Rving: A New Approach To Vacationing: Filers of Ethics Complaints Seek Truth, Accountability

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FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 17 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
See RVing on page 15A
See Ethics on page 15A
by John Hewitt
johnh@dekalbchamp.com
Its not quite the same as the love af-
fair that many Americans have with
their cars, but to some people it may
be even more important.
There apparently are a growing
number of people who have discov-
ered the appeal of the outdoors later
in life, or more likely, discovered the
appeal of camping with every known
convenience in some of the more
modern motorhomes and travel trail-
ers; collectively referred to as recre-
ational vehicles (RVs). This relatively
modern phenomenon is also at times
referred to as glamping (glamour
camping).
Recreational vehicles allow the
flexibility of visiting more remote
areas that may not have hotels or re-
sorts while being able to sleep, shower,
cook and entertain guests in the
convenience of your own vehicle. It
also allows users to avoid crowds and
provides opportunities to spend more
time together in a non-commercial
setting.
Many newer model RVs have
gourmet kitchens; fireplaces; dining
areas; private bedrooms and baths;
built-in, high-tech entertainment sys-
tems with surround sound; and may
sleep up to 12 people. Some even have
Jacuzzi tubs, full-size showers as well
as exterior showers and a deck.
Those who may be interested in
owning an RV may want to consider
first renting an RV to see if this type
of vacation is the right fit. Many may
find driving or towing a large vehicle
to be an intimidating experience.
An excellent place to browse new
and used RVs is Tucker-based Peco
Camping Sales, the highest volume
towable RV dealer in Georgia since
2009 according to Statistical Surveys,
a marketing information research
company specializing in recreational
vehicles. Originally located on Ponce
de Leon Ave in Decatur, Peco relocat-
ed to its current Mountain Industrial
Boulevard location in 2000.
Peco employee Kevin Tafel said
their new and used inventory usu-
ally fluctuates between 100-200 units
displayed on their 10 acre facility. A
website search shows pricing from as
low as $3,999 up to $75,000. In addi-
tion to RVs, Peco also has a retail store
RVing: A new approach to vacationing
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
Government watchdog Rhea
Johnson said he likes DeKalb County.
Tats why he has fled fve ethics
complaintand counting.
I am committed to DeKalb
County, said Johnson, a retired retail
store developer and manager. I enjoy
living here. It has from time to time
been a struggle, but I do enjoy living
in the county.
Johnson has fled ethics com-
plaints against DeKalb County com-
missioners Larry Johnson, Sharon
Barnes Sutton and Stan Watson;
interim county CEO Lee May and
suspended county CEO Burrell Ellis.
In addition to Rhea Johnson, fve
others have fled ethics complaints,
targeting Commissioners Elaine Boy-
er, Kathie Gannon and Jef Rader.
Johnson said he made the various
flings because the ethics board is
almost the last resort to resolve many
of the defciencies in county govern-
ment.
Although he is not sure if the eth-
ics boardconsidering the way they
are chosenis up to the task, John-
son said he has faith in the board be-
cause he has been through the train-
ing that the ethics board receives.
I have been through the training
side-by-side with the ethics board
members, and I still have a degree of
confdence in them that Im willing to
put this task in their court, Johnson
said.
I know every one of them. I have
faith in them, Johnson said. As long
as their independence remains sacro-
sanct, I believe they can do the job. If
their independence is breached, there
is no possibility that they can succeed.
Tat is why Im putting the time,
money and efort and the emotional
strength that I have into this project.
Johnson said his goal with his eth-
ics complaints is an appropriate out-
come based on the best judgment of
the members of the [ethics] board.
Tis is a test of the board, consid-
Filers of ethics
complaints
seek truth,
accountability
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Education .....................20A
Sports ...................... 22-23A
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CIVIL WAR
LETTERS
WOMAN FINDS
SUCCESS IN
SEWER
CHAPLAIN
MINISTERS DURING
CRISES
PAGE 2A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014

Hospital chaplain ministers during crises
te
V
Board of Education Runoff Election
Advance voting runs through July 18.
Runoff Election is July 22.
To learn more about your school board
candidates and watch the community
forum video, visit
www.itsforthemdekalb.org.
by Andrew Cauthen
At 6:40 a.m. on July 2,
Dr. McClellon D. Cox was
called into work.
A family had lost the
mother, said Cox, who
was promoted in March to
director of pastoral care at
DeKalb Medical.
We had to minister to
them, first, through their
grief, and then we had to
help them understand the
procedure they had to go
through, because people
dont often know about
funeral homes, Cox said.
They know about it, but its
somebody elses issue until it
comes to [them].
Cox, who has worked as
an English teacher, assistant
high school principal, col-
lege professor and a pastor,
holds a doctor of ministry
degree from Candler School
of Theology at Emory Uni-
versity. He joined DeKalb
Medical as associate chap-
lain in 1996 and before, tak-
ing over the directors posi-
tion, Cox was the manager
of chaplains at the hospital
since 2010.
A board-certified chap-
lain, Cox also teaches the
diversity module in general
orientation, serves on the
critical incident team and
facilitates the hospitals grief
support group.
For most of his tenure at
DeKalb Medical, Cox served
as pastor of the Mount Zion
A.M.E. Church on Lav-
ista Road in the Oak Grove
community, having retired
from that pulpit just last
year.
When I came here I was
able to practice ministry in
a crisis situation, Cox said.
Thats part of what the
hospital chaplaincy does,
as opposed to the parish. In
the parish, you have a longer
time to develop relation-
ships. Here you meet people
in their crisis moments, and
you have to help them get
through. You have to go into
dark places sometimes and
be able to help them walk
through and stillshare the
presence of God.
The job of a chaplain is
varied, said Cox, one of four
chaplains at the hospital.
We go to rooms, and
we encourage, we pray with
people, we listen to them
sometimes we just sit with
them and hold their hands,
Cox said. The patientsare
going through crises, and we
help them move through it.
Chaplains, who cover
the hospitals main campus
as well as Hillandale and
downtown Decatur loca-
tions, also minister to hospi-
tal staff members, Cox said.
The staffsometimes
they have particular issues
that we have to help them
move through, Cox said.
Sometimes these are pa-
tient related. For instance, if
you had a case with a partic-
ular patienta patient died
and this nurse or doctor...
or staff member has been
taking care of them, it takes
a toll. So we minister to the
family and help them get
through that, and we also
have to minister to the staff
and help them get through
their particular attachment.
Cox said a chaplain is
like a pastor in a hospital
setting, leading and guiding
and shepherding. In some
ways the chaplaincy is like
a church where you have to
minister sacraments, you
have to marry and some-
times we offer burial for folk
who dont have an arrange-
ment with a church.
Chaplains also hold an
annual service for babies
who died during childbirth.
Some of the parents dont
take the remains of the baby
home, and we do the crema-
tion here in the hospital,
Cox said. Every October
we have a servicewhere
we put those ashes in a cem-
etery.
Additionally, once a
week we pray for the hospi-
tal and pray for the admin-
istration, staff, doctors and
patients, Cox said.
The main difference we
have in chaplaincy is crisis,
Cox said. We are not able to
establish long-term relation-
ships, so we have to have the
capacity to let goto know
that when we help a person
and they go off, we may nev-
er hear from them again.
The DeKalb County Hu-
man Development Depart-
ment is now accepting 2015-
2016 nonprofit partnership
grant applications for the
general fund and victim as-
sistance fund.
This funding initiative,
formerly referred to as the
Human Services Grant Pro-
gram, has been enhanced in
its focus to encourage bet-
ter collaboration and asset
integration among agencies
serving common issues for
the DeKalb community, ac-
cording to a news release.
The program seeks to at-
tract nonprofits with dem-
onstrated experience in such
service areas as violence to
women, youth services, help-
ing neighborhoods work
with law enforcement, build-
ing family unity and capacity,
as well as sharing strategies
and resources for measured
outcomes.
A public information
briefing that details changes
and guidelines to this ap-
plication process will be held
on Friday, July 18, from 1 to
3 p.m., at the Manuel Maloof
Auditorium, 1300 Com-
merce Drive, Decatur. Other
See Grant on page 9A
County opens application period for human
development nonproft partnership grant
McClellon Cox heads up DeKalb Medicals team of chaplains. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014 PAGE 3A
Runof election preview
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
The May 20 primary election ended with four
DeKalb County seats still up for grabs.
Voters will have the final say on who will be the
new DeKalb County sheriff and who will hold the
three remaining seats on the DeKalb County Board
of Education.
Eight people ran for the sheriff s seat in the pri-
maries, but the race is down to current Sheriff Jeff
Mannwho was appointed by former sheriff Thom-
as Brownand former DeKalb County CEO Vernon
Jones.
In the school board race, two incumbents will face
each other for the District 4 seat because the Georgia
General Assembly voted to decrease the school board
from nine members to seven by removing the super
districts seats.
District 4 seat is currently held by Jim McMahan,
the boards current vice chairman. McMahan, a loan
originator at AmStar Mortgage Network, has been
serving since 2013 when he defeated former incum-
bent Paul Womack in a runoff. The other incumbent
in the race is Karen Carter, a Georgia Perimeter Col-
lege faculty member, who was appointed to the Super
District 8 by Gov. Nathan Deal after he replaced six
school board members who were serving when the
school district was placed on accreditation proba-
tion. Carters current seat was one of two eliminated
by the state General Assembly.
In the District 3 runoff race, incumbent Michael
Erwinanother Deal appointeewill face Atticus
LeBlanc. Erwin is an assistant professor at Georgia
Gwinnett College and LeBlanc is an investor.
Vickie B. Turner will face incumbent Thad
Mayfield, who was appointed by the governor, in
the District 5 runoff race. Mayfield, a senior partner
with Georgia-based business development firm FO-
COM Inc., currently represents Super District 9. The
District 5 seat is currently held by David Campbell,
who did not run for re-election.
by Carla Parker
The border battle be-
tween Briarcliff, Lakeside
and Tucker looks to be end-
ing after representatives
of the proposed cities of
Briarcliff and Lakeside an-
nounced that they are work-
ing together.
Representatives from the
City of Briarcliff Initiative
and Lakeside Yes read a joint
statement at the DeKalb
County Operations Task
Force July 2 meeting to an-
nounce that the two groups
will work together to create
a unified map.
Both of our groups
presented maps during the
2014 session of the Georgia
General Assembly, Lakeside
Yes chairwoman Mary Kay
Woodworth read. How-
ever, because our current
maps overlap, Lakeside and
Briarcliff have agreed to
collaborate with the goal of
creating a unified map free
of overlapping areas and
respecting existing city bor-
ders and future annexation
plans.
Cityhood bills for Bri-
arcliff, Lakeside and Tucker
all failed to make it to the
House floor for a vote in the
last legislative session and
were put on hold until the
next legislative session.
The maps of the three
proposed cities had overlap-
ping areas, including the
Northlake area. Lakesides
map also included part of
Tuckers 30084 ZIP code.
Legislators urged support-
ers of the proposed cities to
work together to resolve the
overlapping borders.
Woodworth said the
groups will continue to work
with Rep. Mike Jacobs (R-
60) and Sen. Fran Millar (R-
40), residents and business
owners to reach the goal
of local control and gover-
nance for this community.
We invite the advocates
of the city of Tucker to join
with us so that we can pres-
ent two cities with a clear
path to cityhood prior to the
2015 session of the General
Assembly, Woodworth said.
The Tucker 2015 Initia-
tive posted a statement on
its Facebook page, stating:
Tucker 2015 applauds the
City of Briarcliff Initia-
tive and the Lakeside City
Alliance for combining
their cityhood efforts as
announced at the DeKalb
County Task Force meeting
[July 2]. Given the broad
overlap of their two maps,
we have long supported
them working through their
differences so that the city
of Tucker can coexist with a
neighboring new city.
As Tucker 2015s Frank
Auman told the task force
members, improving quality
of life for the Tucker com-
munity and all of DeKalb
County continues to be at
the heart of our cityhood
effort. We look forward to
collaborating with the newly
combined Lakeside/Briar-
cliff effort, while preserving
the long-standing Tucker
community.
Rep. Scott Holcomb (D-
81) said he is pleased that
the two group are working
together.
I encourage them to
continue with that work
and for them to continue to
work with the supporters of
Tucker to resolve boundary
issues, Holcomb said in a
released statement. Over
the last year and a half, I
have advocated for a col-
laborative process that re-
flects the will of the people
who live here. Reaching
consensus locally should
ensure that our community
succeeds in getting what we
want through the legisla-
tive process. That will be my
goal in the upcoming ses-
sion.
City of Briarcliff Initiative
president Allen Venet said
its members are committed
to working together because
they agree with Lakeside on
almost every issue except
boundaries.
Boundaries can be
solved, Venet said at the
meeting. As we refine our
map, we are soliciting neigh-
borhood input, and we will
work with state, county and
local elected representatives
of both major parties and
with the existing cities of
DeKalb County. We seek to
unite, rather than divide, to
improve government opera-
tions not just in our region
of DeKalb but in the entire
county.
Tucker applauds Briarclif,
Lakeside collaboration
ONE MANS OPINION
Y? Because we like you?
Young man, theres a place you can
go.
I said, young man, when youre short
on your dough.
You can stay there, and Im sure you
will find
Many ways to have a good time.
Lyrics from the song Y.M.C.A., by
The Village People
The YMCA, the Young Mens
Christian Association, and its sib-
ling the YWCA, are excellent or-
ganizations with a longtime track
record of positive contributions
in DeKalb County and across the
country.There are six YMCAs in
Atlanta, including the East Lake
Family Y, attached to Drew Charter
School, along Memorial Drive, and
three currently located in DeKalb
County, including Decatur, South
DeKalb YMCA and Wade Walker
Park YMCA.
I recently toured the East Lake
Y, and swam with my daughter at
Wade Walker Park, and its won-
derful mini-water park.The Y is
a private organization, and were
not current members, so we paid
visitor/user fees.Single and family
memberships are not inexpensive,
and run several hundred dollars per
yearlikely well worth every penny,
but not open and accessible to every
member of the general public or
DeKalb taxpayers, without paying
a fee.Im not suggesting that the Y
waive its own stated policy of Ev-
eryone is Welcome, Im just making
a simple distinction between a pub-
lic park, library or publicly owned
asset and a private one, no matter
how worthy or valid their mission.
A major and positive accom-
plishment of the administration
of former DeKalb CEO Vernon
Joneswas the passage of a SPLOST
referendum to benefit parks and
libraries, focusing predominantly
on improving or building out new
greenspaces in then underserved
south DeKalb County.
Within eight square miles of the
South DeKalb Y, DeKalb County
has already invested in excess of
$35 million from the developmen-
tal funds from the parks bond,
as well as additional county and
federal grant dollars for senior cen-
ters.These include the Browns Mill
Recreation and Aquatic Center ($8.9
million), Exchange Park Multi-Gen-
erational Recreation Center ($7.2
million), Redan Park Recreation
Center ($5.4 million), Wade Walker
Park and YMCA ($13.6 million) and
the Lou Walker and Candler Road
senior centers.
DeKalb County built out the
Wade Walker Y, which the YMCA
operates and leases back for $1 per
year.The Cousins Foundation simi-
larly funded and has a lease back
for the Eastlake Family Y.DeKalb
does not have the funds available
or SPLOST funds designated for
needed repairs and renovations for
the Tucker Recreation Center, the
Lithonia Recreation Center, build-
ing a rec center at Mason Mill Park
or the long overdue replacement of
the Tobie Grant Recreation Center
in Scottdale.
For nearly five years, the county
and the Y have been quietly negoti-
ating the purchase/lease back of the
South DeKalb Y at a cost of nearly
$5 million, including $4 million in
countywide acquisition funding and
$1 million in Districts 3 and 7 parks
bond land acquisition funding.The
project has strong support from dis-
trict commissioners Stan Watson
and Larry Johnson.However, recent
appraisals have the South DeKalb
Y facilities valued at $2.5 million,
and the adjoining land appraised at
$400,000.Including equipment and
other intangibles, the Y estimates
the market value at $3.9 million.So
even agreeing with the Y, the county
would be overpaying by $1 million,
with no funds set aside for renova-
tion and expansion of the dated
facility, and the Y bringing no new
dollars or set reinvestment plan to
the table.
Certainly, we all might enjoy a
public park or recreation facility
within a stones throw of our own
front door. But in the real world, re-
sources are limited, and sometimes
tough choices must be made.South
DeKalb is now well-positioned with
multiple recreational offerings in-
cluding several county and senior
facilities and two YMCAs.Funding
or purchasing a third in the area is
bad business and ignores the needs
of many other existing facilities
open to all DeKalb residents across
the county.
It simply isnt enough to answer
this multimillion-dollar question
and request by this Y with a
yes just because we like the
Y.Why? Because we like you is a
more appropriate answer for The
Mickey Mouse Club, but not for
making multimillion-dollar funding
decisions against the backdrop of
continuing limited resources and in
an area with plenty of other existing
recreational options available.
Perhaps the Village People could
host a fundraiser?
Bill Crane also serves as a political
analyst and commentator for Channel
2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk
750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as a
columnist for The Champion, Cham-
pion Free Press and Georgia Trend.
Crane is a DeKalb native and business
owner, living in Scottdale. You can
reach him or comment on a column at
billcrane@earthlink.net.
Bill crane
Columnist
OPINION
In case you missed it, an ethics
complaint was filed against DeKalb
Commissioner Kathie Gannon re-
cently. Such things are so common
in DeKalb County its easy to disre-
gard yet another complaint. The sig-
nificance of this one is that now all
seven commissioners, including Lee
Maywho is also serving as interim
DeKalb County CEO, have at least
one ethics complaint pending.
Add that to Sheriff Jeff Mann
and now there are eight elected of-
ficials who potentially face removal
from office. Should the fledgling
Board of Ethics themselves decide
to remove these officials?Some of
the charges seem more egregious
than others. The spending habits of
Commissioner Elaine Boyer (vaca-
tions, which she repaid) and Com-
missioner Sharon Barnes Sutton
(retail outlets, not repaid) are trou-
bling at best, while the accusations
against May (who proposed ethics
funding) and Commissioner Larry
Johnson (who donated to the Porter
Sanford Arts Center) seem flimsy.
The Georgia General Assembly
loves to enact laws that specifically
micromanage DeKalb County.For
instance, DeKalb has the only
CEO-form of government in Geor-
gia.When I was chairman of the
Development Authority of DeKalb
County, the General Assembly
passed a law so that private bond
deals had to go on a public referen-
dum.Not so in the other 158 coun-
ties.
So it goes with the DeKalb
County Ethics Board, which was
formed in 1990 in a landslide ref-
erendum.But unlike every other
ethics board in Georgia, this one has
the unique power to usurp the will
of the voters and remove elected of-
ficials from office.Over the years,
this potential liability was mitigated
by politicians who agreed to meager
funding and the lack of appoint-
ments to make a quorum.When
the ethics board had enough people
to take a vote, there wasnt enough
funding to do any sort of investiga-
tion of ethics complaints.Problem
solved.
Over the past year, however, the
high profile criminal investigation
into allegations against suspended
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis
has turned up the political pres-
sure.Ethics is this years trending
buzzword.To capitalize, the DeKalb
Board of Commissioners, follow-
ing the lead of interim CEO May,
increased the annual funding of the
ethics board, first by $115,000, then
again recently by $300,000.For the
first time, the ethics board will have
a salaried staff.
What do we get for all of the
money and all of the publicity?So
far, nothing of any value whatsoev-
er.Meanwhile hardly a day goes by
that someone doesnt file an ethics
complaint against someone else, and
the media laps it up as if every com-
plaint was DeKalbs own Watergate
conspiracy.
The irony is that the vast major-
ity of these cases are against the very
people who approved the additional
funding for the Board of Ethics.
So what is the solution to
this boondoggle?Fire the ethics
board?Double the ethics boards
funding (again)?Fire all of our
elected officials and replace them
with appointments?
I believe none of the above is
the correct answer.I submit to you
that DeKalb is broken because it
has been routinely fixed by the
Georgia General Assembly over the
years.The reason it sticks out like
a sore thumb is because it has been
legislated into a perpetual anomaly.
I have some advice for the elect-
ed officials serving on the task force
to change DeKalb Countys govern-
ment.DeKalb County should be
completely dismantled and rebuilt
from the ground up.DeKalb should
be structured like the other 158
counties, with a chairman form
of government with similar, if
not identical, roles and responsi-
bilities.That includes the ethics
board.All laws that specifically
target DeKalb County or any other
single county should be repealed.
In the meantime, and most im-
portantly, be dutiful and vote in the
July 22 runoff election. The most
promising choices are: state school
superintendentValerie Wilson;
sheriffJeff Mann; board of educa-
tionMichael Erwin, District 3,
Karen Carter, District 4, and Vickie
B. Turner, District 5.
OPINION
REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

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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
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Gene Walkerk
Columnist
Drepwalker@yahoo.com
Stop fxing itits broken enough!
I was born in Greene County,
Georgia, long before African-
American citizens had many rights
as American citizens, including the
right to vote.
We received the right to vote and
many other rights due as American
citizens, only after many of us had
fought and struggled long and hard
to obtain these rights.
It is in light of this history that I
am writing to urge everyone to vote
in the run-off in Georgia on July 22.
We had a very low voter turnout in
the Georgia primary in May, and
knowledgeable observers are pre-
dicting an even lower turnout for
July 22. Please help us prove them
wrongturn out to vote!
If we are wondering if it is worth
voting, let me assure you that there
are many worthy candidates run-
ning. Even more important, let us
remember those who have worked
and even given their lives so that we
might have the rights for which our
foreparents sighed.
In this 50th anniversary of Mis-
sissippi Freedom Summer, the
names and lives call out to us: Fan-
nie Lou Hamer, a sharecropper who
worked most of her life to obtain the
right to vote; James Chaney, An-
drew Goodman and Michael Schw-
erner, who were killed because they
were registering people to vote; and
one of my best friends cousins, Ver-
non Dahmer, who was shot down
because he was enabling people to
register to vote.
All this work and sacrifice needs
to be taken seriously by those of us
in the present, especially those of us
who are young and who sometimes
take our hard-earned rights for
granted.
Voting is essential to our lives to-
gether, and it is essential in helping
to determine our future as a country
and as a culture. Rest assured that
if we do not vote, we will lose the
rights which we have fought so hard
to obtain. History teaches us that
lesson only too well.
So, whatever you are planning to
do on July 22, please put voting as
the No. 1 priority for you and your
family and friends for that day.
Let us honor our ancestors by
exercising the very right that they
dedicated themselves to win for us.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Wilson, Mayor Emeri-
tus of Decatur
Former Decatur mayor encourages all to get out and vote

COMMUNITY
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.
DENNIS NELSON
Champion
of
theWeek
Parents upset over staf
changes at Southwest DeKalb
Black DeKalb residents in
Library of Congress archive
by Carla Parker
A DeKalb County grand
jury has indicted a man who
allegedly killed his girlfriends
baby, on additional charges.
Nicholas Wade, 22, was
indicted on six counts in the
Feb. 5 shooting at New Birth
Missionary Baptist Church
in Lithonia. He was indicted
on two counts of aggravated
assault, two counts of pos-
session of a firearm during
commission of a felony, one
count of possession of an il-
legal weapon and one count
of possession of a firearm by
a convicted.
He was indicted last
month on malice murder,
felony murder, cruelty to chil-
dren, aggravated assault and
aggravated battery for alleg-
edly murdering 18-month-
old Keon Belk in February.
The toddler was in the care
of Wade while the mother,
Wades girlfriend, was out.
Wade called his girlfriend,
informing her that the child
was having difficulty breath-
ing and was taken by para-
medics to the hospital.
The toddler had an in-
jured liver and fractured
skull, and later died.
Wade was taken into cus-
tody two days after the childs
death after DeKalb sheriff
deputies shot Wade during a
standoff in the parking lot of
New Birth Missionary Baptist
Church in Lithonia.
Wade was in an apartment
complex in the area of Pa-
nola and Fairington roads in
Lithonia. When deputies re-
sponded to the location, they
observed Wade getting into a
black BMW with two females
and followed the car to the
parking lot of New Birth.
Deputies pulled alongside
Wade and he exited the ve-
hicle armed with a sawed-off
shotgun, which he at himself
then at the deputy, prompting
another deputy to shoot him.
by Carla Parker
The removal of five teach-
ers from Southwest DeKalb
High School has some par-
ents upset and questioning
whether the moves were due
to retaliation.
Many parents of the south
DeKalb school showed up to
address the DeKalb school
board at its July 7 meeting
about the reassignments. The
school principal, Carolyn
Williams, was transferred
after several teachers com-
plained openly about her
management style at a school
board meeting last fall.
Southwest DeKalb parent
and PTA member Monica
Foderingham said those
same teachers who spoke
up were reassigned in what
appears to be retaliatory
reasons.
We have a former teach-
er of the year [and] a sum-
mer bridge program admin-
istratorjust stellar teachers
and staff membersthat have
been reassigned and its be-
cause issues were brought up
by teachersin one case in a
public forum, Foderingham
said. And the next thing you
know they were reassigned
and it really smells strongly
of retaliation.
School district spokes-
man Quinn Hudson said the
moves were made because of
declining enrollment.
On specific teachers
themselveswe cant discuss
that because its a personnel
matter and were strict about
confidentiality, Hudson said.
But declining enrollment
was the primary reason in
reduction in staff.
Hudson also said there is
no basis of the moves being
made due to retaliation.
Foderingham said it is
important for teachers to
remain at a school year after
year to ensure stability and
the success of our students.
And that is being tam-
pered by administrators with
petty agendas, she said.
More charges
brought
against man in
babys death
The HistoryMakers, the
nations largest Black video
oral history archive (www.
thehistorymakers.com), re-
cently announced that the Li-
brary of Congress will serve
as its permanent repository.
DeKalb County Blacks
are in the archive, including
Carolyn Glenn, The Cham-
pion Newspapers publisher,
and Gale Horton Gay, the
papers lifestyle editor.
Other locals included are
Steen Miles (MediaMak-
ers) Alice Bussey, Donna
Satchell and Cornell Mc-
Bride (BusinessMakers); C.
Jack Ellis (PoliticalMakers);
Bishop Eddie L. Long (Reli-
gionMakers); Dr. Rogsbert
Phillips (MedicalMakers);
and Ralph Simpson (Educa-
tionMakers).
This collection of thou-
sands of hours of interviews
captures Black life, history
and culture as well as the
struggles and achievements
of the Black experience.
The HistoryMakers
archive provides invaluable
first-person accounts of both
well-known and unsung Af-
rican Americans, detailing
their hopes, dreams and ac-
complishmentsoften in the
face of adversity, said James
H. Billington, the librarian
of Congress. This cultur-
ally important collection is a
rich and diverse resource for
scholars, teachers, students
and documentarians seeking
a more complete record of
our nations history and its
people.
Julieanna Richardson,
the HistoryMakers founder
and executive director, said,
The HistoryMakers rep-
resents the single largest
archival project of its kind
since the Works Progress
Administrations initiative to
document the experiences
of former slaves in the 1930.
This relationship with the Li-
brary of Congress represents
a momentous occasion for
our organization.With the
Library of Congress serving
as our permanent repository,
we are assured of its preser-
vation and safekeeping for
generations to come.
The collection is com-
posed of 2,600 videotaped
interviews with Blacks in
39 states and 380 cities and
See Archive on page 24A
As seniors live longer
than ever, many find them-
selves faced with needed
medical appointments but
lack the resources to get
there themselves. Thats
where I Care, a volunteer
driving service for the el-
derly, comes in.
Volunteer Dennis Nel-
son got involved with I
Care after retiring from a
33-year career with Bell
South. Bell South had a
long history of volunteer-
ing with United Way, Nel-
son said, and United Way
is a sponsor of I Care. He
has been serving with I
Care for six years.
A coordinator pre-
arranges the rides, and
then we go pick them up
and take them home after
their appointment, Nel-
son said. I have gotten
the reputation of getting
the tough rides, the more
difficult ridesfolks who
may be disagreeable or go-
ing someplace like Grady
[Hospital], which is hard
to get to. They know Ill
take anybody anywhere.
Nelson said many of his
clients dont have friends
or family nearby, so they
rely on I Care for compan-
ionship, too. Even though
the rides are short, Nelson
says he has the gift of gab
and tries to talk to every-
one.
They are all interesting
people, he said. There are
some sad cases, some cases
where you really admire
how they deal with their
issues. A lot of them are in
pretty bad shape and a lot
of them dont have a lot of
family. Its fascinating to
talk to them, so its a two-
way deal.
I Care provides liability
insurance, while the driv-
ers provide the car and
the gas. Clients pay for
any parking costs at their
medical facilities.
A Navy veteranfive
years active and 20 in the
reservesNelson said he is
able to handle any client
regardless of their size or
physical impairment. He
thats why he is asked to
drive some grouchy clients
that other drivers dont
want.
I look at the so-called
difficult clients as a chal-
lenge, he said. There was
one client; the only people
that will take her are the
board members and my-
self. She was really negative
and I threw it right back
out and I guess she got to
like me.
In addition to I Care,
Nelson also volunteers
with the Stone Mountain
Co-Op food pantry. After a
lifetime of activity, he said
he does not want to slow
down now.
Im not one that wants
to sit around doing noth-
ing, he said. Im happy
keeping busy. Im almost
as busy now as I was when
I was working, but Im my
own boss now.
It just makes sense. My
health is good; Im in the
position where I can do
that sort of thing. I enjoy
learning about them and
trying to brighten their day
a little.

COMMUNITY
AROUND
DEKALB
Brookhaven
Foundation collecting books for
library program
The Cross Keys Foundation is
collecting books for its BOOKhaven
2014 campaign. The foundations
goal is to collect at least 1,500 new or
gently used childrens books by July
22 to support its Little Free Library
program. The community can help
reach that goal by donating books or
cash online and attending a celebra-
tion at the Brookhaven Boys and
Girls Club July 24 at 10:30 a.m. For
more information, visit www.cross-
keysfoundation.org.
Town Brookhaven to host movie
screening
The comedy film Roman Holiday
will be screened July 24 for Movies
on the Town! at Town Brookhaven.
The event is free and begins at dusk
on the green space. Music and an-
nouncements begin two hours prior.
Attendees can come early and eat on
the green space. For more informa-
tion, visit www.facebook.com/town-
brookhaven.

Clarkston
Movies at Milam begins a new
tradition
The city of Clarkston will host
its first free movie event July 19.
Family-friendly Monsters University
has enough adult gags (think Animal
House) to keep grown-ups enter-
tained too. Before the movie there
will be music and a bouncy house.
Food and dessert trucks will
be serving, and residents are en-
couraged to bring their own (non-
alcoholic) beverages, blankets, lawn
chairs and bug spray. Milam Park
pool will be open until 7 p.m. The
event starts at 5 p.m. and the movie
will start at 8:30 p.m.
Church to present spiritual
formation conference
Clarkston First Baptist Church
will hold its annual Spiritual Forma-
tion Conference Monday, July 28, to
Wednesday, July 30.
The conference will focus on the
importance of getting back to the
basics of holy living. During the con-
ference, attendees will have the op-
portunity to learn how to reestablish
a spiritual foundation, stand during
trials and temptations and to live a
life that does not compromise the
word of God.
Worship service will begin
promptly at 7:30 p.m. each night.
The lineup for the week is as follows:
Monday, July 28Elder John Paul
McGee, St. James UMC, Alpharet-
ta, with musical guest Minister B.
Chase Williams and Sha Bach;
Tuesday, July 29Rev. Clinton Mc-
Farland, Mount Pleasant Baptist
Church, Atlanta, with musical guest
Minister Dale Ciceron and Opti-
mistic 4 Christ;
Wednesday, July 30Dr. Christo-
pher Chappell, Grace Community
Christian Church, Kennesaw, with
musical guest Minister David
Walker and High Praise.

Clarkston First Baptist Church
is located at 3999 Church Street.
For more information, call (404)
292-5686 x 221, or email clark1b@
clarkstonfbc.org or visit www.clark-
stonfbc.org.
Decatur
Community hardware store closes
Smith Ace Hardware on East
College Avenue in Decatur recently
closed and will hold a storewide auc-
tion July 19 at 10 a.m. Remaining
store inventory and fixtures will be
available at auction. There will be hot
dogs and drinks available. This event
is open to the public.
Junior League DeKalb to host
prospective member open house
The Junior League of DeKalb
County Inc. (JLD) will hold a pro-
spective member open house on
Sun., July 27, from 3 to 5 p.m. at its
league headquarters, the historic
Mary Gay House, 716 W. Trinity
Place, Decatur.
This information session will pro-
vide potential new members with an
opportunity to meet current mem-
bers as well as ask questions about
the organization. A program elabo-
rating on JLDs mission to develop
the potential of its members leader-
ship, skills and community service
will begin at 3:30 p.m. Attendees will
have the opportunity to learn about
the history of JLD, as it celebrates its
80th anniversary this year.
For details about the open house
and to learn more about the Junior
League of DeKalb County, visit www.
jldekalb.org or contact Kelli Gress,
membership development chair-
woman, at kelli_gress@yahoo.com or
(812) 630-0307.
JLD is an organization of women
committed to promoting volun-
tarism, developing the potential of
women and improving communi-
ties through the effective action and
leadership of trained volunteers,
according to a news release. The or-
ganization welcomes women of all
races, religions and national origins
21 years or older who demonstrate
an interest in, and a commitment to,
volunteerism.
Drivers needed for seniors
A Decatur-based nonprofit orga-
nization needs volunteer drivers who
use their own vehicles to provide free
transportation to DeKalb County se-
niors to their medical appointments.
The organization, I CARE Inc.,
currently serves more than 260
DeKalb County seniors on low or
fixed incomes. The nonprofit pro-
vides more than 1,200 roundtrip
rides a year.
I CARE, located on the third floor
of the Decatur First United Method-
ist Church, provides rides weekdays
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
For more information about be-
coming a volunteer driver, contact
Lori Webster, volunteer coordinator,
(404) 377-2273 or (404) 376-6415;
or Tom Simon, I CAREs director at
(404) 377-2273 or (770) 378-8999.
Doraville
Downtown and GM Plant zoning
approved
The Doraville City Council adopt-
ed a new zoning code for the parts
of the city near the former General
Motors assembly plant. The code
also affects areas near city hall.
On behalf of the city, I would like
to thank ARC and TSW for their as-
sistance. The new code represents a
turning point for our city and prom-
ises to usher in exciting new chang-
es, said Doraville Mayor Donna Pit-
tman in a statement.
The zoning makes the GM site
a new special district while rezon-
ing much of the area along New
Peachtree Road. New roadways are
also proposed around New Peachtree
Road.
With the help of MARTA,
Doravilles new development will be
transit-friendly, reflecting the wishes
of citizens advisory meetings. Also
added are some green gathering
spaces in the downtown area.
While the opportunity to rede-
velop the GM site was the impetus
for the re-zoning, we also want to
transform our downtown into a more
walkable, urban area, said Joe Cool-
ey, director of community develop-
ment for Doraville, in a statement.
Thanks to the Doraville MARTA
station, Doraville is poised to take
a leadership role in the creation of
transit-oriented, mixed-use develop-
ment in the metro Atlanta area, and
the Livable Community Code is a
key factor in attracting developers.
Stone Mountain
City continues anniversary
celebration
Stone Mountain will host Stone
Mountain Day Aug. 2 at Leila Mason
Park. The 1 p.m. event is a part of the
citys yearlong celebration of its 175th
anniversary. The park is located at
5500 Fieldhouse Road. For more in-
formation, visit www.facebook.com/
cityofstonemountaindda.
Countywide
DeKalb school in need of help for
makeover
Chapel Hill Elementary School
is looking for volunteers to help
give the school a makeover. Geor-
gia United Credit Union chose the
school from among 752 nominations
for its School Crashers makeover,
which brings community volunteers
together to improve the school. Vol-
unteers are needed to help paint and
landscape, or donate supplies such as
paint and plants, or money for extra
school improvements such as bench-
es and stage curtains. The event will
take place July 25-26. To volunteer,
visit www.georgiaunitedcu.org/pro-
motions/school-makeover-winner-
announced.
Superior Court ofers free notary
training
DeKalb County Superior Court
Clerk Debra DeBerry and the Geor-
gia Superior Court Clerks Coopera-
tive Authority are hosting two free
notary training sessions Aug. 1, from
9-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The workshop will take place at
the Maloof Auditorium, located at
1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur,
and is open to the public.
For more information or to RSVP
contact Twinette Jones at (404) 371-
2250 or tajones@dekalbcountyga.gov.
LOCAL NEWS
Restaurant Inspections
Establishment Name: Kaceys Home Cooking
Address: 3925 Lavista Road
Current Score/Grade: 85/B
Inspecton Date: 07/02/2014

Observatons and Correctve Actons
Potentally hazardous foods were not cold held at 41F or below.
COS-foods were placed on ice. Advised to get units repaired.
PIC states units will be replaced.
Observed wet wiping cloths on counter
Upon arrival observed current inspecton report not posted.
Advised to post most current inspecton report at all tmes
Establishment Name: Wendys
Address: 5653 Memorial Drive
Observed PHFs (sliced tomatoes, sliced cheese) on prep table
with no tme controls in place. Informed PIC writen procedures
for TPHC for potentally hazardous foods must be prepared
in advance. Advised PIC to place cheese and tomatoes on
tme controls. COS- PIC placed tme controls on cheese and
tomatoes.
Observed employee engaging in food prep with watch and
band on wrists. Informed employee with the excepton of plain
wedding band, no jewelry is to be worn on the hands, arms or
wrists. Advised employee to remove jewelry. COS- PIC removed
jewelry.
Physical facilites in disrepair. Observed missing tles on foor
leading to dry storage area. Advised PIC to have tles replaced.
Establishment Name: Juci Jerk
Address: 5503 Memorial Drive
Observed potentally hazardous foods (Pork Ribs, Jerk Chicken)
holding at temperatures under 135F. Informed PIC all hot held
potentally hazardous foods must maintain a temperature of
at least 135F or above. Advised PIC to reheat foods to at least
165F and hold foods at 135F. COS- PIC reheated foods to 165F
and increased temperature of steam table.
Observed food containers stored wet in main kitchen area.
Informed PIC afer washing, rinsing and sanitzing, utensils must
completely air dry before being stored. Advised PIC to allow
foods to properly air dry before storing. New Violaton.
Establishment Name: Dellias Jerk Palace
Address: 5412-D Covington Highway
Raw eggs stored on top of and over ready to eat food including
cheese, vegetables, stew peas, snapper, and cooked chicken.
COS- eggs relocated to botom shelf.
Containers holding clean pans and lids and botom shelf of artc
air cooler unclean with residue and debris. PIC advised to clean
containers and coolers
Establishment Name: Shared Kitchens
Address: 215 Laredo Drive, Suite 100
Observed ground beef and eggs stored directly next to and on
top of raw chicken in walk in cooler. Informed PIC raw animal
foods are to be separated and stored based on fnal cook
temperature. Advised PIC to store ground beef and eggs on
shelves above chicken to prevent cross contaminaton. COS- PIC
stored beef on shelf above chicken and eggs on shelf above
beef.
Observed potentally hazardous foods stored in outdoor
cooler at temperatures above 41F. Informed PIC all cold held
potentally hazardous foods must maintain a temperature of
41F or below. Ambient temperature of cooler at 47F. Advised
PIC to lower temperature of cooler and relocate foods to walk
in freezer untl cooler is verifed to be able to hold foods at
41F or below. COS- PIC relocated PHFs to walk in freezer and
lowered cooler temperature
Commissioners ponder $5 million
South DeKalb YMCA agreement
by Andrew Cauthen
In less than a month, the
DeKalb County Board of
Commissioners is expected
to consider whether it will
partner with the YMCA of
Metro Atlanta to upgrade the
South DeKalb YMCA.
Under the agreement, the
county would buy, at a cost
of $4.9 million, the 18-acre
South DeKalb YMCA prop-
erty, located at 2565 Snapfin-
ger Road. The YMCA would
then reinvest the proceeds
to renovate and expand the
facility. The county would,
through the development
authority, lease the property
back to the YMCA for $1 per
year for 50 years.
The proposed partnership
was presented to the board in
April but has been deferred
since then because some
commissioners questioned
the plan.
Commissioners Kathie
Gannon and Jeff Rader re-
leased a joint letter June 24
asking the YMCA board of
directors to withdraw from
the proposed agreement and
let us participate in a trans-
parent process that assesses
the needs of both partners.
In the letter, Gannon and
Rader said they have reser-
vations about the proposed
agreement that would use
county green space acquisi-
tion bond revenues to pur-
chase your South DeKalb Y
facility and lease it back to
you at a nominal price.
Gannon and Rader said,
The Y brings no new money
to the table.
In a response statement,
Edward G. Munster, YMCA
of Metro Atlantas president
and CEO, said, The Y is
bringing a physical asseta
wellness facility and 18 acres
of greenspaceto the table
and is selling this asset for
an agreed-upon price of $4.9
million. All proceeds will
be reinvested into this prop-
erty, keeping the resources in
DeKalb County.
Additionally, Munster
said, the YMCA will handle
the $1.3 million in operating
expenses and will leverage
federal grants and private
contributions for the facility
at a rate of $1 million a year
for the last decade.
Who else but the Y
would provide this type of
long-term investment on an
annual and sustained basis
over the term of the lease?
Munster stated.
In a July 3 interview, Rad-
er described the condition
of other recreation centers
around the county as pretty
lame.
If we spend this money
on the South DeKalb Y, it
will be fully 24 percent of
our parks bond development
funds spent in a three-mile
radius. Its a high concentra-
tion of resources in a limited
area of the county. The rest
of the county is facility poor
also.
Gannons and Raders let-
ter also states that the South
DeKalb YMCA is in an area
where significant county in-
vestments in recreation and
senior services have already
been made to several facili-
ties including the Exchange
Park Multi-Generational
Recreation Center, Browns
Mill Recreation and Aquatic
Facility, Lou Walker Senior
Center, Candler Road Senior
Center, Redan Park Rec-
reation Center, and Wade
Walker Park and YMCA.
In eight square miles of
this South DeKalb commu-
nity, the county has already
invested over $35 million in
recent and ongoing parks
bond developmental funds
and additional county and
federal grant dollars for the
senior centers, the commis-
sioners letter stated. Invest-
ing in this location is not a
good return on the citizens
tax dollars.It will duplicate
services in this area while
many areas of the county still
do not have access to any rec-
reation center.
Munster said the South
DeKalb YMCA opened in
1970, and these recreation fa-
cilities came after obligating
taxpayer dollars to centers
that duplicate Y services.
Additionally, he said, The
county facilities were under-
built and, according to coun-
ty plans, need 70,000 square
feet of space to serve this part
of DeKalb. The proposal is
a better model for a county.
It helps with capitalization
costs and the Y provides
operations expertise. The
county gains a highly recog-
nized facility and program
manager who knows how to
maintain and sustain these
types of facilities, programs
and services.
Gannon and Rader said
the $5 million purchase price
for the facility is higher than
the property tax appraisal of
$2.5 million; the $400,000
land appraisal; and the $3.9
million appraisal provided by
the YMCA.
YMCAs Munster said the
$3.9 million appraisal omit-
ted $400,000 of equipment
that is included in the pro-
posal. A third appraisal, he
said, was assessed at $6.8 mil-
lion if it were used for com-
mercial purposes.
Even though the prop-
erty would garner a higher
value if sold, the Y chooses to
pursue its mission of serving
those in the community we
have been part of since 1970,
Munster said. The Y and the
county came to an agreement
in the middle of the apprais-
als.
Responding to the request
by Gannon and Rader to
withdraw from the partner-
ship in favor of a transparent
process, Munster said the
proposal has been discussed
for five years.
This process has been
transparent, Munster said.
The Y has met with thou-
sands of county residents
and many community lead-
ers. Your Y would like for
the county commissioners to
work through these issues in-
ternally and then collectively
advise us whether they do or
do not wish to move forward
with this partnership. The Y
is ready and willing to work
with DeKalb County on this
important opportunity.
The proposed expansion
will include 10,000 square
feet of new space which will
be used for exercise studios,
an expanded common area at
the main door, sitting area at
the pool, family lockers and
new office space.
Additionally, 39,000
square feet of existing space
will be renovated. This in-
cludes the wellness center,
multipurpose rooms and
locker rooms. Outside, a
water play feature, pavilions,
walking trails and decorative
fencing will be added.
Rader said, The Y is an
efficient and effective deliv-
erer of services, and I think
theres an opportunity for
partnership, but its got to
be equitable and return a
fair value to the residents of
DeKalb. Possibly the terms
could change to make it a
better deal.
Commissioners next
chance to vote on the pro-
posal will come Aug. 12.
LOCAL NEWS
Data shows that binge and heavy drinking among 18-25 year olds is a sig-
nifcant problem in DeKalb County.
Binge drinking is defned as a pattern of alcohol consumption that brings the
blood alcohol concentration level to 0.08% or more.
5 or more drinks in a row for a male is defned as binge drinking and 4 or more drinks in a row
for a Female is binge drinking.
The level of binge drinking in DeKalb is a particular concern with more than 19% of adults
reporting this behavior. This behavior is higher than both the State and National Averages.
People who binge drink on a regular basis are at a high risk for negative consequences such
as death from alcohol poisoning, serious injury, violence with others, unplanned pregnancy or
sexually transmitted diseases.
Intervening Variables and Contributing Factors contribute to heavy and
binge drinking. Intervening Variables in DeKalb County include social and
community norms, economic availability and enforcement. Contributing
Factors include peer norms, cultural acceptability, drink pricing, container
pricing, law enforcement practices, saturation patrols and sobriety check
points. For more information- Call (770) 285-6037 or E-mail: beyondthebell@comcast.net
Did you know?
by Carla Parker
Since the Brookhaven
Police Department launched
in July 2013, there have been
more than 100 vehicles stolen
from the city.
Forty cars have been re-
covered during that period,
but to help recover more sto-
len vehicles the department
added LoJack tracker units to
some of the police cars. Lo-
Jack Corporation added six
tracker units to Brookhaven
police cars and police offi-
cers went through a training
session to learn about the
system.
The training included up
to two hours of classroom
lecture in which officers
learned about the system and
how it works. The classroom
portion was complemented
by field training. Officers
used the tracker units in-
stalled in the police cars to
track and locate a LoJack
training unit.
LoJack is a silent tracking
device that is hidden in an
owners vehicle. If the vehicle
is stolen, the LoJack is auto-
matically activated when the
vehicle is reported stolen and
enables law enforcement to
track and recover the vehicle.
Bill Burruss, the law en-
forcement liaison for LoJack,
said the tracker units are usu-
ally offered to customer after
they buy a car from a dealer-
ship.
The customer buys a
LoJack unit and it goes into
their car by a certified LoJack
technician, Burruss said.
Once the car is stolen, it is
reported to the police. When
they take the vehicles identi-
fication number and enter it
on their computer as stolen
it automatically activates the
LoJack unit hidden in the
customers car.
LoJack has a 93 percent
recovery rate in Georgia.
We can have several cars
that are stolen and recovered
within 24 hours [with this
tracker], Burruss said. Usu-
ally average recovery time is
two hours in Atlanta.
Brookhaven spokesman
Maj. Brandon Gurley said
the department expects to
increase the number of re-
covered vehicles with the
tracker.
Weve already seen some
success in this area and were
very excited, Gurley said.
The quicker we get a report
that a vehicle is stolen the
higher the success rate is in
locating it.
Brookhaven police
trained on LoJack system
details about the program
will be posted on the county
website starting July 21, the
official release date.
Only applications from
incorporated nonprofit or-
ganizations with tax-exempt
status will be considered.
These organizations must
also meet other guideline
criteria, which can be found
at www.human.dekalbcoun-
tyga.gov.
Completed applications
must be received no later
than Friday, Aug. 15, at 5
p.m. to be considered for
2015-2016 funding.Funds
are subject to the availabil-
ity of 2015 DeKalb County
funding for the Human De-
velopment Nonprofit Part-
nership program.
For more information,
call Lisa Thomas at (404)
270-1180 in the office of
DeKalb County Human De-
velopment.For information
on obtaining victim assis-
tance program certification,
contact the State of Georgia
Criminal Justice Coordinat-
ing Council at (404) 657-
1961.
Grant Continued From Page 2A
LoJack Corporation added six tracker units to Brookhaven police cars.
The units locate stolen vehicles that have a silent tracking device
hidden in an owners vehicle.
Bill Burruss, the law enforcement liaison for LoJack, hands out information on LoJack tracker units.
The LoJack tracker units are located above the dashboard in the police car.
Brookhaven spokesman Maj. Brandon Gurley said there have been more than 100 vehicles stolen within the
city since the department launched in July 2013. Photos by Carla Parker
LOCAL NEWS
Color
Local Jehovahs Witness enjoys full-time feld ministry
by Andrew Cauthen
Seventy-three-year-old Ben Croom of Ellen-
wood has been a Jehovahs Witness for 60 years.
It makes me very happy to be a Witness, said
Croom, a member of the Ellenwood congregation
of Jehovahs Witness, along with his wife Barba-
ra. It has added a lot of fulfillment to our lives,
especially to be part of an organization that is an
international brotherhood. That means a great
deal to us.
Its an exceptional education from a spiritual
standpoint. And of course we enjoy the field min-
istry very much, Croom said.
The field work includes the public ministry
work that many non-Jehovahs Witnesses are fa-
miliar withthe door-to-door ministry.
The field ministry is very helpful from the
standpoint that when people have issues we are
able to help them and to see the response to the
message and make tremendous changes in their
lives.
But the message, Croom said, is not always ac-
cepted.
Often people hear rumorsand as a result
of not really understanding our organization or
our basic core beliefs, they form an opinion with-
out knowing, Croom said. Sometimes we get
a lot of opposition that way. We understand its
going to be that way. We understand people are
not going to understand our message readily, but
because people around the world are recognizing
that mankind needs a lot of helpthey need a
lot of divine directiontheir response is getting
greater and greater.
What has helped, too, is people understand-
ing us and what were really like, Croom said.
They see us in the neighborhood. They see us
caring for our homes or walking the children or
doing things that people normally do.
An elder who cares for the spiritual needs of
the congregation, Croom engages fulltime in the
field ministry, which also includes free home
Bible studies and public lectures for other con-
gregations. He started the full-time field work in
1961 then stopped for 32 years to rear his family.
Croom worked for Atlanta Public Schools for 30
years, eventually becoming a maintenance super-
visor. He returned to full-time field work with the
Jehovahs Witnesses in 2000 after retiring.
Croom is also on an area hospital liaison com-
mittee.
We help our friends with medical issues that
come up from time to time, Croom said. We
have been trained to speak with hospital person-
nel on the matters involving the blood issue.
Jehovah Witnesses respect the Bibles command
about the use of blood, and we have to work with
that.
Croom helps to advocate for bloodless sur-
geries and offers doctors alternatives to trans-
fusions. Additionally, Croom gives lectures at
universities and hospitals and talks with doctors
individually on behalf of fellow Jehovahs Witness
members.
In DeKalb County, there are approximately
6,000-8,000 Witnesses, Croom said, and most of
them are looking forward to attending the Inter-
national Conventions of Jehovahs Witnesses in
Atlanta July 18-20 and Aug. 1-3. Part of the con-
vention was held July 4-6.
Approximately 100,000 Jehovahs Witnesses
are expected to attend the convention at the
Georgia Dome.
We look upon attending meetings like this
as a very special event, said Croom, who will
head the volunteer services department for the
convention. Its not that the friends do this as an
obligation; they feel it a real privilege to attend
our conventions.
The event is an opportunity to fellowship
with our delegates around the world and meet
new people and just enjoy fellowshipping with
their old friends as well, Croom said. Its some-
thing that we do because we want to do it. We do
it as part of our worship.
Ben Croom, an elder in his congregation, has been a
Jehovahs Witness for 60 years. Photo provided
by Carla Parker
For the second time in a month,
a new business has opened in
downtown Stone Mountain.
The city celebrated the grand
opening of Just A Touch Of Class
Salon and Barber July 11 with a
ribbon-cutting ceremony. Stone
Mountain Mayor Patricia Wheel-
er, the citys Downtown Develop-
ment Authority Executive Direc-
tor Mechel McKinley and others
joined the salons owner Wendy
Baker as she cut the ribbon on her
new business located at 1036 Sec-
ond St.
Im overwhelmed, grateful,
thankful and humbled, Baker said.
Im more grateful because the city
of Stone Mountain has shown me
more appreciation and gratitude.
Theyve encouraged me more than
some of the people thats close to
me and it means a lot.
McKinley said the downtown
development authority and the city
are thrilled to see business own-
ers opening business in the down-
town area.
We have two other businesses
opening probably before the end
of the summer, McKinley said.
Were really seeing an upswing in
people opening businesses. What
that means for us is more foot
traffic, more people on the streets
and thats better for all of our busi-
nesses.
Baker said the small town atmo-
sphere is what attracted her to the
city as the site of her first business.
Im a country girl from Jef-
ferson County, Ga., and I like the
small town home feel, she said. I
was a military brat as well, so I love
the diversity.
Wheeler said the city is working
hard on downtown development to
bring in new businesses.
Were always excited with
Mechels work and all shes been
doing since she [came] here in
March, Wheeler said. Shes done
one fantastic job, bringing a few
new businesses already and some
of the things she has planned for
the rest of the year.
Wheeler said residents will be
happy to see that downtown area
is in the revitalization stage and
hopes it encourages them to shop
in the area.
New businesses opening
in Stone Mountain
Wendy Baker (center) cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of her new business, Just A
Touch Of Class Salon and Barber. She was joined by citys Downtown Development Authority
executive director Mechel McKinley (far left) and Stone Mountain mayor Patricia Wheeler
(second right).
Salon owner Wendy Baker speaks to potential clients after the ribbon-cutting ceremony
July 11. Photos by Carla Parker
LOCAL NEWS
See Campers on page 24A
STE(A)M Truck brings maker
movement to area campers
by Lauren Ramsdell
lauren@dekalbchamp.com
This summer, theres a new kind of sum-
mer camp coming to Decatur. One where
kids under the age of 10 may be wielding
chop saws, soldering irons and hammers.
STE(A)M Truckthat first part stands
for science, technology, engineering, arts
and mathis a mobile maker space roam-
ing the streets of Atlanta and DeKalb, of-
fering real-world problems to be solved by
elementary and middle school students.
The truck is a program of Community
Guilds, an Atlanta nonprofit connecting
students who might not succeed in a tra-
ditional classroom setting with vocational
and arts apprenticeships.
We are called guilds for a reason,
said Jason Martin, founder of Community
Guilds. We want this to be a sense of be-
longing, like theyre part of something. Stu-
dents are often outside their comfort zones
in our programs, however, regardless of
how they do in schoolwhether theyre an
academic rock star or noteveryone has a
level playing field perhaps for the first time
in their life.
This summer, STE(A)M Truck is part-
nering with Maker Camp, itself an offshoot
of Maker Magazine and Maker Faire, un-
der the umbrella of creative-doer-focused
Maker Media, to host a five-day camp with
local students where they attack issues
from nutrition to circuitry. The STE(A)M
Truck camp will run from July 14-18, while
virtual Maker Camps and affiliates do one-
week programs from July 7 to August 15.
This will be our third year of Maker
Camp, said Vickie Welch, director of
marketing for Maker Media. Our partner
is Google, and we use the Google Plus plat-
form and host hangouts on air. What we do
is every day our camp directorthe familiar
personality of the program each yearat
8 a.m. Pacific time says Rise and shine,
campers! Todays activity is X.
The camp is wholly online, free, and
uses common household objects such as
soda bottle rockets. Live Hangouts at 11
a.m. Pacific encourage participants to show
off their creations. Launched in 2012, this
is the first year Maker Camp will have af-
filiate locations for children to participate
together, as at the STE(A)M Truck.
But, in true Maker fashion, Martin
The Atlanta-area STE(A)M Truck, a mobile maker space for youth, is hosting
a Maker Camp from July 14-18. Photos provided by Community Guilds
B e c a u s e y o u g e t
w h a t y o u p a y f o r .
Thanks to the money saving tips on the Georgia Power website, I learned exactly how to turn my renovation into a reward.
First, I got $50 for taking advantage of the Georgia Power Refrigerator Recycling Program. Then, I got a rebate for
purchasing ENERGY STAR
certifed appliances, and since these appliances use 10 to 50 percent less energy than
standard models, I get the beneft of a lower monthly bill. For more information on tips and rebates, visit georgiapower.com/save.
Certain restrictions apply. Must be a Georgia Power customer. Rebate available through November 30, 2014.
Customer must submit receipt/invoice for the ENERGY STAR
appliance with the rebate form.

Thats why I invested in ENERGY STAR

appliances and received rebates in return.
LOCAL NEWS
Color
Members of the Cedar Grove High School Football team volunteered their time July 12 at the United
Methodist Childrens Home annual fea market in Decatur. The young men assisted with parking and
helped carry customer purchases to their vehicles. Photos by Travis Hudgons
From left, Cedar Grove High School Football Booster President Tekesia
Shields and United Methodist Childrens Home volunteer coordinator Sharon
Brewer. Photos by Travis Hudgons
Football team lends helping hand
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
From left, Cindi Johnson, executive director of Side by Side Brain
Injury Clubhouse, accepts a $1,000 check from Chris Brand, president
of the Rotary Club of Stone Mountain.
Three Taverns Brewery in Decatur fies the Belgian fag atop its sign silo.
Belgium made it to the quarterfnals of the FIFA World Cup before losing
to Argentina. Argentina lost the fnal to victor Germany. Photo by Lauren
Ramsdell
Participants of PushPush Theatres flm camp participate in a mock wedding. Photo by John Hewitt
Atlanta authors Henry Bryant and Katina VanCronkhite discuss their new book, Images of America: East Atlanta,
July 15 at DeKalb History Centers Lunch and Learn. Photo by John Hewitt
LOCAL NEWS
NAACP, others call for justice in 68-year-old incident
by Kathy Mitchell
On July 25, Georgia marks
a grim anniversary. On that
date in 1946, two Black cou-
ples, including a woman who
was in the seventh month of
a pregnancy, were ambushed
and shot more than 60 times.
There are those, including
DeKalb County NAACP
President John Evans, who
are choosing to live through
a dramatization of what
some have characterized as a
nightmare event later this
month.
The story, according to the
Associated Press and other
sources, is this: in July 1946, a
White farmer, Loy Harrison,
was driving home two Black
couples, Roger and Dorothy
Malcom and George Dorsey
and his pregnant wife Mae
Murray Dorsey. Both Roger
Malcom and George Dorsey
were believed to have com-
mitted acts that angered the
local White community.
As they were crossing a
bridge, according to a story
that has been told and re-
told in the community, the
couples were attacked by an
angry mob, perhaps a hate
group such as the Ku Klux
Klan, and left dead. Some
believe that Harrison delib-
erately delivered the couples
into the hands of the mob.
Evans said the 67-year-
old incident must not be
forgotten, especially since
no one was ever arrested for
the crime. They dont teach
about these events in history
class. At least they dont teach
it in a way that makes people
realize just how awful it was,
Evans said. Our young peo-
ple need to know the sorts of
things that went on in Geor-
gia years ago.
According to the Associ-
ated Press, both President
Harry Truman and the FBI
sent investigators to Monroe,
Ga., but no one would talk.
Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes
reopened the case in 2001.
In 2013, the NAACP investi-
gated and made phone calls
to the U.S. Department of
Justice. Some of those people
are still alive; they need to be
brought to trial. The FBI and
the GBI are conducting an ac-
tive investigation, Evans said.
No one has been arrested
yet, but were getting closer.
The incident occurred
near the Moores Ford Bridge,
in Walton and Oconee coun-
ties between Monroe and
Watkinsville.Evans and
others plan to return to the
scene of the crime July 26
for what will be the 10th re-
enactmentperformed by
volunteersand a memorial
tour that will include a visit to
the victims graves. We want
everyone who can to join
us, Evans said. We want the
community and America to
know this horrible injustice
has not been and must not
be forgotten. Activities are
scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
at the First African Baptist
Church on Tyler Street in
Monroe.
Evans said that pursu-
ing the facts in the case was
on Martin Luther King Jr.s
agenda just before his death.
Dr. King was planning to go
to Monroe in 1968 after he
left Memphis, but of course
that never happened because
he was shot and killed in
Memphis.
According to organizers
of the annual trip to the am-
bush site, approximately 200
people watched as the couples
went down in a hail of bullets,
but the pre-civil rights era
code of silence kept anyone
from speaking publicly or to
law enforcement officials.
They cut the baby out of
the lady who was pregnant. It
was gruesome. It was horri-
ble, Evans said. We cant let
this rest until someone goes
to the electric chair or at least
prison for life for this.
Tyrone Brooks, president
of Georgia Association of
Black Elected Officials and
a member of the Georgia
State House of Representa-
tives, has spearheaded the
annual event. In spite of
many obstacles, turnarounds,
and setbacks, we cannot stop
this journey for justice, re-
spect, and the enforcement
of the law. The killings of our
people cannot be overlooked.
We must take action, he said
in a news release.
Rep. Brooks is leading
this effort, Evans said, but
we are proud to be there to
support him.
When most people are heading home from
work, Jocelyn Shaw is driving to Georgia Perimeter
College (GPC) for class.
The GPC dental hygiene major, who juggles
three part-time day jobs, is taking advantage of
GPCs online courses and night classes to complete
coursework toward her degree, she said.
Shaw is in the same anatomy and physiology
class as Will Thomas, who quit his job as a sales
manager in the sports industry to pursue a nursing
degree. This has worked out better for my sched-
ule, plus the traffic is better at this time, Thomas
said.
Helping students achieve their goals by offer-
ing courses all dayand into the nightis part
of GPCs accessibility mission and essential for
students such as Thomas and Shaw. During the fall
and spring semesters, the college offers more than
100 night courses at its five campuses. The night
courses are in addition to a full schedule that begins
at 7 a.m. on most campuses. Weekend courses are
available on some campuses, too.
We offer the whole range of classes at night,
said Dr. Carl McAllister, who chairs the life and
earth sciences department at Clarkston campus.
Anatomy and physiology courses are always in
high demand, as well as chemistry and the prin-
ciples of chemistry.
Daytime classes in chemistry and biology also
are available on Saturdays.
Biology professor Mark Graves teaches anatomy
and physiology at 7 a.m. and also at 8:30 p.m. Its
a Starbucks-fueled teaching schedule, he said, but
necessary to offer the most classes for nontradi-
tional students.
Most of my students are transitioning into a
new career, he said. Eighty percent of my students
are thinking about nursing, and most of them have
been in the work force, and they are a little more
focused in terms of what they now want in a ca-
reer.
Students attending the Dunwoody Campus find
an added bonus when attending GPCs evening
classes: Traffic is lighter at night than during day-
time hours, said Jason Dew, a English professor
who also serves as the evening and weekend cam-
pus coordinator for Dunwoody. The campus offers
more than 60 courses starting at 5:30 p.m. or later.
A lot of working adults come here at night to
take classes; they have jobs, and they are trying to
get ahead, Dew said.
Traditional students such as Elijah Williams
also like evening courses. Williams, a GPC Dun-
woody engineering major, decided to take an
evening tennis class to fulfill a physical education
requirement. This campus is really nice in the eve-
ning; instead of going home, I just stay late after my
last afternoon class.
Night time can be the right time for Georgia Perimeter classes
The Moores Ford Bridge each July attracts visitors who commemorate the slayings that occurred
there in 1946.
Volunteers re-enact the crimes that remain unsolved after 68 years.
RVing Continued From Page 1A
Ethics Continued From Page 1A
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014 PAGE 15A LOCAL NEWS
packed with parts, equipment and dcor
items and offers service and maintenance.
If ownership is an option, consider
purchasing a used unit; it is an economi-
cal option that allows owners to custom-
ize the interior to better suit ones per-
sonal style.
Owners can go with a whimsical
decoration approach such as the ones
seen recently along the river in Pigeon
Forge, Tenn., owned by members of the
all-female Sisters On the Fly camping
group. Sisters on The Fly is one of hun-
dreds of member-based organizations of
special interest RV owners and fans; their
members prefer vintage trailers that have
been refurbished and redecorated. When
members meet for planned excursions
they often hold contests in which others
visiting the parks where they are staying
are asked to tour and judge the campers
on their appearances.
Other RV owners may choose less
flamboyant redesign approaches that
blend well with the colors of nature and
create a relaxing setting. An RV, much
like a home, can be an expression of ones
personal tastes, style and interests.
New RVs can range from $10,000 and
easily upwards of $100,000 depending
on the size, square footage and amenities
packages chosen. Amenities can make RV
literally mobile palaces where no comfort
is overlooked and style is of the utmost
importance.
According to the Recreational Vehicle
Industry Association (RVIA), RV owner-
ship has reached a new peak of 8.9 mil-
lion U.S households. Todays record RV
ownership levels reflect the enduring ap-
peal of the RV lifestyle despite recent eco-
nomic challenges, said RVIA President
Richard Coon. I expect RV ownership
to continue growing as more and more
people learn how RVing is a cost-effective
and fun way to spend time outdoors with
family and friends.
ering the fact that every mem-
ber of the board is a political
appointee, Johnson said.
Tis puts an extremely dif-
fcult task on board members
who are...politically appointed
then they are nonpolitical in
their judgment. Its almost like
being appointed to the Su-
preme Court.
Johnson started working in
DeKalb in 1968 and moved to
the county in 1972. Ive lived
on the same street since 1972,
he said.
Although he has attended
thousands of meetings,
Johnson is not a member of
any government committees.
I have almost scrupu-
lously avoided participation
in committees because of
the fact that I highly value
my independence, he said.
Membership on committees
can be a good thing for some
people and can be a stepping
stone for doing other things in
public life. Im not interested
in that route.
In almost every instance,
the committees that other
people serve on are also open
to the public, he said. Many
times you have a lot more fex-
ibility and a lot more options
in which meetings you want
to attend. You can beneft just
as much, perhaps more, by be-
ing a member of the audience
and taking notes
Johnson said he gathered
the information for his ethics
complaints by a very close
monitoring of the media and
from Open Records Requests,
searches of public records
with the assistance of his at-
torney and a paralegal, and
from government contacts.
I dont anticipate winning
every case, Johnson said. I
will abide by and I will have to
be satisfed with the judgment,
and I will respect the judg-
ment of the board members.
Tere are more complaints
in the works, Johnson said.
My attorney and I are
adamant about keeping the
ethics board completely inde-
pendent, Johnson said. Tat
is very specifc in the state law,
but it is not defned at all in
the organizational act.
All of my flings going for-
ward are going to be focused
on that fne line, he said. Te
ethics board can cross over
that line or [interim CEO Lee
May] can cross over that line
or the commissioners can
cross over that line.
Monica Parrott
When asked via email for
an interview, Monica Parrott
refused, stating that she is not
a public ofcial and should
not become the story.
Parrott, of Lithonia, ac-
cuses Commissioner Kathie
Gannon and her assistant of
illegal and unethical activi-
ties regarding the use of P-
cards and county funds.
It took courage for me to
fle the complaint and now
it is your task to follow up
with Commissioner Gannon
regarding her illegal actions
and behaviors, Parrott wrote.
I believe that the complaint
speaks for itself and that the
ofcials on the Ethics Board
must be the next one we hear
from regarding these con-
cerns. Commissioner Gannon
should speak vocally on these
issues as she has been wildly
vocal regarding complaints
against other commission-
ers and her innocence from
wrong doing.
In Parrotts complaintin
which her name is misspelled
three times, although it is cor-
rected in handwriting twice
the document refers to pur-
chases spanning six years
Te person obviously has
some good resourcestheres
been no Open Records re-
quests by this party, so they
have some good resources,
Gannon said.
Gannon said that she was
not surprised when a com-
plaint was fled against her.
When they did a com-
plaint against Commissioner
Rader, which was basically
a lot of no substance, I indi-
catedto the press that they
certainly are not going to let
me slide. Someone will create
something.
Thomas Owens
Doraville resident Tomas
Owens decided to fle an eth-
ics complaint against Com-
missioner Boyer and her assis-
tant Robert Lundsten.
Im tired of all the lawless-
ness and lack of accountability
that keeps going on, said
Owens, a Vietnam veteran
who served in the U.S. Army.
Im frustrated just like all the
other citizens in the county.
I was raised in the Army.
Ive been around Marines. We
dont tolerate lying, stealing or
cheating. Ive been honest all
my life and Im going to con-
tinue to be that way, said Ow-
ens, who has lived in DeKalb
since 1960.
Owens community in-
volvement includes volun-
teering for the USO; he is a
member of the Sons of the
American Revolution, Atlanta
Vietnam Business Association,
Dunwoody VFW and NRA.
Owens said the desired
outcome of his ethics com-
plaint is simple: I want to see
them both go to jail. I want
them to be held accountable. I
want to see them have a trial. I
want them to own up to what
theyve done. Tats just my
personal opinion.
As long as whatever I do
benefts the rest of the county
and other citizens who dont
have a voice, Im good with
that, Owens said. Its not
about me. A lot of people are
behind me in what Im doing
and like what Im doing.
Joseph Newton
Owens acquaintance Jo-
seph Newton joined in the
ethics complaint against
Boyer.
Newton, who lives in
Gwinnett barely across the
border, got involved with
DeKalb County politics and
bureaucracy a few years ago
afer meeting Owens, who at
the time was trying to work
with the county to resolve
some code and zoning con-
cerns in Owens neighbor-
hood.
In this process, we started
noticing the lifestyles of Boyer
and Lundsten, said New-
ton, a former law clerk for a
state Supreme Court justice.
We kept noticing that they
were spending a lot of money
around town.
Te outcome hes looking
for: Tey ought to go to jail
both of them, Newton said.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis, a critical care
nurse with more than 20 years
of experience, is connected
to three ethics complaints.
She fled one against Com-
missioner Sutton and signed
of on the one fled by Owens
and Newton against Commis-
sioner Boyer. Davis also fled a
complaint against Kelvin Wal-
ton, the countys suspended
purchasing director, and Nina
Hall, a suspended assistant to
Ellis.
Walton and Hall have been
tied to Ellis indictment.
First, its the right thing to
do, Davis said about her eth-
ics complaints. Second, our
mission is to increase trans-
parency, ethics and account-
ability.
A DeKalb County resident
since 1991, Davis in 2000
started Unhappy Taxpayer
and Voter, a grassroots, faith-
based, nonpartisan movement
representing and protect-
ing the interest of taxpayers
and voters. Te organization
has fought against a plan to
construct cell phone towers
on school properties and the
Transportation Special Pur-
pose Local Options Sales Tax
referendum.
Te main thing that we
strive for is to get to the truth,
said Davis, who gathered the
information for her ethics
complaint from Open Records
requests. We need to know
what is being done with the
taxpayers dollars. Are they
being wasted? Is there mis-
management? Is there any
possibility that theres illegal
activity? We have a responsi-
bility to search for the truth at
all cost.
Timothy Brantley, who
fled an ethics complaint
against Commissioner Rader,
did not return repeated phone
calls and emails from Te
Champion.
Sutton
May
Watson Gannon Johnson Boyer Rader
LOCAL NEWS
Maturity leave
by Lauren Ramsdell
Its been one year since LifeLine
Animal Project, a nonprofit animal
welfare group based in Avondale Es-
tates, took over the management of
the DeKalb County animal shelter.
And, the association seems to be go-
ing well.
I think this has been a very pro-
ductive partnership, said DeKalb
County Commissioner Jeff Rader.
LifeLine is not only performing
to the specification of the contract,
they are also achieving great things
in reducing the euthanasia rate and
placing more animals with loving
families in DeKalb.
LifeLine has been contracted
with the county since July 1, 2013.
The $2 million, five-year contract
allows LifeLine to manage opera-
tions of the county shelter, including
veterinary care and outreach pro-
grams.
According to LifeLines founder
and CEO, Rebecca Guinn, eutha-
nasia rates at the DeKalb shelter
have fallen from a peak of 80 to 85
percent to approximately 20 per-
cent. According to a release from
LifeLine, the lowest euthanasia
rate on record was achieved in De-
cember, with a rate of 13 percent.
The DeKalb shelter and the Fulton
County shelter, which LifeLine also
manages, are now no-kill for cats.
We are charged by the state con-
stitution to manage the welfare of
animals in DeKalb County, Rader
said. They are a vulnerable popula-
tion because they have no one but
people to depend upon. Being able
to compassionately and efficiently
care for animals is a unique respon-
sibility of the county.
Guinn said the shelter, which
requires dogs to be housed together,
no longer fits the best practices stan-
dards in the industry. She said the
building itself is the biggest prob-
lem, though the county is working
towards building a new one.
Immediately we made some
operational changes, Guinn said.
We wanted to make sure every ani-
mal was vaccinated on intake. We
changed some of the cleaning pro-
tocols and got some diseases under
control. On average we did about 20
animals a dayits a fairly high in-
take shelter.
Other improvements include
sprucing up the intake photography
area and taking a picture of each
animal as it comes into the shelter.
The photographs are put online
rapidly, increasing the chance that
either an owner or an adopter will
see the animal quickly. LifeLine also
fully implemented shelter software
that gives an accurate count of the
animals, as well as a central way to
access each animals health records.
We are thrilled with the sta-
tistics, said Commissioner Kathie
Gannon. They are definitely mak-
ing a difference in the number of
animals that are leaving the shelter
alive. They have been very patient
with us as we struggle through our
options for a new shelter, and they
are making the most of a bad situ-
ation at the existing shelter. They
have met and gone beyond our ex-
pectations.
Part of the way LifeLine has re-
duced the euthanasia rate is by of-
fering monthly adoption specials.
Before it started managing the shel-
ter, Guinn said, many people didnt
know about the shelter at alleither
that they could adopt there or that
their stray pet may have been picked
up and placed there by animal con-
trol officers. The adoption special
for July is $30 for dogs and $17.76
for cats. The overall adoption rate
for the last year has increased by 140
percent.
We want as many animals as
possible to leave the shelter alive,
Gannon said. [The shelters] care
and their programming has to be
around that mission. LifeLine goes
above and beyond the adoption pro-
gramming with volunteers to care
for the animals because you want
them to be strong healthy friendly
animals so they can be adopted.
Currently LifeLine is only con-
tracted with the county to manage
the shelter, Rader said in the future
the county may explore contracting
LifeLine to conduct animal control
operations as well.
Guinn founded LifeLine in 2002
after finding a dog trapped in a
fence in her backyard. After calling
animal services, she was told the
dog would be taken to the county
shelter and, if not reclaimed or ad-
opted within five days, likely eutha-
nized.
On the fourth day, I went down
to the shelter, Guinn said. The dog
had not been reclaimed, but I was
not prepared for what I saw. It was
full. To this day I have never seen
it that full. There were about eight
dogs to each run, easily 400 dogs at
that time.
The fifth day came on the follow-
ing business day, a Tuesday. The dog
was still there, but the shelter was
now nearly empty. Almost all of the
400 dogs had been euthanized over
the weekend.
It was one of those moments
that changed my perspective and
changed my life, Guinn said. And
now we run that shelter. There is
a better way but it took a lot of re-
search. We had to find out what was
missing in the Atlanta area; why is it
like this.
LifeLine started out just publiciz-
ing the shelters and their animals.
Then, it opened a shelter, first for
dogs, then for cats in 2004. In 2013,
Fulton County animal services went
up for bid and, seeing no one else
apply, LifeLine stepped in. That
same year Lifeline applied for and
accepted the DeKalb bid.
Guinn said a lack of low-cost
spay and neuter clinics contributed
to the rampant pet overpopulation
issue in Atlanta. LifeLine now runs
two clinics as well as the Spay-Neu-
ter Impact Program, or SNIP, which
low-income families can apply for
a free spay or neuter for their pets.
They also use a system called trap-
neuter-return where feral catsthose
cats that are effectively wild and
cannot be adopted as petsare hu-
manely trapped, fixed, and released
rather than euthanized. Guinn esti-
mates they have treated up to 22,000
feral cats in DeKalb and Fulton.
LifeLine also rehabilitates sick or
poorly socialized animals and part-
ners with rescue groups in Georgia
and around the country to foster out
and adopt more pets.
Contracting with LifeLine, as a
nonprofit, has benefitted the county,
Rader said.
When we deal with a third-party
nonprofit, it is able to bring more
resources to the table, and they
compete effectively to get charitable
donations, he said. Nobody makes
charitable donations to government
because they have the ability to raise
taxes. LifeLine has a unique per-
spective they bring to the issue.
Guinn agreed and said their sta-
tus as a nonprofit may have made
them more nimble than the county-
run shelter protocols were.
Its a lot of work, but as a non-
profit we are able to do some things
that the county couldnt, Guinn
said. We dont have any red tape so
we are able to implement solutions
faster.
LifeLine Animal Project marks one year of success at DeKalb animal shelter
As part of the improvements to the DeKalb County Animal Shelter, LifeLine Animal Project
improved photography and pushed pets pictures online fast in order to get them adopted
or reclaimed quickly. Photos provided by LifeLine
Decatur and its Active Living
Division were recognized by the
National League of Cities (NLC) for
the completion of key health and
wellness goals for Lets Move! Cit-
ies, Towns and Counties (LMCTC).
LMCTC is a major component
of first lady Michelle Obamas
comprehensive Lets Move! initia-
tive, which is dedicated to solving
the childhood obesity epidemic
within a generation. LMCTC calls
upon local elected officials to adopt
sustainable and holistic policies
that improve communities access
to healthy affordable food and op-
portunities for physical activity
through five goal areas.
We congratulate and commend
the city of Decatur for your efforts
to improve the health of your com-
munitys children and families,
said NLC President Chris Cole-
man. Through the leadership and
dedication of local elected officials
in cities, towns and counties across
the country, we are beginning to
see a measurable decrease in obesi-
ty rates and a cultural shift towards
health.
Three medals were awarded to
Decatur for its actions taken to im-
prove access to healthy affordable
food and increase opportunities
for physical activity. These medals
were awarded Decaturs achieve-
ments on Goal V: Active Kids at
Play which seeks to increase oppor-
tunities for physical activity.
Decatur awarded Lets Move! medals
Photo by Travis Hudgons
LOCAL NEWS
Changing of the guard at Rotary Club
of Decatur
The Rotary Club of Decatur has named
Peter Michelson, CEO of Renewal Design
Build Inc., as its new president to succeed
Robert L. Brown, CEO of R.L. Brown & As-
sociates, whose one-year term just ended.
Other newly elected officers include
vice president, Scott Thompson, Scott H.
Thompson Insurance Planning; secretary,
Vee Nelson, V. Nelson Associates, Inc.;
treasurer, Drew Robinson, CBRE Inc.; and
sergeant at arms, Mark Burnette, Joyner &
Burnette, PC.
Elected to serve on the board of directors
are Susie Brown, NeuroScience Foundation;
Dan DeWoskin, DeWoskin Law Firm LLC;
Sara Fountain, retired; Kathy Johnson, Em-
ory Conference Center Hotel; Herb McCoy,
Fidelity Bank; John Robinson, Robinson &
Blazer LLP; Doug Torbush, Douglas B. Tor-
bush DDS; Kyle Williams, Williams Teusink
Attorneys.
The Rotary Club of Decatur, which meets
each Friday for luncheon speakers, seeks to
engage professionals for civic engagement
projects and networking.
For further information, visit the website
at www.decaturrotary.org.
DeKalb County School District
holding online surplus auctions
The DeKalb County School District has
authorized the auction of surplus furniture,
materials, equipment, vehicles and supplies
from the various schools and departments in
the school district that are no longer in use
and otherwise would be disposed.
Global Auction Services will conduct the
sales online.
Conducting the sales online allows for
more participation by the local citizens of
DeKalb County, while expanding the countys
reach to bidders across the country, and
around the world, said Joseph Kikta, CEO of
Global Auction Services. With a traditional
live auction, sales are conducted at a specific
time and location. Many people may work, or
have other commitments that prevent them
from participating.
Because auctions are conducted online,
people can bid from the comfort of their
homes or offices24 hours a day, seven days
a weekuntil the auctions close. These on-
line auctions will be an ongoing process with
new items being added as more surplus items
are identified. There is a 15 percent buyers
premium.
The first wave of auctions is online now.
The auction items include: HVAC equipment,
office furniture, office equipment, tables,
chairs, audio visual equipment, student furni-
ture, household appliances, art desk consoles,
shop equipment, and much more.
The website for these auctions can be
found at www.dekalbk12ga.globalauction-
serv.com.
There is an email list sign-up on the page,
which provides participating individuals and
businesses up-to-date information as new
auctions are added, a tab to view the school
districts online auctions, and direct links to
the online bidding.
National magazine ranks Emory
Hospitals among best in Georgia
U.S. News & World Report has ranked Em-
ory University Hospital the top hospital in
both Georgia and metro Atlanta in its 2014-
2015 Best Hospitals guide for a third year in
a row. Emory University Hospital includes
Emory Wesley Woods Geriatric Hospital and
Emory University Orthopaedics & Spine
Hospital.
Emory University Hospital Midtown is
ranked fourth in Georgia and third in metro
Atlanta. Emory Saint Josephs Hospital ranks
11th in Georgia and 7th in metro Atlanta in
this years guide.
Nationally, Emory University Hospital
ranked in 10 adult specialty areas: cancer,
cardiology and heart surgery, neurology and
neurosurgery, diabetes and endocrinology,
ear, nose and throat, geriatrics, gastroenterol-
ogy and GI Surgery, gynecology, nephrology
and urology.
Emory University Hospital Midtown is
noted as high performing in 11 specialty ar-
eas, including: cancer; cardiology and heart
surgery; diabetes and endocrinology; ear,
nose and throat; gastroenterology and GI
surgery; geriatrics; gynecology; nephrology;
neurology and neurosurgery; orthopaedics;
and urology.
Emory Saint Josephs Hospital is ranked
No. 7 in the Atlanta metro area and No. 11 in
the state and is listed as high performing in
ear, nose and throat and in orthopaedics.
We are thrilled with this years U.S. News
& World Report ranking, especially with so
many categories moving up significantly,
said John Fox, president and CEO for
Emory Healthcare. This clearly reflects the
dedication to exceptional patient care that is
displayed every day by our faculty, nurses
and staff members.
The rankings have been published at
www.health.usnews.com/best-hospitals and
will appear in print in the U.S. News Best Hos-
pitals 2014-15 guidebook, available on news-
stands on Aug. 27.
NEWS BRIEFS
From left, the Rotary Club of Decaturs 2014-2015
offcers include secretary Vee Nelson, Drew Robinson,
Mark Burnette and Peter Michelson.
Police searching for
suspects in copper thefts
by Carla Parker
DeKalb County police are working to identify two
suspects believed to be connected to a string of thefts
at churches and libraries across south DeKalb.
Air conditioning units were stolen from Decatur
churches Green Pastures Christian Ministries and
Hillcrest Church of Christ, Bold Beginnings Inter-
national Church of Ellenwood, and Big Miller Grove
Missionary Baptist Church of Lithonia. Thieves also
hit Flat Shoals and Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown
libraries.
The robberies happened in a month-span. Captain
Steven Fore, a spokesman for the DeKalb County Po-
lice Department, said detectives served a search war-
rant at a location July 7.
We recovered some AC units, which is what they
take the copper out of, Fore said. We have two sus-
pects that were working to identify.
Fore said detectives have recovered some copper
items, but weve been unable to correctly link [the
AC units] to the churches or libraries.
Once the police identify and arrest the two sus-
pects, Fore said, he hopes the arrest will lead to more
arrests.
We have this group and maybe a couple of other
groups conducting these copper thefts, he said.
Theyre probably taking that copper to an individual
thats selling it and we think its a network there and
were trying to close it down.
Adopt-A-Stream water quality
workshop set for Aug. 2
The DeKalb Department of Watershed Manage-
ment is hosting a workshop to help residents under-
stand the role that plants and pollinators play in pro-
tecting water resources.
The workshop is designed to demonstrate how to
create natural habitats and gardens, attract pollinators
and conserve water. Additionally, after the morning
workshop there will be a hands-on service project to
create a habitat using native plants.
The workshop will be held on Saturday, Aug. 2,
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Davidson-Arabia Nature
Center, located at 3787 Klondike Road, Lithonia. The
service project will be held from 1 to 4 p.m.
The workshop will be a classroom lecture with
activities. Afterwards, the service project will include
planting native plants near the nature center. Par-
ticipants should be prepared for digging, planting,
shoveling, hauling dirt and mulch and watering. Tools
will be provided, but participants are asked to bring
a water bottle, sunscreen and bug repellent. There is
no fee for the class, but preregistration is required and
limited to the first 20 people.
For more information or to register for the work-
shop, contact Michael OShield, environmental edu-
cation coordinator, at (770) 724-1456 or by email at
msoshield@dekalbcountyga.gov.
LOCAL NEWS
by Kathy Mitchell
kathy@dekalbchamp.com

Jerry Dougherty grew
up in the North and has
been a Southern transplant
for more than 40 years, so
those who discuss the Civil
War with him shouldnt
expect fierce loyalty from
him to either side. He does,
however, have a great deal
to contribute to the conver-
sation thanks to an unusual
inheritance.
Dougherty, who lives lit-
erally on the Fulton-DeKalb
county line, a few years ago
become the owner of a col-
lection of letters dating back
to the 1860s that had be-
longed to a distant relative.
After a number of history
buffs assured him that he
was in possession of a true
treasure, Dougherty decided
to share the letters with the
world. The result is Anns
Letters, a book he authored
and released recently.
Eve Ann Huffman,
called Ann, kept letters start-
ing from when she was a
21-year-old woman living
in a small farming town in
central Ohio. She appar-
ently had a pretty good edu-
cation for a farm girl, said
Dougherty, who noted that
Huffman apparently enjoyed
writing and recording details
of her daily life. She was
the Twitter of her age, he
said.
Her correspondence
includes letters from Civil
War battlefields from her
brothers and from friends.
Dougherty said the letters
have endured an amazing
journey. Considering how
poor mail service was at the
time and that troops moved
unpredictably as the war
progressed, its surprising
that letters reached the sol-
diers and that their letters
reached family members,
he noted.
Dougherty said its also
remarkable that the letters
have remained readable
nearly 150 years after they
were written. My house is
the first place theyve been
that had air conditioning.
For about 80 years they
were in the loft area of a
barn in Ohio. They have sur-
vived in surprisingly good
condition. The letters are
now stored in museum-qual-
ity protective coverings.
Although Huffman ap-
parently had the benefit of
a solid education, the same
was not true of all who
wrote to her. Dougherty,
who reproduced the letters
as they were written, set
about to translate them
for content, figuring what
the writer actually meant
when spelling and word us-
age strayed from the English
standard and when writers
used words or phrases that
are no longer common. He
frequently uses the sic
notation to alert readers that
whats on the paper is not
a typographical error, but
exactly what the letter writer
wrote.
I saw a word that had
me puzzled for a while,
Dougherty recalled. Then I
finally figured out the writer
was trying for pacifying.
Thats a big word for an un-
educated person, but often
they used 50-cent words
with no idea how to spell
them.
Dougherty also seeks to
give the letters context with
notations about what was
going on at the time they
were written. For example,
he questions the candidness
of a soldier writing from
Andersonville Prison, a no-
torious Confederate prison
camp, where thousands died
because of overcrowding,
poor sanitation and lack
of food and medical care.
Despite the horrific condi-
tions, the letter writer said
everything was all right.
Dougherty speculates that
had the letter contained
complaints about anything
in the camp, food, sanitation
or treatment, it is likely that
the letter would never have
gotten out or that the prison-
er would have been beaten
or been the object or some
severe sort of retaliation.
The author seeks to make
what he said is one impor-
tant correction to history.
He said that a commonly
published sketch of a boy
imprisoned at Anderson-
ville has been reproduced
to show him as more gaunt
and skeleton-like than he
appeared in the original
sketch. While the condi-
tions in Camp Sumter (An-
dersonville) were abomi-
nable, there is never a good
excuse for any author to
doctor the facts, and to re-
vise resources, to help prove
his point, Dougherty states
in the book.
Dougherty said, Im not
a practicing historian, but I
am an engineer. I believe in
being careful, detailed and
accurate.
The most fascinating part
of poring through the let-
ters was learning about the
everyday lives of the people
writing them, Dougherty
said. The stresses of the
war and home front were
endured through mutual let-
ters of advice, compassion,
friendship and love, he
noted. Dougherty said the
documents made him real-
ize that families 150 years
ago were not much different
from families today.

Local man publishes family letters from Civil War era
See Wrestling on page 19A
Pet
of the
Week
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dogs. She will thrive in either a multi pet household or as a single pet. Ima is hoping to fnd a home where she will be loved and
protected. Please come meet this sweet girl and give her a chance at a new life.

Throughout July under the current Celebrate Their Independence Day promotion all dogs are only $30 and all cats are only
$17.76! Come meet Ima at the DeKalb shelter and help her to fnd her way to freedom. Adoption fee includes spay/neuter,
vaccinations, microchip and more! To meet Ima please call (404) 294-2165 or email adoption@dekalbanimalservices.com.
The adoptions number: (404) 294-2165 For adoption inquiries: adoption@dekalbanimalservices.com
For rescue inquiries: rescue@dekalbanimalservices.com
For volunteer and foster inquiries: volunteer@dekalbanimalservices.com
The book cover was designed by Gentry Moore,
Jerry Doughertys granddaughter, a student at
Woodstock High School.
The letters were in remarkably good shape considering
they had been stored in a barn for more than 80 years.
Jerry Dougherty says he continues to be amazed by the level of interest
in his 19th century letters. Photos by Kathy Mitchell
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
Businesswoman fnds
success in the sewer
by Kathy Mitchell
Sequoia Bell has a degree
in psychology. Shes worked in
restaurants, sold real estate and
processed mortgages. Now, at
age 28, shes found what she re-
ally likes doingcleaning sew-
ers.
The president and CEO of
Bell Innovative Technologies,
Bell said she enjoys running a
company that does work women
rarely get into. I was doing well
in the mortgage business until
the economy took a dip, she
explained. I knew I needed to
find a new line of work. Ap-
titude tests indicated that Bell
would do well in industrial work
so she set out to learn where the
demand was.
I found out there was a need
for companies that clean sewers,
especially in DeKalb County,
and I decided that was the busi-
ness I wanted to go into, Bell
recalled. The machines do the
work. Its a matter of assessing
the situation and sending a crew
to do the job.
Learning the sewer business
wasnt easy, Bell said, explain-
ing that she learned a good deal
through independent study.
People in this industry usually
dont want to help people who
are trying to get in. I wanted to
intern with an established com-
pany to learn more so I started
calling companies and asking if
I could come there as an intern.
I got a lot of nos, then finally
I got one yes and that was all I
needed, she recalled. I had to
go to Augusta for the internship,
but it was really worth it.
Bell said she is now so
knowledgeable in the sewer
business that companies that
were in business before she was
born come to her for advice.
She noted that becoming an
entrepreneur means putting in
long hours and reinvesting prof-
its in the businesssomething
not everyone her age is willing
to do. Youre not going to build
a successful business if you
spend your time and money at
the club, she said.
Many of those working
at Bells South DeKalb busi-
ness are relatives. Those who
call there are likely to find her
mother answering the phone.
Her seven-employee staff also
includes her brother, a brother-
in-law and her father. Bell said
she hires relatives because there
is a strong work ethic in her
family. Many of my relatives
have run businesses themselves
so they appreciate that it takes a
lot of hard work and dedication
to keep a business going, she
said.
Most of Bells work is for
DeKalb County, which is under
a settlement agreement with the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and the Georgia Envi-
ronmental Protection Division.
The countys sewage system
is more than 75 years old, and
there are a lot of problems.
Many areas still have the old
clay pipes that break when tree
roots grow too big, she said,
noting that newer pipes are the
PVC type and hold up better.
Humans, Bell said, create
more problems in the sew-
age system than trees do. You
wouldnt believe the things peo-
ple throw into the sewer system.
Weve found socks, T-shirtsall
kinds of things.
Grease in the sewage system,
she added, is a particular prob-
lem in DeKalb. People pour
grease and fats into the sew-
age system and it really clogs
it up. Some of it comes from
private homes, but a good deal
of it comes from restaurants.
People dump grease in the sew-
ers because they dont know any
better. We try to educate people
when we see that theyre caus-
ing a problem. Many restaurant
owners apparently dont realize
that they could sell their used
grease for a profit, but if the
pour it into the sewage system
it not only creates back-up but
they could be fined.
Getting business in an indus-
try that often doesnt welcome
newcomers can be difficult, but
Bell said persistence is the key.
She noted that county policies
require companies they do busi-
ness with to make an effort to
include minority- and female-
owned businesses. Im not
going to let them pretend they
cant find any. I make sure Im
there when bids go out. Theyre
not going to overlook me, she
said. After a company has used
me, they want me back not be-
cause Im Black and female, but
because Im good.
Sequoia Bell studies maps of DeKalb Countys sewage system. Photos by Kathy Mitchell
Many hours are spent at the computer.
Bell shows a sample of the pipe used to replace
old clay sewage pipes.
EDUCATION
Local teacher sets sail for science research
by Lauren Ramsdell
Hands-on learning is becom-
ing increasingly important in the
classroom as state tests change to
reflect the hows and whys, not just
the whens and wheres of a fact. One
Decatur teacher is taking his hands-
on learning experience on a research
fishing vessel in the Atlantic.
The National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration (NOAA)
is charged with studying the oceans
and skies across the globe with par-
ticular focus on the United States.
The National Weather Service
and the National Marine Fisheries
Service are both subgroups within
NOAA.
Sixth-grade earth science teacher
Kevin McMahon will be part of
NOAAs Teacher at Sea program,
sailing on the ship Pisces starting
around July 5.
Early on when I was back in
college trying to figure out what I
wanted to do, marine biology was
something I had toyed around with,
McMahon said. I actually spent a
summer in college at Duke Univer-
sitys marine lab in Beaufort, N.C. I
have always had an interest in ma-
rine biology and now I am coming
back full circle.
McMahon, who be came a
teacher after a stint as a lawyer, said
that NOAAs research fits in with the
curriculum he teaches at Renfroe
Middle School.
We study everything related to
the Earth: geology, meteorology,
oceanography and astronomy, com-
paring our Earth to other planets,
he said. Its a perfect fit for what
we teach in the earth science class-
room. I am really excited to take this
experience and bring it back to the
students.
Jennifer Hammond, director
of the Teacher at Sea program, said
that is precisely NOAAs mission
in sending educators out with re-
searchers.
We partner the teachers with
scientists and they work 12-hour
shifts 12 to 14 days at a time, gather-
ing and analyzing the data, Ham-
mond said. The goal is to give them
an opportunity to learn about our
research and bring their enthusiasm
and excitement back to their stu-
dents.
McMahon and the crew of the
Pisces will be studying red snapper
and grouper populations off the east
coast, departing from Morehead
City, N.C. These populations are
important, Hammond said, because
they are a popular food and are,
therefore, susceptible to overfishing.
That ultimately impacts us as
the public, Hammond said. So,
he is going to help collect reef fish,
stock assessments and understand
the distribution and habitat for the
reef fish.
The program has so far sent more
than 650 teachers across the coun-
try out to sea. Many like McMahon
have an interest in marine biology,
, but others just want that hands-
on learning. Then, those teachers
come back and are invited speakers
at conferences, local events and just
in front of their students. That way,
NOAAs mission is broadcast.
Our main goal is to monitor
and evaluate what is happening on
the Earth and provide safe navi-
gation through the United States
waterways, Hammond said. First,
we want people to understand the
kind of research NOAA does and
how it impacts their lives. Second,
there are career opportunities that
are available at NOAA. [The teach-
ers] spend a lot of time interviewing
our crew on the vessels. Theres a
research components but we also
want people to understand the dif-
ferent STEM (science, technology,
engineering and math) careers we
have availablethings you wouldnt
think of.
McMahon said he was in the
process of packing, consulting with
a teacher who previously had par-
ticipated in the program on what to
bring and leave behind. He said he
was unsure of what exactly he would
be doing onboard, but he was ready
to get started.
I am very excited right now and
a little bit nervous about how my
body is going to react to being on
a boat for two weeks, McMahon
said. The more I talk with folks the
more excited I get. The main thing
is I really want to give my students a
chance to experience what scientists
really do and understand that theres
so much more to learn about the
world.
McMahon tries on his survival suit, used in the unlikely
event of a disaster at sea to prevent hypothermia.
Kevin McMahon, a teacher at Renfroe Middle School, is participating in the Teacher at Sea program through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on its ship Pisces.
Photos provided by Kevin McMahon and NOAA
A chevron trap is named for its unique shape and used to catch fsh for
study.
McMahon holds a 11.67 kilogram
red grouper.
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SPORTS
Jonathan Jones receives two-sport
scholarship to Delaware State
Young male athletes need to make better decisions with females
Carla Parker
Sports Reporter
CARLAS CORNER
On July 7, three former Cal-
houn High School athletes were
indicted by a Gilmer County grand
jury on charges of aggravated
sexual battery of a girl at an after-
prom party.
According to reports, the girl
said she was raped by multiple
young men, whom she could not
identify, on May 11 at a Coosawat-
tee River Resort cabin in Gilmer
County. Deputies later arrested
the three senior athletes. Two of
the athletes were also indicted
on sodomy charges, and one has
a separate 28-count indictment
involving sexual exploitation of a
minor. Aggravated sexual battery
is punishable with a sentence of up
to 25 years.
In Miami, Fla., two University
of Miami football players arrested
on sexual battery charges against
a physically helpless 17-year-old
girl were dismissed from the team
and suspended July 8. According
to reports, the two 20-year-old
athletes admitted to buying drinks
for the accuser, bringing her back
to a dorm room and repeatedly
perform sexual acts, including
intercourse, without her consent
while she was intoxicated and
physically helpless to resist.
Both players face charges of
sexual battery on a physically help-
less victim.
It seems as if every year there
are stories, like the two above,
which expose the reckless actions
of young male athletes and their
behavior towards womenathletes
who think that they are entitled to
everything, including women, and
would do anything legal or illegal
to satisfy their selfish needs.
It is baffling to me that young
promising athletes would throw
their futures and lives away over
sex, drugs or alcohol. As a young
woman, I find it sad to see some
young men have no respect for
women at all.
It is even more troubling that
some adults would go to lengths
to protect a sports program and
cover up the actions of troubled
athletes after they commit serious
crimes such as rape.
On August 11, 2012, a high
school girl in Steubenville, Ohio,
who was incapacitated by alcohol,
was publicly and repeatedly sexu-
ally assaulted by fellow students,
several of whom documented the
acts on social media.
Two high school football play-
ers, both 16 at the time of the
crime, were convicted in juvenile
court for the rape. Additionally,
three other adults were indicted
for obstructing the investigation
into the rape, while Steubenvilles
superintendent of schools was
charged with hindering the inves-
tigation into another rape incident
that took place earlier in 2012.
When you see adults breaking
the law to protect an athlete or
a sports program, it is no wonder
why some athletes feel that they
can break the law and get away
with it.
You have some troubled people
in the world who say that rape
victims would not have been raped
if they were not drunk or dressed
a certain way. I hope those people
who have that type of mindset do
not have daughters of their own,
because I am pretty sure they
would not feel the same way if it
was their daughter, mother, sister,
granddaughter or aunt who was
raped.
It is time for all young people
to stop putting themselves in
compromising positions that
could throw them in jail and end
a promising future. A few seconds
of pleasure, or the pressure to be-
come popular amongst your peers
is not worth ruining your life.
by Carla Parker
Six days before the 2014
DeKalb County Track and
Field Championships, Jona-
than Jones received the news
that his father, Addison Jones,
had passed away.
Addison Jones died March
23 after suffering a heart at-
tack while driving. Jones, who
was then a senior at Arabia
Mountain, did not participate
in the county championships.
However, he went on to com-
pete in the Class AAAAA
State Track Championships
May 10.
He won gold in the
400-meter dash, his first
state gold medal and the first
gold medal for DeKalb in the
400-meter since 2012. He also
became Arabia Mountains
first state champion.
Although his father was
not there to cheer him on, he
still felt his fathers presence.
My mother has always
told me that even though hes
not here on Earth, hes always
watching from above, Jones
said. Even with him not be-
ing here, his presence is here
and his presence was there
throughout the whole week
[of the state track meet].
It was Addison Jones
dream to see his son go to
college and continue his
academic and athletic career.
Jones fulfilled that dream by
earning a full football and
track scholarship to Delaware
State University. Jones made
the announcement July 9 on
his Twitter account.
Its somewhat accomplish-
ing, Jones said of earning a
two-sport scholarship. My
father has always been a big
supporter of me going on
to the next level after high
school, continuing my educa-
tion and making sure I was
able to do that and do some-
thing I love and thats track
and football.
Jones, who is a football All-
American, chose Delaware
State over North Carolina
A&T, Florida A&M, Mercer
and other schools. Jones chose
Delaware State, his mothers
alma mater, because he be-
lieves that is where his father
wanted him to go.
It seems after visiting
[Delaware State] and getting
to know the coaches that my
father already knew, it was the
perfect fit for me, Jones said.
Jones plans to major in
electrical engineering, and
hopes to qualify for the 2016
Summer Olympics and make
it to the NFL draft after his
college career.
Jones finished his senior
year at Arabia Mountain with
49 catches for 798 yards and
nine touchdowns. He was a
part of the football programs
first winning season (7-3) last
year.
Jones said he is happy,
grateful and very excited to
continue his education and
athletic career.
I get to work on my craft
and skills to get better and
prepare myself for what I want
to be, he said.
Former Arabia Mountain High School athlete Jonathan Jones
received a football and track scholarship to Delaware State. Jones
received the scholarships less than four months after his father,
Addison Jones, passed away.
SPORTS
Decatur Bulldogs
by Mark Brock
Chapel Hill Middle School
picked up its second DeKalb
County Middle School All-
Sports Award in 2014, getting
past 2013 winner Cedar Grove
86-78 in the points standings.
Three region championships
(football, girls basketball and
boys basketball) and two county
runners-up finishes (football,
girls basketball) made up 61 of
Chapel Hills 86-point total.
Cedar Grove, which won the
2013 All-Sports Award 75-74
over Chapel Hill, had two region
titles (girls and boys basketball)
and a county runner-up finish in
boys track to account for 60 of
its 78-point total. Cedar Grove
is the only program other than
Stephenson (2), Miller Grove (2)
and Chapel Hill (2) to win the
award.
Chapel Hill has been the most
consistent middle school athletic
program since winning the in-
augural award in 2008, finishing
no lower than third in the points
standings in the past five athletic
seasons in between its two All-
Sports Awards.
The 2012 and 2013 All-Sports
awards were the two closest in
the awards seven-year history.
Chapel Hill was the runner-up to
Stephenson in 2012 (75-73) and
Cedar Grove in 2013 (75-74) be-
fore breaking through to take the
title in 2014. This years 8-point
difference is the next closest
finish between the top two pro-
grams.
County titles in boys track
(2009, 2010) and boys basketball
(2008, 2013) along with seven
runners-up finishes in the past
seven years has aided Chapel
Hills run.
Tucker finished a close third
behind Cedar Grove with 77
points behind county titles in
football and boys track. It was
Tuckers first time to crack the
top three on the list.
Stephenson finished in the
top four for the sixth time with
75 points using the girls basket-
ball county championship while
Lithonia was tied for fifth with
Chamblee as both totaled 67.5
points. Lithonia won the boys
basketball title, while Chamblee
was the runner-up.
Chamblee has finished in the
top 5 four times including sec-
ond-place finishes in 2008 and
2010 while Lithonia finished in
the top 5 for the first time in the
eight-year history of the award.
Chapel Hill wins 2014 DeKalb County Middle School All-Sports award
2014 Middle School All-Sports Award
School Total Points
Chapel Hill 86
Cedar Grove 78
Tucker 77
Stephenson 75
Lithonia 67.5
Chamblee 67.5
Champion 62
Miller Grove 62
Henderson 61
Salem 45.5
Renfroe 45
McNair 39.5
Peachtree 39
Columbia 36.5
Redan 29
Bethune 27
Stone Mountain 19
Druid Hills 6.5
Sequoyah 6
Freedom 4
Oglethorpe sophomore golfer David
Kleckner finished tied for 15th at the
Georgia Amateur Championship in
Macon July 13, marking the best fin-
ish ever by an Oglethorpe golfer at the
event.
Kleckner shot a seven-over 287
in the tournaments four rounds at
Macons Idle Hour Club, including a
one-under 69 for the third round. He
carded back-to-back scores of two-over
72 for the first two rounds and came in
at four-over 74 in the final round.
In addition to being the highest-ever
finish by an Oglethorpe golfer at the
event, Kleckners Top 15 finish earns
him an automatic exemption into next
years tournament.
Robert Mize of Columbus State
won the event with a four-round total
of five-under 275, 12 strokes ahead of
Kleckner.
The Georgia Amateur Champion-
ship is conducted by the Georgia State
Golf Association and pits the states 144
best amateur golfers against each other
in a 72-hole, stroke-play event. The leg-
endary Bobby Jones won the very first
Georgia Amateur Championship in
1916. He was 14 years old at the time.
Oglethorpe golfer tied for 15th at
Georgia Amateur Championship
Chapel Hill Middle won its second DeKalb County Middle School All-Sports Award. The football team fnished the 2013 season as Region 4 champions. Photos by Travis Hudgons
David Kleckner fnished tied for 15th at the Georgia Amateur Championship.
PAGE 24A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 18, 2014

towns.
The interviews, which
average three to six hours
in length, span subject areas
ranging from science, politics
and the military to sports,
music and entertainment.
It includes a long list of no-
tables, including President
Barack Obama, who was
interviewed when he was
an Illinois state senator; re-
tired General Colin Powell;
entertainer/activist Harry
Belafonte; poet/writer Maya
Angelou; Attorney General
Eric Holder; musician B.B.
King; poet Nikki Giovanni
and actor Diahann Carroll,
Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee.
The HistoryMakers col-
lection is housed in the li-
brarys Packard Campus for
Audio Visual Conservation, a
state-of-the-art facility locat-
ed in Culpeper, Va. The His-
toryMakers is also working to
make the collection available
to users worldwide through
its groundbreaking digital
archive (www.thehistory-
makers.com/digital-archive)
that currently has users in 51
countries across the globe.
Archive
Continued From Page 6A
Campers Continued From Page 10A
said, STE(A)M Truck is
tweaking the formula and
creating something a bit
different. They were plan-
ning on hosting a summer
camp anyway, but the Maker
Camp resources fit well in
their mission.
One of the ideas we
have been promoting is we
are just putting up ideas
and projects and bringing
in really interesting guests
to provide ideas, but we
want people to riff on it,
Welch said. These guys are
a perfect example of picking
activities that fit with your
existing plan and adapting
it to your organization. This
is such an ideal application
of what were hoping people
will take away from Maker
Camp.
Martin said they will
be using last years Maker
Camp activities as a guide.
They havent yet re-
leased the specifics for the
summer, he said. But
we are going to combine
things they do have: squishy
circuits, a way to use play
dough to make simple cir-
cuits; simple woodwork-
ing we will combine with
electronics; building a 3-D
printer we will have some
kids put together during the
week. We always try to use
the expertise that we have
available so community
members may come in and
teach lessons.
During the year, the
STE(A)M Truck conducts
20-day programs at area
schools, reaching students
underrepresented in STEM.
Almost all are Title I, and,
as a part of its mission,
one-half of participants
must be girls. The truck has
everything needed to draft,
design and build almost
anything.
A big part of the maker
movement is having a
guide but really letting the
students determine what
they want to do, Martin
said. Whats nice about the
STE(A)M Truck is we have
a sophisticated platform
to build anything you can
think of. We have laser cut-
ters, soldering irons, sewing
machines, chop saws you
name it. To the extent we
have time and bandwidth
we let the students deter-
mine what they want to
make.
DeKalb announces panel to review interim
District 5 commissioner candidates
Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May has announced the cit-
izen panel what is reviewing the candidates that have volunteered
to fill a temporary appointment to Commission District 5.
The panel consists of Lisa Allen, Lithonia resident and com-
munity activist; Rosalind Newell, Stone Mountain resident and
attorney; and State Rep. Rahn Mayo.
In June, advertisements were placed three DeKalb newspapers
to solicit candidates to fill the temporary appointment to District,
as set forth in a bill signed in April by Gov. Nathan Deal.
Twenty-one candidates responded to fill the vacancy for Dis-
trict 5, which serves approximately 145,000 residents: Tarnisha
Dent, George Turner Jr., Gina Smith Mangham, Charles Smith
Hill, Kenneth R. Saunders III, Markus J. Butts, Kathryn T.
Rice, Randal Mangham, Faye Coffield, Jacqueline Tumbling,
Pierre Louis, Melvin D. Mitchell, Belinda M. Myers, Harmel
Deanne Codi, Joscelyn C. ONeil, Andre R. White, Geraldine
A. Champion, Kamau K. Mason, Angela Moore and Wendolyn
Peters.
The candidate list is being reviewed to ensure all candidates
meet the minimum qualifications of being at least 21 years old, a
resident of this state, a resident of District 5 at the time of applica-
tion for appointment and a resident of DeKalb County for at least
12 months prior to appointment.
The panel will review all qualified applicants to narrow the
field to two qualified candidates. Of these, May will submit a
candidate to the Board of Commissioners for consideration.
I expect to have the panels recommendations by the end
of the month, then be able to make a nomination to the Board
of Commissioners within the first two weeks of August, if not
sooner, May said.
The term of service for the eventual interim District 5 Com-
missioner will begin upon approval by the Board of Commis-
sioners and continue until suspended county CEO Burrell Elliss
suspension is terminated or the need for the replacement ends,
whichever is earlier.The interim District 5 commissioner shall
receive the normal salary rate of an elected commissioner.

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