Free Press 7-17-15

FreePress
FRIDAY, july 17, 2015 VOL. 18, NO. 16 FREE
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DeKalbs
District 5 chooses
a commissioner
Decatur clinic
to serve 20,000
vets
A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS
Four football
teams compete in
tourney
Ellis jailed
local, 2A
local, 6A
Sports, 18A
Ex-DeKalb CEO to spend 18 months behind bars

by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
An indictment, suspension from
office and two trials culminated in a
prison sentence for convicted DeKalb
County CEO Burrell Ellis.
A judged handed him a five-year
sentence with 18 months to serve.

Ellis, accused of strong-arming
county vendors to contribute to his
re-election campaign, was sentenced
to five years to serve 18 months for
attempting to commit extortion, and
five years to serve 18 months on three
counts of perjury. The sentences will
run concurrently.
During the July 8 sentencing hearing, Superior Court Judge Courtney
Johnson said she took into consideration the service of Ellis, but did not
believe he had accepted responsibility
for his actions.
You chose to serve your own in-
See Ellis on page 15A
For the next 18 months, ex-DeKalb

County CEO Burrell Ellis is state
prison inmate No. 1001583400.
Frazer Center includes all

by Andrew Cauthen
Since 1949 the mission of the

Frazer Center has been to ensure
that people with disabilities are fully
included in the community and are
able to stay active in their homes and
community life, said the centers
executive director, Paige McKay
Kubik.
The Frazer Center, located at 1815
S Ponce De Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta,
offers an early education program
serving approximately 200 children.
The program, which also has a
summer camp, serves children from
newborn to 5 years old.
The program is inclusive, Kubik
said. About 70 percent of our
children are typically developing, but
about 30 percent either have a special
need or they are at risk for one.
The childrenwho have
disabilities such as Down syndrome,
autism or cerebral palsy or similar
developmental disabilitiesare
fully included in the early education
program.
When you go into a classroom,
sometimes its even hard to tell who
the child with disabilities is when the
disability is like autismwhen theres
not a physical manifestation, because
The Frazer Center helps people with disabilities to be fully included in

society. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
The 39-acre Cator Woolford Gardens at the Frazer Center serve

Kim Walton of Lithonia has participated in Frazer Center programs for 14 as a special events venue which supports the Frazer Center.
years.
championnewspaper
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See Center on page 15A
champnews
local
Page 2A
The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015
DeKalbs District 5 finally has a commissioner

by Andrew Cauthen
Two years after their
commissioner was appointed as the countys interim
CEO, DeKalb Countys District 5 voters have chosen a
new commissioner.
Mereda Davis Johnson,
an attorney and wife of Congressman Hank Johnson,
received 53.12 percent of the
July 14 vote to become the
new District 5 representative on the DeKalb County
Board of Commissioners.
Im excited for my election and Im also excited
that we finally have representation in the Fifth District after two years, Johnson said. I look forward to
serving with my colleagues
on the commission and Im
going to hit the ground running.
Johnson thanked her
supporters for their vote of
confidence.
During a June 29 forum
with her opponent, George
Turner, she pledged to
work with the chambers
and also East Metro DeKalb
[community improvement
district]to establish and to
attract quality economic development within the area.
Id like to see international partnerships with
DeKalb County, as well as
in DeKalb County schools
for our students need to be
Mereda Davis Johnson is the new commissioner for District 5 which has not had representation for two
years. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
exposed to different cultures

so that they will understand
that this is [a] global society, Johnson said.
And in 10 to 20 years
from now they can expand
upon the progress and the
resources and the economic
development that is brought
into this county.
Turner, a District 5
Community Council president and a retired MARTA
manager, received 46.88
percent of the votes.
During a candidates debate Turner said that he was

already serving the county
and would continue to do so
if not elected.
I serve my community
because I want to. I hope to
be elected to this position,
and if Im not elected Im
still going to serve my community, Turner said. Thats
just a part of my DNA.
Thats what I do. Thats what
I love doing.
Johnson and Turner
faced each other in a runoff

after defeating eight other
candidates in the June 16
special election to fill the
seat vacated by interim
DeKalb County CEO Lee
May.
May stopped representing District 5 constituents as
a commissioner in July 2013
when he was appointed
interim DeKalb County
CEO by Gov. Nathan Deal,
following the indictment
and suspension of DeKalb
County CEO Burrell Ellis.

Approximately 4.56
percent, or 3,776, of the
districts 82,732 registered
voters participated in the
special election to fill the
seat which officially became
vacant May 8 when May resigned after nearly two years
of being the interim DeKalb
County CEO.
In the special election
to fill the vacated Georgia
House of Representatives
District 80 seat, Attorney
Taylor Bennett and Former
Brookhaven mayor J. Max
Davis will be headed to a
runoff.
Bennett received 35.97
percent of the vote. Davis
received 32.9 percent; Bernard, 29.57 percent; and
Collins, 1.47 percent.
The District 80 seat became empty when former
Rep. Mike Jacobs was appointed by Gov. Nathan
Deal as a State Court judge
of DeKalb, replacing Eleanor Ross, who is now a federal judge for the Northern
District of Georgia.
A runoff election for the
District 80 seat will be held
Aug. 11.
Public safety officers foster community relationships

by Ashley Oglesby
ashley@dekalbchamp.com
Law enforcement agencies
around the country are taking steps
toward building relationships with
their communities.
On July 10 the DeKalb County
School District Department of Public Safety followed suit with their
partnership with DeKalb County
Police Department, DeKalb County
Sheriff Department, DeKalb County
Fire Rescue Department and many
others to host a day a jamboree for
the countys students and parent.
The day of fun featured McGruff
the crime dog, Mickey and Minnie
Mouse, food, horseback riding, live
bands and a host of other activities.
Director of DeKalb County
School Districts public safety Donald Smith said working for the
school district puts his force in a
unique position.
He said, As the DeKalb schools

police we communicate with the
schools, the administration, the
students and the parent every day.
The purpose of this event was to
continue to strengthen an already
established relationship.
Smith said, Its important for
the children to see police officers as
human beings, fathers, brothers and
sisters as opposed to all the other
negative things they see as it relates
to police officers.
He added, This is an extension
of the relationship that we have already formed with the students that
we every day.
Dozens of students and their
parents came out to the afternoon
event at the districts East DeKalb
Campus located on Memorial Drive.
Officer Zandria Jackson has
worked for the districts public safety department for 10 years and was
a key organizer for the jamboree.
Jackson assisted the department

in obtaining a partnership with
WalMart and other sponsors to donate school supplies and other materials for DeKalb County students.
Jackson said the department has
already opened the door of communication for the community
with its Halloween trunk-or-treat
event where officers delivered candy
to students at school and its food
drives for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
She said, We just wanted to
take it to another level. So many bad
things are out there about police in
this society. I want [the children] to
be more comfortable around police.
Jackson, retired from the Atlanta
Police Department, said, Events
like this jamboree are very important because a lot of times children
only see police when they come to
their home on bad terms.
Jackson said her plans for the
jamboree were to start off the 2015

school year with a policeman serving them ice cream, snow cones,
popcorn, cotton candy, chaperoning
them on a horse and in the bouncy
house . I just wanted them to see
the police serving them in different
capacities than they might be used
to seeing.
Jackson is assigned to several
schools in the district. She said her
work in the schools has encouraged
the students and parents to speak
with her. When the parents start
to trust me then that helps me with
the children in the schools, Jackson
added.
Jackson said the department is
currently planning a back-to-school
event for August that will assist
students in getting schools supplies
that they need.
local
Page 3A
Pastor releases book with

radical messages on inclusion
by Kathy Mitchell
the Bible condemns all homosexual

relationships usually quote Leviticus,
Rev. Glenna Shepherd, founding which says Do not lie with a man as
pastor of what is now Decatur United one lies with a woman. Leviticus also
Church of Christ, returned to DeKalb says one shouldnt use two different
types of thread in the same cloth or
County July 10 to weigh in on questions of religion and sexual preference sow different seeds in the same field.
Those were rules for specific people
being explored in light of the recent
U.S. Supreme Court decision uphold- at a specific time and were not meant
to apply to all people at all times, she
ing same-sex marriage.
said.
Now a resident of Tennessee,
The sin for which Sodom was
Shepherd introduced her new book
condemned,
she said, was not hoOut on a Limb: Sermons of Risk and
mosexuality,
but the threat of rape.
Revolution, which she said highlights
New
Testament
references, Shepherd
radical messages of the prophets of
continued,
often
are a matter of transJudeo-Christian scriptures.
lation.
If
you
go
back to the original
Speaking at Charis Books and
terms
from
which
the Bible has been
More in East Atlanta, Shepherd talked
translated,
you
find
that terms that
about growing up in Christian comappear
to
condemn
all
same-sex remunities in Tennessee and Mississippi
lationships
in
fact
condemn
prostituin the 1960s. I heard people talktion
or
rape.
ing about all people being created in

Inclusion, she said, is a recurGods image and being loved equally
rent
theme in both the Old and New
by God. Then I saw those same
Testaments.
Churches that reject gays
people not treating certain people as
and
lesbians
are missing the biblical
though they were created in Gods
message
that
Christs love is for all,
image. I was really confused, she reaccording
to
Shepherd.
God is a God
called.
of
justice,
she
said.
Many
of his great
The most obvious example, ShepprophetsIsaiah,
Amos,
Micah
herd said, was Black people, but there
talked about justice in radical ways, in
were others, including women, who
ways the people of their times werent
were pushed into the margins.
always pleased to receive. Churches
I developed an acute sense of
justice. I became a Christian feminist. should seek and care for those whom
society rejects, because thats what the
I worked for a while in the Georgia
Bible teaches.
Corrections System. Even among
Shepherd added that Jesus sought
women in prison, I found a common
those
whom the society normally
heart as I learned of their hopes and
excludedSamaritans,
lepers, tax
dreams, Shepherd said.
collectors,
women
with
questionable
Originally chartered as Christ
reputations.
Eunuchs
at
one time
Covenant Metropolitan Community
were
not
allowed
in
the
temple
beChurch, the DeKalb County church
cause
they
were
not
considered
real
Shepherd helped to found in Stone
men,
but
the
story
of
Philip
teachMountain started with 12 people
ing the Ethiopian eunuch who was
on Easter Sunday 1992. Four years
trying to understand the scriptures
later, it moved to Decatur. Under
underscores the concept that those
Shepherds leadership, membership
who were once excluded are included
grew to more than 300. We wanted
through Christ.
a church where absolutely everyone
Justice, from a biblical perspecwould feel welcome, she said.
tive
means more than committing
Shepherd contended that the Bible
no
wrongs
against others, Shepherd
does not denounce committed samesaid,
it
means
being an advocate for
sex relationships. People who say
Pastor Glenna Shepherd says inclusion is a central theme of both the Old and New
Testaments.
societys disenfranchised. There are

more than 2,000 verses in the Bible
that equate justice with feeding the
poor, she said.
Shepherd said that many who
realized that she had preached messages of inclusion over the years
urged her to select from among her
sermons on that theme and publish
them as a book. When she completed the task, she begin considering
who might write the foreword. With
some hesitation, she recalled, she
asked her friend Congressman John
Lewis. I wasnt sure this was a book
he would want his name associated
with, she said, but he said yes immediately.
opinion
Page 4A
Nothing wrong with a little nosy neighboring

My heart ached last
week when I read about two
brothers who were roofers who preyed upon the
elderly. They overcharged
their customers; made unnecessary, unauthorized and
shoddy repairs and returned
again and again for payments that in some cases
their aged customers had
forgotten they had already
made.
The sentencing of the
brothersKeith and Jeffrey
Oglesin DeKalb Court
to 20 years10 years to
servealong with payment
of $100,000 in restitution
brought a degree of satisfaction that justice has been
Gale Horton Gay

gale@dekalbchamp.com
Lifestyle Editor
served.
However, what about the
victims?
These are our neighbors
many of whom have worked

all their lives, are on fixed
incomes and now in their
sunset years are grappling
with a depletion of their
financial resources in addition to having to deal with
police, prosecutors and the
court system. Then there
is the emotional toll that
comes with being victimized
and falling for a scam.
DeKalb County District
Attorney Robert James said
the brothers were engaged
in a calculated scheme that
targeted and exploited elderly homeowners. The Ogleses
lined their pockets with the
money many of our victims
worked a lifetime to accu-
mulate. All of the victims

were in their 80s.
We all have to be vigilant in making sure our parents and grandparents are
not being taken advantage of
and exploited by criminals
, James said.
Family members certainly are the first line of
defense for their senior relatives, keeping watch over
how they are doing and asking the right questions and
intervening when necessary.
Offering to be available
when work, services and financial terms are first being
discussed is one suggestion.
However, that adage that
it takes a village also applies
here. We all should be looking out for one another, especially our older neighbors.
Theres nothing wrong
with being that nosy neighbor who keeps an eye on
whats going on, looks for
warning signs and kindly
inquires if our seniors are
comfortable with contractors or service providers
who are coming and going
from their homes.
The sunset years should
be a peaceful, low-stress
time for seniors. As many of
us as possible should see to
it that the elders around us
are protected and appreciated, not preyed upon.
opinion
Page 5A
We must never forget

Since the Charleston
shootings, there has been
much debate regarding the
so-called Confederate flag
and seemingly all things that
represent what most of us
would collectively refer to as
a dark period of American
historythe Civil War.
On the heels of South
Carolina removing the
Confederate flag from the
grounds of the state capitol,
Atlanta NAACP spokesman
Richard Rose is seeking
support to remove the Confederate leaders carving at
Stone Mountain Park. Rose
has also suggested removing
all references to the Confederacy from the park and any
state-owned property.
Many do not realize that
what is commonly referred
to as the Confederate flag
was never flown as a flag
of the Confederate States
of America; its first usage
was by a specific regiment
of the Confederate Army of
Northern Virginia. It was,
however, incorporated into
the design of the second official flag of the Army of the
Confederacy.
I fully support the no-
John Hewitt
johnh@dekalbchamp.com
Chief Operating Officer
tion of removing any symbol that may be offensive

to any citizen or resident
from government buildings
and property; and, yes, this
includes religious-themed
holiday decorations. Unless a governmental entity
is willing to recognize all
religious or cultural holidays
and events, it should not
show favoritism to any particular one.
I dont however agree
with the notion of removing
the carving of Confederate leaders Jefferson Davis,
Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the face
of Stone Mountain. That is
part of the history of this

area and can just as easily be
looked on as sort of spoils
to the victors as being perceived as offensive.
Every day thousands enjoy Stone Mountain Park; it
is the No. 1 tourist attraction
in the entire state. Because
of the Confederacy being on
the losing side of the Civil
War, all are allowed to walk
freely in the shadows of the
famous Confederate leaders
without fear of intimidation. This is something that
should now be relished as a
celebration of freedom for
all people.
If we were to remove the
carving from Stone Mountain Park, what would be
the next demand? Would
there be outcries to remove
Confederate cemeteries and
sections of historic cemeteries such as Atlantas Oakland
Cemetery? Would those demands also suggest removal
of graves of Black Confederate soldiers?
Some may not realize
that there were Black soldiers in the Confederate
Armysome who were
forced to fight, some who
were free to choose whether

to join the cause, and some
who were hired to support
the troops. According to
BlackConfederateSoldiers.
com, the number of Black
soldiers ranged from 3,00010,000 and there were as
many as 50,000 Blacks who
served in support positions
during the war.
Like it or not, the Spanish American War, War of
Independence, Civil War,
WWI and WWII are all
parts of our collective history as Americans. As in any
war, there were segments of
our society who supported,
either secretly or openly,
one side or the other. We
have not demanded that
references to other wars be
removed.
The government of Germany has not removed all
references to the atrocities
committed under the reign
of Adolf Hitler; it has however banned the use of the
Swastika on government
property. Nor has South
Africa removed references
to the racial struggles that
occurred there; there are
monuments, museums and
historic sites that are visited

by thousands each day.
Perhaps we should take
pause in our rush to condemn reminders of our past.
As a civilization, we should
never forget the reasons for
our struggles and we should
never forget to celebrate the
ultimate outcomes of good
overcoming evil.
It is impossible to remove
all references to our collective past; but as the famous
quote of Spanish American philosopher and poet
George Santayana said,
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned
to repeat it. Interestingly,
this quote is also inscribed
on a plaque at Germanys
Auschwitz concentration
camp.
F ree P ress
Let Us Know What You Think!
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinions from its readers. Please
write to us and express your views. Letters
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Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P.
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to publication date.
EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The
Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any
advertisement at any time. The Publisher is not
responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.
Publisher:
John Hewitt
Chief Financial Officer:
Dr. Earl D. Glenn
Managing Editor:
Andrew Cauthen
Production Manager:
Kemesha Hunt
Photographer:
Travis Hudgons
Staff Reporters:
Carla Parker, Ashley Oglesby
The Champion Free Press is published
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Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur,
GA. 30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.
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Statement from the

publisher
We sincerely appreciate the
discussion surrounding this and any
issue of interest to DeKalb County.
The Champion was founded in 1991
expressly to provide a forum for
discourse for all community residents
on all sides of an issue. We have no
desire to make the news only to
report news and opinions to effect
a more educated citizenry that will
ultimately move our community
forward. We are happy to present
ideas for discussion; however,
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local
Page 6A The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015
Calleb Obumba
Calleb Obumbas had alot of support as a child.
As an adult, Obumba has dedicated his life to helping into the current generation. Obumba, 32, does this
through the Phi Kappa Kappa Chapter
of Omega Psi Phi and the DeKalb
County Chapter 100 Black Men of
America, Inc.
I always admired what the two organizations mission and vision stood
for, Obumba said.
The mission of the DeKalb County
Chapter 100 Black Men of America,
Inc. is to improve the quality of life in
our communities and enhance education and economic opportunities for
all African-Americans. The Phi Kappa
Kappa Chapter of Omega Psi Phi
works to maintain a high standard in

community service through mentoring
programs, habitat for humanity builds
and football camps.
As an active member for two
prominent organizations, it is my fiduciary duty to uphold the tradition of
uplifting and engaging communities
through economic empowerment, financial literacy, mentoring, education,
scholarship, and other social action
programs, the Stone Mountain native
said. As a true product of the village,
I am passionate about volunteering
because giving back is one of the greatest forms of humility. I would not be
where I am today without people investing their time into my future.
Obumba works for Communi-
ties In Schools as a site coordinator at

Clarkston High School. Communities In Schools site coordinators work
within local schools to address barriers
to students succeeding in school including poor attendance and behavior,
low levels of parental involvement, limited exposure to academic and career
enrichment opportunities and a lack
of access to basic necessities including
shelter, clothing and school supplies.
Through his work and free time,
Obumba finds ways to volunteer his
time to youth.
Volunteering is very critical because the younger generation needs
more successful individuals to invest
their time and talent, he said.
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthen
at andrew@dekalbchamp.com or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.
Decatur clinic to serve 20,000 veterans

by Andrew Cauthen
Area veterans needing medical care no longer have to fight
the crowds at the Atlanta VA
Medical Center. A smaller facility with many of services in the
medical center is now open at
250 North Arcadia Avenue, Decatur.
The Atlanta VA Clinic
opened in March in the
100,000-square-foot facility that
once house DeVry University.
The clinic will house several
specialties, including behavioral
health, empowered veterans recovery program, dental clinic,
dermatology program, lab services and a sleep study clinic.
When we moved those specialties here, that allows us space
over there to expand and provide access to the ones that are
staying at the medical center,
said Al Rosado, the sites administrator.
The main purpose of [the
Atlanta VA Clinic] is to provide
additional space in order to
increase our access to care, Rosado said. We are also trying to
decompress the medical center.
The medical center is really full.
This offers a better healing environment for our veterans when
they come in for other specialties that we are moving from the
medical center to here.
It provides services closer to
veterans, Rosado said.
The Atlanta VA Clinic also
has a womens clinic.

This used to be at the medical center and was really an inadequate space, said Thomas
Grace, associate director for
the Atlanta VA Medical Center.
Moving it out here allows us really to provide the services that
our women veterans deserve.
Grace said the Atlanta VA
Clinic is one of our major strategies to be able to accommodate
the amazing growth that we have
in the number of veterans that
we are seeing this year.
We are on track to see over
6,500 additional veterans this
year than we did the prior,
Grace said. This year we are
projecting that we will be serving between 102,000 to 103,000
veterans in the Atlanta metropolitan/ northern Georgia area.
Grace said issues with parking and overcrowding at the
medical center are well-known.
By moving specialties such
as dermatology and dental and
our sleep center out here, that allows us also to be able to decompress the medical center from a
parking standpoint and also to
be able to in the future expand
our services, he said.
The clinic is projected to
serve approximately 20,000 veterans a year, Grace said.
This was part of our efforts
to be able to expand care to be
able to improve our access for
veterans and we are very, very
thrilled to have this facility,
Grace said.
The Atlanta VA Medical Clinic recently opened in Decatur to alleviate overcrowding in the VA Medical Center. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
local
AroundDeKalb
Atlanta
Decatur
Nonprofit to feed the homeless
Nonprofit to hold annual Trailblazer Awards
Blessings on Wheels, a nonprofit in Decatur,

will team up with Kingdom Living Ministries July
18 to feed and clothe the homeless at the Gateway
Center, 215 Pryor Street in Atlanta. The group will
meet at the center at 11 a.m. To volunteer or to donate, contact Keischa Robinson at (404) 820-6341.
Suite 20 Day Spa, through its nonprofit foundation JABY Inc., will host its 2015 International
Trailblazer Awards on July 19 at the Porter Sanford
Performance Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive,
Decatur.
The awards program, in its sixth year, recognizes outstanding community leadership and this
year will honor: Senegal Ambassador Jane Gardner, DeKalb Superior Court Judge Tangela Barrie,
former WSB-TV anchor Monica Pearson, actor Ro
Brooks of Tyler Perrys The Haves and Have Nots,
Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church Pastor Dr.
William E. Flippen, Atlanta Rotary District 6900
Gov. Alicia Michaels, community activist Darlene
Lewis, international makeup artist Rubby Polanco,
Florida State University Law student and Miss Tallahassee Northwest Florida 2015 Lauryn Collier.
The red carpet event, which will be hosted by
WSB-TVs Veronica Waters, will start at 5:30 p.m.,
followed by a buffet dinner.
Tickets, which are now on sale and must be
purchased in advance, are $25 per person, $40 per
couple, and $50 for VIP admission. There will be
no ticket sales at the door. For more information,
go to www.jabyinc.com, Eventbrite.com, or call
(404) 286-9664.
Chamblee
American rock band to highlight Chamblee

summer concert
Mark your calendar for the Chamblee Summer
Concert Series in downtown Chamblee.
On July 24 American hard rock band Drivin
N Cryin will perform in Peachtree Park, 5468
Peachtree Road from 6:30 10:30 p.m.
With a gold album in 1991, Drivin N Cryin
had hit songssuch as Honeysuckle Blue and
Straight To Hell, this show is sure to be a night to
remember in Chamblee.
In 1991 the more hard-rocking Fly Me Courageous ended up being the bands most commercially successful album,with the album being certified gold. The next few years the band toured with
artists such as Neil Young and Soul Asylum.
Residents are encouraged to bring blankets and
lawn chairs or reserve a VIP tables to enjoy an evening of music in Chamblees downtown.
The event is free but VIP tables are available for
$200 each.
The concert will offer food and beverages for
purchase onsite. Concert goers may also bring their
own food and beverages, excluding alcohol.
Call (770) 986-5016 for additional information.
Canoe outing at South River

Canoers can paddle the South River July 25
with the South River Watershed Alliance. The canoe outing will begin at 9 a.m. and canoers will
travel from Panola Shoals to Klondike Road (5.5
miles). The cost for the trip is $40 per person and
includes lunch, insurance and canoe rental. To
sign up or questions, call Jackie Echols at (404)
285-3756.
Dunwoody
recycling event.
The event will take place 1 4 p.m. in parking
lot 11. During the event residents are encouraged
to bring cleaners and swimming pool chemicals,
fluorescent bulbs, pharmaceuticals, photo chemicals, paint, aerosols, adhesives, resins, lawn care
products and other related products for proper
disposal.
Agricultural wastes, ammunition, bio-hazardous/bio-medical waste, explosives, radioactive materials and poisons will not be accepted.
Disposal is limited to Dunwoody residents
only. Drivers license or other proof of residency.
Lithonia
City to host back to school jamboree

Lithonia will host a back to school jamboree
July 25, 10 a.m. to noon, at Lithonia Stewart Amphitheater. The event will be a community festival
fun, food and school supplies. School supplies and
donations are being accepted at Lithonia City Hall,
6920 Main Street. The Lithonia Stewart Amphitheater is located at 2501 Park Drive. To RSVP, call
(770) 482-8136.
Church to hold community awareness/

engagement event
Overcomers Christian Fellowship Church,
pastored by Apostle Benny Momoh and located
at 7373 Covington Highway, Lithonia, will hold a
community awareness/engagement event on Saturday, July 26, at noon.
The purpose of this event is to raise awareness
of, and increase individual and group involvement
in, issues such as child abuse and neglect, domestic
violence and substance abuse.The event will feature songs, praise dances, as well as a play that focuses on a familys struggle with domestic violence.
There will be more than 30 organizations with
informational booths about resources regarding
education, foster care and behavior health.In addition, free health screenings and HIV testing will be
offered.
For more information, contact Sharon Hill
at drsharon831@yahoo.com, or call the church at
(770) 465-8687.
Stone Mountain
Company to host bike, music festival in Stone

Mountain
Clarkston
City offers free movies in the park
The city of Clarkston invites the public to a
movie on July 18 at Milam Park, 3867 Norman Rd.
in Clarkston.
The event will start at 7 p.m. with a bouncy
house, music, snacks and cold drinks.
The feature movie for the event will be Big
Hero 6 and will start promptly at 8:30 p.m.
Families are encouraged to bring chairs and
blankets for the movie viewing.
For more information contact city hall at (404)
296-6489.
Page 7A
Waste recycling event to be held in Dunwoody

Thinking about doing some cleaning? Nows
the time to gather all of those old cans of paint and
other materials lying around the hose to bring in
for recycling or disposal.
On July 26 at Georgia Perimeter College Dunwoody campus, 2101 Womack Road Dunwoody
will host its biannual household hazardous waste
IBMF Atlanta, Inc. will host an International

Bicycle and Music Festival July 18, from 12 to 10
p.m. The free event will take place along Main
Street in Stone Mountain Village. The event will
feature a bicycle ride through Main Street, informational booths and free health screenings. IBMF
Atlanta meet up ride will kick off at 9 a.m. There
will also be activities for the entire family including
face painting, raffles, live music and international
cuisine. For more information, call (678) 485-9930.
local
Clarkston approves lower millage rate

by Ashley Oglesby
At the third public hearing on July 7 to discuss
the citys millage rate, the
Clarkston Council voted
to lower the originally proposed rate of 21.15 mills to
17.11 mills. This reduction
would amount to a tax decrease of 4 percent from the
2014 millage rate of 21.11
and would result in a net tax
decrease of $160 on a property appraisal of $100,000.
City Manager Keith
Barker said the estimates
for reductions are based on
appraised values.
When residents receive
their tax bills, if the amount
has not decreased Barker
said it could mean that
your home has increased in
value.
Barker presented the
millage rate information via
a PowerPoint presentation
that highlighted key terms
and mathematical equations
using real numbers.
Barker said, What were
trying to do is demystify this
whole mystery of millage.
Were really about transparency here in Clarkston, and
we want to make sure that
everybody understands
how we came up with these
numbers.
Barker said the rate was
calculated by using the difference of the citys planned
expenditures and forecasted
revenue.
Its basically how much
you need minus property
taxes divided by what your
net digest is, he added.
According to Clarkstons
financial report, officials
have estimated $5 million in
expenditures and $4 million
in revenues; not including
property taxes.
Clarkstons adopted
millage rate of 17.11 represents $38 million.
Barker said, Now that
we are in a better financial
situation we can catch up
on some lost ground. What
were recommending this
year is a 4 percent adjustment in the pay scale and
then next year with the additional annexation, we feel
very comfortable that well
be in a good financial position.
Councilwoman Jean
Brown moved to approve
the 17.11 millage rate. The
motion was seconded by
Councilman Ahmed Hassan.
Councilman Dean
Moore said, Over the past
four years [Barker] has giv-
en this presentation about

our millage rate and I think
he does an excellent job.

Moore said, The city
Brookhaven lowers millage rate

by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
The Brookhaven City Council voted July 7 to lower the citys millage rate
to 2.740 from the current rate of 2.795.
According to city officials, the city
is tied with Dunwoody for having the
lowest incorporated millage rate in
DeKalb County, something Councilman Bates Mattison is proud of.
Its sensitive to the fact that we are
still in startup mode. We still need to
grow our reserves and until we have a
better understanding that we can give
to the citizens about how were going
to allocate their tax dollars for capital
improvement projects. Its important
to show that were willing to allow the
taxpayers to keep more of their money
in their own pockets until we do a better job of showing them why the city
needs more money, Mattison said.

Councilmember Linley Jones also
said she was pleased with the millage
rate.
Our history is that we have each
and every year reduced the millage rate
here in the city of Brookhaven [and]
this continues that strong pattern that
we have established of taxing citizens
no more than absolutely necessary to
provide the level of services that the
city of Brookhaven do so well, Jones
said.
Councilmember John Park approved lowering the millage rate but
said he preferred keeping the current
millage rate.
Im a strong believer in tax stability, Park said. I would have preferred
to have kept the millage rate the same
in order to build up our reserves even
more and maintain a level of certainty,
but we are still putting over half a million dollars of our budget into the
reserves. I dont really see a problem
with [lowering the millage rate] as we
continue to add to our reserves.
Were in a fortunate position now
where our economy is coming back
strong, Councilmember Joe Gebbia
said. We are getting a higher tax revenue base than what we were anticipating. So, I think its responsive of us to
give, in kind, back and I think that is
what this represents.
Mayor Rebecca Chase Williams
said lowering the millage rate is a prudent move to give money back to the
taxpayers.
Let the taxpayers keep some of the
additional money that has come from
what have really been increased assessments, Williams said. We have to
keep our finances strong.
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Page 9A
Soccer fans sit in the park with lawn chairs and blankets to watch the USA team play.
Soccer fans gather for

womens World Cup final
by Ashley Oglesby
Soccer fans came out in the dozens for

the U.S. womens World Cup viewing on
July 5 in Brookhaven Park.
The event was hosted by Soccerfest, an
Atlanta-based organization that began in
Cabbage-town in 2010.
Last year the organization hosted a
live viewing in Brookhaven Park that drew
more than 20,000 soccer fans to cheer on
the USA vs Portugal in its second match of
the Fifa World Cup.
This year Soccerfest showed the third
place match of the Fifa Womens World
Cup on Independence Day and the World
Cup Final, as USA played Japan on July 5.
USA won the tournament with a final
score of 5-2.
Along with the World Cup viewing parties, Soccerfest hosted a movie night, soccer
tournaments and games throughout the
weekend. Food trucks, a kids fun zone, and
Fifa Xbox tournaments were also available
for attendees.
Soccerfest founder Craig Fanti said, I
always look forward to seeing the crowd
out there having fun.
He added, My favorite part about Soccerfest is when the USA scores.
Fanti said the idea of Soccerfest began
six months from the World Cup in 2010.
He and his wife were sitting at a bar
watching an international match where
there was a big, public viewing.
We had been helping with the Chomp
and Stomp festival in Cabbagetown so we
knew people that worked with festivals and
outdoor viewing parties. We talked about
it one night over a couple of beers, started

talking to people who actually knew how to
put on an event like this
Fanti said, It was just the four of us:
me, my wife and two other guys that helped
with sponsorships and logistical things that
organized the Cabbagetown 2010 viewing
party for the world cup.
Fanti said his vision for the festival is to
continually grow supporters and fans.
Soccerfest is going to help grow support for the Atlanta MLA team and soccer
in general. You really need fan support in
order to have a league that can be financially competitive and get the players needed to
be as competitive as the European league.
Atlanta MLS is doing pretty good about
that, Fanti said.
Soccerfest and its sponsors Georgia
Soccer and Dragon Goal USA put on one of
the largest showing parties in the southeast.
Nicola Vidali, founder and managing
director of Dragon Goal, said, Dragon
Goal USA is once again proud to partner
with Soccerfest to deliver happiness by
creating high-quality events to engage and
energize communities. We also know that
our product is an effective vehicle to build
and strengthen the technical foundations
of soccer for any players age and skill level.
This is why this year at Soccerfest we organized youth and adult 3v3 and 4v4 Dragon
Goal tournaments.
A portion of proceeds of this celebration of women in sports was donated to
the Susan G. Komen Foundation as well
as Keep Kickin; both with the mission of
fighting cancer.
For additional information about Soccerfest visit atlantasoccerfest.com.
Soccerfest attendees play quick matches of soccer games on the

Dragon Goal portable fields.
Pet of the Week
Ingrid ID#
26949466 is a
wiggly little gal
who cant wait
to be your new
BFF! She is 5
years young and
can definitely still
keep up with you.
She is an active
girl who would
love to go for
walks with you,
go to the park
and learn some
fun tricks! She
gets along with other dogs and probably wouldnt
mind having her own canine companions in her
new home.
Come meet this sweetie at the DeKalb shelter.
If you adopt her during July youll pay only
$17.76 during our Celebrate their Independence
Day special; including her spay, vaccines and
microchip at no additional charge. If you would
like more information about Ingrid please email
adoption@dekalbanimalservices.com or call
(404) 294-2165. All potential adopters will be
screened to ensure Ingrid goes to a good home.
local
Residents against proposed development behind DeKalb tax office

by Carla Parker
as the Downtown DeKalb,

affordable county into Buck- county voted unanimously
Although some residents
the county will become too
head, driving us folks out and to deny the development.
in the area do not favor the
dense.
basically putting more White The recommendation for
proposal for a Downtown
In his State of the County
[Developers] are compeople in, Leatherman
denial was scheduled to be
DeKalb, they do want to see
address in February, interim ing down from north metro
said. Its really concerning
discussed during the July 7
the area improve.
DeKalb County CEO Lee
Atlanta because its so overtoo that everybody is being
planning commission meetWe do want to see deMay introduced his vision of developed up there they
driven out and theyre kind of ing, but was deferred.
velopment and its a hard pill
turning the Memorial Drive
figured they can get cheap
turning our area into a place
Leatherman said when
swallow, Leatherman said. I
corridor into Downtown
property down here and kind where we dont want to live.
residents bring up the rezon- think DeKalb County needs
DeKalb.
of do what they want to do
I dont want to live in Sandy
ing application for the proto come up with a really solid
The catalyst for this
and make a lot of money, he Springs or Buckhead. We can posal at commission meetplan where they can incorpowhole transformation will be said. The problem is theyre afford to live and work here. ings, planning meetings and
rate the people that already
the creation of a new govern- modeling it after Sandy
At a community meetzoning meetings nobody
live here and how can they be
ment center at the heart of
Springs, Buckhead and things ing last month Avondale
wants to talk about it.
involved in this too.
Memorial Drive, May said.
like that.
LLC developers introduced
Its almost like its being
With access to the interstate,
DeKalb is slowly turntheir plans. A committee, of
swept under the table, he
MARTA rail station and the
ing from a very diverse and
eight people representing the said.
hundreds of acres of publicly
owned land, this area is ripe
for development.
On May 8, Avondale Park
LLC filed an application to
the countys department of
planning and sustainability to
rezone nine acres of property
behind the countys tax office
on Mountain Drive.
The development company wants to rezone the area
from a C-1 [commercial] to
Share your best shots of DeKalb
a PC3 [pedestrian commuCounty Parks.
nity], or a mixed-used development of office buildings,
For information and to register visit
retail and residential, accorddekalbcountyga.gov/parks/pr-DeKalbParksPics
ing to the application.
Some residents in
that area, including Matt
Leatherman, are not happy
about these plans.
There are a lot of issues
with this particular project,
Leatherman said.
Residents are concerned
about the extensive deforestation of the plan and building non-affordable housing.
The area has been probed for
redevelopment since 2004
when a Kensington Livable
Centers Initiative (LCI) was
created.
The idea of Kensington
LCI is to put more density
near the Kensington MARTA
station because DeKalb
County owns a lot of property out there, Leatherman
said.
A majority of MARTA
rail stations are located within an LCI, including Kensington. Leatherman said the
argument that some people
have with LCIs at MARTA
stations is affordable housing.
They are putting these
high-dollar housing at these
MARTA stations, but the
folks who actually live on
MARTA lines can no longer
afford to live on MARTA, he
said. The people that need
MARTA the most are being
Sponsored by:
kind of driven out further
and further as each one of
these things are developed.
Leatherman said he and
other residents are afraid that
iFlySouthern.com
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visitatlantasdekalb.com
dekalbcountyga.gov/parks
with development ideas such
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contest:
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In
WEEK
local
Page 11A
Pictures
2015 Atlanta Area Council Eagle Scouts pose for a photo with donors and sponsors of the organization.
Eagle Scouts march in the theater to be honored.
Two Eagle Scout troops greet guests at the entrance of the Buckhead Theatre.
Photos brought to you by DCTV

DeKalb County begins one-day-a-week sanitation collection service July 6, 2015
Residential customers will have same-day garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection
For more info, call or visit:
(404) 294-2900
www.rollingforwardtoone.com
local
Dunwoody sting operation a success

by Justin Beaudrot
Dunwoody Police successfully executed a sting operation June 25 to rescue victims of human trafficking.
Among those arrested for misdemeanor pimping
were Shaquenta Bell, 24, of Louisville, Ky., and Damon
Hanchell, 41, of Orlando, Fla. Among those arrested for
misdemeanor prostitution were Delisa Thompson, 26,
Louisville, Ky.; Deja Nutter, 20, of Marietta; Tenesha Johnson, 31, of Norcross; Tantiwa Gassanuka, 29, of Richmond
Heights, Ohio; Ivey Curry, 19, of East Point; Rebecca
Dubose, 27, of Doraville; Katherine Laflower, 19, of Orlando, Fla.; and Saidah Abdul Karim, 18, of East Orange,
N.J. Dubose and Bell were also charged with misdemeanor
marijuana possession. Kasey Noel, 22, of McKees Rock,
Penn., was charged with misdemeanor counts of marijuana
possession, prostitution and pimping.
Dunwoody Police rescued a 26-year-old female who
was held in sexual servitude by the group, and recovered a
reported-missing 16-year-old female who was participating in acts of prostitution, according to the press release.
The operation began due to complaints received
through Crime Stoppers and Dunwoody Tip Line. Officer Tim Fecht of Dunwoody Police said Dunwoody
Police worked with FBI Metro Atlanta Child Exploitation
(MATCH) Task Force and Gwinnett Countys vice officers
to accomplish a successful sting operation. Fecht said the
MATCH task force was eager to help. There was also help
from a cooperating hotel that partnered with the operation
to provide a place for the sting.
Fecht advises residents to use the tip lines if they are
suspicious of illegal activity or if they are involved in some
way and need help.
Hanchell
Laflower
Dubose
Bell
Thompson
Noel
Johnson
Gassanuka
Nutter
Karim
Curry
News briefs
Forum for businesses interested in county

watershed contracts announced
County commissioners finance committee

to hold budget retreat
The DeKalb County Department of Watershed Managements Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Division will host an industry forum
on Friday, July 17, for companies interested in
the countys upcoming engineering services contracts. The forum is scheduled to start at 8:30
a.m., and will be held at the Manuel Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.
This is the largest procurement for professional services ever obtained by the county, and
we anticipate the opportunities created by this
effort will generate a lot of excitement within
DeKalbs business community, said Kenneth
Saunders, CIP program director.
The CIP Division currently oversees a
5-year, $1.34 billion countywide capital improvement program to make repairs and upgrades
to DeKalbs antiquated water and wastewater
infrastructure. The upcoming project is the programs fourth largest procurement, expected to
create a number of opportunities for small-tomedium-sized businesses within the county. The
single largest water infrastructure project to be
implemented in the countys history, the capital
improvement program will ensure continued reliable service delivery to the DeKalbs water and
sewer residents and create sustainable growth of
its $5 billion water and wastewater assets.
The finance, audit and budget committee of

the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will
hold its 2015 midyear budget retreat July 16, from
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The retreat will be at the DeKalb County
Public Library Processing Center, 3560 Kensington Road, Decatur.
The agenda includes discussions and updates
on timetable for millage adoption and reviews
of the tax digest, fund balance and millage rate
changes. Additionally, there will be a review of
the interim county CEOs midyear recommendation, including reviews of the individual funds
and departments.
Convenience store owner pleads guilty to

trafficking in food stamps
Tessema Lulseged, owner and operator of Big
T Supermarket in Decatur, has pleaded guilty to
trafficking in food stamps.Lulseged allowed customers to exchange food stamp benefits for cash
in a scheme that netted him $6.5 million.
Food stamps are intended to provide assistance to our citizens most in need, said Acting
U.S. Attorney John A. Horn. This defendant ran
a corrupt exchange scheme that, until his scheme
was discovered, undermined the purpose of the
program and resulted in great financial benefit to
himself.
From January 2009 through April 2014,
Lulseged unlawfully allowed customers to exchange food stamp benefits for cash at the rate
of 60 cents on the dollar, according to Horn,
the charges and other information presented in
court.
As part of the deal, Lulseged required customers to purchase eligible food products equal
to 10 percent of the value of the transaction. For
example, if a customer wanted to sell $100 worth
of food stamp benefits for $60, that customer
also had to purchase $10 worth of eligible food
products from Lulsegeds store. The fraudulent
scheme netted Lulseged approximately $6.5 million, according to a news release.
After search warrants were executed in
February 2014, the government seized and forfeited more than $700,000 in funds tainted by
the fraud, according to the news release. The
government also required the department to
forfeited his personal residence in Gray, and his
store property in Decatur, on the grounds that
they were proceeds of the fraud and properties
involved in money laundering transactions.
Lulseged, 49, of Decatur, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Leigh Martin May.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 22,
10 a.m.
local
Girl Scouts impress President Obama

by Ashley Oglesby
time period or cumulative hours over the

course of a lifetime.
The awards are offered in multiple levels:
Girl Scout troops Nos. 934 and 9073 in
bronze, silver, gold and the highest honor, the
Decatur have been on a mission to serve their Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award for
communities.
those who contribute more than 4,000 hours
Throughout the year the cluster of six
of service in their lifetime.
through nine-year-olds Caitlyn RidewayCleaves said, This is a hardworking
Turner, Wyunna Knighton, Aaliyah
group, they are driven, they are all honor
White and Neaira Myers operated a pet
roll students, theyre absolutely exceptional.
supply drive, donating newspapers, blankets
My biggest job as their leader is to let them
and other items to PAWS Atlanta, a no-kill
know that they are not these titles, they
animal shelter in Decatur. They hosted a
are whatever they want to be and thats the
trunk or treat where they gave candy to
reason that I work so hard to expose them to
children on Halloween at Midway Recreation opportunities like this Presidential Volunteer
Center, held a winter gloves and socks
Service Award.
drive at Avondale Elementary School and
As a result of the scouts community
individually volunteered at their churches
service efforts, each girl was recognized
and nonprofit organizations around the city.
by the White House and President Barack
As a reward for the girls community
Obama with bronze Presidential Service
involvement, Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta
Awards.
Volunteer Support Specialist Ebonie
The bronze award is given to children
Cleaves entered the troops in the Presidential ages five through 10 who have devoted 26-49
Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA) program.
hours to their community.
Cleaves said she wanted to get them
Along with the honor of presidential
started with loving community service.
recognition, recipients received a
She said, The especially exceptional
personalized certificate, an official pin and
part of all of this is that these are considered
a congratulatory letter from the president of
outreach troops, which means they live in
the United States.
areas that are considered high risk and lowCleaves said, They can keep this on their
income, and they are absolutely blowing
resume forever. Its a national award and
those stereotypes out the water.
thats a big deal, especially for them; coming
PVSA is an initiative that was started
from an area where people believe that 40
by the Presidents Council on Service and
percent of the children in their area will
Civic Participation in 2003 as a way to honor not see high school and here they are doing
Americans who inspire others to engage in
things on a national level, she said.
volunteer service. The Council no longer
Cleaves, who has worked as a leader at
exists, but the program continues as an
Girls Scout of Greater Atlanta for six years,
initiative of the Corporation for National and said, the biggest reward is seeing the girls
Community Service and is administered by
come back each year.
the Points of Light volunteer organization.
She said, They could be cheerleaders and
The organizations aim to celebrate and
a million other things; being a Girl Scout and
inspire more people to get involved in their
going camping isnt seen as the coolest thing
communities.
to do but they keep coming back. They are
The PVSA recognizes United States,
committed.
residents who have achieved a required
number of hours of service over a 12-month
A Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta volunteer support specialist and

parents gather around the troops as they pose with their President
Volunteer Service Awards.
Girl Scout Wyunna Knighton shows off the badges shes earned.
Crime briefs
Officer hospitalized with multiple gunshot

wounds
The Georgia
Bureau of Investigations is looking into
a shooting that sent a
DeKalb County Police
officer to a hospital
and left a suspect
dead.
The officer,
43-year-old Chester
Lamb, a seven-year
veteran of the DeKalb
Lamb
County Police Department, is in serious but stable condition at
Grady Hospital, according to police spokeswoman Mekka Parish.
The incident occurred July 12 at approximately3:30 a.m. DeKalb officers responded to a
called of a suspicious person banging on doors at
the Marquis Pointe apartment complex in Stone
Mountain.
Officer Lamb arrived on the scene and be-
gan to walk up to the location when the male suspect, without warning, began firing on the officer
striking him multiple times, Parish stated. The
officer was able to return fire striking his assailant who died at the scene.
Female shooting victim dies

A woman died early July 13 from gunshot
wounds after being discovered lying in a street in
unincorporated Decatur.
The woman was discovered after midnight
when DeKalb County Police officers responded
to a call of shots being fired on To Lani Farms
Road, said police spokeswoman Mekka Parish.
When officers arrived, they found a female
victim, believed to be in her mid-20s, lying in the
street, Parish said.
Police have canvassed the neighborhood trying to determine if there are any additional witnesses or information in that case, Parish said.
At this point they have not been able to find
any evidence that would suggest what led up to
the shooting, she said.
Exxon clerk dies in shooting

A convenience store clerk was shot a killed
early July 13 at the Exxon station on Memorial
Drive near Covington Highway.
At approximately 4 a.m. DeKalb County Police officers received a call of person shot at the
convenience store. When officers arrived they
found a clerk suffering from a gunshot injury, according to police spokeswoman Mekka Parish.
The man, identified by family members as
Harry Wells, a part-time pastor and father of six,
died of the gunshot injuries.
There are some preliminary indications
that the suspect walked into the store and for an
undetermined reason pulled out a weapon fired
striking that clerk, Parish said.
Investigators, who have no motive in the case,
are reviewing video from the stores security camera.
There are no solid leads, but witnesses told
police they saw somebody running out of that location, Parish said.
Education
Page 14A
DeKalb County School District principals and staff interview potential teachers for the 2015-2016 school year.
DeKalb schools job

fair attracts hundreds
by Ashley Oglesby
DeKalb County School District,
the third largest district in Georgia,
hosted a job fair July 8 at the administrative and instructional complex
auditorium.
The fair drew more than 700 applicants for teaching positions in the
school district.
Job fair organizer Mildred Campbell said the district has roughly 325
jobs available.
The district has 74 elementary
schools, 18 middle schools, 26 high
schools, eight centers and serves approximately 102,000 students.
A hiring manager and school district secretaries facilitated the hiring
process.
Principals and their staff interviewed and made recommendation
for hiring.
After candidates were screened
for certification they were allowed to
walk through and interview for positions that interested them.
According to the human resources
departments June report presented by

Dr. Tekshia Ward-Smith at the June
1 board meeting, the district has had
more than 170 resignations.
Campbell said, A lot of people
think that when there are numbers involved during the summer that there
is something wrong with the district
but this is something that is normal
for every district. Teachers have reciprocity and their certificates are good
anywhere. They have that ability to
use that certificate and move freely.
Campbell said DeKalb County has
attracted a lot of great professionals.
Whereas Gwinnett is the largest
school district, our beginning salary
has been above theirs for the past two
years. I think were consistent with
our surrounding counties but it just
depends on how they stagger their
cost of living increase and their step
increase, she said.
District officials reported the
event resulted in 125 recommendations for employment and numerous
follow-up interviews.
Applicants wait in line to be interviewed by the school districts staff.
Fair organizer Mildred Campbell helps an applicant navigate through the job fair.
local
Ellis Continued From Page 1A

terests, said Johnson, adding that there
are hundreds of thousands of victims in
this case.
In his recommendation, DeKalb
County District Attorney Robert James
said that while the state believes in mercywe also believe in accountability.
James said his office made four plea
bargain offers during the course the two
trials against Ellisthe one that ended
in a mistrial in 2014, and the recent one
that led to a conviction.
We tried to resolve the case four
times, James said. I wanted the county
to move on. I knew the spectacle of a
public trialwould damage the countys
reputation.
It was not my desire to separate Mr.
Ellis from his family, James said.
James said his office tried to get Ellis
to accept some responsibility of his actions and resign as the countys CEO.
In the proposed plea bargains, Ellis
had the opportunity to accept a misdemeanor charge, say its in my best interest to plead guilty, and resign.
Mr. Ellis turned that offer down,
James said. We did everything we could
as a state to resolve this caseto make
sure Mr. Ellis will not be incarcerated.
Its time for Mr. Ellis to stand up
and take responsibility for what he did,
James said. Today is a day of reckoning.
In his statement to the judge, Ellis
again denied profiting from his fundraising efforts.
Ellis said, I chose to run for office
because of the calling on my life, because
I felt that I could make a difference. I
never, ever once sought to enrich myself personally, nor did I, in fact, every
personally enrich myself through public
office.
As a candidate for CEO I had to
campaign and fundraising was part of
campaigning for public office, Ellis said.
All of the money raised in our campaign
was used to pay legitimate campaign expenses. None of it went into my pocket.
I have contacted government vendors as part of my fundraising efforts,
which in and of itself is a common, legal
practice, he said. In doing so, I never
once believed that I was in any way committing a crime or that my actions would
be interpreted that way.
I do however sincerely apologize to
the citizens and regret if any of my actions cast this county in a bad light. That
was never my intention, Ellis said.
Ellis asked the judge to consider his
motive for serving, overall record of service in the county for 15 years, and the
fact that I have never once sought or received personal enrichment.
On a personal note, I beg the courts
mercy and consideration on behalf of my
two young children, Ellis said. They
have sacrificed much over the past seven
years while their father served as a fulltime elected official, and particularly
over the past two and a half years of investigations, charges and trials.
Judge Johnson said wanted to hear
some acceptance of responsibility.
Page 15A
Center Continued From Page 1A

I dont know that I heard that today,
Johnson said. I think that I heard a little
bit of it today, but I will say that I dont
believe when you took office as CEO of
this county that you intended for these
events to happen.
I recall that during your campaign
one of the things that you stressed was a
change in DeKalb County, a new era in
DeKalb County politics, and an opportunity for transparency in government,
Johnson said.
I do believe that you intended to
keep those promises that you made but
somewhere along the way, your intentions became more focused on your own
personal interests rather than those of
the citizens of this county, she said.
The judge denied a request for an appeals bond that would have allowed Ellis
to remain free until his anticipated appeals are over.
There are a number of different issues that we will be dealing with in the
appellate court, said Ellis defense attorney Craig Gillen, adding that not a
single dime ever went into Burrell Ellis
pocket other than the salary that he got.
A trial is like a play, Gillen said.
You only get to see whats put on stage;
you only get to see whats admitted into
evidence. There was a whole lot of things
that we werent able to talk about.
Gillen said Ellis defense team wanted
to bring in vendors to testify that they
received no retribution when they refuse
to support Ellis campaign.
The juryin our view they didnt get
the full story in terms of the relevance of
how vendors were contacted and dealt
with and the lack of any kind of retribution or retaliation against the vendors
who said, No. Im not giving to you.
Ellis supporters, including Dr. William Watley, pastor of St. Phillip A.M.E.
Church where the Ellis family attends,
disagreed with the sentence.
The sentence was much harsher
than it needed to be. I do not know of
any redemptive value that will come
from it, Watley said.
Cal Murrell, known as the happy
preacher, said, I wish they could have
sent him home and let him appeal at
home. Hes a humble man and very, very
kind. Hes no threat to nobody. With his
height and his weight, he cant beat up
nobody. I love Burrell Ellis.
Ellis wife Philippa said she is so
very proud of her husband. She also was
grateful for the support of well-wishers.
I want to thank the citizens of
DeKalb County for all of the love, all of
the support, all of the prayers, she said.
DeKalbs DA said his hope and prayer
is that DeKalb County can move beyond this very early period in our history and begin to heal.
Theres a lot of thing going on in this
county right now. Our reputation is not
the best, to say the least, and this has
played a big part in that.
Mr. Ellis has done a bad thing and
Mr. Ellis has to be punished, James said.
It had to be done for justice to be served
in this case, James said.
they are so fully included with

the learning thats happening,
Kubik said.
Frazer Centers adult
program serves more than
100 adults.
The public school system
is mandated to serve children
in as inclusive a setting as
possible through their 21st
birthday, but after that, then
what happens? Kubik asked.
We try to pick up at that
end.
Kim Walton of Lithonia
has participated in Frazer
Center programs for 14 years.
I like working here.
The people are nice. I love
my job, said Walton, 46,
who is a kitchen assistant at
Frazer Center. She has also
worked in the centers daycare
program and caf.
I do a lot of things, said
Walton, who works 20 hours
a week at the center. I wash
dishes. I prep food.
Walton also soon will serve
on Frazer Centers program
committee. To prepare for
that volunteer role, she has
been received training from
Georgia State Center for
Leadership and Disability,
which helps people with
disabilities to be prepared to
serve on advisory councils
and boards, Kubik said.
The whole idea is to
help folks understand what
board membership means
and prepare them so they
can be their own advocates
and can speak up from their
perspective and not have
other people speak for them,
Kubik said.
Our long-term goal for all
of our participants is to help
them find meaningful life in
the community, Kubik said.
We believe that for a lot of
the folks we serve that means
employment, that they will get
jobs in the community and
be contributing members in
their neighborhoods and their
homes.
For older adults not
looking for employment,
Frazer Center tries to make
sure theyve got meaningful
things to do, that theyre
included in their community,
Kubik said.
This may include just
participating in all the great
things Atlanta has to offer,
Kubik said. Others volunteer
for such organizations as the
Center for Civil and Human
Rights, Fernbank, Holmestead
Linear Park, and Clifton
Sanctuary Ministries.
Additionally, the center
offers prevocational services
to determine participants
skills and interests, and

prepare them to enter the
workforce.
Our supported
employment specialists work
with employers to try to carve
out jobs that are a match for
this persons skills, Kubik
said.
Kubik said that employers
wishing to hire people
with disabilities sometimes
must think creatively about
their skills and talents and
find places where they can
contribute them. This is called
job carving.
The idea of job carving
is going into a workplace
and [asking] what are all the
things that need to get done
every day but are low on
everybodys priority list and
nobody ever gets to them, but
they really need to happen,
Kubik said.
Employers must ask, Can
we piece those together in a
creative way that creates work
that [we] really need but that
also would be really suitable
for someone thats looking for
something where theyve got
routine, Kubik said. When
you find the right match the
pay is really good on both
ends.
July 2015 is the 25th
anniversary of the Americans
with Disabilities Act
(ADA) which prohibits
discrimination based on
disability.
Disabilities is no reason to
discriminate against people,
said Kubik, explaining the
intent of the ADA. Children
need to be educated in
the least restrictive setting
possible. Adults also need
to be served in the least
restrictive setting possible.
What we see 25 years
afterwards is that the
education system was
much quicker on the draw
in implementing the ADA
than a lot of folks, Kubik
said. So weve got children
whove come through the
public school system in these
inclusive settings. Thats
their expectation and its the
expectation of their parents.
Youve got these folks
who have high expectations,
whove been challenged
because theyve been in these
inclusive settings and they
graduate and the programs on
this end are kind of behind
in being up to the task of
being inclusive opportunities
for adults after they leave
[school], Kubik said.
Thats what Frazer is
addressing, Kubik said.
business
Page 16A
Earth Fare has one of the largest selections of organic

produce to be found anywhere, according to President and
CEO Frank Scorpiniti.
Patrons wait in line for the 7 a.m. opening of the first Earth Fare in DeKalb County.
A sign inside the grocery lists Earth Fares quality standards.
Natural foods grocery opens at Emory Point

by Kathy Mitchell
When Earth Fare, a 40-year-old
organic and natural foods grocery
chain, opened its first urban store
July 8 at Emory Point, the store
was packed with shoppers within
minutes of the 7 a.m. opening. The
crowd included patrons who had
waited hours.
The first customer was here at
3:30 a.m. She wanted to be the first,
and she made it, explained Earth
Fare President and CEO Frank
Scorpiniti. The first 100 guests were
given mystery gift cards of varying
valuesone was worth $500. They
were all gone in the first 10 minutes.
This is an ideal location for our
first urban store, said Scorpiniti,
who explained that other stores in
the approximately 37-store chain
are all in suburbs. Its in a vibrant
health-conscious community near
Emory University, Emory Hospital
and the CDC. Our real estate team
searched for just the right location
before deciding this was it. Emory
Point is a mixed-use development
with 80,000 square feet of retail
space and 443 apartment homes in
Phase I.
Because its in a mixed use community, the Emory Point Earth Fare
has a larger grab-and-go department, where ready-to-eat foods and
beverages are available, than other
stores in the chain, according to
Scorpiniti.
This is our first urban store,
but I am confident there will soon
be more, said Scorpiniti, who described the community as warm and
welcoming.
As part of the opening festivities, a check was presented to Open
Hand, an Atlanta-based nonprofit
organization that seeks to help
people prevent or manage chronic
illness through better nutrition.
We chose Open Hand as our first
community outreach because their
mission aligns so well with ours,
Scorpiniti explained, noting that
Earth Fares mission is to connect
communities and improve lives
through food.
Earth Fare was founded near
Asheville, N. C., by Roger Derrough. Inspired by an outdoor leadership course that involved living off
whatever food those participating
in the course could find on the land,
Derrough took an interest in natural
food. After becoming ill from eating

tainted food, he decided to open a
health food store, since there were
no others in the area at the time, according a biography on the University of North Carolina at Ashevilles
website.
Earth Fare has its own lexicon
of terms such as food philosophy
and boot list, references to the corporate practice of banning certain
ingredients and production methods. We offer only foods that meet
our health standard, Scorpiniti said.
Our foods contain no high fructose
corn syrup, artificial fats or artificial
trans fats, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial preservatives,
artificial sweeteners, antibiotics or
synthetic growth hormones and we
work to avoid genetically modified
foods. But more important is what
we do have. We have one of the largest selections of organic produce
anywhere and a wide selection of
grass-fed beef.
Our philosophy goes beyond
our products, Scorpiniti continued.
We know that our customers are
continually educating themselves
about what they put in and on their
bodies. We have a knowledgeable
staff, who can answer their questions and offer superior customer
service. Earth Fares website states
that is seeks staff members who are
kind and gracious hosts with a
passion and excitement for healthy
living.
Earth Fare also promotes what it
calls its 100-mile commitment, a
promise to offer food grown within
100 miles of where its sold, when
possible. There also are products
grown on family farms rather than
corporate farming facilities. Both
are identified with signs in large red
circles.
When the first Earth Fare
opened in 1975, Scorpiniti said, its
clientele consisted of a relatively
small health-conscious segment
of grocery buyers, but that has
changed. Our customer base has
really grown as more and more
people have become increasingly
concerned about what theyre consuming, Scorpini said, adding that
the grocery chains philosophy also
emphasizes valuekeeping products affordable for average consumers. The motto, he said, is healthy
food for everyone.
Globally aware
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 404.378.8000 www.dekalbchamber.org
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Sports
Page 18A
DTRL 7-on-7 tournament

Four DeKalb County teams compete
by Carla Parker
A ball is thrown out of reach of a Lithonia receiver (right) during the DTRL 7-on-7 tournament.
A Lithonia receiver scores a touchdown against McNair in the DTRL 7-on-7 tournament. Photos by Carla Parker
Cedar Grove quarterback Jelani Woods receives the snapped ball during the DTRL 7-on-7 tournament.
Money and bragging rights were on the line July

10 at the annual DTLRs 7-on-7 Invitational Tournament.
Atlanta Falcons player Jonathan Babineaux,
Green Bay Packers player Morgan Burnett and
former NFL players Chauncey Davis and Daniel
Wilcox hosted the tournament at Grady Stadium
in Atlanta. The tournament featured 10 teams from
DeKalb, Clayton and Fulton counties, and Atlanta
Public Schools. Representing DeKalb were Cedar
Grove, Lithonia, McNair and Redan.
Babineaux, Davis and Wilcox designed the 7-on7 Invitational Tournament (7 offense/7 defense)
to showcase talented football players from metro
Atlanta. This years tournament also featured Babineauxs Big Mans Challenge, a competition between
offensive and defensive linemen. The challenge was
judged on power tests, drills, quickness, footwork
and technique.
Wilcox, a 1996 Decatur High School graduate,
said the tournament is an opportunity for him and
other NFL players to give back to the communities in
Atlanta.
Thats why we made it a battle of the counties,
Wilcox said. We wanted to pull [schools] from all
parts of Atlanta, from every county and have the guys
compete for bragging rights. They can walk away and
say, Were the best in the county or Were the best in
the state right now.
This is an opportunity for every team to get
better, to work on their timing, to work on their
mechanics, work on their routes and work on their
defense to build the team chemistry it takes in order
for a team to be successful throughout the season,
Wilcox added.
The firs-round matchups of the tournament
featured Cedar Grove against Redan and Lithonia
against McNair. Cedar Grove and Lithonia were winners in the first round. Cedar Groves squad featured
returning starting quarterback Jelani Woods, running back LaBron Morris and safety Tre Shaw.
Its a good opportunity for us to compete and
just get better, said Cedar Grove coach Jermaine
Smith said.
Lithonia coach Marcus Jelks said the tournament
was an opportunity for his team to get extra work in.
Its good work, good competition in the summer, he said.
The Bulldogs team features top defensive end
prospect Jordan Smith, who has more than 30 Division 1 offers. Lithonia is coming off a season where
the Bulldogs made their first playoff appearance
since 2002. Jelks said last years success has brought
more attention to the team and increased participation.
[The players] have been doing good and theyve
been working hard this summer, Jelks said. We have
the most numbers weve had ever at Lithonia this
summer.
Redan coach Roderick Moore wanted his team
to get some work in against some top quality competition.
This gives us a measuring board to see where
were at as far as competing and so forth, he said.
Sports
Page 19A
Former Decatur player receives football Miller

Groves
scholarship from NFL player
Alterique
Gilbert
commits
to UConn
by Carla Parker
Former Decatur High

School running back and
corner back Elijah Rachell
received money for college
from Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson.
Rachell was one of six
recipients of the scholarship
from the Calvin Johnson Jr.
Foundation. The foundation
awards tuition scholarships
to student-athletes in the
metro Atlanta and metro
Detroit areas. Recipients are
selected based on scholastic
achievement, leadership on
and off the field, academic
goals and financial need.
The scholars also participate in Johnsons Scholars
with a Mission Leadership
Conference, where new and
past scholarship recipients
network and work with specialists to develop various
sets of skills, including mentoring, goal setting, leadership development, financial
planning and healthy living.
Rachell said receiving
the scholarship was truly a
blessing.
I really just appreciate him and his foundation
taking the time to entertain
my scholarship application
because to my understanding there were maybe a few
thousand that applied and
only six that got the scholarship, he said. Its truly a
blessing.
Rachell said he heard of
From left, Elijah Rachell poses with NFL wide receiver Calvin Johnson
during the Gala at Georgia Tech. Photo provided
the scholarship through his

mothers coworker, whose
son won it two years ago.
She told my mom about
it and we decided to apply
for it, he said.
Johnson, who is one of
the top wide receivers in the
NFL, is Rachells favorite
player. He described Johnson as down to earth.
He just wants you to
know that he is a normal
person like everyone else,
Rachell said. Meeting him

was amazing because he has
been my favorite football
player. He treated us very
well, made sure that we did
not have to pay for anything
and showed us the finer
things the world has to offer.
Rachell has enrolled
at Maryville College in
Maryville, Tenn., to continue his athletic and academic
career. He will play running
back and punt/kick returner.

He already has an associates
degree along with his high
school diploma.
Rachell was enrolled
in the Advantage Dual Enrollment program while at
Decatur and graduated from
DeVry University with an
associates degree in system
network administration.
Although Rachell originally wanted to attend a
Division 1 school, he committed to Maryville because
the coaching staff remained
committed to him during a
difficult time last season.
During the middle of
the season I tore my meniscus and a lot of the Division
1 schools stopped looking
at me because they had to
go to the next guy, Rachell
said. But Maryville stuck
with me the entire time, the
coach would call me and
text me to make sure I was
doing good. We took another visit and it was for sure
love at first sight.
Rachell scored six touchdowns in five games and
rushed for 532 yards his senior season. He also had 732
all-purpose yards. Although
Maryville has a deep roster
at the running back position, Rachell still hopes to
add something to the team.
Ill bring more hard
work to the table and I hope
to bring the quick, speedy
type of running back that I
am, he said.
by Carla Parker
Alterique Gilbert plans
to go from one basketball
powerhouse to another as
the shooting guard committed to play for the Connecticut Huskies.
The senior point guard
for the Miller Grove Wolverines committed to UConn
July 4 over Illinois, Louisville, Syracuse, Texas and
other top Division 1 schools.
I have a great relationship with [UConn] Coach
[Kevin] Ollie and my mom
also had a great relationship
with him, and we thought it
was the best fit for us, Gilbert said.
Gilbert is one of the
top point guards in the
state, with 247sports.com
and ESPN.com having him
ranked the No. 2 point
guard in the state and top
10 nationally. He led the
Wolverines last season in
scoring with 17.7 points per
game, which was third overall in the county.
He also led the county in
steals (5.4) and assists (6.0)
per game last season.
Gilbert said the Huskies
are getting a high-energy
player.
Im a hard worker as
well, he said. Im looking
to play right away.
Gilbert has been busy
this summer, playing in
various camps to get exposure, he said. After a season
that did not end in a state
championship, Gilbert said
he is going into next season
a better leader.
Ive been working on
being a more vocal leader,
on and off the court, he
said.
Page 20A
local
New superintendent holds
Man arrested in connection with
vandalized businesses in Brookhaven first board meeting
by Carla Parker
A 34-year-old man has
been arrested and charged
with vandalizing Nuts N
Berries in Brookhaven.
Brookhaven Police
charged Solomon Danziger
of Chamblee with burglary
in connection with the vandalism that occurred in the
early hours of July 13. The
campaign office of Catherine Bernard, which is
located above Nuts N Berries, also was vandalized.
Bernard was a candidate for
the vacant Georgia House
District 80 seat.
Brookhaven Police said
detectives have not found
any reason to believe that
the vandalism was politically
motivated.
Bernard called the incident unfortunate.
Danziger
This is, of course, a

great concern to us this close
to the election, Bernard said
before the June 14 election.
We spent the weekend
with about 40 volunteers
crisscrossing the district,
knocking on doors getting
our message out. This kind
of disruption, while disconcerting, will not deter us
from campaigning for this
State House District.

Maj. Brandon Gurley said someone entered
into the building at 4274
Peachtree Road.
[Detectives] found
damage and vandalism to
the [businesses], Gurley
said. Various symbols
and drawings were made
throughout the building using paint.
Gurley also said detectives found office supplies
and electronics staged in
the business as if they were
going to be taken from the
business.
Detectives have located
other locations in the surrounding areas with the
same type of vandalism,
according to Gurley. They
are working to determine if
Danziger is responsible for
those as well and additional
charges could be filed.
#ItsInTheChampion
by Ashley Oglesby
In his first official meeting on July 13 with the

DeKalb County Board of
Education, Superintendent
Stephen Green said hes
done his research, he knows
where DeKalb County
schools have been and
his goal is to help restore
DeKalb County School
District back to a place of
prominence, not only in this
community but in this state
and nationally.
He said, I take this opportunity very seriously to
lead and to serve DeKalb
County School District.
Green reiterated that he
will have laser-like focus
on curriculum, instruction,
accountability and assessment throughout the school
year.
Board members approved all the agenda items
at the business session meeting.
Board members Marshall Orson said, We know
that there has been a decade
Green
or two where we have not

been where we need to be.
This is an opportunity for
new beginnings.
Orson said Green was a
consensus choice. He said,
That is something that
DeKalb has not really had
many times in the past.
He added, I think in
the process that we went
through, there were times
when we were all cringing.
I think it was ultimately
a healthy process because
in the end we know that
we have the best leader for
DeKalb County and for the
children of DeKalb County.

Free Press 7-17-15

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Free Press 7-17-15

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FreePress

FRIDAY, july 17, 2015 VOL. 18, NO. 16 FREE

A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS

Ex-DeKalb CEO to spend 18 months behind bars

sentence with 18 months to serve.

See Ellis on page 15A

For the next 18 months, ex-DeKalb

Frazer Center includes all

Since 1949 the mission of the

The Frazer Center helps people with disabilities to be fully included in

The 39-acre Cator Woolford Gardens at the Frazer Center serve

See Center on page 15A

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

DeKalbs District 5 finally has a commissioner

exposed to different cultures

During a candidates debate Turner said that he was

faced each other in a runoff

County CEO Burrell Ellis.

Public safety officers foster community relationships

He said, As the DeKalb schools

Jackson assisted the department

jamboree were to start off the 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

Pastor releases book with

the Bible condemns all homosexual

ing about all people being created in

societys disenfranchised. There are

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

Nothing wrong with a little nosy neighboring

Gale Horton Gay

many of whom have worked

mulate. All of the victims

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

We must never forget

Chief Operating Officer

tion of removing any symbol that may be offensive

part of the history of this

were free to choose whether

historic sites that are visited

Statement from the

Page 6A The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

works to maintain a high standard in

ties In Schools as a site coordinator at

Decatur clinic to serve 20,000 veterans

has a womens clinic.

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

Nonprofit to feed the homeless

Nonprofit to hold annual Trailblazer Awards

Blessings on Wheels, a nonprofit in Decatur,

American rock band to highlight Chamblee

Canoe outing at South River

City to host back to school jamboree

Church to hold community awareness/

Company to host bike, music festival in Stone

Waste recycling event to be held in Dunwoody

IBMF Atlanta, Inc. will host an International

Page 8A The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

Clarkston approves lower millage rate

en this presentation about

he does an excellent job.

Brookhaven lowers millage rate

needs more money, Mattison said.

really benefits by having

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

Page 6A The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

Page 8A The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015

The Champion Free Press, Friday, July 17, 2015