By Joshua Smith

A coalition of activists, attorneys and families who have lost loved ones in police-involved shootings are blasting DeKalb County’s Public Safety Director Cedric Alexander for slighting them.

Members of the DeKalb County Coalition for Justice and Police Accountability (DCCJPA) are angry that Alexander failed to show up for a Sept. 10 meeting to hear their concerns. They also said they are upset that neither Alexander nor anyone else from the DeKalb Police Department has apologized to the families of those who have been killed or injured by police.

“How can Mr. Alexander be on CNN like every other week giving his expertise on police practices across the country when his own police department is out of control?” said Makungu M. Akinyela. “What you see here is a sort of pattern to continue to resist and

refuse to acknowledge families and show some compassion. These families

are in pain. Even today, Mr. Alexander continues to kind of spit in the faces of

these families.”Jacquelyn Bradley is one of those

who said she feels the pain. Her cousin, Troy Robinson, was tased by police after running from them in August. Robinson was on an eight-foot wall when he fell, broke his neck and later died after being tased.

A total of 69 candidates have thrown their names in the hat for the Nov.

3 municipal elections scheduled in 10 cities in DeKalb County and one city in neighboring Rockdale County. The qualifying period for the municipal seats was held Aug. 31 to Sept. 4.

The city of Conyers in Rockdale is the only municipality among 11 cities where all three incumbents on the ballot face no opposition and will keep their seats. Supervisor of Elections Cynthia Welch says even with the unopposed seats, however, ballots still must be printed so that voters can participate in the special election to choose someone to fill the State Senate District 43 seat, which was vacated by Ron Ramsey. The former long-time state senator recently relinquished his seat to accept an appointment as an as-sociate judge in DeKalb County’s new traffic court. District 43 covers Rockdale and portions of DeKalb and Newton counties.

Here’s a look at the positions voters in DeKalb and Rockdale will be deciding:

Avondale Estates

Residents will elect a mayor and two city commissioners.

In the city’s mayoral race, in-cumbent Jonathen Elmore is run-ning unopposed.

Residents will elect two at-large City Commissioners in a five-way race that includes incumbent John Quinn, Brian Fisher, John Pomberg, Todd Pullen and Adela Yelton.

Brookhaven

Residents will elect a mayor and two City Council members.

Three people are running for mayor including incumbent Rebec-ca Chase Williams, Dale Boone and John Ernst.

Two are running for City Coun-cil, District 1: incumbent Linley Jones and Eve Erdogan.

Incumbent Bates Mattison faces no opposition for the District 3 seat.

Chamblee

Three City Council seats are open and will be on the ballot.

The City Council, District 2 race includes incumbent Leslie C. Robson and e Verl C. Van Hoozen.

The District 3 race includes incumbent Thomas Hogan, II and Clara Azcunes de Ojeda.

The council member at-large race contestants are incumbent Dan Zanger and opponent Darron Kusman.

The City of Clarkston

There are five challengers for three at large City Council seats:

incumbent Warren Hadlock, Bev-erly H. Burks, Birendra Dhakal, Awet “Howard” Eyasu and Mario Williams.

City of Decatur

Residents will decide on three seats for their City Commission and two Board of Education seats.

City Commissioner, District 1, Post B race includes incumbent Scott Drake, Eric Tumperi and Va-lencia Monique Breedlove.

City Commissioner, District 2, Post B are James M. Johnson and Brian Smith. Incumbent Kecia Cunningham is not seeking re-elec-tion.

City Commissioner At Large candidates are Anthony “Tony” Powers and John P. Ridley.

The Board of Education, Dis-trict 1, Post B seat candidate is Christopher Garrett Goebel, who is running unopposed.

The Board of Education, Dis-trict 2, Post B race candidates are Tasha R. White and Thomas R. DeSimone

VOLUME 21 NUMBER 24 FREE SEPTEMBER 12, 2015

Published Since April 1995Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews

See Election, page 6

Activists, attorneys and angry family members have united to demand answers and condolences from DeKalb County Police.

See Justice page 6

Photos by Joshua Smith/OCG News

69 qualify for municipal races in DeKalb, Rockdale

Sept. 22: National Voter Registration DayOct. 5: Deadline to register to vote Oct. 12-30: Early votingNov. 3: Municipal elections, Special Elections for unexpired termsDec. 1: Special Runoff

Election 2015 Important Dates:

‘We Want Justice’Community coalition blasts DeKalb’s public safety director

PAGE 2 •SPETEMBER 12, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

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DeKalb Medical at Hillandale is invit-ing the community

to help celebrate its 10-year anniversary this month.

The hospital is hosting “Take A Loved One to the Doctor Day” on Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at its Hillandale capus parking lot, 2801 DeKalb Medical Park-way, Lithonia.

Hospital officials say since opening its doors on July 8, 2005, DeKalb Medical at Hillandale has provided high-quality care and service to South DeKalb residents who previously had limited access to such health care.

“We believe there is no better way to con-nect our commu-nity with physicians, empower residents to take control of their health, and enhance relationships than by proudly hosting this event,” said DeKalb Medical at Hill-andale Vice President and Ad-ministrator Kim Bentley. “We want to make sure our patients feel comfortable, as if they are interacting with a family member or friend who has their best interest at heart.”

Hillandale staff, including primary care and specialty physicians, will be on hand to interact one-on-one with com-munity residents, and provide an array of free health screen-ings, including blood pressure and cholesterol

Staff will educate and an-swer questions about primary care, and financial counselors will discuss how attendees can sign up for an affordable health care plan that fits their budget. There will be a reg-istration area to sign up for a primary care physician.

Informative and educa-tional discussions on diabetes and nutrition, healthy and deli-

cious cooking demonstrations and recipes that can easily be recreated at home, and well-ness and fitness demonstra-tions will also be part of the festivities.

Support from several community businesses, or-ganizations and civic groups has been integral to Hillan-dale’s success and growth in the past 10 years, and many of those partners will be on site. The 100 Black Men of DeKalb, DeKalb County’s Mobile Farmer’s Market Unit, DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department, DeKalb Coun-ty Fire Rescue Department, American Medical Response,

Harry the Hawk, Miller Grove High School’s team, and many more will fill the parking lot. Interactive activities will include meet-and-greets with police officers, firefighters and paramedics, and a chance to look at their vehicles up close.

Every year, DeKalb Medical at Hillandale serves more than 5,000 people who seek inpatient care, 16,000 who visit the Comprehensive Breast Center, 60,000 in the Emergency Department, and 1,600 who have surgeries.

DeKalb Medical at Hillandale is located at 2801 DeKalb Medical Parkway, Lithonia.

EDITOR/PUBLISHER Valerie J. Morgan

editor@ocgnews.com

GENERAL MANAGERGlenn L. Morgan

gmorgan1@ocgnews.com

STAFF WRITER Joshua Smith

joshsmith@ocgnews.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Richard S. Hill

richardhill@ocgnews.com

On Common Ground News is published weekly by On Common Ground, Inc. The newspaper serves DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Henry counties.

The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher or the newspaper’s advertisers.

No portion of this newspaper may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher.

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Kim Bentley

DeKalb Medical at Hillandale celebrates 10-year anniversary

Kennel Club to donate pet disaster relief trailer to Rockdale County

The Conyers Kennel Club of Georgia, Inc. and Rockdale County Fire-Rescue are inviting the public to attend a celebration for a pet disas-ter relief trailer that will serve the community

The celebration for the new $22,000 trailer will be held on Sept. 29, 4 p.m., in the Government Annex south parking lot, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers. Carmen L. Battaglia, who serves on the American Kennel Club’s (AKC) Board of Directors and AKC Reunite, will attend the ceremony. Local Kennel Club members also will be on hand with their dogs to check out the new trailer.

“This trailer will provide animal care services during the first critical hours if a disaster ever hits Rockdale County or the surrounding areas,” said Tom Sharp, AKC Reunite CEO. “Safe, effective pet sheltering solutions in times of disaster are incredibly important, and AKC Reunite is pleased to help communities across the nation prepare by mobilizing AKC Pet Disaster Relief.”

Rockdale is the second government agency in Georgia to receive a pet disaster trailer from AKC Reunite.

Mike Houchard, an AKC delegate, worked with Don Watson, president of Conyers Kennel Club of Georgia, to bring the new trailer to Rockdale.

“The idea, of course, was well received by all parties,” Houchard said. “The result of those discussions and planning sessions is here today in the realization of the disaster trailer being presented to the county.”

The typical AKC unit is a 16-by-7-foot two-axle trailer. The units are stocked with essential, nonperishable necessities for sheltering pets. Supplies are used to create a safe, temporary home for the animals. The federal government reimburs-es emergency management organizations up to 75 percent for expenses incurred when caring for a pet during and following a disaster.

The Conyers Kennel Club, which is part of the American Kennel Club, has been active since 1980, representing Rockdale, Newton and parts of Henry coun-ties. Watson said that over the years, the club has purchased dog food for the local food bank to assist families who cannot afford it for their pets, as well as to provide food for police dogs, bullet-proof vests and other items for fire and police departments in the three counties.

“Although purebred dogs are our main focus, we know there is a large con-tingent of loving, mixed breeds in these counties, and we’ve seen over the years where disasters have happened and there’s no organized way to take care of these animals,” Watson said. “With the purchase of this trailer and partnering with Rockdale County Fire-Rescue, we thought this would be a way to care for animals displaced during a disaster.

Rockdale Fire Chief Dan Morgan said he is excited to have another proactive tool to use during a typically chaotic time. He said that trained volunteers will be deployed when necessary to help staff the trailer with the assistance of county departments.

“The donation of this trailer and its contents will greatly enhance the Co-nyers-Rockdale Emergency Management Agency’s abilities to care for animals in times of disaster,” Morgan said. “We’re partnering with Rockdale County Animal Control and Care and our new Community Animal Response Team to have the training, equipment and protocols in place to protect our pets when they need it most.”

Anyone interested in learning more about volunteering with the Community Animal Response Team, or CART, should contact Sharon Webb with the Rockdale Fire Rescue at 770-278-8401 or Sharon.webb@rockdalecounty.org.

DeKalb schools’ chief sets series of community meetings

DeKalb Schools Superintendent R. Stephen Green

will be meeting with various communities in the district starting this month. The “On the Scene with Dr. Green: Community conversations with Dr. Green” will kick off on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 7 to 8 p.m., Stone Mountain

High School.Parents, students, resi-dents and other stake-holders are invited to discuss issues, concerns, and other important topics concerning the district.Community meetings with Green also will be held: • Thursday, Nov. 19, 2015, 7 to 8 p.m.

Chamblee High School• Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, 7 – 8 p.m.Columbia Middle School• Tuesday, March 29, 2016, 7 – 8 p.m.New Fernbank Elemen-tary School• Tuesday, April 12, 2016, 7 – 8 p.m.Lithonia High School

Dr. Stephen Green

PAGE 4 • SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

DEKALB

Two public meetings set to discuss overcrowding in Cross Keys cluster

The DeKalb County School District will host two public meetings to discuss the district’s plans to address overcrowding in the Cross Keys schools cluster.

The schools in the cluster are: Cary Reynolds Elementary, Cross Keys High, Dresden Elementary, Montclair Elementary, Oakcliff Theme, Sequoyah Middle, and Woodward Elementary.

The meetings will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6 – 7:30 p.m., at Cross Keys High School, 1626 N. Druid Hills Road N.E., Atlanta; and on Thursday, Sept. 17, 6 – 7:30 p.m., at Sequoyah Middle School, 3456 Aztec Road, Doraville.

Candlelight jazz nights set in Decatur

The community is invited to free, candlelight jazz concerts on upcoming Thurs-days, 7 to 9 p.m., in September at The Solarium, 321 West Hill St., Decatur. Bring

your lawn chair or blanket. On Sept. 17, enjoy the music and poetry of the Beat Generation, a 21st century

spin on jazz and spoken word. On Sept. 24, the Bonaventure Quartet will perform. The Bonaventure Quartet mixes the gypsy jazz style of “Django,” with contempo-rary influences such as Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits. Creative Loafing named the Quartet’s CD, The Secret Seduction of the Grand Pompadour, one of the “Best 100 Albums from Atlanta in the first decade of the new millennium.” The group has been performing around Atlanta since 2000.

GWINNETT

Public Safety fall festival to be held Coolray Field

Gwinnett County will host its sixth annual Public Safety Fall Festival on Satur-day, Oct. 3, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Coolray Field, One Braves Ave., Lawrenceville.

Families are invited to come out for fire truck, police motorcycle and helicop-ter displays, safety training demonstrations, kids’ activities, pet adoptions, give-aways, and a softball face-off between police officers and firefighters.

For more information, call the Gwinnett Police Crime Prevention Unit at 770-513-5119 or Gwinnett Fire Community Risk Reduction-Education Section at 678-518-4845.

ROCKDALE

Southeastern Charity Horse Show to feature 300 contestants

The Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers will host the 43rd Annual Southeastern Charity Horse Show on Sept. 16-19, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., in the Charles Walker Arena.

The show will feature more than 300 American Saddlebred horses as well as Hackney and Harness Ponies, Roadster ponies and Roadster horses, all recognized by the United States Equestrian Federation.

Judges for the show will come from throughout the South, including Georgia, Ken-tucky and the Carolinas. More than $30,000 in prize money and awards are up for grabs for riders and their horses. The event will benefit charities selected by the Kiwanis Club of Conyers.

Admission is free. 770-475-1244 or 770-475-1867

Officials set “Beer Fest” in Conyers

Conyers officials expect to raise $20,000 for local charities with the city’s inaugural Beer Fest on Saturday, Oct. 10, 1 – 5 p.m., at the Olde Town Pavilion, 949 South Main St., N.E., Conyers.

There will be a variety of craft and local beers to sample at the event. More than 25 beers from about 20 local breweries highlight the event. Each paying attendee, who must be 21 or older, will receive a four-ounce cup to sample all the beers.

Charities associated with the Conyers-Rockdale Council for the Arts, the Rockdale County Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Conyers will benefit from the festival.

Admission is $40.

DeKalb History Center presents ‘Lunch and Learn’ on family

The DeKalb History Center will host a free Lunch and Learn program that explores family photographs on Tuesday, Sept. 15, noon – 1 p.m., at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur.

The workshop will serve as a fun way to help program participants learn how to identify family photos.

Kenneth H. Thomas, Jr. will lead the workshop. Thomas has been the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s genealogy columnist since 1977. His weekly AJC column, “Genealogy,” is one of the longest-running columns of its kind in the country. A native of Columbus, Georgia, Thomas graduated from Emory University with a B.A. in history and served in the United States Air Force for over three years.

Thomas was the historian at the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources for 33 years. Thomas lectures frequently throughout the state on various historical and genealogical topics.

Bring your lunch and get ready to learn. 404-373-1088.

ATLANTA

Public libraries to celebrate grandparents

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will host several events to celebrate grandparents throughout September. All ages are invited.

The Peachtree branch, 1315 Peachtree St., N.E., is inviting people to come in to write a love note to grandma and grandpa during library hours until Sept. 30.

On Sept. 14, 10:30 a.m., the 980 Ponce de Leon Ave. branch, will host “We Love Grandparents Story time.” Stories will be told to attendees that celebrate the love grandparents have for their family members.

On Sept. 14, 10 a.m., the 47 Cleveland Ave. branch, will host “Grandparents Rock: An Evening of Celebration and Resources.” Attendees can enjoy music, tea and muffins while looking over resources benefitting seniors. Veola Momon, a senior citizens advocate, will serve as the guest speaker.

On Sept. 15, 10:30 a.m., the Carver Homes branch, 215 Lakewood Way, Suite 104, will host an activity allowing seniors to personalize tote bags with grandkids’ names and photos. Reservations required. 404-635-4012.

There will be a Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Groupon Sept. 17, 10 a.m. at the Mechanicsville Branch, 400 Formwalt St. S.W.

Grandparents will meet to discuss challenges as they become the caregiver for their grandchildren. Reservation required. 404-730-4779.

Events conclude on Sept. 19, 1 p.m., with a wellness fair for grandparents at the Dogwood Branch, 1838 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway. Grandparents are invited to receive free health screenings and wellness information. Registration is required. 404-792-4961.

Muslim Day set at Grant Park Grant Park, 840 Cherokee Ave., S.E., Atlanta, will host a free event, “Muslim Day,” on

Friday, Sept. 18, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. The event will feature international cuisine, education, activities and merchandise to

encourage and support greater faith and interfaith exchange. The theme of the event is “A Taste of the American Muslim Experience.”

There will be a Kids Fun Zone, family games and trivia competition, and arts and crafts.

For more information, call 404-378-1600.

Coming Up

An unidentified family poses for a multigenerational portrait - from the DeKalb History Center archival holdings.

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WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 • PAGE 5

DeKalb accepting applications for youth CEO internship DeKalb County Interim CEO Lee

May announces the Office of Youth Services is currently accepting appli-cations for the DeKalb County CEO’s Internship now until Oct. 9.

The DeKalb County CEO’s Intern-ship Program targets college students in their third year and above to pro-vide educational experiences to help strengthen opportunities available in various career disciplines and paths. Students must be a resident of DeKalb County and currently enrolled in a Metropolitan Atlanta area college or university.

Selection is based on a completed application; including an essay and a completed referral from a County Commissioner, school administrator, teacher, counselor or civic leader. Other considerations may include GPA, com-munity involvement and presentation during the interview process. Selected

participants will be notified of their acceptance by December 2015 and will begin during the spring semester in January 2016.

Successful applicants will be exposed to a number of governmen-tal, business, and community careers as they gain insight and longstanding effects of positive interaction with professionals. Interns will be provided with skill-related, career-related and professional opportunities that offer immediate access to DeKalb County departments and professional develop-ment training series to supplement their classroom experience.

Students can obtain an application packet by visiting www.dekalbcoun-tyga.gov. For additional information, please contact KaCey Venning at (404) 687-7192 or by email at kvenning@dekalbcountyga.gov.

City of Atlanta looking to hire Urban Agriculture Director The City of Atlanta will hire its first

Urban Agriculture Director, a full-time technical resource and advocate dedi-cated to expanding Atlanta residents’ access to local, healthy food options.

“The Director of Urban Agricul-ture will work to improve the city’s health and wellness by eliminating food deserts and providing our residents with access to the healthy food options that they deserve.”

Operating within the Mayor’s Of-fice of Sustainability, the Director will work to improve the city’s health and wellness by providing residents with ac-cess to healthy food options through the conversion of brownfields into urban gardens. The director will also work with community organizations and var-

ious City departments to improve grow-ers’ access to public and private land, facilitate the permitting process, obtain necessary zoning permits, support local initiatives, manage code compliance, and address other issues to advance urban agriculture in Atlanta.

“The new Director of Urban Agri-culture will help further the City’s Pow-er to Change initiative, which aims to bring local, healthy food within a half-mile of 75 percent of all residents by 2020,” said Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, director of the Office of Sustainability.

The job listing can be found on the City’s website, or by click-ing http://chc.tbe.taleo.net/chc03/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=ATL-GA&cws=1&rid=2079.

Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful shares accomplishments Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful (GCB)

logged 314,955 volunteer hours, cleaned 1,865 miles of road and stream and planted 243 trees, shrubs and plants over the past year.

These were among the statistics the organization shared recently in its efforts to foster and cultivate a commu-nity of environmental stewards.

“Our mission is simple: We engage citizens to take action. Engaged citizens equal results that benefit our commu-nity as a whole. We are committed to providing visible, measurable results of our efforts,” saidGCB Executive Direc-tor Connie Wiggins. . “Environmental stewardship is a group effort. While

one person can make an incredible impact, we have to build and sustain a network of dedicated volunteers, part-ner businesses and like-minded organi-zations in order to keep our community green, clean and beautiful.”

Over the last year, GCB, which was founded 35 years ago, engaged 26,698 citizens. The group also: educat-ed 200,312 adults and 141,103 youths; recycled 26,319,354 pounds of recycla-bles; removed 152,697 pounds of litter and debris; and hosted a number of eco-friendly events including America Recycles Day, Great American Clean-up, Great Gwinnett Wetlands, Great Days of Service and Bring One for the Chipper Christmas tree recycling.

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DeKalb Board of Health ready to dispense flu shots

It’s time to prepare for flu season and the DeKalb County Board of Health is urging the community to get vaccinated. County health centers are now offering flu shots on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday, 8:15 a.m. to

4:30 p.m. Health officials are especially encouuraging those who fall into high-risk groups

to get vaccinated to avoid hospitalization or complications from the flu that could result in death. High-risk groups include children younger than 5, adults 65 years of age and older, pregnant women and individuals with chronic illnesses.

Individuals with the following conditions also are considered high risk and should get a flu shot: those with asthma (even if it is controlled or mild); neurolog-ical and neurodevelopmental conditions, including disorders of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerve and muscle; chronic lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis; heart disease, such as congenital heart dis-ease, congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease; blood disorders such as sickle cell disease; endocrine disorders such as diabetes; kidney disorders; liver dis-orders; metabolic disorders; weakened immune system due to disease or medication (such as people with HIV, AIDS or cancer and those on chronic steroids); people younger than 19 years of age who are on long-term aspirin therapy and people who are morbidly obese (having a body mass index of 40 or greater).

Flu vaccinations are available at the following DeKalb County Board of Health locations:

• Clifton Springs Health Center, 3110 Clifton Springs Road, Decatur, 404-244-2200

• East DeKalb Health Center, 2277 S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia Road, Lithonia, 770-484-2600

• North DeKalb Health Center, 3807 Clairmont Road, NE, Chamblee, 770-454-1144

• T.O. Vinson Health Center, 440 Winn Way, Decatur, 404-294-3762• Refugee Health Services, Richardson Health Center, 445 Winn Way, Decatur,

404-294-3818. Flu vaccination is $30. Payment may be made by checks (on Georgia banks

only), cash, credit cards, Medicaid, Medicare. PeachCare for Kids® is accepted. Bring your insurance cards and methods of payment at the time of service in

order to receive the shot. Individuals with health insurance through the State Health Benefit Plan may receive their flu vaccination at any Board of Health location.

Other insurances may be accepted. If you are uncertain whether your insurance will be accepted, call any DeKalb County Board of Health location for verification.

The DeKalb County Board of Health will also bring vaccines to community group meetings. On-site flu clinics are also available for small businesses, faith-based organizations and civic clubs when 10 or more pre-register. Call the nearest health center to make arrangements.

For more information about the DeKalb County Board of Health’s flu vaccina-tion program, call 404-294-3700 or visit www.dekalbhealth.net

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Election,continued from page 1

Doraville

Residents will elect a mayor and three City Coun-cil members when they go to the polls.

Two challengers are in the race for mayor: incum-bent Donna Pittman and Tom Hart.

City Council, District 1 contestants are incumbent Pam Fleming, Julie Newman and Elton Mile.

City Council, District 2 seat has two contestants: Tim Snyder and M.D. Naser.

City Council, District 3 seat has one contestant: Shannon Hillard.

Dunwoody

Residents will elect a mayor and four City Coun-cil members.

In the mayor’s race are incumbent Mike Davis, Steve Chipka, Chris Grivakis and Denis Shortal, who is giving up his City Council seat to run for mayor.

The Special Election, District 1, Post 1 candidate is Pam Tallmadge, who is seeking the seat vacated by Shortal.

Post 4 contestants are incumbent Terry Nall and Rebecca Springer.

Post 5 candidate is incumbent Lynn Deutsch.Post 6 candidate is incumbent John Heneghan.

Lithonia

Residents will elect a mayor and two City Council members.

In the mayor’s race, incumbent Deborah Jackson will face Al Franklin, who is giving up his City Coun-cil seat to run for mayor. A special election will be held to fill Franklin’s unexpired term on the council, which ends Dec. 31, 2017. Qualifying for that special election is Sept. 14-16.

Council members Darold Honore and Shameka Reynolds are running for re-election. Both are unop-posed.

Pine Lake

Residents will elect a mayor and three at-large City Council members.

The sole candidate seeking to fill Mayor Kathie deNobriga’s seat is a familiar face in city government: Melanie Hammet, who has served on the City Council since 2005.

deNobriga, a veteran Pine Lake politician, an-nounced she would not seek re-election.

“Between my four years as mayor, and my eight years on the council, I look forward to taking a little break,” said deNobriga.

Hammet was the 2011 president of the DeKalb Municipal Association, a nine -city collective of DeKalb’s cities (Pine Lake being the smallest). Ham-met also served as Pine Lake’s liaison for the feder-ally-funded reconstruction of the city-center lake, creating a blog and a series of interactive signage in the city’s urban wetlands.

Hammet is a composer and a recording artist.

She plays the acoustic guitar at several events across the South.

Four people are running for the two at-large seats: incumbent Megan Ross Pulsts, Tonya Holder, Shawn Dugan Trodglen, Kris Morlan Casariego and Brady M. Hall.

A special election will be held to fill the unex-pired term of Melanie Hammett. Two years and six weeks are remaining on her term. William Cotter, Jean Bordeaux and Kris Morlan Casariego are run-ning for the seat.

In Stone Mountain

There are three City Council seats open for elec-tion.

Post 1: Incumbent Richard Mailman is running unopposed.

Post 2: Incumbent Steve Wells will face Diana Roe Hollis.

Post 3: Incumbent Chakira Johnson will face Judy F. Asher.

Rockdale County

Three seats are open on the Conyers City Council and none have challengers.

Incumbents Vince Evans, Gerald Hinesley and John Fountain qualified with no opposition.

Justice,continued from page 1

“We just want Mr. Alexander to give his condolences. The police were responsible for my cousin’s death. We want answers. We want justice served,” said Bradley. “Not a day goes by I don’t think about my cousin. He was un-armed… No one has acknowledged his death and we are hurting. A dead dog or cat would get more respect.”

Family members of Kevin Davis stormed out of the Sept. 10 meeting in tears after learning that Alexander was not in attendance. The meeting was held

at the House of Hope church in South DeKalb and was attended by Interim CEO Lee May and Commissioner Larry Johnson, who serves as presiding officer of the DeKalb Board of Commissioners.

Akinyela said it is simply unaccept-able for May to come to the meeting only to tell them that Alexander was on vacation.

Attorney Mawuli Davis, who is standing with the DCCJPA, said his client is still waiting to hear from Al-exander. Davis represents the family of

Kevin Davis, who was shot three times by police and charged with assault in April 2014. Kevin Davis is no relation to Attorney Mawuli Davis.

“The Davis family has tried over and over to meet with Mr. Alexander before this meeting,” Davis said. “Ac-knowledge these families’ pain and suf-fering. You can say ‘I’m sorry’ without it being any admission of guilt. The law is clear on that. To attempt to hide behind the law is unacceptable.”

Attorney Davis says there is no pro-tocol in place that when DeKalb County police kills a citizen that leadership reaches out to the families to acknowl-edge the death. He said there have been three police-involved shooting deaths in nine months. He also pointed out the recent police shooting that occurred after police entered an unlocked house at the wrong address, shot the homeowner, killed the homeowner’s dog and acci-dentally shot one of the officers on the scene.

“Someone is asleep at the wheel,” said Davis.

Alexander immediately turned the case involving the homeowner to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations. He told WSB TV that he cannot talk to t families once the GBI gets involved.

May and Johnson said they plan to set up a meeting on Sept. 14 or Sept. 16 and make sure that Alexander is present.

“I hear their concerns about not hearing anything from the county. I’ve set up the meeting with Dr. Alexander. He will be at the next meeting,” May said.

The DCCJPA has a list of demands to present to Alexander including establishing a Family Compassion and Accountability protocol for families whose members are injured or killed by police actions; establishing an indepen-dent citizen review board with the power to investigate, fire and recommend criminal actions for DeKalb police who wrongfully harm citizens; and requiring DeKalb County government to call on the U.S. Department of Justice to in-vestigate police practices and behaviors of the DeKalb police department when dealing with DeKalb County citizens.

The DCCJPA hand delivered letters to the Office of the DeKalb Board of Commissioners in Decatur. The letters invited Commissioners Nancy Jester and Jeff Rader, who both have had citizens killed by police in their districts in the last 10 months, to meet privately with the families of those killed and DCCJPA on Sept. 16, 2 p.m., at the House of Hope in Decatur.

DCCJPA members say they are also working on a meeting for early Octo-ber that would include the community, county officials and law enforcement officials.

John Evans, who heads the DeKalb NAACP(left), joined Dr. Makungu Akinyela (right), for the Sept. 10 meeting at the House of Hope church in South DeKalb.

Qualifying set for State Senate District 43 seat By Valerie J. Morgan

Voters in portions of DeKalb, Rockdale and New-ton counties will elect someone to fill the state Senate District 43 seat. Gov. Nathan Deal has called for a special election to fill the seat, vacated by Ron Ram-sey, who was appointed in July as an associate judge in DeKalb’s new traffic court. The long-time senator was in his fifth term in office when he was appointed to the judgeship.

The winner of the Nov. 3 election will fill the second year of the two-year term, which expires at the end of 2016.

Observers say the race is expected to be hotly contested, possibly resulting in a runoff on Dec. 1.

Several hopefuls have said they plan to throw their names in the hat during the qualifying period, Sept. 14-16.

“We may see three or four candidates in that race. I think it will be interesting because the senate district covers three counties with the majority of the residents in Rockdale,” said Cynthia Welch, director of Rockdale’s Board of Elections & Voter’s Registra-tion. “We may see candidates from all three counties. Depending on who gets in the race, there could be a run-off.

District 43 includes about 44,000 residents in Rockdale; about 40,000 in Newton; and about 22,000 residents in DeKalb, Welch said.

Welch said voters should check the Secretary of

State’s web site (www.sos.ga.gov) or their local elec-tions office to determine if they live in District 43 and are eligible to vote in the race.

“In Rockdale, voters in 14 precincts will par-ticipate in the special elections, while voters in four precincts in the Southern portion of the county will not,” Welch said. “Some people are going to go to their precincts expecting to vote and they will find the doors locked. The best thing to do is check before election day.”

Welch said voters should check the Secretary of State’s web site (www.sos.ga.gov) or their local elections office to determine if they live in District 43. Rockdale residents may also call Welch’s office at 770- 278-7333.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 • PAGE 7

Atlanta Public Schools has ex-tended the contract of Superin-tendent Meria J. Carstarphen for

an additional year—through June 30, 2018.

Carstarphen was hired April 14, 2014 at an annual salary of $375,000 with a mini-mum raise of 2 percent each year under a three-year contract that would have expired June 30, 2017. The Atlanta Board of Edu-cation unanimously approved the extension of her contract at its Sept. 8 meeting. The contract remains the same. The only change is the date of expiration, the board said in a news release.

“We selected Dr. Carstarphen as super-intendent because of her experience, drive and extraordinary passion for improving the lives of our children,” said Courtney D. English, chair, Atlanta Board of Educa-tion. “We are pleased to be able to expand her timetable for transforming our schools.

From directing the system through the new operating model conversion to designing our school turnaround strategy, we know the challenges that Atlanta Public Schools faces. Dr. Carstarphen has met these challenges with a long-term vision and a clear strategic approach to working with all of our students, families, teachers and employees.”

Since coming to the district, Carstar-phen and her administration have imple-mented strategic priorities and a general fund budget that puts the district on a more efficient, quality-focused course as it moves to a charter system operating model. The budget features more flexible spending and more decision-making closer to schools, which is a hallmark of the new operating

model and cluster planning, officials said. In addition, Carstarphen has implemented child-centered initiatives such as a new social-and-emotional-learning curriculum and training as well as initiated a strategic planning process around the district’s school turnaround approach.

“I am humbled by the Board’s confi-dence in my work so far and am pleased they see that I am dedicated and focused on the work to come in leading the turnaround of Atlanta Public Schools,” said Carstarphen. “I am also pleased to have the additional year to do the work to rebuild trust in the district and help our children graduate on time and ready for college and careers.”

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APS superintendent’s contract extended to 2018

DeKalb increases transparency with residents

DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May announces a new initiative in

an effort to enhance the rela-tionship the county has with its residents. DeKalb County is now utilizing OpenGov, a financial analysis platform that provides residents unprecedented access to the county’s finances. In addition to OpenGov, the county also is directly providing the public its county press releases, which detail the latest news and updates to local news media.

“For the last two years, we’ve been steady in pushing for more government transparen-cy,” said May. “Our partnership with Open-Gov is an open invitation to DeKalb residents to learn how the county is investing their tax funds, something they have a right to know, and we’re inviting residents to receive our press releases directly so they can learn about news and opportunities from the source.”

DeKalb is the first county in the state of Georgia to leverage OpenGov technology. OpenGov currently works with other local governing entities in the metro Atlanta area, including Alpharet-ta, Dunwoody and Milton, GA.

With OpenGov, residents have instant access to the county’s budget and historical financial information, dating

back to 2012, in a digital format that makes it easy to see how tax funds are collected and spent. Residents can explore rev-enue and expenditure trends and dive into the data through a variety of graphs and filters, all the way down to specific revenues or expense types. With social sharing features built into the platform, residents can instantly share data on social media or contact the county with additional questions.

DeKalb’s OpenGov profile can be ac-cessed at www.dekalbcountyga.opengov.com.

Watson, KDB, Stephenson schools partner for cleanup

DeKalb County Commis-sioner Stan Watson is partnering with Keep

DeKalb Beautiful (KDB) and the three schools on Stephenson Road in Stone Mountain to conduct a community cleanup.

Student and adult volunteers from Pine Ridge Elementary, Stephenson High School and Ste-phenson Middle School will gather on Sept. 19, 9 a.m., at Stephenson Middle, 922 Stephenson Road, where supplies will be distributed.

Watson, who said he hopes to encourage as many as possible to “pull up your sleeves and make a difference,” praised students for past contributions to the cleanup effort.

“Each year, I am amazed by the show of support from students at-

tending these schools and their ef-fort to keep the neighborhoods that they live in clean,” said Watson.

DeKalb County Commisioner Stan Watson

DeKalb ICEO Lee May

Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen

PAGE 8 •SPETEMBER 12, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Residents and members of DeKalb County law enforcement agen-cies will go head-to-head for a

good cause at the Fourth Annual Beat the Badge 5K on Saturday, Sept. 26, 9 a.m., at the DeKalb County Police Headquarters, 1960 W. Exchange Place, Tucker.

The DeKalb County Police Alliance (DPA) hosts the annual event to garner public support for all DeKalb officers. Pro-ceeds benefit several programs provided by the non-profit DPA, including its “signature service,” a $100,000 life insurance policy for all full-time sworn officers. Other programs include a focus on educational rebates, fund-ing and training.

DPA President and Chair Demetra Abraham said the event is a great way to show support for a dedicated DeKalb police force that enables residents to live in a stron-ger and safer community.

“These men and women serve every day, and dedicate themselves to protecting each of us. Our alliance believes it is time they receive the support and respect they deserve,” said Abraham. “This great event brings together different families, business owners and law enforcement on one accord. With everything that is going on across the country, it is great to have something like this to show the positive side of law enforce-ment. You can have fun legally outrunning the police. This year’s 5K race commemo-rates the 100-year anniversary of the DeKalb County Police Department.”

Attendees can also visit the depart-ment’s K-9 memorial, which is marked by a statue honoring “Man’s Best Friend.”

After the race, a mini-festival is set up in a science-fair style, where DeKalb County law enforcement agencies will pass out information and greet the public with pamphlets and door prizes. The festival will

include food, music, games for the family to enjoy and special activities for kids. Every police jurisdiction will be represented along with vehicles from the Bomb Squad, the Helicopter unit, the K-9 unit, the mobile SWAT command unit, the fire department, the motorcycle unit, and more. There also will be a dunk tank and a bounce house at the festival.

“I always look forward to sponsoring and participating in the Beat the Badge 5K because I want to show my support for our hard-working police officers. Every day these officers risk their lives to protect and serve,” said DeKalb Solicitor General Sherry Boston. “This race is a great opportunity to say thank you for their service and dedica-tion to DeKalb. County.”

The racecourse is flat and offers views of Tucker neigh-borhoods. It is supervised by DeKalb police officers. If you are not able to run, you can reg-ister as a “phantom runner” and still donate.

Awards will be given to the best time overall for a male and for a female, best time for a male and female member of DeKalb law enforcement, and the top times for ages 10 and under, as well as groups between 11 – 64, and 65 and older.

Registration is $30 for resi-dents and $15 for certified law enforcement. On site registration begins at 7 a.m. To reg-

ister in advance and guarantee receiving a T-shirt, visit www.active.com. 678-937-5301.

“Beat the Badge 5K” to assist families of fallen DeKalb officers

Law enforcement officials such as DeKalb Solicitor General Sherry Boston (center) say they are ready and excited to participate in the county’s annual Beat the Badge 5K.

Hundreds of DeKalb County residents participate in the annual race and festival.

Photos via Face Book

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS SEPTEMBER 12,2015 • PAGE 9

Motivational speaker and chess champion Orrin Hudson will present “How to Make Every

Move Count” at the Greater Lithonia Cham-ber of Commerce’s luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Networking and registration will start at 11:15 a.m. The luncheon will be held 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at This Is It Restaurant’s Banquet Hall, 2853 Panola Road, Lithonia.

Hudson, founder of Be Someone Inc.,

will share tips for creating results through using the principles of chess. Critical think-ing, decision making, and problem solving are key components of any successful busi-ness, but there’s more to it than just writing a check to make these things happen. In this presentation, Hudson will discuss:

• How to be laser focused to achieve goals and objectives

• The importance of smart “first time” decisions and problem solving skills• The strategy of building a dream team• How to out think the competition Register to attend this event at www.

greaterlithoniachamber.com. Advance regis-tration is $20 and $25 at the door. Members of the Chamber attend for free with their annual membership of $200.

For more information on Be Someone Inc., call 770-465-6445 or email info@besmeone.org.

Business News

Orrin Hudson to address Greater Lithonia Chamber luncheon

Linhai Powersports USA, a leader in the motorsports industry, is ex-panding its operations to Gwinnett

County. The project is expected to create 80 new jobs over the next five years.

Linhai’s global headquarters is in Taizhou, China.

“Gwinnett County is the perfect location for us to grow our business,

being centrally located in the Southeast,” said Sun Feng, president of Jiangsu Linhai Power Machinery Group Corp. “We are excited to join the impressive list of companies who have found a new home in this community and we are confident that this location will allow us to enjoy great success.”

Located at 1775 Corporate Dr., Suite 130 in Norcross, the 6,078-square-foot facility

provides office space and a warehouse for the distribution of the company’s full line of recreational vehicles, including ATVs, UTVs and motor scooters.

“We welcome Linhai to the growing list of thriving international business-

es who made Gwinnett County home,” said Gwinnett Commissioner Jace Brooks. “Gwin-nett’s vast international representation and skilled talent pool, not only help attract global companies such as Linhai to the community, but also enable them to thrive here.”

Jobs will mostly be in the company’s fac-tory and include several operations positions, such as assisting in the creation and plans for UTVs or Utility Task Vehicles. For more information, visit www.linhaipowersportsusa.com. 770-559-5439.

UTV manufacturer opens office in Gwinnett County

BioScience Training Center opens in Newton County

Gov. Nathan Deal joined state officials and executives from Baxalta, Inc. (formerly Baxter) for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Sept. 10 to mark the grand opening of the new $14 million Georgia BioScience Training

Center in Newton County. “A skilled, professionally trained and qualified workforce is essential for

Georgia to usher in a new era of bioscience industry,” said Deal. “The BioScence Training Center is a showcase destination where biotech prospects and industry groups can see the level of support and training expertise Georgia can provide.”

The new training center is located directly across from the site of Baxalta’s $1 billion biomanufacturing facility in Social Circle. The training center is owned by the state of Georgia and operated by Georgia Quick Start, a division of the Tech-nical College System of Georgia. Overall, the facility will be a key component of the state’s long-term initiative to promote and grow the life science industries. The new training center is currently dedicated to Baxalta training and includes flexible space to accommodate the training needs of additional life sciences companies that choose to locate or expand in Georgia.

“Our employees are the core of this mission,” said John Furey, senior vice president and head of global operations of Baxalta. “With Georgia Quick Start’s help, we will continue to attract and train top-talent in the area to join our Baxalta team.”

The facility features custom-made technology that simulates Baxalta’s bio-manufacturing processes such as centrifugation, chromatography, nanofiltration and aseptic filling. It also has space for the aseptic production of pharmaceuti-cal-grade clinical samples. Additionally, the training center is equipped to deliv-er training on a wide range of advanced manufacturing technologies including mechatronics, metrology and process controls.

“A key part of ensuring our facility’s success is having the right people on the ground to manufacture our treatments efficiently and effectively,” said Jacopo Leonardi, executive vice president and president of Baxalta’s immunology divi-sion. “We are grateful to have an industry-leading partner in Georgia Quick Start at our side, who will help ensure this facility adds to our gold-standard in this practice area.”

Macy’s to close 35 to 40 stores in early 2016

Macy’s Inc. has an-nounced plans to close 35 to 40 underper-

forming Macy’s stores – represent-ing about one percent of the total Macy’s, Inc. sales – in early 2016.

“As new shopping centers are opened, many customers change their shopping habits and often the sales volume of a store gets divided among the new and nearby, existing centers. Each year, we prune some stores that are our weakest perform-ers so that we can concentrate our resources on the best locations and maintain a strong physical pres-ence,” Terry J. Lundgren, Macy’s, Inc. chairman and chief executive officer said in a press release. “At the same time, we open a small number of new stores to fill gaps in our market coverage or where we have outstanding real estate oppor-tunities.”

The locations of the stores to be closed in early 2016 will be an-nounced once the company com-pletes an analysis that is now under way.

Together, the stores’ annual sales volume, net of sales expected to be retained in nearby stores and online, is expected to be roughly $300 million, company officials said.

“While making the decision to close stores is difficult, we know it is necessary for us to remain competitive as customer shopping patterns continue to change,” said Lundgren.

Macy’s, Inc. currently operates 770 Macy’s stores. Over the past five years (2010 through 2015 to date), 52 Macy’s stores have been closed and 12 new Macy’s stores have been opened.

The company will communicate its store closing decisions directly with the associates in those loca-tions prior to a public announce-ment. Associates displaced by store closings may be offered positions in nearby stores where possible. Eligi-ble full-time and part-time associ-ates who are laid off due to the store closing will be offered severance benefits, officials said.

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PAGE 10 • SEPTEMBER 12, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Superior Court Judge Mark Anthony Scott will be recognized

on Oct. 9 at the Fresno State Alumni Association’s Top Dog Alumni Awards Gala.

Each year, one alumnus is chosen as the Top Dog Outstanding Alumni from each of the university’s aca-demic schools and colleges, the Department of Athletics,

the Henry Madden Library, the Division of Student Affairs and the Division of Graduate Studies.

Scott was elected as a Superior Court Judge in the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit in August 2004. He presides over civil, domestic relations and criminal felo-ny matters. Scott graduated from Fresno State in 1980

with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication.

He studied law at Howard University in Washington D.C., and graduated in 1984. He is a former board mem-ber of the Georgia Public Defender Standards Council and the recipient of the ninth annual Justice Robert Ben-ham Award for Community Service.

“The Top Dog Alumni Awards Gala is Fresno State’s

premier event recognizing the incredible achievements of our alumni,” said Jacque-lyn Glasener, director of the Alumni Association. “The honorees this year repre-sent the very best of what it means to be a Fresno State Bulldog, and we are excited to celebrate each honoree’s inspiring accomplishments.”

DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon this week celebrated her 10-year anniversary on the Board of Commissioners. DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May and

the board honored Gannon with a special pin at the board’s Sept. 8 meeting.

Gannon was elected in 2005 and took office in January 2006. The Super-District 6 that she represents covers half of DeKalb County, approximately 350,000 residents.

Over the years, Gannon has provided leadership on environ-mental and sustainability issues, land use and planning, protection of established neighborhoods and issues that impact the county’s

youths and senior citizens. Gannon was recently appointed to a national leadership

position with the National Association of Counties (NACo). She will serve as vice chair of the Resilient Counties Advisory Board, which promotes NACo platforms at the national level and leads a board of commissioners from around the country in sustainable initiatives.

“Through the use of sustainable practices and infrastructure, counties will be better prepared to address these issues in a manner that can minimize the impact on local residents and business, while helping counties save money,” Gannon stated in a news release.

TO CONTACT USBY PHONE: 678-526-1910BY FAX: 678-526-1909BY E-MAIL: EDITOR@OCGNEWS.COMVISIT ONLINE: WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

People Movers & Shakers in the Community

DeKalb Commissioner Kathie Gannon marks 10-year anniversary

Gwinnett teachers laudede for work in and outside the classroom

Three Gwinnett educators have been named 2015 Atlanta Fam-ilies’ Awards for Excellence in

Education (AFAEE) winners. Jennifer Dunn, an assistant principal at

Partee Elementary School in Snellville, Cin-dy Apley-Rose, an 8th grade math teacher at Couch Middle School in Grayson, and Kara Cowdrick, a 5th grade teacher at Chesney Elementary School in Duluth were honored for improving student achievement and stu-dent self-esteem and for collaborating with community stakeholders.

As such, all three received a prize of $7,500 that includes funds for innovative classroom projects ($3,500), professional development ($1,500) and a personal stipend ($2,500).

Dunn, a former Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year, has been an educator for 12 years and an assistant principal for two years. She strives to help students find out how they learn and she has a passion to make sure every child is successful. Dunn

plans to use a portion of the money she received to create a “Makerspace” at her

elementary school to increase opportunities for innovation and critical thinking.

Cowdrick, Chesney’s 2013-2014 Teacher of the Year, has been an educator for five years and will create the Chesney Cham-pion Book Mobile with some of the money she received. The book mobile is a literacy initiative that will operate next summer.

Apley-Rose is a veteran educator who has earned numerous honors, including being the current Gwinnett County Middle School Teacher of the

Year. She plans to use the monetary award to create Community Mathematic Nights that focus on helping parents over-come a fear of math so that they are better equipped to help their children.

AFAEE worked with school adminis-trators and support staff to throw surprise parties for the winners. Winners were celebrated with balloons, over-sized checks, gifts for their students, and visits by special mascots and guests at their schools.

The 2015 winners will be celebrated formally on Nov. 5, 2015, with an awards ceremony at The Carter Center in Atlanta.

From L-R: Partee ES Assistant Principal Jennifer Dunn celebrates with her husband and children; Kara Cowdrick of Chesney ES and her class cheer along with the AFAEE Awards announcement team; and Cindy Apley-Rose gets a congratulatory hug from Principal Devon Williams.

Kathie Gannon

Judge Mark Scott to be honored in Fresno

Mark Anthony Scott

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PAGE 12 •SPETEMBER 12, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

TAKE A LOVED ONE TO THE DOCTOR DAY!

www.DeKalbMedicalCelebrates.com

C E L E B R A T I N G T E N Y E A R S

CELEBRATING

YEARS

CELEBRATING

YEARS

Saturday September 19th10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Celebration & Health Fair

2801 DEKALB MEDICAL PKWYLITHONIA, GA 30058

Connect with our DoctorsCome meet members of the DeKalb Medical Hillandale medical staff, get your blood pressure checked, stop into one of the Doc Talks or register for free screenings.

Take Control of Your HealthBecome a better you by interacting with other health-conscious people with cooking demonstrations and sign our Wall of Health while you are here.

Financial Concerns?Talk with counselors about this year’s open enrollment period and how you can sign up for an affordable health plan that fits your budget. Get your health insurance questions answered!

Family FunBring your entire family out to enjoy fun for all ages, and connect with community partners through basketball, face painting and fresh produce.