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Were SocialFRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 18 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 P-card on page 13A See Election on page 13A

Mann it is!May:P-card controversysymbolic of countys oversightby Andrew [email protected]

Te controversy sur-ounding the countys pur-

chasing card (P-card) usagehas exposed some problemsn the government, said in-

erim DeKalb County CEOLee May.I think it exposed from

he administrative sidethat] for years now, if not

a decade, there was not re-ally...oversight over the ad-ministration of the P-cardacross the board, May said.I think there was a lot ofrust that was placed in the

oversight of it. Tere werentannual audits done on everyP-card.

Te P-card conversationas a wholeis symbolic of aot of areas in the county in

erms of how we [are] man-aging the day-to-day opera-ions and who is providinghe kind of oversight and

how [we] are implementinghe oversight, May said in auly 21 interview.

Te ChampionreviewedMays P-card usage froman. 1, 2013, to April 1, 2014.

During that time he spent$1,707 on food and $8,676on travel.

Comparatively, Commis-ioner ElaineBoyers officepent $8,249 on food during

hat time and Commissioner

SharonBarnesSuttons of-fice spent $6,431 in travel in2013 alone.

Te Championdiscovered23 charges on bank state-ments totaling $2,467.76that were not on Mays pur-chasing card transaction log.

My administrative staffpulls together the transac-tions logs and actually I wasnot aware that the two didntactually match item by item,said May, who currently hastwo active P-cardsone asa commissioner and one asthe interim CEO. Te P-cardfor the District 5 commis-sion seat is only being usedcurrently to pay for an emailmarketing system at a costof $49.95 per month.

Te Championalso found$1,236.98 in charges thatwere not on the transaction

log but were credited back tothe card.

If it was a charge thatwas credited back, [my staff]didnt include it in the logs,May said. Tat was just apractice that they had. Teintention was [to show that]this is actually taxpayersmoney that was spent.

In the future, May said,all cardholders will accountfor all P-card activity on thelogs.

If theres a transactionon the card, regardless of

whether its been removed, it

Lee May

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QUICK FINDER

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CLARKSTON

MAYOR FACES

ETHICS HEARING

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TO OUTFIT

FASHIONABLE DOGS

GROUP PROTESTS

INHUMANE

EVICTIONS

Newly elected DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann addresses supporters during his victory celebration. Photo byCarla Parker

by Carla [email protected] Lauren [email protected]

Jeff Mannwill remain asDeKalb County sheriff.

Mann defeated formerDeKalb County CEOVernon Joneswith 74.35percent to 25.65 percentof votes, at press time.Approximately 21,000

voters participated in therunoff. Mann was appointedto the position by formersheriff Thomas Brown,who resigned in Februaryto run for the FourthCongressional District seat.

I feel so elated,Mann said at his victorycelebration. I feel sohonored that all of thesepeople have come out tosupport me. It is a blessingand I am truly honored forthat.

Mann said he remained

optimistic throughout the

race.Ive had a great support

staff, support team, groupof volunteers, he said. Ihad a record to run onof accomplishments. Ivealways been optimistic thatwe would prevail. And sowere here tonight.andwe prevailed. Ive alwaysknown that this point wasgoing to come; it was just amatter of when.

he support he receivedfrom across the county wasawesome, said Mann, whowas the former chief deputyand a former attorneybefore succeeding Brown assheriff. He has been in thesheriffs office for nearly 14years.

Ive been in DeKalbCounty for 20 yearsand Ive worked withcommissioners, formercommissioners, homas

Brown, the current

CEO, the former CEO,councilmembers andmayors of the various cities.Ive garnered the supportof 8 of the 10 mayors inDeKalb County. We have agreat working relationshipwith their municipal policedepartments and so thetremendous out-pouring ofsupport has been heartfeltand I appreciate that,Mann said.

Mann said in runningthe jail, he will build on itsrecent accomplishments.

Weve always been a topnotch agency, Mann said.Weve been in the top onepercent of sheriff offices inthe United States, havingobtain and maintain thetriple crown distinction,one of 3,800 sheriffs officesin the United States andwere going to continuethat. Were going to build

upon that. Ive recently

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PAGE 2A THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014

by Andrew [email protected]

Occupy Our Homes At-anta wants a change in the

eviction process in DeKalbCounty.

Members of the organi-zation protested outside theDeKalb County jail July 16.

Were here today be-cause DeKalb County ishome of six of the 15 high-est foreclosure rates for ZIP

codes in the whole country,aid Tim Franzenof Oc-cupy Our Homes Atlanta.

Franzen delivered a let-er from the group to Sheriffeffrey Mann,calling on

him to change the way evic-ion orders are carried out

by deputies. The recommen-dations include: scheduledevictions; no evictions afterhours; no evictions duringextreme weather; evictioncosts paid by evictor; reloca-ion and 30 days storage for

belongings; handle belong-ngs with care; and referral

for housing services.Our main purpose is to

deliver these recommenda-ions, Franzen said. These

are all recommendationshat are based on residents

weve worked withtheirerrible experiences [of] be-ng evicted when its freez-ng, being evicted at 3 a.m.,and] having excessive forcehow up in their yards.

As recently as last Friday,eff Mann sent 30 deputieso evict one family, Franzenaid. That kind of behavior

has to stop. The after-hours,3 a.m. evictions have to stop.DeKalb deserves dignity.

Franzen said Occupy OurHomes Atlanta had tried to

have a dialog with the twosheriff s candidates in therunoff election about theissue and what we see as aninhumane eviction policy.

According to Franzen,former DeKalb County CEOVernonJonescommitted toenact a six-month morato-rium on evictions, if elected,and appoint a committee tomake recommendations onchanging the eviction pro-cess.

We have called andemailed Jeff Mann over andover again with no respons-es, Franzen said.

In a statement, Mannsaid that no individual ororganization has contactedhis office administrationto discuss evictions or theeviction process and that heis open to meeting with in-dividuals and organizationsregarding his offices consti-tutional mandates.

In an obvious attempt tomisinform the public, cer-tain individuals are taking

advantage of the unfortu-nate situations experiencedby some citizens to distortthe truth about the respon-sibilities of the sheriffsoffice, Mann said. Thepublic should be advisedthat the state court marshalsofficeand not the sheriffsofficehas primary respon-sibility for conducting evic-tions.

Ninety-nine percent ofevictions are conducted bythe marshals office, Mannstated. The sheriff s of-

fice only becomes involvedin those limited instanceswhere an individual has ap-pealed the eviction to supe-rior court, has exhausted all

appeals and superior courthas issued an order directingthe sheriffs office to con-duct the eviction. At thatpoint, the sheriff s office isduty-bound to carry out thator any order from superiorcourt, including evictions.

Were here today to handdeliver a letter from DeKalbCounty residents, from folksthat have experienced theeviction process firsthand,and ask him to implement

these policies that arentradical notions, Franzensaid. These are policies that

are working in Georgia andall over the country thatmake an already difficulttime easier for folks that areoftentimes in the greateststruggle in their lives.

Mildred Garrison-Obiof Stone Mountain de-scribed her struggle sur-rounding her November2012 eviction from thehome she purchased in1998.

My demise was disabil-

ity, Garrison-Obi said. Iwaited three years to get afavorable approval from the

[federal government].In the meantime, Gar-

rison-Obi said she notifiedCountrywide, a mortgagelender, that she was a dis-abled senior waiting for afavorable decision.

Although she couldntafford a lawyer, Garrison-Obi said she began fightingaggressively in August 2009to keep her house when shewas foreclosed on.

Three and a half years

later, Garrison-Obi said shelooked out her window andencountered the most de-

Group protests inhumane eviction process

See Occupy on page 3A

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Protestors gather outside the DeKalb County Jail to protest how the county evicts residents. The group is calling for a moratorium on evictions until the process is changed. Photos byAndrew Cauthen

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THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS , FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 3A

See Accreditation on page 14A

humanizing experience of my life.I opened the door, because otherwise [the

sheriff s deputies] would have busted into it,and I had 20 minutes to get what was mostimportant, Garrison-Obi said. I told them Ihad a pending case andthe [officer] said, Wehear things like that all the time.

The same day that they put my personalbelongings out on the street, I received thatevening documentation from the appeals courtstating that they had granted my motion for re-consideration, Garrison-Obi said. So that wasdefinitely an unlawful eviction.

With Occupy Atlanta and National ActionNetwork we just took matters into our ownhands and moved back into my home, shesaid.

Joe Beasleyof Occupy Our Homes Atlanta

said he was protesting the aggressive behaviorduring the eviction process.

Banks got bailed out; the people gotrobbed, he said. The most precious posses-sion that most of us have is our home. Whathas bothered me over the years is the aggres-sive behavior [that has] come out of DeKalbCounty. It seems like it was almost a joy for thisparticular county to set people out. They comeout in the dead of night with massive force.

The high sheriff has the authority to put amoratorium on evictions, Beasley said.

Office brings awareness to elder abuseby Carla [email protected]

In 2009, three people de-rauded more than 80 DeKalb

County senior residents byphoning them masqueradingas officials from Georgia PowerCompany.

The three people obtained aellphone and registered it un-

der the name of Georgia Pow-rs. The majority of calls made

were from this cellphone, whichappeared on the residents callerD as Georgia Power. Thehree would tell seniors thathey were employees from the

Georgia Power Company andhat their electrical service was

about to be disconnected dueo lack of payment, and if they

made an immediate payment

heir service would continue.The victims were thenricked into revealing theirredit card information, Social

Security numbers and otherpersonal information, whichhe three used to purchaselectronics, gift cards and other

goods.In some cases, one of the

onspirators told the victimsheir credit cards had beenompromised and advised the

victims to put the cards in theirmailboxes. The conspiratorshen drove to the victims hous-s, removed the cards from the

victims mailboxes and imme-diately used the cards to makepurchases or buy money orders.

As victims began contactingGeorgia Power Company to in-quire about the phone calls theyeceived, the company opened

an investigation.The three conspiratorsSan-

ee Sherice Roberts, DonaldCraneand Charlene Merker-onwere arrested. Roberts,

36, was found guilty in 2012 ofracketeering, identity fraud andthree counts of elder exploita-tion. Crane entered a guilty pleain July 2011, and was sentencedto serve four years in prisonand six years on probation.

A warrant is out for Merker-son, who evaded police.

This case is one of many thatthe White Collar Crime/ElderExploitation Unit of the DeKalbCounty District Attorneys Of-fice has prosecuted since theunit launched in 2007.

In 2003, Jeanne Canavan,deputy chief assistant districtattorney for the unit, said whenshe tried a telemarketing case aspart of the White Collar CrimeUnit, all of the victims were el-derly.

It made me realize that we

needed to devote special atten-tion to cases where not just thevictims are elderly, but wherethe perpetrators are targetingthe elderly because theyre vul-nerable, Canavan said.

White Collar Crime Unit be-came the White Collar Crime/Elder Exploitation Unit in 2007to give special attention to elderabuse cases.

Elder abuse is the maltreat-ment or neglect of dependentolder people. It can be passiveneglect, psychological abuse,financial abuse, active neglect,or physical abuse. Canavan triesmore financial abuse cases andthe unit prosecutes 30 to 40cases a year.

As we have become moreproficient at trying these caseswere getting more and morecases, she said.

Canavan and her staff lookat hundreds of cases that aregiven to them for review byadult protective service agen-cies.

Theyre not all criminalcases but they want us to reviewthem, she said. When you seeabuse of an elder, its often afamily member that commitsthe offense. In that case its go-ing to be handled by the domes-tic violence unit.

Most victims of financialelder abuse are scammed bystrangers, Canavan said. Thescammers, who usually do theirwork over the phone, gain thetrust of elders by telling themthey know God or find some-thing else to relate to the eldersthrough long conversations.

What these people do isprey on that, she said. Someof them will call up and talk tosomeone for hours, but theyend up with $15,000 at the endof it, so its worth their time.

Canavan says she goes tocommunity center, senior cen-ters, churches and other placesto warn them, police officersand even prosecutors about thedifferent scams.

One of the things I tellelder people all the time is no-body really warned them whenthey were young to guard theirpersonal information becauseidentity fraud didnt exist backthat then, she said. There are[scammers] out there and allthey do is compile a list of elderpersons.

Canavan said she doesntexpect to see a decrease in thesetypes of cases because the olderpopulation is growing.

The older population isdoubling because of the babyboomers, and it will doubleprobably in the next 10 years,she said. Were going to keepdoing what were doing to bringmore awareness to elder abuse.

Occupy Continued From Page 2A

Stone Mountain DowntownDevelopment Authority receivesNational Main Street Accreditation

Stone Mountain Downtown DevelopmentAuthority has been designated as an accreditedNational Main Street Program for meeting thecommercial district revitalization performancestandards set by the National Main Street Center,

a subsidiary of the National Trust for HistoricPreservation.We congratulate this years nationally accred-

ited Main Street programs for their outstandingaccomplishment in meeting the National MainStreet Centers performance standards, said Pa-trice Frey, president and CEO of the NationalMain Street Center.

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ONE MANS OPINION

A better dogs life in DeKalb

Its a lot of work, but as a non-profit we are able to do things thathe county couldnt.

Rebecca Guinn, founder andCEO of the Lifeline Animal Project.

Not much longer than a year ago,a stray dog picked up by DeKalbAnimal Services had roughly theame chance of survival as a doget loose on the interstate at rush

hour. Beginning July 1, 2013,DeKalb County entered into a five-

year, $2 million contract to allow theprivately run Lifeline Animal Proj-ect to manage DeKalbs animal shel-er, veterinary care, pet adoptions

and other outreach programs. Life-ine has a similar contract in place

with Fulton County.Largely as a result of this non-

profit takeover, the DeKalb Shelterseuthanasia rates are down by 80-85percent. The lowest euthanasia rateo date was December 2013, with aate of 13 percent. Both the DeKalb

and Fulton shelters are operated asno-kill for cats. Pet adoptions, onhe flip side are surging, and Lifeline

operates one of the most successfulpet adoption websites in the south-east.

In 2002, Lifeline founder Rebecca

Guinn found a dog trapped in herbackyard fence. After calling and ar-ranging pick-up by DeKalb AnimalServices, she was told any dog notreclaimed within five days was mostlikely put down. On the fourth day,she visited the shelter, unpreparedfor what she might see. By her esti-mation there were nearly 400 dogsat the extremely overcrowded, thenfilthy and non-air-conditioned shel-ter. She returned on the fifth busi-ness day, a Tuesday and found thedog still there, but the shelter nearlyempty. The bulk of those 400 dogshad been euthanized over the week-end.

Lifeline opened its own no-killshelters, initially on a smaller scale,first for dogs and then adding cats

in 2004. The organization focuseson adoption, as well as low-cost spayand neutering, and both requiredand recommended vaccinations andpet care. Lifeline regularly offers petadoption specials. During July, adog could be adopted for $30, and$17.76 for cats.

With help from Santa Claus andSecond Life Re-Sale (a nonprofitthrift supporter of Lifeline), a simi-lar holiday adoption deal broughtBruno the cat to our home lastDecember. And since then we havereturned to Lifeline for his ongo-ing care, making appointments andhis one-year checkup is coming upsoon.

And while the DeKalb CountyCommission moves forward on

the construction of a new shel-ter, most likely on property nearDeKalb Peachtree Airport, Lifelineis continually improving operationsat the old shelter off KensingtonRoad. A county appropriation didadd air conditioning, as well as ad-ditional animal control officers andimproved pest control, but the bulkof the changeslogistical and opera-tionalhave been made by Lifeline,its modest staff and a throng ofanimal-loving volunteers.

At intake, every animal is cleanedand vaccinated, helping to reduceanimal diseases as well as theirtransmission among the shelterpopulation, and every animal isphotographed, and listed for pos-sible adoption. The average intake is

20 animals per day, nearly 600 permonth. Outside the shelters, Life-line also operates its SNIP programfor low-income families, which al-lows application for free spay andneutering of family pets. The non-profit also conducts regular trap-neuter-return missions to controlthe population of feral cats in thecounty. These wild cats are humane-ly trapped, fixed and then released,rather than euthanized. Lifelineestimates this program has treatednearly 22,000 feral cats in DeKalband Fulton counties.

As a result, wild and rabid animalpopulations are significantly down,euthanization is no longer the pri-mary method for managing shelterpopulation, animal adoption rates

are surging, and the overall cost toDeKalb taxpayers is down. Moreservice, better results and a non-soaring program budget.

When we deal with a third-partynonprofit, it is able to bring moreresources to the table, and theycompete effectively to get charitabledonations, said DeKalb CountyDistrict 2 CommissionerJeff Rader.

This model of looking to pas-sionate and knowledgeable non-profit partners for the expansion ofsofter side services, with improvedefficiency and reduced costs de-serves further exploration. Im notsuggesting a volunteer police, butthere are areas, such as the arts,libraries and county parks and rec-reation facilities, as well as enhance-

ments to school system securitywhere this model can work. And itsgood to know, as we head into thedog days of summer, that here inDeKalb, our dogs can now expect abetter life thanks to Lifeline AnimalProject, its founder, supporters andhundreds of loyal volunteers.

Bill Crane also serves as a politicalanalyst and commentator for Channel2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as acolumnist forThe Champion, Cham-pion Free Press andGeorgia Trend.Crane is a DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. You canreach him or comment on a column [email protected].

Bill cran

Columnist

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 4AOPINION

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OPINIONTHE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 5A

Lt Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and contain

the writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be considered for publica-tion.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email to [email protected] To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: ( 404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one weekprior to publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contribut-ing editors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor orpublishers. The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel anyadvertisement at any time. The Publisher is not responsible forunsolicited manuscripts.

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

W sinrly appriat th disussionsurrounding this and any issu of intrst toDKalb county. The Championwas foundd in1991 xprssly to provid a forum for disoursfor allommunity rsidnts on all sids of anissu. W hav no dsir to mak th nwsonly to rport nws and opinions to fft a

mor duatd itiznry that will ultimatlymov our ommunity forward. W ar happyto prsnt idas for disussion; howvr, wmak vry ffort to avoid printing informationsubmittd to us that is known to b fals and/orassumptions pnnd as fat.

John [email protected]

Chief Operating Officer

An ethical dilemma

For the first time in the historyo DeKalb County, all sitting countycommissioners, as well as the coun-tys interim chie executive officer,have ethics complaints filed againstthem.

Granted, anyone can file an eth-ics complaint. And, there does nothave to be any validity or a com-plaint to be filed. But or unknownreasons, individuals have elt theneed to go to the trouble o filingsuch complaints. Lets hope thesecomplaints are not just political ma-neuvering.

Now these complaints will beinvestigated by the ethics board andrecommendations will be made ac-cordingly.

Te DeKalb County Board oEthics was originally created in 1990afer Senate Bill 590 was introducedin the Georgia General Assemblyand was subsequently approved byDeKalb County voters in November1990.

According to Section 22A. (a)(1) o Senate Bill 590, It is essentialto the proper administration and

operation o the DeKalb Countygovernment that the members o itsgoverning authority be and give theappearance o being, independentand impartial; that public office notbe used or private gain; and thatthere be public confidence in theintegrity o the DeKalb County gov-erning authority.

Because the attainment o oneor more o these ends is impairedwhenever there exists in act, or ap-pears to exist, a conflict betweenthe private interests and publicresponsibilities o members o theDeKalb County governing authority,the public interest requires that theGeneral Assembly protect againstsuch conflicts o interest by estab-lishing by law appropriate ethicalstandards with respect to the con-duct o the members o the govern-ing authority in situations where a

conflict may exist, the bill states.Tat legislation sounds really

good, right? Having a group osupposedly independent peoplecharged with investigating com-plaints against government employ-ees and/or elected officials soundslike an excellent procedural mea-sure to help urther the concept ochecks and balances in government.However, Im not so convinced thatthe ethics board is able to objec-tively conduct business based onthe structure o the group and a

very specifically defined conflict ointerest clause that is included in theorganizations rules o procedure,which were adopted June 24, 2014.

According to the structure othe ethics board, five members areappointed by the Board o CountyCommissioners, and two are ap-pointed by the CEO o DeKalbCounty. However, Section 2.5,(conflict o interest or recusal) o theprocedural rules states, No [ethics]board member shall participate inthe consideration o or vote on anymatter i: (1) that matter concerns abusiness or legal relationship o themember; or (2) the matter involvesan individual with whom the mem-ber has or expects to have signifi-cant dealings in a public or privatecapacity; or (3) such participation or

vote would cause the appearance oimpropriety on the part o the mem-

ber or o the board in general.Te ethics boards rules prohibit

the involvement o members on acomplaint that involves an indi-

vidual with whom the member hasor expects to have significant deal-ings in a public or private capacity.How then can a board member ap-pointed by a commissioner or theCEO participate in the investigationo complaints filed against the per-sons responsible or their being ap-pointed?

Does this not in and o itsel vio-

late the published terms or conflicto interest o recusal?

I the rules o procedure are abid-ed by, should not each ethics boardmember recuse himsel or herselrom any complaints against com-missioners or the CEO? And i thiswere to happen, who would then betasked with investigating these com-plaints?

It makes no sense to have a boardo ethics whose members, based onmy interpretation o their rules oconduct, are not legally able to in-

vestigate all public officials or coun-ty employees who are not coveredby the merit system.

Perhaps when the rules o con-duct were written and approved,there was no indication that soonaferward the ethics board memberswould be charged with investigat-ing complaints against the very ones

who put them in those positions.But this is where we are right

now. What will be next?

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THE CHAMPIO N FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 6A

COMMUNITY

Since the age of 10, Deb-orah Walker-Little knewshe wanted to attend Spel-man College.

When she was grow-ing up, her father was thebreadwinner of the familywhile her mother stayedhome to care for six chil-dren. When her father tookill her junior year in highschool, the family lost theonly income it had and themoney Walker-Little need-

ed to pay for college.On the morning that

she was scheduled to reportto Spelman, she woke upto the smell of her motherbaking a pound cake. Walk-er-Little asked her motherif she was going to collegethat day and her mothertold her yes.

I said, Great! We foundmoney? and she said, no,Walker-Little said.

Her mother told her totake the pound cake andgive it to a Spelman officialand to tell that official that

the cake was all she had tocover Walker-Littles tu-ition. Walker-Little wentto the official and told herwhat her mother said.

I expected her to laughme out of her office, Walk-er-Little said. She said,Lets see it. I showed herthe cake and she said, Thatlooks like it will cover a se-mester of tuition.

Walker-Little graduatedfrom Spelman College in1975 without having to payback student loans or any-thing. Her mother baked a

pound cake every semesterto cover tuition.It was such a miracle,

Walker-Little said. I knew Ihad to spend the rest of mylife repaying that debt be-cause it was a very powerfulmoment for me. It was agame changer.

For 41 years, Walker-Little, 61, has been repay-ing that debt by giving

back to the community.Walker-Little is the execu-tive director and director offamily programs at Inter-faith Outreach Home Inc.,in Doraville, a transitionalhousing program for work-ing families with children.

Prior to that, she servedin the same capacity atRainbow Village, a transi-tional housing program forwomen and children. In1997, she started an afterschool program and be-came a spokesperson for

low-income parents andlatch key children.She served for almost 20

years as the executive direc-tor of The Child Develop-ment Center at CentralPresbyterian Church. Shedeveloped a voucher pro-gram that served employeesof downtown businesses aswell as local, state and fed-eral government employees.President George H. W.Bushrecognized herin1991 for her work with the

voucher program.I was very humbled by

the recognition, she said. Igot a lot of media exposurebut I know so many otherpeople who do greaterwork. The champions arethose who live every day inmarginal existence and fig-ure out a way to survive.

I didnt really feel muchlike a hero but I was glad totell the story of the underprivileged, she added.

If you would like to nominate someone

to be considered as a future Champion

of the Week, please contact AndrewCauthen at [email protected]

or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

DEBORAH WALKERLITTLE

ChampionoftheWeek

Interim CEO addresses communicationconcerns at Chamblee Chamber meetingby Lauren [email protected]

At the inaugural break-ast business meeting ofhe Chamblee Chamber of

Commerce, interim DeKalbCounty CEO Lee May re-lected on his now one-yearerm of office.

We are really trying toestore the partnership be-ween DeKalb County and

our municipalities, May saidn his opening remarks. Were family, and we have toct like family.

To act like family, Mayaidand used an example of

his own large extended fam-lythe important thing is toommunicate.

Regardless of what per-pective you come with,

what political party youbelong to, what side of theounty you live in, we just

have to sit down and have aonversation, May said.

May directly referencedhe indictment of suspendedCEO Burrell Ellis, ongoingpurchasing card (P-card)nd ethics investigations into

many of the county commis-ioners and problems in theounty contracting depart-

ment. He said hed rather therials and investigations runheir course and offered nourther comment.

In the meantime we haveo make sure our county is

moving in the right directionnd that the day-to-day op-rations are moving forward,

we are paving our roads or ateast taking care of the pot-

holes, that we are taking careof our parks and rec depart-ments, or our libraries, that

we have a competitive coun-ty, ripe for development, forbusiness and industry, Maysaid.

May went on to highlightthe good things the countyis doing for its residents, re-peatedly calling out the me-dia for reporting on nega-tive situations, such as ongo-ing ethics investigations.

May reported that inthe 2014 budget, $100,000

has been appropriated tothe district attorneys officefor the creation of a pub-lic integrity unit. He alsomentioned the creation of apublic integrity officer to bea part of the county board ofethics, a move that has raisedquestions, since, under statelaw, the board of ethics isintended to be distinct fromcounty government.

He also touted the coun-tys $1.2 billion budget and$91 million in reserve as asign that times are changing

for the better.We are hiring morepolice officers at a more ag-gressive pace than any timein history, May said. Thisyear we will have four policeacademies. That means weare putting more people onthe streets to protect ourcitizens. Lets talk about fire-fighters: over 100 firefightershired and three fire acad-emies by years end.

As May was making hisremarks as a guest of theChamblee Chamber of Com-merce, he focused the sec-

ond half of his talk on coun-ty economic development. Inits history, May said, DeKalbcounty has never had a stra-tegic economic development

plan.He said that due to the di-

verse population, proximityto Atlanta, regional airportand huge amounts of high-way miles, DeKalb has neverhad to advertise itself andjust attracted business on itsown merits. But to grow,hesaid, DeKalb has to marketitself.

In DeKalb county, wewin on cool, he said. But

those other places arent at-tracting businesses becausetheyre cool but because theyhave a plan.

What that plan is was notannounced, but May saidwithin a month the results ofan independent study will bereleased.

After the remarks, Mayopened up the floor forquestions. Tom Hogan, aChamblee city councilman,asked how the best prac-tices might be transmittedto non-county areas, such

as incorporated towns likeChamblee.The first thing we have

to do is address many of thepressing issues of our countyonce and for all, includingthe lack of open dialoguecountywide, May said. Thebiggest issue in DeKalbCounty is we dont talk. Itsan unfamiliar process for usto sit down and have a con-versation.

May said the county andcities would have to buildopportunities for communi-cation, and will share results

from the task force on op-erations established in June,with communities as well asthe county.

nterim DeKalb CEO Lee May addresses a group of business leaders at the Chamblee Chamber of Commercesrst breakfast meeting. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell

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THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 8ALOCAL NEWS

Restaurant InspectionsEstablishment Name: Shared Kitchens FakAddress: 215 Laredo Drive, Suite 100Current Score/Grade: 91/AInspecon Date: 07/18/2014

Observaons and Correcve AconsCold-held potenally hazardous foods not maintained below41F; no me controls/documentaon in place.Chicken salad sandwiches not maintained at 41F or below.Chicken salad sandwiches are stored in cardboard boxes onvans for delivery.PIC advised that proper cold hold temperature shall notexceed 41F.COS-PIC moved sandwiches to walk in cooler and freezer torapidly cool. Corrected On-Site. New Violaon.

Establishment Name: Prima RestaurantAddress: 3500 North Decatur Road, Suite 112 & 112ACurrent Score/Grade: 69/UInspecon Date: 07/17/2014

No employee health policy available; PIC unable to explainemployee health policy verbally. COS- EHP provided andexplained in detail to PIC. Corrected On-Site. RepeatViolaon.Observed raw beef stored directly on top of containers ofcooked pasta in Norlake RIC. Observed raw chicken storedaway box of tomatoes in RIC. Informed PIC raw animal foodsshould be stored below and completely separated fromready to eat foods to prevent cross contaminaon.Observed raw chicken, raw sh and cooked pasta holding attemperatures above 41F in RIC. Informed PIC all cold heldpotenally hazardous foods must maintain a temperature ofat least 41F.Observed employee engaging in food prep with stonedring on nger. Informed PIC with the excepon of a plainwedding band, no jewelry is allowed on the hands arms orwrists while engaging in food prep. Advised PIC to removering. New Violaon.Observed waste receptacle in unisex restroom with no cover.Informed PIC womens/ unisex restroom must have coveredtrash receptacles. Advised PIC to purchase cover or coveredreceptacle.Restroom doors not equipped with self closing device.Informed PIC restroom doors must be able to self close.Advised PIC to place self closing device on restroom doors.New Violaon.

Establishment Name: J & J Fish & ChickenAddress: 2656 Wesley Chapel RoadCurrent Score/Grade: 97/AInspecon Date: 07/17/2014

Establishment Name: This Is WingsAddress: 2860 Candler RoadCurrent Score/Grade: 67/UInspecon Date: 07/17/2014

Employee handled raw sh then changed gloves withoutwashing his hands. Employee washed hands - COS. PICadvised that employees must wash hands between tasksand aer contaminang hands or gloves. It is recommendedthat an addional hand sink be installed near meat sink.Pooled raw eggs stored out of temperature control oncounter top were holding at 46 in some porons ofcontainer. Rice (cooked) stored out of temperature controlon counter top was holding at 54F. COS - Employee statedthat both were removed from cooler a half hour prior.Employee labeled foods with me. Employees advised touse me as the public health control or use ice to keep foodsat 41F or below that are held out on counter top.Wiping cloths (in use) were stored on counter top. COS -Employee prepared sanizer and stored wiping cloths insanizer.Utensil with soapy water was stored at vegetable sink.Employee rinsed wiping cloth container in vegetable sink.PIC advised that vegetable isnk may only be used forwashing produce. Sinks should be labeled. Signs may bedownloaded at www. dekalbhealth.net

Clarkston mayor confidentafter ethics hearing

Terry

NOTICEOFPUBLICHEARING

TheMayorandCityCounciloftheCityofChamblee,GeorgiawillholdapublichearingonThursday,

August14,2014,attheChambleeCivicCenter,3540BroadStreet,Chamblee,GA30341at6:00p.m.to

receivepubliccommentsregardingthefollowingmatters:

1. AmandaKathleenWoodruffonbehalfofDunkinDonutsrequests variancesfromthefollowing

provisions

of

the

City

of

Chamblee

Code

of

Ordinances,

Appendix

A,

Zoning

OrdinanceinordertoplaceadditionalwallsignageonaparcelzonedCommercialCorridor

(CC)consistingof0.40acre(s)locatedat5558PeachtreeBoulevard,Chamblee,GA being

TaxParcel1830805039:

Section1307(B)(2)(a): Propertiesoccupiedbyasinglebusinessormultiplebusinessessharingcommonspace(i.e.,notaplannedcenter):oneprincipalfreestandingsignand

oneprincipalbuildingsignoneachstreetfrontagewithacurbcut.

Section1308(A)(1)(a): Theaggregatetotalareaofallbuildingsignsonawall(includingtheprincipalbuildingsign,miscellaneousbuildingsignsandincidentalsigns)

shallnotexceedonesquarefootofsignfaceareaperlinearfootofthelengthofthe

wallortenantfrontageonwhichthesignisaffixed.

o Forsingleoccupantbuildings,themaximumallowedareaforaprincipalbuildingsignshallbe200squarefeet.

2. TextamendmenttothefollowingportionsofAppendixA,ZoningOrdinance: ArticleIII,Section301.Definitionstodeletethetermminiwarehouseand

adddefinitionsforSelfStorageFacilityandSelfStorageFacility,climate

controlled;

ArticleVI,toaddanewSection624. Climatecontrolledselfstoragefacilities;

ArticleX,Section1002.PermittedUses,toaddSelfstoragefacilitiesasausepermittedintheLightIndustrial(I)zoningdistrictandtoaddClimate

controlledselfstoragefacilitiesasa usepermittedintheCorridor

Commercial(CC),IndustrialTransitional(IT)andLightIndustrial(I)zoning

districts;and

ArticleXII,Section1203.F.30toprovideoffstreetparkingstandardsforSelfStorage

facilities,

or

similar

uses.

3. TextamendmenttoAppendixA,ZoningOrdinance,toreplacetheStreetscapeGuidelines:StreetscapeDesignationsMapwithanewmapthatincludesareasoftheCity

thatwereannexedin2011and2013.

by Carla [email protected]

After three hours of tes-imonies and

back-and-fortharguments be-ween lawyers andouncilmembers,

Clarkston MayorTed Terry said heeels confident thathe ethics commit-ee will make a de-ision in his favor.

I feel that theack of evidencehat was presentedpeaks for itself,

Terry said. These allegationswere frivolous, unfoundedand patently false.

The Clarkston Ethics

Committee held a hearingJuly 17 to hear testimonies

regarding a complaint filedagainst the mayor.On June 3,

four ClarkstonCity CouncilmembersDean Moore,Dianne Leonet-ti, Jean Brownand AhmedHassanfiled acomplaint to theethics commit-tee to investigateimproper ven-dor solicitationand fundraising

and the use of those funds bythe newly elected mayor.

According to the com-plaint, the four city coun-

cilmembers said they hadconcerns over possible so-

licitation of contributionsfrom vendors who have busi-ness with the city for Terrysmayoral inaugural event andbirthday party. They alsoquestioned Terrys campaigncontribution disclosure re-port and whether Terry ex-tended the Livable CentersInitiative contractor bid pro-cess deadline for the benefitof contractor Greenrock Part-ners, which missed the man-datory pre-bid conferenceand the proposal deadline.

Terry told The ChampionNewspaperbefore the hearingthat the complaint is a politi-cal attack because the coun-cilmembers chosen candidatedid not win the mayoral race

See Mayor on page 14A

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If customers

dont knowabout you,

its your own

fault!

Be the first to contact newcomers-reserve your ad

space now for our annual, award-winning

Newcomers Guide.

For advertising information contactJohn Hewitt at 404-373-7779 X 110or Louise Acker at 404-373-7779 X 102

See Dyslexia on page 14A

Dyslexia organizations join forces to educate educatorsby Lauren [email protected]

According to statisticsfrom the National Centerfor Education Statistics,wo-thirds of Georgia fourth

graders do not read profi-ciently, while 32 percent ofhose students dont read at

even a basic level.As the name might sug-

gest, Reading is Essential forAll People, or REAP, a new501c3 nonprofit based in De-catur, has a mission to lowerhose numbers and make sure

all children get a jump oneading.

I started the organiza-ion to help teachers knowhe foundations of reading

nstruction, said Jen Rhett,cofounder of REAP and aparent of dyslexic children.Twenty percent of people are

dyslexic, and then you addn children [for whom] Eng-ish is a second language orhose who come from a lowerncome background wherehere isnt a lot of exposure toeading and language. There

are a lot of students strug-gling.

Rhett said that in mostcolleges and universities, theway teachers are taught toeach literacy does not focus

on children with learning dif-ferences in reading, so manyeachers are unprepared fortruggling students. REAP

was cofounded with Rhettsfriend Carla Stanford, aneducator.

A lot of what [teachers]are being taught is whole-word language, which doesnot include structured sche-matic phonics, Rhett said.Whole-word language meanshat when students read the

word cat they are essentiallymemorizing the shape of the

word and then the soundhat it makes, as opposed tocuh-ah-tuh, or individual

phonemes.Dyslexic students are

usually at average or evenabove-average intelligencebut have difficulty readingand comprehending writ-en language. There may be

a variety of causes and co-morbidities, including visualprocessing disorders and at-ention deficit disorders. The

most commonly known waydyslexia manifests is throughwitching of letters, such as b,

p and d, but it can have evenearlier signs such as inabilityo count syllables, trouble

naming items or poor spell-

ing.To reach the maximum

number of students possible,REAP offers training forteachers in the metro Atlantaarea in the Orton-Gillinghamapproach to reading, writingand spelling. Readers whohave previously struggledlearn the foundations of lan-

guage and letters and receivemultisensory and kineticinstruction, rather than justmemorizing vocabularywords.

This tool is meant to beadded to their box of knowl-edge, not replace their previ-ous education, Rhett said.

REAP has recently part-

nered with IDA-GA, theGeorgia branch of the In-ternational Dyslexia Asso-ciation. IDA-GA presidentJennifer Kopp said it was anatural fit.

We definitely decidedthat was in our best interestto [support REAP], Koppsaid. We donated to them to

help train teachers, and thetraining that they provide isthe training we support.

IDA-GA, another 501c3nonprofit, is also in the busi-ness of training teachers tohave the resources to train asmany teachers as there is de-mand for.

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Panola Road liquorstore plans expansion

Daylilies: hardy, vibrantplants to make your own

by Andrew [email protected]

Liquor store ownerTonyNguyensaid his store is toomall.

The store here is so nar-

ow, said Nguyen, owner ofPJs Package Store in StoneMountain, We dont have atorage room. The aisles are

narrow. People were com-plaining [that] they donthave enough room throughome of the aisles.

The small aisles are aafety issue, said Nguyen

about his 2,800-square-foottore that has been openince 2005.

The cramped space iswhy Nguyen applied for apecial land use permit to

allow a 1,530-square-footexpansion into an additionaluite in the shopping centerocated at 1241 Panola Roadn Stone Mountain.

The expansion of thetore, which is in the Hid-

den Hills Overlay District,was originally opposed byhe Greater Hidden Hills

Community DevelopmentCorporation.

We opposed it on prin-ciple because we alreadyhave enough businesses thatell liquor in our area, saidanCostello, president of

he Greater Hidden HillsCommunity DevelopmentCorporation.

Within a 20-minute driverom the center of the Hid-

den Hills Overlay District,Costello said, there are 62beer, wine and liquor stores.Additionally, the same areahas approximately 600 plac-es where one can buy pack-aged alcohol.

Our feeling is that werecovered there, Costello said.The Greater Hidden Hills

Community DevelopmentCorporation was formed topromote economic develop-ment and help businessesadhere to the guidelines andrequirements of the overlaydistrict.

In the four-square-milezoning overlay, any new li-quor stores in certain areashave to go through the spe-cial land use permit process,she said, adding that PJs isnot a new liquor store; itsan expanded use.

In the overlay district,there are a number of itemson the prohibited list ofbusinesses such as tattooparlors and adult entertain-ment centers and truckstops. The idea being weare trying to bring in busi-nesses that the communityneeds and that will uplift theprosperity value of the entirecommunity.

Were trying to createan environment where thebusinesses and services meet

the needs and we all prosperand thrive, Costello said.

Representatives of theGreater Hidden Hills Com-munity Development Cor-

poration met July 17 withthe liquor store owner andthe owner of the shoppingcenter.

They agreed to makesome improvements to thearea, Costello said. Were

willing to have conditionalsupport if they meet thoserequirements, which in-clude various landscape andsecurity improvements andbasically sprucing it up sig-nificantly so it just has morecurb appeal.

It doesnt mean we arein favor of liquor stores,Costello said. We are alsorealists. This business hasbeen in place for a longtime. Hes done a decent job.Hes willing to do a better

job, so were willing to workwith him.

On the evening of July22, the Board of Commis-sioners considered the plan-ning commissions recom-mendation to approve theexpansion. At press time,the result of the vote wasunknown.

The county planningcommission reviewed PJsPackage Stores request toadd space during its regularmeeting. Despite GreaterHidden Hills CDC objec-tions, it recommended ap-proval. Now, the matter will

go before the Board of Com-missioners, July 22, 6:30p.m.

by Lauren [email protected]

First of all, daylilies arentreally lilies. Theyre in theXanthorrhoeaceae family(try saying that five timesfast) instead of with the truelilies in family Liliaceae. Daylilies are more closely relatedto a variety of small f lower-ing plants native to Australiaand New Zealand. Dayliliesare actually native to south-eastern Asian countries,including China, Korea andJapan.

But regardless of themisnomer, daylilies areconsidered by many to bestunning. They bear anunmistakable resemblanceto true lilies, with the basicstructure of three petals andthree sepals, or outer leavescovering the flower before itblooms. However, far fromthis basic beginning, day lil-ies can be easily hybridizedinto many different colors,shapes and sizes. It all de-pends on determination andimagination.

Dr. Erling Grovensteinstarted growing daylilies 56years ago. A professor of or-ganic chemistry at Georgia

Tech, he started gardeningon the weekends as a way tolook after his son and givehis wife a break, he said.

First, he tried hybrid tearoses. Beautiful and fra-grant, roses require specificconditions to thrive. Hy-bridizing them, or makingnew cultivars, is a chore.And pests love them and de-

vour everything from leavesto buds to whole blooms. Itwas too much work, he said.

Since I didnt have thatmuch time, they didnt do

very well, Grovenstein said.

Eventually they all died, Inever had to dig one up toreplace it.

From there, he heardabout daylilies from hisbrother-in-law. Since theyarent native to North Amer-ica, they have few naturalpredatorsthough this canmake certain varieties inva-sive pests. They require lotsof sun, but survive in shade.For full blooms, they need alot of water, but will subsistduring a drought. Hybrid-izing is relatively easydabpollen from one flower onanother, wait for the seedpod to form and burst, plantthe seeds and, the next year,

See Daylilies on page 20A

Gardener Ron McClure stands in his patch of daylilies at his home.Daylilies are hardy plants which are great for the novice hybridizer, hesaid. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell

A liquor store owner wants to expand his business into an adjacent 1,500-square-foot store. Photo byAndrew Cauthen.

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WEEKPICTURESIn

Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

For a programming guide, visit www.yourdekalb.com/dctvNow showing on DCTV!

Finding DeKalb Countys MissingStories 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

A song sparrow lights on a telephone wire near Brownwood Park in East Atlanta. Song sparrows are diverse,adaptable birds with a distinct song. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell

Signs of the construction of the Suburban Plaza on North Decatur Road. The location will become the newhome of Walmart. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Tuckers rst Bojangles opened its doors to customers on July 22. Tocelebrate, the company gave away $50 Bojangles gift cards to the rst50 customers. Photos by Travis Hudgons

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Commissioner helps promote, secure funding for STEM camp

We Love WeddingsAre you newly engagedor married?

Would you like to share your story with

readers of The Champion?

www.TheChampionNewspaper.comWere Social!

Send us a short recap ofyour engagement/weddingstory and we may use it in the

newspaper. Please include

contact information for both

bride and groom (names, ages,

city of residency, occupation,

phone numbers and emailaddress). Also please send three

to fve high-resolution photos.

Send information and photos to

[email protected]


In a center where a classroom ofgirlshistorically underrepresentedn science, technology, engineering

and math fieldswere building elec-ronic cars, a young inventor named

Emmanuella Buteaudescribed howto start the machine.

You put this key in and con-nect this key to the battery, shesaid, connecting wires to a small,flat-bodied car about the size of amousetrap with four plastic wheels.The rubber band connects the bat-

tery to the wheels.She then put the car on the floor

and it zoomed away. The little carzipped under desks in a straight linebefore crashing into the wall. Its notdesigned to steer, just to go.

At McNair Discovery LearningCenter, STEM education is the name

of the game every day of the schoolyear. And this summer, students aregetting even more hands-on experi-ence in creating with Camp Inven-tion, hosted at McNair.

Camp Invention is a national,non-profit STEM education campfor elementary school students. Day

Teacher Simone Willingham and Com-missioner Larry Johnson stand nearhe sign to McNair Discovery Learning

Academy, the site of DeKalb Countysonly Camp Invention site.

Students have taken apart household appliances(above) and will be using the parts in creating apinball machine (below).

CH2MHill, an engineering rm with ofces in Atlanta, donated $10,000 to help fund the campand provide scholarships to all 40 participating students. Photos by Lauren Ramsdell

See STEM on page 14A

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P-card Continued From Page 1A Election Continued From Page 1A


will be reflected in that log, May said.Mays P-card bank statement also

howed $522.01 in charges in Gilbert,Ariz.,three charges at a Macys storeand one at a Walmart. May said thesewere raudulent charges that were cred-ted back to the county.

I dont go to Macys, May said.Ive never shopped at Macys.

Tere was also a $1,583.74 chargeat the Waldor Roosevelt Hotel in NewOrleans, La., in January 2014.

Tat was a personal trip, May said,hat he booked with his personal credit

card. When the hotel asked or a creditcard or incidentals during his stay,he inadvertently gave the hotel hiscounty P-card.

I didnt realize it until aferwards,May said. And when I came to settleup I gave them my personal card, buthey kept [the charges] on the card I

had lef or the incidentals. It was com-

pletely their ault and they acknowl-edged it and credited back.Te credit showed up on the bank

tatements two months later.o address concerns raised about

how P-cards are used, May said, the ad-ministration has made a lot o changeso how were operating where P-cards

are concerned.Once we got past the sensational-

sm o the conversation as a whole,we really had to hunker down and address the entire acilitation o our P-cards countywide, May said.

First the countys P-card policy wasevised, May said.

Te county made revisions,changed language, clarified a lot ohings and had every P-card holdero read the updated policies and to sign

off on them May said.Mays administration has mandated

annual training or P-card holders andnstituted annual audits or staff and

elected officials.Te big undamental learning area

or medealt with the CEOs role inhe P-card oversight, May said.

Its our position that access to aP-card is a privilege; its not a right oranyone, May said. It is an administra-ive unction. We are able to create theules or the usage o the P-cards, even

emove peoples access to the P-cards asdeemed necessary.An interim director o purchasing

and contracts, ScottCallanis provid-ng a new set o eyes or the oversight

o P-cards and all o purchasing, Mayaid.

Callan is tasked with implementinghe recommendations by a consultant

who reviewed the purchasing depart-ment.

May said his goal is to rebuild theconfidence in how we are spending ourmoney and how we are making the se-ections o people who will actually dohe work to deliver the services or the

county.Were trying to be proactive to the

ituation and not just react to things ashey come about, he said.

been able to obtain an additional 5 percent or mycorrectional oicers because were one o the lowestpaid correctional sta in the metro area, and weneed to stabilize the jail.

I want to approve upon our inmate programs,expand those. We have an outstanding inmateprograms but I want to expand those, and I wantto continue to build upon our technologicalimprovements in the sheri s oice to createeiciencies in the sheri s oice. hose are the threethings Im going to immediately proceed to workon, he said.

A resident o Stone Mountain who attendsBerean Christian Church, Mann has served aspresident o the DeKalb Lawyers Association. Hehas been a mentor or the Big Brothers Big SistersProgram o Atlanta and maintains his membershipwith the State Bar o Georgia as well as the DeKalbBar Association.

For Jones, this is his third consecutive loss.Vernon has not won an election in DeKalb since hewas re-elected as CEO in 2004. He lost in two racessince leaving oice in 2009: U.S. Senate that yearand U.S. House in 2010.

Jones served in the Georgia House oRepresentatives rom 1993-2001, and was elected tothe county CEO position in 2000 and re-elected in2004. For Jones, the uture is unclear.

hree county school board seats were decided byvoters July 22.

At press time, Michael Erwinwon with 64.5percent o the vote over Atticus LeBlanc, and willnow represent District 3.

In District 4, Jim McMahan won over KarenCarter with 55.17 percent o the vote to Carters44.83 percent.

Vickie Turner upset incumbent Thad Mayfieldto represent District 5, having received 58.86 percento the vote. Mayield received 41.14 percent.

Part o the shule comes due to the eliminationo Super Districts 8 and 9 by the General Assembly.hose positions were previously held by Carter andMayield. District 5 representativeDavid Campbelland District 1 representative John Coleman, bothappointed by GovernorNathan Dealin March

2013, chose not to run.All other incumbents were orced to run or re-

election, with only the district 4 seat eaturing twoincumbents in the runo.

Former DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown congratulates newly elected Sheriff. Photo by Carla Parker

Former DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones loses his bid forsheriff. File photo

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See Wrestling on page 19A

PetoftheWeek

Topper (ID# 23274474) is a Labrador Retriever mix. He is a sweet, happy, affectionate 1 year old who loves attention and cuddles. Topperis a precious little fellow who loves to run a nd play, but is then happy to op down and just hang out by your side. He would be content todo whatever you want; he just wants to be near you. Toppers friendliness extends beyond people; he also gets along well with other dogs.Topper dreams of a new home; please help make his dream come true.Throughout July under the current Celebrate Their Independence Day promotion all dogs are only $30 and all cats are only $17.76! Come

meet Topper at the DeKalb shelter and help him nd his way to freedom. Adoption fee includes spay/neuter, vaccinations, microchip and more!Please call (404) 294-2165 or email [email protected] for additional information.

The adoptions number: (404) 294-2165 For adoption inquiries: [email protected] rescue inquiries: [email protected]

For volunteer and foster inquiries: [email protected]

campersor, inventors, asparticipants are knowncy-cle through four stations perday taking apart electronics,building machines, brain-storming problems and just

having a good time.Hosting Camp Dis-covery here at McNair hasbeen wonderful, because italready has the STEM pro-gram in place, said DeKalbCounty CommissionerLarry Johnson.

According to SimoneWillingham, a readingteacher at McNair and direc-tor of the weeklong camp,Johnson was instrumental ingetting the camp to McNair.The program normally costs$220 per child. Johnsonhelped facilitate a privatedonation to cover the costsfor every one of the 40 in-

ventors, grades K-5.CH2MHill, an engineer-

ing and consulting firm witha branch in Atlanta, donated$10,000 to fund the one-week camp.

Johnson said he wasconfident that the childrenattending camp would oneday find success along thelines of the popular AngryBirds phone app.

Its all right if you wantto play Candy Crush, but I

want you to be able to makethe app, he said.On day three of the

camp, which ran July 14-18,the inventors were brain-storming ideas on how toimprove the lives of othersunder the instruction of

Jeffrey Jackson, a specialeducation teacher at McNairwho was helping instruct thecamp.

The man who inventeda new kind of prosthesis was

in sixth grade when he de-signed it and in college be-fore he invented it, Jacksonsaid. We want them to startthinking now about theirinventions, even if they dontmake anything yet.

Another station in thecafeteria featured take-aparts, where the inventorstook screwdrivers and pliersto old VCRs, boom boxesand typewriters. Willinghamsaid adults use hammers andwire cutters to help, but allthe parts are removed by theinventors. Then, the partswill be used to invent pinballmachines.

Pinball is a little overtheir heads, they dont knowwhat that is, she said. Butthey are making a fun gameand its real engineering.

Willingham said thecamp is also providing freebreakfasts and lunches forthe inventors and, in somecases, opening early andstaying late for studentswhose parents work andcant pick them up rightaway.

We really just want tomake sure the kids get hereand have this experience,she said.

STEM Continued from page 12An November.

I am focused on growing a safer and moreprosperous Clarkston and I believe most resi-dents want their elected officials to focus onhe business of the city, not on political petti-

ness, Terry said.The news of the complaint and the ethics

committee hearing had some Clarkston resi-dents angry at the council members and ques-ioning the validity of the committee hearing.

According to residents and Terry, the ethicscommittee violated the Open Meetings Act bymeeting and holding a hearing with only twoof the three slots filled on the committee anda last-minute adoption of its rules and proce-dures, which did not exist until July 2.

Six days after the complaint was filed, onemember of the ethics committee resignedfrom his seat on the committee. During thehearing, Terrys lawyer, Aubrey Villines, fileda letter of objections and argued that the com-plaint should be dismissed based on the lackof evidence, among other things.

The people who compiled the complaint

will make the final decision on the complaint,which is a conflict of interest, Villines said.More than 50 residents attended the hear-

ing, some wearing shirts that had the fourcouncilmembers faces covered with a bannedsign. Dianne Coker, a 30-year resident ofClarkston, called the four councilmembersidiots for filing the complaint.

The council doesnt like anyone who theydidnt hand pick, she said. [Terry] is young,intelligent, and hes the only mayor thatscome to my house.

Another resident, Sonny Knox, said thecity council has broken many laws.

The city council is illegally doing this, hesaid. Theyve broken the Open Records Act,and all sorts of illegality is going on with thecity council.

The ethics committee is expected to makea decision on the complaint in five days. Afterthe committee makes its decision, Terry said,he hopes he and the city council can put theissues aside and work together.

Im calling on all the councilmembers andall the residents to not take any counter actionas a result of any decision that is made by theethics committee, he said. Its important that

we move on, and we start working on thingsthat are truly in the publics best interest.

Mayor Continued from page 8A

Dyslexia Continued from page 9A

Accreditation Continued from page 3A

We are always sendingpeople elsewhere to find theame type of training that we

provide, Kopp said. We area comprised of a board, andwe do all that we can, but weall have full time jobs and itsomething we do on nights

and weekends out of love.Coordinating takes a lot ofime and a lot of manpower.

We would like to expand, yes,and this is a great partnershipbecause it will allow us to ex-pand.

As a year-and-a-half oldgroup, REAP looked to IDA-GA to help with funding, asRhett explained, new non-profits sometimes have a hardime reaching donors. And,

since the missions aligned,it was an easy sell. On theREAP website, scores ofteachers praise the training:This training has strength-ened my ability to diagnosewhat individual students arestruggling with as readers andhow I can help them over-come that gap, says one.Allteachers deserve to knowabout this approach, saysanother.

Rhett said with IDA-GAsupport they have been ableto offer more training thanthey otherwise would have,and are looking to expandacross the state. Eventually,she said, shed like to see a na-tionwide expansion of REAPs

training programs.At some point our educa-

tion system will recognize theneed for that kind of instruc-tion and we will not existany longer, but I dont seethat happening, Rhett said.Even some of the the specialed teachers dont understanddyslexia, dyscalculia. But,theyre not special ed issues,theyre general ed issues. Wewant to work with all stu-dents and make all studentsstronger.

The organizations perfor-mance is annually evaluatedby Stone Mountain Down-own Development Authority,

which works in partnershipwith the National Main StreetCenter to identify the localprograms that meet 10 per-ormance standards.

This year we have cel-brated the openings of two

new businesses, started aaade improvement grant,

hosted successful events, andtarted the Stone Mountain

Farmers Market, said Mechel

McKinley, Downtown Devel-opment Authority executivedirector. As we move intohe second half of the year weontinue to see interest from

new businesses and expan-sion of our events. We havea lot of momentum, and theDDA plans to keep thingsmoving in a positive direc-tion.

The mission of the DDA isto foster an environment thatsustains current businessesand encourages future growthand development while en-hancing the historic characterof our city using the MainStreet approach.

Established by the Na-tional Trust for Historic

Preservation in 1980, theNational Main Street Centerhelps communities of all sizesrevitalize older and historiccommercial districts.

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THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 15AEDUCATION


It was a measles outbreak.Kids and campers alike at aummer camp came down

with a fever, cough, runnyeyes and rashes. But wheredid the outbreak start? Thatask was left up to 33 highchool students.

Doesnt sound right? Themock outbreakthough it isbased on real events investi-gated by the CDCwas partof a weeklong summer campprogram for rising highchool juniors and seniors.

Disease Detective Camp isn its ninth year.

The goals are to exposeour high school students toobs in public health, said

Trudi Ellerman, educa-ional director at the David. Sencer CDC Museum and

director of the camp. Publichealth is not something theyusually learn about until

hey get to grad school. Ouroverall goal is exposure tovarious careers in publichealth and increasing di-versity in the public health

field.On the first day of the

camp, students were inves-tigating the source of themeasles outbreak by inter-

viewing volunteers, CDCemployees stationed aroundthe museum and readingfrom a script. Some werecampers and some werecounselors. The actual

CDC campers would get theright answers if they askedthe right questions to theright people, so in groupsof three or four they inter-

viewed, wrote and comparednotes to come up with a so-lution.

One group of students,Aoife Megaw, Marya Lieb,

Jerica Tanand KaitlynWampler, sat studying theirresults. They had each inter-

viewed approximately threepeople, and were makingnotes on sheets.

We need to know howmany doses of the vaccine,cause the person that wasnot sick said she was vac-cinated, but the person who

was sick said that she justhad one dose, said Tan.

I had one person whosaid she had two doses, saidWampler.

So, just add on howmany doses, Tan said, writ-ing on her clipboard.

Each student had his orher own reason for beingthere. Megaw said she wasinterested in public healthafter wanting to go into

medicine but desiring toreach more people than shewould as a general physi-cian. Tan said her fatherworks in public health, andshe went from being a ger-maphobe to wanting to workwith diseases. Wampler saidshe was interested in micro-biology, something she wasexperiencing at her special-ized high school.

The campers had to applyto get in. Ellerman said theylook for interested studentsregardless of GPA.

The application has fouressay questions and a teach-er recommendation form,Ellerman said. We want not

just the kids that do well on

tests. They have a chanceto answer these questions.We typically get a little over300 applications. We dotwo camps per summer andtheyre identical.

This year there were twocamps of 33 campers each,one June 23-27 and one July21-25.

Over the course of theweek the campers learnabout epidemiology and

the CDCs role in combat-ing communicable diseaseoutbreaks, conduct a mockpress conference on whatthey learned, practice han-dling pathogensbut notreal pathogensin the labs,learn about environmentalhealth, do a mock outbreakon public health law, andconduct a roundtable dis-cussion on the campersschool health and wellnessplans.

The more we do themore they see there really is

a place for everyone here atthe CDC, Ellerman said.

Our overall goal is exposure

to various careers in public

health and increasing

diversity in the public health

field. Trudi Ellerman

CDC camp inspires students in public health fields

Students at the CDC Disease Detective Camp interviewed CDC volunteers about a mock outbreak, honing their epidemiology skills. Photo provided

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THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 16ABUSINESS

The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce

404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030

Tucker company to outfit fashionable dogsby Kathy Mitchell

Dogs and other house-hold pets will soon look aot cooler if Karen Lynnand

RosemaryHopperhave any-hing to say about it. Lynn

and Hopper are president andashion designer, respectively

at Mister Migs, a soon-to-aunch company that makesseriously cool dog gear foreriously cool dogs using re-

purposed denim.At a small manufacturing

acility in Tucker, discardednon-stretch jeans are used tocreate the Migrubbie line ofpet fashions and accessoriesor which Hopper oversees

design and production. Theashion line includes dog

ackets, bandanas, collar cov-ers and other items. Small de-achable bits of fabric, calledabbies, are used to customizehe garments.

By changing the tabby, wecan make the item more fem-nine or more masculine or

give it a holiday look, Lynnexplained. There are no hugendustrial machines at Mister

Migs; the products are hand-made, many one of-a-kind.

There also are no big boltsof cloth. Products typicallytart out as old jeans that are

broken down and reworkednto new items. We cut offegs and pockets. Sometimes

we match the original stitch-ng as we make the new

product. There are no jeansoo worn for us to use, Lynnaid.

Mister Migs is a for-profitcompany with nonprofit-typecommunity initiatives, ex-plained Lynn, who through-out her 30-year career as anentrepreneur has mentoredyoung adults with specialneeds. When we bringyoung people into the orga-

nization, we encourage themo explore their talents andnterests so they can discover

what they do well and havemarketable skills when theyeave here, she said. If it

hadnt been for my mentors, Idont think I would have be-come an entrepreneur.

Hopper, who teaches fash-on at a local college but plansoon to be full time with

Mister Migs, said the policyof helping young people get

started in the work world isone of the things she foundappealing about the company.Creative people sometimeshave a difficult time in a tra-ditional work environment. I

love that here theyre free tofind their own way, she said.

Lynn said shes pleasedthat Mister Migs products aremade from old clothing thatmight otherwise end up in alandfill. Thats good for theenvironment, Lynn noted.She said while some companyprofits will be used to helpyoung people with disabilitiesthrough scholarships andother applications, she prefersto keep it a private businesswith no government funds.

In founding her most re-

cent venture, Lynn decided tocombine her passion for help-ing young people with twoother passionsneedleworkand dogs. The owner of fourrescued dogs, including theone from whom the companytakes its name, she recalled,Mister Migs was the sad-dest little thing when I firstgot him. He wasnt so muchabused as neglected. He wasused as a stud dog in a back-yard puppy mill. Now a car-toon image of Mister Migs isthe company symbol.

Mister Migs story is sym-

bolic of one the companysmissions: We took him inand gave him a better life; wewant to do that for everyonewho comes here, Lynn said.

Lynn is careful to createitems the dogs enjoy as muchas the owners. Dogs dontlike wearing items that itch orfit poorly, she explained, butthe denim fabric feels good tothem. They find the weightcomforting. She added thatthe collar covers have leashloops that are more com-fortable for small dogs than

leashes that are worn directlyaround the neck.She predicts that the prod-

ucts will appeal to consumerswhose dogs are like familymembers. Lynns householdalso includes Scottish TerrierSadie, who sometimes modelsMigrubbies around the shop.

Initially, the apparel willbe for dogs because dogs arewhat I know, Lynn explained,adding that she envisions gearfor other pets in the future.

Sadie models a Migrubbie dog jacket complete with a tabby. Photos by Kathy Mitchell

The companys symbol is a cartoon version of anactual rescued dog.

Pouches can hold plastic bags for owners toclean up behind their dogs.

Rosemary Hopper, left, and Karen Lynn work together tomake dog attire thats fashionable and comfortable.

Dog jackets called Migrubbies are the companyssignature item.

Mister Migs employees are turning out products inpreparation for a November launch.

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THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS , FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 17ACLASSIFIEDS

DISCLAIMER:We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate, or intend to discriminate, on any illegal basis. Nor do we knowingly accept employment advertisementsthat are not bona-fide job offers. All real estate advertisements are subject to the fair housing act and we do not accept advertising that is in violation of the law. The law prohibits

discrimination based on color, religion, sex, national origin, handicap or familial status.

The Championis not responsible for any damages resulting from advertisements. All sales nal.

RATES: $30.00 for up to 40 words, each additional word $0.60.All ads are prepaid! All Major credit cards accepted!

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THE CHAMPIO N FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 18ASPORTS

Tucker Head coach Bryan Lamar Stephenson Head coach Ron Gartrell Marist Head coach Alan Chadwick

Members of this years Tucker Tigers football team are looking to build on last yearssuccess. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Teams hope to build on last seasons successby Carla [email protected]

Although the Tucker Tigerswere the only football teamthat represented DeKalb

County in the state championshipgames last season, a few other pro-grams in the county can say the2013 season was one of their bestseasons.

The Arabia Mountain Ramshad their first winning season inprogram history with a 7-3 record,and after going 0-10 in 2012, theTowers Titans finished last season

at .500 with a 5-5 record. These twoteams and the rest of the 20 foot-ball programs in DeKalb are hop-ing to build off last seasons successor improve as they prepare for the2014 season.

Football coaches and some ofthe top players in the county gath-ered at Tucker High School July 16for the 14th annual Football MediaDay. This was the first time Tuckerhosted media day, which was held atHallford Stadium the past 13 years.

Coaches introduced some oftheir players and talked about theirexpectations and excitement for the

upcoming season, which kicks offAug. 22. This season features clas-sification and region changes, withtwo teams (Lakeside and Tucker)moving up from Region 6-AAAAAto Region 2-AAAAAA.

Cross Keys and St. Pius movedup from Region 6-AAA to6-AAAA, while Druid Hills (Re-gion 6-AAAAA), Lithonia and Ara-bia Mountain (Region 6-AAAA)moved down a classification. CedarGrove, Decatur, McNair and Tow-ers changed regions as well but re-main in AAA classification.

Arabia Mountain head coachStanley Pritchett mentioned that

his team has worked hard this off-season to build on the success oflast season.

We lost a lot of seniors and alot of guys had to step up, Pritchett

said. Three things Ill say aboutour team are were young, were tal-

ented but were unproven. We lookforward to working hard in a toughregion, competing, being successfuland making sure that we play hardand compete in every game.

With Towers going from a losingto a winning program in one sea-

son, the next step for the team is tomake the playoffs, a goal it hopes toreach this season. Towers assistantcoach Emanuel Lewis said his teamhas to stay focused if players want

to make the playoffs.Thats what were building

within the players, staying focused,Lewis said. Were trying to builda brand. Every good team has abrand. Last year we scored a lot ofpoints, but we were doing it off ofbig plays.

Now we want to concentrate onbuilding a brand, and when adversi-ty comes we want to be able to staydisciplined Lewis added.

Towers also has brought in a newstrength and conditioning coach,William Ward, who brought in aprogram to help the players build

speed, agility and gain strength.We implemented a study hall

for the players because were alsobuilding academics, Lewis said.Our motto is, to win today. If wego about the season winning eachday, itll transfer to Friday nights.

The Tucker team put the statechampionship loss behind themand focused on getting better. Headcoach Bryan Lamar said his pro-gram lost many players the offsea-son has been filled with teachingand learning to help the new playersplay football the Tucker way.

The effort has been there so

hopefully we can go out and be ableto compete against some of the topprograms in the country, Lamarsaid.

On top of being in a new clas-sification, Tucker will be challengedright out of the gate with its firsttwo games. The Tigers open theseason against two-time AAAAAAstate champions Norcross in theCorky Kell Classic Aug. 23 and thefollowing week they will face the2013 national champion and No.1 ranked Booker T. Washingtonof Miami, Fla. in the Chick-fil-ABattle of the Borders at HallfordStadium.

Its a different challenge, Lamarsaid. But weve established our-selves as one of the top programswe feel likein the state of Georgiaand the country.

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THE CHAMPIO N FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, JULY 25, 2014 PAGE 19ASPORTS

Stephenson High School Photos by Travis Hudgons

Cross Keys High School

Cedar Grove High School St. Pius X

From left, Ricky Gross from Arabia Mountain and Bud Kingof Tucker High school.

ootball coaches and some of the top players in the county gathered at Tucker High School July 16 for the 14th annualootball Media Day.

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a new bloom appears.You see daylilies sometimes by the side of the

oad, the ditch daylilies they sometimes call them,Grovenstein said. Theyre survivors. Daylilies areisted in a book I have on the wildflowers of Geor-

gia, because in all the abandoned homesteads theyexist like any other. They were brought over early

by the settlers.Daylilies are often shared with neighbors.Grovenstein said his mother got hers from aneighbor and fellow daylily enthusiast Ron Mc-Clure, who was given his first ones from a friendas well.

She was giving me some when I bought myfirst house and her mother lived next door, andhe said Well come over to my house, and she had

over 800 different named varieties; it was prettyamazing, McClure said.

McClure said he is a daylily collector, and start-ed more than 20 years ago with a few donated byfriends and family.

I got addicted, he said bluntly. You get a few,you get a few more when I first got them I didntput names on them I really didnt care. But then

realized that if you are going to start collectinghem you really ought to put a name on them so

you know whats what.The relative ease of hybridizing means that

here are hundreds of unique, named cultivars onfile with the American Hemerocallis SocietyHemerocallis is the Latin name for dayliliesthenational organization for daylily enthusiasts.

To introduce a new daylily, first a hybridizerhas to make a new flower by either combining twoexisting types or combining what are known asseedlings,hybrids that dont have an official name

or registration. Once the new flower blooms, apicture is taken, a name is selected and an appli-cation can be sent to the American HemerocallisSociety.

Whats improved by all this hybridizing is thecolors Grovenstein said. Otherwise you have thissort of muddy, orange-y color.

Like many plants, daylilies can have two setsof chromosomes, three, or even four. This is incontrast to most animal species, which usuallyhave two sets and no more. The diversity of chro-mosomes makes the variations on color, form andsize nearly endless. Grovenstein said he special-ized in tetraploids, or lilies with four sets of chro-mosomes.

When you first start collecting you want all ofthem, and then you get a little more selective withcolor or type, McClure said.

There are small ones, big ones, ones with long,skinny petals called spiders, ones with rufflededges, different-colored haloes around the throatand almost any color but pure white or true blue.McClure even grows a variety called CheddarCheese, which is fluorescent yellow and triangu-lar-shaped.

Grovenstein and his wife, Lilian, have intro-duced 69 different cultivars to the daylily commu-nity since 1985. Grovenstein favored large showydouble-blooming varietiesthey have double thepetals of a normal daylilywhile Lilian favorssmall daylilies. Both have had to stop gardeningdue to health reasons, but their one-third acregrowing patch still puts forth a dazzling display ofblossoms throughout June.

Some of the 69 varieties include: Parrish Erwin,which has a purple tint named for a favorite cous-

in of Grovensteins; Earl of Chatham, named forChatham County and sporting bright yellow flow-ers, and Briarmoor Princess, a pale pink double-blooming

freepress 07-25-14

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