring abilities, a lot of pesky defense and rebounding, he said. Before leaving for college Copeland said he wants to win a state championship and be one of the top scorers in the county.
Page 19A
Tucker, Stephenson advance to second round of state playoffs

The Tucker Tigers picked up a big first round victory along with the Martin Luther King Jr. Lions in the Class AAAAA high school football state playoffs on Nov. 16 while the Stephenson Jaguars won on Nov. 17. The No. 5 ranked Tucker Tigers fell behind 3-0 early before rolling to a 42-25 road win over Creekview. The Tigers (9-2) responded to the 3-0 deficit quickly scoring to take a 7-3 before exploding for three second quarter touchdowns to take a 28-3 lead into the half. The lead would expand to 35-3 in the third quarter before Creekview (9-2) could close the gap to 35-17 early in the fourth quarter. Both teams would score one more time each for the final of 42-25. Tucker advances to host North Paulding (8-3) on Nov. 16 at Adams Stadium. North Paulding advanced with a 63-43 upset of Flowery Branch in the first round. Stephenson 31, Pope 11 Evan Jones ran for 97 of his 114 yards and 2 touchdowns in the second half to lead the No. 9 Stephenson Jaguars to a 31-11 Class AAAAA state playoff victory at Hallford Stadium. The Jaguars (8-2) had a 7-3 lead at the half behind a seven-yard touchdown run by Jahmal Daniels. Jones took over in the second half on Stephensons second possession as he carried five times for 66 yards in the drive including the final six for the touchdown and a 14-3 lead after Wisdom Nzidees point after kick with 6:31 left in the third quarter. Pope (7-4) got a six-yard touchdown run from Ronald Woods on its next possession. A two-point pass from Stephen Skrunck to Logan Carr closed the gap to 14-11 with 2:57 to play in the third period. The Jaguars answered with a 33yard field goal by Nzidee that was set up by a 45-yard pass from Justin Holman to Bernard Barnes. A fumble on the ensuing kickoff was recovered by Stephensons Ronald Peterkin at the Pope 21. One play later Jones went the 21 yards for the touchdown and a 24-11 lead with 9:28 to play, giving the Jaguars 10 points in a 21-second span. Khalil Ladler closed out the scoring as he intercepted a Pope pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown to make the final margin 31-11. The Jaguars advance and travel to take on No. 3 ranked East Paulding (11-0) on Nov. 16. Kell 19, SW DeKalb 14 The Southwest DeKalb Panthers pushed No. 4 ranked Kell to the brink before losing in the final 25 seconds by a score of 19-14 at Kell on Nov. 16. The Panthers (7-4) led early 7-0 before Kell (10-1) tied the game at 7-7 at the half. Kell then held a 13-7 lead in the second half when the Panthers scored with 7:58 to play to take a 14-13 lead. The Panthers were clinging to the lead as the clock ticked below one minute to play when Kell struck on a 48-yard pass play to pull out the victory. Buford 41, Cedar Grove 27 The Cedar Grove Saints battled the No. 3 ranked Buford Wolves, but could not catch up in a 41-27 loss at Buford in the Class AAA state playoffs. Cedar Grove (6-5) got two rushing touchdowns and a kickoff return for touchdown by Deion Sellers and trailed just 20-13 early in the third quarter. Buford (8-3) was able to keep its cushion in advancing to the second round.
MLK
Continued From Page 18A
Rivers got his team back to a two touchdown lead after scoring on a quarterback sneak to give his team a 21-7 lead before halftime. The Chiefs tried to add more points on the board before halftime with a field goal, but the Lions blocked the 36-yard field goal attempt. The third quarter started shaky for the Lions when they lost16 yards on its first play after a fumble by Clark. The Lions were forced to punt, but defensive back Chaka Diarrassouba got the ball back for his team after intercepting a pass by Sequoyah quarterback Lex Laulatta. The Lions took advantage of the Chiefs turnover on the next play. Rivers threw a screen pass to wide receiver Marquis Polite-Bray, who then ran 59 yards to the end zone to give the Lions a 28-7 lead. Polite-Bray got his second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter on a 72yard touchdown pass from Rivers to give the Lions a 34-7 lead. Sequoyah got a late touchdown on a run play by Ingleton to bring the score to 34-14. After the game, Freeman said he was happy with the way his team played. The guys played great, he said. The coaches prepped very well for [this game]. We just really wanted to get through this first round and start to concentrate on the second round.
by Carla Parker carla@dekalbchamp.com
Joshua Outlaw selected to play in Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl
Martin Luther King Jr. Lions senior offensive lineman Joshua Outlaw was selected to play in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Carson, Calif. on Jan. 4, 2013. Outlaw was presented his game jersey on Nov. 16 at halftime of the first round playoff game between M. L. King and Sequoyah. Outlaw said being selected to play in the bowl game is a great honor. Capt. Barry Morris from the Marines Corps said Outlaw is an example of an athlete thats a good student with a quality of character and physical prowess. He has proven physical fitness, Morris said. Hes an exceptional athlete on the field and a good student. It feels great to be selected to a game of that prestige, he said. The U.S. Marine Corps is recognizing exemplary student athletes across the country through the Semper Fidelis AllAmerican Bowl. In its second year, the game will feature 100 student athletes selected from across the country based on their athletic prowess, academic success and embodiment of the Marine Corps values of honor, courage and commitment. Im just looking forward to enjoying the opportunity and learning something from the Marines and bring something home to Atlanta, Outlaw said. The 6-foot-4, 275-pound, highly recruited, three-star offensive lineman has been playing football since the age of 4. He became interested in the sport after watching football on television.
Photo by Bruce James
I was always a big sports kid, he said. Ever since I was little there was a ball in my hand. It gave me the opportunity to play and ever since then Ive loved it. Outlaw played defensive end and tight end before moving to offensive lineman his freshman year in high school. I started at the left tackle position, he said. It gave me another opportunity to get noticed by major schools. Outlaw has been recruited heavily since he de-committed from Florida on Aug. 19. It didnt work out, he said about the Florida decision. Im trying to find a school thats best fitted for my best possible interest the next four years. Outlaw currently has offers from Florida State, Georgia, Miami, TCU, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, UCLA, Utah and others. He said his athleticism makes him stand out from other offensive linemen.
I think I have better foot work and better lateral movement, he said. Im also very aggressive and I like to finish my blocks. When Outlaw isnt blocking defensive linemen he is volunteering with Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry and Homeless. The student athletes selected for the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl have more than outstanding athletic ability they also exemplify youth leadership and are committed to building life skills both on and off the field. The Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl is the culmination of the Marine Corps Semper Fidelis Football Program, which also includes a series of youth football camps and an All-American Selection Tour. Through the program, the Marine Corps purposefully engages with the student athletes to share leadership lessons that will enable future success. The game will be broadcast live on the NFL Network at 3 p.m. from The Home Depot Center.
PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS: Lakeside vs. Carver Atlanta
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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012

The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 23, 2012

M.L. King defeats Sequoyah, advances in playoffs