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AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 VOL. 13, NO. 45 FREE

FREEPRESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

by Andrew [email protected]

DeKalb County residentsurged their legislative delegationat a public hearing last week topass legislation that would shrinkthe size of the county schoolboard.

Georgia House of Represen-tatives Bill No. 22 would allowvoters to decrease the number ofschool board members from nineto five or seven. Mary MargaretOliver, who represents DeKalbresidents in District 83, filed thelegislation in November.

Another local legislator, Rep.Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, toldthose in attendance she has a per-sonal interest in the redistrictingand consolidation proposal underconsideration by the school board.

Benfield, who has two childrenat Fernbank Elementary said shewas concerned about the schoolboards redistricting proposals.

This is personal to me, Ben-field said. She said she wouldpersonally call every school board

member to express her extremedissatisfaction with the propos-als.

Residents urged the state sena-tors and representatives to inter-vene in the operations of the coun-tys Board of Education which

they described as dysfunctional,bloated and myopic.

Yall are our last stand, said

Jim Smith, a 21-year resident ofDeKalb.Theres not a single incum-

bent worth a damn on that schoolboard, Smith said. Unless theschool district gets fixed weregoing to see everything we likeabout DeKalb County go down thedrain.

Rae Varney, who has twochildren in DeKalb Countyschools, said she is concernedabout a proposal to close one oftwo schools in the county that hasreceived national Blue Ribbon sta-tus in that past eight years.

Livsey Elementary, under oneplan, is being closed entirely rath-er than serving as a model to therest of the county with the qualityof education that it offers, Varneysaid.

Jeff Jackson, a county resi-dent since 1968, said the schooldistrict needs to show taxpayershow much money is supposed tobe saved by the school closings.

Its about getting the besteducation for our children for themoney were spending, Jackson

said. Wheres the money?Why are we having to closeour neighborhood schools? Jack-

Theres not asingle incumbent

worth a damn on

that school board. Jim Smith

See Legislators on Page 13A

Legislators asked to pass billto shrink school board

See Schools on Page 13A

by Robert [email protected]

Ramona Tyson, in-terim superintendentfor DeKalb CountySchools, said last week

that a widespread cheating scan-dal involving 24 teachers andadministrators will not affect the

quality of education the countysstudents receive.Twenty-four employees

five principals, fiveassistant principalsand 14 teachersinnine elementary andmiddle schools havebeen reassigned withpay to duties outsidetheir schools, countyschools spokes-

man Walter Woods said. Theirteaching certificates are beingreviewed by the Georgia Profes-sional Standards Commission.

Four other educators are no

longer teaching in the systemand another who is not presentlycertified by the PSC also hasbeen removed of assigned duties.

The actions are the result ofan internal investigation by thecounty school system regardingthe administration of the April2009 Criterion-Referenced Com-petency Test (CRCT), with feed-back from the Governors Officeof Student Achievement.

The students ability to re-ceive a quality education has notbeen compromised, said Tyson.Anyone who has a heart for

children would be taken abackby this. As a parent, it is impor-tant that all children receive afair and equitable education.

DeKalb educators who arebeing investigated in a cheatingscandal regarding a state-ad-ministered test in 2009 affectedthe grades of 1,400 students, aDeKalb County Schools officialsaid.

For the 1,400 students whomay have been affected by theerasures, Woods said that indi-vidual learning support plansto help improve CRCT perfor-mance are being put into place.

The parents of the studentsinvolved have been notified,Woods said.

Tyson: Education

of students notcompromised byCRCT scandal

Tyson

Members of DeKalbs legislative delegation listen as their constituents offer suggestions and complaints about the proposedredistricting and school closing plans of the countys board of education. Photos by Andrew Cauthen

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 PAGE 2ANEWS

See Census on Page 10A

Paulette Porter plays with children at Our House, a Decatur organization that provides free day carefor homeless parents while they look for housing and employment. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

Volunteers conducthomeless censusby Andrew [email protected]

Last week, hundreds ofvolunteers, on a cold, rainynight, canvassed the streetsof DeKalb and Fulton coun-ies and the city of Atlantan an effort to count the

homeless population of thearea.

The homeless census,which is conducted everywo years, is sponsored

by Metro Atlanta Tri-Ju-isdictional Collaborative

on Homelessness (Tri-J), apartnership of governmentepresentatives and service

providers in Atlanta, FultonCounty and DeKalb County.

In DeKalb, 50 to 75 vol-unteers, along with policeescorts, covered the county,which had been dividedup into census block grantgroups. In some cases, thevolunteers were joinedby paid workers who hadonce been homeless. Theseworkers helped the teamsecognize homeless persons

who might not be so easilynoticed by an inexperiencedvolunteer, said Chris Mor-

ris, the countys communitydevelopment director.In addition to the street

count, ofcials have con-ducted surveys of areahospitals, jails, shelters andransitional housing to com-

plete the count.The census gives ofcials

a snapshot of local home-essness and is used by the

federal government to al-ocate funding for programshat address the homeless

problem, said DeKalbCounty commissionerLeeMay.

May said he has seen anncrease over the years inhe number of visible home-essthe ones seen asking

for money at intersections orleeping under overpasses.

It used to be an Atlantaproblem. Its grown to bea metro Atlanta problem,May said.

The lagging economy hasexacerbated the problems ofpeople already on the fringeof homelessness, May said.

When the results of thecensus are released in Feb-

uary or March, ofcialsexpect an increase in thenumber of homeless, said

Melvia Richards, the hous-ing manager of the countys

community developmentdepartment.Local service providers

receiving federal fundingfor homeless programs arerequired by the U.S. Depart-ment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) toconduct the census.

The grants will be usedto provide permanent andtransitional housing tohomeless persons as wellas job training, health care,mental health counseling,substance abuse treatmentand child care.

On Jan. 21, CongressmanHank Johnson announcedthat HUD was giving morethan $2.2 million in grantsto programs in GeorgiasFourth Congressional Dis-trict.

Groups receiving grantfunds include Action Min-istries, Georgia CoalitionAgainst Domestic Violence,Rainbow Village Inc., OurHouse Inc., Initiative for Af-fordable Housing, JerusalemHouse, Progressive Rede-velopment, Zion Keepers

and Salvation Army.The recession has takena huge toll, Johnson saidin a press release. As oureconomy recovers, we mustensure everyone no mattertheir circumstances ben-ets from our efforts. Theseprograms help people reachtheir personal goals and es-tablish independence.

Tyese Lawyer, execu-tive director of Our HouseInc. in Decatur, which pro-vides child care for fami-lies that are homeless or intransitional housing, said

the grant award will go along way. Our House willget $47,000 from the HUDgrant.

Children are often for-gotten in the homelessnesscrisis, Lawyer said. Thesefunds allow us to provide aloving, safe early learningenvironment, where parentscan condently leave theirchild while Our House helpsparents seek employmentand permanent housing.

Our House, a non-protorganization established in

1987, provides early child-care for 79 children. Withan operating budget of $1.3

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www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 Page 3A

Grease in pipes causes most sewage spills

GEORGIAPOWER.COM

A hand like this.

It took a skillful hand like this to draft the plans of our nations capital city.

It was a visionary hand like this which pointed out the moral superiority

of a way based on character and not color. It was a thorough, good hand

like this that championed our rights before the U.S. Supreme Court. It took

millions of laboring hands like this to build the wealth and infrastructure

of this mighty country. And it was a raised hand like this that was sworn

in and gave kids of all complexions and cultures the legitimacy to believe

they can achieve anything.

During Black History Month, Georgia Power takes pride in celebrating the

countless hands like this which have worked to uplift us all. Weve got to

hand it to you.


For 46 hours raw sew-age flowed freely earlier this

month from a manhole onLawrenceville Highway inTucker when grease blockedan eight-inch line, causinghe overflow.

That was just one of 27pills in DeKalb County inanuary that caused morehan 346,500 gallons of sew-

age to flow into area creeks.And grease was the culpritn most of the spills.

Francis Kungu, directorof DeKalbs department ofwatershed management, saidabout 70 percent of the sew-age spills in DeKalb County

are caused by grease clog-ging the pipes.

To combat the problem ofgrease being poured downdrains, the countys Boardof Commissioners passed afats, oils and grease (FOG)ordinance nearly four yearsago. The ordinance made itmandatory for restaurants tonstall a grease interceptorhat separates and collects

grease from the sewer sys-em. There are about 2,500

food service companiesn the county and they all

have the grease interceptors,Kungu said. The traps arenspected several times a

year.But restaurants are not

he problem. The main cul-prits are homeowners andenters who pour grease

down drains, Kungu said.Residences are still dif-

cult if not impossible toegulate, he said.

Kungu said the countyries to encourage residents

keep fats, oils and grease outof the system through radioand theater announcements,

and an exhaustive school ed-ucation program. The countys also working on a greaseecycling program in whichhe grease would be turnednto biofuel.

DeKalbs sewer spillsare few compared to otherocal jurisdictions, Kunguaid. The average number

of spills is approximately1 per 100 sewer miles per

year. In DeKalb, that num-ber is about ve or six per

100 sewer miles per year,Kungu said.

But there are no goodsewer spills, Kungu said.In fact, all spills are a viola-

tion of the federal Clean Wa-ter Act, which makes waterpollution illegal.

In December, DeKalbCounty agreed to pay a$453,000 penalty from theEPA for excessive sewagespills. Since 2006, there have

more than 840 county sewerspills.DeKalb County has

also agreed to implementa $600,000 stream cleanupproject, focusing on de-bris removal from partsof the South River, South

Fork Peachtree Creek andSnapnger Creek.Last month, the countys

Board of Commissionersagreed to raise water andsewer rates by 11 percenteach year for three yearsbeginning in 2012 to fund a

$1.345 billion project to xthe countys aging water andsewer system.

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Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to [email protected]

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EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributingeditors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers.The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement atany time. The Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

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FREEPRESS

The Newslady

DeKalb Countys firsts

Racial health disparitiesby Judge Greg Mathis

Republicans, trying to make good on cam-paign promises, are working hard to repeal the2010 health care law that, once fully implement-ed, will provide health insurance insome form for all Americans. Thosewho supported the law realize thatits imperfect but recognize that thelaws passage was an important firststep. Over time, the law will save

billions of dollars and ensure thatAmericans, regardless of income,can access medical help when theyneed it.

A new study shows us that mon-ey will be saved in other ways, too. A

report released by the Center for Disease Controland Prevention reveals shocking racial healthdisparities. Billions of dollars are spent each yeartreating illnesses in advanced stages. With healthcare more readily available, it is safe to assumethat chronic conditions can be treated regularlyand early, avoiding costly hospital stays and sav-ing the larger public money in the long run.

Its never been a secret that race and incomeplay a part in the quality of medical care an indi-vidual receives. But these numbers are shocking.In a country as rich as America, the expectationshould be that all children live through infancyand grow into healthy adults. However, children

born to African-American women are three timesmore likely to die before they make it to their firstyear than those born to women of other races. Ifthe child does make it to adulthood, he or she will

be twice as likely to suffer from high blood pres-sure and much more likely to suffer from heartdisease or have a stroke than hie or her White

counterpart. And, unfortunately, their chances of

contracting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, isshockingly higher than that of Whites.

Granted, each of these illnesses is prevent-able. Personal responsibility eating right, exer-

cising, practicing safe sex goes a longway in making sure an individual is notafflicted with these diseases. However,if one does find himself struggling withone of these illnesses, he or she should

be able to access quality medical careearly and often and not have to worryabout costs. If the diseases go untreated,the long-term effects go far beyond theindividual: society ultimately pays $7

billion to be exact. Thats how much isspent a year treating preventable diseas-

es in this country. And African Americans havetwice the rate of preventable hospitalizations thanWhites.

Before Republicans continue with their planof repealing the health care law, with no work-able proposal for a replacement, they should firstthink about what price the country will have to

pay if they are successful. The Republican Partyshould not only leave the current health care lawintact, they should sit down with Democrats andstrategize to improve it. One of those improve-ments should be funding more community clinicsin urban areas clinics that educate and counselresidents on disease prevention. The RepublicanParty needs to realize that honoring campaign

promises is important but only if that promise isin the best interest of the entire nation.

Judge Greg Mathis currently provides legaladvice to more than three million listeners on theSteve Harvey Morning Show and also on his web-

site, www.askjudgemathis.com.

Mathis

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER

Its Black History month. For28 days we celebrate the accom-lishments of African American

history makers. This month-longcelebration started out as a one-week observance called NegroHistory Week, initiated by CarterG. Woodson. It was later expand-ed to a month.

If I had my druthers, we

would do away with AfricanAmerican History Month alto-gether and incorporate into thehistory books for 365 days a yearhe notable contributions of Afri-

can Americans in science, athlet-cs, music, literature and the arts.

Many of us take for granted ordo not know the history makersamong us right here in DeKalb

County. So, for this entire month,Id like to introduce to some andremind others of the stalwartswe are fortunate to have in our

midst. Take for instance, formerState Attorney General ThurbertBaker. The recent candidate forgovernor is a long-time DeKalbCounty resident and the firstAfrican American in Georgiashistory to hold the lofty positionof state attorney general. Bakerserved in the state-wide elected

position with distinction andwithout the slightest hint of im-

propriety.When Baker took the oath of

office as the attorney general forGeorgia 1997, I was proud to beone of the invitees. But the pride

of many of us DeKalb residentsand other Georgians was trumped

by Thurberts mother, Mrs. MaryBaker Hyde. If one looked close-ly, one could see the slightest hintof tears glisten in the corners ofher eyes, set in a face that had nodoubt seen and experienced manyracial indignities but was notevidenced in her dignified and

serene countenance. Her son hadworked his way out of very hum-

ble beginnings in North Carolinato the University of North Caro-

lina Chapel Hill where he was amember of the fencing team andwon the 1975 Atlantic Coast Con-ference (ACC) Sabre Champion-ship. He graduated from EmoryUniversity Law School and wenton to represent DeKalb County inthe Georgia legislature for nearly10 years.

Baker distinguished himselfin the legislature, serving as then-Gov. Zell Millers floor leader,another first. He shepherdedthrough significant pieces of leg-islation like the bill that createdthe Hope Scholarship and the

two strikes youre out measurethat put our most violent andchronic offenders behind bars forlife.

In 1997, there Baker stood inthe House Chambers taking theoath of office as Georgias firstAfrican-American attorney gener-al. Again, he served with distinc-tion. Baker focused on initiatives

to fight crime and fraud includ-ing tougher laws against sexual

predators who use the Internetto target children and news laws

against financial identity theft andmortgage fraud. He was respectedamong his peers and served as

president of the National Associa-tion of Attorneys General from2006 to 2007.

Thurbert Baker is forever inthe annuls of history as the firstAfrican-American attorney gen-eral of the great state of Georgia.He has done us proud. But a fewyears ago, in his own words hesaid to look at his mothers faceand see the great pride she had,made everything worthwhile.The former A-G lives in Stone

Mountain with his wife Cathe-rine, an educator. They have twodaughters. If you see him about,tell him thank you!

Steen Miles, The Newslady,is a retired journalist and formerGeorgia state senator. ContactSteen Milies at [email protected].

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 PAGE 4AOPINION

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Broken promises, broken credibilityWilliam C. Crane, 1974-1992 One Mans Opinion C. William Bill Crane, 2009 - ?

A lottery is a salutary instrumentand a tax...laid on the willing only...on those who can risk the price of aicket without sensible injury, for the

possibility of a higher prize,Thomas Jefferson.

While a student at the Univer-sity of Georgia in the early 1980s,

penned my first opinion columnsn The Red and Black. Though the

HOPE scholarship arrived long aftermy departure from Athens, Im re-urning this week to the college cam-

pus, at least in this column, to sharewith you the anger and distrust beingfelt there and at other college cam-puses across Georgia.

Since 1993, Georgia has boastedone of the most successful collegescholarship programs in the nation.The HOPE Scholarship Programhas assisted more than 1.2 millionstudents and provided more than $5billion and counting in tuition grantsand scholarships.

Since the creation of the HOPEScholarship, hundreds of thousands

of high school and college stu-

dents have worked harder to improvetheir academic performance to earnthe right to receive HOPE, as wellas to place less financial burden ontheir families in receiving their higher

education.We can also clearly see and feel

the pain many are suffering in thisembattled economy, and we under-stand and appreciate the states effortsto trim its sails and budget, includingthe University System of Georgia.That said, the HOPE scholarship isnot a simple budget line item. It is apromise. If you perform well, main-tain your grades and scholarship andachieve academic excellence, thestate of Georgia will pay your tuition.

Tuition is far from our only ex-pense as students. Text books caneasily run several hundred per semes-

ter. Our HOPE book allowance isbeing halved and we understand thatit will be eliminated later this year.Next we hear that our student activ-ity fees, also hundreds each semester,may be unbundled from tuition andon the chopping block.

We also hear rumblings ofraising eligibility requirements forHOPE, either with a higher GPA, orpreviously un-established manda-tory minimum scores on standard-ized tests. Equally disturbing is thepossibility of capping benefits tonot even cover tuition costs, settingan annual or per semester grant, notdirectly aligned with the actual costs

of tuition. We also gather that other

unrelated state budget cuts will likelycause substantial tuition hikes nextyear.

As students we buckled down,studied hard through four years of

high school, and have now madeacademics our top priority in college.And the many benefits of HOPEcaused us to not seriously considerleaving our home state to obtain ourdegree.

We have fully honored our endof this commitment and academic ob-ligations to Georgia, and the thankswe now get is to have our HOPEscholarships cut, or standards raisedso high that we are no longer eligibleto receive HOPE, at the same timethe state is hiking our tuition?

Is this the example of honoringcommitments and your word is your

bond that you want to give us, as weface perhaps the most challengingjob market of the past 50 years? Weagain realize that times are tough, andsacrifices need to be made...but wedalso like to suggest that instead of fo-cusing on cuts...the brain trust thatruns the Georgia Lottery and HOPEshould instead be considering newsources of revenue.

Seven other states allow VideoLottery Terminals (VLTs) whichgenerate hundreds of millions eachyear in gaming revenues. Muchsmaller states like Rhode Island,Delaware and West Virginia eachgenerated hundreds of millions from

VLT gaming in 2008, with popula-

tions only a small fraction of Geor-gias. VLTs look like slot machines,but function, from a technologystandpoint, very similar to instant lot-tery scratch games run on an ATM

network.A pair of proven and successful

Atlanta developers want to invest$500 million in private funds tobuild a VLT hotel/casino complexin Underground Atlanta. I may onlybe a college student, but I can easilyunderstand the benefits of that foreconomic development, tourism andthe general vitality of downtown At-lanta. Having studied Georgia his-tory, I can envision how VLT casinoriverboats might become a futuretourism attraction on many Georgiarivers and lakes.

Before you take away our hard

earned scholarship, or change therules of the game with the game al-ready underway...please think firstabout thinking outside the box...honoring your word, and keepingyour promises. We often hear publicofficials lamenting the mistrust andcontempt felt towards them by manyvoters. More broken promises cer-tainly wont help.

Bill Crane is a DeKalb County

native and business owner, living inScottdale, Georgia. He also serves aschief political analyst and commenta-tor for 11Alive News and WSB Radio,News/Talk 750. Contact Bill Crane at

[email protected].

www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 A Section Page 5A

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Page 6A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011

The right to bear arms,even if you're nuts

by Donald Kaul

Columnist

Where else can a certifiable loony who looks like

Charlie Manson's creepy cousin walk into a gunstore and buy a semi-automatic pistol that shoots

30 rounds in just a few seconds?

The following comments are pulled straight from our Web site andare not edited for content or grammar.

Employees removed from DeKalb schools in wake ofCRCT cheating scandal

There is no real proof that anyone did anything illegal.

These people may be innocent. Let them defend themselvesin a courtroom not in the newspaper. Why are people soquick to judge others without an ounce of proof? What if youwere falsely accused? Give it a rest people!

Tabithae posted this on 1/29/11 at 11:30 p.m.

I agree as parents we should know who these individualsare; Im just saying.

Dee posted this on 1/28/11 at 6:47 p.m.

Who are they? Their names should be published and thepress should relentlessly pursue them.

Creighton posted this on 1/28/11 at 2:18 p.m.

SACS offers advice to school system

Jackie, I believe employment law would suggest Ms. Ty-son be compensated in accordance to the position and dutiesshe is performing. Thats why the Equal Pay Act of 1963 wasdeveloped, to ensure equitable compensation for all.

If you consider what other metro area superintendents arepaid, you would notice that she is on the low end when youconsider this salary adjustment. Another thing to consider,what would potential candidates think if they saw that thecommunity did not want to equitably compensate the currentperson with those responsibilities? It could reduce the pool ofqualified candidates.

ErnestB posted this on 1/27/11 at 11:02 a.m.

Look if we are so in debt then why pay someone thatmuch money. I am sorry but I do not know a person that could

not live comforatably on half that. Our schools in Dekalb needbooks and other necessay thing for our children. Yes we needa leader but one that is out for the childrens interest morethan their own. I am sorry but in this economy that is way tomuch money to pay for someone to make the final decisionson my granddaughter. I am sure many others feel the same.

Jackie Wilson posted this on 1/27/11 at 10:29 a.m.

Stephenson girls maintain high level of success

Does anyone there get anywhere on academics?

Old Rocky Face posted this on 1/30/11 at 10:25 p.m.

Great Job Coach Watkins, staff and all of the members ofthe team. I especially want to say keep up the great work to

Kahliyah (CCYBL Alum)! All of you are setting examples formany to see and from all indications, you are doing an excel-lent job.

Everett Crockett posted this on 1/28/11 at 1:07 p.m.

Say what you willabout the attempted assas-ination of Rep. Gabrielle

Giffords (D-Ariz.). Addn the murder and severenjuries suffered by as-orted bystanders in Tuc-on and it all proves that

were still a free country.God bless America!Where else can a cer-

ifiable loony who looksike Charlie Mansons

creepy cousin walk intoa gun store and buy aemi-automatic pistol thathoots 30 rounds (30!) inust a few seconds? Andhen walk around with it,

no questions asked?The result: six dead

and 13 wounded.Only in America. And

raq. And maybe Af-ghanistan, Sudan, places

ike that. All bastions offreedom-loving folk.

Of all the places inhese United States thatove freedom, Arizonas the place that loves it

most. Its one of threetates that allow people to

carry a concealed weaponwithout a permit. And asfor the 30-shot weapon,Congressthe NationalRifle Associations leg-slative armmade thategal six years ago.

The incident does cast

doubt on the NRA theoryhat a society that carriesguns around freely is apolite society. The shoot-ng of NRA member Rep.

Giffords and the murdersof her aide, a Federaludge, three elderly wom-

en, and a 9-year-old girlwere a lot of things. Politewasnt one of them.

Apparently, theywerent victims, justmartyrs to the freedom ofhe American people rich

and poor, crazy and sanealiketo own guns.

Some liberals have

cynically seized the op-portunity to condemn the

sometimes violent rheto-ric of the political right.You know, if ballotsdont work, bullets will.That kind of thing.

They point to a cam-paign event sponsored byGiffords Republican op-ponent last year at whichvoters were invited to firea fully automatic M-16, asa symbol of his assaulton the lady. Republicansare big on symbols.

Some liberals haveeven gone so far as to

blame Sarah Palin justbecause that good womanput out a map target-ing liberal politiciansfor defeat, marking theirdistricts with cross hairsresembling telescopic gunsights.

Palin was quick todeny that she meant thatliterally. As the big-heart-ed humanitarian that sheis, she sent condolencesfrom herself and Toddto the families. Is that agreat American gesture or

what?Her spokesperson saidthe cross hairs werentmeant to look like riflesights at all. They werethe surveyors symbolsone might find on a mili-tary map to indicate loca-tions. (Perhaps she wastrying to nail down thesurveyor vote.)

That didnt stop thelocal sheriff (probablyone of those rare, odd-ball liberal sheriffs) fromdenouncing the vitri-olic rhetoric that we hear

day in and day out from

people in the radio busi-ness and some people in

the TV business. Hecalled Arizona themecca for prejudice andbigotry.

That got Jon Kylshackles up. Kyl is an

Arizonan and the Sen-ates No. 2 Republican.I didnt really think thatthat had any part in a lawenforcement briefing, hesaid. Other Republicanleaders were similarlyconcerned.

I am horrified, saidSpeakerJohn Boehner.

I am horrified,agreed John McCain, thepartys former presiden-tial candidate.

In truth, its difficult totie the shooter to the polit-ical right, even though he

expressed concerns aboutthe government takingover. Nor is he a child ofthe left, as some defensiveright-wingers have soughtto paint him.

Hes quite simply anuta fairly bright youngman who slowly slippedinto madness. I dontknow what can be donewith people like that. Thatis until they commit someheinous act that gives anexcuse to lock them up.

Not selling them guns

that shoot 30 bullets realfast would be a start, Isuppose. But what am Isaying? You couldnt dothat without limiting theright of the rest of us tobuy 30-shot, rapid-firepistols. Gee, then whatwould we do?

Rest easy, the U.S. Su-preme Courtthe NRAsjudicial armwouldnt letit happen.

I am horrified.OtherWords columnist

Donald Kaul lives in AnnArbor, Michigan. http://

otherwords.org

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by Gale Horton [email protected]

WASHINGTONAt acongressional hearing of theJudiciary Crime Subcommit-ee on Capitol Hill last week,

Congressman Hank John-

son arrived late, took hissubcommittee seat, studieddocuments, then asked a mil-ion dollar questionactu-

ally a $150 million question.While the earlier testi-

mony and queries focusedon data retention by Internetservice providers, privacy is-sues, child pornography andaw enforcement, Johnsonpressed for answers aboutSection 9 of Bill 1076 that

indicates $150 million willgo to the Innocent ImageInitiative.

Whats that? askedJohnson pointedly, with fol-low-up questions about howthe money will be used.

When the answers came

back a tad too incompleteand unclear to his liking,Johnson told his congressio-nal colleagues, those testify-ing and the 100 or so mem-bers of the audience, that hefound it disturbing that noone could tell him where themoney is going.

Then he gathered histhings and left.

Johnson, a Democrat rep-resenting the 4th Congressio-

nal District which includesportions of DeKalb, Rock-dale and Gwinnett coun-ties, is adjusting to his newminority role in Congress,thanks to the 2010 electionsand a power shift that putRepublicans in control of the

House.Johnson, who is in hissecond term in ofce, previ-ously chaired the Subcom-mittee on Courts and Com-petition Policy and servedon committees on ArmedServices and Transportationand Infrastructure. In 2009,he was elected by his col-leagues to serve as SoutheastRegional Whip. All that haschanged.

Stephanie RockmoreChampion of the Week

Johnson relishes attackmode in new minority role

If you would like to nominate someone to

be considered as a future Champion of the

Week, please contactKathy Mitchellat

[email protected] or at

404-373-7779, ext. 104.

See Johnson on Page 9A

U.S. Congressman Hank Johnson, at his office in Washington, represents the 4th District. Photo by

Gale Horton Gay

StephanieRockmore said

she was inspired in2009 by the pastor ofher Lithonia churchto volunteer in thecommunity.

I decided thatI would just dosomething to be ablessing to someoneeach month, shesaid. The originalplan had been todo good worksthroughout 2010,but once you startsomething like this

you just dont want toquit, she added. Itscontagious. Peoplesee you working in thecommunity and theywant to join you.

Through herown organization,Blessings on Wheels,Rockmore hasinvolved friends, co-workers and family inefforts to provide food,clothing, blankets andtoiletries to homelesspeople and to giveschool supplies to

children at a Boysand Girls Club andat a childrens home.A lifelong resident ofDeKalb County, shefocuses her efforts insouth DeKalb County.

On bitter cold

evenings when mostpeople are stayinginside their warmhomes, Rockmoreis working to helpthose who have norefuge from the harshweather. On one ofthe coldest nights oflast winter, Rockmoreand her BOWvolunteers distributedapproximately 50blankets to homelesspeople. Peoplewere so grateful. It

was so encouragingthat we just wantedto do more. Weveorganized moreblanket drives and asoup drive.

In December,with help from heremployer, a DeKalb-County automobiledealership, Rockmoreorganized a Christmasparty where she andother volunteers madewishes come true for15 families in need.

Robin Cook, who

nominated Rockmoreas Champion of theWeek, said, Shehad a vision [of whatcould be done in thecommunity], and shehas made that visioncome true.

Rockmore said thatshe not only tries togive people who arestruggling the physicalthings that they need,but she also tries togive then hope andinspiration as well. I

tell peopleespeciallyyoung peoplethatthey shouldnt bediscouraged, thatwhat they are goingthrough is onlytemporary. Things aregoing to get better.

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by Bryan Fazio

As a testament to howmuch the economy haschanged in ve years allDeKalb County residentsmay want to look at the lo-cal library system.

In 2005 DeKalb Coun-y voted to approve a $230

million bond referendumwith $54.54 million al-ocated to 13 library proj-

ects.

Six years later much ofhat construction is beingnished, but some remainshampered due to the eco-nomic crash that has sinceaken place.

Recently the EmbryHills and Northlake-Bar-bara Loar libraries havebeen expanded, and TocoHills Avis G. Williamsand Tucker-Reid H. Coferibraries have been built.

Set to open tentatively inhis month is the Hairston

Crossing branch, and tenta-ively in March the Salem

Panola branch.Another new branch is

Stonecrest which is readyand completed but unableo open due to a lack of

funding.At this point its com-

pleted but not open. How-ever, were hoping we willbe able to manage to getit opened by this spring,said Janet Florence, publicinformation ofcer of theDeKalb Library Founda-tion. We couldnt fore-see the budget issues thatwould come up. The countyhas had, over the past year,to make some drastic bud-

get cuts and those cuts haveaffected stafng at the li-brary.

DeKalb County hasopened the branches thatwere remodeled withoutdifculty, and will reopenthe Hairston Crossing andSalem Panola brancheswith staff from the Bri-arcliff location. The nowclosed Briarcliff locationwas closed to make roomfor two newer branches.

It was a small branchto begin with, and there area number close by, Flor-

ence said. We wanted toopen those two becausethe residents of those areashave been waiting a longtime, while Stonecrest did

not have a set patron basealready.

Construction that beganin December on the ScottCandler Library continues.It will be part of a mixed-use development with asenior center and housing

on Candler Road and isscheduled to open in thespring of 2012.

According to theDeKalb Library Website, the combined sevenbranches that have openedadded 83,700 square feet

of space, 197 comput-ers, 719 meeting/confer-ence/study seats and have73,000 volumes. Thelibrary system served 4.5million people during s-cal year 2010.

Library expansions near completion after hiatus

School board votes for Feb. 18and Feb. 21 to be make-up daysSchool board votes for Feb. 18and Feb. 21 to be make-up days

by Robert [email protected]

Students in DeKalbCounty schools will makeup for time missed duringJanuarys snowstorm withtwo extra days this month.

The DeKalb CountySchool Board voted unani-mously to use Feb. 18 andFeb. 21 as make up daysfor the ve days missedbecause of the inclementweather. The state allowsfor four days, but the vedays missed because of the

snow plus a furlough dayon Sept. 3 meant that thesystem needed to made uptwo days.

Interim superintendentRamona Tyson said thatbecause the chance of moresnow or inclement weatherstill exists, the two days inFebruary were chosen overother options.

We considered addingtime to the end of the schoolday, going to school onSaturday, spring break andadding days to the end of theschool year, Tyson said.

One of those scenariosmay be an option if moredays are missed, she said.

Feb. 18 was previouslydesignated as a teacherwork day and Feb. 21 isPresidents Day. The Ful-ton and Gwinnett schoolsystems also are going toschool on Presidents Day.

Board memberEugeneWalker supported Tysonbut said he did not want tohave school on a nationalholiday.

The Hairston Crossing library, part of the DeKalb County library system, is tentatively set to open later this month. Photo by Robert Naddra

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-4-11

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Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper

Johnson Continued From Page 7A

Dunwoody murder suspectto appear in court

COMPETITIVE RATESFor All Types Of:

Real Estate LoansBusiness LoansVenture Capital

Leasing

Peyton & Assoc., LLC

404-378-5064

TWO CEMETARY PLOTSside by side in prime area of Kennedy

Memorial Gardens in Ellenwood.$1,374.00 each. For more information,

please call (770) 256-9527or [email protected].

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO INTRODUCE LOCAL LEGISLATION

Notice is given that there wil l be introduced at the regular 2011 session of the

General Assembly of Georgia a bill to authorize the City of Dunwoody to exercise all

redevelopment and other powers under Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VII of the

Constitution and Chapter 44 of Title 36 of the O.C.G.A., the Redevelopment Powers

Law, as amended; to provide for a referendum; to provide effective dates; to

provide for automatic repeal under certain circumstances; and for other purposes.

Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)

The City of Avondale Estates announces the availability of funding under the 2011Community Promotion Program (CPP). The City will make $10,000 available to a non-profit organization or individual for activities which promote the City and occur withinthe City boundaries. Eligible activities include special events, festivals, projects or otherpromotional activities. A full explanation of the CPP, the application form andapplication instructions can be found online at www.avondaleestates.org or picked up atCity Hall, 21 North Avondale Plaza, Avondale Estates, Georgia, 30002.

The City of Avondale Estates will be accepting applications until February 25, 2011 nolater than 5:00 P.M. at City Hall.

Please contact Keri Stevens, City Planner and Community Development Officer withany questions or concerns at 404-294-5400 or by email at [email protected].

Johnson said he is not dis-couraged by his new role.

Its not frustrating, saidohnson while seated in his

Capitol Hill ofce. In factts kinda fun. It enables meo kind of go back to my

days as a lawyer. We areno longer promoting ouregislation. We are attackingheir legislation to show the

detrimental impact it willhave on regular people.

Johnson described thepast four years as a joybeing able to introduce anddefend legislation that en-hanced the standard of livingof the middle class and peo-ple who are unemployedNow I nd myself prosecut-ng proposals that hurt thoseame people.

Without being asked by

a reporter who shadowedhim for most of Jan. 25theday of President BarackObamas State of the UnionaddressJohnson addressedhe state of his health, in-

dicating that he is doinggreat.

Back in 2009, Johnsondisclosed that he had beenbattling hepatitis C for morehan a decade. His suffered

considerable weight loss,lowed speech, lethargy

and depression as a resultof treatment for the ailment,

which he said is now in re-mission. He now appearst, condent and eager toengage in rapid-re, spiriteddebate.

Its tremendous howwell I feel, how wonderfult is to come through a time

when youre not feeling welland everyone is behind you,everyone is supporting youeven in prayer, he said.

Johnson said dealingwith his own serious healthconcerns has made himeven more aware what hisconstituents face, and it has

trengthened his resolve.Im concerned [about]

people who dont have theame benets that are avail-

able to me, said Johnson.I want to see everybody

able to lead long and healthylives.

Johnson also appears tohave his swagger back as heenergetically moves throughthe underground passagesand tunnels that connect

House ofces on Indepen-dence Avenue. He greetsstaffers and colleagues,crosses paths with power-ful Republican rising starsbefore reaching his fourthfloor ofce in the Longworthbuilding. A staff of ninesupport the congressman inWashington.

This afternoon a represen-tative of J Street, an organi-zation that calls itself the po-litical home for pro-Israel,pro-peace Americans, isgiven about 30 minutes tomeet with Johnson and his

Assistant Legislative Direc-torJonathan Ossoff.

Its going to be moredifcult now, said HadarSusskind, vice presidentof policy and strategy forJ Street, of the new politi-cal climate on the hill. Weencourage people to speakout in their own individualvoices.

As that meeting con-cludes, Ossoff then conductsa brieng session with John-son to ready him for the nextday.

Just before Johnson re-ceives guests for a meetingthats designated as clas-sied, he gazes out hiswindow and points to a manwhom hes determined maybe homeless and a formermember of the military. Hesaid he looks for him eachday and that he symbolizeswhy Johnson came to Wash-ingtonto ght for thosewho cannot ght for them-selves.

And regardless of whichparty dominates, the ghtgoes on.

I would rather be in con-trol, but I can nd great val-ue in making sure pertinentfacts dont go unnoticed,said Johnson.


The man accused of mur-dering a Dunwoody fatheroutside his sons day carein Novemberis expected toappear before aDeKalb magis-trate judge onFeb. 8.

Hemy ZviNeuman, 48,of Marietta,was chargedwith the Nov.18 murder

ofRussellRustySneiderman, who haddropped his 2-year-old sonoff at the Dunwoody Preppreschool and nursery,located at 5493 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road in Dun-woody. Neuman was ar-rested Jan. 4 and remainswithout bond in the DeKalbCounty Jail.

Sneiderman, a 36-year-old entrepreneur, was shotseveral times at point-blankrange, according to police.Police have declined to sayhow many shots were redor what kind of weapon was

used. The motive for thekilling also has not been re-leased.

Andrea Sneiderman,the victims wife, workedunder Neuman, an op-

erations and qual-ity manager at GEElectric Energy inMarietta, accordingto a spokesman.

Criminal defenselawyers Douglas N.Peters and RobertG. Rubin of Peters,Rubin & Shefeld,have been retainedas the Neumans de-

fense team.Peters is the

founder of Peters, Rubin, &Shefeld and past presidentof the Georgia Associationof Criminal Defense Law-yers. Peters worked as anassistant district attorney inthe Clayton judicial circuitfrom 1974-76, and a mu-nicipal judge for the City ofLithonia from 1977-92.

Rubin is an adjunct pro-

fessor of criminal litigation

at Emory School of Law. Heworked as an assistant pub-lic defender in the AtlantaJudicial Court from 1987-89and an assistant attorneygeneral for Georgia from1989-91.

The death of RustySneiderman is a tragedy,and our heart goes out tohis family, Rubin saidin a press release. HemyNeuman has been an excel-lent employee and a lovingfather too, and we must becareful not to compound thetragedy.

In a case such as thisthat is already highly pub-licized, it is imperative thatno one rush to judgment,and allow the legal processto run its course, Petersstated.

Neuman

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-4-11

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Trial for 2007killing still delayed

CensusContinued From Page 2A

Has DeKalbTechbeen a part ofyour life?

We want to reconnect with you

through our newly launched

DTC Alumni Association website!

DEKALB TECH ALUMNI

(Degree, Diploma or TCC)

Please Register at

dekalbtech.edu/alumni404-297-9522 x1139

by Andrew Cauthen

[email protected]

LaMonica Johnson hasbeen grieving the slaying ofher 7-year-old son for fouryears. And with no trial datecheduled yet, there is no

closure in sight.Its taking too long,

ohnson said last Wednes-day after an arraignmenthearing in the case againstWillie Edward Kelsey, 32,of Decatur, who was arrest-ed in December 2007 for thekilling ofTimothy JohnsonJr. Johnsons sister, Alexus

Shepherd, who was 15at the time, was criticallywounded during the shoot-ng.

Prosecutors are seekinghe death penalty for the

crime.Four years is a long

ime to grieve, Johnsonaid. Im ready to get it

over with. Im ready to putt behind me and deal witht, but each time I have to

face him, it hurts.Kelsey is accused of

hooting the children execu-

ion-style while they slept atheir grandfathers home onToney Drive in Decatur onSept. 16, 2007. That was theday before Shepherd was

supposed to testify in a trial

about the 2006 invasion ofher familys Stone Mountainhome.

According to the indict-ment against Kelsey, he wastrying to prevent the parentsand sister of the slain boyfrom testifying in the crimi-nal trial case ofJohnnyTravitt, who was sentencedto life in prison in February2009 after pleading guiltyfor his part in the rst homeinvasion against the Johnsonfamily.

In addition to murder,Kelsey was charged with

aggravated assault, burglaryand possession of a rearmby a convicted felon, pos-session of marijuana andviolation of the states con-trolled substance act.

A second suspect, JarvisMarquez Gibson, 27, ofAtlanta, was arrested Dec.31, 2007, after voluntarilysurrendering himself forquestioning in the case. Gib-son was charged with mur-der, aggravated assault andburglary.

During a court appear-

ance in December 2007,then Police ChiefTerrellBolton called Kelsey amonster among us.

Johnson said she had ex-

pected him to make guilty a

plea last week.We have to deal withthem ling motions, John-son said. Its not even thebeginning of the trial. Weresuffering for what he did. Ilost my child. He [Kelsey]gets to stand up in court andspeak.

Kelsey is being repre-sented by capital publicdefenderspublic defenseattorneys specially trainedto handle death penaltycases. During the past fouryears, two sets of defenseattorneys have quit Kelseys

case after leaving the publicdefense system.

Now, defense attorneysPriya Lahki and WataniTyehimba of Georgia Capi-tal Defenders must wadethrough 4,000 pages ofinformation to prepare forKelseys trial. Lahki toldSuperior Court Judge LindaHunter last week that sheexpects to be ready to lemotions in the case by Nov.15.

It seems like its nevergoing to come, Timothy

Johnson Sr., the father ofthe slain boy, said of thetrial. It seems like its go-ing to take another couple ofyears to start the case.

Timothy and LaMonica Johnson, whose 7-year-old son was murdered in 2007, said justice is taking tooong. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

million, the organization has21 fulltime employees andtwo part-time.

Azalia Hobson, 21,

knows the benets of theHUD money and the peopleat Our House.

Ive never met so manyhelpful people in one build-ing, Hobson said. Theyvebeen helping me for the pasttwo years.

In addition to receiv-ing childcare for her son,Hobson was able to get ajob working as a substituteteacher at Our House aftercompleting child develop-

ment training.Hobson said her family

advocate has been helpingsort through all the require-

ments of supporting herselfand her son, who spentsome time in the custody ofthe Department of Familyand Child Services.

Her advice to others whoare homeless or in transi-tional housing?

Even though you mayfeel like things wont getbetter, everything will getbetter, Hobson said. Itsnot as hard as you think itmight be.

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-4-11

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Sheriff may suspendsnow storm no-shows

Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance underthe current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests ofyour community to [email protected].

DeKalb County Wants to Hear From YouRegarding the Proposed Franchise Agreement Renewal

with Comcast Cable Communications


Suspensions are beingconsidered for 127 DeKalbSheriffs Ofce employeeswho did not report to workduring Januarys snow andce storm that shut down

metropolitan Atlanta foralmost a week.

The employees inquestiondeputies anddetention ofcerswereabsent from work for upo three days, according to

Tressa Washington, publicnformation ofcer for theheriffs ofce. Most ofhe employees were out onan. 10-11. Non-essential

civilian employees were notequired to report to work

during the storm.SheriffThomas Brown

has interviewed theemployees to determinewhether they will receivea two-day suspension,Washington said.

On Jan. 20, Brown helda mandatory meeting for the

employees to inform themof his intentions to suspendthem. The employees had

ve days to set a one-on-onemeeting with him to appealthe suspension.

During the storm,deputies picked up someemployees who notied theofce that they were unableto get to work on their own.The sheriffs ofce hasabout 850 employees.

File Photo

Celebrating more than 70 Years

of Service

EVENTSFebruary 7th First Monday Lunch

Keynote Speaker Attorney General

Sam Olens. Time: 11:30 am 1:30 pm.

Location: Atlanta Marriott Century

Center 2000 Century Boulevard, NE,

Atlanta, GA 30345. To place your

reservation, visit the DeKalb Chamber

website at www.dekalbchamber.org.

For more information on DeKalb Chamber related

events or to receive email updates, call 404-378-

8000 or visit www.dekalbchamber.org

e ruary us n ess u er er e s

Guest Presenter~ LaVon Lewis of

Pencilworx Design Group. Topic:

Whats Your Brand Saying Behind Your

Back? Location: DeKalb Convention &

Visitors Bureau 1957 Lakeside

Parkway, Suite 510, Tucker, GA 30084.

Cost to attend: Chamber members -

$5.00 / General Admission - $10.00.

February 16th Network DeKalb Leads

Group. Take part in a pure Networking

Program. Lunch Served. Time: 11:30

am 1:00 pm. COST: $10.00- Members

(advance) / $15.00 (door) /$20.00 Non-

members. Location: Cornerstone Bank

125 Clairemont Avenue, Decatur, GA

30030. Register online. at

www.dekalbchamber.org.

First

2/11

Last

2/24

The Northeast will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated snow today and

Friday, scattered snow Saturday, with the highest temperature of 45 in Metropolis, Ill.

The Southeast will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a few showers today, scattered

showers and thunderstorms Friday and Saturday, with the highest temperature of 80 in Hollywood, Fla.

The Northwest will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies with a few showers today through Saturday,

with the highest temperature of 62 in Brookings, Ore. The Southwest will see mostly clear skies today

through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 70 in Los Angeles, Calif.

THURSDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 48 Low: 32

Full

2/18

The Champion Weather Feb. 3, 2011Seven Day Forecast

Local UV Index

WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 55 Low: 32

TUESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 56 Low: 34

MONDAY

Mostly Cloudy

High: 55 Low: 31

SUNDAY

Mostly Sunny

High: 55 Low: 32

SATURDAYIsolated Rain

High: 49 Low: 28

FRIDAY

Rain Likely

High: 48 Low: 35

In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map

Sunrise

7:32 a.m.

7:31 a.m.

7:31 a.m.

7:30 a.m.

7:29 a.m.

7:28 a.m.7:27 a.m.

Sunset

6:10 p.m.

6:11 p.m.

6:12 p.m.

6:13 p.m.

6:14 p.m.

6:15 p.m.6:16 p.m.

Moonset

6:59 p.m.

7:54 p.m.

8:49 p.m.

9:43 p.m.

10:38 p.m.

11:33 p.m.Next Day

Moonrise

7:36 a.m.

8:06 a.m.

8:33 a.m.

9:00 a.m.

9:27 a.m.

9:56 a.m.10:28 a.m.

New

3/4

2010. Accessweather.com, Inc.

Weather History

Feb. 3, 1988 - Arctic air continued

to invade the central United States.

The temperature at Midland, Texas

plunged from a record high of 80

degrees to 37 degrees in just three

hours. Morning lows in the higher

elevations of Wyoming were as

cold as 38 degrees below zero.

Weather Trivia

Tonight's Planets

What is the temperature

of lightning?

Answer: It is estimated at 50,000

degrees Fahrenheit.

?

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

TuesdayWednesday

National Weather Summary This Week

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - I Knew Someone Who Knew...

Today we will see mostly sunny skies with a

slight chance of rain, high temperature of 48,

humidity of 42%. Northwest wind s 5 to 15

mph. The record high temperature for today is

76 set in 1995. Expect mostly cloudy skies

tonight with a 50% chance of rain.

Feb. 4, 1887 - San Francisco

experienced its greatest snow-

storm of record. Nearly four

inches of snow was reported in

downtown San Francisco, and

the western hills of the city

received seven inches. Excited

crowds went on a snowball-

throwing rampage.

When Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, a western correspondent and filmmaker, Julien Bryan made his way to Warsaw to record the German blitzkrieg. Arriving

in early September and given open access to the city by Warsaws mayor, Bryan filmed nonstop for two weeks, documenting the devastation on the Polish people as

Germanys war machine advanced. Bryans historic 10-minute film, Siege, depicting the German attack was the first non-Nazi film seen in American theaters about the

Polish invasion. During WWII and until his death in 1974, Bryan continued to make documentaries about the people and customs of the countries that he visited. He and

my father were friends. My dad, Earl A. Becker, ran the Curriculum Materials Center for the Allentown (PA) School District and was responsible for buying media for the ASD. He pur-

chased many Bryan films and also brought him home for lunch one summers day. As a teenager of 14, I was enthralled by his travel stories and this one in particular. It was the early 50s

and Bryan had returned to his Princeton home from filming in Eastern Europe. Bryan, seeking comments and advice, invited a friend to view the raw footage. Several days later, his friend

called back asking permission to invite an acquaintance. Bryan emphatically said, No, but his friend just would not give up. Again he asked, and Bryan responded again with the same

answer of No. Finally sensing that his friends companion was going to be there whether Bryan wanted him or not, Julien acquiesced, but indicated his annoyance, stressing again the

unedited aspects of his film. When the big night finally arrived and Bryan heard his friend knocking, he walked over to the door with some trepidation. Grasping the brass doorknob

firmly, he opened his entryway and looked up. There was his friend with Albert Einstein. www.astronomy.org

Rise Set

Mercury 6:50 a.m. 4:54 p.m.

Venus 4:36 a.m. 2:44 p.m.

Mars 7:39 a.m. 6:08 p.m.

Jupiter 9:51 a.m. 9:54 p.m.

Saturn 10:57 p.m.10:42 a.m.

Uranus 9:39 a.m. 9:35 p.m.

3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

UV Index

0-2: Low, 3-5: Moderate,

6-7: High, 8-10: Very High

11+: Extreme Exposure

Atlanta

48/32

Decatur

48/32

Doraville

47/32

Dunwoody

46/31 Lilburn

47/32

Snellville

48/32

Lithonia49/32

Morrow

49/32

Smyrna

47/32

Hampton

50/33

Union City

49/32

College Park

49/32

*Last Weeks Almanac

Date Hi Lo Normals Precip

Tuesday 42 36 52/34 0.34"Wednesday 42 33 53/34 0.20"

Thursday 52 28 53/34 0.00"

Friday 56 32 53/34 0.00"

Saturday 69 29 53/34 0.00"

Sunday 69 39 53/34 0.00"

Monday 55 43 53/34 0.05"Rainfall . . . . . . .0.59" Average temp . .44.6

Normal rainfall . .1.19" Average normal 43.4

Departure . . . . .-0.60" Departure . . . . .+1.2*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-4-11

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HEaLtH THE CHAMPION, THURSDAY, FEB. 3 - 9, 2011 PAGE 12A

Severe asthma in earlychildhood may lead to pre-mature loss of lung functionduring adolescence and moreserious disease during adult-hood, researchers at EmoryUniversity School of Medi-cine report. Early identica-ion and treatment of children

with severe asthma is im-portant to help stem asthmaprogression.

In an article availableonline in the January issueof theJournal of Allergy andClinical ImmunologyAnneM. Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., andW. Gerald Teague, M.D.,and colleagues report onheir study of how airflowimitation changes throughout

childhood and how this af-fects disease severity later inife. Fitzpatrick is an assistant

professor of pediatrics inEmory University School ofMedicine. Teague, who wasformerly at Emory, currentlys at the University of Vir-ginia School of Medicine.

Severe asthma in chil-dren is a challenging disor-der, Fitzpatrick said. It is

important for physicians toidentify those children withsevere asthma who are at riskfor lung function decline.With early identication,physicians can customizetreatment plans and educatefamilies on lifestyle changes

that may help children withsevere asthma breathe easieras they grow older.

Severe asthma in childrenis characterized by seriousrespiratory complicationsdespite treatment with highdoses of inhaled corticoste-roids (ICS). Although thereare similarities between chil-dren and adults with severe

asthma, recent research hasshown that the limitation ofairflow is not as signicantin children as in adults. Thisraises questions about thecourse of severe asthma inchildhood and the criticaldevelopmental time frame

during which loss of lungfunction occurs.

The authors used datafrom children with mild-to-moderate and severe asthmawho were enrolled in a long-term National Heart, Lung,and Blood Institute SevereAsthma Research Program.The children were ages 8-11at the rst evaluation and

11-14 at the follow-up visit.Comparing measurementsof symptoms, medicationuse and lung function, theresearchers analyzed changesin the childrens respiratoryhealth over an average three-year period.

The authors found thatchildren with severe asthmareported a higher frequencyof daily symptoms andhospitalization during theprevious year despite higherdoses of ICS and controllermedication, and that theyhad signicantly lower lungfunction when compared tochildren with mild-to-mod-

erate asthma. Additionally,they noted that daily asthmasymptoms such as coughingand wheezing and sensitiza-tion to aeroallergens duringthe initial evaluation werestrong predictors of declinesin lung function of more than1 percent per year.

The authors conclude thatchildren with severe asthmahave a premature loss of lung

function during the adoles-cent years that is associatedwith an increased frequencyof wheezing and asthmasymptoms, and greater al-lergic sensitization duringchildhood. Further studies areneeded to determine whetherthe loss of lung function isdue to a slower rate of lunggrowth or to progressivechanges in the lung tissues,and to explore the mecha-nisms that control the re-sponses of severely asthmaticchildren to ICS treatment.

To read the full ar-ticle, visit http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2810%2901651-9/fulltext.

Researchers find children with severe asthma

experience premature loss of lung function

Severe asthma in childrenis a challenging disorder

8/7/2019 Free Press 2-4-11

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son said. Everyone wantsto keep schools in theircommunities, keep theneighborhoods intactandnot send the children driv-ing past one school to getto another.

Several legislators toldthe crowd that there wasnot much the delegationcould do to effect changewithin the school board.

If you dont likewhats going on, youvegot to get involved in theelectoral process, Rep.Billy Mitchell said.

In addition to theschool board woes, resi-

dents voiced concernsabout the countys $1.345billion water and sewerimprovement project; in-creasing gasoline prices;and regional transportation

development.Earlier this month, the

DeKalb County Board ofCommissioners agreed onseveral issues it wants thecountys delegation to sup-port. Among them are:

Annexation: The board believes annexationsshould be limited thatproposed in order to in-crease the tax base of amunicipality instead ofproviding new services toan underserved area. In ad-dition, the county supportslegislation that will allowproperty owners to de-

annex from municipalitieswithout the approval of themunicipality.

Foreclosures: The countycommission wants the state

to pass a legislation filedby Mitchell that wouldlengthen the foreclosureprocess from 30 days to90 days. The proposed lawis designed to give hom-eowners at risk of losingtheir home more time tosave their houses.

State tax reform: Countycommissioners say thestates tax code is toocomplex and the passageof numerous exemptionshas place an increasingburden on the remainingtaxpayers. New tax ex-emptions that affect local

government should havea one-year review processbefore being implemented,according to the countysproposal.

Tyson said her schoolystem was commended

by the state Department ofEducation and by GOSAfor the way it handled thenternal investigation.

GOSA applauded theystem for going beyond

what was required in ournvestigation, Tyson said.

Said school boardchairman Tom Bowen:We appreciate the statesupport in our actions toesolve this serious inves-igation. We have made

all of our decisions inresponding to these irregu-larities based on whatsbest for the students, andwe will continue to do so.The DeKalb County Boardof Education is committedto ensuring that we have

an ethical, responsible andeffective school system forour children.

The school systemsinvestigation will be re-viewed by the DeKalbCounty district attorney todetermine if any charges

should be filed.According to reports,

the investigation will noteffect the school systemsaccreditation by the South-ern Association of Col-leges and Schools. SACSvisited with school offi-

cials last week unrelated tothe CRCT allegations. Theschool system had invitedSACS officials to get ad-vice on several issues, in-cluding its superintendentsearch, budget concerns,and the consolidation and

redistricting proposal.The reassigned educa-

tors will be replaced bysubstitutes or bringing backretired employees to finishthe 2010-11 school year ata total cost of approximate-ly $500,000, he said.

Names of the educatorsor the schools involvedwere not released by theschool system.

The county investigationwas prompted by GOSAsanalysis of erasures onCRCT answer sheets. The

statewide analysis of theCRCT scores showed thatthere were an unusuallyhigh number of wrong an-swers changed to right, in-cluding in DeKalb County.

Answers were changedby educators over a period

of time and not immediate-ly after the tests were tak-en, Woods said. The dis-crepancies were revealedwhen comparing somestudents 2009 altered testscores to 2010 scores thathad not been altered.

www.championnewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 A Section Page 13A

Schools Continued From Page 1A

Legislators Continued From Page 1A

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 PAGE 14AEducatioN

Livsey Elementary supporters protest to save schoolby Robert [email protected]

Michele Yulo envi-sioned herself living in the

Livsey Elementary Schooldistrict for decades whenshe and her family movedthere two years ago. Twoyears from now there maynot be a Livsey school dis-trict.

Yulo was one of nearly20 concerned parents ofLivsey Elementary studentswho protested last week infront of the DeKalb CountySchool System complex inStone Mountain. Livsey isone of 14 schools slated toclose in a consolidation andredistricting proposal under

consideration by the schoolboard.

Parents have ralliedaround the high-performingschool, which is underscrutiny because it housesfewer than 450 students.The school is at 96 percentcapacity, but its small sizekeeps it from getting cer-tain state funding.

I thought this waswhere we were going to befor the next 30 years, Yulosaid. Im shell-shocked.People are thinking of mov-

ing because of this.Twenty-seven schoolsin the county, according tothe proposal, are at less than75 percent capacity, whichis the minimum requiredfor certain state funding.Schools with fewer than450 students also lose somefunding options. There are11,000 empty seats through-out the system, and theproposal, which has twooptions, will eliminate asmany as 6,500 empty seats.

As many as 16,000 studentswill attend different schoolsunder the proposal.

I do understand seatsneed to be lled, but people

are not looking at perfor-mance, they are not goinginto the schools and seeingwhat the students are ac-complishing, Yulo said.Were shifting all thesekids and it wont even ll uphalf the empty seats.

DeKalb County Schoolsspokesman Walter Woodspointed out that the propos-als could change by the timeinterim superintendent Ra-mona Tyson makes her rec-ommendation to the board

on Feb. 7. There will be twopublic hearings after thatand the board is scheduledto vote on March 7.

The system has held six

public information work-shops for residents to learnmore about the proposaland to voice their concerns.Thousands of residentsattended the workshops,which were held at highschools and middle schoolsthroughout the county.

The present situation isnot an efcient way to runthe district, Woods said.Some schools have too fewstudents and there is over-crowding in some. Our goal

is to right-size the schoolsystem. We want to makesure we have the right mixand we dont want to busstudents around the county.

What the original pro-posal says may not be what

is voted on or approved[next month], Woods said.

The school system iswaiting to receive word onhow much money it will

save by implementing aconsolidation and redistrict-ing plan.

Michelle Gopman andher husband Bidzina Ab-duladze also were amongthe demonstrators who heldSave Livsey signs.

We specically soughtout our neighborhoodbecause of Livsey, saidGopman, who held a signthat read Paul WomackDoesnt Care About MyKids. Womack is a boardmember who represents thedistrict that contains Livsey.

Gopman has a daughter inkindergarten at Livsey andalso a 3-year-old.

The government is tak-ing away our choice, Gop-man said.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALSConstruction Services

In accordance with O.C.G.A. 36-91-21 the City of Stone

Mountain is soliciting sealed competitive proposals from firmsinterested in providing services for the construction of a projectknown as New City Hall/Police Station. This Request seeks toidentify potential providers of the above-mentioned services.The City of Stone Mountain reserves the right to reject any or allstatements of qualifications or proposals, and to waivetechnicalities and informalities. The contract will be awarded to

the responsible and responsive offer or whose proposal isdetermined in writing to be the most advantageous to the City ofStone Mountain, taking into consideration the evaluation factorsset forth in this request for proposals. Copy of the Request forProposals are available by contacting Barry Amos, CityManager, City of Stone Mountain, 922 Main Street, Stone

Mountain, GA. 30083, [email protected] Learn more about Jaimes skin cancer story at www.aad.org/PSA

No mother should have to visit

her daughter in a cemetery.

Mothers who allow their daughters to tan are putting

them at a huge risk.

My daughter, Jaime, spent time in the sun and

frequently used tanning beds. I didnt know how

dangerous they were.

One person an hour dies from melanoma.

Jaimes hour was at 1:00 p.m., Friday, March 16, 2007.

I hope no one else has to mark his or her hour.

-Donna Regen

Nearly 20 parents of students at Livsey Elementary School pick-eted last week outside the DeKalb County Schools offices in pro-test of Livsey being one of 14 schools slated to be closed undera consolidation proposal being considered by the school board.Photos by Robert Naddra

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2011 PAGE 15ABuSiNESS

Atlanta from above

by Kathy [email protected]

A tour of the Atlanta areadoesnt necessarily involvedealing with congestion onthe interstate or navigatingdowntown streets in heavytrafc. Atlanta By Airoffers aerial sightseeingtours of the metro area thatallow visitors and localsto see such landmarks asStone Mountain, LakeLanier, Turner Field, theGeorgia Dome, the GeorgiaAquarium, the World ofCoca-Cola and more from2,000 to 2,500 feet abovethe city.

The 2,000- to 2,500-foot range is low enoughthat passengers can read

the yard line numbers atGeorgia Techs BobbyDodd Stadium or at nightaccording to one of thepilotssee the whalesthrough the skylights at theGeorgia Aquarium.

Founder and ownerEric Walker for 13 yearsoperated Chicago By Air,which offered an aerialtour of the Chicago area. Apilot himself until he gaveup the occupation becauseof back problems, Walkersaid he was inspired to startthe business after someoneapproached him abouttaking a low flight overChicago to get a panoramicview of the city from above.

It occurred to me that theremight be many more peopleinterested in a tour likethat, Walker recalled.

The Chicago businessshut down after the cityclosed its airport base,Meigs Field, following theterrorists attacks of Sept.11, 2001. When Walkerdecided to start anew inthe Atlanta area he choseDeKalb-Peachtree Airportas his base. As he had donein Chicago, he uses pilotsand airplanes from a flightschool based at the airportin this case Aviation Atlanta,which bills itself as one ofthe largest flight schools inthe Southeast.

Walker said that thexed-wing Cessna 172s

at Aviation Atlanta areideal for air tours not onlybecause of their excellentsafety record, but alsobecause of the airplaneshigh wing design. Thisallows each passengerexcellent visibility ofeach Atlanta landmark ina comfortable and safeenvironment, Walkersaid. The association withAviation Atlanta puts atAtlanta By Airs disposal, adedicated fleet of 17 Cessnaaircraft and more than 20FAA-certied pilots. Thesightseeing ventures areavailable in one-hour and30-minute tours.

Walker acknowledged

that the seven-month-oldbusiness is not as busyas hed like it to be. Itusually takes about a yearfor word to get around inthe community about a newbusiness like this. I thinkonce a few people haveexperienced it and see whatfun this is well stay prettybusy, he predicted.

He said that many ofhis customers choose thetours as an unusual gift orway of commemoratinga special event. AtlantaBy Air is putting togetherspecial packages for peoplecelebrating anything fromMothers Day to a specialanniversary. This is agreat gift for a birthday,anniversary or special

occasion. Its something theperson will remember for along time, Walker said.

He said that in Chicago,Valentines Day hadbeen his busiest day andhe anticipates a similarresponse in the Atlanta area.To promote the hearts-and-flowers day Atlanta By Airhas this year put togethera special lovers packagethat includes a one-hourtour for two at a specialrate, a complimentary bottleof champagne and a set oftwo keepsake champagneglasses, available throughFeb. 14.

DeKalb-Peachtree-based business offers aerial tours of the Atlanta area

Eric Walker, founder and owner of Atlanta By Air, said the Cessna 172 is ideal for air tours because it offers passengers excellent visibility in a comfortable and safe envi-ronment. Photos by Kathy Mitchell

n the intimate cockpit, passengers can chat with the pilot duringhe flight.

At 2,000 to 2,500 feet above the ground, passengers get a goodiew of Atlanta landmarks.

Through its association with Aviation Atlanta, Atlanta By Air has aleet of 17 Cessna aircraft at its disposal.

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AROUND DEKALBATLANTA

DECATUR

LITHONIA

STONEMOUNTAIN

DUNWOODYCHAMBLEE

Emory celebrates Super Bowl withBach concert

Emory University Organist RecitalSeries will present The Bach Bowlon Super Bowl Sunday, Sunday,Feb. 6, at 4 p.m., in the SchwartzCenter for Performing Arts, EmersonConcert Hall, 1700 N. DecaturRoad, Atlanta. Timothy Albrecht

nvites Emory Music colleaguesTamara Albrecht, William Ransomand Keiko Ransom to join in ashowcase of different sides of J.S.Bachs musical genius. Featured ishe Concerto for Three Keyboardsn D Minor, performed on twoharpsichords, piano and organ. Theevent is free. For more information,call (404) 727-5050, [email protected], www.arts.emory.edu.

Dinner to feature House SpeakerRalston

Georgia Speaker of the HouseDavid Ralston will be the featuredspeaker at the annual Lincoln Day

Dinner set for Friday, Feb. 11, at theDruid Hills Golf Club beginning at 6p.m.

Sixth District U.S. RepresentativeTom Price will be a special guest.

The annual event is sponsored byhe Senator Jim Tysinger Breakfast

Forum. The forum is in its 35thyear, is non-partisan and open tohe public for discussion of current

events.Tickets are $50 per person and

available at the DeKalb RepublicanParty offices in Embry Villageshopping center at I-285 andChamblee-Tucker Road, Tuesdaysand Thursdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,or by phone at (770) 451-4174, or

770) 934-1635 and by mail from theDeKalb GOP at P.O. Box 941038,Atlanta, GA 31141. Order formsare also on the Web site: www.dekalbgop.org

Reservations are required no laterhan Monday, Feb. 7.

College fair announced

Chamblee Charter High SchoolsPTSA will host its annual CollegeFair on Saturday, Feb. 12, 1 - 5 p.m.This event will offer representatives

rom colleges (junior, two-year, andour-year), trade schools, technicalschools and military options. In ad-dition, there will also be a Parent Re-

Soil and water conservationmeeting scheduled

The DeKalb County Soil andWater Conservation District monthlymeeting will be held on Friday, Feb.11, at 10 a.m. at the Clark HarrisonBuilding, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.in Decatur. For additional informationcall (770) 761-3020.

Community resource fair set

Laurus Technical Institute Decaturcampus will be hosting a CommunityResource Fair for those in need ofassistance with housing, utility, rental

or mortgage, medical, food, cloth-ing, dental, counseling, vision, childcare and free health screenings. Thepurpose is to address such mattersas health issues, education, socialconnections and social conditionsand to provide community outreachto the target population in a varietyof settings such as in-home, school,churches and community centers.The event, which is free and open tothe public, will be Friday, Feb. 11, 10a.m. 3 p.m. at 523 Church St., De-catur. For more information, contactCathy Hall, (404) 303-2929 ext. 257or [email protected].

Book presentation to focus onhuman rights

Author John Prendergast will

give a presentation at the DecaturLibrary Monday, Feb. 7. Human rightsactivist Prendergast and Oscar-nominated actor Don Cheadle haveco-authored what the library callsa powerful and empowering newbook, The Enough Moment: Fightingto End Africas Worst HumanRightsCrimesTheir book shows the stepsnow being taken by engaged citizens,the famous and the little-known, tocombat genocide, rape and childabuse across the African continent.The book not only outlines the scope

of the problems but includes infor-mation about what others may do tohelp. Featured are interviews withmany celebrities, among them MartinSheen, Ben Affleck, Sheryl Crow,Ryan Gosling, Angelina Jolie andmembers of Congress. The event isat 7:15 p.m. at the Decatur LibraryAuditorium, 215 Sycamore St.

Free spaying and neutering offered

During February,DeKalb CountyAnimal Servicesis offering DeKalbCounty residents free spaying andneutering services for dogs and cats.Vouchers for the service are availableat the shelter Mon.Fri. from 10

a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Saturdaysfrom 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The shelteris located at 845 Camp Road inDecatur. This program is for ownedanimals only and is not availableto rescue groups. For additionalinformation call (404) 294-2996.

Library to hold Black history event

Editor Colleen Aycock and othercontributors to this collection ofbiographical essays will be on handto talk about some of the first African-American and Black champions andchallengers in the prize ring. MikeGlenn, former NBA basketball playerand local sports historian; Mike

Schmidt, Canadas Boxing Lawyerand owner of Cloverlay BoxingManagement; and Al Bernstein, hallof fame announcer, will participate.The event will be Wednesday, Feb.9, 78 p.m. at the Decatur Library,215 Sycamore St., Decatur. For moreinformation, call (404) 370-3070.

Networking meetingannounced

The Dunwoody Chamber of Com-merce will hold its First Monday

Networking event from 5:30 to 7 p.m.Feb. 7 at Alisons Restaurant, 5500Chamblee Dunwoody Road. Memberattendance is free with registration,

Youth Summit scheduled

The 100 Black Men of DeKalb in

collaboration with seminar promotionsand professional speaking companyCS Inspires Inc. will host the sixthannual Youth Summit on Saturday,Feb. 12. It will take place at MillerGrove High School in Lithonia from9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This years themeis Overcoming Real Challengesto Achieve True Greatness. Thesummit will include a theatricalproduction called CHOICESput onby the students who will speak tothe senseless turmoil and strugglescreated by cyber bullying.

Recognizing that urban youthare required to navigate a myriadof challenges not faced by theirpeers, the Youth Summit will focus

on helping them create successstrategies, according to theannouncement from 100 Black Menof DeKalb. E. Lamont Houston,the president of the 100 Black Menof DeKalb County, said, This yearssummit truly gets at the heart of thechallenges facing our youth and willprovide them with real strategiesfor dealing with them. If you havechildren being confronted by theseissues this is an event they cannotafford to miss.

The 100 Black Men of DeKalbprovides an after-school leadershipand developmental program calledThe Leadership Academy forstudents enrolled in the sixth through

12th grades of the DeKalb CountySchools.

source Center, offering experts whowill discuss pertinent subjects suchas financial aid, career development,and college study habits. Also, therewill be guest speakers presentingtheir expertise on: College Tours -See For Yourself, College Admis-sions What to Expect Before YouApply, Financial Aid The Valueof Knowing the Cost and How toLeave High School.

This event is free and open tothe public. Chamblee Charter HighSchool is located at 3688 Chamblee-

Dunwoody Road, Chamblee. Formore information, contact [email protected].

Daddy-Daughter Dance set

The annual Daddy-DaughterDance will be Feb. 12, from 6-9 p.m.Admission is $30 per couple, plus$5 for any additional girls. The feeincludes dinner, dancing and a pho-tograph. There will be a swing dancecontest and prizes. Reservations arerequired. For more information call(770) 986-5016.

PRISM to sponsor program forseniors

Pride Rings in Stone Mountain(PRISM) will have a learning sessiongeared toward seniors on Thursday,Feb. 10, 7 9 p.m. The event will

be at St. Timothys United MethodistChurch, 5365 Memorial Drive, StoneMountain.

or $10 at the door. Non-member at-tendance is $10 with registration, or$15 at the door. Attendance is limitedand registration is advised. For infor-mation, call (678) 244-9700, or visitwww.dunwoodycommerce.org.

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