Champion Free Press: 11-9-12

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WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, NOV. 9, 2012 VOL. 15, NO. 33 FREE

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Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

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See page 19 for Election Coverage

DeKalb voters had more todecide than presidential raceA close presidential raceapparently won by incumbentBarack Obamadrewhuge Election Day crowds, but a number of other races important to DeKalb alsowere decided Nov. 6. The new city of Brookhaven chose its first elected officials,congressmen whose districts are partly in DeKalb were faced with trying to keeptheir seats despite new district boundaries, several members of the Georgia Gen-eral Assembly faced opposition for the first time in a number of years and a hotlycontested proposed state constitutional amendment appeared on the ballot.

Photo by Carla Parker

Photo by Carla Parker

Photo by Donna Turner

Rep. Hank Johnson speaks with a supporter at the Freight Depotduring the Georgia Democratic Party presidential watch party Nov.6. Photo by Andy Phelan

Photo by John Hewitt

See Charter on Page 19A

VotesDeKalbVotes2012

Georgia voters pass charter school amendmentby Andrew [email protected]

Voters around Georgia de-cided that they want the stategovernment to have a hand insetting up local charter schools.

Amendment 1, whichasked voters whether theywanted to allow the state theauthority to establish specialstate charter schools, passedwith a statewide voted of 58

percent to 42 percent.

In DeKalb, voters favoredthe amendment, 64 percent to36 percent.

Rep. Scott Holcomb, whosupported the amendment inthe General Assembly, said hewill be monitoring the imple-

mentation of the amendment.I have concerns about

how it will be executed, Hol-comb said. I particularly wantto make sure the funding for

See Brookhaven on Page 19A

Brookhavenelectionsyield fewwinners

Leading Brookhaven mayoralcandidate J.Max Davis, pic-ured, said he was cautiously

optimistic as the polls closed.Davis garnered approximately48.66 percent of the vote andopponent Sandy Murray trailedwith 35.95 percent, whichmeans there will be a runoffelection to decide the winner.

by Daniel [email protected]

Residents of the newcity of Brookhavenmay have to wait a

ittle longer to find out whowill be leading their city.

By press time Nov.

6, the race for mayor ofBrookhaven and several citycouncil posts remained neck-and-neck, yielding no clearwinners.

Attorney and small-busi-ness ownerJ. Max Daviswas leading by 48.66 percentof the votes with 100 per-cent of precincts reporting.Ashford Alliance PresidentSandy Murray trailed Daviswith 35.95 percent.

Im cautiously optimis-ic; Im excited, Davis said.

I know Ive got the mostvotes but I want to make surets over 50 percent.

Davis said if he is elect-ed mayor, the next step forhim is building the city im-mediately.

Doing that and mak-ng sure we bring the cityogether after the somewhat

contentious cityhood vote,Davis said. There was somenegativity directed at meduring this campaign andnow Im ready to put all thatbehind me and move forwardo build the city for all the

citizens of Brookhaven.


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 Page 2ALocal News

Brookhaven commission seeking bids on city services

114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA 30030 404.373.7779 www.ChampionNewspaper.com

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by Carla [email protected]

The Governors Com-mission on Brookhaven isssuing nal requests for

proposals (RFPs) for mu-nicipal general governmentervices.

Brookhaven is holding acompetitive bidding processfor private sector vendorso bid on providing city ser-

vices. RFPs were ofciallyposted Oct. 27 and vendorshave until Nov. 23 to returnbids.

The RFPs that were sentnclude communications and

community engagement,community development,nancial and administrativeervices, information tech-

nologies services, municipalcourt services, public works,and recreation and parks.

Commission chairman

Ben Vinson said the com-mission will have some-body help the group look atwhats been done in DeKalbCounty.

And making sure we

understand everything thathas been done in terms ofplanning and zoning, hesaid. And then well de-velop our own plan goingforward.

An RFP has not beensent for a police department.Vinson said there isnt aneasy way to write an RFPfor a police department.

Essentially what wewould need to do is hire apolice chief and have thatpolice chief work with thefuture city manager to reallydevelop the police depart-ment, he said.

The commission chosenot to accept omnibus pro-posals, meaning one vendor

submitting one large bid toprovide all of the citys ser-vices.

Vinson said once theyreceive all of the proposalsthe commission will look at

what the best estimate is forthe revenue sources that areavailable.

The way these RFPsare structured, this is a partof a critical decision thatwe made which was to goand make xed price taskorders, he said. The RFPmethod allows us to askvendors to look at what ser-vices theyve provided andcome up with a unit price.So, youre going to do it

either a certain amount orquantity of work or time ofwork and then we either addto it or subtract to it basedon what happens in the rstseveral months.

Vinson said once com-mission members have anidea of how much they haveto spend then theyll askeach of the vendors to comeback with a proposal.

Once weve selected avendor then well have onemore stage of negotiationbefore we enter into a con-tract, Vinson said.

He said the city ofBrookhaven will activate onDec. 17 and the commission

hopes to have everything upand running on Jan. 1.

The commission has theseven RFPs posted on itswebsite, www.brookhaven-commission.com, as well as

several other governmentsites. The commission isalso advertising the RFPsin several newspapers, in-cluding theBrookhavenReporter.

The commission has setup an email address and willtake questions from vendorsuntil noon on Nov. 16. Allanswers will then be postedto the commissions web-site.


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Page 3A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012

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4/24

Glad its over

By the time you read this, the012 general election will be over.

We will have re-elected the presi-dent, or a new one, along with anumber of other officials frommembers of Congress to those whoollect water and soil samples. We

will also have decided some amend-ments to the Georgia Constitution,hief among them the highly con-roversial question of whether thetate should control the selection of

harter schools.I have offered my opinion onmost of these issues over the pasteveral months and do not see the

need to rehash those thoughts be-ause it is moot at this point. Butike the new face of voter fatigue,ittle 4-yearAbigail Evans of Colo-ado and many others, one has to be

glad this election season is over.Through sobs and tears little

Abigail said she was tired of Bron-co Obama and Mitt Romney, herway of showing her frustration with

the constant barrage of informa-tion about the election. I agree withthe little girl to a point. While tiredof the campaign, I am not tired ofBronco Obama and pray thatvoters allowed President Obamafour more years to finish the workhe started to right this ship that wasnearly sunk by his predecessor ofeight years. Also, this presidentialcampaign season must go down inthe record books as one of the mostblatantly dishonest, ugliest, dirtiest,bigoted races in history, certainly inmy memory, which spans 11 presi-dential elections.

Many people have expressedAbigails sentiment that they areglad the election season is over.Elections are a wonderful demon-stration of our civic responsibility tochoose those individuals we believebest serves our interests. We makeup our minds about a particularcandidate early on. Who wins thedebate doesnt sway us. Expensive

television ads dont sway us. Inces-sant phone calls and mailers dontsway us.

It is mind-numbing the billionsof dollars spent in campaigns for

positions that pay a mere pittance incomparison. One has to shake oneshead thinking of all the good all thatmoney could do for so many. Butlike Christmas, that Christian holi-day celebrating the birth of Jesus,the meaning and beautiful spirit ofthe holiday is buried in a barrageof commercials to the point that ifanother commercial for a do-ev-erything gadget is not aired it willnot be a moment too soon. Also likethe election season, the decorationsand commercials for Christmas startearlier and earlier. Perhaps a pooranalogy, but in both instances it is

all about the moneylots of it.While on this tear about elec-tions, the president of the KingsRidge Neighborhood Association,Charles Peagler, an unpaid civicservant and volunteer, asked a ques-tion about elections that many in-quiring minds also want to know.Where do all the candidates go oncethe election is over, especially on

the local level? During the electionseason they are highly visibleinthe local churches waving theirhands, at the neighborhood asso-ciation meetings and cookouts, in

the malls, knocking on your doors,jamming mailboxes and phone linesand standing on the street cornerswaving signs.

Peagler wants to know wherethey go. My friend named somenames but I wont embarrass any-one if that is possible. But after theelection, many candidates seemto vaporize from view in the com-munity as mysteriously as they ap-peared. If youre reading this andran for office and lost, send me anemail so I can tell Peagler and ourreaders where you are before thenext election. Closing with a true

story: A woman told her husband hewas no longer the man she married.His response: I was campaigning;you say anything during the cam-paign. So glad its over.

Steen Miles, The Newslady, is aretired journalist and former Geor-gia state senator. Contact SteenMiles at [email protected].

Page 4A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9 , 2012Opinion

The Newslady


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Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and containthe writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be 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]

FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto publication date.

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

Publisher: Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell

News Editor: Andrew Cauthen

Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt

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The Champion Free Press is published each

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Phone (404) 373-7779.

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FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this and anyissue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was founded in1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse forallcommunityresidents on all sides of an issue. We have no desire to make the newsonly to report news and opinions to effect a more educated citizenrythat will ultimately move our community forward. We are happy topresent ideas for discussion; however, we make every effort to avoidprinting information submitted to us that is known to be false and/or assumptions penned as fact.

Fired up about the smoking ban, its a matter of discrimination

John Hewitt

[email protected]

Chief Operating Officer

As an on-again, off-againsmoker, Im beginning to feel likea second-class citizen and am nothe least bit happy about it. Gov-

ernment has once again shownhat not all people are treated as

equals.I have often complained to as-

sociates and friends about munici-pal parks not being fair places,but the latest DeKalb Countysmoking ban has simply fueledhe flame.

I often go to city or countyparks for lunch and more often

han not my desired peacefulunch is interrupted by the shriek-ng screams of children at play.

Dont misinterpret my message

here, I love children, but just assome users of public places dontwant to be exposed to second-hand smoke, I dont want to beexposed to screaming children.Yet I have nowhere that guaran-tees me that privilege.

If there were adult-only parks,this problem would likely not ex-ist; however, at times I too wouldenjoy running around in the sun-shine and screaming at the top ofmy lungs and not be looked uponas a crazy old man. This is notacceptable behavior for an adult,some may say. And, I ask, whynot? Is this concept of equalityasking too much of our society?

I think not.Is one taxpayers hard earned

dollar somehow of less value thananothers? Is this country notfounded on the premise of libertyand justice for all? And lets not

forget the pursuit of happinessclause.

The way I see things is that ourinalienable rights are afforded to

us when it is convenient, not nec-essarily on the basis of equalityand fairness.

Now to the subject of smok-ers rightsif we assume that adollar of taxpayer revenue fromone citizen carries the same value

when deposited into governmentcoffers as does a dollar fromanother taxpayer, why then aresome taxpayers not allowed equalaccess to government buildings,parks, sidewalks and other publicspaces?

I totally understand the healthconcerns of second-hand smokeand wish that I could say I do notstruggle with the addiction, butthe reality for me is that I do.

I have always tried to be con-siderate of others in all aspects oflife and particularly about some-thing that could have an adverseeffect on another human. But

should I not be afforded the samerights as another person?

If we apply the concept ofequality for all, should I not have

a park or public place where I,and others, can smoke if we sochoose?

Should smokers not be ableto walk the same streets as oth-ers? The simple answer is yes,smokers can walk the same streets

as othersas long as they do asothers want them to do. The morecomplicated and often not consid-ered other side of the equation isat what point does discriminationcome into play?

Smokers are discriminatedagainst, pure and simple. Dis-crimination of any kind is totallyunacceptable, lest we risk the pos-sibility of reverting back to a timewhen discrimination was accept-able and widely practiced.

I dont think any person read-ing this can support discrimina-tion. Based on that assumption, Iwelcome any explanation of how

treating one person differentlyfrom another is not discrimina-tion.

The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 Page 5AOpinion


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 Page 6AOpinion

The dead-endservant economyWere going down the road towardbecoming a nation of servants.

The following comments are pulled straight from our website and arenot edited for content or grammar.

County sanitaon workers want union

The County Revenues that are Stolen, Lost and unac-counted for including the Millions wasted for useless so-ware applicaons would give Every Blue Collar Worker inDeKalb a Good n Fair Wage.

Our Sanitaon Employees are good hard working peopleas our most of DeKalbs Blue Collar Employees are.

The DeKalb Board of Crooks nd a way to feed their selvesevery week on the Taxpayers dime and have raised our taxesby 26% and in most cases are providing a lesser service.

The DeKalb BOC all need to go but they have all been re-elected so the cizens can enjoy ?

gresham resident posted this on 11/3/12 at 8:30 a.m.

As a county worker 10 years ago, we received raises annu-ally aer the inial 6 month working test. For these workersnot to receive raises, insurance at $100.00 a pay period (2weeks) minimum, pension, taxes and the general disrespectthey receive from a lot of the countys cizens a lot of theme is ludicrious. Give them their cost of living increases.Guarantee you the county commissioners have goentheirs!

Mike Glover posted this on 11/2/12 at 4:18 p.m.

D

evelopers eye church property nearsuburban plaza

I would like to suggest that it is me that the print mediahighlight how many,and locaon of exisng Walmarts andpending Walmarts..I think the DeKalb County public wouldbe surprised.

It would also be nice when Walmarts receives all thegoods from China if they would nd some companies inthe US to send some of our products back to China. I shopDollar tree for household items,children books,greengcards,etc.,Farmers Market for produce,Publix and Krogermeat and staples. Walmarts prices are not cheaper and theproduct quality is not superior to stores oering the same.

Southside Senior posted this on 11/1/12 at 6:11 p.m.

by Sam PizzigatiColumnist

Fire fighter, basketball player, liontamer, teacher, nurse: Ask little kidswhat they want to be when they grow

up, and youll get all sorts of answers.

But youll never hear this one. Youllnever hear youngsters say they wantto devote their careers to serving richpeople.

Todays youth might want to re-consider. Theyre facing an Americaneconomy where serving rich peoplencreasingly seems to offer the best fu-

ture with real opportunity. Were wellon the way to becoming a full-fledgedservant economy, as the economistJeff Fauxputs it.

Weve had servant economiesn the world before. At times, people

even rushed toward servant status. Inthe early industrial age, jobs in minesand factories would be dangerous and

pay next to nothing. Domestic workfor rich families could seem, by com-parison, a relatively safe haven.

But that calculus changed as work-ers organized and won the right to bar-gain for a greater share of the wealththey were creating. Over the first halfof the 20th century, Americas super-rich lost their dominance, and fewerand fewer Americans worked as ser-vants for them.

This state of affairs didnt last long.Since the late 1970s weve witnessedan assault on the building blocks ofgreater equality strong unions,progressive taxes, regulatory limitson business behavior that has hol-owed out the American middle class.

Good manufacturing jobs haveargely disappeared, outsourced away.

Most Americans no longer makethings. They provide services.

We could, of course, have a robustservice economy, if we built thateconomy on providing quality servicesto all Americans. But providing thesequality services, in everything fromeducation to transportation, wouldtake significant public investment and significant tax revenue fromAmericas rich.

A half-century ago, we did collectsignificant tax revenue from Americas

wealthy. No longer. Tax cuts haveminimized that revenue and left publicservices chronically underfunded. Thateaves young people today, Faux notesn his new bookThe Servant Econo-

my, with a stark choice.Young people can either become

engineers and programmers and spendtheir careers in pitiless competitionwith people all over the world just assmart and trained but willing to workfor much less. Or they can join theservant economy and service thosefew at the top who have successfully

joined the global elite.In this new servant economy,

were not talking just nannies andchauffeurs. Were talking, as journalist

Camilla Long notes, pilots, publi-cists, art dealers, and bodyguards a newer, brighter phalanx of personalhelpers.

Want to see the world? In the newservant economy, you can become ajewelry curator and voyage to for-eign lands to pick up gems for wealthyclients.

Want to face daily challenges? Youcan become a concierge and hire anelephant for a wealthy patrons wed-ding reception.

Or, if you lean traditional, you canalways shell out $12,000 for a coursethat will certify you as a manservant ingood standing with the Guild of Pro-

fessional English Butlers.A butler can annually pull in over

$100,000. But serving the rich can befar more lucrative than that. InteriordecoratorMichael Smith pulled in an$800,000 fee for his work on a WallStreet CEOs office. John Blackburn,an architect in Washington, D.C., spe-cializes in designing horse barns forwealthy equestrians. His fee can runup to $300,000 per barn.

But we have a basic problem here.We have a limited pool of super-rich

people who can afford to commissionhorse barns and hire elephants.

As of this past summer, calculatesthe Credit Suisse Research Institute,only 38,000 Americans had fortunesover $50 million. The entire world hasonly about 3 million people worth atleast $5 million.

Even if those 3 million gave gain-ful servant economy employment to100 people each, we would still haveanother 4 billion folks on the outsideof the servant economy looking in.

The servant economy can only bea dead end. We need to change course.

OtherWords columnist Sam Piz-zigati edits Too Much, the Institute forPolicy Studies weekly newsletter onexcess and inequality. OtherWords.org


7/24


Champion ofthe Week

If you would like to nominate someone

to be considered as a future Champion of

the Week, please contactKathy Mitchell

at [email protected] or at

(404) 373-7779, ext. 104.

Joseph Arnold

For 14 years,JosephArnold served as a guid-ance counselor at GradyHigh School in Atlanta,where he had the oppor-tunity to work with youngpeople and make a differ-ence in their lives.

But Arnold wanted tohelp more young people,particularly troubledyoung men.

In 94 we had a lotgoing on with our youngmen and I moved back to

the community becauseI thought it would begreat to reach out and tryto volunteer with someyouth programs, he said.I was teaching life skillsand social skills to groupsof young men.

Arnold, who lives inClarkston, saw that moreneeded to be done. So, hefounded Positive GrowthInc., a nonprofit organiza-tion that provides trou-bled and homeless ado-

lescent males with a clean,safe and nurturing envi-ronment. The organizationis located in Clarkston.

Arnold has helped1,110 young men and mettheir needs from personal,social, mental and physical.The Decatur native saidhe came back to his com-munity to help make itbetter for young people.

I was raised in DeKalb

County and I went to highschool in DeKalb County.So, why not give back tothe community? he said.How else is it going tobecome the great and safecommunity that you goneit to be if you dont reachback and give back?

Arnold said the youngmen that went throughthe program have wenton to technical and juniorcolleges or the armedforces, and some havebecome entrepreneurs.Others are working fulltime jobs and some havefamilies.

Along with the orga-nization, Arnold is alsopresident of the ScottdaleYouth Athletic Association,was a board member forthe Clarkston CommunityCenter for over sevenyears, and he served onthe Georgia School Advi-sory Council for DeKalbCounty.

Its almost time for the biggest games of the season. Dont miss outon all of the game-day highlights in next weeks Sports section.

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HEYFOOTBALL

FANS!

y Andrew [email protected]

They are Dodge Chargerswith HEMI V-8 engines.

And theyre fast, Xavi-rTodd, ofcer in charge athe Lithonia Police Depart-

ment, said about three newolice cars the departmenteceived Oct. 29. They are

denitely good cars.The new black police

ars will help the departmentto show more presence

within the city of Lithonia.Were denitely increas-

ing our community polic-ing, Todd said. And, moreimportantly, interacting withthe community.

They will also increasethe morale of the depart-ments four fulltime ofcersand approximately 20 re-serve ofcers, he said.

Weve had some othercars in the past that have justnot been as operable as wewanted [them] to be, Todd

said.Todd said he was grate-

ful to the city council andmayor for the purchase ofthe new vehicles.

Long term, based on thejourney where the citys try-ing to go, this is just the be-ginning, Todd said. Lookfor better and bigger thingsfor the city of Lithonia Po-lice Department and the cityof Lithonia.

Lithonia gets new cop cars

Printed on 100%

post-consumerrecycled paper

Xavier Todd, officer in charge of Lithonia Police Department, stands in front of one of three newDodge Charger squad cars. Photo by Andrew Cauthen


8/24


Sneiderman les motion tovisit late husbands grave

County, residents partnerto clean up crime havenby Daniel [email protected]

After a gas station closednear his neighborhood offMoreland Avenue, residentVince Bowden said it wasonly a short time before hebegan hearing complaintsfrom neighbors about criminalactivity taking place at the site.

Bowden, the president ofa nearby neighborhood as-

sociation, said before countyofcials cleaned up the area itwas riddled with trashvan-dals had stolen the copperwiring from the gas pumpsand prostitutes were servicingruck drivers in the abandoned

parking lot.It was horrible, Bowden

said. I didnt think much oft until I started seeing truck

drivers and lots of trash andsquatters on the property.

The area, located at 3000Moreland Avenue, had becomevacant after a tenant who op-erated the gas station movedout. The owner of the prop-erty decided to let it fall intoforeclosure rather than pay forhe repairs it needed, Bowden

said.I asked the county to

ntervene because it was adumping site, Bowden said.At rst they said it wasprivate property and theycouldnt do anything, untilhey found out the gas pumps

had been stripped; then theyconsidered it a hazard.

At some point, Bowdensaid homeless people brokento the gas station and wereiving inside it, eating foodhat had been left when it

closed.Bowden said Sonja

Brown, a community prosecu-or who works for DeKalb

County Solicitor GeneralSherry Boston, was instru-mental in bringing together theagencies to x up the blighted

property.Last year, Brown was hired

as DeKalb Countys rst full-time community prosecutorto deal with issues such asthe one that Bowden and hisneighbors faced.

Once we reviewed thepictures that he sent our im-

mediate reaction was Wow,Boston said.Boston said her ofce

worked with the DeKalbCounty Police Department andDeKalb County Code Enforce-ment ofcials to eradicate thecriminal activity taking placeon the property and clean upthe area.

When you have a placelike that Conoco station, itsa large area not surrounded

by homes, Boston said. Itsthe perfect place for people todrive in, buy drugs and quickly

pick up prostitutes and quicklydrive away.

Shortly after Bostons of-ce learned of the property,DeKalb County sanitationworkers cleaned up the trashand debris, which Bowden saidwas likely left by the truckers,and boarded up the building.County workers also barri-caded the entrance to the gasstation so no vehicles can enterthe parking lot.

Short-term, we wanted toget the area cleaned up, Bos-ton said. Long-term we wantto get the property back intothe hands of an appropriate

business owner.Boston said it isnt typically

the solicitors job to get in-volved with foreclosed proper-ties. However, she said, when a

property such as the gas station

becomes a haven for criminalactivity we absolutely feellike its our responsibility.

We cant let criminal ac-tivities takeover a community,Boston said.

Bowden said the differenceis like night and day.

They did a wonderful joband Im proud of themthelegal team, police and inspec-tors as well as the sanitationdepartment, Bowden said.

We hate to see somethingabandoned; wed like to see abusiness come in and take itover, he said.


A widow accused ofconspiring to murder herhusband recently led amotion to visither late husbandsgrave on theanniversary of hisdeath.

AttorneysforAndreaSneiderman leda motion Oct.26 requestingSneidermanbe allowed toobserve theJewish rite of Yahrtzeit,which consists of the

recitation of a prayer andthe lighting of a special24-hour candle for adeceased loved one. Thesecond anniversary ofRusty Sneidermansdeath is Nov. 18.

Attorney DougChalmers, who isrepresenting Sneiderman,said he couldnt commenton the motion becausehe was under a gag orderand was limiting ourcommunication with themedia.

Sneiderman, who iscurrently under housearrest at her parents Johns

Creek home, was arrestedAug. 2 and charged as anaccomplice in the 2010murder of her husband,Rusty Sneiderman. Shewas later released on

$500,000 bond.Prosecutors

said Sneidermanwas having anaffair with herboss HemyNeuman andconspired withhim to murderher husband forhis approximately$2.2 million inassets. Neuman

later admitted to themurder and is serving a

life sentence without thepossibility of parole.

In September,Sneiderman won a motionallowing her to leave herparents home and attenda synagogue close by tocelebrate several Jewishhigh holidays.

Prior to attending anyof the services Sneidermanis required to contact theankle monitoring companyand let them know theaddress where she will beattending the services and

the exact times of eachservice.

Sneiderman

Solicitor General Sherry Bostons ofce partnered with other county agencies to clean up an aban-doned gas station that had become a dumping site and haven for crime. Photos provided


A mistrialhas been de-clared in thecase ofAdrian

Spellen, a ka-rate teacher ac-cused of rapinga 9-year-oldgirl at his karatestudio.

DeKalbCounty JudgeClarence Seeliger de-clared a mistrial becausethe jury could not reach aconsensus.

Bond for Spellen wasset at $50,000. In 2011,Spellen, 29, was releasedon $100,000 bond and

ordered not to have anycontact with minors exceptfor family members butSeeliger revoked his bond

in March when prosecutorsaccused him of violatingthose conditions.

After a triallasting nearly twoweeks and jurydeliberations that

lasted more thanfour days, Spellenwill soon be a freeman, although thetwo counts of rapeand one count ofchild molestationwill remain.

Erik Burton, a spokes-man for DeKalb CountyDistrict Attorney RobertJames, said prosecutorsplan to try the case again.

During the trial the al-leged victim, now age 10,testied Spellen raped her

twice while she attended asummer karate camp heldat his Powerkick MartialArts studio in Lithonia.

Why would [she] makethis up? The only answeryoull be able to come upwith is that she is tellingthe truth, prosecutorDaliaRacine told jurors.

According to prosecu-

tors, after the incident oc-curred, Spellen purchasedinsurance that covered hisstudio against any allegedchild abuse.

So you chose to spend$500 to protect you incase somebody abused achild at your facility versusprotecting the vans thattransport the children everyday, Racine asked Spellenon the stand.

Yes, Spellen replied.Youre making it seem asif I just went out and said,

Hey lets buy child moles-tation insurance, thats notwhat I did, Spellen said.

The childs mother told

Mistrial declared in rape trial of karate teacher

Spellen

See Mistrial on Page 14A


9/24


Interim DeKalb Police chief namedDeKalbs police chief retiresby Andrew [email protected]

DeKalb County Police ChiefWilliam OBrien will retire athe end of Novem-

ber, BurkeBren-nan, the countyshief communica-ions ofcer, con-

rmed Oct. 31.OBrien made

he announcementn August, Bren-

nan said. Currently,OBrien is out of theofce using accruedvacation until hisetirements effective

date of Nov. 30.Police Chief William

OBrien has faithfully pro-ected and served the people of

DeKalb County throughout hisdistinguished career, startingn the uniform division of theouth precinct and working his

way up through the ranks, saidDeKalb County CEO BurrellEllis. Chief OBrien demon-trated leadership and strength-ned order and respect to the

department. I thank him for hisdedicated service and wish himuccess in all of his future en-

deavors.

OBrien, who was namedthe chief of the DeKalb CountyPolice Department in 2010, is a27-year veteran with the depart-ment. In January 1985, he start-

ed working in the

uniform division ofthe south precinct.After six years asa patrol ofcer, hemoved to the detec-tive division wherehe investigatedrobberies and homi-cides.

Later, OBrienbecame a bike pa-trol ofcer with thecommunity-oriented

police team. He spent the next10 years working in the internalaffairs division, where he was

promoted to sergeant, lieuten-ant, and then captain. He hasalso worked as a precinct cap-tain, chief of staff and a majorin the interactive community

policing unit.OBrien was named interim

police chief in 2009 when thenchiefTerrell Bolton was redfor insubordination, misuse ofcounty property and acts unbe-coming an ofcer.

Brennan said a search foranother police chief has been

under way for a while andcounty ofcials expect to namean interim chief soon.

Currently, the various deputychiefs are running their divi-sions as usual and reporting to

William Miller, the countyspublic safety director.Its business as usual at the

police department, Brennansaid.

OBrien has had an exem-plary career, Brennan said. Hehas faithfully served the citizensof DeKalb County and he hasearned his retirement.

We wish him the verybest, Brennan said.

The county is looking in-side and outside the county forOBriens replacement, Brennansaid.

The job is posted on thecountys website with a mini-mum requirement of a bach-elors degree in criminal justice,

police science, criminology,public administration or arelated eld; and 15 years ofrelevant law enforcement ex-

perience, including ve yearsof managerial experience ina comparable jurisdiction oragency.

The position has a salaryrange of $98,880-$162,612.

Seriously. Pit smoked.

SATURDAY, november 10th from 1-2:30pm

cokbok signingMr.Dickeysz z z z z z

Eagle Eye Bookstore2076 N. Decatur Rd. Decatur, GAFor more than seven decades, Roland Dickey, Sr. has served up great Texas barbecue at Dickeys Barbecue

Restaurants around the country. Working alongside his ather, Travis Dickey, young Roland learned the tricks o the

barbecue trade and cultivated his knack or storytelling.

In his frst book, Dickey oers his avorite recipes and philosophy o lie straight rom his amilys lively table. He

shoots rom the hip and dishes on his personal cooking avorites, lessons learned and never seen recipes that are

sure to become new avorites.

From smoked brisket and barbecue beans to smothered steak and grilled Gul shrimp, Mr. Dickeys Cookbook will

be your go-to book or barbecue, cookouts and savory amily meals. With his trademark humor and host o stories

about many o the politicians, celebrities, riends and amily that hes ed, Dickey will bring a smile to your ace

even beore you taste your frst bite. And, what will he say next

2012 DickeysBarbecue Restaurants,Inc.

OBrien

One of the four assistantpolice chiefs of the DeKalbCounty Police Departmenthas been named its interimhead.

Lisa A. Gassner, assis-tant chief over the supportservices division, was ap-

pointed interim police chief,according to BurkeBren-nan, the countys chief com-munications ofcer.

The announcement wasmade during a Board ofCommissioners meeting

Nov. 6.She was appointed

based on her qualicationsand her capabilities, Bren-nan said.

Police ChiefWilliamOBrien announced in Au-gust that he will retire at theend of November.

Gassner was the rstfemale major in the police

department, serving as thecommander of South Pre-cinct, where she once wasa rookie. Under OBriensadministration, she was

promoted to deputy chiefand then assistant chief, rstcommanding the special op-erations division.

Gassner joined the po-lice department in 1986 andhas served in the robbery/

homicide unit, narcotics unitand the Strike Force. Gas-sner was one of the rstfemale ofcers to make theS.W.A.T. team, where sheworked as a sniper. She hassupervised several divi-sions, including the criminalinvestigations division andadministrative/technical de-

partments.Interim Chief Gassner

has served admirably inthe DeKalb County PoliceDepartment for 28 years,and knows the organizationtop to bottom, said DeKalbCEO BurrellEllis. The de-

partment is in good hands aswe make a smooth transitionto a permanent replacement.

At least two of the otherassistant police chiefs haveapplied for the top police

position, including D. A.Holmes, who heads the uni-

form division, and A. Wil-liams, who commands thespecial operations division.The other assistant chief, M.P. Yarbrough, who is as-signed to the criminal inves-tigations division, is in FBItraining, Brennan said.

Gassner has not appliedfor the position, Brennansaid.


10/24


County looking at sites for new animal shelterby Andrew [email protected]

County ofcials are look-ng around DeKalb for a site

for a new animal shelter.

WilliamMiller, thecountys public safety di-ector, said the county has

engaged the services of aprofessional commercialeal estate agent to help us

nd a site and negotiate thepurchase of a new site to puta new shelter on.

Miller said he met inSeptember with the agent,who recently delivered heragreement to the countyscontracting department foreview by county ofcials.

Once it is nalized shewill start to work, Milleraid. We have already pre-

liminarily given her a pack-age of available sites thatwe would like her to look atand then nd any others thatmight be suitable.

In March, DeKalb CEO

BurrellEllis announced aplan to replace the shelterwith a 31,000-square-footfacility on at least four acresof land with an improvedkennel area, space for edu-cational opportunities, anoutdoor exercise area and apet mall.

Miller said the county isalso in the process of pur-chasing a new air condition-ing system for the shelter.

The air conditioningsystem was one thing thateveryone agreed that weneed to get put in becausewe need to get air circulated

more in the animal shelter,Miller said.

Three companies bid onthe project when the countyadvertised for a competi-tive bid. The company that

was chosen has started theprocess for ordering parts,designing the air condition-ing system, so hopefully, ifwe can stay within budget,we can have a new air con-ditioning system installed,Miller said.

The air conditioner willbe a xed system, eventhough a suggestion wasconsidered by county of-cials to purchase an air con-ditioning system that couldbe moved to the sheltersfuture home.

We tried, but in the airconditioning industry, that

just doesnt seem possible,Miller said. It would costmore to tear it out and takeit with us than it would toleave it there.

Miller said the systems

$587,000 price tag seemslike a lot of money to putinto [a building] wereeventually going to be tear-ing down, but you see howslow government processis. In the time it takes to geta new shelter, we cant letthese animals continue to behot in the summer months.

Stafng at the sheltercontinues to be a problem,Miller said.

Were still having anissue with stafng, he said.You can imagine the work-ing conditions down therebut were trying our best to

get staff in thats dedicatedto the animals, dedicatedto the citizens of DeKalb,so they will stay and workwith us through this processas we continue to make im-

provements.Miller said a new animal

services advisory board isin place. They have regularmeetings and they are pro-viding advice and guidancein how we can improvethe shelter and the servicesthere, he said.

In October, the countyhired a new animal servicesdirector, Betty Xan Rawls.

She brings a wealth andyears of experience in ani-mal services, Miller said.

COMBINED NOTICE

NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAND NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

November 8, 2012

DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330Decatur, Georgia 30030Telephone (404) 286-3308

TO ALL INTERESTED AGENCIES, GROUPS AND PERSONS:

The DeKalb County Community Development Department gives notice that it will submit a request for release of grant funds and an environmental certification pertaining to the U.S. Department of

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 15 days following this publication. The request and certification relate to the following projects.Project: CDBG Program: Central Senior CenterLocation: 1340 McConnell Drive, Decatur GA 30033Purpose: DeKalb County plans to build a new Central DeKalb Senior Center to better serve the aging population and the growing demands for senior services and community needs in the centralportion of the County. Known for its diversity and progressiveness, DeKalb County has an older adult population in excess of 150,000 and growing due to health initiatives and medical advances. TheAtlanta Regional Commission (ARC) projects the older adult population to almost double in the County by the year 2030. This aging population is considerably more vocal, active, and health consciencethan previous generations. The new Senior Center will provide proposed activities that augment and substantially improve the Countys efforts towards supporting seniors in this targeted area of the County.The new senior center project provides an opportunity to begin long term redevelopment efforts utilizing ARC strategies to meet the needs of the older population based on the Lifelong CommunitiesInitiatives (LCI). Once completed, the facility will serve eligible citizens in the central portion of the County.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI)It has been determined that such request for release of funds will not constitute an action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment and, accordingly, DeKalb County has decided not to

prepare Environmental Impact Statements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190).The reasons for such decision not to prepare such Statements are as follows:

An Environmental Assessment has been made for the project which concludes that all adverse effects will be minor, and any short-term impacts will be mitigated by either the requirements of theconstruction contract documents or by the requirements of applicable local, state or federal permits and environmental ordinances. The positive effects of providing activities that augment and substantiallyimprove the Countys efforts towards supporting affordable senior housing in the targeted areas of the County outweigh any potential negative impacts. This project is consistent with the goals andobjectives of the DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department, approved Consolidated Plan.

The Environmental Review Records, respecting the proposed projects, have been made by DeKalb County which documents the environmental review of the projects and fully sets forth the reasons whysuch Environmental Impact Statements are not required.

The Environmental Review Records are on file at the DeKalb County Community Development Department, 150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330, Decatur, Georgia 30030 and is available for publicexamination and copying upon request between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

No further environmental reviews of the subject project are proposed to be conducted prior to the request for release of Federal funds.Public Comments on FONSI

All interested agencies, groups, and persons disagreeing with this decision are invited to submit written comments for consideration by DeKalb County to the Community Development Director. Writtencomments will be received at 150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330, Decatur, Georgia on or before November 23, 2012. All comments received will be considered and DeKalb County will not requestthe release of Federal funds or take any administrative action on the proposed projects prior to the date specified in the preceding sentence.

NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS (NOI/RROF)At least one day after the termination of the public comment period for the FONSI, but not before comments on the FONSI have been considered and resolved, DeKalb County will submit a Request for

Release of Funds (RROF) and certification to HUD. By so doing DeKalb County will ask HUD to allow it to commit funds to these projects, certifying that (1) it has performed the environmental reviewsprescribed by HUD regulations ("Environmental Review Procedures for Title I Community Development Block Grant Program" - 24 CFR part 58), and (2) the Certifying Officer, Chris Morris, Director,DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department, consents to accept and enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental reviews or resulting decision-making and action. Thelegal effect of the certification is that by approving it, HUD will have satisfied its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act, thus allowing DeKalb County to commit CDBG funds to theseprojects.

Objection to Release of FundsHUD will accept objections to its approval of the release of funds and the certification only if it is on one of the following basis: (a) that the certification was not in fact executed by the Certifying Officer; or

(b) that the applicant's Environmental Review Record for the project indicated omission of a required decision, funding, or step applicable to the project in the environmental review process. Objectionsmust be prepared and submitted in accordance to HUD at the Regional Environmental Branch, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 40 Marietta Street N.W., 15

thfloor, Atlanta, Georgia

30303-9812.Objections to the release of funds on basis other than those stated above will not be considered by HUD. No objection received after December 10, 2012 will be considered by HUD.

Chris H. Morris, DirectorDeKalb County Human and CommunityDevelopment Department

150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330Decatur, Georgia 30030

Date of Publication andDissemination of NoticeNovember 8, 2012


11/24


See Citizens on Page 13A

DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis reminds you

of the Best Practices for Proper Disposal of

Plumbing and sanitary sewer systems are simply not designed to handle the F.O.G. that accumulatesin pipes. When it gets into the pipes and hardens, blockages occur and cause sewage to backup andoverow out of manholes or into homes. This is expensive for you, and for the County.The damages caused by fats, oils and grease in the sewer system are costly to repair. Over time,they increase the costs of our water and sewer services.

F.O.G. enters plumbing through garbage disposals, sinks and toilets. It coats the inside of plumbingpipes and also empties into DeKalb Countys sewer system. Here are three simple guidelines to help

keep F.O.G. out of our pipes and sewers:

1.

2.

3.

POURfats, oils or grease into a sealable container, allow it to cool and throw it

in the trash. Do not pour down the drain or toilet.

SCRAPEplates and cookware before washing. Do not throw scraps of any kind

down the drain. Instead, place them in waste containers or garbage bags.

WIPEexcess grease from all plates, pots, pans, utensils, and surfaces with a

paper towel before washing. Throw the greasy paper towel away.

DeKalbs reghters have new air packs

Sovereign Citizens movement remains aproblem in DeKalb and other metro areas

by Andrew [email protected]

DeKalb County Fire Res-ue personnel were smiling

and cheering Oct. 30 when

hey received new air packs.The guys are very excit-

d, said NormanAugustin,deputy chief of operations forhe DeKalb County Fire Res-ue Department. Theyre

very relieved. Im relieved.m excited. We actually haveair packs] that we can oper-

ate safely.The reghters were hap-

py at the countys purchase of$2 million worth of self-con-ained breathing apparatuses,

air bottles, masks, rapid inter-vention team packs, regula-

ors and voice amps.On Oct. 30, truck afterruck stopped at the depart-

ments Fire Rescue Shop onCamp Circle to allow re-ghters to trade out the oldair packs for the new ones.

Fire rescue personnelalso adjusted brackets onhe truck which are actu-

ally what hold the air packsn place while the trucks in

motion, Augustin said. Theadjustment was a 15-minuteprocess.

The new air packs, manu-factured by Scott Safety,

are an updated model of airpacks used by DeKalb repersonnel before the depart-ment switched to packs madeby Draeger.

Its a newer model,Augustin said. Its basi-cally the same. Not much haschanged.

The equipment replacedthe departments existing air

packs, which were plaguedwith problems. The Draegerair packs malfunctioned 29times during emergenciessince the department startedusing them in 2009, accord-ing to re rescue ofcials.

Many of the devices hadto be sent back to the manu-facturer to repair problemswith their quick-release con-nections for the pressurizedair bottles and battery con-nections, among other prob-lems.

In June, a month before

the Board of Commissionersapproved the purchase of thenew equipment, a DeKalbCounty reghter was forcedto jump out of a two-storybuilding after his air packmalfunctioned during a re.

Augustin said the re res-cue department had a quickturnaround to get the packsafter the commissioners ap-

proval.We did purchasing, we

did training and implementa-tion in 69 days, Augustinsaid.

Augustin said the packs

were used during a re Oct.29.

I havent gotten anyreports back on what [thereghters] think of them,

he said. Im pretty sureI know what Im going toget back is that everythingis going to be good becausewe tested the air packs andwe tested them in real re

situations.


DeKalb County AssistantDistrict Attorney John Mel-vin said that according to the

Georgia Bureau of Investiga-tion, criminals who moveinto homes and illegallyclaim ownership of them hasbecome a signicant prob-lem.

Currently we have twocells of sovereign citizens un-der indictment and we haveanother one pending trial,Melvin said.

Recently, three men ac-cused of leading a cell ofsovereign citizens in DeKalband other metro Atlanta areaswere acquitted. Out of the 11people listed on the indict-

ment, the only members whowent to trial were EliyshuwaYisrael, Jermaine Gibsonand Richard Jenkins; theothers either pleaded out orwere used as witnesses at thetrial.

Its really a victorywhenever you stop crime andthe people who were perpe-trating it, Melvin said.

Although the three menwere acquitted, Melvin saidthey would think twice aboutdoing the same thing again.The three were accused of

breaking into vacant homesand signing or notarizing

deeds for themselves andeach other that purported toconvey property to them andthen led them with the Clerkof Court.

The ring allegedly took

over 18 properties and themen were charged with onecount of violating the Rack-eteer Inuenced and CorruptOrganizations Act (RICO)and one count of conspiracyto commit RICO.

In this situation theyeven tried to collect rent ona shopping center, Melvinsaid.

Yisrael acted as his owndefense attorney in the caseand each man faced up to 20years in prison if convicted.During the trial, Yisrael toldjurors that the banks that

owned the properties he wasaccused of stealing shouldnthave been allowed to ownthem in the rst place.

The defendants didntdeny their actions but arguedthat no crime was committedbecause they didnt take any-thing or hurt anyone.

Melvin said a similar caseis awaiting trial involvingSusan Weidman and severalco-conspirators. Melvin saidWeidman also has chargespending in Cobb County.Prosecutors opened an inves-

tigation into Weidman aftershe tried renting a home to

DeKalb County Fire Rescue personnel are breathing easier after receiving $2 million in new airpacks, replacing ones plagued with problems. Photos by Andrew Cauthen


12/24

Page 12A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012

Lithonia man killed in AtlantaPolice chopper crash

Avondale Estates veteran fighting to keep home

ATLANTA (AP) A Lithoniaman was one of two Atlanta

Police officers killed Nov. 3when their police helicopterrashed during a nighttimeearch for a missing 9-year-old

boy.Officers Shawn A. Smiley,

40, of Lithonia, and Rich-ard J. Halford, 48, of LithiaSprings, died on impact in therash at approximately 10:30

p.m., but no one was hurt onhe ground, police spokesman

CarlosCampos said. Therash occurred in a district

near Interstate 20 filled withast food restaurants, shopping

plazas and apartments roughly

4 miles west of downtownAtlanta. Power was blacked

out to a pharmacy and othernearby businesses.

It appeared to hit the util-ity wire on the way down,Campos told The AssociatedPress, citing preliminary in-formation. But he emphasized:We dont know what causedit and referred all queries tothe Federal Aviation Adminis-tration, which was just open-ing its investigation.

BystanderDarrylJames,42, told the AP that he hadgone with a companion to acheck-cashing store that nightwhen he heard the helicopterflying overhead and thought itwas rather low.

The tail end went downand then there was an explo-

sion, James said. He saidhe tried to get close to the

wreckage. As soon as I gotclose enough to it, poom. Itexploded. He added of thehelicopters occupants: Theycould not survive it.

James said people are oftenwaiting at a normally busy busstop near the crash site, add-ing, Thank God nobody wasout there.

Smiley, who joined theAPD in October 2010, had

been with the Air Unit sinceearlier this year, serving as atactical flight officer. He previ-ously served in APDs Zone2 precinct. Smiley is survived

by his wife and three children,ages 5, 7 and 9.

Halford Smiley


A U.S. Army veteran whofought in Operation DesertStorm, 50-year-old MarkHarris, is now in a fight toave his Avondale Estates

home from foreclosure.As a veteran, I thought

he toughest battles were be-hind me, said the retired staffergeant. I never thought Id

be struggling to keep a roofover my head.

On Nov. 5, representa-ives of Occupy Our Homes

Atlanta, Teamsters Local 728,AFL/CIO and Atlanta Jobswith Justice converged out-ide Harris home of 16 yearso offer their support.

This is a very hard strug-gle, Harris said outside hishome located at 1164 Dun-

wick drive, Avondale Estates.This is really happening to

a lot of hardworking, normalpeople like myself.

Harris worked at UPSn Doraville, where he was

a member of the Teamstersunion, for 21 years and retiredn 2005. He then started his

own trucking company.I got up to three trucks

and I was doing very well, buthen that died, Harris said.The economy just wont let

you do anything consistently.Since then, Harris has

been laid off twice from jobs.

A lay-off in April from a truckdriving job sent him to theunemployment line wherehe learned he was eligiblefor HomeSafe Georgia, a

program that provides tem-porary mortgage assistancefor homeowners who are un-employed or underemployed

through no fault of their own.Harris said he applied for

the program in May and forfour months weve been backand forth with the mortgagecompany trying to get a mod-ication.

As late as Sept. 22 I hada verbal deal [with mortgagecompany Fannie Mae], Har-ris said. They said because Iwas working with HomeSafe,the foreclosure would bestopped. I came home [Oct.9], and there was a foreclo-sure notice on my door say-ing get out.

After three years of pa-perwork, Harris, who wasinjured in the military, beganreceiving disability benetsin October. His Teamsters

retirement benets began inSeptember, after he returned50.

Harris can now afford his

$2,000-per-month mortgagefor the rst time in a year, hesaid.

I told the mortgage com-pany that I had some stuffcoming down the pipe, Har-ris said. They knew that aslate as three days before theyforeclosed on me. They didntwant to give me the chance.

Tim Franzen, an organiz-er with Occupy Our HomesAtlanta, said his organiza-tion was contacted by Harris,reviewed the case and dis-covered felony fraud in the

paperwork.

Some of the countrysmost famous robo signerssigned the mortgage assign-ment that was used to fore-close on [Harris], Franzen

stated in media release.According to the website

takebackyourhome.com,Robo-signers are mortgage

lending company employeeswho prepared and signedoff on foreclosures withoutreviewing them, as the lawrequires.

CharlieFlemming,president of the GeorgiaAFL-CIO, said, Part of the

problem was these robo-signatures on these loans.People dont know where toturn. Hes done everythinghes supposed to do. Hesreached out. Hes looked foravenues to be able to stayin his homethe home heslived in and wants to continue

to stay in.In Marks case, he did

have a good union job. Hedoes have a good pension.He served his country. He ran

across hard times but, truthis, he is able now to stay inhis house if theyll just workwith him, Flemming said.

Ben Speight, organizingdirector of Teamsters Local728, said,The Teamsters arehere to defend basic workers

and human rights. If there isan eviction thats imminentyoure going to have a lot ofTeamsters in this yard makingsure that that doesnt happen.

Were going to do ev-erything we can to defendyour right to hold onto yourhome, Speight told Harris.

Franzen said Harris sup-porters are going to be mak-ing phones calls and takingdirect action if necessary.

We know that FannieMae has an ofce right herein Atlanta, Franzen said.Weve been there before

and well go there again if itcomes down to it. If it meansshowing up at their ofceevery day, well do it if thatswhat it takes.

Fannie Mae is going tohave to come through allof us if they plan on tak-ing Marks home, Franzensaid. Were not leaving untilMark has a roof over his headand Fannie Mae makes adeal that keeps a communitymember in a house.

DeKalb County doesntneed another boarded uphouse, Franzen said.And

we dont need another home-less veteran. The wordshomeless and veteranshould never be in the samesentence.

Funeral services for Smileywill be held 11 a.m. Nov. 10 atFirst Baptist Church Atlanta inDunwoody.

Halford, whoa 26-yearveteran of the APD, had beenassigned to the Air Unit formore than 16 years, serving asa pilot. Halford has also servedin the departments Zone 4

precinct, the motors and DUIunits. He is survived by his

former wife and a 21-year-olddaughter.

Atlanta MayorKasimReed also said that he was sad-dened by what he called a ter-rible accident.

We mourn these two bravemen and offer our deepest con-dolences to their families andloved ones, Reed said in a

statement.

Mark Harris is in a fight to save his Avondale Estates home from foreclosure. This is a very hardstruggle, Harris said. Photo by Andrew Cauthen


13/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 Page 13A

CitizensContinued From Page 11A

DeKalbs COO to re-enter retirement in January

Send your comments and/or concerns regarding Comcasts current performance underthe current franchise agreement and/or the future cable-related needs and interests ofyour community to www.dekalbcountyga.gov.

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

with Comcast Cable Communications


DeKalb Countys chiefoperating ofcerCOO) will resign

his position effectivean. 4.As expected, I

have received formalnotice of resignationof COO RichardStogner, effective athe end of my rsterm, said DeKalb

County CEO BurrellEllis in an Oct. 31 state-ment. The fact that he vol-unteered his services for anentire year without compen-ation speaks volumes of his

character.Stogner began his career

working in the city of At-antas nance departmentn 1969, where he worked as

an analyst, 1969-72; directorof budgeting and account-ng, 1972-74; and director

of nancial analysis andauditing, 1974-78. From978-80, Stogner was the

deputy commissioner of avi-ation for Hartseld/JacksonAtlanta International Air-

port and from 1980-82, heworked as the chief admin-istrative ofcer for formerAtlanta mayorMaynard

Jackson.In 1982,

Stogner was ap-pointed chief ofeconomic devel-opment by formerAtlanta mayorAndrewYoung.From 1985-1991,Stogner led theeconomic devel-

opment department of Ful-ton County.

After being self-em-ployed for three years,Stogner worked for theAtlanta Committee for theOlympic Games as thedeputy chief nancial of-

cer, 1994-97, and then as thecorporate dissolution ofcer,1997-2000.

In 2001, Stogner was ap-pointed by former DeKalbCEO VernonJones as hisexecutive assistant/countyadministrator. Stogner re-tired when Jones left ofceafter eight years.

In September 2010,

Stogner accepted an ap-pointment to the COO posi-tionwithout pay; he wasalready receiving a countypension.

I have always been op-

posed philosophically todouble dipping, Stognersaid in 2010.

Stogner earned an under-graduate degree at GeorgiaInstitute of Technology andmasters degrees of businessadministration and publicadministration from GeorgiaState University.

Richard has had a long

and distinguished career inpublic service and is well-known and recognized asa top-notch public admin-istrator, Ellis stated. Hehas served the citizens of

DeKalb County in a keyleadership role during oneof the most difcult eco-nomic times during our na-tions history.

After 40 years of pub-lic service in various localgovernments, Richard hasearned his retirement andwe wish him all the best,Ellis said.

Stogner

omeone without actuallyowning it.

In most cases, Melvin saidlarge group or cell of sov-reign citizens will operate inreas where foreclosed prop-rties were prevalent.

However, we are awareof people, individuals, whore doing it without anybodylse, Melvin said.

Erik Burton, a spokes-man for DeKalb County Dis-rict Attorney Robert James,aid it is important to knowhe difference between a sov-reign citizen and someone

who is just squatting inside avacant property.

They, in my opinion,eem to operate under a dif-erent code and rationalizeheir legal right to be in a

vacant propertya squattermight just be staying insidehe property but a sovereignitizen will go le a fake

deed for the property, Bur-on said.

New

11/13

Full

11/28

The Northeast will see scattered rain and snow today, mostly clear skies Friday and

Saturday, with the highest temperature of 80 in Germantown, Md. The Southeast

will see mostly clear skies today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of

75 in Key West, Fla. The Northwest will see partly cloudy to cloudy skies with scattered rain and

snow today through Saturday, with the highest temperature of 64 in Torrington, Wyo. The Southwest

will see mostly clear to partly cloudy skies today, isolated showers Friday, mostly clear to partly

cloudy skies Saturday, with the highest temperature of 87 in Gila Bend, Ariz.

THURSDAY

Sunny

High: 61 Low: 39

First

11/20

The Champion Weather Nov. 8, 2012Seven Day Forecast

Local UV Index

WEDNESDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 63 Low: 41

TUESDAY

Mostly Cloudy

High: 62 Low: 44

MONDAY

Partly Cloudy

High: 67 Low: 45

SUNDAY

Sunny

High: 69 Low: 49

SATURDAYSunny

High: 68 Low: 44

FRIDAY

Sunny

High: 65 Low: 41

In-Depth Local Forecast Today's Regional Map

Sunrise

7:03 a.m.

7:04 a.m.

7:05 a.m.

7:06 a.m.

7:07 a.m.

7:08 a.m.

7:08 a.m.

Sunset

5:39 p.m.

5:38 p.m.

5:37 p.m.

5:37 p.m.

5:36 p.m.

5:35 p.m.

5:35 p.m.

Moonset

2:04 p.m.

2:39 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

3:55 p.m.

4:39 p.m.

5:29 p.m.

6:26 p.m.

Moonrise

1:14 a.m.

2:15 a.m.

3:18 a.m.

4:25 a.m.

5:34 a.m.

6:45 a.m.

7:55 a.m.

Last

12/6

www.WhatsOurWeather.com

Weather History

Nov. 8, 1989 - Afternoon and

evening thunderstorms develop-

ing along and ahead of a cold

front produced severe weather

from northern Louisiana into

central Georgia. Thunderstorms

spawned three tornadoes and

there were 64 reports of large

hail or damaging winds.

Weather Trivia

Tonight's Planets

What is the zone of

weather also known

as?

Answer: The troposphere. It

extends up to about 18,000 feet.

?

Day

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

National Weather Summary This Week

Local Sun/Moon Chart This Week

StarWatch By Gary Becker - From Snow to Blow

Today we will see sunny skies with a high

temperature of 61, humidity of 62%. Northwest

wind 5 to 10 mph. The record high temperature for

today is 83 set in 1986. Expect clear skies tonight

with an overnight low of 39. The record low for

tonight is 25 set in 1976.

Nov. 9, 1913 - The freshwater

fury, a rapidly deepening

cyclone, caused unpredicted

gales on the Great Lakes. Eight

ore carriers on Lake Erie sank,

drowning 270 sailors.

I dont think I have ever seen a day quite like today. There will be no stars shining in Coopersburg this evening, just the silent beat of star-shaped snowflakes falling among

semi-skeletal trees. Those words were written on October 29, 2011 during the first hours of a Halloween snowstorm that blanketed the Northeast, and in my particular area,

caused thousands of leafed branches to snap. Electrical outages lasted for a week for some of my friends, and cleanup went on for months. I dropped six trees in my back-

yard this past spring that had been severely weakened by that storm. It is now October 29, 2012 and although it isnt snowing, the winds are beginning to howl with an

increasing ferocity as Hurricane Sandy hooks to the west and targets southern New Jersey with 90 mph winds. The tempest is still 200 miles off the coast of Delaware. This scenario is

being called unprecedented in the history of tropical events because of its size and its odd movements. My lights have already begun to flicker, predicting in no uncertain terms that the

electricity will go out soon, and this time, longer than last year; it may affect as many as 10 million people in the path of this monster storm. Make no mistake; this is just the beginning of

a swing to wilder and crazier weather and more extreme conditions that will begin to affect greater numbers of people around the world, but particularly in the continental US. Even before

the scientific community began to warn us decades ago about the detriments of global warming, the United States was always the battleground for the staging of severe weather. We get

more impactful tropical systems, and four out of every five tornadoes occur here in the US. When you go to the polls on Tuesday, remember that one party doesnt even support the belief

that global warming exists. That one fact alone is reason enough for me to want to vote for the other guys. www.astronomy.org

Rise Set

Mercury 8:35 a.m. 6:26 p.m.

Venus 4:23 a .m. 4:09 p .m.

Mars 10:04 a .m. 7:49 p .m.

Jupiter 7:11 p.m. 9:22 a.m.

Saturn 6:02 a.m. 5:07 p.m.Uranus 3:37 p.m. 3:52 a.m.

3 50 - 2 4 6 8 107 9 11+

UV Index

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

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

11+: Extreme Exposure

Atlanta

61/39

Decatur

61/39

Doraville

60/39

Dunwoody

59/38 Lilburn

60/39

Snellville

61/39

Lithonia

62/39

Morrow

62/39

Smyrna

60/39

Hampton

63/40

Union City

62/39

College Park

62/39

*Last Weeks Almanac

Date Hi Lo Normals Precip

Tuesday 55 41 68/48 0.00"Wednesday 62 40 68/48 0.00"

Thursday 62 36 68/47 0.00"

Friday 74 40 67/47 0.00"

Saturday 78 41 67/47 0.00"

Sunday 72 47 67/47 0.00"

Monday 64 36 67/46 0.03"Rainfall . . . . . . .0.03" Average temp . .53.4

Normal rainfall . .0.84" Average normal 57.3

Departure . . . . .-0.81" Departure . . . . .-3.9*Data as reported from De Kalb-Peachtree Airport


14/24


by Carla [email protected]

Navy veteran Theodore

Arthur Bryant Jr. remem-bers the attack on Pearl Har-bor by the Japanese ImperialGeneral Headquarters onDec. 7, 1941.

I had just turned 19 onNov. 21, 1941, when theybombed Pearl Harbor and Iknew that I would eventuallybe drafted because they al-eady started the draft beforehat, he said.

And he was drafted. TheLithonia native was complet-ng the 10th grade at Wash-ngton High School in Atlanta

when he was drafted into theU.S. Navy on April 6, 1944.

Bryant, who will be 90years old on Nov. 24, willbe the grand marshal for thecity of Lithonia InauguralVeterans Day Parade on Nov.10. The parade serves as anopportunity to honor men andwomen from every genera-ion who have served in anyype of military branch. The

event will be the centerpieceof the celebrations in Litho-nia for veterans, their fami-ies, friends, civic leaders and

politicians to come togethero honor all the branches ofhe military.

Bryant said he is proudo be grand marshal for the

parade.I consider that quite an

honor because I know thereare a lot of veterans in thisarea, he said. And for meo be chosen its quite an

honor.Bryant served two years in

he Navy in San Diego, Calif.He was assigned to the shakedown group, where they

served sailors and ofcers onthe ship.

I was assigned to the cap-tain ofce building, he said.

I served his coffee, brushedhis uniform and shined hisshoes.

The Navy was raciallysegregated in training andin most service units, andthe Navys Black sailors had

been limited to serving asmess attendants for nearlytwo decades.

Back then they had aplace for us and we had tostay there, Bryant said.

Bryant was sent to Jack-sonville, Fla., in March 1946,where he was given an honor-able discharge from the Navy.

He came back home toLithonia and at the age of 25,he completed the 11th gradeat Lithonia Colored HighSchool.

Bryant married Lila Mint-er on Dec. 11, 1947. Theywere married for 52 yearsuntil her death in 1999. Theyhad eight children together.

Before Bryant left for theNavy, he fathered a daughter,Mary Bryant Tucker, bornon Nov. 21, 1944. Tuckeris the mother of comedianChris Tucker.

Bryant was called to min-ister at an early age. He pas-

tored in the United MethodistChurch for 20 years whileworking a full-time job atLockheed Aircraft, where he

built the bodies of airplanes.When I rst got there

we were working on theB-29, the bomber they usedto bomb Japan in 1953, hesaid.

In 1960, Bryant went toministerial school at Gam-mon Theological Seminary.

Grand marshal named for

Lithonia Veterans Day parade

Navy veteran Theodore Arthur Bryant Jr. stands in the room where he was born. The house is nowhome to Lithonias Flat Rock Archive. Photo by Carla Parker

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urors that after the incidenther daughter repeatedlywoke up in the middle ofhe night crying because of

nightmares she had.One dream I remember

n particular her talking tome aboutshe dreamedhat Mr. Spellen was go-ng to take all her tae kwon

do belts away because sheold, the mother testied.

Defense attorney Ste-ven Maples told jurors thatince there was no forensic

evidence linking the allegedvictim to Spellen, he shouldhave never been charged.However, Racine stated thatince the incident occurred

several weeks before therape test was done, the vic-tim had healed.

According to Spellenscompany website, he hasbeen competing and trainingin tae kwon do for nearly20 years. He is a certiedinstructor, has a black belt,and has coached 38 stateand regional championsand ve national champi-ons. Spellen is a ve-timenational champion and wona silver medal at the 2010

South American Games inMedellin, Colombia.

Spellen faces life in pris-on if he is eventually foundguilty of the charges.

He was an associate ministerof three churches in the area,including Flat Rock Meth-odist Episcopal Church, forve years. He spent the next20 years pastoring churchesfrom Atlanta to Columbusand in Newton County.

He retired from Lockheedin 1987 after 35 years. Healso retired from pastoring

but not from his ministry.He is now pastor emeri-

tus at Flat Rock CommunityChurch of Lithonia.

These days, Bryant canbe found at his birth home,which is now home to Litho-

nias Flat Rock Archive, amuseum that showcases thehistory of DeKalb Countysoldest Black community. Thesmall house was built in 1917

by his father, Theodore Ar-thur Bryant Sr.

He heads back to hisbirth home every Tuesday tomingle with visitors for a fewhours. The museum, whichlaunched in 2006, is openedto visitors every Tuesday.

The inaugural VeteransDay Parade will begin at 11

a.m. The parade will start atLithonia Middle School andwill make its way through

downtown Lithonia and endat the Bruce Street AfricanAmerican Cemetery followed

by a Celebration of Livingand Fallen Veterans.

Col. Brent Bracewell,director of the Joint Staff ofthe Georgia National Guard,is the speaker. The marching

bands of Cross Keys, StoneMountain and Clarkston highschools will perform as willROTC units from Litho-nia and Miller Grove highschools.

For more informationabout the event, visit www.lithoniaveteransday.com.

MistrialContinued From Page 8A


15/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 Page 15ABusiness

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

404-378-8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce

On Thursday evenings, Decaturs businessdistrict becomes a holiday shopping party

30% OFF*painting supplies

15% OFF*custom order wallpaper

For other locations visit sherwin-williams.com.

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November 912

*Retail sales only. Discount taken of o ull retail price.Sale pricing or other ofers that result in greater savings will

supersede this ofer. Not valid on previous purchases.Excludes Multi-Purpose primers, Minwax Wood Finishes Quarts,

ladders, spray equipment and accessories & git cards.Other exclusions may apply. See store or sherwin-williams.com

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by Kathy [email protected]

Shoppers whore dread-ng facing crowded malls

where most stores are theocal version of a national

etailer may want to tryomething different thisholiday season. With itsannual Terric Thursdayshopping event returninghis week, Decatur is givinghoppers the opportunity

for one evening a week toake advantage of late store

hours and unusual offeringsn what are often locally

owned stores.Downtown Decatur res-

aurants also are offeringpecials for those who wanto pause for dinner duringheir shopping. Those who

dont want a full meal cantop periodically to sampleefreshments offered even

at shops that dont normallyoffer food.

The city of Decatur callsts downtown event for the

holiday shopping seasonhe mallternative. In aradition thats now morehan a decade old, Decaturs making a special effort to

encourage area residents tokeep their holiday shoppingdollars in the community.Terric Thursdays start Nov.

8 and continue each Thurs-day except ThanksgivingDay through Dec. 20. EachThursday evening Decatursdowntown business areabecomes a holiday partywith snacks, drinks, productdemonstrations and specialdiscounts. The evenings aredesigned to make shoppingand dining in Decatur easy,fun and economic boost forhe city.

Participating businesses

are staying open until 9 or10 p.m. for this event, luringcustomers with a variety ofbargains and special offersat downtown Decatur shops,galleries and restaurants.

Jay Mehta, owner of

Boutique Kama, which isoffering discounts to Ter-ric Thursday shoppers, hasparticipated each year formaybe seven or eight yearsand pronounces the event abig success.

We want to help shop-pers make holiday buying apleasure, not a hassle, andsupport local businesses atthe same time, said Cath-erine Lee, developmentservices coordinator for thecity of Decatur.

In prior years, the cityprovided a mini-bus to driveshoppers around, but cityofcials have discoveredthat Terric Thursdaysparticipants prefer to parkonce and walk around town.Some participating busi-nesses in addition to stayingopen late, are making aneffort to get shoppers in afestive holiday mood. Forexamples, Cooks Ware-house and Sherlocks WineMerchants is serving wineand hors doeuvres as wellas offeringproduct dem-onstrations. Well have

Christmas music and a realparty atmosphere, saidNancy Tuyes, merchandisemanager. Decatur is sucha friendly area and this isan opportunity for people tomingle with their neighborsand just have fun while theyshop.

In December the oldbearded man himself joinsin the fun. Santa will be vis-iting shops and restaurantswithin the city limits.

This year, participating businesses are:Alexia Gallery, 335-B W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Boutique Karma, 145-B Sycamore St.Cafe Lily, 308 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Collage,114 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Cooks Warehouse & Sherlocks Wine Merchants, 180 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Decatur Market & Gallery, 153 Ponce de Leon Place

Eyeworks of Decatur, 335 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Greenes Fine Foods, 141 E. Trinity Place

Kismet Jewelers, 414 Church St.

Little Shop of Stories, 133 E. Court SquareMezcalitos, 653 East Lake Drive

Natural Body Spa, 225 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Suite 150

Pure Station, 249 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Salon Red, 119 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Salon Red Kids, 123 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Sq/Ft, 149 Sycamore St.

Squash Blossom Boutique, 113 E. Court Square

Taste, 416 Church St.The 17 Steps, 235-M Ponce de Leon Place

The Cottage Beauty Salon, 914 Church St.

The Pinewood Tippling Room, 254 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Trinity Mercantile & Design, 131 E. Trinity Place

Vivid Boutique, 33 E. Court Square

Wahoo! Grill, 1042 W. College Ave.

Wild Oats and Billy Goats, 112 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.

Worthmore Jewelers, 117 E. Court Square


16/24

The Champion Free Press, Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 Page 16AEducation

Obama replies to fifth graders letter, questionnaireby Daniel [email protected]

To learn about theelections process, AshfordPark Elementary teacherTonya Edwards and herstudents sent a letter andquestionnaire to bothPresident Barack Obamaand presidential candidateMitt Romney.

Much to the studentsand Edwards surprise, theyreceived a response fromObama, answers to thequestionnaire and severalpictures, including one ofrooms in the White House.

They were shocked

because hes so busy,Edwards said. When Imailed them off they weresaying that neither one ofhem would write back.

Edwards said her fthgrade class of talented andgifted students is studying

the presidential electiondoing research to comeup with the questionnairehelped the students furthertheir knowledge of how thedemocratic process works.

Some of the questionsthey came up with werepersonal questions,Edwards said. I justthought it would be theperfect unit since this issuch a huge current eventtopic; also, government isone of the state standardsthat fth graders learnabout.

In addition to comingup with the questionnaires,Edwards said her studentsalso watched each debateand participated in debates

of their own in which theysplit into groups for andagainst the candidates.

Edwards said the studentsalso learned about differentpolitical parties and howelectoral votes impact anelection.

On Nov. 5 students atAshford Park participatedin a mock election andEdwards class voted earlythat morning and thentook a eld trip to the statecapitol.

The

Documents

Champion Free Press: 11-9-12