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VOLUME 21 NUMBER 10 FREE JUNE 6, 2015 Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews Candlelight Vigil page 8 Outpouring of support for two slain in Conyers shooting rampage By Joshua Smith and Valerie J. Morgan H undreds of supporters came together to pray, cry and sing during a candlelight vigil on June 3 to remember Mun “Moon” Cha and Otonicar Jimquez Aikens, who were killed in a shooting rampage at the Magnet Bottle Shop in Conyers by an angry customer. Cha and Aikens were shot to death by Jeffrey Scott Pitts, 36, on May 31. Pitts walked into the store that Sunday around 5 p.m. and started shooting without saying a word, witnesses told police. Todd Scott, who was in the store at the time, realized the store was under attack and returned fire. Sheriff Eric Levett said it was Scott’s heroic act that likely saved his own life and that of other customers and workers inside the store. Pitts, deputies said, had been at the store earlier that day and had a dispute over an unpaid tab. When he returned about four hours later, he opened fire, hitting Cha and Aikens. Pitts then fled to his home where he shot his parents, who survived. Pitts was killed at his house in a shootout with deputies after they ordered him to surrender and he refused, firing from a garage. The rampage stunned the quiet Co- nyers community but brought out many to grieve with the families of the two victims who were killed. The candle- light vigil was held in the parking lot of the store, which Cha’s family owned. Holding one another, some cried out “We love you, Moon,” while others, so overcome with grief, sobbed. At the candlelight vigil, customer Pedro Maddox said the world lost a great man in Cha, who would often let Family members of victims Mun “Moon” Cha and Otonicar Jimquez Aikens mourn as the community rallies around them at the June 3 candlelight vigil. DeKalb’s finances stronger ICEO Lee May: ‘We are turning the corner’ By Valerie J. Morgan and Joshua Smith D eKalb County residents will get a small property tax cut—the first in 11 years— and several county services will be enhanced under a mid-year adjusted budget Interim CEO Lee May is recommending. “We are stronger and we are a better government. Despite all of the chal- lenges you may read in the newspaper and see on television, I am here to say we are indeed turning the corner,” May said during a press conference on June 2. May’s recommendations include socking away $57.5 million in re- serves and providing $1 million for the first phase of police body cam- eras; $994,000 for parks; $571,000 for enhanced services for DeKalb’s new Traffic Court; and $400,000 for library materials, to name a few of the highlights. May says he wants to not only to be able to save for a rainy day, pay the bills and enhance services, but keep homeowners from having to shell out more for property taxes. To help homeowners, he is recommend- ing a millage rate of 20.81 mills, a decrease of 0.4 mills from 21.21 mills in 2014. The tax cut, the first since 2004, amounts to about $20 in annual savings on a $100,000 home; $34 in annual savings for a $200,000 home; and $50 in yearly savings for a home valued at $300,000. Ashley Lee of Decatur said mall or not, she appreciates any and all tax cuts. “I don’t see them raising taxes on the back end, so it all sounds good to me,” said Lee. “Whether it’s five dol- lars, 10, or 50, with everything else out here going up like food and gas, I think any kind of tax cut is a help.” Not everyone is jumping for joy, however. Jemel Sheldon of Stone Mountain called the tax cut a polit- ical move, speculating that May is reducing taxes because he may run for CEO next year. Said Sheldon: “It’s not a lot of money cut for us, when you are already shell- ing out so much a year on property value taxes. Is it really a great thing or just a way to get in good before an election?” May said he hopes the Board of Commissioners will approve the budget by July 14. He plans to hold a series of Town Hall meetings over the next several days with citizens to discuss his proposal. “Our fiscal house is getting in order and the taxpayers are getting a tax break. Now we are in this position by controlling our spending, by living within our means, by living by con- servative budget principles in addition to better than expected market condi- tions,” said May, who added that the tax-funded budget is $630 million, while the county’s total funds budget is $1.4 billion. Commissioner Stan Watson, who represents DeKalb’s Super District 7, says he thinks the budget propos- al sounds fine but must be reviewed before the board as a whole can make a decision. “It (the proposed budget) posi- tions us to add body cameras to our police force for transparency and it increases our fund balance or savings account by almost $15 million,” said Watson. “This budget, coupled with efficiency studies and our one-day-a- DeKalb Finances page 8

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VOLUME 21 NUMBER 10  FREE  JUNE 6, 2015

Published Since April 1995Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews

Candlelight Vigil page 8

Outpouring of support for two slain in Conyers shooting rampage

By Joshua Smith and Valerie J. Morgan

Hundreds of supporters came together to pray, cry and sing during a candlelight vigil on June

3 to remember Mun “Moon” Cha and Otonicar Jimquez Aikens, who were killed in a shooting rampage at the Magnet Bottle Shop in Conyers by an angry customer.

Cha and Aikens were shot to death

by Jeffrey Scott Pitts, 36, on May 31. Pitts walked into the store that Sunday around 5 p.m. and started shooting without saying a word, witnesses told police. Todd Scott, who was in the store at the time, realized the store was under attack and returned fire. Sheriff Eric Levett said it was Scott’s heroic act that likely saved his own life and that of other customers and workers inside the store.

Pitts, deputies said, had been at the

store earlier that day and had a dispute over an unpaid tab. When he returned about four hours later, he opened fire, hitting Cha and Aikens. Pitts then fled to his home where he shot his parents, who survived. Pitts was killed at his house in a shootout with deputies after they ordered him to surrender and he refused, firing from a garage.

The rampage stunned the quiet Co-nyers community but brought out many to grieve with the families of the two

victims who were killed. The candle-light vigil was held in the parking lot of the store, which Cha’s family owned. Holding one another, some cried out “We love you, Moon,” while others, so overcome with grief, sobbed.

At the candlelight vigil, customer Pedro Maddox said the world lost a great man in Cha, who would often let

Family members of victims Mun “Moon” Cha and Otonicar Jimquez Aikens mourn as the community rallies around them at the June 3 candlelight vigil.

DeKalb’s finances strongerICEO Lee May: ‘We are turning the corner’

By Valerie J. Morgan and Joshua Smith

DeKalb County residents will get a small property tax cut—the first in 11 years—and several county services

will be enhanced under a mid-year adjusted budget Interim CEO Lee May is recommending. “We are stronger and we are a better government. Despite all of the chal-

lenges you may read in the newspaper and see on television, I am here to say we are indeed turning the corner,” May said during a press conference on June 2. May’s recommendations include socking away $57.5 million in re-serves and providing $1 million for the first phase of police body cam-eras; $994,000 for parks; $571,000 for enhanced services for DeKalb’s new Traffic Court; and $400,000 for library materials, to name a few of the highlights. May says he wants to not only to be able to save for a rainy day, pay the bills and enhance services, but keep homeowners from having to shell out more for property taxes. To help homeowners, he is recommend-ing a millage rate of 20.81 mills, a decrease of 0.4 mills from 21.21 mills in 2014. The tax cut, the first since 2004, amounts to about $20 in annual savings on a $100,000 home; $34 in annual savings for a $200,000 home; and $50 in yearly savings for a home valued at $300,000.

Ashley Lee of Decatur said mall or not, she appreciates any and all tax cuts.“I don’t see them raising taxes on the back end, so it all sounds good to me,” said Lee. “Whether it’s five dol-lars, 10, or 50, with everything else out here going up like food and gas, I think any kind of tax cut is a help.” Not everyone is jumping for joy, however. Jemel Sheldon of Stone Mountain called the tax cut a polit-ical move, speculating that May is reducing taxes because he may run for CEO next year. Said Sheldon: “It’s not a lot of money cut for us, when you are already shell-ing out so much a year on property value taxes. Is it really a great thing or just a way to get in good before an election?” May said he hopes the Board of Commissioners will approve the budget by July 14. He plans to hold a series of Town Hall meetings over the next several days with citizens to discuss his proposal.

“Our fiscal house is getting in order and the taxpayers are getting a tax break. Now we are in this position by controlling our spending, by living within our means, by living by con-servative budget principles in addition to better than expected market condi-tions,” said May, who added that the tax-funded budget is $630 million, while the county’s total funds budget is $1.4 billion.Commissioner Stan Watson, who represents DeKalb’s Super District 7, says he thinks the budget propos-al sounds fine but must be reviewed before the board as a whole can make a decision.

“It (the proposed budget) posi-tions us to add body cameras to our police force for transparency and it increases our fund balance or savings account by almost $15 million,” said Watson. “This budget, coupled with efficiency studies and our one-day-a-

DeKalb Finances page 8

PAGE 2 •JUNE 6, 2015  WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

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EDITOR/PUBLISHER Valerie J. Morgan

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GENERAL MANAGERGlenn L. Morgan

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STAFF WRITER Joshua Smith

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ADVERTISING MANAGER Richard S. Hill

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Special Election DeKalb’s District 5

June 16 P A I D F O R A N D A U T H O R I Z E D B Y E D M O N D S O N F O R D E K A L B E d m o n d s o n F o r D e K a l b . C o m

• R E S T O R I N G T R U S T• B U I L D I N G A S T R O N G E R E C O N O M Y • K E E P I N G S O U T H D E K A L B S A F E

Low voter turnout so far in DeKalb’s District 5 Special Election

By Valerie J. Morgan and Joshua Smith

Voters are not racing to the polls for DeKalb County’s District 5 Special Election, even though the Board of Commissioners’ seat has been unrepresented for nearly two years. Only 95 of District 5’s nearly 95,000 registered voters have participated in the Special Election so far. About 140,000 residents live in District 5.

DeKalb County Voter Registra-tion and Elections Director Maxine Daniels says the low turnout as of June 3, however, doesn’t necessari-ly mean there will be a low turnout on June 16. She said people may be weighing their options rather than taking advantage of early voting, which began on May 26.

“Special elections like this one can be tricky. Turnout could pick up on Election Day,” said Daniels. “There are 10 candidates. That’s a lot to take in. There are probably a lot of undecided voters out there who will attend more forums and other events to hear from the candidates and get a better understanding of who they want to vote for. I hear that hundreds of people are attending the candidates’ forums.”

So far, three of 10 forums that have been publicized by various community groups have been held. And while hundreds collectively have attended, many people have been in attendance at the forums, observers say.

Candidate Harmel Codi became upset at the June 2 forum, hosted by the Greater Lithonia Chamber, when it was announced the audience could participate in a straw poll on how well candi-dates answered the questions. Codi said she objected because the audience was stacked with supporters of some of the candidates, some of whom could not even vote in the election. The Chamber said, however, many people kept their score cards for their per-sonal use to rank the candidates.

The candidates vying for the District 5 seat: Greg Adams,

Emory police officer; Harmel Deanne Codi, child advocate/ed-ucational consultant; Jerome Edmondson, CEO of Entrepreneur Development Network and TopTell USA; Gwen Russell Green, poet and veteran educator of the DeKalb County School Sys-tem; Developer Vaughn Irons, CEO of APD Solutions; Attorney Mereda Davis Johnson, partner with Johnson Hopewell Coleman, LLC; Attorney Gina Mangham, community watchdog; Kathryn Rice, consultant in community economic development; Kenneth Saunders, III, a technology consultant and member of the DeKalb Parks Bond Advisory Committee; and George Turner, a retired MARTA supervisor and president of the District 5 Community Council.

The following forums for District 5 are scheduled this month: Monday, June 8, 7 p.m., Community Achievement Center,

4522 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur Tuesday, June 9, 7 p.m., Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike

Road, Lithonia, hosted by the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Stone-Mountain Lithonia Chapter;

District 5 page 6

PAGE 4 •JUNE 6, 2015  WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Coming Up

Juneteenth festival set at Atlanta’s Mosley Park

The City of Atlanta’s Mosley Park, 1685 Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive, N.W., Atlanta, will host a Juneteenth parade and music festival on June 11—14, 4 – 9 p.m.

The park will be celebrating the emancipation of African descendants from slavery. This year’s theme is “Rebuilding Communities One Neighborhood At A Time.” The event will unite churches, mosques, families, clubs, businesses, schools and

civic organizations. There also will be a parade, kids’ zone, health fair, arts and crafts pavilion, live performances, spoken word artists, multi-cultural food ven-dors and a “Super Dance” pavilion. You can also trace your roots with genealogy experts. Admission is free. For more information, call Robert Johnson at 404-753-4555 or

visit www.juneteenthatl.com.

ATLANTA

Chastain Park transformed into Mississippi

The Mississippi Society of Georgia will host “Atlanta’s 7th Annual Mississippi in the Park” on Saturday, June 6, 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Chastain Park, 4469 Stella Drive, N.W., Atlanta. The annual picnic serves as a reunion for anyone with ties to Mississippi. Vendor

booths from Mississippi colleges and universities will be in attendance. The picnic includes live entertainment, a catfish fish fry and door prizes up for grabs.This year’s entertainment will include some familiar faces as the society wel-

comes back “The Shufflejunkies” with a special appearance by “Lady D.” This is a rain or shine event. Admission is free. For more information, call Steve

Ruegger at 404-863-3566.

DEKALB

“Scam Jam 2015” in Decatur

The DeKalb County Triad and Seniors and Law Enforcement will host “Scam Jam 2015” on Thursday, June 11, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., at the Manuel Maloof Auditori-um, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur. State Sen. Gloria Butler, who represents District 55, will serve as the keynote

speaker. Butler will discuss laws protecting seniors from scams, fraud and financial exploitation and answer questions from attendees. This is your opportunity to learn about common scams and fraud and how you

can avoid becoming a victim. For more information, call Tarsellia Oliver at 770-296-1179.

Commissioner Larry Johnson sets Family and Friends Day

DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson and Dr. Curtis Thrasher will host “Family and Friends Day in the Park” on Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the Gresham Park Recreation Center, 3113 Gresham Road, Atlanta. The event includes a health fair, live performances, kids’ zone and a televised

community discussion to air on Comcast’s New Life, New Hope television show. “Get ready for tons of music, praise and worship and so much more,” said John-

son. “Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and blankets, and picnic baskets filled with your delicious favorites.”

“Scribes and Vibes” in Lithonia Stonecrest Library, 3123 Klondike Road, Lithonia, will host “Scribes and Vibes”

on Saturday, June 13, 1 – 4 p.m. The library’s Friends group is sponsoring the event, which will feature poetry,

music and fine arts through musical performances, open mic or spoken word and art exhibits. Adults 18 years and older are invited. 404-482-3828.

GWINNETT

“Music and Scoops Friday” in LawrencevilleGwinnett County will host “Music and Scoops Friday” on June 19, 5:30 p.m., at

the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse, 185 W Crogan St., Lawrenceville. Enjoy the lazy days of summer with music and ice cream. Live entertainment

begins at the gazebo at 7 p.m. and will feature local artists and bands. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and picnic, if you want.Admission is free. There will be children’s activities and vendors. For more infor-

mation, call 770-822-5450.

Homeowner H20 workshop set The Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources will host Homeowner H20:

Water Conservation, on Thursday, June 18, 6 p.m., at the Norcross Human Ser-vices Center, 5030 Georgia Belle Court, Norcross. The workshop will provide the knowledge and tools you need to increase water

efficiency in your home. Attendees will receive a low-flow retrofit kit, outdoor wa-ter efficiency kit, do-it-yourself home water audit guide, and information on how to apply for Gwinnett County’s toilet rebate program.The workshop is free but registration is required. The county requests you

pre-register by sending an email with your name, address, and phone number to [email protected] or by calling 678-376-7126.

Zumba Party in the Park Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation will host a free event, “Zumba Party in the Park,” on Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m., at the Bogan Park Community Recreation Center, 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford. Get fit and celebrate the summer. You can dance your way to fitness at the Zumba party where you’ll meet county instructors and learn about dance fitness and its health benefits. No pre-registration required. For information, call 678-277-0850.

ROCKDALE

Rockdale Jobs Group hosts job fair Rockdale Jobs Group and the Conyers VFW will host a job fair on Wednesday,

June 3, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at 1432 VFW Drive, Conyers. Organizer Thomas Chastain says the fair will feature a list of businesses and com-

panies from all industries and many are looking to do direct hiring. There also will be resume building help for job seekers. Some businesses attending the job fair are: Pratt Industries, Banner Securi-

ty, Southeast Sealing, Carter-young, Primerica, Truss Components, Duro Tire, the GA Driving Academy, Medic Inc., Rockdale Sheriff’s Department, Rockdale Fire Rescue, Rockdale 911 Call Center, Randstad Staffing, Future Staff, and Pro-temps.

“The Boxtrolls” family movie night in Conyers The City of Conyers will host an outdoor family movie night, June 13, 7 – 10 p.m. at the

Olde Town Pavilion, 949 South Main Street, Conyers. The featured movie is a 2014 animated release, “The Boxtrolls.” The fantasy-comedy

is based on the novel, Here Be Monsters! by Alan Snow. The film tells the story of “Eggs,” a human boy raised by trash-collecting trolls, as he attempts to save them from Archibald Snatcher, a pest exterminator. The film stars Isaac Hempstead-Wright, Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning, Toni Collette, Jared Harris, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade and Tracy Morgan.

Admission is at 7 p.m. and the movie starts at dark. Bring your chairs and blankets to enjoy the outdoor movie with your friends and family. You can bring your own meal and snacks or buy from vendors.

For more information, call 770-602-2606.

Men Of McCart to host empowerment series

The Rockdale County Men Of McCart (M.O.M), a community-oriented group of men from the McCart Landing Subdivision, are hosting Part One of a three-part community empowerment series, “Act Like a Citizen Think Like a Cop.”

The series, kicks off on Sunday, June 7, 3 p.m. at the McCart Landing Subdivi-sion’s Clubhouse, 3103 McCart Landing Drive, Conyers.

The series is being held to share information with adults and youths that will cover police/citizen encounters, personal finance, and information from elected officials of Rockdale.

The free event is open to the public. For more information, call 678-350-1045.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS  JUNE 6, 2015 • PAGE 5

Zumba Party in the Park

Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation will host a free event, “Zumba Party in the Park,” on Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m., at the Bogan Park Community Recreation Center, 2723 North Bogan Road, Buford.

Get fit and celebrate the summer. You can dance your way to fitness at the Zumba party where you’ll meet county instructors and learn about dance fitness and its health benefits. No pre-registration required.

For information, call 678-277-0850.

Arabia Mountain area offers summer fun Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, 3787 Klondike Road, Lithonia, is

gearing up for summer fun for the whole family. The “AMP Adventures” include river explorations, free bike rentals, campfire

folktales and more. While most events are free, many have a limited amount of space, so families are encouraged to reserve a spot now.

All of the planned activities are located within the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area. The 33-plus mile paved trail is dedicated to hikers and cyclists and is becoming known as metro Atlanta’s most scenic trail.

Summer events will include free bike rentals at Panola Mountain State Park on June 13 and 14 and at the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve on June 20. Another event, “Folktales by Firelight,” will be held on Saturday, June 27. The event includes hiking, a campfire with s’mores and storytelling. Participants will hear folktales from professional storyteller, Jonah McDonald, adventure guide and author of “Hiking Atlanta’s Hidden Forests: Intown and Out.” This is a rain or shine event, so bring your galoshes in the event of rain.

Other events will be held throughout June, July and August. For a schedule of all the summer events, visit arabiaalliance.org.

Super Saturday Homebuyers Fair set June 20Are you looking to purchase your first home? Join DeKalb/Metro Housing

Counseling Center, Inc. for its Super Saturday Homebuyer Education Workshop and Resource Fair on June 20, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at New Life Church and Com-munity Center, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur.

The free event will offer homebuyer education from financial institution such as Synovus, PNC and Regions Mortgage. Participants will also get the chance to schedule one-on-one counseling sessions from HUD-approved counselors and receive a certificate for down payment assistance. Closing attorneys and home inspections representatives will also be on site.

To register visit [email protected], or for more information email [email protected]

Registration under way for Be Someone Summer Leadership Chess Camp

As founder and the driv-ing force behind the Be Someone (www.besomeone.org), mentor-

ing program, Orrin Hudson works with young people, helping them to build productive, fulfilling futures.

Since founding the nonprofit, Be Someone, in 2001, Hudson has taught more than 40,000 kids across the nation the meaning of making every move count and the program continues to expand.

“My goal is to mentor 1 million students in all 50 states by 2020. I need the help of dedicated business people, community leaders and educators to continue this work,” Hudson said.

Hudson will be conducting a nine-week Summer Leadership Chess Camp for ages 6-19 June 8—Aug. 6. Half-day training will be offered 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and full-day training will be offered 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Be Someone Training Center, 949 Stephenson Road, Stone Mountain.

Investment for this world-class training is $99 per week for the half-day sessions and $149 per week for the full-day sessions. Early drop-off and late pick-ups are also available. Seats are limited.

To enroll or sponsor a camper, call 770-465-6445 or e-mail [email protected].

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Got a pothole? Don’t despair. DeKalb County’s Roads and Drainage Division workers are on the job. DeKalb has re-paired 2,480 potholes this year and resur-faced 3.76 miles of road, officials report.

DeKalb kicked off its annual Pothol-de Palooza intensive road infrastructure

improvement campaign on April 1 in celebration of National County Govern-ment Month, and and has been hitting the pavement hard since.

To report a pothole, call the Pothole Hotline at 404-297-3813.

DeKalb repairs 2,480 potholes in 2015

PAGE 6 •JUNE 6, 2015  WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

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New precincts effective for DeKalb voters

The DeKalb Board of Registration and Elections announces changes in loca-tion of two polling place in

DeKalb County, which are effective for the upcoming special elections on June 16 and July 14.

Voters in the city of Lithonia and the Montgomery Elementary Precinct will have a new voting location.

The polling place for the city of Lithonia precinct(strictly for residents within the city limits) has been relo-cated from Lithonia Middle School to Lithonia City Hall, 6920 Main Street. This change, which was done to better accommodate the voters of the city of Lithonia through improved parking and at the request of the City of Lithonia will be in effect for the Special Election to fill the vacancy in Commission District 5 and all subsequent elections. Those who live in unincorporated Lithonia will use their normal precincts.

The polling place for the voters

of the Montgomery precinct will be relocated from Cross and Crown Luther-an Church to Montgomery Elementary School, 3995 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Atlanta. This adjustment is the result of a change in ownership of the previous location and is no longer available as a polling site. The new polling location will be in effect for the Special Election to fill the vacancy in Georgia House District 80 held on July 14 and all subse-quent elections.

In-person Early Voting is under way through Friday, June 12, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., for the special election in District 5 at the Registration & Elections of-fice, 4380 Memorial Drive, Suite 300, Decatur. There are no weekend voting or satellite locations. All regular polling places in District 5 will be open on Elec-tion Day, June 16, 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

For more information, visit the Voter Registration & Elections website, www.dekalbvotes.com, or call 404-298-4020.

Photos by Gelnn L. MorganOCG News

Wednesday, June 10, 8:30 a.m., Fairfield Inn and Suites Hotel-Stone-crest, 7850 Stonecrest Square, Lithonia, hosted the Stonecrest Business Alliance

Thursday, June 11, 7 - 8:30 p.m., DeKalb Medical Center at Hillandale Theatre, 2745 DeKalb Medical Park-way, Lithonia, hosted by Junior League of DeKalb County, Parent Councils United, South DeKalb Improvement Association and Leadership DeKalb

Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. to noon,

This Is It Banquet Hall, 2853 Panola Road, Lithonia, hosted by the Women in the DeKalb NAACP

Saturday, June 13, 7 p.m., Kerwin B. Lee Family life Center, 2197 Young Road, Stone Mountain, hosted by the DeKalb Young Democrats

For more information, visit www.dekalbvotes.com or call 404-298-4020.

District 5

continued from page 3

Lance Hammonds to run in 2016 for DeKalb’s District 4 seat

Lance Hammonds, an account manager and activist, announces his candidacy for the District 4 seat on the DeKalb County Board of Commission-ers. The election will be held in 2016.

“I am very excited about the oppor-tunity to continue to serve the fami-lies of the 4th district and of DeKalb County,” said Hammonds. “I will bring honest leadership with the courage to act to the table and will fight to put families first.”

Hammonds is a SE Region account manager for NorFalco, Inc., with over 30 years of sales and account management experience. He has been active in the com-munity for a number of years having served as 1st Vice President and Education Chair of the DeKalb NAACP; Area Director for the DeKalb County PTA Council; Committee Chair for DeKalb County United Negro College Fund; Chair of the DeKalb Public Safety and Judicial Facilities Authority, to name a few. He is a member of the DeKalb School District Community Liaison Superintendent Search Committee; member of the Water’s Edge Homeowners Association; member and former President of the DeKalb Graduate Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Hammonds is also an active member and deacon at Voices of Faith Minis-tries. Hammonds led the drive to get Snapfinger Road designated as Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and coordinated the first and second annual Back to School Boot Camp and Parent Rally. He has served as moderator of NAACP, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and Greater Piney Grove Church political forums.

Hammonds is a 31year resident of DeKalb County and is married to Freda Hammonds. They are the proud parents of four children and have six grandchil-dren.

Lance said he will be sharing his platform and how supporters can volunteer on Wednesday, June 10, 11 a.m., at the Stonecrest Arizona’s restaurant.

Lance Hammonds

Steve Bradshaw announces bid for District 4 seat Steve Bradshaw, who finished second

in a 2012 bid for the DeKalb County District 4 Commission seat, announced he will run again for the seat in 2016.

“Many of the issues that led me to run in 2012 such as the lack of accountability, questionable ethics and the lack of business development still remain,” said Bradshaw, a 22-year DeKalb resident and former U.S. Army Captain. “In some cases, these issues have only gotten worse. Recent headlines make this crystal clear. Now, I think that people are fed up and finally ready for real, meaningful change. Of course the only way they are going to get change is by voting for new political leadership. I represent just that.”

In addition to seven years of active duty military service, Bradshaw has worked for over 20 years in the private sector in various business development and operations management roles. He has also taught courses in public administration in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, and has been a federal government contractor.

Additionally, Bradshaw has served on the board of directors of a number of DeKalb non-profit organizations including The Clarkston Community Center, The Giving Tree (an adoption resource agency) and Pride Rings in Stone Mountain. He was also appointed by Gov. Roy Barnes to the State Board of Examiners for Certification of Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operators and Laboratory Analysts.

The 2012 campaign was Steve’s first run for political office. “Experience is a great teacher,” he said. “I learned a lot and met many wonderful

people during my 2012 run. Now, I am a bit older and wiser and therefore in a much better position to be of service to the citizens of District 4.”

“Military service taught me selflessness and discipline,” Bradshaw said. “Teaching has taught me patience. Business has taught me budgets and the importance of reaching established goals. And my faith has taught me humility and provided me with an ethical compass. These are all qualities that the next District 4 Commissioner should possess.”

Born into a military family and having both of his grandfathers as church pastors , Bradshaw says that he was able “to witness proper leadership starting at an early age.” He is a member of the Clarkston First Baptist Church.

Steve Bradshaw

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Letter to the Editor

For many months now I have been telling everyone that DeKalb County is moving in

the right direction. We are stron-ger and we are better governed.

Despite all the challenges we see in the news every day, we are turning the corner. We are turn-ing the corner on strengthening and enforcing our ethics laws and truly reforming government. We are turning the corner on rebuild-ing our local economy that was devastated by the Great Reces-sion.

We are now at a point where I am confident in our fiscal and budgetary management. This is why, for the first time in more than 10 years I am recommend-ing a cut in our millage rate, while at the same time increasing our rainy day fund to more than one month’s expenses in reserve.

We are also following through on a promise to help our men and women who protect us every day by funding body cam-eras for our police officers and increase funding for firefighters and sheriff deputies.

This has not happened by ac-cident. For nearly two years we have worked to restore the pub-lic’s trust. The best way to do that is to take care of the peoples’

money by spending responsibly and conservatively.

I have presented a mid-year budget recommendation to the DeKalb Board of Commissioner which include the following:

All of those statistics simply means this: Our fiscal house is in order and the taxpayers of DeKalb are getting a tax break.

We are in this position as a re-sult of controlling our spending, living by conservative budget principles in addition to better than expected market condi-tions. The economy is moving at a pretty exciting pace and we

should be proud of that.This is just the beginning. I

am going to continue to insist on budget discipline, cut wasteful spending, balance our budgets, and ensure that the long term financial outlook for DeKalb is sound and stable.

In addition to our finances, nothing is more important to DeKalb than protecting the peo-ple and giving our police officers the support and the tools they need to do their jobs.

Police officers overwhelm-ingly support body cameras. It makes their job safer and their policing more effective. The public also overwhelmingly fa-vors the use of body cameras for

police officers, because it better protects all stakeholders. That is why I am determined to provide our officers with the best technol-ogy and support that is available.

I have included $1 million to cover the first half of body cam-eras for all officers on the street, with the second half to come from federal matching funds or from the 2016 budget.

I believe you have further information and highlights of our budget, which adds or restores necessary funding for Fire and Rescue, Sheriff’s Office, courts and other law enforcement, parks, stormwater, information technology, and our libraries.

Budgets are a matter of prior-ities, and these are my priorities.

We are on the right path. We are turning the corner. And, as our budget shows, we are making progress every day.

I urge the Board of Commis-sioners to adopt these recommen-dations, fund our key priorities and begin the process of offering some tax relief to the residents and business in DeKalb County.

•Total budget across all funds = $1.4 billion with $102m in budgetary reserves

•Total Tax Funds budget = $630 million with $57.5 million in budgetary reserves

•The .4 mill tax cut reduces our overall millage from 21.21 mills to 20.81 mills

•In our tax funds alone we will have 1.2 months of operating funds in our budgetary reserve

May to host town hall meetings on DeKalb’s budget

DeKalb County Interim CEO Lee May present-ed his 2015 mid-year budget recommendations

to the Board of Commissioner on June 2. The recommendations include a tax decrease for property owners, the first since 2004.

May plans to discuss the tax cuts, as well as his plans to fund body cameras for police officers and other recommendations he is making to the board.

The public is encouraged to attend one of the following Town Hall meet-ings to learn more about May’s plans:

Monday, June 8Tucker –Reid H. Cofer Library5234 Lavista RoadTucker, Georgia 300846:30-8 p.m.

Wednesday, June 10lDunwoody City Hall41 Perimeter EastDunwoody, Georgia 303467– 8:30 p.m.

Monday, June 22Brookhaven City Hall4362 Peachtree RoadBrookhaven, GA 303197– 8:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 25Central DeKalb Senior Center1346 McConnell DriveDecatur, GA 300336:30– 8 p.m.

Tuesday, June 30Stonecrest Library3123 Klondike RdLithonia, GA 300386:30– 8 p.m.

Thursday, July 9Derwin Brown Memorial South Precinct2842 H.F. Shepherd DriveDecatur, GA 300326:30– 8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 21Mainstreet Clubhouse5001 Mainstreet Park DriveStone Mountain, GA 300886:30– 8 p.m.

Thursday, July 23East Lake YMCAEast llake BlvdAtlanta, GA 303176:30– 8 p.m.

DeKalb County Interim CEO Lee May

PAGE 8 •JUNE 6, 2015  WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Rockdale NAACP awards scholarships to three students By Joshua Smith

The Rockdale County NAACP celebrated local high school

seniors at its June 1 meeting, awarding three students with $1,000 scholarships to further their education.

“It is an honor to serve the families of Rockdale County and while there were so many deserving students, we could only award a select few for the scholarships,” said Rockdale NAACP Pres-ident Gary King. The meet-ing was held at Macedonia Baptist Church in Conyers. “We hope their parents will continue to support them and we will continue to support them as a family because they say it takes a village to raise a child and this is our village. We are all family.”

The NAACP honored Salem High School graduate Shamiiah Beaman, 18, who will be attending Georgia Perimeter College to study criminal justice; Heritage High School graduate Jama-ya Booker, 18, who will be attending Spelman College to study biology or psychology;

and Rockdale County Magnet School graduate Jaire Dun-can, 18, who will be attend-ing the College of William and Mary to study computer science and mathematics.

The Rockdale NAACP raised money for the schol-

arships through its Freedom Fund Banquet, which was held on March 15, at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers. This year’s theme was “Building The Future Using Education as the Foundation.” Banquet

chair Allene Eatman said they couldn’t be more proud of the students they selected to receive the scholarships.

Rockdale NAACP Educa-tion Chair Tommy Plummer agreed.

“It gives us a real good

feeling to be able to do this for these great kids. It is important for us to contin-ue to reach out to our high schools and keep this going,” said Plummer. “This schol-arship application is the start of these kids getting a taste of the real world—filling out applications, being sincere on documentations. This pro-cess taught them about dead-lines and the importance of putting in hard, careful work to reap something great.”

NAACP members and their family members en-joyed cake and other refresh-ments after the scholarship program.

“It’s not enough for us to just express our gratitude for these generous donations, we need to work to get the youth arm of this organi-zation more visible in our high schools,” said Jaire’s mother, Heather Simpson Duncan, who joined the other parents beaming with pride and smiling. “I plan to follow up on this because I want my younger three children to be a part of this great organization and work to keep it thriving in our community.”

Photos by Joshua Smith/OCG News

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L-R: Rockdale graduates Shamiiah Beamen, Jamaya Booker and Jaire Duncan are joined by Rockdale NAACP President Gary King for a picture after the local civil rights group awarded each of them $1,000 scholarships.

Candlelight Vigil

continued from page 1

DeKalb Finances

continued from page 1

Donations poured in to aid the families of the gunned down victims with their funeral expenses

customers run a tab and would often give lollipops to customers’ children.

“He didn’t just take your money, he kept up with current events, he knew about our teams and what we had going on. Moon was an overall great guy who cared about every-body,” said Maddox, who said the storeowner always kept his favorite beer, Amber Bock, ice cold. “I’ve been coming here since 2008 and my deepest sympathies go out to his family. All we can do now is pray for closure.”

Cha, 44, inherited the store from his parents, and the family had oper-ated it in the community for about 15 years. Cha and his wife, Su Young, did not have children. Mun Cha’s parents flew in from Korea to attend the vigil with his sister, aunts, uncles, cousin, niece and other family mem-bers, who came from other parts of Georgia, Pennsylvania and California. They said they appreciated the outpouring of support.

Earlier in the day, before the vigil, sever-al customers had stopped by the store, leaving flowers, balloons and other expressions of sympathy.

The other victim in the store shooting, Jimquez Aiken, 39, was described by many at the vigil as a family man who would do anything for his loved ones and friends. Aiken was a father of three—a 2-year-old, an 8-year-old and a 15-year-old. Several members of Aiken’s family, including his mother and father, and their friends attended the vigil.

“He (Aiken) was a great man who would give you the shirt off his back, the last dollar in his pocket, if you were in need,” said Shaun Troutman, who worked with Aiken at a local laboratory. “You don’t find many people like that any more. It’s tearing me up inside to see somebody filled with that much anger take somebody’s life for absolutely no reason.”

Pitts, a Rockdale resident who was a fre-quent customer at the package store, had one arrest in his past—a DUI in 2010 in Newton County, deputies said. Pitts graduated from Heritage High School in 1997.

Deputies said after Pitts opened fire at the package store on Bell Road, he fled and went

to the home at 3535 Ebenezer Road, where he lived with his parents. He shot his mother, Judith Pitts, 64, in the arm and his father, Alan Pitts, 63, in the head. Deputies said Pitts was armed with an AR-15 assault rifle and .45 caliber handgun.

Georgia Bureau of Investigations Inspec-tor Sherry Lang, which is looking into the po-lice-involved shooting at the home, said Pitts’ parents had been interviewed but she could not release any of that information. Some close to the family, however, said Alan Pitts told 911 operators that his son was mentally ill. Neighbors around Pitts said they were surprised that the elderly couple’s son would

shoot his parents. They said the couple moved to the neighborhood in the 80s.

At the vigil, several pastors including Pastors Courtney Dillard and Curt Zehner, and Josie Dean offered words of encouragement and prayed for the families of the victims.

Shatonica Aikens, the teen daughter of Jimquez Aikens, said she was still in shock over the senseless incident that claimed her dad’s life.

“It still hasn’t sunk in yet—that he’s gone and that I will never see my father again,” said Aikens. “We just continue to ask for prayer and support as we continue to try to pull ourselves together.”

Cha’s mother and father, Jumyeol and Myong, bowed in appreciation to the hundreds of supporters who came to the vigil, saying,“We thank every-one for coming. We know our son is in

heaven.”Donations were collected for both fami-

lies, but at the end of the night, Cha’s parents gave their portion to Aikens’ daughter to sup-port her and her family with funeral expenses.

Funeral services for Jimquez Aikens were held on Friday, June 5, noon, at the Church at Covington, 11975 Hwy 142, Oxford, and the viewing was held Thursday, June 4. Funeral services for Mun Cha will be Saturday, June 6, 11 a.m., at Lee’s Funeral Home and Crematory, 4067 Industrial Park Drive, Norcross. The viewing was held Fri-day, June 5.

week trash pickup will save our county money and may contribute to another tax decrease next year. I look forward to the vote in July.”

Commissioner Kathie Gannon say it’s too early to comment

on the proposed budget. Gannon, who represents DeKalb’s Super District 6, says the board has only glanced at May’s proposal and needs to take a much deeper look at it.

“Don’t have an immediate reaction. Action is anticipated by the end of July,” said Commissioner Jeff Rader, who represents DeKalb County’s District 2.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS  JUNE 6, 2015 • PAGE 9

Atlanta Workforce Development Agency announces Board of Directors

Atlanta Workforce Development Agen-cy(AWDA) Execu-tive Director Mi-

chael T. Sterling has announced the agency’s Board of Directors and the 2015-16 Executive Of-ficers of the Local Workforce Investment Board (LWIB).

The 25-member board of directors voted to elect Mike Romesburg as chairman of the board; Yendelela Neely Anderson as vice chair; Alex McKenzie as treasurer; and Scott Selig as secretary.

“These great individuals are uniquely qualified to lead the board as we work to ensure that AWDA becomes a best-in-class workforce system,” said Sterling. “It is important that we have

individuals on the board who are exceptional leaders and well-re-spected in the business commu-nity, and I am confident that our new board and its executive offi-cers will be a tremendous asset to this Agency, our job seekers and businesses in the City of Atlanta.”

The AWDA board was creat-ed under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998, reautho-rized as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) in 2014. The board is comprised of individuals representing business, economic development, housing and urban development, senior community service, vocational rehabilitation, organized labor and community-based organiza-tions. In accordance with federal law, members of the board are

appointed by the mayor of Atlanta and serve for two-year terms.

Mike Romesburg is Lead Workforce Initiatives Manager for CVS Health. He has lever-aged strong experience in talent acquisition, university relations, and agency recruitment to lead CVS Pharmacy’s retail field talent acquisition strategy. His strengths include developing national and global recruitment strategies, uni-versity relations, program design, delivering results, building rela-tionships, analysis, and vendor management, and leading teams.

Yendelela Neely Anderson is partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton. She is an experienced litigator who specializes in em-ployment discrimination, occu-pational safety and health, wage

and hour, background checks and credit reporting.

Alex McKenzie is president and CEO of IFS Securities. With 18 years leadership experience in the securities industry, he brings strong management skills, exper-tise working with high net worth investors. He has been with IFS since 2007 when he took over the leadership position.

Scott Selig is vice president, Acquisitions, and Development for Selig Enterprises. He works in all facets of Selig Enterprises, Inc. including office, industrial and retail leasing as well as ac-quisitions and development. Scott has been employed with Selig since 2000.

Scott SeligAlex McKenzieYendelela Neely AndersonMike Romesburg

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People Movers & Shakers in the Community

Gwinnett Online Campus teacher receives national honor

Randi Hill, a Gwinnett Online Campus teacher and Gwinnett County Public Schools’ 2015

High School Teacher of the Year, earned 2nd place in The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation Teacher Innovator Awards contest.

The award recognizes educators who use the classroom to inspire innovation, creativity, problem solving and critical thinking among their students. Hill is the only Georgia teacher honored in this nationwide competition.

Judges selected the winners based on their original and creative approach to teaching, their demonstrated resourcefulness, and the positive impact they make on a daily basis in the classroom. Student engagement, learning goals, and evidence achieving those goals also were taken into consideration. Winners were selected by a team of judges that included racing legend Lyn St. James, The Henry Ford’s Innovation Nation

correspondent Alie Ward and The Henry Ford’s Chief Learning Officer Paula Gangopadhyay.

As an honoree, Hill will receive a Teaching Innovation Kit with a hardcopy of The Henry Ford’s Innovation 101 curriculum with DVD and more items from Henry Ford.

Randi HillRJ Hadley

Rockdale Tax Commissioner honored for innovative leadership

Rockdale County Tax Commissioner RJ Hadley was recently named a finalist for Georgia “Tax Commissioner of the Year” by the

Georgia Association of Tax Officials (GATO). Hadley, the only first-term tax commissioner

serving on GATO’s legislative committee, was nominated for his innovative leadership and ongoing efforts to further issues related to citizen engagement and tax collection in the state.

“Being considered by your colleagues for this nomination is among the highest honors one member can bestow on another,” said GATO President Cindy Cannon. “Attaining this nomination only confirms (Hadley’s) hard work, dedication and service as Rockdale County Tax Commissioner.”

Of the 159 Tax Commissioners in Georgia, Hadley was one of only 19 commissioners nominated and only five finalists in the running for the honor.

“I am humbled to receive this recognition from my peers and thankful for the continued efforts of the best county tax office staff in Georgia,” Hadley said. In addition to being nominated for “Tax Commissioner of the Year,” Hadley was named “Civic and Community

Engagement Advocate of the Year” by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, received an Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties for his LAUNCH internship program and was named to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute since taking office in January 2013.

PAGE 10 •JUNE 6, 2015  WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

DeKalb Workforce Development (DWD) is teaming with The Integral Group on the Third Rail

Studios Project. The state-of-the-art film and television studio complex is its first venture at the new Assembly site, formerly the General Motors Doraville Assembly Plant.

The first phase of construction bidding is under way for the development on Georgia’s newest film

and television production studio. The following trades are now needed:

DemolitionMillworkRoofingOverhead doorsDock equipmentDrywall and acousticalFlooringStructural steel and miscellaneous

steel materialsStructural steel erection

Doors, frames and hardwareToilet accessories and partitionsFire extinguishersPlumbingPaintingInterested parties should send CV/

Qualifications to [email protected]. In the email subject line, please put DWD, Your Company Name and the Trade.

Phase 1 construction taking shape on DeKalb’s Third Rail Studios Project

Business News

SDBA sets “How to Market Your Business” The South DeKalb Business Association will host a free workshop for

business owners and faith-based leaders, “How to Market Your Business,” on Tuesday, June 9, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m., at the Clark Harrison Building, 330 W. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur.

The session will cover economic development for businesses in the South DeKalb Community. SDBA will also shed light on their mission to enhance the quality of life in South DeKalb. Bunnie Jackson-Ransom, CEO of First Class, Inc., will serve as the guest speaker. She will cover the ways a business and especially a ministry or church can market themselves successfully.

“If you are anchored in the community, your business is probably a part of your ministry and the tools for getting the word out are usually the same,” said Jackson-Ransom. “I look forward to having this discussion.”

For more information, call 678-743-5032 or 404-505-8188.

Brookhaven sets builder and development summit Brookhaven residents as well as builders and developers working in the city

will have a chance to learn about Zoning and Land Use functions, procedures and policies as well as provide input at the Brookhaven 101 and Builder & Developer Summit on June 11, 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., at Brookhaven City Hall, 4362 Peachtree Road, Brookhaven.

Builders and developers are encouraged to attend the 9 a.m. session. Topics will include zoning and land use basics, land use petition process, variance process and traffic impact and land use. Later that day, residents are invited to attend the city’s second summit at 6 p.m. The same topics will be covered at the citizens’ forum.

Both events will include question-and-answer sessions with Brookhaven planners and department directors. For more information, contact the Community Development Department at 404-637-0500.

East Metro DeKalb CID public stakeholder meeting The East Metro DeKalb Community Improvement District (CID) will host a

meeting on Tuesday, June 9, 6:30 – 8 p.m., at the Community Achievement Center, 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur.

Community stakeholders are invited to provide input on the East Metro DeKalb CID on the topics of boundary alternatives, future projects, office and meeting loca-tions, as well as both short-term and long-term goals.

The DeKalb County Police Department, Code Enforcement, Keep DeKalb Beautiful and Public Works Departments have been invited to take part in the meet-ing and field questions. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit www.eastmetrocid.com.

Competition Clutch opens new headquarters in RockdaleChris Jewell, CEO of Competition Clutch, announced its expansion in Rockdale

County. The company, which specializes in manufacturing parts for racing cars, has moved to Ellington Drive in Conyers, doubling the size of its headquarters.

“While the move is only a few blocks east across town, it will allow the com-pany room to grow. CCI will immediately double their space to just over 30,000 square feet with room for future growth and expansion to 60,000 square feet,” said Marty Jones, director of Conyers Rockdale Economic Development Council (REDC).

Competition Clutch has been located in Rockdale for 10 years, Jones said. Conyers Mayor Randy Mills expressed his appreciation for Competition

Clutch’s continued investment in Conyers and Rockdale County. “Chris’ vision for this “diamond in the rough” facility fits in perfectly with the

vision of the City of Conyers for the revitalization of this area,” Mills said.

Conyers Police recruiting for Reserve Unit Conyers Police is accepting applications for its Reserve Unit. The

department is looking for retired, certified or previously certified law enforcement officers interested in volunteering their time to special events, patrol operations, the investigation division and other law en-forcement functions in Conyers.

Serving in the Conyers Police Reserve Unit provides the opportunity to give back to the community and get back into the police force with-out committing to a full-time position.

An officer in the Reserve Unit may serve in any capacity within the department. The officer is fully outfitted by the department to include weapons, uniform, ballistic vest and other equipment. All Reserve offi-cers receive the same training as employed personnel and are required to work a minimum of eight hours per month.

“The camaraderie between the reserve officers and the rest of the de-partment is excellent here,” says Debbi Krisher, a reserve officer since 1998. “We are treated as equals and enjoy giving back to our communi-ty and helping the department.”

Applications are available at www.conyersga.com. For more information, contact Debbi Krisher at 678-374-5659 or

[email protected].

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WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS  JUNE 6, 2015 • PAGE 11

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