FREEPRESS
WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM • FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • VOL. 13, NO. 50 • FREE
Board member Jesse "Jay Cunningham, Vice-Chairman Paul Womack, Chairman Thomas Bowen and Interim Superinten-
dent Ramona Tyson listen to citizens' comments. Photos by Daniel Beauregard
Some residents’ concerns taken
into consideration in redistricting
by Daniel Beauregard
Daniel@dekalbchamp.com
The DeKalb County School
Board added amendments to their
redistricting plan to lessen the impact
for some students and passed the
controversial plan on March 7, which
will also close eight schools.
“Even with the amendments, In-
terim Superintendent Tyson still real-
izes much of her original plan, yet it
reduces the impact on the number of
students by over 25 percent and re-
tains 100 percent of the cost savings,”
Walter Woods, a spokesperson for
DeKalb County Schools said.
Some community members
voiced concerns about the way school
boundaries were being drawn rather
than schools closing. John Retenel-
ler, Rebecca DiGiuro and Marissa
Monty, members of a group of par-
ents with students at Sagamore Hills
Elementary, said that their main con-
cern was the eight children in their
neighborhood being redistricted to
Briar Vista Elementary.
“We are within one mile of our
school. My child is at school by 7:55
each morning and picked up by six
o’ clock; his day is already ten hours
long. At Briar Vista his day would
start earlier and the after school
program runs thirty minutes later to
allow parents time to navigate Bri-
arcliff [Rd.] congestion. Is it really
recommended that any child’s school
day be eleven to twelve hours long?”
Monty said.
According to DeKalb County
Chief Financial Officer Marcus
Turk, the plan will save the county
around $12 million all together; $8.8
million by closing schools and $2.7
million by redistricting, with the re-
Boards which display where the new redistricting lines are to be drawn.
mainder of savings in utility costs.
Turk says that moving students be-
tween lines doesn’t carry a monetary
impact and was not calculated into
the plan.
“In this case the students are
actually, in most cases, closer to the
schools they are being [redistricted]
to, Turk said, addressing concerns
some board members and citizens
had that bussing students to new dis-
tricts might not be cost effective.
Interim Superintendent Tyson
thanked the community and parents
for their input over the past several
months and said that this has been a
very difficult task, and would be for
any superintendent.
“There was an unprecedented
level of public engagement and your
involvement was critical and essential
to bring us to this juncture today...
this is about possibilities, this is about
• A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS •
opportunities to move this district for-
ward,” Tyson said.
The eight schools which are set to
be decommissioned with the passing
of the redistricting plan are Atherton
Elementary, Glen Haven Elementary,
Gresham Park Elementary, Medlock
Elementary, Peachcrest Elementary,
Sky Haven Elementary; the county
will discontinue the use of these
schools in June 2011.
In addition to these schools,
Avondale High School and Avondale
Middle School will be placed on
inactive status and the county will
discontinue the use of these buildings
in June 2011, with part of the high
school remaining open to house The
DeKalb School of the Arts.
According to Woods, decommis-
sioned means a building is not likely
to be used in the future whereas inac-
tive status means that its use will be
See Schools on Page 15A
It’s a great
month for the
Irish as St.
Patrick’s Day
events flood
the calendar
by Kathy Mitchell
kathy@dekalbchamp.com
S t. Patrick’s Day celebrates
all things Irish, but the fun
is for everyone—no matter
their ethnic heritage.
Downtown Atlanta again will
be hosting a parade and celebra-
tion second in the state only to
the grand event held—for the
187th time—in Savannah.
Atlanta, however, is no John-
ny-come-lately in its mid-March
festivities. The city’s first St. Pat-
rick’s Parade was held 153 years
ago, in 1858. Organizers say on
their website that they anticipate
the 2011 edition will be the larg-
est, best attended St. Patrick’s
Parade & Festival ever.
Because the actual holiday,
March 17, falls on a Thursday
this year, the downtown celebra-
tion, which starts at noon, will
be on the preceding Saturday,
March 12. The parade this year,
led by Grand Marshal Paul Glee-
son, consul general, Ireland (At-
lanta), will have more than 200
participating groups, including
several from DeKalb County. The
DeKalb Public Library March-
ing Book Cart Drill Team, the
Doraville Police Department,
The Marlay House Restaurant in
Decatur as well as JROTC groups
from Lithonia, Stephenson and
Stone Mountain high schools will
assure that DeKalb County has a
strong presence.
Those who gather along
the 1.1-mile parade route down
Peachtree Street from Ralph Mc-
Gill Boulevard to Underground
Atlanta can look forward to see-
ing clowns, floats, bands of every
kind, military units, bagpipe and
drum corps, thousands of chil-
dren, Irish dancers, high-tech
firefighting equipment, police
units, drill teams, dogs, horses,
antique cars, dignitaries from
Ireland and local elected officials,
See Events on Page 15A
NEWS
Chamblee High’s Kailyn LaPorte stands with host Alex Trebek on the set of Jeopardy, where she managed to walk away with $42,600 in winnings. Photo provided
Chamblee High student buzzes in on Jeopardy
by Daniel Beauregard
Daniel@dekalbchamp.com
“I’ll take Exceptional Teens
for 200, Alex.”
“The answer is: 15-year-
old Chamblee High School
sophomore who made it to
the final round of Teen Jeop-
ardy and won $42,600.”
“Who is Kailyn LaPorte?”
Well, that didn’t actually
happen on the television
show Jeopardy but Kailyn
LaPorte really did make
it to the finals and finish
as runner up on the show’s
teen tournament.
LaPorte, who was born
in Georgia and raised in the
Chamblee area, said that her
Chamblee Middle School
academic bowl team coach
John Donegan e-mailed
her a link to the qualifying
test for the teen tournament
and she took it, not really
expecting anything.
“I had taken [the test]
the year before so I just
took it again, not expecting
anything to happen because
nothing happened the previ-
ous year. I got the [accep-
tance] e-mail when I was on
LaPorte sits next to her father Philip and shows off her Jeopardy
water bottle, a souvenir from the show. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
spring break and it was just
really, really surprising,”
LaPorte said.
She took the qualifying
test along with 10,000 other
students and managed to
make the cut. The show was
taped in Los Angeles on
Dec. 6 and 7, and the final
contestants were narrowed
down from 15 teens from
around the country who also
passed the qualifying test.
“I was really, really ner-
vous when I got there but
once I got into the game
and started playing it, that
helped calm me down,” La-
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • PAGE 2A
Porte said.
To prepare for the show,
LaPorte brought some
books to school and had
her friends quiz her so she
could practice answering
in the form of a question.
She also said that being on
her high school’s academic
bowl team helped her as
well.
“Our academic bowl
team has buzzers and going
to practice helped me work
on buzzing in quickly,”
LaPorte said. She also ex-
plained that working with
the academic bowl team
also helped her answer
questions at the drop of a
hat. “Getting asked ques-
tions about trivia was good
for getting [my] brain pre-
pared for the recall…bring-
ing up the facts.”
Aside from the academic
bowl, LaPorte is also on the
cross country team, soccer
team and is a member of the
German Club, so most of
her free time is spent doing
homework or studying. Her
favorite subjects in school
are social studies and litera-
ture and she enjoys reading
adult fiction and fantasy
books in her spare time.
When she was younger
LaPorte had an ambitious
dream of what she wanted
to be when she grew up.
“I wanted to be an astro-
naut for a long time, but in
fourth grade I found out that
you needed perfect vision
and I wear contacts, so it
kind of stopped that dream,”
LaPorte said.
Most of the $42,600
she won on the show will
go toward paying for col-
lege but she’s still unsure
of what school she wants
to attend. LaPorte said she
isn’t making too many plans
for the future but she wants
to spend some of her money
on going to a concert be-
cause she’s never been to
one before.
“I want to go see Franz
Ferdinand, Snow Patrol,
Muse or OK Go, but I think
it would just be nice to see
any band whose music I’ve
heard just to get the experi-
ence,” LaPorte said.
Unlike the college tour-
nament, Jeopardy’s teen
tournament is a once in a
lifetime chance, so once
you’ve been a contestant on
the show you can’t qualify
to go on it again. LaPorte
said that one question she
missed that she will never
forget was in the category
‘Copping Out at the Mov-
ies,’ about a bumbling de-
tective who was featured on
the silver screen.
“I said ‘The Pink Pan-
ther,’ instead of Inspector
Closeau…but the category
was ‘Copping Out at the
Movies,’ so it wasn’t much
help,” LaPorte said.
www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 Page 3A

Residents to vote on
transportation projects
by Andrew Cauthen Metropolitan Atlanta
andrew@dekalbchamp.com Rapid Transit Authority
(MARTA), GDOT,
Christceith Dorce of the Atlanta Regional
DeKalb County says if Commission, and cities
residents don’t voice their in the county to identify
concerns to government potential projects from
leaders, community issues existing transportation
will never be addressed. plans.
That’s why she Ted Rhinehart, the
attended one of four county’s deputy chief
public information operating officer for the
meetings for residents and infrastructure group,
businesses about proposed said the proposed sales
transportation projects in tax is expected to net $7
the county. billion over 10 years.
Dorce said she is That money would then
concerned about the be divided among the
safety of pedestrians various transportation
and vehicles along a projects approved by
stretch of South Deshon voters.
Drive between Stone DeKalb County alone
Mountain Lithonia Road has more than $3 billion
and Phillips Road near in projects that it is
Lithonia. The section of considering during this
road is an old, narrow process, Rhinehart said.
street. Types of projects being

‘Pill mills’ banned

“Kids are constantly considered include road-
walking down the streets, widenings, safety and
in the streets,” Dorce said. operational improvements
“I don’t like that at all.” such as turn signals and

by Dunwoody
The DeKalb County lanes; transit service;
government hosted bicycle and pedestrian
the meetings to allow lanes and sidewalks;
residents a chance to bridge upgrades and street
provide input in the resurfacing.
preparation of a list of The vast majority of
transportation projects the projects on DeKalb’s Andrew Cauthen After state legislation those claiming pain, without
they would be willing to list are for sidewalks, andrew@dekalbchamp.com failed last year that would performing proper and thor-
fund. Rhinehart said. have established a prescrip- ough examinations of said
Last year, Georgia’s A sampling of the Dunwoody officials want tion monitoring program in patients and their medical
legislature enacted the high-ticket items on to keep so-called “pill mills” Georgia, several jurisdic- records.” These clinics often
Transportation Investment DeKalb’s list include: out of their city. tions, including Dunwoody, do not make proper medi-
Act, which provides for sidewalks along “It’s an issue that seems passed resolutions establish- cal diagnoss and sometimes
a regional referendum in Covington Highway to be increasing quite signif- ing a temporary moratorium are not operated by licensed
2012. In this referendum, from Margarette Road icantly across the country,” on pain management clinics. physicians.
voters in the Atlanta to Panola Road, $8.1 said Dunwoody Mayor Ken The program would have The ordinance requires
metropolitan area will million; county-wide Wright. required prescription data to pain management clinics to
be able to vote on a multi-use trails, $10 The city council is con- be submitted to a statewide apply for an occupation tax
penny-sales tax to fund million; sidewalks, sidering an ordinance that database to assist in deter- certificate. Applicants must
various transportation upgraded crosswalks, regulates all pain manage- ring the illegitimate use of provide the name and Unit-
projects, including and street furniture along ment clinics that dispense prescription drugs. ed States Drug Enforcement
transit, roadway, safety, a 1.2-mile stretch of controlled substances. A Most states have pre- Administration number of
bicycle and pedestrian Northlake Parkway, $1.12 public hearing on the ordi- scription monitoring pro- every licensed physician as-
improvements. million; on-street bike nance will be held March grams and legislation. sociated with the business.
Each city and county lanes on Stone Mountain 28. Only Montana, Nebraska, All physicians associated
in the Atlanta region Lithonia Road, $15.5 Last year in Kennesaw, a Missouri, Arkansas, New with the business must have
has until March 30 to million; county-wide road pain clinic wrote prescrip- Hampshire, Maryland and valid licenses.
submit proposed projects resurfacing, $100 million. tions for 32,000 oxycodone Georgia do not. A pain management
to be considered by the Additionally, pills in the first 16 days of In October 2010, Dun- clinic will not be eligible
Georgia Department of MARTA is proposing operation, Dunwoody of- woody’s city council issued for an occupation tax certifi-
Transportation (GDOT) the construction of a ficials said. Within a short a 90-day moratorium to cate if any convicted felon
and a regional roundtable light rail project along time period, local pharma- give the city time to analyze owns, manages, directs, has
of city and county leaders. I-20 from Atlanta to cies had run out of Schedule the impact of pain manage- a financial interest in, or is
From those projects, Stonecrest Mall at a cost II controlled, pain medica- ment clinics and to consider an officer or partner of the
a project list will be of $1.35 billion. Another tions. whether regulation of these business, according to the
recommended for the proposed $465-million In Cartersville, a pain clinics is necessary. ordinance. Physicians asso-
2012 referendum. light rail project would clinic opened and within According to the ordi- ciated with business cannot
In addition to the run from Decatur to the seven month, a local phar- nance, the city’s research be on probation or suspen-
public input meetings, Lindberg MARTA station macy supplied 60,000 discovered that pain clinics sion by any medical board
DeKalb County has been in Atlanta. oxycodone pills compared which dispense controlled for issues related to dispens-
coordinating with the to 1,000 during the same pe- medication “are often dis- ing drugs.
riod the previous year. pensing pain medications to
OPINION THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • PAGE 4A

There is a West African proverb
that states, “The ruin of a nation be-
gins in each home.” By extension, the
ruin of a community begins in each
home. Does one dare to suggest that
something as elementary as the break-
down of the family and the loss of core
values of honesty, integrity, sharing,
virtue, decorum and manners contrib-
ute to the erosion and ruin of our com-
munities?
We must stop pointing fingers and
get back to the basics of being parents
modeling the aforementioned. It is the
only way. Why am I back on my soap
box? The recent vicious attack on a
church leader at St. Timothy’s on Me-
morial Drive gives pause to ask anew,
“What in the world have we come to?”
St. Timothy’s is a favorite meeting spot
The Newslady
Ruin of a community
for community organizations, lawmak-
ers and other civic endeavors. It is a
beacon of light in an area that has lost
much of its luster. It makes what hap-
pened there all the more tragic.
I haven’t checked with DeKalb
Police for statistics of crimes commit-
ted in churches in the county so I am
working strictly from memory and the
headlines. As an aside, the way some
of us behave in church and the politi-
cal games that are played should be a
crime, but alas we are often blind to
the follies committed in the name of
the Lord, such actions to be revealed
only in the Great Day of Reckoning.
But sadly, there are major crimes com-
mitted in our churches— brutal, vi-
cious and even fatal.
A few years back a DeKalb pastor
and a church member were killed right
before the 11 o’clock worship service.
The tragedy at St. Timothy’s leaves
this writer saddened, dismayed and yes
angry. A church leader savagely beat-
en, raped and robbed in the church!
She was still in the hospital several
days after the incident.
Rape is one of the most heinous
crimes that often leaves its victims
scarred for life. The rape at St. Timo-
thy’s is not the first, nor will it be the
last to occur in the county. But it is a
clear indication of the depths of de-
pravity to which we have sunk as a
society when we aren’t even safe in
church. In some quarters, this tragedy
will raise anew the debate over wheth-
er there is enough police protection.
Others will suggest as some lawmak-
ers have that guns should be allowed in
churches. Still others will suggest that
we take back our communities. That
prompts the question, how?
Here is a suggestion. The change
I seek starts with me. Start at home.
Where am I on the core values of de-
cency, honesty, integrity? What are
my children, nieces, nephews, cous-
ins modeling from me? Do I attend
mosque, temple or church? Do they
see me pray? Am I involved in the
schools? Do I go along to get along
with the crowd or do I separate myself
from that which I know is wrong. Do
I tolerate injustice? Am I involved in
the beloved community to the extent
my talents, time and resources will al-
low? Are my children taught to value
life – human beings, animals and to
protect the environment?
Too often we are denial. We seek
solutions outside of ourselves. The
only way we can take back our com-
munities is to with ourselves and in
our own homes. There is an Islamic
believe that “God will not change the
condition of man until man changes
that which is within himself.” The
Bible says, “Seek ye first the Kingdom
and its righteousness and all things will
be added to.” There are worthwhile
quotes from other religious disciplines
but the two mentioned immediately
come to mind.
I pray DeKalb police will catch the
monster who attacked the St. Timo-
thy’s church leader and that he will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the
law. At the same time, know that we
helped create that monster in our labo-
ratory called the community. I’ll stop
where I started with that West African
proverb, “The ruin of a nation begins
in each home.”
Steen Miles, The Newslady, is a
retired journalist and former Georgia
state senator. Contact Steen Milies at
Steen@dekalbchamp.com.

Stop housing cuts

by Judge Greg Mathis

Once again, the Republican Party is

showing that it cares very little about the
average American and their struggles. While
taking a stab and crafting a budget that will
serve the nation in the long-term, Repub-
lican members of the House of
Representatives proposed cut-
ting $5.7 billion from affordable
housing programs. They also
want to eliminate more than
$550 million from a program that
offsets rent costs for low-income
senior citizens and do away with
over $200 million that helps
people with disabilities pay for
housing. If that weren’t enough, Mathis
they also want to end funding for
a program that provides counseling to fami-
lies fighting foreclosure.
The recession has seen an increase
in the number of homeless people in this
country. With so many Americans out of
work or employed in low paying positions,
rent is an expense that eats away at a large
chunk of whatever income they bring in.
Without these government subsidies, we’ll
see more and more families forced into the
streets. Similarly, foreclosure counseling
has helped a great number of people stay in
their homes. Without access to this service,
more people will lose their greatest asset.
Of all the programs the Republicans could
look to cut, housing is the one area they
should leave alone. It’s inconceivable that a
political party would fight so hard to extend
tax cuts for the rich while working equally
hard to keep the poor down and to move the
middle class into poverty and homelessness.
Congress has gone back and forth, argu-
ing on a budget that would carry the federal
government through the remainder of this
fiscal year. There is a sense of urgency; if no
agreement can be reached, the government
will shut down and any “non essential”
government business would cease. Federal
workers would be out of work and
the services they provide no longer
available, creating frustration for
all of us. Recently, the president
approved a temporary budget that
will keep the government running
through March 18. But, he and
Congress need to decide on a lon-
ger term budget, one that will keep
the government funded through
Sept. 30. Already, there is some
dissatisfaction with the $4 billion
in cuts in the temporary measure. Indeed,
America has to make some tough decisions
about how it spends its money if the nation
is to reduce the deficit. Intellectually, most
Americans understand and accept that truth.
The progressive thinkers among us just
don’t want those cuts to come at the expense
of the poor and working class.
Call your congressman and express out-
rage over the Republican budget proposal.
Tell them to keep their hands off housing
programs. Demand that they stand up for the
average American. Not sure how to get in
touch with your legislator? Visit www.usa.
gov to find out how.
Judge Greg Mathis currently provides
legal advice to more than three million lis-
teners on the Steve Harvey Morning Show
and also on his website, www.askjudgema-
this.com.
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www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 A Section • Page 5A

Guest Opinion
Hospitals should be
good for your health
in the head? Does everyone get
that level of protection?
Blunders with prescription
drugs are another big killer. A
North Carolina study found that
80 percent of pharmaceutical
errors could be prevented by
computerizing the prescription
system. It’s something to do
with murky handwriting. But
Ask your doctor where he only one in six hospitals those
stand; How often does he wash researchers reviewed have such
his hands? systems. They’re expensive
The last time our nation to install and teach, but they
assessed the risks of hospitals greatly improve safety and ef-
was in 1999. The Institute of ficiency.
Medicine found that between Then there are the drug
44,000 and 98,000 patients died companies, which insinuate
each year from medical mis- themselves everywhere. Some
takes. Around a million others doctors actually take payments
suffered injuries. Nonetheless, from them. Others just take
if you were sick, where else trips to conferences and golf
were you going to go? courses. Drug advertising puts
Now there’s a new study, great pressure on the docs to
this one by the inspector gener- prescribe the latest magical
al of the Department of Health product when the patient asks
and Human Services. It tells for it, appropriate or not. May-
us that things have gotten even be those sufferers deserve what
worse. According to govern- they get when it backfires.
ment researchers, deaths due Some states, like mine, are
to errors of one kind or another also very weak on eliminat-
now stand in the neighborhood ing, or at least announcing, bad
of 250,000 every year. Well doctors. It’s worth your life in
sure, the studies probably used Connecticut to learn if your
different methods. Still, you dear doc has ever been disci-
can see why some folks opt for plined or has had cases brought
natural medicine and acupunc- against him. We had one sleepy
ture. anesthesiologist who killed two
Hospital-acquired infec- before they got him. Physicians
tion is the gorilla in the room. chased out of other states can
The Agency for Healthcare come here with a clean slate.
Research and Quality esti- How about a national registry
mates that these infections kill and web site with all that data?
100,000 Americans every year. Malpractice insurance could
Naturally, it’s impossible to use nationalization too. Perhaps
prevent all of these too-often a no-fault policy pool covering
fatal infections, but cracking every doctor with the same pre-
down on sloppiness has become mium, regardless of his or her
an urgent priority. Can you specialty, would help–as long
imagine an airline pilot not go- as the premium would rise the
ing through his mind-numbing more each of them screwed up.
check list before each takeoff? That’s only one of many areas
He’d soon be on ground duty. where our lack of a federal role
The same is true of doc- in health care causes the rest of
tors and nurses. Remembering the world to laugh at us.
to wash your hands countless I guess America’s present
times a day and sterilize every- “Wild West” health care system
thing has got to be mind-numb- does allow lots of folks to make
ing, too. But that’s part of the a handsome profit. But the rest
job. Medical personnel must be of us are suffering from high
monitored like pilots. There are health insurance premiums and
already plenty of ill-motivated unacceptably high fatality rates
germs floating around the hall- caused by medical errors.
ways. They don’t deserve a
red-carpet invitation into pa- OtherWords columnist Wil-
tients’ bodies. Remember the liam A. Collins is a former
precautions taken with Rep. state representative and a for-
Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) to mer mayor of Norwalk, Con-
guard against staph and pneu- necticut. http://otherwords.org
monia after a gunman shot her
Page 6A
What's at stake in Wisconsin
The attack on the public service unions in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana
is the first volley in an all-out war by conservatives on all unions.
When the riots in Tuni-
sia began I went out into
the streets and shouted,
“Today we are all Tuni-
sians.”
“Right on,” a middle-
aged guy with a Keith
Richards face shouted
back.
When the riots in
Egypt started I went
out into the streets and
shouted, “Today we are
all Egyptians.”
A little old lady in
galoshes flashed me the
peace sign.
When the Bahrain riots
started I yelled, “We are
all Bahraini,” but all I got
was funny looks.
Same when I an-
nounced common cause
with the demonstrations
in Libya, Yemen and Mo-
rocco: more funny looks,
along with a rude gesture
or two.
But when government
workers and their sup-
porters in Madison, Wis.
protested and I ran out to
yell, “We are all Madiso-
nians,” some people be-
gan to boo and hiss, and
that little old lady threw a
dead rat at me.
Unions aren’t as popu-
lar as they used to be.
Once hailed as champions
of the working class, for
some Americans–includ-
ing a majority of Repub-
licans–they have become
symbols of goldbricking
and greed.
Unions have been ac-
cused of everything from
driving jobs overseas to
bankrupting state and lo-
cal governments and–to a
large degree–the charges
have stuck.
Unions brought some
of it on themselves. In an
effort to protect jobs of
members in an ever-more
automated world, they ne-
gotiated work rules (like
Printed on 100%
post-consumer
recycled paper
by Donald Kaul
Columnist
“featherbedding” in rail-
roads and “bogus type”
in the printing trade) that
increased labor costs
without improving pro-
ductivity.
I suppose the shot
that started the avalanche
was President Ronald
Reagan’s destruction of
the air traffic control-
lers union. That union
attempted to hold the na-
tion’s air traffic hostage
to their demand for higher
wages. But Reagan, act-
ing boldly, grabbed them
by the scruff of the neck
and threw them into the
middle of the street.
He fired all strik-
ing workers and ran the
system with supervisors,
strikebreakers and ama-
teurs until the new hires
could be brought up to
speed. I’ve always won-
dered what would have
happened had we suffered
a mid-air collision during
those first few dangerous
months. But the Gipper’s
luck held and there were
no accidents.
The episode put the
fear of God into unions,
however, and they’ve
faced headwinds ever
since.
That’s a shame be-
cause, for all their flaws,
unions did bring a mea-
sure of democracy and
justice into the workplace
and made it possible for
working stiffs to lead a
middle-class lifestyle and
have middle class dreams
for their children.
The American people
don’t seem to see things
that way. Most of us think
of ourselves more as con-
sumers than as work-
ers.
Thus, things that are
good for workers, like
high wages, are widely
viewed as bad because
they lead to higher
prices, hurting consumers.
The hostility toward
public unions is even
more pronounced since
the general public is the
entity paying the higher
wages and benefits.
Make no mistake about
it: the attack on the public
service unions in Wiscon-
sin, Ohio and Indiana is
the first volley in an all-
out war by conservatives
on all unions. If they suc-
ceed at destroying them,
they’ll have eliminated
the last great countervail-
ing force against the polit-
ical power of corporations
in this country.
Now I’m not a great
believer in the Vast Right-
Wing Conspiracy. Hey,
we’re Americans, right?
Conspiracies are for Eu-
rope. Or Hillary Clinton.
But if there were such
a conspiracy, it would
conspire to appoint a Su-
preme Court that would
rule that corporations and
unions can spend virtu-
ally unlimited amounts on
elections.
Then it would destroy
the unions.
And then it would
spend and spend and
spend on elections and get
really stupid people elect-
ed, people who would do
its bidding.
Aren’t we lucky that
there is no Vast Right-
Wing Conspiracy?
I didn’t like being a
Bahraini anyway.
OtherWords columnist
Donald Kaul lives in Ann
Arbor, Michigan. www.
otherwords.org
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
The following comments are pulled straight from our website and
are not edited for content or grammar.
Update: Mother, three sons arrested on murder
charges
i’m station in Iraq,and the fighting here is still
going on. I see that nothing has not changed since
I left home last year,still the same old mess,young
kids killing one another. If you want some action
please join the military and get your hands dirty for
a while,cause theres a lot of killing going on over
here,and I’ll be glad to let you have my spot over
here. I see that we still can’t get alone with one
another no matter who,what where, when or why.
Young kids killing each other and you got your par-
ents in the mess with you,man thats crazy.
– A J richardson posted this on 3/4/11 at 2:55 p.m.
I hate when these high and mighty “City of De-
catur” people never want it reported that anything
bad ever happens over there...30030, 30032,
30034 all say DECATUR!!!!!
– Mike B posted this on 3/4/11 at 12:57 p.m.
Does it bother anyone that this was a MOTHER
and her 3 CHILDREN and that both groups were
walking in a public place carrying concealed weap-
ons? At what point do parents no longer present
themselves as role models? At what point should
taxpayers continue to be responsible for cruddy
adults? This is why we have high taxes! This is
why we have violence in schools! This is why our
kids are flunking out. I’m a Dekalb county resident
with a teenager in a Dekalb county school. I am
also an inner-city APS teacher. I’m tired of every-
one pointing the finger up. I work hard, but I can’t
do your job. If you can’t do it, stop having kids.
–Claire posted this on 3/4/11 at 12:13 p.m.
Avondale community makes last ditch effort to
save schools
When will you Central DeKalb folks get it? You’re
not from Dunwoody or Lakeside. You’re not from
Lithonia or Arabia.
YOU
DON’T
COUNT
– Disappointed Diogenes posted this on 3/3/11 at 12:40
p.m.
www.championnewspaper.com
Fostering hope
Lil Jon playing for Decatur charity on Apprentice
by Robert Naddra
robert@dekalbchamp.com
When Terrence Johnson
first met entertainment entre-
preneur Lil Jon, who grew
up in Decatur, it didn’t take
Johnson long to understand
the compassion of the pro-
ducer/recording artist.
Lil Jon, who is competing
on the television show Ce-
lebrity Apprentice, chose the
United Methodist Children’s
Home as his charity. Johnson
is director of the Decatur
campus. After a phone call to
Johnson, Lil Jon went to the
home to see firsthand what
the organization does.
“I was really impressed
because he came out,” John-
son said. “I thought he would
just make an appearance
and leave. But four or five
hours later, he was still here
interacting with the kids and
talking to the staff. He had a
complete interest in it.”
Lil Jon’s interest in foster
care stems from his child-
hood. His mother was a foster
mom and adopted two foster
children, Johnson said.
“I chose the United Meth-
odist Children’s Home as my
charity because it’s a personal
thing for me,” Lil Jon said.
“My family took in some fos-
ter kids when I was young, so
I know the importance. Every
kid deserves a good home,
and the best opportunities.”
Johnson said the enter-
tainer’s winnings will go
into the general operations
budget and will be used to
help any of the organization’s
many programs. In addition
to foster care, the group has a
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
housing program for families
in transition and an individual
living program for those 18
years and older. The UMCH
also works with churches and
other organizations to provide
counseling, parent training
and other needs.
Johnson said the UMCH
is seeking more foster parents
and had to turn away an esti-
mated 200 foster children last
year. The transitional housing
program is funded entirely by
private donations, he said.
“Even if he doesn’t win,
he talked to us about doing
something for us like donat-
ing computer equipment or
something else. His interest
was genuine.
“We’re thrilled to be cho-
sen as Lil Jon’s charity of
choice for The Celebrity Ap-
prentice,” Johnson continued.
“We appreciate any addition-
al help possible that allows us
to continue to serve children
and struggling families.”
During the show’s 12-
week run, Lil Jon will be
joined by other celebrity con-
testants who will compete for
cash prizes as well as win-
ning the title of “Celebrity
Apprentice.” Each celebrity
contestant will compete for
a charity—each charity will
receive all of the winnings
that the celebrity collects
throughout the show.
The Celebrity Apprentice
premiered on March 6, and
airs on NBC on Sundays,
9-11 p.m. Other contestants
on the show include Star
Jones, actors Gary Busey,
Lisa Rinna and Marlee
Matlin, and singers Meat-
loaf, David Cassidy, LaToya
Jackson and Dionne War-
wick.
“[Lil Jon] is really com-
passionate about children
and families, and their well-
being,” Johnson said.
Page 7A
Russ Wallace
Champion of the Week
said without Wallace
there would be many
patients with treatable
neurological problems
who would be suffering
in Honduras.
Gross, who has
traveled to Honduras
with Wallace, said he
is very soft-spoken and
has a great bedside
manner. Last year,
Honduras Outreach
bestowed its Heart for
When Dr. Russ Honduras award on
Wallace, a retired him for his outstanding
neurologist, sees humanitarian efforts.
a need, he fills it. “We need more
That’s his approach to doctors like him,” said
volunteerism. Gross, adding that
The 76-year-old she’s been a fan and
Decatur resident has business associate
spent the past 16 of Wallace for eight
years.
years volunteering for
Honduras Outreach Earlier this year he
Inc., a non-denomi- learned through his
national Christian or- wife Tish of a need
ganization dedicated at another organiza-
to improving the lives tion: Medshare, a
of residents in Central nonprofit organization
Honduras. that distributes surplus
Wallace became medical supplies and
involved with Hondu- equipment to poorly
ras Outreach after a equipped healthcare
partner traveled to the facilities in developing
country and told him countries.
about the experience. Wallace’s wife
“They needed a has volunteered for
neurologist,” said Wal- more than a year at
Medshare sorting
lace, who grew up in
Florida and moved to and packing medical
Georgia in 1953 to at- supplies. She told him
tend Emory University. the volunteers needed
“I filled a need.” taller, sturdier tables to
In Honduras, Wal- prevent backaches. So
lace has provided Wallace, an amateur
medical assistance, woodworker, made
primarily consisting of some tables for the
neurological consulta- organization.
tions. He also collects “They’re practical
monetary donations to tables, not furniture
purchase medications quality,” Wallace said.
for epilepsy. Wallace said he
Emily Gross, the enjoys volunteering
group coordinator and because it is very
program manager for satisfying. And it fills a
Honduras Outreach, need.
If you would like to nominate someone to
be considered as a future Champion of the
Week, please contact Kathy Mitchell at
kathy@DeKalbchamp.com or at
404-373-7779, ext. 104.
Page 8A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

DeKalb officials ponder EMS privatization

by Andrew Cauthen nan. “Nothing will be final
andrew@dekalbchamp.com until reviewed by the chief
operating officer and chief
If DeKalb leaders priva- executive officer.”
tize the county’s emergency When you hire a private
medical services, the resi- company, they get paid
dents will regret that deci- based on what they do, Por-
sion, according to a county ter said.
paramedic. “When I’m working on a
“Fire and rescue is a vital child hit by a car, I’m calcu-
part of DeKalb County,” lating drug rates, drug dos-
said Denise Porter, who es, IV rates, blood loss–I’m
works for the DeKalb Coun- not calculating bills,” Porter
ty Fire and Rescue Depart- said. “Privatizing EMS is
ment, during a meeting of not the answer.”
the county’s Board of Com- DeKalb County already
missioners on Feb. 22. “It’s uses a private ambulance
like the heart.” service for some of its EMS
When the Board of calls. The county has a one-
Commissioners passed the year contract with Rural/
county’s budget last week, Metro Corporation, based
they put into motion the be- in Scottsdale, Ariz., which
ginnings of a plan to priva- provides emergency and
tize the county’s EMS. The non-emergency ambulance
intent of the board’s budget services, and private fire
is that the “fire department protection services in 20
will privatize most all emer- states throughout the United adequate ambulance service. either. pitals, Rader said. Unlike
gency medical transport States. The committee recommend- A problem with priva- rural areas, metropolitan
effective July 1, 2011,” ac- Rural/Metro has 15 re- ed that EMS be organized tizing is that if there is a Atlanta has several ambu-
cording to the county budget sponse vehicles in DeKalb within the fire department. problem with a contractor, lance firms to choose from
resolution. County to supplement In 1973, the fire department the county’s procurement if privatization was deemed
Because privatization the ambulance fleet with- formed its EMS division process is lengthy, making viable.
was not a part of the pro- in DeKalb County Fire Res- and responded to all rescue it difficult to quickly replace “The success will depend
posed budget of DeKalb cue, according to Brennan. calls. In 2002, the depart- the contractor, Gannon said. on the details of its imple-
County Chief Executive Of- Commissioner Kathie ment became fully integrat- Privatization of EMS is mentation,” Rader said.
ficer Burrell Ellis, county Gannon, who voted against ed with most stations having an idea worthy of investiga- Commissioner Larry
officials are currently study- the budget, said the county an assigned fire apparatus tion, but there are issues that Johnson said he would be
ing the feasibility of imple- invested “a pretty good for- and a rescue transport unit. need to be hashed out, Com- willing to support privatiza-
menting the idea. tune” to study combining Gannon said she is not missioner Jeff Rader said. tion if it is viable and does
“All departments, in- the fire and rescue depart- sure whether privatization Rader said a major ques- not compromise the safety
cluding public safety, are ments. is a viable idea for DeKalb tion in the privatization de- of DeKalb residents.
still considering all options According to the coun- County. bate is, “What is the role of The budget process is
to comply with the budget ty’s website, the Board of “I have seen no financial [the Department of] Public an opportunity for DeKalb
as passed by the Board Commissioners appointed study at all that says this is Safety as first responders?” stakeholders to look at
of Commissioners,” said an ambulance study com- a good idea,” Gannon said, The county could use county services and create
DeKalb’s Chief Communi- mittee in 1971 when resi- adding that she had not seen contract EMS providers for a better-run government,
cations Officer Burke Bren- dents complained about in- one that states the opposite, transporting patients to hos- Johnson said.

DeKalb school system responds to recent SACS report

by Daniel Beauregard
Daniel@dekalbchamp.com
After a visit from the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools
(SACS), the DeKalb County School
System (DCSS) is busy implement-
ing the agency’s recommendations
to maintain its accreditation.
AdvancED, a parent corpora-
tion of SACS, paid DeKalb County
Schools a visit in January to conduct
a review of the system to make sure
it was meeting all the criteria to re-
main at its accreditation status.
According to AdvancED spokes-
person Jennifer Oliver, there are
four statuses within the accreditation
system: cleared, advisement, warned
and probation. DeKalb County
Schools has been placed on advise-
ment after the recent report.
“That basically means that con-
cerns have been identified and the
school system has at least taken
some initial steps at addressing
those concerns…and if they follow
the required actions that they’re
given they should be on a trajectory
to move [forward] and then [get on
a] cleared status,” Oliver said.
AdvancED will revisit the school
system on Oct. 31 to reevaluate it
and assess the progress that has been
made on the recommendations of
the recent report. DeKalb County
School Board Chairman Thomas
E. Bowen said that he appreciates
the help and advice from AdvancED
and will work to implement their
recommendations.
“Our job over the next seven
months is to build on that momen-
tum and to restore DeKalb School’s
full accreditation status,” Bowen
said.
Walter Woods, a spokesperson
for DeKalb County Schools, said
the system is not in violation of the
AdvancED standards but it has put
forth the organization’s recommen-
dations in order to help guide the
school system and provide it with a
“road map” to gain full accreditation
in 2012.
“Interim Superintendent Ramo-
na Tyson is forming an internal task
force with the goal of ensuring that
the school district has adequately
addressed all eight required actions
by Oct. 15, when the school system
is required to submit an institution
progress report to AdvancED,”
Woods said.
According to AdvancED’s report,
the eight required actions that the
system must address by Oct. 31 are:
• Re-establish the district’s planning
team for the purpose of effectively
implementing the DCSS Strategic
Plan to guide the direction of the
district.
• Implement protocol within the
current Comprehensive Policy
Review Initiative process that will
provide proactive and on-going
review of policies following its
completion in two years.
• Develop a plan to ensure the com-
See SACS on Page 10A
www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 Page 9A

Grady cuts indigent care METROPOLITAN ATLANTA RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY

options in south DeKalb Notice of Public Hearings: March 21 & 24, 2011
by Robert Naddra South DeKalb had 6,300 Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
robert@dekalbchamp.com patient visits in 2010, 1,000 will hold five public hearings for the purpose of considering
fewer than the number of
Low-income residents of visits in 2009, according Proposed Bus Service Modifications for June 18, 2011,
south DeKalb County will to Gove. He said DeKalb
have to travel four more miles Grady is the system’s highest-
and Braves Shuttle Service effective 2011 season.
to receive medical care after volume center with 21,000 Two Hearings on: Monday, March 21
Grady Health System closes patient visits in 2010. There
the South DeKalb Health were 28,000 visits at that cen- 38 Hill Street, Roswell, GA 30075 5600 Stonewall Tell Rd, College Park, 30349
Center on Rainbow Way ter in 2009, Gove said.
within 60 to 90 days.
However, said Grady
DeKalb County has pro-
vided $15.7 million in fund-
Roswell South Fulton
spokesman Matt Gove, a ing to Grady for each of the
broader range of services will past four years, but the 2011
City Hall Service Center
Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M. Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M.
be available for the displaced budget allows for only $12.3
patients at DeKalb Grady . million in funding, a $3.4 Hearing: 7:00 P.M. Hearing: 7:00 P.M.
The closing is part of million decrease. Riding MARTA: Bus Route 85 from Riding MARTA: Bus Route 180 from the
system-wide changes that “DeKalb has been very North Springs Rail Station. College Park Rail Station.
will help the hospital recoup stable until this year,” Gove
funding it no longer receives. said. “We were hopeful that Three Hearings on: Thursday, March 24
The health center on Martin they may be able to hold
Luther King Jr. Blvd. in At- Grady flat. We do believe 55 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30303
lanta also will close. Co-pay we deliver an excellent 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, GA 30030
on prescription drugs will rise value. But this isn’t just about
from $2 to $3 and homeless DeKalb funding overall.” City of Atlanta Maloof Auditorium,
patients will be asked to pay
$1 for prescriptions, the hos-
The hospital system has
had a $50 million decrease Council Chambers Decatur
pital said in a statement. in indigent care funding Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M. Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M.
The hospital also previ- from four years ago, and at
ously announced cutting the same time costs have Hearing: 7:00 P.M. Hearing: 7:00 P.M.
approximately 100 staff po- increased $41 million, Gove Riding MARTA: Five Points Station, Bus Routes Riding MARTA: One block walk
sitions, but none will be in said. 32, 49, 55, 74. Special Bus shuttle also provided. west of Decatur Station.
patient care. According to the hospi-
Grady faces a reduction of tal website, total indigent
$15 to $20 million in federal care funding since 2007 has 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW, Atlanta, GA 30331
funding, and an additional $6 fallen from $175.8 million to
million in county funding (in- $126.9 million while costs
Adamsville Recreation Center
cluding a $3 million cut from have risen from $180.9 mil- Community Exchange: 6:30 - 7:00 P.M. Hearing: 7:00 P.M.
DeKalb County). lion to $222.2 million in that Riding MARTA: Bus Route 73 from H.E. Holmes Rail Station.
Patient volume and prox- time period.
imity to other centers were “Grady is stuck in the PROPOSED ROUTING AND/OR ADJUSTMENTS FOR THE FOLLOWING BUS ROUTES:
determining factors in de- middle of this situation,” Route 2 - Ponce de Leon Avenue/Moreland Modify to extend service from Dunwoody tinued during midday and evening periods on
ciding which centers would Gove said. “The community Avenue: Modify service to provide selected Place to North Springs Station via GA 400 on weekdays only.
close, Gove said. wants and needs a certain trips between North Avenue Station to Decatur weekdays only.
“There are fewer patients level of services, but we don’t Station via Ponce de Leon Avenue on all serv-
Route 181 - Buffington Road/South Fulton
at South DeKalb than at any have the funding to deliver ice days. All other trips will provide service
Route 99 - Boulevard/Monroe Drive: Modify Park & Ride: Modify to extend service from
other center,” Gove said. “It’s those services. We understand between North Avenue Station to
service to operate from Boulevard via North South Fulton Park & Ride to Fairburn via
only four miles down the road officials have to make diffi- Avenue terminating at North Avenue Station Interstate 85, Jonesboro Road (S.R. 138),
Edgewood/Candler Park Station via North
from DeKalb Grady and it cult decisions as to where the during midday (9:00 AM - 3:00 PM) and Beverly Engram Parkway, Roosevelt Highway,
offers more services than are money goes.” Avenue or via Ponce de Leon Avenue. During
evening (after 7:00 PM.) periods on week- West Broad Street, Brooks Drive, Washington
available at South DeKalb. midday (9:00 AM -- 3:00 PM) and evenings
days only. During weekday peak periods Street and Smith Street on weekdays and
(after 7:00 PM) periods on weekdays only,
(6:00 AM -- 9:00 AM & 3:00 PM -- 7:00 PM) Saturdays only. Sunday service remains
service along North Avenue between
Decatur Law Office/ Boulevard and North Avenue Station will be
and weekends, Route 99 will continue to pro-
vide service between Georgia State Station
unchanged terminating at South Fulton Park
& Ride.
Space Sharing provided by modification of Route 99-
Boulevard/Monroe Drive.
and Midtown Station. Service from North
Restoration of the Braves Shuttle Service.
Opportunity Route 87 - Roswell Road/Morgan Falls:
Avenue along Boulevard, Monroe Drive, and
10th Street to Midtown Station will be discon-
Effective 2011 season.

Four experienced lawyers practicing
in downtown Decatur location.
Newly renovated free-standing
building two blocks from DeKalb
County Courthouse and Decatur
Square. One large office
available (appx. 22’ x 13’). Can
be partitioned into 2 separate
offices.
Off-street parking plus other
usual services provided.
Contact Fred Cavalli or his
assistant, Nicole Robben at
(404) 370-1181
Information on the the proposed bus
service modifications will also be available at
MARTA’s Office of External Affairs, 2424
Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324
during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30
A.M. to 5:00 P.M., Sat 9:00 A.M. to12 Noon,
and on the website www.itsmarta.com.
For formats (FREE of charge) in accor-
dance with the ADA and Limited English
Proficiency regulations contact (404) 848-
4037. For those patrons requiring further
accommodations, information can be obtained
by calling the Telephone Device for the Deaf
(TDD) at 404 848-5665.
In addition, a sign language interpreter
will be available at all hearings. If you cannot
attend the hearings and want to provide com-
ments you may: (1) leave a message at
(404) 848-5299; (2) write to MARTA’s
Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont
Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324-3330;
(3) complete an online Comment Card at
www.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your com-
ments by 9 A.M. on March 28, 2011 to (404)
848-4179.
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority complies with all federal regulations
and does not discriminate on the basis of race,
Beverly A. Scott, Ph.D. General Manager/CEO
color, or national origin in its programs, bene-
fits, services or activities. Complaints, or
inquiries regarding Title VI compliance, may
be directed in writing to the Office of Diversity
and Equal Opportunity at 2424 Piedmont Rd,
NE, Atlanta, GA 30324 or 404-848-5240.
All citizens of the City of Atlanta and the
counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and
Gwinnett whose interests are affected by the
subjects to be considered at these hearings
are hereby notified and invited to appear at
said times and places and present such evi-
dence, comment or objection as their
interests require.
 Page 10A
Search warrants issued in Dunwoody man’s murder
Suspect’s wife files for separation
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
The wife of the man ac-
cused of murdering a Dun-
woody entrepreneur has filed
for separation as investigators
look for a motive for ho-
micide in e-mail and phone
records between the suspect
and the victim’s wife.
DeKalb County Superior
Court Judge Gregory A.
Adams has issued search
and seizure warrants in the
murder case of Russell Jay
“Rusty” Sneiderman who
was killed on Nov. 18 after
he dropped off his 2-year-old
son at Dunwoody Prep on
Chamblee-Dunwoody Road.
He was shot multiple times
and was pronounced dead
after being transported to At-
lanta Medical Center.
Last month, the county’s
district attorney announced
that Hemy Zvi Neuman,
45, was indicted by a grand
jury on one count of malice
murder and one count of pos-
sessing a firearm during the
commission of a felony.
SACS
munication, training, imple-
mentation and monitoring
of all district policies and
regulations.
• Establish and maintain a
clear and direct line of au-
thority between the Internal
Auditor and the DCSS
Board of Education.
• Oversee the training and im-
plementation of CRCT state
assessments and develop a
plan of action for monitor-
ing.
• Redistrict, close and con-
solidate schools as neces-
sary based on actual data
and facts resulting from the
assessment of education
adequacy, technology readi-
ness, utilization (open seats),
enrollment and capacity.
• Select a new superintendent
who exemplifies and has
demonstrated the charac-
teristics necessary to lead a
unique district as DCSS.
• Designate staff to collabo-
rate with the existing public
relations agency to develop
a focused communications
plan to reach out to internal
and external stakeholders
with both input and output
of information.
“Some of the required
actions the school system
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
DeKalb investigators re- itself, and I will not comment crime. He returned to work day of the crime showed a
quested the warrants to seek any further at this time.” after the shooting occurred. silver Kia Sedona leaving the
information contained in the A company spokesman When Neuman was arrest- scene. That vehicle was de-
phone and e-mail records has confirmed that Andrea ed, his iPad and iPhone were termined to have been rented
of Neuman and Andrea Sneiderman worked under the seized and Andrea Sneider- by Neuman on Nov. 17 and
Sneiderman, Rusty’s wife. direction of Hemy Neuman, man’s personal e-mail ad- returned on Nov. 18 after the
The information requested an operations and quality dress was found in his Yahoo killing.
includes internet history, manager at GE Electric En- address book. Investigators Inside the vehicle, crime
e-mail messages, address ergy in Marietta. believe the e-mail accounts scene investigators discov-
books, log-in records, photos Investigators believe that of the two “could potentially ered a synthetic hair like
and videos “that would indi- Neuman and the victim’s wife store information that is not those used in fake beards, ac-
cate planning, collaboration, were in “continuous commu- necessarily illicit” but which cording to the warrant.
or premeditation to commit nication” before and after the may reveal a motive to mur- The arraignment of Neu-
murder.” homicide. der Sneiderman. man is set for April 4, at 9
On Feb. 7, Ariela Neu- According to the warrants, The accounts could also a.m. in the courtroom of
man, the suspect’s wife for Neuman went to work early point to other witnesses, sus- Judge Gregory Adams.
22 years, filed for separation, on the day of the killing and pects and accomplices.
according to Esther Panitch, then left the office before the Surveillance video on the
Neuman’s attorney.
According to the court
documents, Ariela Neuman Judicial Nominating Commission State Of Georgia
is accusing her husband of 600 Peachtree Street, NE
adultery and “cruel treatment, Suite 5200
Atlanta, Georgia 30308-2216
which consisted of the willful Tel: 404-885-2696,
infliction of pain, bodily or Fax: 404-962-6919
mental.” The couple have not The Judicial Nominating Commission met on March 1, 2011. Having determined that the
lived together since Oct. 3. number of applicants for the two DeKalb State Court vacancies exceeds twenty-five, the JNC
“Filing a suit for separate appointed a subcommittee to conduct a preliminary review of the applicants and to make a
maintenance is the best way recommendation regarding the candidates for consideration at the next JNC meeting. The
to protect my client and her subcommittee will be chaired by Co-Chair Pete Robinson and will consist of commission
children’s interests at this members, Robert James and Chris Carr. The candidate pool will be reviewed for both existing
time,” said Panitch in a state- DeKalb State Court vacancies.
ment. “The filing speaks for J. Randolph Evans, Esq.
Pete Robinson, Esq.
Continued From Page 8A City of Lithonia
2011 Proposed Budget
2010
Budget (Amended)
2010
Actual (Unaudited)
2011
Proposed
should be able to complete Sources of Funds
Real Estate Property Tax $ 284,136 $ 244,982 $ 244,982
with no trouble by Oct. 31, Personal Property, Mobile Home, & Motor Vehicle Tax 46,455 86,937 86,937
then there are others of them Homestead Tax Relief Grant - - -
that are longer term that will Licenses, Occupational Taxes & Permits 128,200 97,249 100,000
require a greater length of Life Insurance Tax - 117,730 117,000
Franchise Fees 168,000 78,194 90,574
time and progress. With those Grave Opening 500 300 300
we’ll be looking for signifi- Fines & Forfeitures, Court 168,600 181,952 200,000
cant efforts in those areas but Fees and Other Service Charges 500 241 12,000
not necessarily completion,” Contributions and Campaign
Rental Income
-
25,800
-
26,144
1,000
33,084
Oliver said. Cultural Affairs - - 8,000
Oliver also pointed out Interest Income/Gain On Sale - 111 100
that school board members Other Miscellaneous Revenues 10,000 15,318 -
have set themselves a hir- Total Sources of General Funds $ 832,191 $ 849,158 $ 893,977
ing deadline of June 30, to
find a new superintendent, so Use of Funds
that takes care of one of the Mayor and Council 28,200 27,740 28,080
recommendations. She said City Administration
Police Department/Public Safety
26,400
325,344
25,279
243,446
61,318
230,472
that the main concern is to get Maintenance Department 58,535 55,172 62,400
DCSS prepared for its five- Court 46,500 46,793 47,212
year review in spring 2012. Judical Fees and .Expenses 32,400 63,716 66,970
“In October they will have Advertising
Bank Service Fees
1,300
500
1,179
225
2,500
510
a monitoring visit to see their Meetings, Conferences, and Training 11,100 4,624 14,100
progress, certainly if they had Employee Benefits and Payroll Tax 140,000 141,124 175,778
done nothing that would be of Professional Fees 49,000 69,732 59,488
Community Events - Councilmembers - - 1,000
great concern…but my sense Office Expense and Supplies 18,800 20,991 21,698
is that we will be looking for Website 1,800 1,949 500
some progress but we’re also Dues and Subscriptions 4,800 10,294 4,777
looking for them to be mov- Debt Service - 125 150
Capital Outlay Vehicles - Loans - 8,412 10
ing toward that spring visit Miscellaneous Expense - 4,005 -
which will be much more Municipal Elections - 2,480 3,000
comprehensive,” Oliver said. Maintenance and Repairs 36,512 46,125 42,948
The full report issued by Utilities 51,000 54,772 67,066
City Stormwater Taxes - - 4,000
AdvancED offers an in-depth Bad Debt - - -
analysis and is available on Unallocated - 20,975 -
the DeKalb County School
System website at www. Total Uses of General Funds 832,191 849,158 893,977
dekalb.k12.ga.us. Net Fund Balance $ - $ - $ -
www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 Page 11A

Water leaks cause health

hazard at Miller Grove middle
by Robert Naddra Audrey Brisard, who has a
robert@dekalbchmap.com daughter in eighth grade at the
school, wrote in an e-mail to The
The DeKalb County School Champion that she observed several
System is set to spend an estimated things that appeared unsanitary when
$200,000 to repair a portion of the she visited the school Feb. 17.
roof at Miller Grove Middle School “Firstly, there were several places
that has become a health hazard, sys- where the ceiling tiles were missing,
tem spokesman Walter Woods said. resulting in a large opening in the
Substantial water damage caused ceiling from which liquid was emit-
by leaks in the roof were found in ting, leaking and landing on the floor
some of the classrooms, and photos below,” Brisard wrote. “I also saw
obtained by The Champion show barricades which had been erected to
missing ceiling and floor tiles, and divert traffic from those areas. There
stains on the ceiling, walls and floor. were water fountains which had ac-
“There is sufficient mold to war- cumulated a brown liquid, which cer-
rant the replacement of the roof,” tainly indicated that these units were
Woods said. He said the classrooms unusable.
affected also will be cleaned and re- “There were classrooms which
paired, which is part of the $200,000 had the same issues, missing tiles …
expense. The work will take 12 discolored tiles, missing floor tiles
weeks to complete, Woods said. and obvious moisture exposure along
Because of the nature and expense the ceiling and walls,” she continued.
of the repair, a vote was not needed “Finally, there were also quite notice-
to approve the money, Woods said. able foul odors emitting from the
He said bids went out to three pre- restrooms into the hallways, and an
approved bidders last week and work equally offensive smell of mold and
was expected to begin this week. dampness in the classrooms.”
A teacher at the school, who Vickie Elisa, communications di-
asked not to be named, said she re- rector for the DeKalb County Board
cently spent several days in an area of Health, said her agency was noti-
hospital with a bacterial infection fied of problems at the school on
caused by the mold. Feb. 2 and environmental inspectors
“I was hospitalized due to the went to the school the next day.
conditions at the school,” the teacher The health department does not
said. “I have asthma anyway and the have the proper equipment to identi-
mold and dust triggered asthma at- fy different types of mold, Elisa said.
tacks. When I came back to school “Ceiling tiles were damaged and
I was informed [I needed] to wear a there appeared to be some type of
mask in the building, especially in leakage,” Elisa said, summarizing
the areas that were affected.” a report made by the agency’s envi-
Parents who spoke to The Cham- ronmental inspectors. “There seemed
pion said the leaking roof and plumb- to be an excess of water and it was DeKalb County health inspectors have recommended that portions of the roof at
ing problems have been issues since recommended to seal off any access Miller Grove Middle School be replaced, and areas inside the school be repaired, after
parents complained about unhealthy conditions inside the school as a result of se-
last year. to water to prevent further intrusion vere damage due to leaks in the roof. Photos provided

So many reasons to join!

Jacqueline Riley, secretary for
the Miller Grove Middle School
PTA, said she sent a letter to the
school system on Sept. 30 detail-
ing some of the problems caused by
faulty plumbing and leaks in the roof. repairs
Riley said a group came and toured
the school Nov. 9 of last year but that
nothing has been done.
Looking for new customers? We can help!
“Don’t assume that we parents
don’t care,” Riley said. “We do care
of water.”
Elisa said someone from the
middle school called the health de-
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
partment on Feb. 10 and said “that
the school was looking into getting
100 done and putting
Crescent Center together
Pkwy.,anSuite 680. Tucker, GA 30084 (404) 378-8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org
action plan for repairs.”
For Riley, however, the school
system’s actions come too late. She
also is concerned about the heating
and air conditioning system at the

and the education of our100children.

DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
about what’s going on in the schools school as well as the plumbing. She
said herPkwy.,
son toldSuite
her last year that GA 30084 (404) 378-8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org
Crescent Center 680. Tucker,
There’s been a high level of tolerance his class had to be moved because
in the south DeKalb area and [the of the strong odor coming from the
school system] has gotten in the habit bathroom.

The Voice of Business in DeKalb County

of dumping on us. We’re not going “Repairs need to go beyond the
to tolerate it when our children are at roof,” Riley said. “The HVAC sys-
risk.” tem needs to be replaced because the
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
Riley said she has seen water that air is thick and ventilation is poor.
is dark brown or black leaking from They have severe plumbing issues—Suite 680. Tucker, GA 30084
100 Crescent Center Pkwy.,
the roof. the bathrooms
404-378-8000flood and most of the www.DeKalbChamber.org
“They keep coming and looking, water fountains don’t even work. I
meanwhile our children are still sit- know they’ve closed off the bath-
ting in that mess,” she said. rooms before.”

Your competitor is likely a member!

DeKalb Chamber of Commerce
100 Crescent Center Pkwy., Suite 680. Tucker, GA 30084 (404) 378-8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org
Page 12A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

Chamblee chooses city manager finalists

by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
The village administrator
of Oswego, Ill., and the fire
chief of Lincoln, Neb., are
the final two candidates for
the city manager position in
Chamblee.
On Feb. 28, the Chamblee
City Council selected the fi-
of local government experi- positions he held include pro- tion he is interested in. candidates, received 107 ap-
ence, Adams said he would gram director and instructor “It’s certainly a different plications and recommended
bring to Chamblee a good at Lawson State Community position, but it’s all public nine to the city council for
working knowledge of local College in Birmingham, Ala., management,” Ford said. further consideration. The city
government. 1999 – 2002; paramedic with Colin Baenziger & As- council anticipates selecting
“Local government is lo- the North Star Paramedic Ser- sociates, which was hired by the next city manager at its
cal government all over the vice in Bessemer, Ala., 1996– the city council to conduct regularly scheduled meeting
country.” 99; public safety dispatcher the search for city manager on March 15.
Chamblee is a good town with the Bessemer Police and
with a lot of potential, some Fire Department, 1991–92.
of which was sidelined by the Ford has a doctorate degree

nalists who are vying for the
position vacated by Jim Glea-
son in November after two
years on the job. Chamblee
Attract new
economic problems that has in organization and manage-
plagued the country, Adams ment from Capella University
said. in Minneapolis, Minn. He
If selected, Adams said, earned a master’s degree in

customers!
Police Chief Marc Johnson, his immediate goal would be management from Faulkner
who has been with the city to build relationships with the University in Montgomery,

for more than 35 years, is the
interim city manager.
Gary Adams has been the
village administrator of Oswe-
go, Ill., since 2005, with over-
sight of a government with
120 employees, a population
mayor, council and the com-
munity.
Adams said he is looking
to leave his current position
because he likes the Southeast.
He spent 13 years working in
Florida, where his mother still
Save
Ala.; and a bachelor of science
in public administration from
Athens State University in
Athens, Ala.
Ford said he would bring
to the city manager position
a passion for Chamblee. He

of 31,000 and a $27 million
budget. Other positions Ad-
ams has held include county
administrator of Hernando
County, Fla., 2004-05; village
administrator of Rantoul, Ill.,
1997-2004; county adminis-
trator of Putnam County, Fla.,
1984-85, 1986-97; and county
administrator of Carver Coun-
ty, Minn., 1985-86.
Adams earned a masters
degree in business administra-
tion from the University of Il-
linois, in Champaign, Ill., and
a bachelor of arts degree from
20%
lives. And he has another rea- would create new ways of
son to leave Illinois. facilitating positive change in
“I’m tired of the 20-below the city.
temperatures,” Adams said, “Chamblee has an op-
adding that his community portunity to seek growth that
had 22 inches of snow this fits the character of the area,”
year. Ford said.
Niles Ford has been work- After spending nearly five
ing as fire chief of Lincoln, years in Atlanta, Ford said he
Neb., since 2007. As fire is looking to move back to the
chief, Ford has oversight of a area which he and his family
$27 million budget.
From 2003-07, Ford was
likes.
“I am very happy with the
on the cost of
advertising
a deputy fire chief in Fulton position I have,” Ford said. “I
County. From 1992 – 2003, am not leaving a bad situation.
Ford worked with the Besse- Lincoln is a good city.”

space
Eastern Illinois University in mer, Ala., fire and rescue de- The Chamblee position
Charleston, Ill. partment, where he rose from would give the fire chief an
Having more than 30 years firefighter to captain. Other opportunity to grow in a posi-

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www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 Page 13A

Supreme Court upholds murder conviction

by Nigel Roberts night of the murder and the and could not account for cross-examination.” In fact, “Smiley has failed to over-
cookout as Aug. 30. How- Smiley’s whereabouts at the one of the witnesses was a come the strong presump-
In a unanimous decision ever, the justices ruled that time of the murder. client of Smiley’s attorney tion that his attorney’s tacti-
on Feb. 28, the Georgia the jury understood that With regard to the at- in drug case. cal decision to forgo putting
Supreme Court upheld the the testimony referred to torney’s failure to call two “The decision of which the subject witnesses on the
conviction of George Smi- Sept. 1 and pointed to other other alibi witnesses, Smi- witnesses to call is a tacti- stand was within the broad
ley. A DeKalb jury found problems with Williams’ ley’s lawyer explained that cal one within the exclusive range of reasonable profes-
the Clarkston man guilty of testimony: The host admit- the other witnesses had province of the attorney sional conduct.”
the 2006 shooting death of ted that he had been drink- credibility problems and after consultation with the
Samuel Williams of Stone ing alcohol at the barbecue could not “stand up well to client,” the justices wrote.
Mountain at an apartment
complex on North Hairston
Road. Smiley will continue
to serve his life sentence for DeKalb County Wants to Hear From You
the slaying. Regarding the Proposed Franchise Agreement Renewal
According to court docu-
ments, Smiley had loaned with Comcast Cable Communications
a GMC Jimmy SUV to his Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcast’s current performance under
girlfriend, who had previ- the current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests of
ously dated Williams. On your community to cable@co.dekalb.ga.us.
Sept. 1, 2006, Williams
smashed the windows of
the vehicle. Later that day, The Champion Weather March 10, 2011
Smiley confronted Williams Seven Day Forecast In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map Weather History
about the damage to the ve-
Today we will see mostly cloudy skies with a March 10, 1989 - Thirty-four
hicle. In the confrontation, THURSDAY slight chance of showers, high temperature of cities in the central and south-
Smiley fired three shots at Mostly Cloudy 48º, humidity of 50%. West wind 10 to 20 western United States reported
the unarmed Williams, kill- High: 48 Low: 32
Dunwoody
mph. The record high temperature for today is 46/31 Lilburn new record high temperatures
ing him.
85º set in 1974. Expect mostly cloudy skies Smyrna Doraville 47/32 for the date. The high of 85
A few days later, the po- FRIDAY tonight with an overnight low of 32º. 47/32 degrees at Hanksville, Utah was
lice went to Smiley’s home Sunny
47/32
Snellville a record for March, and Pueblo,
to inquire about the vandal- High: 58 Low: 38 *Last Week’s Almanac Decatur
48/32 Colo., equaled their March
ism to his SUV. He agreed Date Hi Lo Normals Precip
Atlanta 48/32
record of 86 degrees.
to go to the police station SATURDAY Tuesday 66 43 61/40 0.00"
48/32
Lithonia
to give a statement. When Sunny Wednesday 68 39 61/40 0.00" College Park 49/32 March 11, 1988 - A blizzard
questioned about the shoot- High: 67 Low: 44 Thursday 67 44 61/40 0.00" 49/32 Morrow raged across the north central
ing, Smiley denied he killed Friday 52 42 62/41 0.00" 49/32 United States. Chadron, Neb.,
Williams, claiming that he SUNDAY Saturday 57 48 62/41 0.64" Union City was buried under 33 inches of
was at a cookout at the time Sunny Sunday 57 38 62/41 0.27" 49/32 snow, up to 25 inches of snow
of the shooting. However, High: 65 Low: 42 Monday 55 34 62/42 0.00" was reported in eastern
when pressed, Smiley ad- Hampton Wyoming, and totals in the
Rainfall . . . . . . .0.91" Average temp . .50.7
mitted to shooting Williams 50/33 Black Hills of South Dakota
MONDAY Normal rainfall . .1.26" Average normal 51.1
but claimed it was self-de- Mostly Sunny Departure . . . . .-0.35" Departure . . . . .-0.4 ranged up to 69 inches at Lead.
fense. Court documents say High: 64 Low: 41 *Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport
that Smiley, after receiving Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week Tonight's Planets
his Miranda warning, gave TUESDAY Day Sunrise Sunset Moonrise Moonset
different versions of the Partly Cloudy First Last
Rise Set
Thursday 6:54 a.m. 6:41 p.m. 9:42 a.m. Next Day
shooting. High: 62 Low: 38 3/12 3/26
Mercury 7:28 a.m. 7:38 p.m.
Friday 6:53 a.m. 6:42 p.m. 10:26 a.m. 12:16 a.m.
Following a grand jury Venus 5:01 a.m. 3:30 p.m.
Saturday 6:52 a.m. 6:43 p.m. 11:17 a.m. 1:11 a.m.
indictment and a four-day WEDNESDAY Mars 6:40 a.m. 6:03 p.m.
Sunday 7:50 a.m. 7:44 p.m. 1:14 p.m. 3:05 a.m.
trial, a DeKalb jury found Partly Cloudy
Jupiter 7:53 a.m. 8:13 p.m.
Full Monday 7:49 a.m. 7:44 p.m. 2:16 p.m. 3:55 a.m. New
Smiley guilty of malice High: 63 Low: 41
Saturn 8:33 p.m. 8:21 a.m.
3/19 Tuesday 7:48 a.m. 7:45 p.m. 3:22 p.m. 4:41 a.m. 4/3
murder in October 2007. He Uranus 7:26 a.m. 7:26 p.m.
Wednesday 7:46 a.m. 7:46 p.m. 4:31 p.m. 5:23 a.m.
received a life sentence and
a concurrent 20-year prison Local UV Index National Weather Summary This Week Weather Trivia
sentence for aggravated as-

sault.
Smiley asked the state
Supreme Court to dismiss
his conviction because he
had ineffective counsel.
According to his appeal,
Smiley’s attorney failed to
present evidence to the jury
that he was at a barbecue at
the time of the shooting and
that his lawyer also failed to
call other alibi witnesses.
At the trial, Smiley’s
attorney called Kevin Wil-
liams, who hosted the cook-
out, to testify on Smiley’s
behalf. His trial attorney
mistakenly referred to the
?
The Northeast will see scattered rain and snow today, mostly clear to partly cloudy What is the lowest
skies with isolated rain and snow Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature barometer reading ever
0 - 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11+ of 62º in Georgetown, Del. The Southeast will see isolated showers and thunder- measured?
storms today, mostly clear skies Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 82º in Naples, Answer: It was 25.63 inches,
UV Index
Fla. The Northwest will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain today through Saturday, in the middle of a Typhoon
0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate,
6-7: High, 8-10: Very High with the highest temperature of 59º in Medford, Ore. The Southwest will see mostly clear skies today named Tip.
11+: Extreme Exposure through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 87º in Yuma, Ariz. www.WhatsOurWeather.com
StarWatch By Gary Becker - Mercury Says Hello
My favorite planet is Mercury. Most people would say why, with beauties like ringed Saturn and moon-graced Jupiter to behold. Then there is Venus, the third brightest
object in the heavens which gleams like a brilliantly faceted diamond against the darkening evening or brightening morning sky. Copernicus, the man that reinvented the
sun-centered theory of the universe about 500 years ago, probably said it best when he lamented near death that he had never seen the Messenger God. It is by far the most
elusive of the naked eye worlds to witness because it is always caught in the sun’s glare low to the horizon either right after sundown or before sunrise. Forget about the
mornings. I’m still numb from my late night sojourns with CNN or my nocturnal astronomy classes at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. So it is the evening encounters with Planet
One that intrigue me the most. Mercury will be making its debut into the twilight zone late this week as a starlike object very low in the west and nearly as bright as the brightest star of
the heavens, Sirius. Spring encounters with Mercury are always the best because its orbital path is nearly perpendicular to the horizon. This means that as Mercury pulls away from the
sun, it rises nearly straight up from the horizon, maximizing the amount of time that it remains in the sky after sundown. During the next several weeks Mercury will be visible later and
later into the evening. By March 23, the Messenger God will set more than one hour and 40 minutes after sundown, making it visible as a bright starlike object in a nearly dark sky.
Remember that to see Mercury, a flawless western horizon is a must. You should arrive at your observing location no later than about 30 minutes after sundown. Bring along your binoc-
ulars to help you identify it. That bright star twinkling goodnight just above the rosy, western horizon will be Mercury. www.astronomy.org
hEalth
Depressing future for men?
Shift in employment balance between spouses a factor
Emory University experts predict
that rates of depressive disorders
among men will increase as the 21st
century progresses. In an editorial
published in the March 2011 issue
of the British Journal of Psychiatry,
author Boadie Dunlop, M.D., writes
“Compared to women, many men
attach a great importance to their roles
as providers and protectors of their
families. Failure to fulfill the role of
breadwinner is associated with greater
depression and marital conflict.”
Research shows that since the
beginning of the recession in 2007,
roughly 75 percent of the jobs lost
in the United States were held by
men. On the other hand, women are
increasingly becoming the primary
household earners with 22 percent
of wives earning more than their
husbands in 2007, versus only 4
percent in 1970. Unfortunately, there
is little reason for anyone to believe
that traditional male jobs will return
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • PAGE 14A
in significant numbers with economic
recovery.
Additionally, biological and
sociological differences in men and
women may make it harder for men
to fit into the role of primary care
provider to young children than most
women.
“Men in the changing economy
will face the same risks for depression
that women faced in older economies:
trapped in a family role from which
they cannot escape because of an
inability to find employment,” Dunlop
said.
Finally, the societal expectancy of
men to be tough, stoic and hide their
feelings is being significantly eroded.
The growing awareness about mental
health through education, and hearing
prominent male figures talk about
their depression, has had a significant
impact in opening up the public space
for men to validate symptoms of
depression.
One of the most well established
findings in the epidemiology of
psychiatric disorders is that women
have nearly twice the lifetime risk of
developing major depressive disorder
than men.
“The changing socioeconomic
positions of the West could lead to
prevalence in the rates of depression
in men increasing, while rates in
women decrease,” warned Dunlop.
“Practitioners need to be aware of
these forces of life, and be prepared to
explore with their patients the meaning
of these changes and interventions that
might be helpful.”
Dunlop is assistant professor and
director of the Mood and Anxiety
Disorders Program in the Department
of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
at Emory University School of
Medicine. Tanja Mletzko, research
coordinator in the Mood and Anxiety
Disorders Program, is co-author of the
editorial.
21,000 had
whooping
cough last
year, CDC says
by Mike Stobbe
ATLANTA (AP) More
than 21,000 people got
whooping cough last year,
many of them children
and teens. That’s the high-
est number since 2005 and
among the worst years in
more than half a century,
U.S. health officials said re-
cently.
They are puzzled by
the sharp rise in cases. The
vaccine against whooping
cough is highly effective in
children, and vaccination
rates for kids are good.
The disease is very con-
tagious and in rare cases
can be fatal, especially for
babies too young to be vac-
cinated. Whooping cough
starts like a cold but leads to
severe coughing that can last
for weeks.
California appeared to
be the hardest-hit state last
year, with state health of-
ficials reporting more than
8,300 cases, including the
deaths of 10 babies.
Nationally, there were at
least 26 deaths, the Centers
for Disease Control and Pre-
vention said.
The national case count
is preliminary and may wind
up being higher. The num-
bers were reported Feb. 23
at a vaccine advisory com-
mittee meeting.
Health officials believe
contagious adolescents are a
worrisome threat to vulnera-
ble infants. About 95 percent
of children have had at least
three shots against whoop-
ing cough. But because a
whooping cough vaccine
for adolescents and adults
was not licensed until 2005,
vaccination rates for those
groups are much lower. One
study estimated that only 6
percent of adults are fully
immunized.
The Advisory Committee
on Immunization Practices
recommends the whooping
cough vaccine for all adults
who are around infants. The
committee voted to slightly
alter vaccination guidance to
make it clear that all nurses
and other health care work-
ers should get the whooping
cough vaccine.
www.championnewspaper.com
Schools
DeKalb County School Board Chairman Thomas Bowen answers questions about the
adoption of Interim Superintendent Tyson’s plan. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
Events
according to the website.
After the parade ends, the fes-
tivities continue in Underground
Atlanta, where there will be free
entertainment, including music and
dancing.
Those who choose not to ven-
ture downtown can find lots of St.
Patrick’s Day activities in DeKalb
County. Among the biggest is in
Historic Stone Mountain Village,
which will hold its 15th annual
St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and
Fundraiser, “Raising of the Green.”
Held on March 17, it’s ART
Station’s big fundraiser, but it’s
also a fun-raiser with silent and
live auctions, “A Taste of Stone
Mountain” food sampling, music
and that St. Patty’s Day favorite—
complimentary green beer. The
event will be 6-9:30 p.m. Tickets
are $25 at the door or $20 in ad-
vance. ART Station is located at
5384 Manor Drive, Stone Moun-
tain. For more information or to
purchase tickets call (770) 469-
1105 or visit www.artstation.org.
Eddie’s Attic in Decatur starts
the celebration a day ahead of the
holiday on March 16 with uille-
ann (national bagpipes of Ireland)
piper Paddy Keenan. One of the
founding members of the 1970s
group The Bothy Band, Keenan,
according to the Eddie’s Attic
website, was “born to a traveling
family steeped in traditional music.
Both Paddy’s father and grandfa-
ther were uilleann pipers. Paddy
took up the pipes at 10 years old
and played his first concert at the
Gaiety Theater in Dublin, Ireland,
when he was only 14. As a mem-
ber of The Bothy Band, he helped
forever change the face of Irish
traditional music, merging a driv-
ing rhythm section with traditional
Irish tunes in ways that had never
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
been heard before.” The perfor-
mance is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $13
in advance or $16 at the door.
On March 17, Eddie’s Attic will
have two St. Patrick’s Day shows,
both featuring The Buddy O’Reilly
Band, “Atlanta’s own Irish music
super-group, captivating audiences
for over 24 years,” according to
Eddie’s Attic. The first show is at
7 p.m.; the second is at 9:30 p.m.
Tickets are $5 for children 12 years
old and younger and $10 for adults.
Eddie’s Attic is located at 515-B
N. McDonough St., Decatur in the
Courthouse Square. For more in-
formation, visit www.eddiesattic.
com.
Those who want to keep cel-
ebrating after March 17, or would
like to hear traditional Celtic music
without the bar atmosphere, can
come to the Doraville Library on
Saturday, March 26, to hear A Dó,
which performs as part of the Bud-
dy O’Reilly Band. For more than
a decade “The Buddies,” as they
have become known to their fans,
have been performing the beautiful
songs and rollicking dance tunes
of the Irish and Scottish country-
side. The event is 2-3 p.m. The
Doraville Library is located at 3748
Central Ave., Doraville. For more
information, call (770) 936-3852.
Even when the calendar shows
that it’s nowhere near St. Patrick’s
Day, there are restaurants and pubs
in DeKalb County that feature a
taste of Ireland. It’s a good bet
these will be especially lively this
month. Here are a few to try:
The Brick Store Pub
Known for its wide selection
of beers and ales from around the
world, this popular spot at 125
E. Court Square, Decatur, offers
Guinness and Highland Gaelic Ale
reevaluated at a later date.
Board member Donna Edler
raised concerns that all of the
schools slated to close did not meet
the requirements in the plan, specifi-
cally, that of the student criteria and
number of seats utilized.
“Glen Haven Elementary school
is currently at 82 percent capacity
with 454 students as stated in the
[Interim] Superintendent’s recom-
mendation. That is over the 450
student criteria for closing as well as
the 82 percent being above the uti-
lization. That [being] said, I do not
see why Glen Haven is on the list for
closing,” Edler said.
Several other board members
on tap and such Old World with a
New World twist menu offerings as
the shepherd’s daughter’s pie. For
more information, call (404) 687-
0990 or visit www.brickstorepub.
com.
James Joyce Irish Pub
The landmark restaurant at
22 N. Avondale Road, Avondale
Estates, has the atmosphere and
the menu–including Irish stew,
shepherd’s pie with beef braised
in Guinness and corned beef and
cabbage–one would expect at a pub
named for one of Ireland’s most
famous writers. There’s also tradi-
tional Irish coffee, ultimate Irish
coffee along with the usual Irish
beers and ales. For more informa-
tion, call (404) 296-5097 or visit
www.jamesjoyceirishpub.net.
The Marlay House
Formerly called the Grange
Public House, the restaurant at 426
W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur,
continues to carry its original tag
A Section • Page 15A
Continued From Page 1A
including Sarah Copelin-Wood and
Eugene Walker also made motions
to keep various schools open, all of
which failed.
Edler emphasized the fact that
more open discussion was needed
between board members and said
she was disappointed the board was
unable to meet as a whole to discuss
the plan before the vote took place.
“This is the only opportunity that
the board [has had] to discuss this
plan as a [whole], I didn’t think it
was sufficient. To govern effectively
I think we need to be deliberating
and debating as a board…but I think
it was a foregone conclusion,” Edler
said about the vote.
Continued From Page 1A
line: “a bit of Dublin in Decatur.”
An authentic Irish-owner oper-
ated Dublin-style pub, The Marlay
House offers such Emerald Isle
specialties as Harp and Guinness
along with such food items as Irish
stew and Guinness-braised brisket.
The Marlay House has announced
a kickoff St. Patrick’s Day celebra-
tion featuring Irish dancers and live
traditional Irish music on March
12, starting at 2 p.m. For more in-
formation, call (404) 270-9950 or
visit www.themarlayhouse.com.
Pub 71
This Irish-themed Brookhaven
pub not only offers such menu
items as shepherd’s pie, fish and
chips and a burger called the Dub-
liner, it has an Ireland-influenced
drink selection that includes Guin-
ness, Harp and a specialty cocktail
called the nutty Irishman (whisky,
hazelnut liquor and Irish cream.)
It’s located at 4058 Peachtree
Road, Atlanta. For more informa-
tion, call (404) 467-8271 or visit
www.pub71.com.
buSiNESS
Sunday alcohol sales loses steam in Senate
by Nigel Roberts
Supporters of Sunday
alcohol sales are feeling
frustrated. They were opti-
mistic when newly elected
Gov. Nathan Deal said he
supports local referendums
that would permit com-
munities to make their own
decisions on the matter—in
contrast to his predecessor
who steadfastly opposed
it. But that optimism has
faded.
Two proposed measures,
senate bill 10 and house
bill 69, would let voters
decide in local referendums
whether they want to per-
mit retailers to sell alcohol
on Sundays between 12:30
p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Both
bills passed their respective
committees last month and
were on their way to a vote
in each legislative chamber.
With several polls show-
ing voter support for the
bills, many expected them
to breeze through the legis-
lature.
However, Senate Re-
publican leaders recently
stepped on the brakes after
a poll of GOP senators
found that a majority op-
posed Sunday sales. Conse-
quently, party leaders have
blocked the bill from com-
ing to a vote on the Senate
floor.
“I’m in favor of alcohol
sales after lunch on Sun-
days,” said Sen. Fran Mil-
lar (R – Dunwoody). “My
district is also generally in
favor of the Sunday sales
referendum.” However,
many Republican sena-
tors outside the metro area
either personally disap-
prove or feel pressure from
religious primary voters to
oppose Sunday sales, he
explained.
Some GOP senators
who represent towns in the
state’s heartland, such as
Sen. Cecil Staton (R – Ma-
con), say they understand
many of the arguments in
favor of lifting the ban—
including the economic
argument that Sunday sales
could boost Georgia’s
struggling economy.
However, he points to
Notre Dame and MIT stud-
ies showing that Sunday al-
cohol sales would decrease
church attendance. “Geor-
gia was founded on Chris-
tian principles and I do not
feel comfortable ignoring
them for any reason,” he
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • PAGE 16A
stated. “Regardless of your Sundays are the best days Millar said, “This is not
religious views, tradition for me to do my family’s a crisis.” In the big picture,
is tradition. There is some- grocery shopping since our when one considers the list
thing nostalgic about Geor- Saturdays are filled with of import issues that law-
gians attempt to prevent soccer games, birthday makers must tackle, such as
overindulgence on Sunday.” parties, and other family the budget and transporta-
Unlike the Senate, un- activities,” Benfield said in tion, Sunday sales is not a
official polls of represen- a statement. ‘Yet, I have to significant issue, he stated.
tatives indicate that the make a separate trip to buy He added that despite
House would pass its bill. a bottle of wine.” opposition among some
Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Rep. Rahn Mayo (D – lawmakers and senators,
Benfield (D – Decatur), a Decatur) said laws banning the matter isn’t dead. “If
strong supporter of Sunday Sunday sales are “antiquat- the House passes its bill,
sales legislation, said she ed.” He pointed out that the senate bill could come
helped to organize a rally current law permits res- up for a vote,” he stated.
last month aimed at encour- taurants and other venues Most political insiders say
aging the Senate to move to sell alcohol on Sundays that if it fails to pass in this
its bill forward for a vote. but prohibits retailers from session, it’s unlikely to pass
She said Sunday has doing the same. “Passage in 2012 because lawmakers
become a popular day for would make alcohol sales tend to stay away from con-
people with a full schedule consistent for all types of troversy in election years.
to shop. “As a busy mom, businesses,” he added.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the proposed budget for the City of Lithonia’s fiscal
year 2011 totaling $893,977 is available to residents for review prior to adoption
by the governing authority. The proposed budget is on file and available for
review in Lithonia City Hall, 6980 Main Street, Monday through Friday between
the hours of 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.
A budget hearing will be conducted at Lithonia City Hall on March 21, 2011 at
7:00 pm for the purpose of allowing public questions or comments. The budget
will be presented for adoption on March 28, 2011 at 7:00 pm, Lithonia City Hall,
6980 Main Street.
www.championnewspaper.com
AROUND
ATLANTA
Recycling event scheduled
The Northlake Community
Alliance (NCA) and Northlake
Mall are hosting a free Electronics
Recycling Day event on Saturday,
March 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Area
residents may bring old PCs,
printers, microwave ovens, any
other electronic devices and dry
rechargeable batteries to the
Northlake Mall parking lot near
the Briarcliff Road entrance to
be collected by the Electronics
Recycling Service. There is a
$10 disposal fee for televisions.
Northlake Mall is located at 4800
Briarcliff Road, NE, Atlanta.
Donations will benefit future NCA
community projects and the Simon
Youth Foundation.
Harp concert announced
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Catholic Parish and School, as part
of its Music at the Heart series, will
host a concert presenting harpist
Michelle Abbott, who hails from
Hong Kong. The concert will be
Saturday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m.
Admission is one can of food for the
needy, plus a suggested donation
of $10. Immaculate Heart of Mary
is located at 2755 Briarcliff Road,
NE, Atlanta. For more information,
contact, William Jefferson Bush
director of liturgy and music at (404)
636-1418.
DECATUR
Youth leadership program opens
application process
Youth Leadership DeKalb (YLD) is
now accepting applications for the
Class of 2012.
YLD is a 10-month leadership
training program for high school
students in grades 10 and 11. The
purpose of the program is to “De-
velop the knowledge and leadership
skills of young people in DeKalb
County so they may confidently
become our leaders of tomorrow.”,
according to the release.
Students who participate in
Youth Leadership DeKalb attend
monthly workshops and a weekend
retreat to explore current com-
munity issues, personal develop-
ment and other topics. The monthly
workshops take place at Georgia
Perimeter College, Clarkston Cam-
pus, Student Activities Center on
Monday evenings from 6- 8:30
p.m., and include a light dinner.
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
Participants in the program must
attend school or live in DeKalb
County, demonstrate outstanding
leadership qualities and be commit-
ted to effecting change in the com-
munity.
Class participants are selected
based on their written application,
academic achievements, leadership
experience and active participation
in school and/or community organi-
zations.
Accepted students will pay a
$150 commitment fee to cover
certain expenses of the $1,500 pro-
gram. Scholarships are awarded
to each accepted student to cover
the tuition cost. If a student re-
ceives free or reduced lunch or
provides documentation of need,
the commitment fee may be
waived. No student will be turned
away based on ability to pay.
Completed applications must be
submitted to Leadership DeKalb,
315 West Ponce de Leon Ave.,
Decatur, Ga. 30030 by March 25.
A $10 non-refundable application
fee should accompany each appli-
cation. Students will be notified of
their selection in late April.
For additional information about
Youth Leadership DeKalb or the ap-
plication process, call Beth Jansa
at (404) 317-4642.
Business workshop to be at
library
The Flat Shoals Library has
announced a workshop for those
who are ready to start their own
businesses but feel overwhelmed
with all the details of launching
and running a business, Starting
a Small Business: The Business
Plan. Melvin Rabb, founder and
CEO of G&C Enterprises, has more
than 25 years of experience help-
ing the community with business
development. In this workshop,
he will guide participants through
the first crucial step: preparing a
business plan. The session is open
to first 15 participants. It will be Sat-
urday, March 19, 1-3 p.m. The Flat
Shoals Library is located at 4022
Flat Shoals Pkwy., Decatur. For
more information, call (404) 244-
4370.
Mystery evening to raise funds
for library
A Mysterious Evening brings
bestselling mystery author Atlanta’s
own Karin Slaughter to Decatur
for a one-night fundraising event
for the DeKalb Library Foundation
Saturday, March 12, 7-10:30 p.m.
at the Decatur Library. Her special
guests will be the author of The
Help, Atlantan Kathryn Stock-
ett, and author of many bestsell-
DEKALB
ing novels Mary Kay Andrews.
Guests will have an opportunity to
sample heavy Southern-style hors
d’oeuvres with beer and wine, buy
books and get them signed, mingle
with the authors, bid on silent auc-
tion items and then take part in a
45-minute mystery theater live per-
formance, Murder Medium Rare,
in the auditorium. A limited number
of tickets are on sale for $65 in ad-
vance, $75 at the door, and at sa-
vethelibraries.com or dekalblibrary.
org. The Decatur Library is located
at 215 Sycamore St. Call (404)
370-8450, ext. 2238 for more infor-
mation.
Fondren to speak at health event
CNN Hero award recipient Linda
Fondren, who founded a campaign
to transform the residents of Vicks-
burg, Miss., from the fattest to fittest
in the nation, will be the keynote
speaker at the Healthy Belvedere
Movement Kick-off Event on Satur-
day, March 26.
The event will be at Shoal Creek
Park, 3649 Glenwood Road, De-
catur. It will include free health
screenings, cooking demonstrations
and information will be provided by
local businesses, organizations and
government agencies. There will be
activities for children and an inter-
active panel discussion about the
questions everyone should ask their
doctors and other steps to maintain
a healthy lifestyle.
Alliance holds employment fair
The Georgia Sustainable Com-
munities Alliance will hold a job
fair on March 15, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m.
at the Decatur Holiday Inn Confer-
ence Center. The event is free and
open to all employers. Among the
businesses scheduled to be at the
fair are BB&T, Enterprise, Regions
Bank and Xerox. Resume writing
and salary negotiating workshops
will be held free of charge. Profes-
sional attire is recommended. The
conference center is at 130 Claire-
mont Ave. in Decatur. For more in-
formation, contact Derold McIver at
dmciver@bbandt.com.
DUNWOODY
Retirement planning
workshop set
A worship on Social Security
planning, What Baby Boomers
Need to Know to Maximize Retire-
Page 17A
ment Income, will be held at the
Dunwoody Library Tuesday, March
22, 6 - 7:30 p.m. Will Social Secu-
rity be there for me? How much can
I expect to receive? When should
I apply for Social Security? How
can I maximize my benefits? Will
Social Security be enough to live
on in retirement? Martin Halberg,
a certified financial planner, will be
on hand to answer these and other
questions. The Dunwoody Library
is located at 5339 Chamblee-Dun-
woody Road, Dunwoody. For more
information, call (770) 512-4640.
TUCKER
TCA asks help for firefighters
The Tucker Civic Association’s
March “Give an Hour” will be
devoted to helping local firefighters.
TCA is asking Tucker and Smoke
Rise residents to show support
Saturday, March 19, at 10 a.m. for
the men and women of Fire Station
5 by bringing gloves, brooms and
rakes to clean up the station’s back
yard patio. It’s a small space, so
a large number of volunteers will
not be required. However, TCA is
also asking for participation in its
“5 for 5” effort, through which TCA
members and Tucker/Smoke Rise
residents each contribute $5 for
Fire Station 5 to beautify the patio
with new plants and to purchase
new patio furniture. Make checks
payable to Tucker Civic Association
and mail them to Station 5 Fund,
P.O. Box 1916, Tucker GA 30085.
DeKalb Fire Station 5 is located
at 4013 Lawrenceville Highway.
For more information, contact
Jonnie Johnston at publicsafety@
tuckercivic.org
Free tax service offered
Liberty Tax Service is offering
free tax preparation this week for
firefighters and law enforcement
officers. These tax breaks on
preparation fees will be in effect
through March 12 for those who
are first-time customers. For
more information, call (770) 558-
8055 or stop by the office located
at 4317 Lavista Road, one block
outside I-285, across from Folk’s
Restaurant in Tucker.
“This week we’ll honor the
courage and dedication of our men
and women in law enforcement
and public safety to show
appreciation for their work to keep
this community safe,” said Leroy
Tanker, franchise owner of the
Tucker Liberty Tax Service office.
EducatioN
Clairemont Elementary students walked or rode their bikes to school on March 2, to celebrate Georgia Walk to School Day. One girl even surprised her friends by showing
up on a unicylce. Photos by Daniel Beauregard
Clairemont Elementary knows how to ‘Walk and Roll’
by Daniel Beauregard
Daniel@dekalbchamp.com
It was a chilly morning
on March 2, and there
were no buses to be seen
at Clairemont Elementary;
although the quiet streets
might have given the
appearance that class was
canceled, school was most
definitely in session.
The children arrived
at school in large groups
every few minutes, either
walking or riding bikes in
celebration of the second
annual Georgia Walk to
School Day, or as they
called it “Walk and Roll
Day.”
Georgia Walk to School
Day is an event put
together by the Georgia
Safes Routes to School
resource center (GSRTS) to
encourage children to walk
and bike to school.
The GSRTS program
started in 2009 with
funds allocated to the
Georgia Department of
Transportation from the
Federal Safe Routes to
School Program.
“Thirty percent of the
spending goes toward
outreach, education,
encouragement and
planning…creating a
travel plan or safe routes
to school action plan and
providing support for
schools and communities
in their efforts to start
and maintain a program,”
GSRTS Resource Center
Communications Manager
Carol Kachadoorian said.
Some kids came with
their parents and others
were part of a “walking
school bus.”
“My [goal] is to get all
the kids involved, even
the ones that are a mile
away,” said Neil Norton,
Clairemont Elementary
Safe Route to School
parent volunteer. “We now
do walking school buses
from the farthest reaches
of our zone; we get parent
volunteers and teachers that
come out and walk with
them.”
As the students arrived
and lined up to get some
juice, they also got their
cards punched before
heading inside for the
morning assembly.
“What we do is, each
time a student walks to
school they get their card
punched, then at the end of
the year they get a prize,”
Norton said. He explained
that a lot of students end
up losing their card but in
reality it’s not the card that
matters. “What I realized is
that these kids are going to
walk or roll whether they
have a card or not because
they love doing it.”
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • PAGE 18A
Decatur City
Commissioner Fred
Boykin said that although
Georgia Walk to School
Day is fairly new, it
piggybacks off a DOT-
funded pilot program which
he developed in 1999. The
project created a walk-to-
school plan at two suburban
schools and two urban
schools, one of which was
Clairemont Elementary.
“We did a pilot project
and out of that project we
developed the handbook
that the [GSRTS] program
is based on…so we kind
of pioneered it. We’ve
continued the program
ever since and it’s done
extremely well,” Boykin
said.
Lily Pettus, who has
a son in second grade
at Clairemont, said that
they’ve been walking to
school ever since they
moved to the area three
years ago.
“I think the walk to
school day takes away
some of the congestion
from the buses and the
carpools and these streets
are narrow. It’s important
because we’re in a 4.2
square-mile area…anybody
can walk to school, so if
you get a chance it’s really
the best thing to do here,”
Pettus said.
www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 Page 19A

Champion tree climber

Alicia Bennett volunteers time to trim
Charles Rayfield, of of the International Society
Rayfield Tree care Inc., sits of Arborists for competing
high atop a Cottonwood tree in their annual tree climbing
Georgia Southern student leaves legacy of service at Avondale Middle School. competitions. He says it is
Rayfield is a certified very important to trim each
by Daniel Beauregard hours a week. every Friday afternoon we arborist who has volunteered tree carefully so that it can
Daniel@dekalbchamp.com “I noticed that a lot of have 22 kids waiting to go his time to trim the trees in live a full, long life and take
[Westwood’s] residents to a school…that’s an easy front of the middle school, the place of the oaks that
Alicia Bennett didn’t had families that would thing,” Deal said. “When which were planted by Trees were cut down to build the
start out volunteering the basically just drop them Alicia came to us with the Atlanta in 2001. middle school. There are 52
way some people do; she off and maybe come back idea of going to a nursing Rayfield is also a trees at the middle school
didn’t get into trouble and around the holidays and home I thought, ‘OK, we’ll champion tree climber and consisting of 38 different
have to do community that’s it…We had a weekly see if it will work. Well, she has won several awards species, including 16
service and she wasn’t trip going already but I felt doesn’t have 22 [volunteers] from the Southern Chapter different kinds of oaks.
doing volunteer work just like that wasn’t enough, but she has 10 or 12 that go
to join an organization. She so we gave them this with her every week.”
did it because she loved the opportunity to bond with Bennett said that there
impact it had on others and a resident they felt close are a lot of ways to make
the way it made her feel. with,” Bennett explained, a difference and you don’t
Bennett, a 22-year-old saying that most of the have to give money to
senior at Georgia Southern time the students get just as change a person’s life,
University from Lithonia, is much out of the experience a lesson that she thinks
graduating in May with an as the residents do. everybody needs to learn
English degree and a minor Students are paid by because it makes a big
in health and kinesiology. the Office of Student impact. She’s also very
Volunteering has always Leadership and Civic excited to be going to
been one of her passions Engagement to work at California and hopes that
and in July she will bring least 10 hours a week as her work will help inspire
her talent for serving to a a volunteer somewhere, those around her.
new town. something that Director After AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is sending Todd Deal said Bennett plans on going
Bennett to Napa County, organizations were a bit back to Georgia Southern
Calif., to work with six skeptical about at first. to pursue a master’s
different schools and do a “When we set that degree in higher education
range of things to help the program up we would call administration and hopes
students there succeed. the community agency to pursue a career in
“I’ll be working and say, ‘Hey, we’ve got a introducing students to
in underprivileged student that we’re going to volunteerism the same way
neighborhoods, finding pay to work for you,’ and she was in college.
mentors and doing volunteer they would say, ‘Yeah right, Deal said that anybody Photos by Daniel Beauregard
recruitment…basically what’s the catch?’ Deal can follow in Bennett’s
what I’m doing now but on said. “And there is no catch footsteps as long as
a more professional level,” other than that we want our they have the desire and
Bennett said. students to engage with the commitment to follow
Bennett works with community.” through.
the Office of Student Deal said Bennett first “Alicia’s shoes are big
Leadership and Civic came to them when they shoes to fill but it’s an
Engagement at Georgia were getting the community opportunity that’s available
Southern as a community liaison program started to any student that has the
liaison to Westwood and they were thrilled to passion and drive to do it. I
Nursing Center. There she have her organizing trips to talk to our students all the
has pioneered the Adopt a Westwood because it was time and tell them, ‘Your
Grandparent Initiative, a something different. degree is what you’re here
program that helps connect “With college students for…but it’s what you do
members of the nursing it’s always easy to get outside the classroom that is
center with volunteers from them involved with kids; going to get you a job and
the school who spend time they love to work with the launch you into a career,”
with a resident for several elementary school kids and Deal said.
 Page 20A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

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SPoRtS
Three’s company
Miller Grove and Columbia boys, Columbia girls make state semifinals
by Robert Naddra
B
Robert@dekalbchamp.com
efore Chan-
tay Frost
arrived at
Columbia
in 2009, the
girls basketball program
had qualified for the state
playoffs six times since
1971 and lost in the first
round each time.
Meanwhile, boys
coach Phil McCrary has
built that program into a
state power and surpassed
the 500-win milestone
earlier this season.
Frost took over two
years ago and matched
the girls program’s record
for wins in a single sea-
son with 23. The Eagles
won two games in the
state tournament that
season and followed it
with 27 wins and the pro-
gram’s first state title in
2010.
The boys program
won its third state basket-
ball title last season and
has been in the Final Four
every year since 2006.
Both Eagles’ teams
are back in the Final Four
this season. The girls
are 16-1 since making it
through the Christmas
break with an 8-5 record.
They face No. 1 Wash-
ington County on March
11 in Macon in the Class
AAA girls semifinals
while the boys take on
Eagle’s Landing in the
semis the same night.
The Miller Grove
boys made it to the Class
AAAA semifinals and are
trying to win their third
straight state title. The
Wolverines faced Jones-
boro in one Final Four
matchup on March 9.
These days, when
folks talk about “Co-
lumbia basketball” they
aren’t just referring to the
boys team any more.
Like McCrary, Frost
is dealing with the pres-
sure that comes with an-
nual expectations of a top
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011 • PAGE 21A
“We’ve paid a lot
more attention to defense
this season,” Frost said.
“It’s a lot more important
that people play their
roles.”
Last year, Frost said,
McDonald was able to be
the last line of defense
for the Eagles if their
perimeter defense broke
down. The Eagles don’t
have that luxury this sea-
son.
“Everybody is a lot
more accountable,” she
said. The girls team is al-
lowing only 33.6 points
per game in the playoffs
and they have given up
more than 40 points only
eight times in 30 games
this season
McCrary always has
had a defense-first men-
tality with his program
and it consistently has
paid dividends. The Ea-
gles have allowed an av-
erage of 40.2 points per
game during their current
11-game winning streak.
“We want to create of-
fense off of our defense,
and limit points and
production of the opposi-
tion,” McCrary said. “To
get teenagers to think like
that –to defend first—is
an attribute to our coach-
es.”
Both Columbia’s boys
and girls teams are bal-
anced this season, which
would help them in their
quest to repeat as state
champions.
For the boys, Tahj
Shamside-Deen, Algie
Key, Jhaustin Thomas,
Nate Mason and Chris
Daniels have stepped up
when needed. Balance
on the girls team was
evident in the win in the
quarterfinals over Cart-
ersville when Yaktavia
program. That despite the surprised we’re still in year ago with 6-foot-4 Hickson scored 12 points
return of only two players the running. With the Akila McDonald (now at and six other players
from last season’s team. boys winning, we kind the University of South scored at least six points.
“We had some big of feel the pressure from Florida) to more of a “That’s one of our
names graduate so I think that, to try to keep up.” perimeter team. But one strengths,” Frost said.
people thought we would The Columbia girls thing that hasn’t changed “It’s hard to target just
drop off,” Frost said. “I team has changed from is Frost’s focus on the one player this year.”
think some people are a post-oriented team a importance of defense.
 Page 22A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

2011 DeKalb County

basketball semifinal notes
GIRLS

CLASS AAA
COLUMBIA LADY EAGLES (24-6) Each week The Champion spotlights former high
Head Coach: Chantay Frost, 74-17 in three seasons school players from the county who are succeeding in
Columbia playoff record: 10-7 (seventh all-time in DeKalb Co.), last loss was to athletics on the college level.
Carrolton in 2009 quarterfinals 67-65 in overtime
Playoff appearances: nine, three consecutive (2009-11)
Sweet 16 appearances: three, three consecutive (2009-11) Marshon Brooks, Providence
Elite Eight appearances: three, three consecutive (2009-11) (basketball): The senior from
Final Four appearances: two (2010-11) Tucker set the Big East Con-
Title Game appearances: one (2010) ference single-season points
Championships: one, 2010 defeated Carver Atlanta 40-36 record with 468 after scoring 28
Rankings: No. 7 in Georgia PrepCountry/GACA Coaches Poll points in a 75-74 win over Rut-
gers last week. He had set the
Playoff results: conference’s single-game scor-
First round: Columbia 58, Allatoona 35 ing mark earlier this season.
Second round: Columbia 64, Central Carroll 32
Third round: Columbia 65, Cartersville 34 Pepper Gay, Illinois (softball):
Semifinals: Columbia (25-6) vs. Washington County (30-0) The sophomore pitcher from St.
Pius (Avondale Estates) went
Playoff averages for three rounds:
Points scored: 62.3 (187) 2-1 last week in the Citrus Clas-
Points allowed: 33.6 (101) sic in Orlando, Fla. She earned
wins against Fordham (4-1) and
BOYS Maryland (2-1), while losing to
CLASS AAAA Oregon (2-1). She allowed only
MILLER GROVE WOLVERINES (30-1) three earned runs in 21 innings
Head Coach: Sharman White, 126-36, six seasons at Miller Grove (did not coach in and had 13 strikeouts.
2009)
Miller Grove playoff record: 17-2 (eighth all-time in DeKalb Co.), last loss was to Clayton Miller, Armstrong At-
Fayette County in 2008 semifinals 76-68 lantic (baseball): The freshman
Playoff appearances: five, four consecutive (2008-11) from Lakeside, who is a catcher
Sweet 16 appearances: five, four consecutive (2009-11) and designated hitter, went 12-
Elite Eight appearances: four, four consecutive (2008-11)
Final Four appearances: four, four consecutive (2008-11) for-23 with six RBIs in six wins
Title game appearances: two (2009-10) last week at the Savannah Invi-
Championships: two, 2009 defeated Tucker 59-31; 2010 defeated Mays 64-35 tational. Miller leads the NCAA
Rankings: No. 2 in Georgia PrepCountry/GACA Coaches Poll Division II team with a .467 aver-
age in 13 games.
Playoff results:
First round: Miller Grove 101, Cedar Shoals 52
Second round: Miller Grove 72, Sequoyah 53
Third round: Miller Grove 79, Villa Rica 54
Semifinals: Miller Grove (30-1) vs. Jonesboro (28-3)

Playoff averages for three rounds:

Points scored: 84 (252)
Points allowed: 53 (159)

CLASS AAA
COLUMBIA EAGLES (28-3)
Head Coach: Dr. Philip McCrary, 512-184 in 24 seasons at Columbia The Champion chooses a male and female high school
Columbia playoff record: 40-10 (first all-time in DeKalb Co.), last loss was to South Athlete of the Week each week throughout the school
Atlanta 62-53 in 2009 semifinals year. The choices are based on performance and
Playoff appearances: 13, eight consecutive (2004-11) nominations by coaches. Please e-mail nominations to
Sweet 16 appearances: 12, eight consecutive (2004-11) robert@dekalbchamp.com by Monday at noon.
Elite Eight appearances: 11, eight consecutive (2004-11)
Final Four appearances: eight, six consecutive (2006-11) MALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Title game appearances: four, last appearance was 2010 Tahj Shamsid-Deen, Columbia (basketball): The
Championships: three, 2006 defeated Douglass County 78-50; 2008 defeated Fayette sophomore point guard had 24 points and 10 assists
County 69-63; 2010 defeated LaGrange 54-46 in a 68-52 win over West Hall in second round of the
Rankings: No. 1 in Georgia PrepCountry/Coaches Poll Class AAA state tournament, then had 18 points and
10 assists in a win over Troup in the quarterfinals.
Playoff results:
First round: Columbia 91, Heritage Catoosa 38 FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Second round: Columbia 68, West Hall 52 Shunika Jarrells, Avondale (track): The sprinter won
Third round: Columbia 64, Troup 33
Semifinals: Columbia (28-3) vs. Eagle’s Landing (26-4) both the 100 and 200 meter races and was part of the
Blue Devils’ first-place 4x400 and second-place 4x100
Playoff averages for three rounds: relay teams at the Landmark Christian Invitational
Points scored: 74.3 (223) meet in Fairburn on March 5.
Points allowed: 41 (123)
www.championnewspaper.com
DeKalb High School Sports Highlights
BOYS BASKETBALL
(state playoff results)
Miller Grove: Tony Parker
tallied 41 points and 35 re-
bounds in two Class AAAA
games as the Wolverines
advanced to the semifinals.
Parker had 20 points and 24
rebounds; Henry Brooks
had 15 points, 18 rebounds
and five steals; Devon Pro-
vost scored 12 points and
Justin Colvin had 11; and
Brandon Morris added 13
rebounds in a 72-53 win
over previously unbeaten
Sequoyah in the second
round. In a 79-54 win over
Villa Rica in the quarterfi-
nals, Parker had 21 points
and 11 rebounds. Provost
added 12 points and Col-
vin had 11.The Wolverines
faced Jonesboro on March 9
in the semifinals.
Columbia: Tahj Shamsid-
Deen had 24 points and 10
assists as the Eagles beat
West Hall 68-52 in the sec-
ond round of the Class AAA
tournament last week. He
also had 18 points and 10
assists in a win over Troup
in the quarterfinals. Algie
Key chipped in with 19
points and nine rebounds
against West Hall, and
Jhaustin Thomas had 10
points and eight rebounds in
the win over Troup.
Southwest DeKalb: The
Panthers defeated Chat-
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011
tahoochee 64-52 in the
second round of the Class
AAAA tournament, but lost
to Rockdale County 70-53
in the quarterfinals. Wil-
liam Goodwin had 28 points
against Chattahoochee, while
Chaz Bullock added 12, Ka-
derius Turner had 11 and
Jordan Price 10. Price led
with 23 points against Rock-
dale, followed by Turner
with 19. Goodwin had 10
rebounds and nine blocks.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
(state playoff results)
Columbia: The Class AAA
defending champion Eagles
beat Central Carroll 64-32
in the second round and
Cartersville 65-34 in the
quarterfinals to advance to
the state semifinals. Yack-
tavia Hickson scored 12
points as 11 Eagles’ players
scored against Cartersville.
Destinee Smith had 17
points in the win over Cen-
tral Carroll.
Miller Grove: The Wolver-
ines posted the best girls
basketball record in school
history at 20-10. The team
beat Creekview last week
in the second round of the
AAAA playoffs, then lost
to Douglas County 61-50
last weekend in the quarter-
finals. Tabitha Fudge had
20 points and 11 rebounds
in the loss, while Tashi
Thompson added 12 points.
St. Pius: Anna O’Donnell
had 11 points and eight re-
bounds, and Sydni Payne
had seven steals in a 41-26
win over Troup in the sec-
ond round last week. The
Golden Lions were elimi-
nated in the quarterfinals
by Dalton. Dylan Krause
led St. Pius with 11 points
and seven rebounds in that
game.
BASEBALL
Southwest DeKalb: The
Panthers improved to 5-0 as
Malcolm Moore hit a two-
run single for the go-ahead
runs in an 8-7 win over
Heard County last week.
Also, Reginald Grimes
and George Kennedy each
hit home runs. JaMarkus
Grimes was the winning
pitcher, going four innings
with five hits and six strike-
outs. Thomas Jackson hit
two home runs and had six
RBIs in a 17-1 win in three
innings over Echols County.
Also, Moore had two hits
and two RBIs. Andre Wil-
son was the winning pitcher.
Dunwoody: The Wildcats
beat Walker 8-4 in their
only game last week. Char-
lie Madden had a hit and
three RBIs, and Wes Ban-
croft and Chris Hale each
had one hit and two RBIs.
Bancroft was the winning
pitcher, allowing no earned
runs in four innings.
Stone Mountain: The Pi-
rates beat Avondale 9-2 on
March 4, with Devante Car-
son and Zachary Horton
each getting two hits and two
RBIS. Horton also pitched
the win and struck out 11.
The Pirates also beat Litho-
nia 7-6 last week, as Dean-
gelo Beal drove in two runs.
Avondale: DeAngelo Shiv-
ers went 2 for 2 in a 10-0
loss to Grady on March 2.
Cedar Grove: Deion Sellers
went 2 for 3 with a double
and an RBI in a 7-4 loss to
Lakeside on March 3.
Clarkston: Darius Mc-
Guire had three hits, two
RBIs, and five stolen bases,
LeMarcus Mattox had three
hits and three RBIs in a 15-3
win over Cross Keys last
week. Cepeda Glover had
two hits and two RBIs, and
Patrick Smith had two hits.
McGuire also earned the
win, striking out 10 and al-
lowing one hit and no earned
runs over four innings.
Columbia: Derek Roebuck
had two hits, including a home
run, and stole two bases in a
13-8 loss to Miller Grove.
Druid Hills: Deric Boone,
James Ridgway, Manuel
Zaldivar and Kyle
Ludewick (three RBIs) each
had two hits in a 9-8 win
over Newton County on
March 4. Ludewick also
picked up the pitching deci-
sion, striking out five
Page 23A
and allowing only one un-
earned run in four innings of
relief work.
Lakeside: Bradley Den-
nis had two hits, including a
home run, and two RBIs, and
Kyle Newsome also had two
hits in a 7-4 win over Cedar
Grove last week.
M. L. King: Myles Sims
had two hits while Kerry
Webb struck out five and
allowed two hits in three
scoreless innings to claim the
pitching victory in a 2-0 win
over Tucker last week.
Miller Grove: Greg Rob-
inson went 3 for 4 with two
RBIs and struck out four
over five innings to claim
the pitching decision in a
13-8 win over Columbia last
week. Sean Charleston,
Jabari Gayle, Uwem Udo-
fia and Jeremy Glover each
had two hits, with Gayle
driving two runs.
BOYS SOCCER
St. Pius: The Golden Lions
went 2-0-1 last week and
have posted four straight
shutouts. Drew Morgan,
Tyler Alexander and
Devin Hurley each scored
one goal in a 3-0 win over
Grady; and David Sams
and JP Manzo each scored
a goal in a 2-0 win over
Greenbrier. The Golden Li-
ons also tied Wheeler 0-0.
Page 24A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 2011

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