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C HA MP IO NN EW SPA PE R C HA MP IO NN EW S CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER CHAMPIONNEWS

Highway an importantsource of Atlanta’s overall“cultural patrimony.”

“This is for people to

discover Buford Highwayby bus,” Berrebi said. “It’sfor people to discoverwhat Buford really is.

It’s for people to seethe richness, cultural

thechampionnewspaper.com F REE P RESS FRiDaY, MaY 6, 2016 • Vol. 19, no. 3 • 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.

CHAMPION The

See Center on Page 5A

See Bus Crawl on Page 5A

‘Bus crawl’ along Buford Highway showcases diversity

New county government centerplanned for Memorial Drive

by R. Scott Belzer [email protected]

For three hours on

April 27, more than140 passengers

were given a guidedour of one of theegion’s more diverse

and culturally richneighborhoods.

They were treated toshops, goods and cuisinehailing from Latin Americaand Asia and exposedo sights not seen by the

average Atlantan. Theiraste buds and olfactory

senses were overloadedwith spice and flavor.

They toured BufordHighway by bus.

We Love BuHi, a localenterprise promoting andevitalizing the Buford

Highway corridor, inpartnership with MARTAArmy, a grassroots actiongroup looking to enhanceidership on Atlanta’s

public transit system,hosted a “bus crawl” fromDoraville to Chamblee toBrookhaven via BufordHighway.

Titled “39 Ride andDine” after the No. 39 bus

oute down the corridor,

participants were guidedto Yen Jing, City FarmersMarket, Plaza Fiesta,Bismillah Café and RoyalLounge for a $15 fee andbus pass.

The “39 Ride and Dine”is the brainchild of WeLove BuHi founder Mar-ian Liou and MARTA

Army founder Simon Ber-rebi. They invited localofcials such as VictoriaHuynh of the Center forPan Asian CommunityServices, Amanda Rhein of MARTA’s strategic de-velopment team, SallyFlocks of the pedes-trian advocacy nonprotPEDS, and Atlanta Belt-line inventor Ryan Gravel to engage attendees inconversations about im-migrant services, transitredevelopment, pedes-trian challenges, and theimportance of infrastruc-ture along Buford High-way.

Berrebi said it wasimportant to see thecurrent state of BufordHighway, for better orworse, and discuss whatits future could possiblyentail. The MARTA Army

founder called Buford

by Andrew [email protected]

Although it would be years beforeit’s constructed, DeKalb Countyofcials are making preliminary

plans to locate a new government

center on Memorial Drive.The proposed 300,000-square-foot,

eight-story structure would be built oncounty-owned land at the intersectionof Memorial Drive and KensingtonRoad. The $90 million building wouldreplace the county’s Maloof andClark Harrison buildings in the city ofDecatur and the tax commissioner’sbuilding on Memorial Drive.

“We are currently occupying about600,000 square feet...for the samefunctions, but the facilities were simplynot designed with the most efcientuse in mind,” said Zach Williams, the

county’s chief operating ofcer, duringrecent meeting of the Special PurposeLocal Option Sales Tax (SPLOST)Citizen Advisory Committee.

“In many instances...we have

The pending sale of the county’s Clark Harrisonbuilding in Decatur is part of a plan to construct anew government center on Memorial Drive. Photo byAndrew Cauthen

More than 100 visitors rode the No. 39 bus route along Buford Highway, the most frequent bus routen Atlanta. Photo by R. Scott Belzer

The “39 Ride and Dine” bus crawl was headed by MARTA Army’s Simon Berrebiand We Love BuHi’s Marian Liou. Photo by R. Scott Belzer

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

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

ducation.........................14-15A

Opinion ......................................7A Sports ................................18-19A

QUICK FINDER

EDUCATION, 14A

DEKALB SCHOOLLEADERS DISCUSS MALEMENTORING IMPORTANCE

LOCAL, 8A

FIVE LAW ENFORCEMENTPROS CHALLENGINGCURRENT SHERIFF

LOCAL, 4A

ETHICS BOARD MAYRESTRICT PUBLIC

ACCESS TO COMPLAINTS



LOCAL The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 • A

Avondale Estates mayor and commissioners discuss compensation

METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Notice of Public Hearings May 16 & 19, 2016Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit

Authority will hold public hearings for the purpose of considering the

Proposed Fiscal Year 2017Operating and Capital Budgets

Including Elimination of the Holiday Group Fare One-Day Tickets andProposed Bus Service Modifications for Aug. 6, 2016

for the following routes:

Route 3: Martin Luther King Jr. Drive / Auburn Avenue; Route 4: Thomasville /

Moreland Avenue / MTC; Route 13: Fair Street / Mozley Park; Route 15: Can-

dler Road / South DeKalb; Route 51: Joseph E. Boone; Route 117: Rockbridge

Road / Panola Road; Route 125: Clarkston / Northlake; Route 181: Buffington

Road / South Fulton P/R; and Route 191: Justice Center / Hartsfield International.

All route information, a video with Hearing information andcomment forms are available at www.itsmarta.com

Mon, May 16 Mon, May 16 Thurs, May 19

Clayton County Govt.Office Board Room

112 Smith StreetJonesboro, GA 30236

Community Exchange: 6-7 P .M .

HEARING: 7 P.M.Riding MARTA: Bus routes 191, 192,

193 &194 from the Justice Center exitat Tara Blvd and Smith Street for a 0.5mile walk due to construction closure of

Smith Street.

MaloofAuditorium

1300 Commerce DriveDecatur, GA 30030

Community Exchange:

6-7 P .M .

HEARING: 7 P.M.Riding MARTA: Walk one blockwest of Decatur Rail Station.

Fulton CountyGovt. Center

Conference Room141 Pryor StreetAtlanta, GA 30303

Community Exchange:

6-7 P .M .

HEARING: 7 P.M.

Riding MARTA: Routes 32,49, 55, 74 & 186.

Copies of the proposed Budget and Bus Service Modifications will also be available for public viewing at MARTA’s Headquar-ters Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324 during regular business hours, Mon-Fri8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations contact, (404)848-4037. For those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be obtained by calling the TelephoneDevice for the Deaf (TDD) at 404 848-5665.

In addition, a sign language interpreter will be available at all hearings. If you cannot attend the hearings and want toprovide comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.com; (4) or faxyour comments no later than May 26, 2016 to (404) 848-4179.

All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnett whose interests are affectedby the subjects to be considered at these hearings are hereby notified and invited to appear at said times and places and

present such evidence, comment or objection as their interests require.

Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO


The DeKalb County school systemrecently spent $300,000 on radios for theDeKalb County Police Department.

The purchase was approved during aboard of education work session held April18. The $303,218 purchase will see 75new radios for a digital system upgrade forthe department, which is scheduled to gointo effect in January 2017.

The price for each radio isapproximately $4,043 after add-ons. Thedeal was made with Motorola Solutions.

The last system upgrade came to thedepartment in 2009.

Chief Donald Smith of the Ofce ofPublic Safety presented the item to the

board on the grounds that the “upgradedequipment is essential to the Departmentof Public Safety radio communications forsafety and emergency purposes.”

“The DeKalb County PoliceDepartment mans and relays basicpolice, re and emergency transmissionsfor DeKalb County as well as DeKalbschool police,” Smith said. “Thedepartment is transitioning to a newdigital system effective January 2017.

According to DeKalb PD, that’ll be the‘drop dead’ date where they won’t haveany communication.”

Other rationale listed on boarddocuments includes noting that theschool system is composed of 136schools with 14,000 employees and morethan 100,000 students.

“The Public Safety Departmentis charged with providing security foreach site,” reads the agenda item. “It isnecessary that digital communication

equipment be compatible with othersystems for important updates andemergency notications.”

DeKalb County BOE approves$300K radio purchase

by Carla Parker [email protected]

The Avondale EstatesBoard of Mayor andCommissioners is one of

ew city mayor and citycouncil boards that donot receive monetarycompensation, accordingo the Georgia Department

of Community Affairs. Avondale Estates is the

only city in DeKalb County,with the exception ofnewly established Tucker,hat does not pay its

mayor or commissioners,and some are looking tochange that. The mayorand commissioners hadheir rst reading of the

compensation ordinance athe commissions meeting

on April 25. The boardpreviously discussedhe ordinance at a work

session. According to the

ordinance, if it is approvedby the board, the mayorwould receive $600 permonth—$7,200 annually—and the commissionerswould receive $400 permonth—$4,800 annually.

Decatur commissionerseceived the same annual

amount in 2015 and

Lithonia’s mayor received$7,800 that same year. Ifhe ordinance is approved

by the board it will becomeeffective Jan. 1, 2018.

Mayor JonathanElmore said the stipendswill help cover city work-related expenses, such ascity calls and to help payfor childcare while board

members are at meetings.“For me it’s timeaway from the family, it’stime on the phone, it’sbabysitters,” Elmore said.“It’s just to help offset thatwithout submitting detailedexpense reports withcalls listed, which turnsinto a nightmare for [citymanager] Clai [Brown]and his [staff]. So it’s theeasy way out, but it’s theeasy way out that almostevery city does.”

Mayor Pro Tem TerryGiager said he opposesthe ordinance.

“I have no problemwith the expense side of it,but if this is voted in andit’s mandatory I will notrun again,” Giager saidduring the March 23 worksession. “The only way I’llvote for it if it’s optional.”

One Avondale Estatesresident said he was infavor of the ordinance,while others opposed.

“I’ve spoken in favorbefore because of theamount of time you put

in,” Joe Anziano said. “Iknow you ran for ofce notknowing or not expectingto be compensated. It’sa small amount of money

[for] ve brains that spendso much time working onwhat’s good for the cityand what’s right for thecity. I don’t think it’s out oforder at all.”

Kerry Quinn is one ofthe residents who opposesthe ordinance.

“I don’t see whysuddenly we have tobegin paying for this whenwe’ve always had wellqualied citizens willingto do this as part of theircivic responsibility,” Quinnsaid. “I think going fromnothing to $100 a week isexcessive.”

Resident Peggy Roneysaid she was worriedthat the stipends wouldbe covered by taxing theresidents. Brown said thatis a possibility.

“There is going to betwo years of planningon where the money isactually going to comefrom,” Brown said. “It cancome from a lot of differentsources such as taxes.We won’t know that untilwe start doing the budgetfor 2018, which would be

August of 2017.”“I’m surprised that

people are asking for thisso soon because we’ve

had lots of people whowanted these positions,”Roney said. “It’s neverbeen done before andpeople did accept it as

their civic responsibilityto participate in citygovernment.”

Elmore said heunderstands that someresidents do not supportthe ordinance.

“It not a lot of money,

so it’s not really aboutthe money,” Elmore said.“We’re following what other

cities are doing. We lookedstatewide and most citiesdo it and it’s right aroundthat amount of money. It’snothing extravagant.”

Avondale Estates is the only city in DeKalb County that does notcompensate its mayor and city commission.




AROUNDDEKALBCOUNTYWIDEDeKalb senior receives $3,500 arts scholarship

Thanks to a Georgia representative, one DeKalb County high school

senior is well on her way to funding her college education.Rep. Hank Johnson recently announced the winners of his 2015

Congressional Arts Competition, naming Toni Hodges, an ArabiaMountain High School senior, as the third runner-up.

Hodges will receive a $3,500 scholarship for The Art Institute of Atlanta based on her work titled “The Moon’s View.”

A Newton County High School student was awarded a $12,000scholarship for The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) as thegrand prize. The rst and second runners-up won $12,000 and $7,500scholarships, respectively, to The Art Institute of Atlanta.

The students were reportedly chosen from more than 19 studentsthroughout DeKalb, Gwinnett and Newton counties.

According to a release, Rep. Johnson has awarded more than$315,000 in scholarships within District 4 since 2007.

“Every year, it warms my heart how such a diverse and talentedgroup of students compete in this annual event,” Johnson said. “Againthis year, we see the vision and artistry of 4th District students on fulldisplay.”

AVONDALE ESTATESCity to host fishing derby

Avondale Estates will host its annual shing derby on May 7 atLake Avondale from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Fishers will compete for the bestcatch of the day. Prizes are awarded for the largest sh caught, mostsh caught, youngest and oldest person to catch a sh. Awards willbe presented from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Lake Avondale is located at 59Lakeshore Drive. For more information, visit www.avondaleestates.org.

BROOKHAVENLynwood Park Community Day scheduled

Lynwood Park Community Day will be held May 7, noon to 6 p.m.at Lynwood Park, 3360 Osborn Road. The event will include a parade,which will begin at noon, going from Lynwood United Methodist Churchof God in Christ to Lynwood Community Center. The event is open to allages and will include a cookout, band and games and activities for theentire family. For more information, call (404) 637-0512.

CHAMBLEECity recognized in Main Street Program

The city of Chamblee was recognized at the state level forfacilitating and maintaining high standards of living.

Chamblee was accredited as a Classic Main Street Community for2016 by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs following a yearof being designated a Main Street city.

The Main Street Program is an economic development effortfocused on preservation and community revitalization. Sponsored bythe National Main Street Center as well as the National Trust for HistoricPreservation, the program recognizes volunteers, business owners andcity stakeholders working together to implement city events.

For 2016, Chamblee states it will “work to introduce a public artsprogram, assist with beautication efforts along Peachtree Road, andassist with business recruitment and retention efforts.”

For more information, visit www.chambleega.com or contact thecity’s media outreach director Teresa Taylor at [email protected] or (470) 395-2309.

DECATURComplimentary skin screenings available

In recognition of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, DeKalb Medical is

partnering with Dermatology Associates to provide complimentary skinscreenings. The screenings will be offered on May 14, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. atRadiation Oncology Department, 2675 N. Decatur Road, Suite G09 inDecatur.

Screenings are free to all but are limited. To reserve a screeningtime, call (404) 501-WELL.

Free parking will be available in the parking lot outside of theRadiation Oncology Center as well as the Wellness Center. Parking inthe deck requires a fee.

DUNWOODYTwo officers take city police oath

The city of Dunwoody welcomed two new ofcers to its police

department at a regularly scheduled city council meeting.Ofcers Chris Valente and Zach Woodburn took the oath to

protect and serve on April 25 before Chief Billy Grogan, Mayor DenisShortal, Dunwoody’s city council, and members of the public.

Valente served for two years as a DeKalb County police ofcer andis a Marine Corps veteran with experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. Hehas earned the Purple Heart and US Navy Achievement Medal.

Woodburn served the DeKalb County Police Department for twoyears. He is a member of the Army National Guard and currentlystudying criminal justice at Rhinehardt University.

“We’re excited to have both of them on our team,” Grogan said.

LITHONIAOpportunity School District community eventscheduled

Marbut Traditional Theme and Arabia Mountain High School PTA/PTSA Legislative Committees will host a STAND for SomethingCommunity Empowerment Rally on Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m.

– 2 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. An announcementencourages the community to “come learn about the OpportunitySchool District and meet your local state representatives.” There alsowill be free health screenings, free concessions, give-a-ways, a funzone for kids, music, performances and more. Attendees also will havean opportunity to register to vote for the November election. For moreinformation, to volunteer, or to become a vendor; send an email [email protected] or call: (404) 981-3893.

STONE MOUNTAINCity to host color vibe run

The Color Vibe 5K Fun Run will be held in downtown StoneMountain on May 14 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information and toregister visit www.thecolorvibe.com.




Alther Armstrong

Alther Armstrong

“When it comes tokindheartedness and dedication,Ms. Alther Armstrong is high onhe list,” writes friend Elsie Daniels,

who recommended Armstrong as aChampion of the Week.

The only girl of siblings,Armstrong served in the U. S. Armyor more than three years.

“Although her Army enrollments years in the past, she still livesby the rule ‘everything must be keptneat and clean,’” Daniels stated.

Applying this principal to thestreets in her neighborhood,Armstrong “single-handedlyadopted the principle of ‘Adopt-a-Mile’ and removed trash anddebris from streets, sidewalks [and]yards,” Daniels wrote. Armstrongdid this for eight years “rain, shine,sleet or snow.”

“I love my community,”Armstrong said about her volunteerwork in her Decatur neighborhood.

“I wanted to help…out because[people] are constantly buyingand selling homes here. I thoughtthe properties would get the mostselling cost if [the neighborhood]were clean.”

When her father was moved tothe Golden Living Center nursinghome in Decatur, Armstrongfocused some of her volunteer workthere where she visited him everyday.

Armstrong became known asthe “The Cake Lady.”

“Faithfully, since 2002 shebaked three homemade cakes froma variety of choice recipes everymonth, without failure to be enjoyedby all at the center,” Daniels wrote.“Her delivery of these freshly bakedcakes has brought smiles and joyto all at the Golden Living, as she

honors her father’s memory.” Armstrong said, “They were

awfully nice to my daddy when he

was alive. He died in 2004. Theygave him the best of care thenursing home could give because Iwas there every day to see that.

“So, I thought maybe becauseof their dedication and commitmentto the patients, some of thepatients’ relatives need to showthem some kindness,” she said.“That’s why I did the things that Idid.”

In a statement Golden LivingCenter’s administration andstaff expressed their “thanksand deepest appreciation to…

Armstrong for her heartfeltcommitment and dedication todonating homemade cakes [and] forthe happiness [she brings] us hereat the center.”

“I didn’t do it to get recognition,” Armstrong said. “Recognition is

not my thing. It doesn’t matterto whether people know aboutit or don’t. It’s not because of

recognition. It’s because I felt aneed to help.”

Armstrong said everyone

should “do as the Good Book says:Love your neighbor as you loveyourself.”

by Andrew [email protected]

Residents andlocal media arequestioning plans bythe DeKalb County

ethics board to keep ethics

complaints secret until itholds informal hearings onhem during public meetings.

According to rules thathe ethics board passed inanuary, each complaint will

be considered a “separatepending investigation athe time it is reported” andhe “board’s records in anypending investigation areexempt from disclosureunder the Georgia OpenRecords Act.”

The ethics board’s ruleshat that complaints “shallbe made publicly available

on request 10 days after theethics ofcer closes the caseas not sustained or sendshe probable cause report tohe board.”

Stacey Kalberman, thecounty’s new ethics ofcer,said, “My thoughts on it aren line with what the boardsaid].

“Ethics boards get usedas political tools,” Kalbermanold the ethics board duringts April 21 meeting, whichwas her rst as ethicsofcer. “Until you have had

a chance to actually reviewhe complaint, you aresubjecting the respondentso a lot of...supposition andconjecture.

Kalberman saidthe ethics board“should have the rightto investigate somethingto determine whether [thecomplaint] has merit.

“If we don’t have theability to do that then we canbe used as political tools,”she said.

Kalberman said shesaw that happen in the stategovernment where she helda similar position.

“We did not release ourcomplaints at the state level,and they are still not doingthat,” Kalberman said.

Kalberman said this

was the advice that wasgiven to her by StefanRitter , the former pointperson on the OpenRecords Act at the stateattorney general’s ofce,and the current executivedirector of the GeorgiaGovernment Transparencyand Campaign FinanceCommission.

Lesli Gaither , anattorney with KilpatrickTownsend & Stockton law

rm which is representingthe Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV,said an ethics complaint is“an initiating record.”

“It’s not the investigativerecord,” Gaither said. “Itis the record that initiatesthe investigation. It’s akinto a 911 record, whichare usually public, absentvery certain enumeratedcircumstances in thestatute.”

State law “makes it clearthat initial documents...like initial police reportsand incident reports shouldbe public,” Gaither said.

“The public needs a barebasic understanding ofwhat’s being investigated.

“The hallmark of theethics board is to increase

transparency, to increaseaccountability and honest,”Gaither said. “To reversethe procedure and makethe complaints condentialwould be counter to thatand contrary to the OpenRecords laws.”

Under the ethics board’sprocedures, the publicwould not learn the specicsof a complaint until theboard holds an informalhearing during a publicmeeting.

Ray Johnson, whohas led several ethicscomplaints over the years,said, “Restricting publicaccess to records is not avery good idea.

“We have...a hotlinewhere people can lea condential ethicscomplaint,” Johnson said.

“But those of us who lecomplaints publicly, wewant the media to know thatwe led those complaints,because, to be honestwith you, the media doesabout 80 percent of theinvestigation on these cases,not the ethics board.”

Johnson added,“Closing the public accessto open records whencomplaints are led, I don’tthink you can do that understate law.”

Kalberman said she

has requested an advisoryopinion of the state attorneygeneral’s ofce and expectsto have that by the nextethics board meeting.

Stacey Kalberman, the county’s new ethics ofcer, has asked the state attorney general for an

advisory opinion about restricting access to ethics complaints. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

Ethics board may restrict public access to complaints



The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 local A

CENTER Continued From Page 1A

BUS CRAWL Continued From Page 1A

wealth of Buford and alsoexperience rst-hand some of its

challenges.”Berrebi said it is important to

ake Buford Highway by bus ast wholly represents the area’sesidents and daily life.

“That’s what Buford Highways,” Berrebi said.

Harshath J.R., a MARTAArmy volunteer, said the No. 39bus route is the most frequentvehicle in the MARTA system,picking up passengers every 12minutes.

“No other bus runs asrequently,” Harshath said.

That’s a testimony to how manypeople work and live around [theBuford Highway] corridor. Transitneeds to go where you want togo to, and Buford Highway islled with the kinds of placesyou want to go to: restaurants,grocery stores, workplaces,schools.”

Harshath said when he wantso try something new to eat,he makes Buford Highway hisdestination. He said bus travels often incorrectly perceivedas slower than train transit and

hat the “39 Ride and Dine” wasan experience showcasing busrequency.

“Trains don’t get stuck inrafc and things like that,”

Harshath said. “But when a buscomes as frequently as this–

around 10 minutes–people stoplooking at schedules completelybecause you know they arecoming. It’s not just experiencingthe food culture of BufordHighway, but also experiencingthe ease of taking a bus onBuford Highway.”

Harshath said negativestereotypes of buses are easilydiscounted by the No. 39 route.

Passenger David Durand,an Inman Park resident, said heand his wife recently returnedfrom a trip to China and

wanted to keep their interestsinternational.

“We know there are a lot ofgood restaurants on BufordHighway,” Durand said. “I’velived here since 1974 and we feltthis would be a good insider’stip on the area. We’re lookingfor a fun experience and alwayseager to use MARTA whenit’s convenient; this is a goodopportunity to do that.”

For more information on WeLove BuHi and similar eventsto the “39 Ride and Dine” bus

crawl, visit www.welovebuhi.com. For more information onthe MARTA Army, includinginformation on volunteering, visitwww.martaarmy.org.

purchased buildings that were designed and built for otherpurposes and then we accommodated our purposes, whereas if

we design from the ground up to meet our needs, like a home oranything else, it’s going to be much more efcient,” Williams said.

On April 12, the DeKalb County Board of Commissionersapproved the sale of the Clark Harrison government ofcebuilding located at 330 West Ponce de Leon Avenue in Decatur .Commissioners also restricted $12 million from the sale of thebuilding “for the purpose of constructing a new [government]center,” Williams said.

“So we have already started moving in that direction with thepolicy decision that the board made [April 12],” Williams said.

Williams said the new government building will be more efcientand less expensive to operate.

When considering whether to construct a new building orcontinuing to repair the old ones, “we wanted to think through thetotal cost of owning a new facility versus what we are doing and

what we should be doing with our existing facilities,” Williams said.The industry standard maintenance cost is $8.64 per square

foot buildings that are 20 years old or older, Williams said. “Weshould be spending about $5.27 million a year. In fact, we’respending about $1.5 million.

“In order to adequately maintain our existing facility we reallyneed to increase our budget by $3.7 million a year,” Williams said.

“However, if we were to build the space-efcient governmentfacility to house the...900 employees,...we would be paying at theindustry standard about $4.50 per square foot, or $1.35 millionwhich is actually less than we ...are spending right now,” he said.

“These facilities that are now averaging about 37 years old...areonly going to get that much more costly to maintain,” he added.

Robert Miller , a member of the SPLOST Citizen AdvisoryCommittee, pointed out that the county has never spent the

industry standard maintenance cost of $8.64 and “you’re not goingto.”“So you’re not really saving that because you’re not going to

spend it anyway,” Miller said.In response Williams said, it is “very unlikely” that the county

would spend that much money on regular building maintenance.“But here’s the thing: Over time if we don’t—it’s like your house

[or] your car—you’re going to pay now or you’re going to pay morelater,” Williams said.

Approximately $40 million of the proposed $90 million price tagwould come from a proposed that is subject to voter approval inNovember.

While Miller said he supports the government building, hequestioned whether it should be in the SPLOST.

The SPLOST is for “broken things,” Miller said. “It seems to me

that the rst priority needs to be to x what’s broken...before we gooff and build a new building.”Miller suggested that the county nd another funding source for

the government center.

MARTA Army’s Simon Berrebi talks with volunteer Harshath J.R. before the April 27 event.Photo by R. Scott Belzer

Ride and Dine” guests visit the Yen Jing restaurant and hear from Victoria Huynh abouthe Center for Pan Asian Community Services. Photo submitted

County ofcials are making long-term plans to construct a government center on Memo-rial Drive across from Kensington MARTA station. Map provided



Large works of publicart—as in murals thatcover entire walls of un-derpasses, bridges andhistoric buildings—seem

o be a current trend em-braced by many townsand cities across thenation and around theworld. I am so not a fanof these so-called worksof art.

I would much prefer tosee a clean brick or stuc-co wall with no visual clut-er than to see a trendy

non-traditional work ofart that in a few years iskely to be faded, peeling

and cracking.

There is great beautyn aged stucco, brick andmortar. There are manystories hidden among thecracks that give a buildingor a transportation struc-ure its unique charm and

character. Even a wallcovered in grafti has acertain charm about it.

Once a space hasbeen painted, to restore

that surface becomes adaunting and damagingtask that would likely re-quire paint remover, sandblasting or some otherprocess that will no doubt

damage and weaken theoriginal materials andcompromise the struc-ture.

To be fair, I have seenmurals that I do appreci-ate such as those thatdepict the cultural or mu-sical history of the townor region and which arealmost portrait-qualitypaintings. However, these

too will look faded in afew years and will nothave the appeal that theyhad when originally cre-ated.

I also am not a fan ofpublic art that in manycases can be a danger-ous distraction to drivers.In many areas of Atlanta,one may see expansiveunderpasses or bridgesthat have become urbancanvases. And, in manyof the creations, brightcolors and abstract de-signs are the focal pointsof the art. These cre-ations are meant to beseen, but not seen while

driving in bumper-bumpertrafc or trying to avoid acyclist or pedestrian.

One such examplethat I loathe sitting inwhile waiting for a redlight to turn green is theone created last yearfor the railroad overpasswalls at Columbia Driveand East College Avenuein Decatur.

This creation is titledUnderwater Pass anddepicts a couple viewingdolphins in what appearsto be an aquarium set-

ting. A series of panelsshows the couple eventu-ally with young children,which I suppose is meantto show the progressionof the couple possibly ona rst date, and then withtheir children back at theaquarium.

“We wanted to showthat change in imagina-tion and how your viewschange as time progress-es,” said mural painterSpencer King.

This is precisely mypoint…views (and prefer-ences) change as timeprogresses. Appreciationof trendy art also changesover time and what maybe timely today will bedated tomorrow.

Not only do viewschange, but also dete-rioration occurs. What isfresh paint now may be

faded and peeling in afew years and will lookworse than the blankslate of a brick wall orconcrete pylon did before

it was painted.I like clean lines in ar-chitecture, non-clutteredgraphic design, openspaces, soothing environ-ments, calming colorsand subtle images.

Many murals remindme of a carnival-like at-mosphere with far toomuch stimulation. Thecolors are too bright; themessage is often juvenile(think of the one locatedin Decatur at East How-

ard Street that reads,“take care of yourselfrst”…duh…really? Weneed art to tell us thisbasic human instinct ofsurvival?

No offense intendedto Decatur readers, of-cials or art acionados…we all must admit thatone person’s art is oftenanother’s disdain.

The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 opinion A

One person’s art is another’s disdain

John [email protected]

Chief Operating Officer



The Electoral College and you“You win some, you

ose some. And then

here’s that little-knownhird category,” former

Vice President Al Gore athe Democratic National

Convention in 2004.It was late on Tuesday,

Nov. 7, 2000, and my rston-air presidential elec-ion as a political ana-yst. Sitting on the newsdesk of Atlanta’s 11AliveNews with anchors WesSarginson and BrendaWood, we watched theAssociated Press and ev-

ery major broadcast andcable news network callhe election in favor ofhen-Texas Gov. GeorgeW. Bush.

Vice President Al Gorewas en route to his vic-ory party ballroom, to

give a concession speechor his supporters, and

had already placed a con-gratulatory call to Presi-dent-elect Bush. But then,Gore and his campaigneam started to receive

calls that the margin wasclosing in Florida and thatn addition to a heavy vot-er turnout in Miami-Dade,Broward and Palm Beachcounties, all generallyavoring Gore, there were

also some problems withballoting and at pollingplaces.

And thus began theongest U. S. presiden-

tial election in modernhistory, and perhaps the

greatest civics lessonever given on the U. S.Electoral College.

Exit polls called Floridafor Gore early in the eve-ning, as polls closed inthe East Coast time zone,but in the Florida pan-handle, and Central TimeZone, folks were still vot-ing. As the actual votetallies began, Bush held acommanding lead.

The networks calledthe state for Gore, thenmoved their calls back toneutral, and then callingFlorida for Bush, by 2:30a.m., with 85 percent ofballots tallied, Bush ledGore by nearly 100,000votes in the SunshineState. However, the bulkof outstanding votesremained in Broward,Miami-Dade and PalmBeach counties, all heavyDemocratic counties

and precincts, coming instrongly for Gore. By 4:30

a.m., Gore had narrowedthe Bush margin to justover 2,000, and into re-count territory (a marginof less than 1 percent).

At that point, Vice Presi-dent Gore rescinded hisconcession to the Texasgovernor.

In addition to the nar-row margin betweenBush and Gore, GreenParty nominee RalphNader and his slate ofelectors had also re-

ceived 2.7 percent ofFlorida’s popular vote.With the help of over-

seas military ballots,typically counted last andsometimes received afterElection Day, Bush main-tained a margin of 900votes through that rstmachine recount.

Gore challenged theinitially certied resultsand the Florida SupremeCourt ordered the handrecount of 70,000 bal-

lots rejected by machinecounters, out of thenearly 6 million ballotscast—these were the bal-lots with many a “hangingor dimpled chad.”

For the Electoral Col-lege to meet, Florida’sslate of electors and thenal results needed to becertied. The recountshad already lowered the

Bush margin of victorystatewide to 537 votes.

The U.S. Electoral Col-lege is decided by themajority of 538 ElectoralCollege votes.

On Dec. 12, 2000,the U. S. Supreme Courtended the Florida re-count, as it was holdingup the Electoral Collegeand nal election for theofce of president of theUnited States. This gavethe Florida victory, by thenarrowest of margins, toGov. George Bush.

Although Vice Presi-dent Gore won the popu-lar vote by more thanhalf a million, Bush wonthe 271 elector votesrequired (Al Gore—265,abstention—1) and theElectoral College electionby only six votes, with themargin of victory in Flori-da at only .0092 percent.

Eliminating the Elec-toral College, which isperiodically suggested,would essentially result

in all campaign activitiesand candidate appear-ances being focused onmajor population centersand large cities, where amajority of the actual voteresides.

A review of the popularvote breakdown by partywould also easily demon-strate over the past fouror ve presidential elec-

tions that most major U.S.cities vote Democratic,

while the bulk of the landmass of the United Statesas well as suburban andrural voters tend to favorRepublicans.

The Electoral Collegewas created to ensuresmaller states in statureand population still mat-tered. But if not for thosehanging chads and theresulting upgrades ofmost every state’s elec-tion procedures andequipment, most of the

United States citizenrywould still be unawarethat they actually vote fora slate of electors and that there is no direct votecast for candidates forpresident of the UnitedStates, unless you arechosen as a member ofthe Electoral College.

I’m still waiting on thatinvite.

Bill Crane also servesas a political analyst andcommentator for Channel

2’s Action News, WSB- AM News/Talk 750 andnow 95.5 FM, as well as acolumnist for The Cham-pion, Champion FreePress and Georgia Trend.Crane is a DeKalb nativeand business owner, liv-ing in Scottdale. You canreach him or comment ona column at [email protected].

Bill Crane

[email protected]

Columnist

ONE MAN’S OPINION

The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 opinion A

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and containthe writer’s name, address and telephone number for

verification. All letters will be considered for publica-tion.

STATEMENT FROM THE

PUBLISHERWe sincerely appreciate thediscussion surrounding this and anyissue of interest to DeKalb County.The Champion was founded in 1991expressly to provide a forum fordiscourse for all community residentson all sides of an issue. We have nodesire to make the news only toreport news and opinions to effect

a more educated citizenry that willultimately move our communityforward. We are happy to presentideas for discussion; however,we make every effort to avoidprinting information submitted tous that is known to be false and/orassumptions penned as fact.

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See Sheriff on Page 9A

Five law enforcement pros challenging current sheriffTed GoldenGeraldine Champion Kyle Keith JonesHarold Dennis Jeffrey L. Mann Michael Williams

Marijuana is addictive. About 1 in 6 people who start using asa teen and 25-50% of people who use it every day, become addicted to marijuana.Marijuana affects the brain by causing harm to the developing brain, and can

alter memory, judgement, and motor skills.Marijuana harms the body and mind, so constant use can lead to “burned out” feelings of

depression, anxiety and physical addiction. Simply put, marijuana can wreck your mind, yourbody and your life. Being dependent on marijuana has some really negative effects such as lowself-esteem, depression, lack of motivation, and a drop in school grades and an increased risk ofseveral types of cancer. Be Safe DeKalb!

For more informationCall (770) 285-6037 or

E-mail: [email protected]

Did you know?

compiled by Andrew [email protected]

Six people with variousypes of law enforcement

experience want to beDeKalb County’s nextsheriff.

The seat is currentlyheld by Sheriff JeffreyMann, who has been inhe position since March

2014 after former SheriffThomas Brown resigned toseek another ofce. Mann isseeking re-election.

Voters will go to thepolls May 24 for theDemocratic primary.

Each candidate wasgiven a questionnaireby The Champion withnstructions to limit answerso 50 words. Answers that

were more than the limitwere truncated.

Name: Geraldine Champion

Education:Bachelors of Art, criminalustice, attended GeorgiaState University; Associatesof Art, criminal justice,DeKalb Junior College.P.O.S.T. Certicationn Law Enforcement;slamic terrorism, hostage

negotiations

Occupation: Retired

What political ofces haveyou held in the past? Nopolitical ofces held

Why are you seekinghis ofce? I am seekinghe position as DeKalb

County sheriff because Iam frustrated with the samepoliticians telling the samestories every year, yieldinghe same results. I am the

only candidate that willensure an open door policyor employees, and this

policy will extend to the taxpaying….(answer truncated)

What expertise do youhave that will help youulll the duties of this

ofce? With a total of 26years in law enforcement,22 years as a robbery,

aggravated assault andhomicide detective in the

Atlanta Police Departmentand 4 years as a detectivein the Riverdale PoliceDepartment, I’ve alsoreceived commendationsas a homicide detectiveby the GBI and AtlantaPolice Department. (answertruncated)

Why should you beelected (or re-elected) tothis ofce? I am the onlycandidate vowing to give upas sheriff my rst month’spay to nance a certieddrug rehab program forthe jails. I will attend allneighborhood associationmeetings in DeKalb Countyin order to ensure trustbetween law enforcementand the community. Thisis just part….answertruncated)

What is your campaignwebsite address?ChampionforSheriffDeKalb.com

Name: Harold Dennis

Education:High school graduate,Clayton County Police

Academy graduate PSTI, Aviation Atlanta pilot

Occupation:Business owner

What political ofces haveyou held in the past?None

Why are you seeking thisofce? To make a positivechange for the residentsof the DeKalb County, bytackling crime head onand being a voice for theyouth and seniors to feelsafe in DeKalb County bygetting rid of gangs, humantrafcking, and individualswho prey on our seniors.

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulll the duties of thisofce? My expertiseincludes my countlessyears as a law enforcement

ofcer and from workingat DeKalb County Sheriff’sOfce. Knowing the streetsof DeKalb, growing up inDeKalb and having thecompassion for the peopleof DeKalb gives me theexpertise that I need to runDeKalb County.

Why should you beelected to this ofce? Because I have the heartand the passion for thepeople of DeKalb. And Iwant to take DeKalb back.

What is your campaignwebsite address?harolddennisforsheriff.com

Name: Ted Golden

Education:BA, MA in criminal justice,University of Memphis

Occupation:Retired special agent, U.S.Department of Justice DrugEnforcement Administrationafter 28 years of service Why are you runningfor Sheriff for DeKalbCounty in Georgia? DeKalb County, Georgia,has the potential tobecome a great countywith a virtual gold mine ofopportunity that could berealized through hard workand dedication of electedleaders in collaborationwith committed citizens. By

assuming the leadership ofthe sheriff’s ofce, I pledgeto restore the credibility,professionalism…. (answertruncated)

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulll the duties of thisofce? I bring 34 years oflaw enforcement experience,which includes 28 yearswith the Drug Enforcement

Administration. I amprocient at conductingnarcotics investigations, askilled manager of people,resources, budgets,information systems,communications and media/public relations. I had theunique responsibility ofdeveloping and implementingthese skills over the….(answer truncated) What political ofces haveyou held in the past?I have not held any politicalofce. Why should you beelected to this ofce?Based on my experience,training and education,I have the insight andability to lead the DeKalbCounty Sheriff’s Ofce inbetter fullling its dutiesand responsibilities to thecitizens of this county. Iam a dedicated husbandand successful father of 4sons. I have served thiscommunity in….(answertruncated)

Name: Kyle Keith Jones

Education:Bachelor of Science degreein criminal justice from

American IntercontinentalUniversity

Occupation:Retired law enforcementofcer. My career spansmore than 20 years. Withthe last position held asdeputy sheriff lieutenantadministrative aide to thesheriff. What political ofces haveyou held in the past?N/A

Why are you seeking thisofce? To offer provenleadership and experienceand to deliver the creativesolutions that residentsdemand and deserve. Tohelp make DeKalb Countygreat by preventing andreducing crime and achievethe best quality of life for allpeople by working to bringbusinesses that will providechallenging and well-paying

jobs.

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulll the duties of thisofce? Twenty plusyears of law enforcementexperience with DeKalbCounty. Holding every




SHERIFF Continued From Page 8A

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If you smell natural gas, call Atlanta Gas Light at 877.427.4321.

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PROTECT YOUR FAMILY FOR A LIFETIME.

ank from police ofcer, specialnvestigator, police sergeant,commander of the policedepartment fraud and nancialcrimes unit, supervisor of the policedepartment internal affairs unit,deputy sheriff sergeant, and deputy

sheriff lieutenant administrative aideo the sheriff.

Why should you be elected (ore-elected) to this ofce? Many

citizens of DeKalb talk abouta north and a south DeKalb,annexations, restructuring countycharters, communities splitting offnto enclaves and cities. I will be theSheriff who reaches across partynes, districts, and demographics tond solutions to meet the needs of

all citizens of DeKalb County.

What is your campaign websiteaddress?www.votekylejones.com

Name: Jeffrey L. Mann

Education:.D., University of Michigan Law

School; B.A., University of Illinois

Occupation:DeKalb County sheriff

What political ofces have you

held in the past?Current DeKalb County sheriff(since March 2014)

Why are you seeking this ofce?To continue moving our Sheriff’sOfce in the right direction:

Twenty-two years of provenlegal and executive level lawenforcement experience;DeKalb Chief Deputy Sheriff for9 years overseeing $75 millionbudget;Maintained Triple Crown

Accreditation designation.Reducing recidivism and makingsure our ofce is run in scallyresponsible manner.

What expertise do you havethat will help you fulll theduties of this ofce? Sheriffsince March 2014, successfullyoperating Sheriff’s Ofce ethically,with integrity, professionalism and

scal restraint. Ten years as chiefof staff/chief deputy sheriff directlymanaged the day-to-day operationsof the Sheriff’s Ofce, including860 budgeted staff. RepresentedDeKalb police department andSheriff’s Ofce in legal matters for 8years.

Why should you be elected (or re-elected) to this ofce?Our record speaks for itself:

Installed deputy body cameras; Arrested 90 percent of murdersuspects (2015);

Apprehended 80 percent of otherviolent offenders (2015);Issued hundreds of citations forillegally passing school busses;

Successful inmate Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program;Championed GED program;Launched inmate mental healthgroup therapy sessions.

What is your campaign websiteaddress?votejeffmann.com

Name: Michael Williams

Education:Bachelor of Science in criminal

justice administration Occupation:

DeKalb County District Attorney’sOfce investigator (major felony,homicide, and public integrity) What political ofces have youheld in the past?no political ofce held

Why are you seeking this ofce?It is time for a new direction. Thesafety concerns of the citizens ofDeKalb County must be rst. It is

time for the DeKalb County Sheriff’sOfce to become actively engagedin law enforcement duties, inaddition to the courts and the jail. What expertise do you have thatwill help you fulll the duties

of this ofce? I am a 28-yearlaw enforcement veteran. I haveled and assisted in dismantlingorganized crime organizations thatinclude: local, state, and federalcriminal prosecutions. I havevast knowledge of court roomprocedures, which has includedworking with assistant districtattorneys, United States attorneysand judges across the UnitedStates.

Why should you be elected(or re-elected) to this ofce? Ipossess the law enforcementexperience, leadership, and abilityto get the job done. I will collaborate

and cooperate with other lawenforcement agencies. My visionis to be transparent in setting theconditions for a safe and securecommunity where every citizen ofDeKalb County can prosper.

What is your campaign websiteaddress?www.williams4sheriff2016.com




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An attorney fromLithonia is trying to unseatDeKalb County’s longest-

sitting Superior Court judge.Stephone Johnson,who worked in the solicitor’sofces for Fulton Countyand city of Atlanta, ischallenging SuperiorCourt Judge Clarence F.Seeliger , who has been onhe bench since 1985.

They will face eachother in the May 24Democratic primary.

Each candidate wasgiven a questionnaireby The Champion withnstructions to limit answerso 50 words. Answers that

were more than the limitwere truncated.

Name: Stephone Johnson

Education: Juris Doctorrom Oklahoma City

University School of Law

Occupation: Attorney

What political ofces haveyou held in the past? Noeply

Why are you seeking thisofce? DeKalb Countyneeds a judge who showshe qualities of fairness,

patience, open-mindedness,courtesy, rmness,understanding, compassionand humility. As an attorney,community volunteer, andparent, I have alwaysworked to consistently puthese qualities on display. I

pledge to bring these sameprinciples to the benchevery day.

What expertise do youhave that will help youulll the duties of this

ofce? As a SeniorAssistant Solicitor with theCity of Atlanta Solicitor’sOfce I handled thousandsof cases. I worked for theFulton County Solicitor’s

Ofce where I prosecutedcases on the State Courtlevel and opened a generalpractice rm that handleda variety cases throughoutthe state of GA.

Why should you be

elected (or re-elected)to this ofce? DeKalbCounty needs a judge whois rm but fair, patient andunderstanding and notafraid to make the toughand correct calls. When I’melected I guarantee thatthe rulings made will be

justly warranted decisionsensuring the safety of allcitizens who live in andaround DeKalb County.

What is your campaignwebsite address?www.stephonejohnsonforjudge.

com

Name: Clarence F.Seeliger

Education: University ofWashington, BA, politicalscience (1963); EmoryUniversity School of Law, J.D. (1970) Occupation: Judge,DeKalb County SuperiorCourt, Stone Mountaincircuit

What political ofces haveyou held in the past?Judge, State Court ofDeKalb County, 1981-1984; Judge, SuperiorCourt, DeKalb County,1985-present

Why are you seekingthis ofce? As a DeKalbCounty judge, I haveenjoyed serving the citizensof our county for over 35years, and would like to

continue to do so. I believein justice for all people,and the DeKalb Countybench continues to needexperience, wisdom andfairness.

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulll the duties of thisofce? As a judge for 35years, I’ve gained a diverseknowledge of the law bypresiding over criminal,civil, and domestic casesin DeKalb County. Manyof these cases involveimportant issues, such as,civil rights and domesticviolence. This experiencehas trained me well.

Why should you beelected (or re-elected)to this ofce? In 1981, Iled the way in integratingDeKalb Courts, and havebeen recognized many

times for my constantefforts to reduce domesticviolence. I’ve earneda reputation as tough,compassionate and fair–allacross DeKalb County–precisely the type of judgeDeKalb County continues toneed.

What is your campaignwebsite address?www.reelectseeligeragain.com

Longtime Superior Court judge faces challenger

Stephone Johnson Clarence F. Seeliger

EARLY VOTING

THROUGH MAY 20




PHOTOS BROUGHT TO YOU BY DCTV

WEEK inPICTURES

DeKalb County implements changes to garbage and recycling container requirements and collection

procedures April 18, 2016.

Only county-provided garbage and recycling containers are approved for sanitation collection service.

For more info, call or visit:

(404) 294-2900

www.rollingforwardtoone.com

Players discuss plans for the 2017 robotics season afterthe championship ended.

The Fernbank LINKS robotics team poses for a photo in St. Louis, Mo., with other teams sponsored by General Electric during the world robotics championship in St. LouisApril 27-May 1. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

Aaron Guo and Adrianna Cauthen man Fernbank LINKS’s pit at the championship games.

Fernbank LINKS’s robot made it to quarternal playduring the championship games.




Dunwoody discusses LEDsignage banby R. Scott Belzer [email protected]

It could happen to anyone.

It’s late at night on a busy interstate or highway. Rainfalls on a car’s windshield, distorting any image betweenthe driver and the blacktop. Lights don’t seem to helpand roll by at an unimaginable pace from other cars,causing drivers to squint or blink due to glare. A brightsign from a nearby business or billboard illuminates thearea, causing even more glare.

There’s no telling what could happen next.Dunwoody’s city council took steps in assuring such

a problem is less frequent within city limits during its lastmeeting on April 25.

Kelly Hundley, on behalf of assistant city attorneyLenny Felgin, presented a “consideration to re-adopt ormodify” a city ordinance prohibiting light emitting diode(LED) lighting in Dunwoody. The DeKalb city adopted theban under its Code of Ordinances Sec. 20-51(22) when itwas ofcially made a city in 2008.

The code ofcially denes LED signs as “anelectronically controlled sign utilizing light-emitting diodesto form some or all of the sign’s message.”

The ban recently became an issue following litigationchallenging Dunwoody’s authority in enforcing the cityordinance. City staff subsequently took a look at theordinance and cleared up any language that couldundermine its authority.

“The reason I’m here tonight is, in part, an offshoot ofthe billboard litigation the city has been involved in withregard to signage down at the North Peachtree location,”Hundley said. “During the course of that litigation, part ofthe case involved an attack on the enforceability of theLED prohibition in the city’s sign ordinance.”

Courts ruled in favor of Dunwoody, Hundley said, butthe fact the issue was even raised brought concerns to

city attorneys.“[Sign industries] are very tenacious in pursuit of

issues they would like to pursue,” Hundley said.Hundley presented 16 studies highlighting the

dangers of LED lighting to the council. They ranged fromreports written by the US Department of Transportationto councils housed in Florida, Wisconsin, Massachusettsand Pennsylvania.

The studies were relevant, he said, due to theirpublication after Dunwoody’s incorporation and adoptedordinance.

“The literature increasingly suggests that LEDsignage presents more potential for distraction from thedriving task,” reads the overview. “As some of the studiesshow, there appears to be a correlation between suchsignage and increases in accidents and near-accidents.”

The attorney’s executive overview of the re-adoptionstates “LED signage has a negative impact on thepublic health, safety, and general welfare, including theaesthetics of a community.”

Hundley called signage distractions stronger thansuch distractions as passenger conversations oradjusting the radio. The attorney said drivers are typicallynot aware that distractions are occurring, making LEDsigns all the more dangerous.

“The distraction caused by LED signage takes youreyes off the road for two or more seconds,” Hundleysaid. “Do you do something now with hopes you preventsomething awful from happening or do you wait untilsomething awful happens and act?”

Councilmen Terry Nall and Doug Thompson as wellas Mayor Denis Shortal said the evidence was clear inthe realm of public safety and recommended putting the

item on the consent agenda as soon as possible.Hundley assured existing LED signage or LED

signage that has been deemed lawful in the past will notbe taken down, barring “signicant changes.”


Dunwoody hopes to expand on aocal event’s success by holding it at moreocations.

The city currently holds Food TruckThursdays at Brook Run Park, locatedat 4770 N. Peachtree Road. Food trucksrom throughout metro-Atlanta gather tosell goods and create a family-friendlycommunity atmosphere.

Bob Mullen, director of communicationsor Dunwoody, along with DunwoodyHomeowners Association (DHA) memberBill Grossman, discussed the event’ssuccess at the city council’s April 25 meetingand suggested holding similar events at thenewly opened Park at Pernoshal Court on

Tuesday evenings.“[DHA’s] Food Truck Thursday at BrookRun Park has been a phenomenal successand is now one of the city’s premier events,”eads the item memorandum. “This event

has exposed Brook Run Park to newesidents and increased park attendance

and awareness of our new amenities suchas the Dunwoody Trailway, and improveddog park and community garden.”

Grossman said the rst season of FoodTruck Thursday in 2013 ran for 23 weeks. In2014, the event grew to 27 weeks. The thirdseason, beginning in April 2015, offered 31events.

“People know we do this every weekrom April through October,” Grossman said.

At Brook Run, we’ve never had anybody’scar broken into and no one has ever beenarrested.”

Grossman said the Park at PernoshalCourt would be the perfect expansion ofhe food truck success due to its coveredpavilion and expansive, unused areas. TheDHA member proposed holding the eventson Tuesday, as no conicts exist with city-oriented meetings.

Grossman also said the event wouldbegin with four trucks and two dessert trucksas Pernoshal is smaller than Brook RunPark. He said city-owned buildings close tohe park could provide overow parking.

“There’s a lot of density close enough to

walk,” Grossman said.The event would begin in late May afterschools have closed for summer break.

Mullen said the idea would “activate andacclimate” the community and allow the

public to enjoy the new park’s facilities.Grossman asked the council to approve

the city as principal sponsor for the 10

event dates. DHA currently pays $500 perevent for Food Truck Thursdays – for livemusic and a sound engineer – and it’slikely the Tuesday event would stay in thesame range, totaling $5,000, according toGrossman.

Councilman Doug Thompson admittedhe was wrong in doubting Food TruckThursdays at the events inception andvoiced his fears in diminishing its success.

“I’m all in favor of Food Truck Tuesdaysat Pernoshal; we need to introduce orreintroduce that park,” Thompson said. “Myonly fear is that we’ll cut into Food TruckThursdays by having a Food Truck Tuesday.We’ll need to monitor that or we’ll start to get

food truck overload.”Councilman Terry Nall voiced hisconcerns over parking, questioning whetherPernoshal’s parking could accommodatemany people.

“I think we’ll potentially, with that kindof trafc, create some enemies with theapartments and condominiums at the end ofPernoshal,” Nall said.

Grossman said there would be adequateparking within a couple of blocks but saidthe city ofcials would not know until theytried.

“We would have to be very successfulfor that to be an issue,” Grossman said.“Those are the sorts of problems I want tobe able to deal with.”

Councilman John Heneghan said hewas “all in” and said Dunwoody shouldfully fund the event on the grounds it didnot sponsor enough similar cultural eventsor community activities. Heneghan alsosuggested giving DHA more funding tomake the event better.

“DHA has done its fair share,” Heneghansaid. “They started it; they’ve been fundingit for a while. We, as city government shoulddo our fair share. If you need anything fromus [after this meeting] please come to us.”

Mayor Denis Shortal expressedconcerns over “oversaturating the market”and taking business away from Dunwoodyrestaurants.

“They pay a pretty big permit fee so wehave to keep that in sight,” Shortal said.Grossman said he would propose

the idea to the Dunwoody Homeowners Association at its May 1 meeting.

Dunwoody looks to continue park success

The Park at Pernoshal Court, which had its grand opening April 29, may be set to host Dunwoody’sFood Truck Tuesday from June to August.




DeKalb County Department of Watershed Management Public Advisory

Interstate 85 & Oakcliff Industrial Court Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation

May 6, 2016 June 6, 2016

Advisory Issue Date Advisory Close Date

This advisory is issued to inform the public of a receipt of an application for a variance submitted

pursuant to a State Environmental Law. The Public is invited to comment during a 30‐day period on the

proposed activity. Since the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has no authority to zone

property or determine land use, only those comments addressing environmental issues related to air,

water and land protection will be considered in the application review process. Written comments should

be submitted

to:

Program

Manager,

Non

‐Point

Source

Program,

Erosion

and

Sedimentation

Control,

4220

International Parkway, Suite 101, Atlanta, Georgia 30354.

Type of Permit Application: Variance to encroach within the 25‐foot Sate Waters Buffer.

Applicable

Law: Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act O.C.G.A. 12‐7‐1 ET seq.

Applicable

Rules: Erosion and Sedimentation Control Chapter 391‐3‐7.

Basis

under

which

variance

shall

be

considered {391‐3‐7.05(2) (A‐K)}: A

Project Description & Reason for Initiating:

I‐85 and Oakcliff Industrial Ct. Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project is a rehabilitation project of an

existing sanitary sewer located between the North Fork of Peachtree Creek and just northwest of Oakcliff

Industrial Ct. in the City of Doraville, GA. Specifically, the site is located in land lot 314 & 318 of the 18th

district in DeKalb County, GA. The proposed construction will include the rehabilitation of approximately

2,275 linear feet of 10", 12", and 15" sewer pipe. The project is needed due to the numerous sewer spills

along the existing sewer outfall.

Project Location:

This project is located in land lot 314 and 318 of the 18th

district of DeKalb County. Beginning at terminus

of Oak Cliff Industrial Court and running south to Interstate 85 and continuing south to the confluence of

the North

Fork

of

Peachtree

Creek

for

a total

distance

of

approximately

one

mile.

The Public can review site plans at 1580 Roadhaven Drive Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083. Phone: 770‐

724‐1450.

Georgia Supreme Court throws out Taser death lawsuit appealThe Georgia Supreme

Court announced April 26 thatt has thrown out the appealn a lawsuit against DeKalbCounty Police ofcers aftera man died when they tased

him, according to a newselease.

The Georgia Courtof Appeals should havedismissed the four ofcers’appeal on proceduralgrounds, Chief Justice HughThompson writes for theunanimous court, accordingo the release.

As a result of the opinion,he high court is remandinghe case to the lowerappellate court, and the caseultimately will go back to theDeKalb County State Courtwhere it will likely proceed toa trial by jury.

According to the factsof the case, on May 2010,DeKalb County Fire Rescueesponded to a 911 call made

by employees of the Budgetelnn on Chamblee-TuckerRoad after they found a manconvulsing in one of theooms. The man, AudrecasDavis, a 6-foot, 6-inch tall,29-year-old man weighing445 pounds, was on the oorof a room with foam comingout of his mouth and fecescovering the lower half of his

body, according to the newselease.

His parents, Jimmy andAnnie Davis, said their sonsuffered from hypertensionand was borderline diabetic.

Davis’s parents claimedhat “the evidence showsheir son was having amedical emergency thatcaused him to be in azombie-like state, and clearlyhe did not understand whatwas going on,” the releasestated. According to countyattorneys, however, when amedic administered smellingsalts, Davis became agitatedand allegedly began to swinghis arms.

“Due to Davis’s size andweight, the medic requestedadditional re rescue unitsor help to move him intohe ambulance,” the newselease stated.

When the re rescuepersonnel tried to strap Daviso the stretcher, he tore offhe straps, the news releasestated. Nine DeKalb CountyPolice ofcers respondedo the scene, including

Frank Kliesrath, Bernard Gales, Keith Cintron andChristopher Delon.

When Davis becameaggressive, two of the ofcers

were directed to use theirTasers on Davis, according tothe news release.

The ofcers continuedtrying to restrain Davis to gethim into the ambulance, thenews release stated. Dueto his size, however, theywere unable to handcuffhim, and they claimed Daviscontinued to swing at them. Another ofcer deployed hisTaser in the “dart mode,” butDavis continued to resistand wrestle his arms away

from ofcers. Only after thesecond injection of Valiumwere the ofcers able torestrain his arms usingthree pairs of handcuffs, butthen Davis began kicking,according to the County,hitting one of the ofcers inthe stomach. The ofcerscontinued to tase Davis, atotal of at least six times. Afterthey nally secured Davisface down on the stretcher,the medic noticed that hisbreathing was shallow.Davis was transported toDeKalb Medical Center andpronounced dead shortlyafter arrival.

Davis’s parents leda wrongful death lawsuitin DeKalb County StateCourt against a number ofparties, including OfcersKliesrath, Gales, Cintronand Delon. They also leda claim that the ofcersviolated Davis’s constitutionalrights and amounted tounreasonable and excessiveforce, according to the newsrelease.

The ofcers then led a

motion asking the court togrant “summary judgment”in their favor, arguing theywere protected by “qualiedimmunity” and “ofcial

immunity” from being sued,the news release stated.

In March 2014, thetrial court denied summary judgment to the four ofcerswho tased or supervised thetasing of Davis, ruling theywere not entitled to immunityand the lawsuit against themshould proceed to a jury trial.The judge concluded that a jury could possibly concludethat the use of a Taser inthis case was not justied.The judge also concluded

there was a question of facta jury should determine as towhether Davis’s constitutional

rights were violated by theuse of unreasonable force.On appeal, the GeorgiaCourt of Appeals upheld thetrial court’s ruling in a one-page opinion. The ofcersthen appealed the Court of Appeals ruling to the stateSupreme Court, hoping tostop the case from going to jury trial.

Initially, the high courtagreed to review the caseto consider the merits of theofcers’ immunity claims.

“However, because we nowdetermine that the Courtof Appeals did not have

jurisdiction of the appeal, wevacate the judgment of theCourt of Appeals and remandfor proceedings consistentwith this opinion,” today’sopinion says.

At issue in this caseis the type of appeal theofcers led. Rather thanle an application to appeal,petitioning the Court of Appeals to allow them toappeal the pre-trial ruling,the ofcers led a notice ofappeal, asserting they hadthe authority to le a “direct”or automatic appeal thatdidn’t require the court’spermission.

However, the stateSupreme Court recentlyreiterated in Rivera v.Washington, an opinionit issued March 25, 2016,that a court order denyinga motion based on animmunity defense is notdirectly appealable and mustproceed under “interlocutory” – or pre-trial – procedures,which require the ling of anapplication.

“Thus, here, the trialcourt’s order denying [theofcers’] motion for summary judgment was not directlyappealable,” the opinionstates. “Accordingly, insteadof afrming the judgment

of the trial court, the Courtof Appeals should havedismissed the direct appeal.”



EDUCATION The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 • A

Superintendent Stephen Green held the fth and nal “On the Scene with Dr. Green” at Lithonia High School. Photo by R. Scott Belzer

Mala ID# 31128138 is a sweet little thirty poundmixed breed one year old who is a little shy, but findscomfort in the humans around her. If you sit down withher, the first thing she does is hop in your lap. This sweetgirl would love to leave the shelter behind and finally findher forever home. If you have love to share please comemeet Mala at DeKalb Animal Services; she would love to gohome with you.

Mala qualifies for our May “Adopt a May Flower”promotion. Adoption is only $20 for dogs over 25 lbs. andfor all cats! Adoption includes spay/neuter, vaccinations,microchip and more! If you would like more information

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

PET OF THE WEEK


D

eKalb CountySchool District(DCSD) parentsvoiced concerns

over discipline and maleeadership in classroomsApril 28 during a face-o-face session with

Superintendent StephenGreen at Lithonia HighSchool.

For more than an hour,he group of more than 150

asked Green questions.The event was the fth andnal installment of “On theScene with Dr. Green,”where communities areencouraged to learn moreabout the school system.

On April 28, questionsconcerning schooldiscipline, contactingGreen directly andmproving test scores ledo a discussion about male

mentoring for students ofcolor. Green and regionalsuperintendent RalphSimpson brought up the2016 My Brother’s KeeperSummit.

The discussionoriginated when a formerLithonia High Schoolstudent admitted to being

a bad student, serving timen prison and ultimatelybecoming an educator. Thespeaker said he went to theroughest, toughest” high

school to communicateeffectively.

“I have a worry fornot only the youth of thisnation, but, specically, theAfrican-American youthcommunity,” he said. “I justeft Towers High Schooland they are starved formen, for leaders.”

A Redan Middle Schoolparent spoke afterward,

stating the school neededt badly. She relatedhow her son has beenharassed at school andhow communicating theharassment to the districtproved to be problematic.

“I don’t think our [schoolresource ofcers] are doinganything,” she said. “Thereare kids spending 15seconds in the bathroomghting. A little girl was onhe news and died in thatime.”

Green said the district

s trying to get safetyofcials, including policeand canines, in hallwaysand classrooms todentify problems. Green

questioned increasingsurveillance and othersecurity measures whilerelinquishing privacy.

“That’s a decision Ior the board may haveto make and it will not bean arbitrary one,” Greensaid. “Are we prepared tomove in that direction? Arewe going to have metaldetectors? These are allthings we’re going to haveto talk about if we decide togo in that direction.”

Green brought theissue back to males ofcolor.

“We are committed,as a school district, toaddressing this crisis,”Green said. “We’veseen the disproportion insuspensions, expulsionsand how that actually feedsinto the pipeline of prisons.”

Green said the MyBrother’s Keeper summiton May 7 seeks to directlyengage with students. Thesuperintendent said the

goal is to communicate tomiddle and high schoolmales of color thatsomeone appreciates,cares for and invests intheir future.

“I’ve been about [thatidea] for 40 years, andwe’re going to pick up thatbaton here,” Green said.

Simpson commendedthe superintendent’scandor in addressing theissue so bluntly beforepiggy-backing off Green’sstatements. Simpson saidrecent meetings between

school ofcials involvedthe creation of a uniformmentoring program acrossthe district rather thanseparate, independent

organizations.“We want something

consistent and uniform thatwill address initiatives in allof our schools,” Simpsonsaid. “[My Brother’sKeeper] will provideongoing training as to whatthat actually looks like allthroughout the year withthree major proponents:academics, attendanceand discipline – ongoingthroughout the schoolyear.”

Simpson said theschool system is “losingthat battle” and couldno longer “knowingly donothing about it.”

Parents asked Greenfor advice in increasingparent involvement inschools. Green jokedthat “mandatory parentinvolvement is alwaystricky,” but also said he

would not mind seeing it incertain schools.

“[Parent Teacher Associations] are goingthrough a struggle rightnow,” Green said. “We’regoing through transitionand change. We’ve tried toextend and enhance manyopportunities for parents tobe involved.”

Eileen Houston-Stewart, chiefcommunications andcommunity relations ofcer

for DCSD, said the districtis open to advice fromparents. Houston-Stewartalso outlined employmentopportunities for parentsand regional parent centersfor each student.

“We need your help,”Houston-Stewart said. “Wewant to get ideas from youas to those things that willhelp bring parents out.”

Some attendeesraised concerns aboutopening a dialogue withGreen or having a basicconversation over thetelephone.

“It seems like [DCSD]is kind of like the FBI and[Green] is the president,”said one parent.

Green instructedparents with concernsto follow the “chain ofcommand” in contactingtheir respective principals.

Principals contact regionalsuperintendents whosubsequently contactGreen’s ofce.

Since September 2015,“On the Scene with Dr.Green” has taken placeat Stone Mountain HighSchool, Chamblee HighSchool, Columbia MiddleSchool and FernbankElementary School.

DeKalb super, others discuss male mentoring importance



EDUCATION The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 • A

DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

1ST PUBLIC BUDGET HEARING

FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2017

Monday, May 9, 2016

TIME LOCATION5:45 p.m. J. David Williamson Board Room

Administrative & Instructional Complex

1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd.

Stone Mountain, GA 30083

The DeKalb County Board of Education will hold a public budget

hearing to solicit feedback from the public regarding the 2016-

2017 school system’s budget.

FOR INFORMATION, CALL THE OFFICE OF THE

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AT 678-676-0069.


DeKalb CountySchool District (DCSD)

students can expect tohave a new tool whenstudying science.

The board approvedhe purchase of a

scanning electronmicroscope (SEM)otaling $167,858 on

April 18 during its worksession, stating “theequipment … would bringDeKalb County School

District] students backo the leading edge in

comparison to students inother districts.”

Douglas Hrabe,director of the FernbankScience Center,presented the itembefore the board sayinghat the current electron

microscope available tostudents is outdated.

“The original electronmicroscope at FernbankScience Center wasnstalled in the 1970s,”Hrabe said. “It’s becomevery dated and actuallympossible to use.”

The microscopeafforded students asyoung as fth-gradersknowledge in developingmages of scienticspecimens. However,according to districtdocuments, services, useand maintenance on themicroscope cost DCSDapproximately $15,000per year.

In addition, certainsolutions required to usehe microscope are now

banned in classrooms.The new microscope,

purchased from HitachiHigh Tech, will requireapproximately $1,500 peryear in maintenance andbe conducted by a trainedFernbank staff member.

Advantages tohe new system alsonclude remote accesso classrooms and digital

storage. Hrabe said themost exciting aspects that the equipment

could be accessed andcontrolled from anyclassroom in the county.

“The proposed

system saves images ina variety of formats and

we’ll be able to distributethose electronic les viathe network to all theschools throughout thesystem,” Hrabe said.“This is not somethingtied to Fernbank ScienceCenter, and after training,teachers throughoutthe district will be ableto access and usethe scope from theirindividual classrooms.”

Hrabe went said thenew microscope also hasnew capabilities whichcan be used in all scienceclasses. While the formersystem captured images,the new microscopewill be able to conductchemical analyses.

“It’s not just going tobe for biology,” Hrabesaid. “It’s going to be forgeology, forensics anda lot of other classes.We’re trying to stretchthis across the realm ofschools out there.”

Hrabe said the

district could sell their 41year-old microscope forapproximately $30,000and the incoming

microscope waspriced with a $29,000

educational discount. Themicroscope was chosenfrom three bids withprices of $159,000 and$165,041.

Board memberVickie Turner called themicroscope an “excitingpiece of equipment,” andpraised its availability toall students and teachersin the district.

“I just want to makesure all of our childrenhave access,” Turnersaid.

Board memberJames McMahon askedabout an estimatedtime of arrival for themicroscope and wasinformed it could beinstalled within 30 to 45days. McMahon alsosuggested that boardmembers have their ownhands-on experience inthe fall.

Hrabe said thedelivery time of themicroscope set it apart

from others, with theothers not being availablefor three and six months.

“We can hopefully

hit the ground running in August,” Hrabe said. “It’ll

be an exciting time.”The item was placedon April 18’s consentagenda and subsequentlyapproved during the

board’s business meetingwith board member Stan

Jester opposing as wellas Marshall Orson andMichael Erwin absent.

DeKalb County School District purchases $167K microscope



BUSINESS The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 • A

Junaid learned watch repair and other jewelry-related skills when he was still a child.

by Kathy Mitchell

Sunshine Jewelry and WatchRepair on East Ponce de Leon inDecatur held its grand opening April29, just in time to kickoff sales forwhat the National Retail FederationNRF) says is a major shopping

period. According to the NRF, Mother’s

Day, which this year falls on May8, is one of America’s foremostspending events. Jewelry is amonghe top spending categories for the08-year-old commemorative day,

exceeding owers, clothing andpersonal service experiences inerms of dollars spent and matchingand some years exceeding, what isspent on special meals and otheroutings.

In the NRF consumer spendingsurveys in recent years, Mother’s

Day has ranked as the third-largestspending event, coming behindhe combined winter holidaysChristmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s

and others) and back-to-schoolshopping. While nearly two-thirdsof respondents in the NRF surveyssay they will shop for their mothersor stepmothers, approximately 22.5percent shop for their wives anda signicant number also shop forgrandmothers, aunts and otherspecial women in their lives.

Ra Junaid, owner of Sunshineewelry, said there is always a

boost in sales around such gift-giving events. “We always see anncrease in shopping near Mother’sDay, Valentine’s Day and, of course,Christmas,” said Junaid, who hasbeen a wholesale jeweler and

had a retail store with a partnerin Alpharetta before opening hisDecatur business.

“After my business partnerdecided to close the other store, Idecided it was time to open a storethat was entirely mine. I choseDecatur because I just liked it fromthe rst time I visited. My wife and Ihad dinner here one evening. Afterwe ate we walked around for a whileand Decatur just felt right to me,”Junaid recalled.

He said his positive feelingsabout Decatur have grown in the sixmonths he has had a business inDeKalb’s county seat. “People hereare so friendly,” Junaid said. “I hadn’t

made a lot of friends in the UnitedStates before, but here I haveformed so many relationships—somany friendships.”

A native of Afghanistan, Junaidlearned the jewelry business asa child. After his human rightsactivist father was killed in a politicalconict, Junaid was forced to go towork at age 9 to support his motherand younger siblings. He found workin the jewelry business and by age14 he owned his own shop.

Despite having to work Junaidcompleted his education, including acollege degree. He became a writerwith ve books of poetry and prosepublished.

After moving to the UnitedStates to be with the woman whowould become his wife, Junaid,whose books are in Persian, foundhe was unable to earn an adequateliving as a writer and returned tohis other skills—watch and jewelryrepair and jewelry crafting.

Sunshine Jewelry and WatchRepair features a combination ofitems from major manufacturersand pieces Junaid had made. It alsocarries a line of antique watches. Hechose the name Sunshine, he said,because he saw the new businessas a fresh, bright light in his life.“In Persian, the word sunshine—inaddition to describing rays from thesun—means ‘delight of life,’” henoted.

Junaid said the store has donewell in its rst six months becauseof community support. One of the

biggest hurdles in opening a newbusiness, he said, is gaining areputation in the community. “Peoplehave to get to know you. Oncethey know that you are skilled andreliable they will tell others aboutyou.

“Many of my customers comefor the rst time to have a watch orpiece of jewelry repaired. Then theylearn that I can design and makeany type of jewelry they would like.I also can take jewels they own andput them in a different setting or takegold, silver or platinum and melt itdown to make a different piece of

jewelry,” he explained.Junaid has a jewelry

manufacturing facility in Snellville,but many repairs are done in theDecatur shop.

Jeweler makes special items for Mother’s Day, other occasions

Ra Junaid said he chose to open his business inDecatur because he found the city delightful from therst time he came there.

Although he owns a larger facility in Snellville, Junaid does many repairs in the Decatur store. Photos by KathyMitchell



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SPORTS The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 • A

Thirteen teams advance in soccer playoffsby Carla Parker [email protected]

Thirteen soccer teams from DeKalbCounty will play in the second round ofhe state playoffs on May 3 and 4.

Scores for the games were notavailable by press time.In Class AAAAAA, Lakeside boys’

and girls’ teams advance to the secondound. No. 2-ranked Lakeside boys (19-

0) defeated South Cobb 2-1 on April27. They hosted No. 9-ranked NorcrossMay 3 at Hallford Stadium.

Lakeside girls’ (14-1-2) defeatedDouglas County 6-0 in the rst roundon April 27. The team hosted Mill CreekMay 4 at Hallford Stadium.

In Class AAAAA, Dunwoody boys’and girls’ soccer teams advanced to thesecond round. No. 10-ranked Dunwoodygirls’ (11-4-1) defeated Sequoyah 1-0 onApril 27. They hosted Richmond Hill on

May 4 at North DeKalb Stadium.Dunwoody boys’ (12-6-1) defeated

North Atlanta 1-0 on April 26 in the rstound. They hosted Houston County

May 3 in the second round on May 3 atNorth DeKalb Stadium.

In Class AAAA, No. 9-rankedChamblee girls, No. 2-ranked CrossKeys boys, No. 1-ranked Marist girls,No. 2-ranked St. Pius girls and No-8anked St. Pius boys all advanced to the

second round.Chamblee (10-5) defeated Heritage-

Catoosa 6-0 in the rst round on April27. They traveled to Wayne County May4 for the second round matchup.

Cross Keys (14-2-1) defeatedPickens County 4-0 on April 26 in therst round. The team hosted Mary

Pearsons on May 3 in the second roundat Hallford Stadium.

Marist (18-0-1) defeated NorthwestWhiteld 6-0 April 27 in the rst round.They hosted Upson-Lee May 4 in thesecond round.

St. Pius girls (14-4-2) defeatedSoutheast Whiteld County 10-0 in therst round on April 27. They hosted

Veterans on May 4 in the second round.The boys (14-5) defeated NorthwestWhiteld 3-0 on April 26 in the rstound. They hosted Wayne County May

3 in the second round.

Decatur boys’ and girls’ teamsadvanced to the second round of theClass AAA state playoffs. The girls11-5-2), ranked No. 2 in Class AAA,

defeated Islands 6-0 on April 29. Theyhosted Oconee County May 4 in thesecond round. The boys (12-3-2),anked No. 3, defeated Islands 4-0 on

April 28 in the rst round. They hostedefferson May 3 in the second round.

Paideia boys’ and girls’ teamsadvanced to the second round in theClass A state playoffs. No. 8-rankedPaideia girls (11-7-1) defeated TownsCounty 3-0 April 29 in the rst round.They traveled to Fellowship Christian on

May 4 for the second round matchup.The boys (10-3-3), ranked No. 2,had a bye in the rst round and hostedPinecrest Academy May 3 in thesecond-round.

Lakeside’s Olivia Cohen scored two goals in the win overDouglas County. Photos by Mark Brock

Lakeside’s Saul Tinoco scored two goals to help defeatSouth Cobb.

Dunwoody’s Miguel Martinez, right, steals the ball f rom aNorth Atlanta player.

Dunwoody’s Josh Bonstroph scored on a goal in therst-round playoff win against North Atlanta.



SPORTS The Champion FREE PRESS, Friday, May 6, 2016 • A

Four baseball teams advance to second round

Sharman White wins NHSCA’s boys’ basketball coach of the year

Sharman White. Photo by Travis Hudgons

Decatur

Lakeside

St. Pius X


Decatur, Lakeside, Marist and St.Pius X have moved on to the secondound of the state baseball playoffs.

Decatur advanced to second roundof the Class AAA state playoffs aftersweeping Southeast Bulloch on April29. Decatur won the rst game 12-5,and won the second game 14-1.

Decatur traveled to Cedartown

May 4 for the second round matchup.Scores were not available by pressme.

In Class AAAA, Marist sweptRidgeland (7-0, 20-1) to move on to thesecond round. They will host Veteransn the second round on May 5. Scoreswere not available by press time.

St. Pius swept Pickens County (2-0, 8-0) to advance to the second round.St. Pius traveled to West Laurens forhe second round on May 4. Scoreswere not available by press time.

Lakeside advanced to the secondound of the Class AAAAAA state

playoffs after sweeping Westlake (7-

6, 8-6). They traveled to Lambert onMay 4 for the second round matchup.Scores were not available by presstime.

OTHER SCORES

Class AAAAAANewnan 12, Tucker 1Newnan 12, Tucker 0

Class AAAAA

Cambridge 13, Southwest DeKalb 1Cambridge 10, Southwest DeKalb 4

Dalton 12, Dunwoody 0Dalton 12, Dunwoody 5

Forsyth Central 10, Druid Hills 0Forsyth Central 6, Druid Hills 0

Class AAAAHeritage-Catoosa 4, Chamblee 5Heritage-Catoosa 12, Chamblee 2

Cartersville 12, Redan 3Cartersville 11, Redan 0


Miller Grove High School boys’basketball coach Sharman White willhave another award to add to his trophy

case.White was named the National HighSchool Coaches Association’s (NHSCA)Boys’ Basketball Coach of the Year.

“It feels great because for me it’sa direct reection of the great playersand coaching staff that help make arecognition like this possible,” Whitesaid.

In March, White led MillerGrove to its seventh state basketballchampionship in eight years with a 30-2record. He has compiled an overallrecord of 372-90 during his 20-yearcoaching tenure.

White, who in 2014 was named theUSA TODAY All-USA Coach of the Year,

was recently named as an assistantcoach for the 2016 USA BasketballMen’s U17 World Championship Teamthat will compete in the FIBA WorldChampionship. The United States has a23-game winning streak in the event.

“We are extremely pleased to honorCoach White,” said Bobby Ferraro,executive director of the NHSCA, said.“Coach White has established MillerGrove as one of the best high schoolbasketball programs in Georgia and in

America. He exhibits a strong dedicationto supporting and developing high schoolstudent-athletes.”

This year, the NHSCA will behonoring high achievers in the highschool coaching community by namingcoaches of the year in 20 boys’ andgirls’ sports. It’s the 17th consecutiveyear that the NHSCA has presented itsNational Coach of the Year Awards.

Photos by Travis Hudgons

Southwest DeKalb baseball team fell to Cambridge in two games in the rst round ofhe state playoffs.




Lithonia selected to have Georgia civil war heritage trails

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Lithonia will soon be includedin the Georgia Civil War HeritageTrails.

During its May 2 regular

meeting, the Lithonia City Councilapproved a motion to havetwo roadway “trailblazer” signsplaced in the city. Georgia CivilWar Heritage Trails roadway“trailblazer” signs are currentlybeing installed in segments alongvarious portions of each trail.

The Georgia Civil WarHeritage Trails is funded bythe Georgia Department ofTransportation and is a drivingtrail that documents GeneralWilliam Tecumseh Sherman’smarch to the sea. Shermanserved as a general in the Union

Army during the American CivilWar from 1861 to 1865.Lithonia Mayor Deborah

Jackson said State Rep. DoreenCarter made her aware of thecity’s addition to the trail andCarter expressed her support.Jackson said she support themarkings as well.

“It’s a way to promote the

city,” Jackson said. “We’ll be onthe state’s website and we’ll beone of the destinations. There arepeople who actually follow thisexperience and it’s no cost for thecity. I think it’s a great opportunityfor the city to be a part of the

heritage tourism.”The Civil War Heritage Trails

travel across state borders onmultiple historic driving routesthroughout Alabama, Georgiaand South Carolina, according toits website. Each trail follows theroute of one of the American CivilWar’s major military campaigns orother important events.

According to the Civil WarHeritage Trails website, morethan a dozen new driving trailswill link together the history ofthe Civil War era throughout

Alabama, Georgia and South

Carolina and the states’battleelds, its social, cultural andpolitical history.

“They’re saying [Sherman]came through Lithonia,” Jacksonsaid. “Either he came or histroops came. There are differentstories about maybe Shermanhimself came and that he stayedhere over night.”Two Georgia Civil War Heritage Trails roadway “trailblazer” signs will be placed in

Lithonia.

champion freepress 5-6-16

Documents