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School children
welcome pope with
Flat Francis project
Health department
celebrates veggie
month
Local, 3A
local, 14A
education, 18A
DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon was recently recognized for 10 years in office. Photo by Travis Hudgons
Commissioner celebrates
roller coaster decade
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
Becoming an elected official wasnt on Kathie Gannons bucket list.
It wasnt really a decision that
I made in terms of
a life goal, but Ive
always done service
kinds of things, said
Gannon, who was
recently recognized
for her 10 years as
a DeKalb County
commissioner.
Before she ran for
office, Gannon, who
had worked in child
welfare, was taking
a break from work.
She had been the
founding executive
director of Georgia CASA (Court
Appointed Special
Advocates), a statewide nonprofit that
provides trained volunteers to advocate
for abused and neglected children. She
also founded the statewide
citizen and judicial Foster
Care Review program.
Gannon was appointed to
the planning commission by
her commissioner who later
When I became
a commissioner,
we still did not
have recycling,
so I got recycling
going.
championnewspaper
championnews
championnewspaper
-Kathy Gannon
champnews
local
This is DeKalb!
Arabia Mountain
National Heritage Area
www.AtlantasDeKalb.com
VisitAtlantasDeKalbCounty.com
local
Martin
said. For
borrowed from Flat Stanley
OPINION
Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
Managing Editor
@AndrewChampNews
you.
Shorters said society also
needs to update the narrative about Black men. At
The Champion, we have
participated in the positive
narrative about Black men
by portraying chess masters,
coaches, civic leaders, educators and the like who have
not only served their families
and communities, but have
been an examples to others.
People only remember
the statistics that reinforce
what they already wanted
to believe, but meaningful
stories and experiences have
the power to change minds,
Shorters said.
Lets change our opinions
about Black males by the
learning and sharing of their
positive narratives.
OPINION
Page 5A
Bill Crane
bill.csicrane@gmail.com
Columnist
a similar tribute.And Im
pretty sure that there was at
least one listener in heaven
taking that all in and smiling
down broadly.
God bless you, Charlie.
Bill Crane also serves as a
political analyst and commentator for Channel 2s Action
News, WSB-AM News/Talk
750 and now 95.5 FM, as well
as a columnist for The Champion, Champion Free Press
and Georgia Trend. Crane is
a DeKalb native and business
owner, living in Scottdale. You
can reach him or comment on
a column at bill.csicrane@
gmail.com.
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
should be brief, typewritten and contain
the writers name, address and telephone
number for verification. All letters will be
considered for publication.
Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P.
O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email
to Andrew@dekalbchamp.com FAX To: (404)
370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779 . Deadline for news
releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior
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
each Friday by ACE III Communications,
Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur,
GA. 30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.
www.championnewspaper.com
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local
Brandon Little
Brandon Little of Avondale Estates is an example of
one giving back to to community.
The 32-year-old Cedar
Grove High School alum was
a competitive swimmer in
his younger days and now
teaches Black youth how to
swim. Little is a swim coach
with Healthy Lifestyles
Healthy Kids youth sports
organization and holds swim
classes at Beulah Baptist
Church in Decatur.
The founder of the youth
sports organization, Jabari
King, was Littles youth swim
coach.
I reconnected with
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.
Changes made on
Decatur City Commission
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
The Decatur City Commission elected a new mayor
pro tem and filled the vacated District 2 seat at its Sept. 8
regular meeting.
The commission elected
Commissioner Patti Garrett
as mayor pro tem. Garrett
replaces former Mayor Pro
Tem Kecia Cunningham,
who resigned from her District 2 seat to take a job out
of state.
Thank you to my fellow
commissioners and to the
mayor for this honor, Garrett said. Kecia Cunninghams years of service on the
city commission contributed
greatly and positively to the
Decatur we live in today. I
have some big shoes to fill.
Bill Bolling was appointed by the commission
to finish out the remaining
four months of Cunninghams term as District 2 commissioner. The seat is up for
election in November however, Bolling will not run for
election.
Garrett
DeKalb increases
transparency, communication
with county residents
DeKalb County has initiated a new effort to
enhance the relationship the county has with its
residents. DeKalb County is now using OpenGov, a
financial analysis platform that provides residents access to the countys finances.
Additionally, DeKalb County is inviting residents
to receive its news releases, which detail the latest
news and updates to local news media, directly.
For the last two years, weve been steady in pushing for more government transparency, said, interim
DeKalb County CEO Lee May. Our partnership with
OpenGov is an open invitation to DeKalb residents
to learn how the county is investing their tax funds,
something they have a right to know, and were inviting residents to receive our press releases directly so
they can learn about news and opportunities from the
source.
DeKalb is the first county in the state to use OpenGov technology.OpenGov currently works with other
local governing entities in the metro Atlanta area, including Alpharetta, Dunwoody andMilton.
With OpenGov, residents have instant access to
the countys budget and historical financial information, dating back to 2012, in a digital format.
Residents can explore revenue and expenditure
trends and review the data through a variety of graphs
and filters, all the way down to specific revenues or expense types.With social sharing features built into the
platform, residents can instantly share data on social
media or contact the county with additional questions.
DeKalbs OpenGov profile can be accessed at
www.dekalbcountyga.opengov.com.
#ItsInTheChampion
local
AroundDeKalb
Atlanta
Oct. 2The club will host an open house, reception and musical extravaganza for parents and
supporters from the community.
Oct. 3Basketball and cheerleading tournament
Oct. 4Col. Brad Bailey, chief secretary of the
Salvation Army Southern Territory, will preach
and recognize members who have served faithfully for more than 25 years at the corps. There
also will be the unveiling of a Wall of Honor
board.
The club is located at 3500 Sherrydale Lane,
Decatur. For more information, call (404) 4862870 or (404) 227-2059.
Brookhaven
City to host summit on tree ordinance
Brookhaven Community Development Department will host a Brookhaven 101 and a Builder & Developer Summit Sept. 24 at Brookhaven
City Hall. Builders and developers working in
Brookhaven can attend the Builder & Developer
Summit from 9 to 11 a.m. Later that day, residents can attend the citys third Brookhaven 101
from 6 to 8 p.m. Both sessions will focus on tree
ordinance updates. Brookhaven City Hall is located at 4362 Peachtree Road. For more information,
contact the Community Development Department at (404) 637-0500.
Decatur
Peachcrest Corps and Boys and Girls Club to
celebrate 40th anniversary
The Atlanta Peachcrest Corps and Boys and
Girls Club will hold its 40th anniversary celebration Oct. 2-4.
The theme for the weekend is Singing Ebenezer as the Years Roll On, based on the scripture from I Samuel 7:12.
Events during the celebration include:
Pinelake
City to host 15th annual LakeFest
The city of Pine Lake will host its annual fall
festival, LakeFest, Oct. 3 and 4. LakeFest is two
days of art, music, food and family fun on the
shores of Pine Lake, with handmade art and crafts
by 45 local and regional artist vendors, live music
by two dozen talented musicians, and poetry by
Georgia writers. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 7
p.m. on Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission and parking are free.
Activities include a kids carnival, chalk art
and sand sculpture contests, a pet show, and
workshops on Art of Bonsai and Express Mosaic. This years special guests, The Seed and
Feed Marching Abominables, will lead Floatzilla!, a floating parade with wildly decorated water
craft on the lake. The live music schedule covers a
wide range, including The Georgia Flood rocking into Saturday night and a Cosmic Gospel
Hour on Sunday morning. Headliner Michelle
Malone will close the festival on Sunday.
A complete schedule is available at www.
pinelakefest.com. For more information, email
pinelakefest@gmail.com
Stone Mountain
Countywide
local
A linear park will be built near the north fork of Peachtree Creek. Photo
from northforkconnectors.org
local
Crime Briefs
Fourth county watershed
employee sentenced to
jail for overtime scheme
DeKalb County Magistrate Judge Juwayn Haddad
accepted a plea agreement
from the fourth DeKalb
County Watershed Department employee charged with
bilking DeKalb County out
of thousands of dollars in
fraudulent overtime pay.
Andre Cofer, a former
watershed crew supervisor,
was sentenced to 15 years
with two years to serve behind bars for a single theft
charge.As a condition of
probation, Cofer must pay
$5,000 in restitution and
complete 100 hours of community service.
Earlier this year, former
DeKalb Watershed employ-
State representative
to host open forum on
cityhood
The Concerned Citizens for Cityhood of South
DeKalb Inc. will hold an
open forum hosted by state
Rep. Rahn Mayo to address
questions from the community regarding cityhood in
south DeKalb County.
The forum will present
varying viewpoints on forming a city and there will be a
panel discussion to address
questions about the proposed city of Greenhaven.
The event will take place
on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at
7 p.m. in the Community
Achievement Center, located at 4522 Flat Shoals
Parkway, Decatur.
The Concerned Citizens for Cityhood of South
DeKalb Inc. is a nonprofit
corporation formed to educate citizens about forming
a city in southern DeKalb
County.
Suspect arrested,
charged with murder by
strangulation
The DeKalb County
Sheriff s Office Fugitive Unit
has arrested Derrick Ramon
Walker in connection with
the Sept. 8 death of Lataousha Tashan Holden in Decatur.
The warrant, issued
local
Page 10A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015
Robinson
said.
finalists are announced, the
Programs under PAL
board will have to wait 14
Plus
include mural arts,
days to approve a contract,
a
junior
police academy,
meaning that a new superinGEESGentlemen
Exemtendent could be in place by
plifying
Excellent
Strength,
October.
He said, We are hopeful GEMSGirls Exemplifying
Magnificent Strength, and
that we will be able to anGREAT Gang Resistance
nounce our finalists by the
Education and Training,
end of the month.
which is a six-week program.
Goebel added, Our viWere trained in Nashsion is a superintendent that
ville
to get certified as
will challenge every student
GREAT
instructors, and its
to succeed by providing a
basically
an anti-bullying
rigorous, engaging and auworkshop,
Robinson said.
thentic learning experiences
All
the
schools
that request
delivered by highly qualified,
us
love
the
program
and recaring adults in safe and inquest
that
we
come
back.
Nearly 50 children participated in the summer academy this past summer. Photo by Carla Parker
local
Students, teachers, staff and supporters sit in the stands of the Clarkston campus gymnasium.
Tuesdays
10 a.m. 11 a.m.
Exchange Park Recreation Center
2771 Columbia Dr., Decatur
4 p.m. 6 p.m.
Mainstreet Community Assoc.
5001 Mainstreet Park Dr.
Stone Mountain
Wednesdays
10 a.m. 11 a.m.
Hairston Lake Apartments
1023 North Hairston Road
Stone Mountain
12 p.m. 1 p.m.
Spring Chase II
4947 Memorial Drive
Stone Mountain
4 p.m. 6 p.m.
Downtown Lithonia
6861 Main Street
Thursdays
11 a.m. 12 p.m.
Bethesda Cathedral Church
1989 Austin Drive, Decatur
4 p.m. 6 p.m.
Midway Recreation Center
3181 Midway Rd., Decatur
DeKalb Mobil
e
Farmers Ma
rket
Dates and
Times
Thru Oct. 2
3
Fridays
9 a.m. 11 a.m.
DeKalb County Extension
4380 Memorial Dr. Decatur
Made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
local
Page 12A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
In
local
WEEK
Pictures
Scores of sliders slipped down 1,000 feet of slick vinyl during Slide the City in Decatur Sept. 12. The event returned to Decatur after being cut short by a major water main break in June.
Photos by Travis Hudgons
Flags in Avondale Estates remind passersby of the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001. Photo by
John Hewitt
DeKalb Countys Fernbank LINKS robotics team held a kickoff in Marietta for the Georgia
BEST robotics season. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
(404) 294-2900
www.rollingforwardtoone.com
local
Page 14A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015
A farmers market was set up at the North DeKalb Health Center Sept. 10 in recognition of Eat More Fruits and Veggies Month. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
The farmers market was organized to promote locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal, center, learned about various vegetables.
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
Bobby Merrell drove 125 miles
Sept. 10 from Dooley County in
south Georgia to bring fresh Georgia grown fruits and vegetables to
DeKalb County.
He loaded tables with muscadines, peaches, plums, apples and
various vegetables80 percent of
which came from his brothers Merrell Farm.
Anytime you can get some fresh
fruits and vegetables into anyones
body thats going to help right off the
bat, said Merrell, who travels around
the state taking fruits and vegetables
to various communities.
September is Eat More Fruits
and Veggies Month! and in DeKalb,
Merrell was participating in DeKalb
County Board of Healths Womens,
Infant and Children [WIC] farmers
market at the North DeKalb Health
Center in Chamblee. The event was
designed to help educate consumers
about locally grown Georgia fruits
and vegetables helping to support
Georgias billion-dollar agriculture
environment.
Being creative, resourceful and
local
Page 15A
local
Page 16A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015
Joe Seconder leads members of Bike Walk Dunwoody in a bike ride to the capitol.
CALLFORAGENERALMUNICIPALELECTION
CITYOFSTONEMOUNTAIN
Noticeisherebygiventhat,inaccordancewithO.C.G.A2129(c),ageneralmunicipal
electionshallbeheldintheCityofStoneMountain,DeKalbCounty,onNovember3,
2015tofilltheofficeofthree(3)CouncilMemberseatsforfouryearterms.
Allpersonswhoarenotregisteredtovoteandwhodesiretoregistertovoteinthe
generalmunicipalelectionmayregisterwiththeDeKalbCountyBoardofElectionsand
VoterRegistration,4380MemorialDrive,Suite300,Decatur,GA30032throughthe
closeofbusinessonMonday,October5,2015.Pollswillbeopenfrom7:00a.m.until
7:00p.m.onElectionDay.
10:30 a.m.
Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit
Authority (MARTA) will hold a public hearing for the purpose of receiving input on the proposed MARTA Mobility Eligibility process to include functional assessments
for certification and recertification to determine eligibility for all who qualify for
paratransit services and to provide better service for seniors and patrons with disabilities.
For formats (FREE of charge) in accordance with the ADA and Limited English Proficiency regulations
contact, (404) 848-4037. For those patrons requiring further accommodations, information can be
obtained by calling the 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 comments you may: (1) leave a message at (404) 848-5299; (2) write to
MARTAs Office of External Affairs, 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30324-3330; (3) complete
an online Comment Card at www.itsmarta.com; (4) or fax your comments no later than Sept. 24,
2015 to (404) 848-4179.
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 evidence, comment or objection as their interests require.
Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO
BUSINESS
who wear her creations. The others are Rachel Hertzog, whose love
of all things vintage inspires the
crafting of wraps, pouches, bags and
other items from discarded cashmere
and wool sweaters, and Jen Singh,
whose mixed media and watercolor
works have been featured in several
publications and galleries.
The four artists, who refer to
themselves as the Garage Girls, say
their establishment is more than a
retail outlet; its a place where artists
can find encouragement, information and support.
In addition to their own work,
the partners sell the work of local
artists who offer items from candles
to childrens clothing to stationery.
More than 60 artists are featured in
the 2,000-square-foot retail cooperative. Everything is handmade and
therefore one-of-a-kind, Rollins
said. People come here looking for
gifts that are unique in the truest
sense of the word.
Were a true co-op, she continued. When we sell an item, we
get a percentage and the artist gets a
percentage. When someone comes in
and buys something theyre supporting local artists, enabling them to
buy more materials and make more
influential
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite, Decatur, GA 30030 404.378.8000 www.dekalbchamber.org
EDUCATION
A Little Free Library has been placed outside of Cross Keys High School to promote
reading.
Student Support Specialist Jason Randall stands in the halls of Cross Keys High School.
Cross Keys High School has been a part of DeKalb County School District for 57 years.
EDUCATION
Superintendent Stephen Green and administrative staff cut the ribbon for a student art
gallery.
District changes
testing schedule
Stephen Green stands beside his wife Kimberly all smiles and cheering for Miller
Grove High School band performance.
toring.
Visual and Performing
Arts Coordinator for DCSD,
Keisha Boyd McDuffie said
after one year the art pieces
will be taken down.
The art pieces will be
sent back to each school in
hopes that they will create
their own Art Star Hall of
Fame, McDuffie said.
The ceremony featured a
chorus, a band and a dance
performance from students
within the district and
brought dozens of parents,
students, staff and administrators to the central office
in Stone Mountain for the
unveiling of the student art
gallery.
DeKalb County Schools
Superintendent Stephen
Green said district officials
want to continue to show
support for students.
Were going to continue
CrossKeysClusterOverCapacityPublicMeeting
TheDeKalbCountySchoolDistrictwillbeholdingtwo(2)publicmeetingstodiscussthe
districtsplanstoaddresscurrentandfutureovercrowdingofschoolsintheCrossKeys
Cluster.TheschoolsintheCrossKeysClusterare:CaryReynoldsES,CrossKeysHS,DresdenES,
MontclairES,OakcliffTheme,SequoyahMS,WoodwardES.
Themeetingswillbeheldonthefollowingdatesatthelocationsandtimesshown:
Tuesday,September15,2015:6:00PM7:30PM
CrossKeysHighSchool
1626N.DruidHillsRoadNE
Atlanta,GA30319
Thursday,September17,2015:6:00PM7:30PM
SequoyahMiddleSchool
3456AztecRoad
Doraville,GA30340
Parentsandthecommunityareinvitedtoattend.
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religion, sex, nationalorigin, handicap or familial status.
SPORTS
Volleyball
The No. 2-ranked Decatur Bulldogs defeated Stratford Academy 2-0 Sept. 10. Photos by Travis Hudgons
Decatur volleyball:
SPORTS
football
Stop
Cyber
bullying
now
Stand
up and
Speak out
Decatur quarterback Quintavius Eagle scrambles for extra yards against Towers. Photos by Travis Hudgons
Athlete of
the Week
Sanders
Ruffin
McKnight
Next Level
Each week The Champion spotlights former high school players from the county who are succeeding in athletics on the college
level.
Dominick Sanders, Georgia (football): The sophomore
strong safety from Tucker had an 88-yard interception returned
for a touchdown in Georgias 31-14 win over Vanderbilt Sept. 12.
Sanders finished second on the team with 8 tackles.
Nick Ruffin, Auburn (football): The sophomore defensive
back from St. Pius X had seven tackle and a pass break-up in the
27-20 over Jacksonville State in double overtime Sept. 12.
Paige McKnight, Georgetown (volleyball): The freshman
setter from Dunwoody had 42 assists and 13 digs in the 3-1 win
over Georgia Sept. 11 in the UW-Madison Tournament.
SPORTS
Decatur
Decatur coach Scott Jackson examines his teams Decatur wide receiver Terrill Hall catches a
play.
touchdown pass.
Decatur sophomore Jarrett Ford holds off a Towers defender while running up field.
local
Page 24A The Champion FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, september 18, 2015
Willis Park
improvements under way
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
Since 2012, Avondale Estates
officials have discussed plans to
renovate Willis Park located off of
Dartmouth Avenue.
Those renovations have now
been approved. City commissioners
voted to move forward with renovations at the Aug. 24 meeting and
improvements to the park began
Sept. 9.
The park will be closed during
construction, except for a temporary
walking path that will remain open
for children to get to and from The
Museum School, according to a city
statement. However, this temporary path may be closed at certain
points in the construction process
to ensure the safety of all. The city
will notify residents in the event of
such a closure. The improvements
are scheduled to take four to five
months to complete.
The city has owned the park
The Avondale Estates City Commission approved plans for renovating Willis Park Aug. 24.
Construction workers were at the park Sept. 10. Photo by Carla Parker