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Editors note: On March14-15, ChampionreporterCarla Parker rode along withofficers from the Decatur PoliceDepartment for a 12-hour shift.

by Carla [email protected]

When Decatur residents are out ofown and are concerned about their

home being left unattended, they cancall the Decatur Police Department tohave an officer check on their home.

It is one of the services that the

Decatur Police Department offers toits citizen. It is a good deed that otheragencies do not offer and somethingthat is usually overlooked or notreported in the media.

On March 14, I had the opportunityto go on a ride-along with theDecatur police. The 12-hour shift wasenlightening and I saw a side of policeofficers that not many people get achance to see.

The city of Decatur is 4.2 squaremiles and has a population of 20,148residents. With 45 officers, the DecaturPolice Department not only enforcesthe law, but also focuses on building

Decatur Police:

A well-rounded department

Ofcer C.J. Gresham, who has been with the Decatur Police Department since 1997, types up aolice report.

Ofcer C.J. Gresham talks to a driver about anxpired car tag.

Ofcer Louis Brown searches the car of awoman who was driving with a suspendedlicense. Photos by Carla Parker

championnewspaper championnewspaper champnewspaperchampionnews

thechampionnewspaper.com

Were SocialFRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 VOL. 16, NO. 52 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.

FREEPRESS

See Survivor on page 13ASee Police on page 13A

by Andrew [email protected]

Nineteen-year-oldNicoleMallettdoesnt know why shesurvived a terrible accident alittle more than two years ago.

It was Dec. 27, 2012. Mallett,a graduate o Stephenson HighSchool and a reshman at Geor-gia Southern University, wastraveling with her amily.

We were coming back romvisiting my grandmother in thehospital in Connecticut, Mal-lett recently told students at

Stephenson High. Tats whentheir vehicle was rearended by atractor trailer on the New Jerseyurnpike.

Malletts atherAinsworth,51, and his wie Jackie, 49, werekilled along with their 12-year-old son Drew.

Jackie Mallett was an admin-istrative assistant at StephensonMiddle School where Drew alsoattended. Te amily also owneda Golden Krust Caribbeanrestaurant ranchise in StoneMountain.

My mom, my ather and my

little brother were all killed

and my dog, said Mallett, whowalked away with several cutsthat required stitches. I was inthe ront seat and I really canttell you why I am alive.

When she saw her dead am-ily members, she thought, Mylie is over.

It was hard. I was 18 and Ihad to bury my amily, Mallettsaid.

Te uneral was one or ce-lebrities, Mallett said. Terewere so many people there. Itgot me to thinking, what kindo legacy do I want to I leave

when I die? No ones going tocare that you dress nice. Whathave you done or yoursel andor others? Tats all thats goingto matter when youre dead andgone.

For a while, she said, thingsseemed OK. During a vigil aferthe accident, riends, amily andrestaurant customers pledgedcontinued support or the sur-

viving amily member. Mallettsaid she had tremendous com-munity support, but then every-one went back to living theirnormal lives.

And it was just me, Mal-

Wreck survivor teachesgirls to Live Free

Nicole Mallet announces the kickoff of Live Free, a nonprot organizationformed to mentor middle and high school girls. Photo by Andrew Cauthen

Business ........................16A

Classified .......................17A

Education .....................12A

Sports.................... 18 - 19A

QUICK FINDER KATHY MITCHELL:THANKS FOR THE

MEMORIES

TUCKER HOLDS

3RD ANNUAL CHILI

COOKOFF

LOCAL, 10AOPINION, 5A EDUCATION, 12A

STONE MILL

STUDENTS READ

WITH A CAT IN A HAT

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 2ALOCAL NEWS

by Daniel [email protected]

Interim DeKalb CountyCEO Lee May has created

a task force on the countysgovernment operations totudy multiple issues cur-ently affecting DeKalb

County, including zoning,ityhood and taxes.

We need some fresh eyeson these issues and we needepresentatives from a myr-ad of government agencieso participate, May said.

May has made it noecret that he supports

a change in the countysgovernance structure. Lastyear, the county held severalpublic input sessions mod-rated by Kimberly Nelson,

an associate professor ofpublic administration andgovernment at the Univer-ity of North Carolina. Mayaid she was referred to him

by the Association CountyCommissioners of Georgia.

More recently, theDeKalb County Board ofCommissioners approveda resolution asking theGeneral Assembly to forma commission to study theountys form of govern-

ment. Commissioners also

voted to approve a resolu-ion requesting the GeneralAssembly to halt all munici-pal incorporations and an-nexations for one year.

The task for will studyhe countys financial, busi-

ness, zoning and qualityof life impact on residentsand government operationsaused by the creation of

new cities and annexations;he effectiveness of the cur-

rent governance structure ofDeKalb County and ethicsand transparency in countyoperations; the equitabledistribution of Homestead

Option Sales Tax (HOST)proceeds and pension costs.As more cities incorpo-

rate, the county loses taxrevenue that could be usedon capital projects. May saidthe way HOST funds aredistributed under currentlaw is extremely unequal

between counties and mu-nicipalities.

Approximately 75 per-cent of the revenue goes tothe cities, which represent

less than 20 percent of thepopulation, May said.The task force will be

composed of 15 members,two of whom will be ap-pointed by May; three willbe appointed by the Boardof Commissioners; twoappointed by the DeKalb

County Senate Delega-tion; two appointed by theDeKalb County House Del-egation; one appointed bythe DeKalb County Board of

Education; one appointed bythe DeKalb County Cham-ber of Commerce; and oneby the DeKalb County De-

velopment Authority.Additionally, two non-

voting members will beappointed by the GeorgiaMunicipal Association and

one non-voting member willbe appointed by the Associa-tion County Commissionersof Georgia.

It is my sincere hope

that we can appoint a boardof subject matter experts sowe can fix DeKalb Countyin one fell swoop and makethe most of the one-yearcooling-off period that weasked the Georgia GeneralAssembly to afford us, Maysaid.

CEO establishes task force to study government

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 3A

Stone Mountain CID neutral on city billsby Carla [email protected]

When Tucker residents began theircampaign for a city of Tucker, a largenumber of people were voicing their

upport of incorporating the commu-nity.However, there are others, mainly

rom the Stone Mountain and SmokeRise areas in unincorporated DeKalb,who have expressed opposition to apotential city of Tucker. At a Feb. 27egislative public hearing, two Stone

Mountain residents spoke against theTucker city bill.

Sections of unincorporated StoneMountain and the Stone MountainCommunity Improvement DistrictCID) are included in the proposed

Tucker city map. The Stone Mountainesidents said they do not want to be

a part of the city because it will affect

esidents and property owners in theCID financially.

While some Stone Mountain resi-dents have voiced either opposition orupport, Stone Mountain CID presi-

dent Emory Morsberser said the CIDs neutral on the cityhood movement.

We want to be a part a city thathas more police and faster permit-ing, Morsberser said. Were going to

work with whomever, whether weren DeKalb County or one of these cit-es. Were going to work with whom-

ever is in charge.Bill Kaduck, a Smoke Rise resi-

dent and property owner in the Stone

Mountain CID off Mountain Indus-rial Boulevard, spoke against theTucker city bill at the hearing, statinghe CID will be the major tax base forhe proposed city.

The CID serves as a major sourceof revenue for the proposed city ofTucker, Kaduck said. The tax digestamount is $126 million. The CIDproperty owners will not have a voten any eventual city referendum. We

are industrial property owners, notvoters in this proposed city of Tucker.

If were a part of a city well be amajor part of its revenue, Morsbersersaid.

According to the feasibility study,

the city of Tucker will start with asurplus of approximately $3.3 mil-lion. Based on the mix of residential,commercial, industrial, institutionaland public properties taxes, Tuckerexpects to have annual revenue ofapproximately $16.6 million and an-nual expenses of approximately $13.3million. These numbers are based onthe current tax level, which means noproperty tax increase is necessary, ac-cording to Tucker officials.

Stone Mountain residents also haveconcerns about security if Tucker isincorporated into a city. Kaduck saidsecurity is a significant issue in theCID.

Our CID alone spends more than$120,000 a year out of its budget,which is a very significant portion ofthe budget. That $120,000 is spent forpatrol in the evening to improve thesecurity of our area. Its been very suc-cessful.

Kaduck said those funds and alloperating funds for the CID are paidwith an additional tax that industrialproperty owners pay.

The most recent proposal bythe Tucker group leaves policing toDeKalb County rather than improv-ing our police protection, Kaducksaid.

Kaduck added that if there were anopportunity for the proposed city ofLakeside to include the Stone Moun-tain CID then he would support it.

Im not against the city of Tuckerper se, but I wish to raise concerns ofthe CID property owners for generallybeing ignored in this city making pro-cess, Kaduck said. We are the majortax based and our concerns are notbeing solicited.

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ONE MANS OPINION

Into the blue

wo sides: One is light; one isdark.he mysterious John Locke,a surviving passenger rom thecrash o Oceanic Airlines Flight 815,on the ABC-V series Lost (2004-2010).

here is something about real liemitating art, or perhaps more ac-

curately mirroring a cross betweena Tom Clancyspy thriller, and theplot o the cult ABC series Lost,which can cause an unusually highdegree o conspiracy theories andubbernecking at the water cooler.

he short list o acts about miss-ng Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370s now largely the same as it was onhe day the jet disappeared romadar. he 777 crat, with 239 pas-engers and crew onboard departed

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, ater mid-night on March 8, heading or Bei-ing. Given a ull load o uel, the ullet, under normal conditions, couldly 2,200 nautical miles without re-ueling. A landing would typicallyequire a 5,000-oot-long runway,

and there are 634 o those, across 26

countries, as well as dozens o aban-

doned airstrips on remote islandsand atolls all across the South Pa-ciic (built by the United States andthe Allies during World War II).

he surace o our entire planet istwo-thirds water, totaling millions osquare miles, and disproportionatelyso in Southeast Asia. Malaysian gov-ernment orces, with assistance rom26 other nations, are all searchingor veriiable data, details or anyremnants o the crat, searching aland mass and open waters roughlyequivalent to the space betweenNew York and Los Angeles. herehave been rumors o loating debrisspotted via Chinese governmentsatellite, a 12-mile oil slick acrossthe ocean surace, and each later de-bunked or determined to have little

or no relation to the vanishing air-crat upon urther investigation.Like the mysterious disap-

pearance o ugitive hijacker D.B.Cooperin 1971, who dove out oan open jet door, never to be seenagain, Flight 370 is likely to becomea part o the aviation industrys

very own Bermuda riangle ounsolved mysteries. But Cooper hi-

jacked and ransomed a Boeing 727over land between Portland, Oregonand Seattle, beore parachuting outo the plane. Given the speed odescent and likelihood o lost con-sciousness, Coopers body and bootylikely never made it back to civiliza-tion.

However as the continuing dra-ma enters its second ull week, thebreathless delivery o news anchorswith up to the minute updates andthe never ending series o expertsoering conjecture on what mighthave happened are now rangingrom the sublime to the ridiculous,and back again, not unlike the latestestimated and animated light patho Flight 370.

I do care about that jet, its 239passengers and crew, as well as theirsurviving and suering riends andamily. And i or when any crat re-mains are located, light survivorsare ound or perhaps a black box orother veriiable data source is lateround or retrieved, perhaps then amore complete picture and correct

narrative will begin to unold.Some are still searching orAmelia Earhart, whoattemptingan around the world light disap-peared in 1937 during her lightleg over the central Paciic betweenHawaii and Howland Island. Noone raised the possibility o terror-ism back in those days, but there aremore than a ew searching or Flight370 now, also still looking or anytelltale signs o Ms. Earharts muchsmaller crat.

Radar has its limitations over theopen seas, as a land bound system,bouncing radio waves o o objectsto determine their location, speed,directional movement and trajec-

tory. Satellites rom above haveenhanced our abilities to locatetransmitters and large objectsbutnot so much when those objects ap-parently dont want to be ound.

I have a suggestion, as a practicalmatter, as I have a eeling this will bea dominating news story or sometime to come, much like HurricaneKatrina, the BP Oil spill or more re-cently Hurricane Sandy. How aboutreposting all the public, non-sensi-tive and scrubbed data we do haveon a central website, easily searchedand located? And anyone seekingthe latest, latest, latestbaby stepsin this investigation that those arelikely to becan easily go and seethem, and or the rest o our world,Flight 370 can essentially vanish

again, at least until we actually knowsomethingdierent and actuallyactual.

Bill Crane also serves as a politicalanalyst and commentator for Channel2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as acolumnist forThe Champion, Cham-pion Free Press andGeorgia Trend.Crane is a DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. You canreach him or comment on a column [email protected].

Bill Crane

Columnist

THE CHAMPI ON FREE PRESS , FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 4AOPINION

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Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinions fromits readers. Please write to us and express your views. Lettersshould be brief, typewritten and contain the writers name,address and telephone number for verification. All letters willbe considered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to [email protected] To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior topublication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editorsdo not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Pub-lisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. ThePublisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: John Hewitt

Chief Fina ncial Offi cer Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell

News Editor: Andrew Cauthen

Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt

Photographer: Travis Hudgons

The Champion Free Press is published each

Friday by ACE III Communications, Inc.,

114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030

Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.com

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHERWe sincerely appreciate the discussion surroundingthis and any issue of interest to DeKalb County. TheChampionwas founded in 1991 expressly to providea forum for discourse for all community residents onall sides of an issue. We have no desire to make the

news only to report news and opinions to effect amore educated citizenry that will ultimately move ourcommunity forward. We are happy to present ideasfor discussion; however, we make every effort to avoidprinting information submitted to us that is known tobe false and/or assumptions penned as fact.

Kathy [email protected]

Editor

OPINIONTHE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 5A

Thanks for the memories

Lie comes in seasons. As I retirerom my position as managing edi-or here at Te Champion, I end oneeason and start another. At this

milestone moment, I look back on areasury o special memories, some which Id like to share with you.

I started my relationship withACE III Communications, TeChampions parent company, as anditor withAtlanta goodlife, a local

magazine thats no longer published.Tis gave me the opportunity tomeet and spend time with enor-

mously interesting people. Amongmy most treasured interviews is onewith Coretta Scott King. In what

understand was one o the ew

exclusive interviews she gave in herlie, she talked to me candidly ormore than two hours about her liewith Martin Luther King Jr., herchildren and her personal journey.

Others who were generous with

their time and open with their com-ments include Dr. BenjaminCar-son, Joseph Loweryand AndrewYoung. Lowery and Young bothallowed me to come to their homeswhere they and their wives treatedme as an honored guest. Carson ac-tually lives in the Baltimore area, buthe and his wie let me come to theirAtlanta hotel room, where he spenthours telling me about his amazinglie, his outlook and his programsor young people.

I won the one and only sportswriting award o my lie or an in-terview with baseball great Gary

Sheffi eld. He was one o several in-terview subjects I had been warnedwere diffi cult who I ound graciousand warm.

Te first ull story I wrote or TeChampionwas an interview with theormer pastor o Birminghams 16thStreet Baptist Church. John Cross,who lived in Decatur at the time othe interview, was the churchs pas-

tor when it made worldwide newsafer racists bombed the church,killing our little girls who were at-tending Sunday school. During themoving interview, Cross40 yearsafer the bombing incidenthad tostop several times to dry his eyes ashe talked about it.

My Champion-related memo-ries are not all about interviews. Iremember great times with the staffwhen we attended Georgia Press As-sociation meetings, taking home somany awards we ofen had troublepacking them in the vehicle the nextmorning. Its always more un to

win.wice I talked Chie OperatingOffi cer John Hewittinto enteringTe Championin Decaturs Fourth

o July parade. Both times a blindingrainstorm hit Decatur to soak theestivities.

I remember helping publisherCarolyn Glynncommemorate amilestone birthday during a multi-

day celebration at her Florida home.I remember celebrating Te

Champions 20th anniversary bothwith a staff holiday party and a com-munity luncheon.

My avorite celebration memory,however, is the surprise retirementparty the staff gave or mewhat agreat group o people!

A thousand other memories rommy days with Te Championwillenrich my lie orever. Im not gone.I will still have a relationship withTe Championand my byline maystill appear in the paper rom timeto time, still Ill take this moment

to borrow Bob Hopes taglineTanks or the memories.

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COMMUNITY in

If you would like to nominate someone

to be considered as a future Champion

of the Week, please contact Kathy

Mitchell at [email protected] or

at (404) 373-7779, ext. 104.

HELEN LOWENTHAL

ChampionoftheWeek

Philadelphia father encouragesstudents to not drive distractedby Carla [email protected]

In July 2009, 21-year-old

Casey Feldmanwas struckby a distracted motoristwhile walking in a cross-walk on her way to work inOcean City, N.J.

The Fordham Universityenior later died from hernjuries at the hospital. Since

her death, he parents, Joeland Dianne Feldman, haveraveled across the countryo bring distracted driving

programs to communities.The Feldmans, who are

from Philadelphia, Pa., wereat Stone Mountain HighSchool March 7 sharing thetory about their daugh-ers death with about 200tudents and stressing themportance of driving with-

out distractions. The event

was sponsored by Safe KidsGeorgia and coordinated bySafe Communities DeKalband Students Against De-

structive Decisions (SADD).Joel Feldman said theprogram focuses on teens,but it also recognizes thatparents are not always thebest role models for theirchildren when it comes todriving without distractions.

Its a problem that weall need to work together tosolve, he said.

Feldman showed a videoto students about his daugh-ter and other people wholost loved ones because ofa distracted driver. Feld-man said it does not botherhim when he talks about hisdaughter or sees picturesand videos about her.

Oftentimes people thinkits tough to talk about my

daughter and sometimespeople are afraid to askabout my daughter, hesaid. But I think about my

daughter every day. I worrythat my daughter will beforgotten, so by doing thisI know she wont be forgot-ten.

Feldman also interactedwith the students by doingdemonstrations and givingthem advice on what to do iftheir friends or parents aretexting, eating or doing any-thing else distracting whiledriving.

I think I got the studentsthinking about what wassaid today, he said. Maybeeverybody didnt changetheir behavior, but theyrethinking about it and thatsimportant too. Maybe theyllhear something or see some-thing thatll change them.

oel Feldman, center, lost his daughter, Casey, after she was killed by a distracted driver. Joel and his wifeianne travels across the county to bring distracted driving programs to communities.

A Stone Mountain High School teacher and student assist with a demonstration on distracted driving.

Joel Feldman talks to two Stone Mountain High Schoolstudents about distracted driving.

Students receives pink wristbands in honor ofCasey Feldman Memorial Foundation.

For the past nineyears, retired Decaturresident Helen Lowen-thal has been helpingelderly and low-incomeresidents prepare theirtaxes returns.

Lowenthal is a vol-unteer coordinator forthe American Associa-tion of Retired Persons(AARP) Tax Aideprogram, a charitable

partnership betweenthe AARP and InternalRevenue Service.

Some of the re-wards Ive gotten from

volunteering have sur-prised me, Lowenthalsaid.

When she retired,Lowenthal heard aboutthe program from aco-worker who told herthat their retired father

volunteered and lovedit.

At first I thoughtId just enjoy the chal-

lenge of it but Ive cometo really enjoy my timewith the volunteers andtaxpayers, Lowenthalsaid.

Lowenthal is the vol-unteer coordinator formost of DeKalb Countyand works with morethan 50 volunteers eachtax season. In Septem-ber, the volunteers gothrough training andthen work with taxpay-ers January, throughApril.

There are peopleout there who are just

baffled by the tax codeand mostly we servelow-income residentsand it would cost thema lot of money to gettheir taxes donethat

just doesnt seem right,Lowenthal said.

Each year the pro-gram files more than 2million tax returns.

Before Lowenthalretired from her in-formation technology

job, she said she didnthave much spare timebut now retirementhas enabled her to giveback to the community.She said she helpeda tax payer receive asubstantial amount ofmoney one year. Now,each year that personcalls her to make sureLowenthal is availableto do her taxes.

Im really part of abig wonderful team thatdoes this, Lowenthal

said.

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COMMUNITY

AROUNDDEKALBChurch to host I Am series

David Manuel, author and executive directorof Porter Sanford Performing Arts and Com-munity Center, will present the I Am seriesMarch 22 at Berean Christian Church in StoneMountain. The 3 p.m. event will feature an upclose and personal conversation with influentialmen discussing faith, fatherhood and family. Thepanelists include Manuel, radio personality RyanCameron, Berean pastor Kerwin Lee, DeKalbCounty Interim CEO Lee May, poet Hank Stew-art and violinist Ken Ford. Berean is located at2201 Young Road.

Household hazardous waste event scheduled

Keep DeKalb Beautiful and the DeKalb Coun-y Sanitation Division will hold a household haz-

ardous waste event on Saturday, March 22, from8 a.m. to noon at the DeKalb Sanitation CentralTransfer Station, 3720 Leroy Scott Dive in Deca-ur.

This event will offer DeKalb County residentshe opportunity to dispose of household hazard-

ous waste products in a proper manner, free ofcharge.

These are products that contain poten-ially dangerous chemicals and are no longer in

use. These items should not be disposed of withhousehold garbage because of their potentiallyharmful effects on the environment. Items thatfall into the hazardous waste category are: aero-ols, mercury, batteries, adhesives, flammables,awn-care products, automotive products, fluo-escent bulbs, photo chemicals, hobby and artistsupplies, paints and paint-related products, clean-

ers and swimming pool chemicals.

East Atlanta church holds plant sale

The Holy Comforter Episcopal Church, lo-cated at 737 Woodland Ave. SE, will hold its firstplant sale of the season March 22.

There will be organic tomatoes, peppers, egg-plant, squash and cucumber seedlings availableas well as organic herbs, perennial flowers, succu-ents and indoor plants.

For more information visit www.holycomfort-er.episcopalatlanta.org.

Wylde Center to host seminar on how nottowater residential gardens

The Wylde Center, located at 435 OakviewRoad in Decatur, will host a seminar March 22from 1-3 p.m. on proper gardening procedures.

Wylde Center instructor Vronique Perrotand garden manager Monica Poncewill teachattendees techniques to reduce the need to waterheir gardens, ranging from soil and mulch prep-

aration to garden design.Additionally, the pros and cons of various

ways to water will be discussed, as well as rain-water collection. The indepth class is part of theWylde Center Certification program.

For more information or to register email [email protected].

ewish center to offer free health screenings

On Thursday, March 27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., theMarcus Jewish Community Center of AtlantaMJCCA) will partner with Northside Hospital

to present Healthy Happy You: Free CommunityHealth Screenings.

The event will take place at MJCCA, 5342Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.

There will be information and screenings onnon-fasting cholesterol and glucose (finger stick);blood pressure/medical weight (digital average);body composition analysis (infrared technology/bicep); osteoporosis screening (x-ray of non-dominant hand); cancer risk (info on multipletypes of cancer); urodiagnostics (info regardingbladder health); pulmonary function (lung ca-pacity measurement); sleep quality (questions todetermine advisability of a full sleep study); andcoronary risk profile (assess cardiac risk; discusscholesterol results).

For more information, call Rachael Rinehart,(678) 812-4022, or visit www.atlantajcc.org.

Discover Dunwoody nature at night

While Dunwoody Nature Center usually clos-es at sundown, visitors will have the rare chanceto connect with nature after hours, allowing fora completely different sensory experience as thenocturnal animals take over, and nature trulyruns its course.

The leisurely, family-oriented hike on Friday,March 28, will follow trails around the wetlandsand back forests of Dunwoody Park. Under thelight of the stars and armed with flashlights, Na-ture Center educators will guide groups throughthe hike, offering a chance to hear the night timesounds of owls, bats and other nocturnal crea-tures as well as the gentle flow of Wildcat Creek.

The hike is free and runs 7-8 p.m. followed bycocoa, stargazing, and a warming fire. Strollersare not recommended along the mulched trails.

For more information, call (770) 394-3322.

Marriage enrichment class scheduled

Family Dynamics Institute, a national mar-riage education organization, will offer its eight-week United Marriage Enrichment Class inClarkston beginning March 31.

The class will be facilitated by AndrewandMalaika Wells, organizers of Coupled in Christ, amarriage ministry that meets with metro Atlantacouples every two weeks at Atlantas Best Coffeein Scottdale.

The event will be held at Clarkston Unit-ed Methodist Church, 3919 Church Street,

Clarkston. Starting on March 31, the class willrun each Monday 7-9 p.m. The $145 fee percouple covers the cost of the class and all classmaterials. Participants will take a pre- and apost-assessment of their relationship. Class topicsinclude respect, trust, commitment, love and inti-macy. Class size is limited to 12 couples. Registra-tion is done online at www.realgodlylove.com.

NAACP DeKalb County Branch to hold annualmembership breakfast

he NAACP DeKalb County Branch will hostits annual membership breakast on Saturday,March 29, at 8:30 a.m., at Greater ravelers RestBaptist Church, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Deca-tur.

he keynote speaker will be Rev. Jared SawyerJr. Sawyer is the 16-year-old associate minister oCenter Hill Baptist Church. He received his min-isterial license in 2005 and doctrinal ordinationcertiicate in 2014, through the Baptist denomi-

nation o the Christian Church. Sawyer is the re-cipient o the 2013 railblazer Leadership Awardrom Beulah Heights University.

Mistress o ceremonies will be Sophia Choi,news anchor at WSB-V, Channel 2 Action News.

For more inormation, call (404) 241-8006 orvisit [email protected].

Golf tournament to benefit city police depart-ment

A golf tournament to benefit the BrookhavenPolice Department will be held April 7 at theCapital City Club of Brookhaven course. Orga-nized by the Capital City Club and BrookhavenHistoric Neighborhood Association, the tourna-ment is intended to honor and support the policedepartment by providing financial assistance forofficers and their family members. All who playin the upcoming tournament will gain member-

ship into the Brookhaven Police ScholarshipFund, receive a yard sign supporting the tourna-ment, and a commemorative window decal fortheir car.

The tournament will begin with registrationat 10 a.m. The player fee is $325 per person and$1,200 per foursome and, includes green fees,carts, lunch, and awards reception. For more in-formation, email [email protected].

Chamblee to hold spring break camp

Chamblee Parks and Recreation offers a oneweek spring camp during the DeKalb Countyschool spring break April 7-11, for children agessix to 12.

Campers can participate in arts, crafts, gamesand special programs. Camp hours are 7:30 a.m.to 6 p.m. each camp day with scheduled camp ac-tivities from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Space is limited and reservations must bemade in advance.

Camp takes place at the Keswick Park Com-munity Building at 3496 Keswick Drive.

Cost is $75 for residents; $100 for non-resi-dents.

Registration can be completed atww.chambleega.com, by phone at (770) 986-5016,or in person at 3540 Broad Street, Chamblee.

Village to host annual bluegrass festival

Stone Mountain Village is hosting its annual

bluegrass and arts and crafs estival, located onMain Street in Stone Mountain.Te fifh annual Bluegrass Roots Music and

Arts Festival will also commemorate the 175thanniversary o the ounding o Stone Mountain.

Entertainment includes bluegrass music, artsand crafs, olk dancing and other genres o re-gional music.

Te estival will also eature glassblowing, ablacksmith, ood, train rides and inflatables orchildren. Parking, admission and all musical per-ormances are ree and open to the public.

Te estival will be Saturday, March 29, 10a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, March 30, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

For more inormation contact Chris Straw-bridge at (770) 413-0607.

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www.gtc.d 404-297-9522 x1602

An Equal Opportunity Institution.

Summer 2014Admissions

Application/DocumentDEADLINEApril 7, 2014GPTC has more than 140 programsto choose from. We have a low

tuition rate with convenient large

campuses in Clarkston and Covington.

Most classes available online.

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TuckerChiliCook-ofThe Old Town Tucker Merchants Association and The Local No. 7 hosted the third annual

Tucker Chili Cook-Off, March 15. Held on Main Street, the event featured chili samples fromndividual and restaurant competitors. The chili cook-off also included a vendor area featur-

ng local artists and unique goods. There were music performances from The Chris MasseyBand and Joe Hill. Additionally, the Tucker High School Lady Tigers AAAAA State Cham-pion basketball team was honored at the festival for winning the schools first girls basketballchampionship. Photos by Travis Hudgons.

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a strong relationship with thecommunity.

On Decatur police car ishe quote, partners for safer

community. During the ridealong,we patrolled neighborhoods and thebusiness districts in cars and on foot.The officers told me that they do thisnot just to make sure that no crimes occurring, but also to interact withesidents and business owners.

Officer Louis Brown, whohas been with the Decatur PoliceDepartment for more a year, is wellknown in the Oakhurst businessdistrict on the south side of the city.As we visited each business in thedistrict, I saw how Brown interactedwith business owners, employeesand patrons.

Its important to interact withhe business community becauset builds a relationship between

business owners, the communityand law enforcement, Brown said.

Its really essential in communitypolicing [because] the communityhelps law enforcement solve80 percent of all crimes that arecommitted.

Officer C.J. Gresham, whohas been with the Decatur policedepartment since 1997, said thedepartment is well rounded.

We do stuff more professionallyand we actually care about ourcommunity based on interactionalone, Gresham said. When washe last time you went to a bank andaw an officer just walk into a bank

if he actually wasnt conductingbusiness? That doesnt happen.

Were so small and were socommitted to the community thatwere going to do what weresupposed to do, Gresham added.Thats why the community hasthat same affection that we have forthem.

As we patrolled theneighborhoods on the north side ofthe city, I noticed residents wavingat Gresham as they rode by and acouple of residents stopped to speakto him, calling him by his first name.

You get out of the car and talkto people, Gresham said. Thatsthe biggest selling point of ourdepartment that we get out andknow our citizens. Our citizens dontcall me officer. When they see me,they call me C.J. When you developthat rapport, thats when you reallyhave a good base.

When Brown visited the

Oakhurst restaurants and businesses,he addressed each manager andemployee by name and askedthem if everything was ok withthe business. Before he left eachbusiness, he asked who was closingand let that person know that hewould be back around closing timeto make sure the place is locked upsafely.

You really need that relationshipbetween business owners, thecommunity and the police, Brownsaid.

The courtesy, professionalism

and respect (CPR) that officers showto residents and accused persons issomething that Chief Mike Bookerpreaches to his officers. Greshamsaid he preaches that same messageto his trainees.

If youre courteous, professionaland respectful, where does thenegative image come in? Greshamsaid. It cant because Ive doneeverything Ive done to be who I am.When you have a positive encounterwith someone theyll tell you thankyou. That was a CPR encounter.

Gresham used the CPR methodafter arresting a woman who wasdriving with a suspended license.Laura Good was with her 12-year-old daughter when she was pulledover. Gresham did not want to arrestGood in front of her daughter, so heasked her to call someone to pickher daughter up.

Once someone came for the girl,Gresham put Good in handcuffs

and took her to jail. Good did notunderstand why she was beingarrested, so Gresham explained toher in a respectful tone why she wasarrested and told her what she hadto do to fix her situation with herlicense.

Its an administrative processthat I have to do, Gresham saidabout making arrests. I treateveryone the same regardless. Itshard to do but I have to do it. Thatswhat chief instills in us. You have totreat everybody the same.

ecatur Police Ofcer Louis Brown speaks to a Family Dollar storemployee. Brown visits businesses in the Oakhurst business districturing his evening shift.

Ofcer C.J. Gresham talks to bank employees. Photos by Carla Parker

SurvivorContinued From Page 1A

Police Continued From Page 1A


lett said. And I had to figure outwhat I had to do. I didnt have anormal lie to go back to. I didnthave a home to go back to. Ididnt really have anything.

In November 2013, I justdecided I was tired o being sad.I was tired o sulking. So Mallettand her best riend decided to goto Caliornia.

We enjoyed ourselves, Mal-lett said. We experienced somany new things. I just got tothinking, I can do anything Iwant to do.

It was during that trip that shedecided to turn her attention tohelping others, and Live Free wasborn.

Officially launched at Ste-phenson High School, Live Free

is a nonprofit program designedor middle and high schoolgirls ocusing on mentoring,social responsibility, empower-ment, sel-love and communityservice.

Te mission o Live Free is toprovide a place where girls canescape rom societal ideologies,pressures and unrealistic acadeso who and what they shouldbecome, Mallett writes in thenonprofits webpage.

Live Free is sponsoring aBomb Prom program in whichthree high school girls, selectedthrough an essay contest, willwin ull pre-prom preparationincluding dress selection, make-up, pictures, dinner and limoservice to and rom prom.

Te organization is also plan-ning to hold annual service proj-ects and monthly events or teensto showcase and enjoy fine art,live music, poetry, ashion andperorming art.

Tis all-girls program is ameans o reaching out to teen-age girls struggling with lieshardshipshardships that Ihave become quite amiliar withafer surviving a car accident that

killed both o my parents andyounger brother, writes Mal-lett, director and ounder o LiveFree, a program o CambridgeHeights Academy in Atlanta.

I want to show girls that all-ing down is a part o lie, but thekey is getting up afer the all,Mallett said. Whatever youregoing through, whatever yourestruggling with, it might not beas severe as losing your am-ily, buteverybody has theirstruggles.

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Clarkston annexation bill introducedby Daniel [email protected]

With the borders o pro-posed cities encroaching onts boundaries, Clarkston hasntroduced a map o its owno expand its borders and in-rease tax revenue.

House Bill 1128, intro-

duced March 11 by Rep. Mi-chelle Henson, was reportedavorably out o committee

and now goes to the Senateloor or a vote.

I passed, the bill wouldallow Clarkston residents tovote on annexing two areasduring the May primary elec-ions.

he two proposed an-nexation areas are located tohe northeast and southwest

o the city, adjacent to EastPonce de Leon Avenue andBrockett Lane respectively.

According to the most recentmap the areas are approxi-mately 385 acres.

Clarkstons city limits areurrently only 1.1 square

miles and City Manager

Keith Barker said that inorder or the city to be sus-tainable long-term, it needsto ind ways to increase rev-enue.

he proposed cities oLakeside, ucker and Briar-cli all introduced maps thatencroach upon Clarkston,which Barker said will limit

the citys ability to controlits gateways and protect itsinterests.

From a tax standpoint,were trying to expand anddiversiy our tax base mean-ing were trying to get morecommercial and residentialproperty, Barker said. Wereimplementing capital andbeautiication projects andyouve got to have some rev-enue to do that.

In the three years Barkerhas served as city manager,he said, Clarkstons tax digest

has allen drastically. Ad-ditionally, he said approxi-mately 95 percent o the cityis residential not commercialproperty, which makes eco-nomic development diicult.


Ater the establishmento several community im-provement districts (CID) inDeKalb County in the past

year, an area located in eastDeKalb County has beenpushing to become the nextone.

he proposed East MetroDeKalb CID encompassesapproximately 39 squaremiles and contains more than$1.3 billion worth o com-mercial and industrial par-cels, according to its website.

he East Metro DeKalbCID will ocus on the areasurrounding Stonecrest, Pa-

nola Road, Wesley ChapelRoad, Candler Road, Memo-ial Drive, Flat Shoals Park-

way, Gresham Road, Cov-ngton Highway, urner Hill

Road and Evans Mill Road.A CID is a sel-taxing

district that uses additionalproperty tax dollars to imple-ment beautiication, publicaety and inrastructure

projects to increase its eco-nomic viability. Each districts composed o private, non-

exempt commercial proper-ies zoned as oice/industrial

and retail properties. EachCID must be approved byhe DeKalb County Board o

Commissioners.

Raquel Obumba, EastMetro DeKalb CID projectmanager, predicts the pro-posed CID would generatemore than $2.5 million witha millage rate o 5 mills. heinal millage rate would be

set only ater the district isapproved by commissioners.Obumba said the orma-

tion committee is in the pro-cess o contacting propertyowners located within theproposed CID district askingthem to sign a consent orm,allowing them to participatein it.

Ater the committeehas contacted all propertyowners, the CID must beapproved by the tax commis-sioner beore being adoptedby the board o commission-ers.

Representatives rom thevarious corridors will ormthe CID board o directors,Obumba said.

According to a newsrelease, improving the in-rastructure o an area isimperative or an areascommercial success. Fund-ing rom the East Metro CIDwill be used to implementimprovements or transpor-tation, streetscapes and en-hanced mobility.

he East Metro CID willalso use unds to reduce

neighborhood crime and en-

hance public saety by hiringprivate security orces ando-duty police oicers.

President o the ormationcommittee, Doreen Carter,said she irst got engaged inthe discussion o a CID or

the area in 2008. Carter saidthere hasnt been a successulvehicle in the proposed areathat would allow the privatesector to participate in eco-nomic development.

I you look at the devel-opment that has transpiredin other communities thathave CIDs there has beensigniicant improvementin economic development,Carter said. his will be thecatalyst that will help push usorward.

Carter said their objec-tive is to have the East Metro

CIDs irst board meetingthis summer, assuming itsapproved by the tax commis-sioner and the board o com-missioners.

East Metro DeKalb County CID gains momentum

Governor promises newinterchange in Perimeter area

NOTICEOFPUBLICHEARINGTheMayorandCityCounciloftheCityofChamblee,Georgiawillholdapublichearingat

6:00p.m.onThursday,April10,2014attheChambleeCivicCenter,3540BroadStreet,

Chamblee,GA30341toreceivepubliccommentsregardingthefollowingmatters:

CFDPeachtreeBoulevard,LLCrequestsapprovalofaPlannedUnitDevelopmentfor

ChambleeGatewaySouth,aproposedmixedusedevelopmentonparcel1830004001

consistingof

5.95

acres

located

at

5193

Peachtree

Boulevard

as

provided

in

Section

207

of

the

ZoningOrdinance,AppendixAoftheChambleeCodeofOrdinances.

Thesameapplicationalsorequestsvarianceswithrespecttothefollowingprovisionsofthe

ZoningOrdinance,AppendixAoftheChambleeCodeofOrdinances:1. Section907.A.2thatrequiressidewalkuseswithstreetfrontageonPeachtreeBoulevardto

beretailorofficewithaminimumdepthof20ft.

2. Section906.Ethatrequiresresidentialunitsadjacenttothesidewalktohaveindividualentrancesopeningdirectlyuponthesidewalk.

3. Section904.A.4thatrequiresterraces,porchesandstoopstohaveamaximumfinishedfloorheightof24inchesabovefinishedgrade.

4. Section.909.A.3thatrequiresthatbuildingsinexcessof50feetinheighttostepbackthatportionofthebuildinggreaterthan50feetinheightaminimumlineardistanceoftenfeet

awayfromthebuildingfacadelocatedbelowthe50footheight.

5. Section1208.D.thatrequiresthatparkingdeckswitharooflevelparkingsurfaceopentothe

sky

and

without

another

floor

or

surface

above

shall

meet

the

landscaping

requirements

ofsubsection1205A.and1205B.forthatportionoftheparkingdecksurfacethatisopento

theskyandwithoutanotherfloororsurfaceaboveit.

6. Section1208.Athatrequiresparkingdeckfacadestoconcealautomobilesfromvisibilityfromanypublicrightofwayorprivatedriveorstreetthatareopentothegeneralpublic,

andtohavetheappearanceofahorizontalstoriedbuilding.

7. Section1208.Cthatrequiresthatallparkingdecksandparkingstructuresshallhavealandscapestripaminimumwidthofsixfeetimmediatelycontiguoustotheparkingfacility

forthewholeoftheexteriorperimeteroftheparkingfacilitycontainingatleastone

understoryoroverstorytree,asappropriate,andtenshrubsper50linearfeet,anda

minimumof90percentlivinggroundcover,sod,and/orannualorperennialcolorinthe

landscapestripsurfacearea.

8. Section1304.Qthatprohibitsroofsigns.9. Section1308.A.1.b.thatlimitsthemaximumallowedareaforaprincipalbuildingsignfor

eachbusinessortenantshallbeonesquarefootofsignfaceareaperlinearfootofthe

tenantfrontageor200squarefeet,whicheveristhesmallerarea.

10. Section.1308A.2.thatstatesthatabuildingsignmaynotprojecthigherthanthewallorsurfaceitisattachedto.

by Andrew [email protected]

Gov. Nathan Dealmadea promise to Perimeter busi-ness and government lead-ers March 14 and remindedthem o a promise kept.

Im going to promise

you that were going to build,inish and open a new in-terchange at [GA] 400 and

I-285, Deal told approxi-mately 200 business and gov-ernment leaders gathered ora Perimeter Business Alliancelunch.

he interchange is located

See Deal on page 15A

Governor Nathan Deal thanks Perimeter leaders for helping make thestate a top place for business. Photo provided.

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Google looking at three DeKalbcities for super-fast Internet

With legislative session comingto close, cityhood bills fall short

by Marta [email protected]

Recently Google announced that Avondale Estates, De-catur and Brookhaven are three of 34 cities across the coun-try that the Silicon Valley giant is looking to bring its new,

ultra-fast, fiber-optic internet service.The internet company announced that it will work close-ly with city leaders and staff on a joint planning process toexplore what it would take to build a brand new fiber-opticnetwork capable of delivering gigabit speeds throughout thetest cities.

Implementing abundant, high-speed broadband accesswill encourage economic development and allow the city tobecome a test bed for new technology and ideas that havethe potential to improve our daily lives, Avondale Estatesmayor Ed Riekersaid.

The company states that Google Fiber operates at 100times the speed typically provided by other cable companiesand would allow users to download a feature-length moviein a matter of seconds, and seamlessly stream HD content.

Google has given each city a checklist to complete, toprovide information about infrastructure and access to ex-isting poles and underground conduit.

All metro Atlanta cities have until May 1 to gather therequested information. Residents can expect to hear anannouncement by the end of 2014 on whether the metroAtlanta cities will receive Google Fiber, Clai Brown, citymanager of Avondale Estates said.

Director of communications of BrookhavenDana John-sonsaid the city staff is also working to put together theinformation requested by Google and emphasized that it isnot a competition between the cities.

I believe this is a benefit to our areas economic develop-ment, and drives innovation through increased competitionin this market for internet and television service, Johnsonadded.

Decatur Mayor Jim Baskettsaid the entire communityof homes, schools and places of worship would benefit

from faster internet speeds and the city is looking forwardto Google building the infrastructure for this technologicalinvestment in community.

Decatur is known for being forward thinking in ourcommitment to sustainable, long-term planning. We nowhave the opportunity to demonstrate that we are fiber readyand future ready, Baskett said.

The other cities being considered by Google are Atlanta,East Point, Hapeville, Sandy Springs and Smyrna.

According to the internet company, metro Atlanta citieswere chosen because they have a growing technology start-up scene, with hundreds of new companies and a vibrantco-working/incubator scene.

The Kauffman Foundation, a major entrepreneur-fo-cused nonprofit, ranked Atlanta as one of the countrys top10 cities for entrepreneurial activity in 2012.

Cities that already have the service are Austin, Texas;Provo, Utah; and Kansas City, Mo.


here will be no new citiesn DeKalb County this yearater a House committee rec-ommended a proposal romLakeside, which included amap or ucker, be put onhold until the next legislativeession.

Lakesides bill (SB 270),ntroduced by Sen. Fran Mil-ar, has been accused o be-ng a mostly partisan bill byome legislators, such as Rep.

Mary Margaret Oliverwhontroduced Briarclis bill. Athe committee hearing, Millar

was orced to withdraw his

bill or lack o support andchided his ellow Republicanegislators or tabling the vote

until next year.Next year, Lakeside needs

o pass the House irst be-cause the Senate, and me, hasno aith in their response,Millar said ater the vote.Obviously, I will continueo support citizens right to

vote.Mary Kay Woodworth,

chairwoman or the Lakeside

City Alliance board, saidthere will be much debateas to the reasons behind the

withdrawal o SB 270 butMillar was behind the groupevery step o the way.

It is a very sad day or ourneighbors and our county,but we will igure out a way tomove orward positively andtogether, Woodworth said.

he proposed cities oLakeside, Briarcli, uckerand Stonecrest all under-went easibility studies toprove their viability. he onlyproposed city that was notdemonstrated to be viable wasStonecrest, the other areashad bills drated by legislators

and dropped on the loor othe General Assembly.Ater several months o

discussion o the proposedcities, both Lakeside and Bri-arcli emerged as the mostlikely bills to pass. However,the two sides could not cometo a consensus on several keyboundary issues and bothwere tabled at a House com-mittee meeting March 12.

Allen Venet, president othe City o Briarcli Initiative,

accused Lakeside oicials andlegislators o developing amap behind closed doors.

his is not transparent.his is the type o govern-ment that makes voters cyni-cal, Venet said.

According to Venet, theproposed city o Briarcli is50 percent more inanciallyeasible than Lakeside andthree times stronger thanucker.

Rep. Scott Holcomb, whoattended the governmental a-airs committee meeting, saidRep. Mike Jacobs requestedneither Lakeside nor uckerbe allowed to move orwardthis year.

o do so would requirechanging the rules o theHouse, Holcomb said. Sucha change would not havepassed the House Rules Com-mittee.

Holcomb said just becausethere wasnt a vote this yeardoesnt mean there wont beone next year. However, Mil-lar has said previously that hewould no longer sponsor theLakeside bill in the Senate.

within the Perimeter Com-munity Improvement Dis-ricts (PCIDs), which in May

2013 has committed $10.5million to help improve thecongestion problems at thenterchange. A multijurisdic-ional, bipartisan partnership

o elected oicials and busi-ness leaders was ormed toadvocate or reconstructiono the interchange which,whenever there are traicproblems at the interchange,gridlocks the cities o Dun-

woody, Brookhaven andSandy Springs.And i you and the other

people in the state o Georgiagive me the opportunity, Iook orward to being thereo cut the ribbon on that oc-

casion, Deal added.When we talk about

keeping promises, I just cameup [GA 400], and I didnthave to stop and pay a toll,Deal said. And neither didyou. hats another promisehat was made and kept.

Deal also said the Perim-eter area is one o the mostvibrant parts o our entiretate and has contributed to

Georgia being named by SiteSelectionmagazine the No. 1tate in which to do business.

hat was a goal and apromise that I made and Iam very pleased that we wereable to achieve that goal andulill that promise. And youwere a very important parto making that happen, Dealsaid.

he governor noted thenew investments and jobgrowth occurring in theCentral Perimeter market,including State Farm, oneo the largest corporate o-ice developments in metro

Atlantas history; Cox Enter-prises new 578,000-square-oot tower under construc-tion; and AirWatch, whichdecided in 2013 to add 800jobs to its headquarters inPerimeter.

Statewide, 241,000 newprivate sector jobs have beencreated since he took oicein January 2011, Deal said.

We are on track to reacha quarter o a million newprivate sector jobs by the endo my irst term in oice,and I am proud o that, Dealsaid.

he state o Georgia isreally on the minds o peopleall over this country. It isnot just those in the busi-ness community looking or

places to come and expand,Deal said.

It is on the minds opeople in government allacross this country, he said.hey are looking to thestate o Georgia or some othe things that we are doingright.

Deal thanked the Perime-ter business and governmentleaders or helping to makeGeorgia No. 1.

hank you or what youare going to do to continue

us to have that very preemi-nent position, Deal said.I am especially apprecia-

tive o the cooperation o the[PCIDs] with the I-285-Ga.400 interchange project, hesaid.

Your willingness to par-ticipate inancially in thatundertaking is good, not justbecause o the revenues thatit represents, but becauseit is an example to the resto the state that when thereare projects that are in o animportance to their region othe state, it helps i the localcommunities will step up anddo their part as well, Dealsaid. You have set an excel-lent example.

DealContinued from page 14A

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 16ABUSINESS

The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce

404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030

by Marta [email protected]

Tucker resident Paige Lievanoalways has dreamed about establish-ng her own clothing line business.

But Lievano knows that it takesmore than a passion for fashiono start a successful company. Sheaunched her business P Creates in

2008 after being laid off from herob while on maternity leave with

her first daughter.I am always grateful for every

opportunity that comes my way,good and bad, she said. I really tryo look at every situation as a learn-ng opportunity. The key to my suc-

cess, I would say, is making every-hing with as much love as possible.

After years of success selling herclothing and children accessoriesmade of recycle materials in festivalsand local craft events, this DeKalbdesigner wanted to take her busi-ness to the next level so looked for

help in her community. She got itthrough the Business AcceleratorProgramin Clarkston that supportsmicro-entrepreneurs.

This program targets entrepre-neurs that are launching small busi-nesses within the Clarkston area,said Peter Roberts, academic direc-tor of Social Enterprise @ Goizueta.We were looking for individualswho establish small but sustainablebusinesses that support themselves

and their families, while collectivelysupplying a range of services anda sense of purpose and vitality toClarkston.

According to Roberts, 15 partici-pants out of 68 applicants were cho-sen based on the potential and pas-sion that each entrepreneur bringsto the table.

Our program is designed to helpentrepreneurs reach their full poten-tial by allowing them to work withother talented entrepreneurs andwith a group of committed business

mentors in a program that is de-signed to focus participants on thechallenging tasks of business andfinancial planning, he said.

Sponsored by Social Enterprise@ Goizueta at Emory University,Clarkston Community Center andRefugee Womens Network, amongothers, the program will give accessto the top three entrepreneurs to a$10,000 low-cost loan to developtheir businesses.

My participation in the Vil-cap business acceleration course isamazing, Lievano assured.

As an artist, I tend not to look atthe numbers behind my creations,and this class has given me the op-portunity to understand how to runa successful business while doingwhat I love. Im learning about howto look at my art business from awhole different perspective, whilebeing partnered with mentors totalk about ideas, she added.

Besides the clothing line, Lievano

would like to expand her businessto a childrens bedding line, some ofwhich could be made in Colombia,where her husband is from.

I would love to travel back andforth more, giving my daughters achance to learn about running aninternational business while stayingattached to their heritage, said theTucker resident.

Lievano is already selling her cre-ations at Salon Red in Brookhaven

and Decatur and Inman Park DryGoods. The artist said starting anew business can be daunting butsmall businesses are an Americantradition and a part of the Americandream.

I have a family that believesin me and knows that this is mypassion. I really want to show mydaughters [Gabrielle, 5, and AnnaFrances, 2] that they can make theirdreams come true if they really wantit, she concluded.

Tucker designer gets a step closer to her dream

The key to Paige Lievanos success, she said, is making everything with as much love as possible. This DeKalb artist sells her creationsthrough her website www.pcreates.com and her Facebook page P Creates. Photos by Marta Garcia

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 17ACLASSIFIEDS

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DISCLAIMER:We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate, or intend to discriminate, on any illegal basis. Nor do we knowingly accept employment advertisementsthat are not bona-fide job offers. All real estate advertisements are subject to the fair housing act and we do not accept advertising that is in violation of the law. The law prohibits

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 19ASPORTS

Lawyers beat doctors in charity game for Side Brain Injury Clubhouse

GPC wins game on walk off home run

by Carla [email protected]

Some of Atlantas lawyersnow have bragging rightsover some doctors after theawyers won the third an-

nual Jawbones vs. Sawbonesbasketball benefit gameMarch 15.

The game, which washeld at the Decatur HighSchool gym, is a fundraiser

or the Side by Side Brain In-ury Clubhouse in of Stone

Mountain. Side by Side isGeorgias only nonprofitorganization committed toproviding lifelong support to

people with traumatic braininjury.

The clubhouse is a placefor brain injured adults to

work together in a support-ive environment to movefrom hospital patients tocontributing communitymembers, according to itswebsite. Side by Side is aplace to get the skills thatthey need to achieve a newnormal life.

The lawyers (Jawbones)defeated the doctors (Saw-bones) 76-71 and brokethe 1-1 tie between the two

teams. The event also in-cluded a silent auction, livemusic, photo opportunitieswith Falcons cheerleadersand the Chick-fil-A cow.Items in the silent auction

included art, jewelry, petand gift baskets and sportsmemorabilia.

Jack Sartain, a StoneMountain resident and sup-porter of Side By Side, saidthe game benefits the or-ganization because peoplewith traumatic brain injuriesneed help.

When your brain isinjured you cant functionwell anymore, Sartain said.

These folks need someonewho can help them. Thisgame serves as an opportu-nity for folks who are braininjured to get together.

The Georgia Perimeter Col-ege (GPC) baseball team defeated

Middle Georgia College Knights 7-6on a walk off inthepark home runn the second matchup of the day

March 15.Middle Georgia defeated GPC7-6 in 10 innings in the first match-up and the Jaguars found themselvesdown 5-0 in the second game. How-ever, they overcame the deficit andied the game at six all going into the

eighth inning.GPC reliever Dylan Williams

etired the Knights in the top of thenning and London Lindleycame

up to the plate for GPC. Lindley hita one-out single up the middle. Theball rolled through the center field-ers legs, and Lindley ran around thebases and slid head first into home,winning the game for the Jaguars.

Im very proud of how the guysesponded, GPC Head Coach Brett

Campbell said. After a tough lossn extra innings and giving up a

five-spot in the first inning of the

second game, most teams wouldhave packed it in. But this team hassome toughness, and they play hard.Thats what makes teams special.

GPC remains alone at the topof the Georgia Collegiate AthleticAssociation standings with a 7-1league record, 18-8 on the season.

The Knights scored five runs in

the first inning of the second gameof a two-run single by AndrewStroud. Drew Taylorand RyanLawlessfollowed with run-scoringhits.

In the bottom of the first, GPCchipped away at the lead, Jerad Cur-ryhitting a two-run double to drivein Lindley and LaDonis Bryant,

who had singled and walked.Middle Georgia added a run in

the third when Stroud walked andbenefited from two wild pitchesto cross the plate. Then the Jaguar

bullpen gave the hitters a chance tocatch up.Michael Peelecame on in relief

and shut down the Knights, strikingout five in 2 2/3 innings. Winningpitcher Williams (2-0) later took themound and threw two-hit ball for3 1/3 innings, striking out one andwalking none.

The Jaguars four-run rally inthe fifth knotted the game at 6-6.Bryant led off with a single; Curryreached on an error; Tyler Land-mon, Charles Sheffieldand Ty-ler Schwartzhit consecutive RBIsingles and pinch hitter Austin Sim-monsbrought in the sixth run with

a groundout.Lindley hit the inthepark home

run to win the game.

The third annual Jawbones and Sawbones basketball benet game was held March 15 at the Decatur High School gym. The game benets the Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse in ofStone Mountain. Photos by Carla Parker

The event also included a silent auction, live music and photoopportunities with Falcons cheerleaders and the Chick-l-A cow.

London Lindley circles the bases and slides home with the walk-off run. Photo by GeraldMoulder

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R.A.D. Studio Cruise

Love To Shop Here. Love To Save Here.

For a list of current Buy One Get One Free

deals, weekly specials, and coupons, visitpublix.com/save.To view deals on

your smartphone, scan the code.

What can make Mommy and me time even sweeter? How about the money you save

shopping at Publix for your favorite treats and other items your family loves? With a little

planning, you can enjoy great Buy One Get One Free deals and weekly specials throughout

the store. Bring in your coupons, and save even more. With all the ways Publix helps you

stretch your grocery dollars, you can indulge and have something left over: money.

Scoop up hugs, kisses,andSavings.

The seventh annual Rail Arts District Studio Cruiseook place March 15 in Avondale Estates. The neighbor-

hood open house featured visual, performing and culinaryarts at more than a dozen venues, including artist studios,performance spaces, and local boutiques and galleries.Some of this years featured studios were, Little Tree ArtStudios, MudFire Clayworks, Paper Trail Art Center andAtlanta Hot Glass, LLC. Photos by Travis Hudgons Barry Sons

Nate NardiDave Newburn

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2014 PAGE 21ACLASSIFIEDS

8/12/2019 FreePress 3-21-14

22/24


Radio Continued From Page 8A Traffic improvements coming toBrookhaven intersection

8/12/2019 FreePress 3-21-14

23/24


Decatur Bulldogs

Cities Continued From Page 9Aby Daniel [email protected]

Representatives and legislators fromhe proposed cities of Lakeside and Bri-

arcliff appeared before the governmental

affairs committee of the General Assem-bly to discuss the aspects of each bill.Currently, there are three proposed

citiesLakeside, Briarcliff and Tucker.Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, who

sponsored the city of Briarcliff bill (HB665), said she is the only member of theGeneral Assembly who lives in one ofthe proposed cities.

Many things are unique about ourposition before the General Assembly

today, Oliver said.Oliver said there are many success-ful cities in DeKalb County, all of whichhave annexation plans. Additionally,Oliver said, all of the current cityhood

Atlanta cyclists use bikes to raise their voices

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Love To Shop Here. Love To Save Here.

For a list of current Buy One Get One Free

deals, weekly specials, and coupons, visit

publix.com/save.To view deals on

What can make Mommy and me time even sweeter? How about the money you save

shopping at Publix for your favorite treats and other items your family loves? With a little

planning, you can enjoy great Buy One Get One Free deals and weekly specials throughout

the store. Bring in your coupons, and save even more. With all the ways Publix helps you

stretch your grocery dollars, you can indulge and have something left over: money.

Scoop up hugs, kisses,

andSavin

gs.

Friends of Blackburn Park help clean park

freepress 3-21-14

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