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championnewspaper championnewspaper champnewschampionnews

thechampionnewspaper.com

FRIDAY, june 12, 2015 • VOL. 18, nO. 11 • FREE

• A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS • Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

F REE P RESS

See Art on page 15A

See Ellis on page 15A

Visionary third-grader Tahlia Newton-Norris poses with Decatur High School alumni EvanHynes and Spencer King underneath the newly designed Commerce Street Bridge. Photo byAshley Oglesby

Business ........................20A

Education ..............18-19A

Sports.............................23A

Opinion ...........................5A

Classified .......................20A

QUICK FINDER

District 5 commission seat election is June 16 See coverage on page 11A

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

The arches o the Commerce StreetBridge have gotten an artisticacelit.Muralists Evan Hynes and Spen-

cer King were commissioned bycity o Decatur oicials to paint thepanels o the bridge ater 7- year-oldTahlia Newton-Norris wrote a let-ter to Decatur mayor Jim Baskettabout the unattractive appearanceo the underpass.

he walls o the bridge were re-quently tagged with graiti and greypatches o paint covered the tags.

Norris said she rode home underthat bridge every day and thought it

was ugly.Norris sent a handwritten letter

to the mayor in April 2014 when

she was in the second grade at Win-noma Park Elementary and receiveda reply approximately six monthslater.

She said, “It’s been a ull yearnow since I wrote the letter and nowit’s exciting that there is a ull un-derpass being painted.”

Assistant City Manager DavidJunger was tasked by the mayor toind artists who could design andpaint the space.

Junger said Hynes and Kingwere perect because they attendedDecatur High School and hadworked with the city beore on a

by Andrew [email protected]

“Debt, desperation and deceit.Tat is what the evidence will showhis case is about.”

Tat’s how Assistant DistrictAttorney Lawanda Hodges beganher opening arguments June 9 in

the retrial o suspended DeKalbCounty CEO Burrell Ellis.

Ellis is on trial in the courtroomo Superior Court Judge Court-ney Johnson. He is accused ostrong-arming vendors to donateto his re-election campaign in2012.

In October 2014, Ellis’ first

trial ended in a hung jury afer sixweeks; the jury deliberated or 11days.

In the first trial, Ellis aced ourcounts o criminal attempt to com-mit thef by extortion; three countso thef by taking; two counts ocriminal attempt to commit alse

Burrell Ellis on trial againRound Two

Suspended DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis is facinga jury for the second time on corruption charges.Photo by Andrew Cauthen

Photos by Travis Hudgons

Decatur underpass comes to life

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Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday, June 12, 2015

LOCAL

South DeKalb ministry serves meals for 25 years

Because money doesnot grow on trees.

I saved money by instal l ing the thermost at myself . I a lso qual i f ied for the ful l $100 Georg ia Power rebate.By fol lowing just a few of the e asy, money-saving t ips on Georgia Power ’s websi te, I ’ve been able to reapsome great cash rewards. For more information on tips and other rebates, v isi t georgiapower.com/save .

Georgia Power customers may be eligible to receive a rebate of 50% of the installed cost up to $100 for upgrading from a standard to a programmable thermostat. Certain preconditionsand requirements must be met in order to qualify for this rebate. Rebate available through December 2014. Application and receipt/invoice must be submitted within 60 days of purchase

or installation. ©2014. Georgia Power Company. All rights reserved.

That’s why I installed a programmable thermostatand got a $100 rebate.


For 25 years, Emma Burrus, a member ofPeace Lutheran Church in Decatur, has beenserving meals at an apartment complex near herchurch.

“This is my church community and we are apart of the community,” said Burrus, a resident ofConyers, about volunteering in the community.

Each Tuesday, Burrus and others serve mealsto 30 to 35 people in Columbia Place Apart-ments, located at 1776 South Columbia Place.

The ministry also provides complete meals onChristmas and Thanksgiving.

Burrus’ Columbia Place Ministry has anapartment in the 47-unit complex with “just asmall kitchen, a sitting area and dining area andbedroom,” she said.

“Every Tuesday at 4 [p.m.], people come inand I serve a meal,” Burrus said. A team of vol-unteers comes in to help serve the food which isprepared by Burrus. “They come in and we chat.”

Columbia Place Ministry receives donationsof bread and pastries from Publix and PaneraBread. Some fresh produce comes from a com-

munity garden at Peace Lutheran Church.The ministry started when Burrus “piggy-

backed on someone else,” she said.“We just started to go down [there] because

we had one person who was a member of thechurch,” Burrus said. “So they would go downand minister to him.”

The volunteers decided to help other people.“We just started opening it up,” Burrus said.At first, the residents “didn’t know each other.

They were afraid to come out and speak. But we

Volunteer Katherine Holt, right, looks on as residents of ColumbiaPlace Apartments in Decatur select donated food. Photos by AndrewCauthen

Emma Burrus runs Columbia Place Ministry,a nonprot that provides food once-a-weekto residents of Columbia Place Apartments inDecatur.

Paulette McKinney passes out food to residents of the complex.

See Ministry on page 16A

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, June 12, 2015 Page 3ALOCAL

Community garden,church collaborateto feed thousands

by Carla [email protected]

Community gardens areused by some people as anoption to access food out-ide of grocery shopping.

Community gardens arealso used for giving backo those in need. In its five

years of existence, Hender-on Park Community Gar-

den has had a partnershipwith Friends of St. Martin dePorres food ministry at HolyCross Catholic Church inTucker.

Founded in 2010, Hen-

derson Park CommunityGarden is one of the first00 percent organic gar-

dens in DeKalb County.The garden consists of 55plots, including four thatare specifically for growingvegetables and herbs for the

food ministry.“Friends of St. Martin

de Porres’ food ministry atHoly Cross Catholic Churchis the closest food pantry tothe garden, and the only onein Tucker,” said Cara Schro-eder, community liaisondirector for Henderson ParkCommunity Garden.

The mission of thegarden is to “strengthencommunity, enable the cul-tivation and consumptionof wholesome, homegrownfood, provide an environ-ment for hands-on educa-tion in organic gardening,

foster an intergenerationalgardening experience andenhance the beauty ofneighborhood greenspace.”

Schroeder said it is rec-ommended that a commu-nity garden share its surplus

vegetables and fruits with See Garden on page 9A

those in the community. Thegarden partnered with thefood ministry because of itsproximity and the needs inthe community.

“The Henderson ParkCommunity Garden is allabout sharing our surplus

and sharing other opportu-nities to expand into grow-ing fruits and vegetablesand sharing information,”she said. “In the end, it was

just one of those things thatevolved because they are the

closest food pantry. We have12 volunteers who look overthose [four] plots. We havetwo volunteers who pick upfruits and vegetables fromthe garden and deliver themto St. Martin de Porres onTuesdays.”

Sam Taylor, who vol-unteers with Friends of St.Martin de Porres, said thegarden has donated morethan 3,300 pounds of foodin the past four years.

Since 1982, Friends of

St. Martin de Porres foodministry has operated afood pantry that feeds thehomeless and providesnutritious food items toschool children in need. Itprovides food for more than3,500 people “in crisis” each

month, according to thechurch’s website.

“In 2014, we providedfood to about 7,500 fami-lies,” Taylor said.

The garden also has

General

(K-12)

Special

Revenue

Debt

Service

Capital

Outlay

Sch. Nutrition

& Athletics

Trust

& Agency

Total

Anticipated Funds Available

Local Taxes $427,865,868 $0 $105,373,471 $9,327,307 $542,566,646

Other Local Sources 11,416,925 $13,221,431 $54,000 24,692,356

State Funding 435,564,835 18,883,958 43,748,752 498,197,545

Federal Funding 69,678,301 8000000 77,678,301

Other 16,735,000 16,735,000

Total Revenue Anticipated $874,847,628 $101,783,690 $0 $105,373,471 $61,076,059 $16,789,000 $1,159,869,848

Transfers from Other Funds $3,294,072 $1,332,000 $1,000,000 $5,626,072

Beginning Fund Balance 7/1/2015 * $80,870,650 ($7,800,922) $64,075 $288,507,568 $2,311,398 $3,237,951 $367,190,720

Total Funds Available $955,718,278 $97,276,840 $1,396,075 $393,881,039 $64,387,457 $20,026,951 $1,532,686,640

Budgeted Expenditures

Instruction $582,209,159 $67,471,034 $31,500 $649,711,693

Pupil Services 38,045,492 2,989,293 41,034,785

Instructional Staff Services 13,321,077 16,079,030 29,400,107

General Administration 13,296,735 3,716,487 $702,000 17,715,222

School Administration 56,628,344 95,074 56,723,418

Transportation 51,819,011 858,164 52,677,175

Maintenance & Operations 84,225,035 75,900 4,000 84,304,935

School Nutrition 57,788,234 57,788,234

Capital Outlay 5,816,237 6,028,913 $81,195,327 949,743 93,990,219

Support Services 23,495,039 780,472 1,599,324 20,000 25,894,835

Other Support Services 1,409,099 2,923,751 4,332,850

Debt Service 1,490,512 $1,332,000 2,822,512

Agency 220,000 16,730,000 16,950,000

Transfers to Other Funds 2,514,250 779,822 1,332,000 1,000,000 5,626,072

Total Expenditures $874,489,990 $101,797,940 $1,332,000 $82,527,327 $62,043,301 $16,781,500 $1,138,972,058

Ending Fund Balance 6/30/2016 $81,228,288 ($4,521,100) $64,075 $311,353,712 $2,344,156 $3,245,451 $393,714,582

Total Funds Allocated $955,718,278 $97,276,840 $1,396,075 $393,881,039 $64,387,457 $20,026,951 $1,532,686,640

* NOTE: Beginning fund balances are estimates based on the March 2015 Financial Reports

** NOTE: Includes Transfer in from After School Programs

TENTATIVE BUDGET FORDEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

JULY 1, 2015 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2016

Adoption of the Approved Budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 is scheduled for the official meeting of the DeKalb Board of Education at 7:00 P.M. on June 17, 2015, in the Board Room at 1701 MountainIndustrial Blvd., Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083.

**

Henderson Park Community Garden Club celebrated its fth anniversary in April. Photo provided

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, June 12, 2015 Page 4AOPINION

Be SMART about gunsOn May 19 in DeKalb

County a 9-year-old boy ac-cidentally shot himsel inhe finger.

At approximately 1 a.m.

hat day in a house on Roll-ngwood Drive, the boy’smother was asleep in theiving room when the child

climbed onto a step stool toget a shoe box rom a closethel in the mother’s bed-oom. A .9mm handgun wasn the shoe box.

“While handling thatfirearm it discharged, strik-ng him in the finger,” Capt.

S.R. Fore, DeKalb CountyPolice’s public inormationofficer, told a reporter.

Tat was one o six un-ntentional child shootings

n Georgia recently citedby the Georgia chapter oMoms Demand Action or

Gun Sense in America, parto Everytown or Gun Saety.Te group has launched a“Be SMAR” Campaign toreduce child shootings.

“Our thoughts andprayers are with the amily

o this young child who wasinjured this week in DeKalbn County. Sadly, these trag-

edies happen all too ofen,”said Dr. Viviana Golden-berg , a volunteer leaderwith the Georgia chapter oMoms Demand Action.

On April 29 in Augusta a15-year-old boy was playingwith a gun when he unin-tentionally shot his 1-year-old brother in the head,killing him. Te teenagerwas charged with involun-tary manslaughter, recklessconduct, and possession o ahandgun by a minor.

In January in Baconton,afer a day o hunting, theadults in a hunting partytold a 13-year-old boy to putup the guns. While doing so,he accidentally dischargedone, killing himsel, accord-

ing to Moms Demand Ac-tion.

According to research by

Everytown or Gun Saety,there have been at least 97unintentional child shoot-ings in America in 2015 soar, an average o one every

36 hours.Moms Demand Actionencourages everyone to beSMAR:• Secure all guns in homes

and vehicles;• Model responsible behav-

ior around guns;• Ask about the presence o

unsecured guns in otherhomes;

• Recognize the risks o teensuicide;

• Tell peers to Be SMAR.I am not a gun owner—

except a ew Airsof models,but I am not against the

legal and responsible owner-ship o firearms. (I do have aproblem with semiautomat-

ic, military weapons in thehands o civilians—I don’tsee a legitimate purposeor that). I believe that thechances are extremely slim

o me having a legitimateneed or a gun while havingquick and easy access to it.

But i I owned a gun Iwould be SMAR. A gun inshoe box is not SMAR. Tegun was not lying on thekitchen table, but the 9-year-old child knew where it wasand could get to it withoutmuch trouble. And in thisinstance he only hurt his fin-ger. Tat just as easily couldhave been his or someoneelse’s lie.

I you must own a gun beSMAR, because the lie you

save may be yours or yourchild’s.

@AndrewChampNews

Andrew [email protected]

Managing Editor

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OPINIONThe Champion Free Press, Friday, June 12, 2015 Page 5A

Lt us Know What Yo Think!

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Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P.

O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send emailto [email protected] • FAX To: (404)370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779 . Deadline for newsreleases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto publication date.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions written by colum-nists and contributing editors do not necessarilyreect the opinions of the editor or publishers. ThePublisher reserves the right to reject or cancel anyadvertisement at any time. The Publisher is notresponsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: john Hwitt Chief Financial Ocer:Dr. earl D. GlnnManaging Editor:Andrw CathnProduction Manager:Kmsha Hnt Photographer:Travis HdgonsSta Reporters:Carla Parkr, Ashly Oglsby

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F REE P RESS

STATEMENT FROM THE

PUBLISHERW sincrly apprciat thdiscssion srronding this and anyiss of intrst to DKalb Conty.The Champion was fondd in 1991xprssly to provid a form fordiscors for all commnity rsidntson all sids of an iss. W hav nodsir to mak th nws only torport nws and opinions to ffct

a mor dcatd citiznry that willltimatly mov or commnityforward. W ar happy to prsntidas for discssion; howvr,w mak vry ffort to avoidprinting information sbmittd tos that is known to b fals and/orassmptions pnnd as fact.

ONE MAN’S OPINION

Summer’s onset oten hasme strolling down memoryane, and repeating visitsat least in my head), to ouravored amily vacation spot,

Georgia’s Jekyll Island.he Georgia Press As-

ociation recently returnedo its tradition o annually

gathering there or conven-ions, which has also helps

guarantee my return to theseamily un roots.

Once the playground oAmerica’s old money andndustrial elite, the historic

village on the Jekyll Riveride o the island, with its

majestic Jekyll Island Cluband unique accommoda-ions, remains in demand

year-round.Business on the beachide had been losing out to

newer competition nearbyas well as up and down theeast coast and Gul, as wellas dominated by many prop-erties showing their age andack o amenities. But new

hotels as well as signiicantenovations and improve-

ments to older propertieshave both visitation num-bers and tourism dollars onhe rise.

Meanwhile over the pastdecade, almost with theconsistency o swallows re-urning to Capistrano, theres a new island tempest,

and whirlwind o protest orcomplaint wrought by localsland retirees and residents,

most who have relocatedto Georgia and Jekyll romelsewhere, and many whoseem to view the public statepark as their own private is-

land community or retreat.Last year the locals wereup in arms about the poten-tial thinning o the white taildeer herd whose populationis not native and which hasbecome both a saety andsanitation nuisance on theisland. Deer and other non-native species were origi-nally imported to the islandas hunting stock or theaorementioned millionairesback in the day.

his year’s cry to armsrom the Birkenstock andblue-rinse set on Jekyll re-

gard the heinous crimeso causeway mowing andtransport o beach deckchairs to the island beach inront o the new Westin Ho-tel and Conerence Center.

I’m not kidding.Jekyll and nearby St.

Simons and Sea Island areconnected to the mainlandby a series o bridges and

long causeways constructedacross marshland along theGeorgia coast. High and astgrowing weeds and grassescan easily grow several eettall, right up to the roadshoulder.

he causeways are not lit,but both during daylight andater dark, the tall grass sub-stantially reduces visibility,particularly as it relates to adarting deer, or slow mov-ing sea turtle, both known tooten traverse the marsh aswell as the causeways.

In the case o transport-ing the beach chairs, a localbusinessman, using a singleall-terrain vehicle, dailytraverses roughly a third omile o beach to deliver, setup and at evening returnand pack up, rental chairsand umbrellas. his samepath is already in use by theJekyll Island Authority (JIA),Sea urtle Center and Geor-gia State Patrol. he rentalchairs may only be on thebeach rom 8:30 a.m. to 6:30p.m., and must remain atleast 50 eet at all times romsea turtle nesting areas.

Protests led by the ever vocal David and MindyEgan , Jekyll’s sel-appointedprotectors, propose that theWestin or the JIA construct

a permanent storage shed onthe beach or nearby at thesoon to be constructed JekyllIsland Suites, and the equip-ment then rolled across sand

by hand truck.I suspect that a majority

o these southern transplantshave never attempted rollinga loaded hand truck across asandy beach.

Costs o building, main-taining and securing ayear round structure areyear-round, signiicant andnot helpul to beach eco-systems. And other thanthe late October Georgia/Florida game weekend, themajority o Jekyll tourismremains seasonal.

Jekyll is a unique, beauti-ul and historic place whichall Georgians and othersshould experience at leastonce. he seven-mile barrierisle is not part o a land con-servation easement or trust,nor is it a nature preserve; itis a public park, intended ortourism and visitation. Stateand ederal law signiicantlylimit any potential develop-ment ranging rom heightlimitations to beach ront-age to the amount o naturalgreen space on the islandwhich can be in any way“disturbed” by man.

So i summer gits you astroll along the Jekyll shoresor riverside, or a conven-tion/conerence brings youthere, please do me a avor,

Bill Crane

[email protected]

Columnist

The latest tempesttake a load o, and rent abeach chair or the day, andwhile you are lounging, per-haps sign a petition, becauseeven in 2015, it appears that

the pen is oten still mightierthan the sword—unless ocourse you are cutting grassalong the causeway, then gowith a strong blade.

Bill Crane also serves as a political analyst and commen-tator for Channel 2’s ActionNews, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as wellas a columnist for The Cham-pion, Champion Free Pressand Georgia Trend. Crane isa DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. You

can reach him or commenton a column at bill.csicrane@ gmail.com.

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LOCAL

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthenat [email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

TIFFANY MCNARY

Men working togetherto stop violenceby Carla [email protected]

When it comes to addressing the issue ofdomestic violence, women are often the oneso speak out against it.

However, there is a group of men inDeKalb County who have spoken out foryears against domestic violence and workedo educate other men on ending male

violence against women. For more than 30years, Men Stopping Violence (MSV) hasworked to engage men into building safercommunities for females.

MSV is a not-for-profit organization thatprovides organizations, communities andndividuals with the knowledge and tools re-

quired to “mobilize men to prevent violenceagainst women and girls,” according to itswebsite.

“We look to the violence against women’smovement to keep the reality of the problemand the vision of the solution before us,” thewebsite states. “We believe that all forms ofoppression are interconnected. Social justicework in the areas of race, class, gender, ageand sexual orientation are all critical to end-ng violence against women.”

The organization was established in1982, but it originated in 1981 when Atlantaherapists Dick Bathrick and Gus Kaufman

began Atlanta’s first program for batterers.Kathleen Carlin, who was then executive di-ector of the Cobb County YWCA Women’s

Resource Center, hired them to teach classes.The classes grew and MSV was estab-

ished. Since then the organization has edu-cated more than 60,000 men about how tochange abusive behavior.

“That is our primary role—to educatehe community about the issue of violence

against women,” said Ulester Douglas, ex-

ecutive director of MSV.MSV has programs such as “Because

We Have Daughters,” “Tactics and Choicesfor Stopping Domestic Violence,” “Commu-nity Restoration Program” and more. MSVhas trained more than 1 million people inchurches, community groups, corporations,universities, hospitals, civic organizations,and national associations of district attor-neys, social workers, and battered women’sadvocates.

MSV has held classes at churches,schools and carious community locations inDeKalb.

“We are very involved in DeKalb Coun-ty,” Douglas said. “DeKalb County govern-ment has been extremely supportive of thework we do. We also do a class for men whowere arrested for simple battery and we haveclasses for men who were sent by DeKalb

court for aggravated assault. We do a lot ofcommunity education.”Eighty-five percent of participants report

an increased knowledge of appropriate re-sponses to someone they know who is abus-ing his partner and an increased willingnessto intervene, according to the organization.Douglas said the organization has plans to bemore involved in the community.

“We have a three-year strategic plan andit does include having more of a presencein the community, certainly DeKalb, to re-ally be out there and engage the communityeven more than we are already are doing,”he said. “This problem of violence and all itsmany forms is not going to be solved by justworking with men and young men who are violent. It has to be a community solutionbecause the community has got to take re-sponsibility for its role in the problem. It hasto be a community accountability approach.”

Tiffany McNary , aBrookhaven resident andclinical assistant professor atGeorgia State University, haserved as a volunteer board

member at Odyssey FamilyCounseling for two years.

“I work very hard at nur-uring these life components

and am dedicated to givingdeeply to each one,” she said,adding that her background,which includes a master’sdegree in expressive artsherapy and counseling and

a doctorate in counseloreducation, makes her espe-cially qualified to volunteerwith Odyssey.

“The skills I have de-veloped from my graduateraining, coupled with my

14 years of clinical experi-ence, allow me to bring amental health perspectiveand expertise to the Odysseyboard. Advocating for men-tal health services for chil-dren and families that havebeen impacted by traumahas been a core passion ofmine, and one I’ve dedicated

my entire professional careertoward. More specifically, Ihave expertise in workingwith children who have beenexposed to or are victims oftrauma, through incorporat-ing the expressive arts andplay into my counseling ses-sions.”

McNary said Odyssey’smission is directly alignedwith her values. “Odysseyprovides mental health ser-

vices for the most in needchildren in Atlanta, andchildren as young as 3 yearsold. My years of clinical ex-perience working with trau-matized children has shownme that if a child’s life can betouched and connected to,the unhealthy trajectory his/

her life is on can be changedto a better, healthier one. Ibelieve in the work that Od-yssey does and I believe thatOdyssey’s services are criti-cal to the lives of so manychildren and families.”

During her two years onthe Odyssey board, McNaryhas served on its develop-ment committee helping toraise funds for the agency.Last year, she served as vicechairwoman of Odyssey’s40th anniversary committee,which organized a fund-raiser designed to increasecommunity awareness of theorganization in addition tobringing in revenue for thenonprofit.

“I take my role as a

board member very seri-ously. I understand thatthe decisions we make as aboard directly impact howOdyssey functions on manylevels. It is deeply rewardingto watch these decisions im-pact the lives of the clientsOdyssey serves.

McNary serves on theboards of three other metroAtlanta nonprofits—all ded-icated to enriching the livesof children—in addition to

volunteering at each of herchildren’s schools and herchurch. The most reward-ing part of volunteering, shesaid, is “helping to facilitatehealthy change in the lives ofothers.”

Dads and daughters participate in a bridge activity.

Men Stopping Violence (MSV) created the “Because We Have Daugh-ters” initiative in 2005 to give men an opportunity to begin providingthose safety skills.

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Avondale Estates

Men’s club to hold meeting

WSB-TV meteorologist Brian Monahan willbe the speaker at the Avondale Estates Men’s Clubmeeting June 24 at 11:30 a.m. The meeting willbe held at American Legion Post 66, located at 30Covington Highway. All men are invited to join theclub for the meeting and lunch ($10 cash) preparedby the chef at the American Legion. For more in-formation, call Bob Boyd at (404) 501-9118.

City to host wine stroll

Avondale Estates will host its second annualTudor Square Wine Stroll June 26, from 5:30 to 9

p.m. Attendees can sample more than two dozenwines and hors d’oeuvres at several local establish-ments. The event starts at Tudor Square, 119 Cen-er Street. Tickets for the event can be purchased at

www.eventbrite.com.

Brookhaven

Town Brookhaven hosting movie event

Movies on the Town is back for a third year onhe green space at Town Brookhaven. A free movie

will be screened every Thursday until July 30 (nomovie week of July 4) at dusk. Music and an-

nouncements begin approximately two hours prior.Attendees can bring blankets, and grab dinner atone of the restaurants to eat on the green. Coolers,outside food and drinks, pets or chairs are prohib-ted. For more information www.townbrookhaven.

net.

Decatur

Organization to host job fair

The Reading and Writing Advisory will hosta job fair June 12 in Decatur. The organization isooking for a new education wellness coach. The

ob fair will take place at 3929 Flat Shoals Parkway,Suite F, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more informa-ion, visit www.eventbrite.com.

Monologue City celebrates its third annualmonologue competition

Monologue City’s 3rd Annual “MonologueCompetition” will take place July 16 at 7 p.m. athe Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Com-

munity Center, 3181 Rainbow Dr., Decatur. Thiscompetition, which is open to both children andadults, allows actors to showcase their talent andreceive feedback from top industry professionals.Tryouts for the competition will be held June 18, at7 p.m.

For more details about the registration process,updates, or to purchase tickets to the event, visitm.facebook.com/monologuecity.

Annual car show to be held

The fifth annual What Would Jesus Drive carshow will be held Saturday, June 13, from 1 to 5p.m., at The Covenant Church, 1700 Corey Blvd.,Decatur.

There will be trophies, giveaways, raffles, kids’recreation area, live DJ, food and more.

All years, makes, models, and motor vehiclesare welcome. Car show entry is only $10.

Awards categories are: best of show, bestmuscle car, Julian ‘Q-Ball’ Scott” best classic car,best import, best exotic, best daily driver, besttruck, best off-road, best motorcycle, most uniquecar, most attended car club, most decals, bishop’schoice, kid’s choice, ladies choice, best interior, bestengine bay, best audio system, best exhaust tune

and the ugly duckling.

Civil War symposium scheduled

DeKalb History Center will present a Civil Warsymposium on July 11 with a series of events andpresentations lasting from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The focus of the day’s activities will be on peo-ple and events in and around Atlanta and DeKalbCounty during the war. Events include a walkingtour, lectures, panel discussion, lunch, a play andan optional bus tour. History Center programmingand preservation coordinator, Jenny Goldemund said “This is a can’t miss event for those interestedin the history of the Civil War in our area.”

The schedule for the day begins at 9 a.m. with

a Civil War walking tour of downtown Decaturfollowed at 10 a.m. by a presentation by GordonJones of the Atlanta History Center entitled TheBattles In and Around Atlanta. At 11 a.m. RobertA. Pratt of the University of Georgia will presentThe Fate of the Freedmen. The 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.segments are both free and sponsored by GeorgiaHumanities Council.

Lunch and a panel discussion with Pratt, Jonesand Will Bryant from The Battle of Atlanta Com-memorative Organization (B’ATL) will begin atnoon. Lunch will be provided by Fox Brothers Bar-B-Q and will be followed at 1 p.m. with a produc-tion of Shadows of the Past , a play about the CivilWar in DeKalb County.

From 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. there will be aguided bus tour of the front lines of the war in

DeKalb County by B’ATL. There is a $15 charge forthe bus tour; advance reservations are required.

Advance paid reservations include all eventsexcept the bus tour. The advanced reservation priceis $35 per person for members of DeKalb HistoryCenter and $40 for non-members. The bus tour isan additional $15 per person. Walk up tickets are$60 per person and do not include the bus tour.

For additional information or to register byphone call (404) 373-1088, ext. 20.

Lithonia

Monthly arts celebration set

Scribes and Vibes, a monthly celebration ofthe arts, will be held Saturday, June 13, from 1 to

4 p.m. at Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road,Lithonia.

The event is “a beautiful blend of poetry, musicand fine art through musical performances, openmic and art exhibits,” states an announcementabout the event. Funding for the event is providedby the Friends of Stonecrest Library.

For more information, call (404) 482-3828.

Stone Mountain

Village hosting concert series

Tunes by the Tracks will be going on duringJune. The free concert series will be held each Fri-

day night in June from 7-9 p.m. in Stone MountainVillage. Concerts will be held in the municipalparking lot and will feature a number of well-known artists. The concerts are free. Beer and winewill be available for sale. Lawn chairs are encour-aged. For more information, visit Tunes by theTracks Facebook page.

City to host annual Back to School Bash

Stone Mountain will host its annual Back toSchool Bash at the Pavilion in Stone Mountain Vil-lage July 25. This event provides free school sup-plies to approximately 1,000 local children prior toreturning to school for the year. Volunteers fromthe Stone Mountain Rotary Club and the Stone

Mountain Women’s Club will assist with distribut-ing the school supplies. Contributions are welcomeand checks should be made payable to the “City ofStone Mountain” and designated “Back to SchoolBash”. The mailing address is 875 Main Street,Stone Mountain, GA 30083. Contributions re-ceived before July 15 will be used to purchase sup-plies this year.

Residents to receive notice of property taxincrease

The city of Stone Mountain has tentatively ad-opted a millage rate which will require an increasein property taxes by 14.83 percent. All concernedcitizens are invited to public hearings on this tax

increase to be held at City Hall, 875 Main Street,Stone Mountain, on Monday, June 22, at 11 a.m.and 6 p.m.

Time and place of an additional public hearingon this tax increase is at City Hall, 875 Main Street,Stone Mountain, on Tuesday, July 7, at 7 p.m.

The tentative increase will result in a mill-age rate of 22.00 mills, an increase of 2.842 mills.Without this tentative tax increase, the millage ratewill be no more than 19.158 mills. The proposedtax increase for a home with a fair market value of$50,000 is approximately $56.84 and the proposedtax increase for non-homestead property witha fair market value of $75,000 is approximately$85.26.

AROUNDDEKALB

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LOCAL

Century-long children’s healthcarejourney started in Decaturby Kathy Mitchell

At the beginning of the20th century, approximately10 percent of the childrenborn in the United Statesdied before their first birth-

day, according to the Cen-ers for Disease Control andPrevention. Those who sur-vived often didn’t receive thepecialized care they neededo avoid disabling disabili-ies and illnesses.

Georgia resident BertieWardlaw was inspired tohelp improve that situationn 1913 after orthopedicurgeon Michael Hoke

cured her nephew of a se-ious bone infection. Sheaunched a campaign toaise money for a children’s

hospital.

The biggest donorwas the Scottish Rite Ma-ons; thus the hospital that

opened in 1915 was calledScottish Rite ConvalescentHospital for Crippled Chil-dren. Hoke donated hiservices as the healthcare

facility opened in Decatur inwo rented cottages with 20

patient beds.From that humble start,

one of the largest children’shealthcare systems in theUnited States—Children’sHealthcare of Atlanta, which

now includes Scottish RiteHospital, Egleston Children’sHospital and Hughes Spald-ng Children’s Hospital—was

born, but the path to success

wasn’t a smooth one. Fund-raisers from pencil sales toconcerts to screening of aCharlie Chaplin movie tofootball games to Christmastree exhibits would keepthe hospitals open over the

years.“Community supportwas a key from the verybeginning,” said SheltonStevens, the senior devel-opment officer/executivedirector, Sports Networkat Children’s Healthcare ofAtlanta. “We treated everychild even when the familyhad no money. So funds hadto come from foundations,clubs, companies, individu-als—the community.

“In 1933, the nation wasin the middle of the GreatDepression. Money was

hard to come by and Scot-tish Rite was in danger ofclosing its doors. Someonehad the idea of holding aThanksgiving Day footballgame fundraiser betweenGeorgia Tech freshmenand University of Georgiafreshmen. They had no ideawhether people would come.But it was a great successand became a tradition. Ithink people came out be-cause they didn’t want thehospital to close,” Stevenssaid.

In 1928, another non-profit children’s hospital—Henrietta Egleston Chil-dren’s Hospital—opened inAtlanta. In 1956, Egleston

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

GEORGIA, DEKALB COUNTY

A

petition

has

been

filed

with

the

Board

of

Commissioners

of

DeKalb

County,

Georgia, for the construction of a sewer infrastructure in Land Lot(s) 375 of the 18

th District of

DeKalb

County,

Georgia,

description

of

which

is

as

follows:

Sewer Main shall run along Carnaby Court and Yarmouth Court and impact

properties located at 1471, 1472, 1475, 1478, 1479, 1487, 1492, 1495, 1502,

1503,

1511,

1512,

1519,

1520

Carnaby

Court,

and

5240,

5241

and

5244

Yarmouth

Court.

Same to be constructed and the costs assessed against the abutting property. Said

Petition

has

been

set

for

hearing

before

the

Board

of

Commissioners

at

9:00

a.m.

on

Tuesday, August 11, 2015 in the Auditorium of the DeKalb County Maloof Center, 1300

Commerce

Drive,

Decatur,

Georgia.

All persons, whose interests are affected by the proposed sewer, desiring to be heard,

are

hereby

notified

to

appear

in

person

or

by

attorney

at

said

time

and

place

and

present such objection or evidence therein as their interests require.

became the pediatric teach-ing affiliate for Emory Uni-

versity Hospital.“One of the proudest

moments in our historycame in 1998 when EglestonChildren’s Health Care Sys-

tem and Scottish Rite Medi-cal Center came together toform Children’s Healthcareof Atlanta—one of the larg-est pediatric systems in the

country. Each hospital hadits own history and culture,but that didn’t make eitherunwilling to combine theirresources for the benefit ofthe children,” Stevens said.

The name Children’s

Healthcare of Atlanta wasunveiled in 1999, along witha logo featuring children tobe known as Hope and Will.

Hughes Spalding Pavil-

See Healthcare on page 16A

r. Wood W. Lovell, right, medical director of Scottish Rite Hospital, addresses the 1976 groundbreaking

eremony as Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital moved from Decatur to north Atlanta.

Fundraising efforts in 1913 for the establishment of a children’s hospitalincluded selling pencils. Pictured below are leather braces used at Scot-tish Rite in the early years to help young patients walk.

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From food to finances, agency touches lives

The Pubic Hearing will be held immediately prior to the meeting, beginning at 7:00 PM on June 30, 2015 in the Club House,

300 Clubhouse Dr., Pine Lake GA 30072. The public is invited to attend and be heard.

INCORPORATED 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Real & Personal 23,212,367 19,484,475 15,898,584 12,792,852 14,339,521 20,069,921

Motor Vehicles 1,182,020 1,119,240 1,141,400 1,177,580 977,730 699,770

Mobile Homes

Timber - 100%

Heavy Duty Equipment

Gross Digest 24,394,387 20,603,715 17,039,994 13,970,412 15,317,251 20,769,691

Less M& O Exemptions 1,069,933 1,059,679 1,103,602 968,437 927,770 952,730

Net M & O Digest $23,324,454 $19,544,036 $16,036,392 $13,001,975 $14,389,481 $19,816,961tate orest an ss stance

Grant Value 0

Adjusted Net M&O Digest 23,324,454 19,544,036 16,036,392 13,001,975 14,389,481 19,816,961

Gross M&O Millage 17.100 20.604 24.190 29.824 28.110 21.402

Less Rollbacks

Net M&O Millage 17.100 20.604 24.190 29.824 28.110 21.402

Net Taxes Levied $398,849 $402,685 $387,210 $387,771 $404,488 $424,122

Net Taxes $ Increase/Decrease $56,416 $3,836 $3,489 $1,014 $16,717 $19,634

Net Taxes % Increase/Decrease 14.00% 0.01% 0.79% 0.02% 4.14% 4.65%

CURRENT 2015 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEV

NOTICE

held at the Pine Lake Club House, 300 Clubhouse Dr., Pine Lake Georgia, 30072 on June 30, 2015 at 7:30 PM and pursuant to

O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32 does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the

The Mayor and Council of the City of Pine Lake does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be

history of the tax digest and levy for the past five years.

City 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Real & Personal 157,295,925 158,471,976 133,021,745 141,146,248 148,072,403 178,050,508

Motor Vehicles 7,917,420 7,854,350 8,014,980 8,451,460 7,456,190 5,564,760

Mobile Homes

Timber - 100%


Gross Digest 165,213,345 166,326,326 141,036,725 149,597,708 155,528,593 183,615,268

Less M&O Exemptions 119,131 102,456 231,089 138,061 268,311 371,490

Net M&O Digest 165,094,214 166,223,870 140,805,636 149,459,647 155,260,282 183,243,778

State Forest Land Assistance Grant Value


Gross M&O Millage 11.000 10.957 10.957 10.957 10.957 10.957

Less Rollbacks

Net M&O Millage 11.000 10.957 10.957 10.957 10.957 10.957

Total City Taxes Levied $1,816,036 $1,821,315 $1,542,807 $1,637,629 $1,701,187 $2,007,802

Net Taxes $ Increase $5,279 -$278,508 $94,822 $63,558 $306,615

Net Taxes % Increase 0.29% -15.29% 6.15% 3.88% 18.02%

NOTICE OF TAX INCREASEAnd 5 Year History of Levy

The Governing Authority of the City of Avondale Estates has tentatively adopted a 2015 millage rate which willrequire an increase in the property taxes by 16.53 percent. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearingson this tax increase to be held at City Hall, 21 North Avondale Plaza, Avondale Estates, GA 30002 on Tuesday,June 16, 2015 at 5:30 P.M., Monday, June 22, 2015 at 7:30 P.M., and Wednesday July 1, 2015 at 6:00 P.M.This tentative increase will result in a millage rate of 10.957 mills, an increase of 1.56 mills. Without this tentativetax increase, the millage rate will be no more than 9.403 mills. The proposed tax increase for a home with a fairmarket value of $200,000.00 is approximately $312. The proposed increase on non-homestead property with a fairmarket value of $200,000 is approximately $312. The proposed tax increase for a property with the county basichomestead exemption is $312.


From newborns to theelderly, the DeKalb CountyExtension Office has a vari-ety of free programs to aidand inspire.

“The most importanthing that Extension offers ishat we really touch peoplen the community,” saidessica Hill, director of the

county’s extension office.The DeKalb County

Extension Office is a partof the University of Geor-gia Extension, which is apartnership with the U.S.Department of Agriculture.UGA Extension’s mis-ion is “to extend lifelongearning to the people of

Georgia through unbiased,esearch-based educationn agriculture, the environ-

ment, communities, youthand families,” according tots website.

Those interested ingardening or landscapingcan participate in the exten-ion office’s horticulture

program. “They get to seedemonstrations of our hor-iculture agents planting and

doing different things,” Hillaid.

The office has a fam-ly and consumer finances

program which teaches nu-rition, diabetes education,

chronic disease preventionand finances,” Hill said.

To accompany a mobilefarmers market recentlylaunched, the extension of-fice will be “offering educa-tional programming…in theareas of nutrition, finances,

[and] budgets,” Hill said.“So we are actually out andabout touching the commu-nity.”

The office also has a4H and youth developmentprogram in which it teaches“young people citizenshipand they will also be helpingand serving the communitywith this mobile market aswell,” Hill said.

More than 270 vol-unteers participate in theextension office’s master gar-dener program in DeKalbCounty. These volunteers

maintain different sitesaround the county for gar-dening, Hill said.

“They are a very in-strumental part of not onlymaintaining those gardeningsites, but they also answerconsumer calls as well,” shesaid.

Funded with mon-ies from county, state andfederal governments, theextension office celebratedits centennial last year. Al-though the office has ap-proximately 500 volunteers

divided up among its master

gardener, 4H, family andconsumer sciences pro-grams, it only has a staff of21 people.

“It’s a small staff, butwe do big work around the

county,” Hill said. “We relyon our volunteers to help uspromote Extension, advo-

cate for Extension, and to doeducational programmingwithin the community.”

“Cooperative Exten-sion is very proud to serveour community and to be

a part of our community,”Hill said. “We can help com-munities to become more

healthy, more sustainableand more environmentallyfriendly.”

For more informationabout the DeKalb CountyExtension Office, call (404)

298-4080 or visit www.caes.uga.edu/extension/dekalb.

perimeter beds that Schro-eder said she uses to growfruits and vegetables allyear-round for the food pan-ry.

“That’s one of my little

volunteer happy hats thatwear because I can har-vest my vegetables and takehem to the food pantry,”he said. “They are a fabu-ous food pantry. When wetarted working with them

five years ago, from myunderstanding, they wereerving about 420 families

a week. Now, their numbersare about 620 a week. Theres a lot of need in this com-

munity.”

GardenContinued From Page 3A

D5 Election DayTuesdayJune 16

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LOCAL

Brookhaven City 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Real & Personal 2,261,071,691 2,691,060,034 3,160,338,872

Motor Vehicles 82,633,320 67,891,300

Mobile Homes

Timber - 100%


Gross Digest 0 0 0 2,261,071,691 2,773,693,354 3,228,230,172

Less M& O Exemptions 254,997,596 437,879,638 655,645,230

Net M & O Digest 0 0 0 2,006,074,095 2,335,813,716 2,572,584,942

State Forest Land

Assistance Grant Value 0

Adjusted Net M&O Digest 0 0 0 2,006,074,095 2,335,813,716 2,572,584,942

Gross M&O Millage 2.850 2.850 2.795

Less Rollbacks 0.055

Net M&O Millage 0.000 0.000 0.000 2.850 2.795 2.795

Net Taxes Levied $0 $0 $0 $5,717,311 $6,528,599 $7,190,375

Net Taxes $ Increase #REF! #REF! #REF! $811,288.00 $661,776.00

Net Taxes % Increase #REF! #REF! #REF! 14.19% 10.14%

NOTICE

The City of Brookhaven City Council does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be

held at the Brookhaven City Hall on on July 7, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. and pursuant to the requirements of O.C.G.A. Section

48-5-32 does hereby publish the following pres entation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the history of the tax

digest and levy for the past five years.

CURRENT 2015 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY

Dad teaches kidsto run a business

NOTICE OF

PROPERTY TAX INCREASE

Te City o Brookhaven has tentativelyadopted a millage rate or the General Fundwhich will require an increase in propertytaxes by 15.78 percent over the RollbackMillage rate. Tis increase is due solely to therevaluation o real property tax assessments.All concerned citizens are invited to thepublic hearings on this tax increase to be heldat Brookhaven City Hall at 4362 PeachtreeRoad, Brookhaven, GA 30319. Te first publichearing will be held at 7:00 p.m. on June 9,2015. Te second public hearing will be at specialcalled meeting on June 16, 2015 at 6:00 p.m.

A final public hearing will be held July 7, 2015at 7:00 p.m. Afer the final public hearing, themillage rate will be ormally adopted.Te tentative increase will result in a millagerate o 2.795 mills, a millage rate equivalentincrease o .381 mills. Without this tentativetax increase, the millage rate will be nomore than 2.414 mills. Te proposed taxincrease or a home with a air market valueo $300,000 is approximately $43 and theproposed tax increase or non-homesteadproperty with a air market value o $200,000is approximately $31.

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Matt Slappey is deeplynvolved in his children’sives.

As a Decatur businessgrowth advisor, Slappeyhelps people buy and sellbusinesses, and he’s exposedo many different compa-

nies.Slappey said talking to

current and former clientsmany made him realize thatmany people do not under-tand the fundamentals of

business finance.He said, “It’s really im-

portant because as peoplealk about the raising of

minimum wage, whichcould be a great thing for thepeople receiving the money,here’s also the business sidehat impacts the business

owners.”He added, “I want my

children to understand thathere are two sides to busi-

ness transactions and whathat means as a consumer

and as a business owner.”

Slappey has set out thisummer to share his exper-ise with his three young

daughters, ages 10, 13 and15, by teaching them howo manage their own snow

cone business.Slappey purchased a

now cone machine for$1,500 and has allowed hisyoungsters to set up in theirneighborhood, Oak GrooveFestival and local sportingevents.

He said many businessconcepts are not taughton the elementary school

and middle school levels.If they’re going to make alushy, they know the cups

cost one or two cents, thetraws costs a penny, and the

mix itself may cost 50 centsper cup; it’s getting them tounderstand that there arecosts associated with every-hing they do beyond the

cost of the machine.”In operating the busi-

ness, Slappey said his chil-dren have learned firsthandabout the cost of materials,overhead, risk, supply, de-

mand and profit.He said the experiences rewarding to have good,

open conversation with hisgirls.

Slappey shared a recentscenario with teaching hischildren about business atthe Oak Groove Festival. He

said his 10-year-old, Ashleyasked what she should dowhen her friends come upand want a snow cone? “Do

See Business on page 16A

Ten-year-old Ashley Slappey works the slushy operation at her swimmeet.

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Election Day is Tuesday, June 16

District 5 residents go to the Polls

See District 5 on page 12A

A special election June16 will allow residents of the5th district of the DeKalbCounty Board of Commis-ioners to choose a repre-entative for a seat that has

been vacant for nearly twoyears.

Ten candidates are vyingfor the seat, which officiallybecame vacant May 8 uponhe resignation of Lee May

after nearly two years as in-erim DeKalb County CEO.

May stopped represent-ng District 5 constituents

as a commissioner in July2013 when he was appointednterim DeKalb County

CEO by Gov. Nathan Deal,following the indictmentand suspension of DeKalbCounty CEO Burrell Ellis.

Each candidate wasgiven a questionnaire by TheChampion with instructionso limit answers to 50 words.

Responses appear just ashey were received and thosehat exceeded that limit were

runcated.

Gregory AdamsEducation: College

graduate degree in businessmanagement at CTU

Occupation: Police of-ficer, senior pastor

What political officeshave you held in the past? No political office held, buta candidate in two previouselections—CEO of DeKalbCounty and CommissionerDistrict 7

Have you ever beenconvicted of a crime? Nocriminal record

Why are you seekinghis office? My purpose of

running for commissioneris because there is a need.Within recent months,DeKalb County has a re-ceived a black eye as it re-lates to corruption. I wantto change the mindset ofthe people of DeKalb andthe media, by bringing hon-esty, integrity, great morals,transparency and….(trun-cated)

What do you under-stand the duties of thisoffice to be? The commis-sioner position is the mostambiguous job in govern-ment to some. However acommissioner is the personthat handles the legisla-tive and the administrativefunction of the county. Andsome of the responsibilitiesare as follows, zoning, mile-age rates, (taxes) parks andrecreation, public works,and ordinances. But in….(truncated)

What expertise do youhave that will help you ful-

fill the duties of this office?My qualification varies. I’veowned and co-owned sev-eral businesses, I worked forseveral Fortune 500 compa-nies in management. I amthe deputy director of Proj-ect360, a nonprofit organi-zation, director of DRRLLyouth mentoring program, Iam also the senior pastor ofDeliverance Temple TCOG-IC Inc., and sit on the….(truncated)

Harmel Deanne CodiEducation: Juris doc-

torate—Birmingham/

Cumberland Law School;MBA—University of Geor-gia. Certificates—projectmanagement, economicdevelopment, finance, com-

munity development andaccounting

Occupation: educationalconsultant/entrepreneur

What political of-fices have you held in thepast? None

Have you ever been con- victed of a crime? Never

Why are you seekingthis office? I am seeking tocontribute to the progress ofthis county. I bring a spiritof harmony and a criticalthinking ability that willhelp all of us to work togeth-er to move the entire countyforward. I want to be part ofthe solution to restore thecounty’s reputation….(trun-cated)

What do you under-stand the duties of thisoffice to be? The duties ofthe office of commissionerinclude the power and au-thority to establish policies,rules and regulations for thecounty of DeKalb.

What expertise do you

have that will help youfulfill the duties of this of-fice? Having a backgroundin finance, accounting, alegal background, and othercertificates allow me to ful-fill the duties of this office. Iworked for DeKalb Countyand understand it from theinside-out. I know whatworks and I know whatneeds improvement.

Jerome EdmondsonEducation: Cleary Col-

lege, bachelor of sciencebusiness management, 1994;

Community College of AirForce, associates in criminal

justice, 1985; MississippiCommunity College, crimi-nal justice, 1981-1982

Occupation: presidentand CEO of TopTel USA,Customer Contact Centers

What political of-fices have you held in thepast? N/A

Have you ever been con- victed of a crime? No

Why are you seekingthis office? I am runningfor District 5 commissionerto restore trust, strengthenour economy and keep fami-lies safe. With the help of thecitizens of district 5, we canclean up DeKalb and builda better future for the nextgeneration.

What do you under-stand the duties of thisoffice to be? The Board ofCommissioners serves asthe legislative branch of theDeKalb County govern-ment. The main duties ofthis office consists of ap-proving the County budget,which is $1.2 billion acrossall funds and approvingland use and zoning (which

controls what developmentoccurs in our community).A county….(truncated)

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulfill the duties of this of-fice? As a business leader inmy community for over 20years, I understand how torun complex organizations,create jobs, work withinfinancial constraints andmake sound decisions. Thisexperience will allow to suc-cessfully serve the citizens ofdistrict 5.

Gwendolyn “Gwen” R.

GreenEducation: BS Ed., Pur-

due University; MS Ed., Pur-due University; educationalleadership certification,

Georgia State University Occupation: Library

media specialist/writerWhat political offices

have you held in the past? Ihave served two terms as thepresident of Alpha KappaAlpha Sorority Inc., StoneMountain/Lithonia Chap-ter; vice president, of thesame chapter; chairperson,DeKalb County YWCA;PTA president, FairingtonElementary School, DeKalbCounty School District


Why are you seekingthis office? It is critical tome that we restore a highlevel of excellence and ac-countability in the DeKalbCounty government. Toomany of our citizens areapathetic about issues thataffect our daily lives. I amconcerned that our youngpeople feel disenfranchised,and don’t understand why

voting is important.

What do you under-stand the duties of thisoffice to be? The duties are

vast, but some most impor-tant ones include determin-ing priorities for capitalimprovements, levying taxesas needed, establishing andabolishing public roads, andprotecting and preservingthe health, safety, welfareand morals of the DeKalbCounty citizens.

What expertise do you have that will help you fulfill the duties ofthis office? I am a profes-sional writer and a skilledresearcher. I’m trained tolook for answers to complexquestions. As a single moth-er, supporting three chil-dren through the DeKalbschools and on to completetheir college degrees, I aman expert at finding ways tostretch dollars to meet criti-cal needs.

Vaughn IronsEducation: Master of

business administration,

University of Maryland;graduate level certification,

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LOCAL

housing and communitydevelopment, University ofMaryland; bachelor of arts,urban policy, Syracuse Uni-versity; certification in realestate development, Univer-ity of Southern California

Ross Minority Program;pecial certification: certi-

fied aging in place specialistOccupation: manage-

ment executiveWhat political of-

fices have you held in thepast? None

Have you ever been con-victed of a crime? No

Why are you seekinghis office? I decided to run

because I care about the lackof progress in our commu-nity and our personal lives.

want to use my resources;elationships; business expe-ience; economic develop-

ment skills; and ability to

bring investment to the area;o improve the quality of lifen South DeKalb.

What do you under-tand the duties of this

office to be? To protect,defend and enable the goalsof the United States Con-titution for all citizens;

appropriations; authorizeand collect taxes; determinecommission agenda; deter-mine county debt load; au-horize inter-governmental

agreements; determine howand is to be used (zoning);

approve contracts; establishocal laws; set fees and fines;

make/affirm appointments.What expertise do you

have that will help youfulfill the duties of this of-fice? Appointed by DeKalb’sCEO and BOC to serve onhe DeKalb Development

Authority where I stil l serve.Currently averaging 1,000hours annually volunteer-ng in DeKalb. 22 year work

history building communi-ies. Served in leadershipoles with the Georgia

and DeKalb Chambers of

Commerce. My educationuniquely prepared me toerve.

Mereda Davis JohnsonEducation: Bachelor of

art and masters of arts, Ten-nessee State University; jurisdoctor, Thurgood MarshallSchool of Law, Texas South-ern University

Occupation: Attorney What political of-

fices have you held in thepast? NoneHave you ever been con-

victed of a crime? NoWhy are you seeking

this office? I love and wantto serve the citizens ofDeKalb County. I have livedmy entire adult life in SouthDeKalb County. This iswhere I have raised my fam-ily and built my law practice,and it is where I want to stayand help raise my futuregrandkids. I….(truncated)

What do you under-stand the duties of thisoffice to be? Oversight andfunding for basis govern-mental services, including,public safety, roads anddrainage, parks and recre-ation, zoning and land use,water and sewer, and otherservices.

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulfill the duties of this of-fice?

I believe in honest gov-ernment service, with elect-ed officials working togeth-er to confront our challenges

while producing the kindof economic developmentthat leads to clean, safe andsustainable neighborhoods. Ihave a history of communityservice, working behind thescenes on a broad range ofissues important to our ….(truncated)

Gina ManghamEducation: Bachelor

of business administra-tion finance, University of

Michigan; Juris doctorate,John Marshall Law School inAtlanta

Occupation: Practicingattorney and mediator

What political of-fices have you held in thepast? None /20-year com-munity advocate


Why are you seekingthis office? Serving as 5thDistrict commissioner isa natural extension of my

commitment, dedicationand hard work to protect,develop and improve the5th District in a mannerbeneficial to all of DeKalb.I cannot be bought or in-timidated; I will always putthe interests of the citizensabove my own.

What do you under-stand the duties of this of-fice to be? Listen to constit-uents and address concernsabout county services; buildcoalitions between govern-ment, business and com-

munity groups to achievegoals; initiate and pass lawsthat will improve and sus-tain a high quality of life;make recommendations forresponsible spending; passannual budgets; serve withhonesty and integrity; be ac-countable.

What expertise do youhave that will help you ful-fill the duties of this office? My professional experiencehas a depth that will be valu-able to DeKalb, with exper-tise in law and mediation,and previous experience

as a legislative aide in theGeorgia House, managingattorney for Legal Aid, exec-utive director of PittsburghPartnership CommunityDevelopment Corporationin Atlanta, and a financialanalyst with IBM.

Kathryn RiceEducation: Ph.D. in pub-

lic policy specializing in eco-nomic development and ur-

ban affairs from a joint pro-gram at Georgia Tech andGeorgia State University.Completed requirements forM.P.A. at Georgia State Uni-

versity. B.A. in governmentfrom Harvard University

Occupation: Consultantin community and econom-ic development

What political officeshave you held in the past?None


Why are you seekingthis office? I am runningfor office because I want todo what I’ve been doing foryears–represent the issuesand concerns of residentsin southern DeKalb. I knowthe issues; I am an excellentorganizer; I understand eco-nomic development; and Iam honest and ethical.

What do you under-stand the duties of this of-fice to be? A commissioner’sprimary duty is to createordinances that oversee the

financial and geographicalneeds of the county. Thisincludes approving ap-propriations; levying taxes;regulating land use; andmaintaining water, sewer,roads, sanitation and otherservices. These services con-stitute the backbone of whatis needed for successful eco-nomic development.

What expertise do youhave that will help you ful-fill the duties of this office?I have a doctorate in publicpolicy specializing in eco-nomic development. I have

extensive community expe-rience in southern DeKalb(founder of SDIA andfounder of CCCSD for city-hood). I have been a strongadvocate for economic de-

velopment (chair of SDIAEconomic Development andsupporter of the EMD-CID).

Kenneth Saunders IIIEducation: Civil engi-

neering technology, South-ern Polytechnic State Uni-

versity Occupation: Technology

consultantWhat political offices

have you held in the past?

This is my first time runningfor public office


Why are you seekingthis office? I’m running forDistrict 5 commissionerbecause I believe in increas-ing the quality of life for thecounty through balanced

and sustainable growth, in-creasing public safety, fiscalresponsibility and economicdevelopment.

What do you under-stand the duties of this of-fice to be? The duties of be-ing commissioner of DeKalbCounty include increasingthe quality of life for its citi-zens through sound policiesand fiscal responsibility.

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulfill the duties of this of-fice? My 18 years of public

service includes my involve-ment in the DeKalb Com-munity Council for 12 years.In addition, I’ve held severalelected roles with the Hid-den Hills Civic Associationwhere I currently serve as

vice president of external af-fairs. Being co-chair of eco-nomic development of theSouth DeKalb Improvement….(truncated)

George Turner Jr.Education: B. A. degree,

Georgia State UniversityOccupation: Retired

from MARTA, last positionwas general superintendentof rail transportation.

See District 5 on page 16A

Irons Mangham

District 5 Continued From Page 11A

Rice Saunders

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WEEKPICTURESIn

Photo brought t you by DCTV

DeKalb County begins one-day-a-week sanitation collection service July 6, 2015

Residential customers will have same-day garbage, recyclable materials and yard trimmings collection

For more info, call or visit:

(404) 294-2900

www.rollingforwardtoone.com

Decatur’s Policy Analyst Demetrius McCoy (center) along with Regional Director of Operations of the KrystalCompany James Smith (left) and Krystal team members recently celebrated the grand reopening of the Deca-tur restaurant on Lawrenceville Highway with an ofcial ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 6.

The Decatur Youth Baseball Opening Day Parade was held June 6. Starting in McKoy Park, the players fromall the teams rode in the back of trucks down East Lake Drive to Oakhurst Park for a special ceremony andgames. Former Atlanta Hawks player Mike Glenn threw out the rst pitch for the opening day ceremony. Photosby Gregory White

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LOCAL

Dunwoody reaches agreement

with county on parks bondAfter agreeing in prin-

ciple to accept approximately$4 million of proceeds fromgeneral obligation bonds is-sued by DeKalb County aspart of a lawsuit settlementresolution, the city of Dun-

woody and DeKalb County,through separate majority votes of each body, agreed toapprove the execution of anintergovernmental agreementfor grants to implement theterms of the settlement.

Under the terms of theagreement, DeKalb Countyagreed to pay Dunwoody ap-proximately $4 million provided the city agrees to spendthe funds on specific parkimprovements for the greaterbenefit of all DeKalb Countyresidents.

The terms of the agree-ment require the city to allo-cate the proceeds of the Series2001 and 2006 Bonds forspecified capital projects.

The specified funds al-located to projects underthe agreement include $3.2million explicitly for the con-struction and development ofa new 5-acre park in George-town, $500,000 to update the2011 Parks, Recreation andOpen Space Master Plan forparks and greenspace projectsand $300,000 to be used forconstruction of a great lawn

at Brook Run Park.“We believe this agree-

ment will not only fund theconstruction of a new 5-acrepark but also greatly en-hance future park space and

amenities,” said DunwoodyMayor Mike Davis. “Our goalthroughout negotiations withthe county was to acquirebond money which our resi-dents paid through previoustax outlays. We view this as

a fair and reasonable settle-ment to this ongoing lawsuitand one which will provideresidents and visitors to ourparks with tangible futurebenefits.”

In 2010, the city of Dun-woody filed suit againstDeKalb County allegingGeorgia Code required thecounty to remit proceedsfrom the general obligationbonds issued by the countyin 2006 to the city of Dun-woody. Over the next severalyears the city and the county

engaged in negotiations, aswell as mediation sessions toreach a settlement agreement.

Following mediation andarbitration both parties ap-proved the intergovernmentalagreement to implement theterms of the settlement intheir respective meetings heldMay 26.

“Previously approvedbudget funds allocated forthe projects now financed bythe agreement grants are nowfreed up to address the toppriorities in Brook Run Parkas defined by the citizens

within the community-devel-oped 2011 Parks, Recreationand Open Space Master Plan,”Davis said.

June is NationalElder Abuse Awareness Month

Sherry BostonDEKALB COUNTY SOLICITOR-GENERAL

www.dekalbsolicitorgeneral.org

404.371.2201 MAKING DEKALB SAFER FOR ALL

,.Please Join Us for Our 4th Annual

Safety in Numbers Bingo Event:;WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2015

10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

(free lunch begins at 12:00 p.m.)

Manuel Maloof Auditorium1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, Georgia

Limited Seating RSVP RequiredRSVP BY JUNE 17, 2015 TO:

COMMUNITY PROSECUTOR HANNAH CHUNG

404.371.2820 [email protected]

&

by Carla [email protected]

What started as an activ-ty for men has turned into

an organization for all thatgives back.

Established in 1973, the

Mountain Shadow GardenClub started in Atlanta byhe late Ralph Chewing .

Chewing started the club asan all men club under TheGardeners of America/Men’sGarden Clubs of America.The organization is a na-ional organization with

more than 2,800 membersn local clubs all around the

United States. The clubsput emphasis on gardeningeducation and communitybeautification.

Jim Tucker, who joinedhe club in 1997, said Chew-

ng, who lived in SmokeRise, later moved the club toStone Mountain.

“He gathered othermen to work in the garden,”Tucker said, adding that thegarden club was active untilhe 1990s.

“We needed help rejuve-nating the club,” Tucker said.A part of the rejuvenation

was taking advantage of theco-ed portion of The Gar-deners of America. We weremissing out on half of thegardeners.”

In 2001, the MountainShadow Garden Club wentrom an all-men’s club to a

co-ed club for those whoenjoy learning about a rangeof topics on gardening and

plants. The club’s member-ship significantly increased.

“It’s a far cry from whatit was,” Tucker said aboutthe membership. “Once wechanged we got more peoplein the club.”

Since then, the club has

become more active in thecommunity by having moremeetings, participating infestivals and bringing inspeakers to talk about gar-dening.

On June 6, Kurt Straudt was the featured speaker forMountain Shadow GardenClub with a program onsucculents. A succulent isany plant that has adaptedto dry, arid climates by stor-ing water in its leaves, stemsand/or roots.

In May, the club hosteda program titled “The Lost

Oaks of Georgia,” provid-ing insight into the Quercus(oak) species, according tothe club’s Facebook page.Jim Rodgers, owner andoperator of Nearly NativeNursery in Fayetteville, dis-cussed the importance of theplant.

“The club always relieson free, voluntary speakers,”Tucker said.

The club meets atEastminster PresbyterianChurch in Stone Mountain.

Tucker said the club also

started a scholarship fundand each year awards a $500scholarship to a deservingstudent attending GwinnettTechnical College.

Erika Marion of Lil-

burn, who is studying envi-ronmental horticulture, wasthis year’s recipient.

Tucker said although thechanges to the club broughtin more people—some whoare young—most of themembers are seniors who

are retired.“More older people areinterested in gardening.That was true back then,and it’s still true,” Tuckersaid. “But, we brought [theclub] back alive.”

Mountain Shadow Garden Club:

A garden for all

Kurt Straudt of Decatur was the featured speaker June 6 for Mountain Shadow Garden Club with a programon succulents. Photo provided

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Art Continued From Page 1A

Ellis Continued From Page 1A


mural behind Valero onWest Howard Avenue.

While attending DecaturHigh School, Hynes andKing both completed se-nior projects that involving

treet art. Hynes said dur-ng that time, they madeontacts within the city toontact or uture projects.

Contacted in Januaryby Junger, the pair brain-tormed ideas or the areand addressed city council

beore deciding on the inalrt, which is now known ashe “Underwater pass.”

he mural is composedo silhouettes and dividednto our panels.

“We wanted to show thathange in imagination and

how your views change asime progresses,” said King.

he irst panel eatures ayoung girl reaching upward

with a school o ish whirl-ing around her.

In the second panel thegirl meets a boy and theystand side by side in ronto animated dolphin and

octopus.In the third panel thegirl and boy are a bit olderand are on a date. hey arestill accompanied by a dol-phin, and an octopus butthe eatures o the animalsare more realistic than ani-mated.

In the inal panel, Hynessaid the couple is marriedwith a child o their own.

He said the entire muralis meant to be cyclical anddiverse.

“We like the idea o sil-houettes because they canbe anybody. It’s diverse andthat’s very Decatur,” Kingsaid.

tatements and writings; threecounts o coercion o other employ-ees to give anything o value orpolitical purposes; and a count eacho conspiracy in restraint o ree andopen competition, and o conspiracyo deraud a political subdivision.

Beore his retrial began thismonth, our charges were dropped:wo counts o thef and two o coer-

cion.Hodges said that the evidence

will show that, using the help ohen-chie procurement officer Kel-vin Walton, Ellis used vendor listso raise money or his campaign.

“Te deendant uses power topunish vendors who reuse to give,”Hodges said.

When Ellis called JoAnn Wise oCyber Inc., an inormation technol-

ogy services company, “He beganhe conversation by saying, ‘I seeyour company has done a lot owork or DeKalb County over theyears. Can I count on you or a con-ribution?’” Hodges told the jury.

During the conversation, Ellisbecame aggressive and insistent,”

Hodges said, when Wise did notagree to donate to his campaign.

Ellis allegedly called Wise a ewmore times. Wise did not return thecalls because she thought they wereharassing” and o a personal na-ure, Hodges said.

“You will learn that the deendantberated her” during another phonecall, Hodges said. “He scolded herike she was a child.”

Ellis threatened to call her em-ployer and say she was the reasonwhy the company would not be

doing work with DeKalb County,Hodges said.

In 2012, while the alleged strong-arming o vendors was occurring,a special purpose grand jury wasexploring allegations o corruptionand bid-rigging, especially in the

watershed department, Hodges said.When Walton testified beore the

special purpose grand jury, he de-nied any wrongdoing or knowledgeo improprieties, Hodges said. Butinvestigators in the District Attor-ney’s Office “learned that he’s a liar.”

Walton was approached by o-ficials rom the DA’s Office who toldhim, “You have two options. You canbe a witness or you can find yourselon an indictment,” Hodges said.

When he agreed to turn state’switness, the DA’s Office “put a wireon him” because “he was a docu-mented liar,” Hodges said.

Tose recorded conversations oEllis are the oundation o much othe case against the suspended CEO.

“We’re going to ask you to re-turn a verdict—one that speaks thetruth…and that is finding the de-endant guilty o every count on thatindictment,” Hodges told the jury.

In his opening arguments, Ellisdeense attorney Craig Gillen saidEllis did not personally benefit romthe campaign contributions.

“Not one thin dime. Not one thindime went into Burrell Ellis’ pocketthat wasn’t supposed to be there,”

Gillen said. “Not a single dime, willthe evidence show, went into thisman’s pocket that wasn’t supposed tobe there.

“Tere will not be any evidenceo any kickbacks,” Gillen said.

Tere was “no personal benefitto him whatsoever,” Gillen said. “Hedid not line his pockets. He calledolks and asked them or campaigncontributions and there is not asingle thing wrong with that.”

Recordings expected to be playedin court will show that there wereno threats to vendors who did notcontribute to Ellis’ campaign, Gillensaid.

Tose recordings were madewhen Walton was wearing a wirerom the District Attorney’s Office,Gillen said.

“Burrell did not know he wasbeing recorded,” Gillen said. “Hethought he was talking to…a goodworker or the county.”

Instead he was a “grand jury per- jurer,” Gillen said.

“He took an oath to tell the truth,the whole truth and nothing but thetruth, then he lied and then he liedand then he lied,” Gillen said. “Helied again and he lied again and helied again.

“He then agrees to wear a wire,”Gillen said.

“I will ask you to return a verdictthat speaks the truth…not guilty onevery count,” Gillen said.

Te jury began hearing testimonyrom witnesses on the morning oJune 9.

‘We’re going to ask you to returna verdict—one that speaks thetruth…and that is finding thedefendant guilty of every counton that indictment.’

-Lawanda Hodges

Artists Evan Hynes and Spencer King draft their designs before applying the nal paint. Photos by Travis Hudgons

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LOCAL

had that community roomso they all came into theroom and started talking,”Burrus said. “It’s just a niceway to get people to meeteach other.”

The ministry startedoff serving just cookies and

punch, Burrus said. Thenshe thought, “I’m a foodie.We need more than that.Let’s do soup and sandwich-es. That’s basically what wedid. And then it evolved.

“For them it’s a full mealbecause everyone doesn’t

have access to shopping orsomeone to come in andcook,” Burrus said. “They

just don’t have the meansto do it. In the summer, wehave a lot of pasta saladsand garden salads and sand-wiches. In the winter, I do

heavy, hearty soups—some-thing that will stick to theirribs.”

Burrus said, “Somedo come to church, but itdoesn’t matter, as long as wetake the church to them.”

Ministry Continued From Page 2A

BusinessContinued From Page 10A

District 5 Continued From Page 12A

Healthcare Continued From Page 16Aon, which opened in 1952o serve children in the

Black community, is nowpart of the Children’s sys-em. Among its initial ma-or donors was Gone With he Wind author Margaret

Mitchell.Noteworthy milestones

during Children’s 100-yearhistory include: Early in its history, Chil-dren’s became one of thefirst hospitals to directlyinvolve parents in their

child’s care, beginningwith a policy of allowingparents to spend the nightat the hospital.

In 1933, M. Hines Rob-erts, M.D., Egleston’s firstmedical director, helpedestablish the AmericanBoard of Pediatrics to ad-

vance the science, studyand practice of pediatrics.

In 1939, Scottish RiteMedical Director Dr. Hi-

ram Kite achieved inter-national recognition forhis non-surgical treatmentof patients with clubfoot.

• In 1958, Asa G. YanceySr., M.D., the first Blackphysician on staff, devel-oped the first accreditedsurgical training programfor Black physicians inGeorgia. Yancey, the firstmedical director of theHughes Spalding Pavilion,was Dr. Martin LutherKing Jr’s physician.

• In 1983 Egleston joinedthe Children’s Miracle Net-work, which raises fundsnationally for 170 pediatrichospitals.

• The hospital’s first livertransplant was performedin 1987. Children’s Health-care of Atlanta LiverTransplant Program hasbecome one of the largestpediatric liver transplantprograms in the country.

Since 1987, Children’shas performed more than1,000 pediatric transplants.

• In 1989, the U.S. govern-ment named Egleston thehome base of the nation’sfirst pediatric disastermedical assistance team.

Today, Children’sHealthcare of Atlanta caresfor more than half a mil-lion patients each year andits three metro Atlantahospitals specialize in car-

ing just for children andteens.“Children are not justsmall adults,” Stevens said.“They require special equip-ment, special knowledgeand special skills. We’reproud that Children’s hasbeen able to pro vide that for100 years.”

give it away?,” she asked.“I had to explain that

you have to take money outof your pocket and give it tohem because you have to

pay for the slushy. If you’regiving it to them, you mightas well give them a dollar.We settled on half price,which is sort of a break evenype scenario,” Slappey said.

Ashley said she likes thebusiness because she gets toeat slushies, and it’s also funo operate the machine.

“I want to be a business-woman when I grow up sohis is really good for me toearn about business,” sheaid.

Slappey said he choseto have his girls run a snowcone business because it wasa relatively low-cost and norisk investment. He plans tocontinue to help them oper-ate the business until they’reno longer interested.

“I just want them to un-derstand broadly how busi-nesses work. If they have topay for some piece of equip-ment to produce some item,they need to understand thatwhen they sell whatever it is

that they’re producing, theyhave to be able to pay forthat equipment and pay forthe cost of items to build it,”Slappey said.

What political officeshave you held in the past?

am president of District5 Community Council,president of HomeownersUnited, President of Hunt-rs’ Run II Homeowners

Association, I serve on the

board of directors for ArabiaMountain Heritage Area,volunteer in State Senate

district 43. In 2008 I ran aespectable campaign forhe Georgia House of Repre-entatives, but I have never

been elected to a politicaloffice.

Have you ever been con-victed of a crime? No

Why are you seekinghis office? I am a volunteer

servant of the community. Ihave always been involvedin community matters.Since retiring over 12 yearsago, I became thoroughlyinvolved in community af-fairs. I like helping othersby solving quality of life is-

sues for in community. Hereis a chance to get involved….(truncated)

What do you under-stand the duties of this of-fice to be? The duties of thisoffice is to set policy in ref-erence to county operation.That also includes levyingtaxes to fund the necessaryservices provided by thecounty. To approve a budget,to provide for public safety,

sanitation, water and sewagetreatment as well as local in-frastructure and utilities.

What expertise do youhave that will help youfulfill the duties of this of-fice? I have experience indeveloping procedures of

operation, I have experiencein developing and managinga large budget. I have expe-rience managing projectsand reviewing contracts forcompliance, and chairingcommittees to hash out de-tails of scheduled projects.I have experience leading

various taskforces to solveproblems of transit opera-tion ….(truncated)

COUNTY WIDE 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Real & Personal 97,052,662 68,582,587 67,583,220 56,816,226 67,083,820 79,826,349

Motor Vehicles 5,667,510 5,558,380 5,831,000 5,971,380 4,758,250 3,187,670

Mobile Homes 600 600 4,000

Timber - 100%

Heavy Duty Equipment 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gross Digest 102,720,172 74,140,967 73,414,220 62,788,206 71,842,670 83,018,019

Less M& O Exemptions 2,060,566 1,578,133 1,813,313 1,652,449 2,074,380 2,289,744

Net M & O Digest 100,659,606 72,562,834 71,600,907 61,135,757 69,768,290 80,728,275a e ores an ss sance

Grant Value 0 0 0 0 0 0


Gross M&O Millage 10.000 14.300 18.800 28.030 22.000 22.000

Less Rollbacks

Net M&O Millage 10.000 14.300 18.800 28.030 22.000 22.000

Total City Taxes Levied $1,006,596 $1,037,649 $1,346,097 $1,713,635 $1,534,902 $1,776,022

Net Taxes $ Increase -$68,842 $31,052 $308,449 $367,538 -$178,733 $241,120

Net Taxes % Increase -6.40% 3.08% 29.73% 27.30% -10.43% 15.71%

The Stone Mountain City Council does hereby announce that the millage rate will be set at a meeting to be held at the

O.C.G.A. Section 48-5-32 does hereby publish the following presentation of the current year's tax digest and levy, along with the

NOTICE

City Hall, 875 Main Street, Stone Mountain, GA on Tuesday, July 7, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. and pursuant to the requirements of

history of the tax digest and levy for the past five years.

CURRENT 2015 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY

Notice of Public Hearing for

Clarkston Millage Rate

Notice is hereby given that prior to setting the tax

millage rate for 2014, the Clarkston M

free press 6-12-15

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