Free Press 10-29

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AVAILABLE ONLINE AT WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 VOL. 13, NO. 31 FREE

F REE P RESS A PUBLICATION OF ACE III C OMMUNICATIONS

See Schools on Page 15A

See Ghost on Page 15A

DeKalb schools push to answer hard questionsy Pureterrah Witcher [email protected]

Many people are asking: Whatdoes the future hold for DeKalbCounty schools?

Will bullying be taken seriously?Will the school system continue r-ng those last hired, even if they out-erform others? What will it take for

DeKalb to earn its full share of stateentitlement funds? Will furloughscontinue into the coming school year?

To these questions, school of-cials voted to end all remaining fur-lough days, introduced plans to meetstate funding requirements for 2013-17 and proposed sweeping changes tothree key policies in a busy week of committee meetings last week.

In addition to ending furloughs,the DeKalb school board voted Oct.22 to equally distribute $14.6 millionamong all full-time school employeesas part of a federal education funding

program.Employees will also have the op-

tion to begin a retirement fund contri- bution or receive a lump-sum check,according to school ofcials.

DeKalb received $18.3 millionfrom the Education Jobs Act Funding,

part of $10 billion given to states thatmust be used for public schools staff-ing.

Earlier in the week, the state department of educations ofce of -nance and business operations LynnJackson, informed Dekalb boardmembers and administrators on how

by John [email protected]

Despite what League of Women Voters DeKalbPresident Belinda Pe-droso described as

multiple efforts to schedule a4th district congressional forumround Democratic Congressman

Hank Johnson s schedule, theongressman was not present for he Oct. 20 event. His challenger,

Republican Liz Carter, was theone candidate at the forum, spon-ored by the League of Women

Voters DeKalb, Junior League of DeKalb and The Champion News-paper .

The forum, which had beendvertised for three weeks inprint and online, was held at theDeKalb History Center in down-own Decatur. Around 1 p.m. on

the day of the event, an e-mailfrom Congressman Johnsons of-ce was sent to Pedroso that stat-ed, Due to a scheduling conict,the Congressman regrets that hewill be unable to attend the forum.His bio and highlights from his re-cord are attached.

Pedroso said that The Leagueof Women Voters began planningthe Congressional debate shortlyafter the July primary and thatthe date was conrmed on Sept.28. Reminder notices were sentfrom the League of Women VotersDeKalb to both candidates on Oct.18.

The league president said shewas disappointed. I notied the

congressmans ofce that the debate would take place as planned,Pedroso said. When a candidatedoes not participate in a debate,the community is deprived of

knowledge about that candidacy.Following moderator Bill

Crane s introduction, Carter began addressing the crowd bystating, We are at a critical pointin this nation. We need to elect

people who will ght for what isright and not what is easy.

With no time restraints, Carter continued to address the audienceregarding education, transporta-tion and her desire to end whatshe referred to as corruption in

politics.I have walked and talked

among the voters. It doesnt mat-ter if you are Republican, Demo-crat on independent, I will repre-sent you. Carter said. District 4

has not had a strong representativein a long time and I live here. Weneed to move forward and get

beyond political parties. I am tiredof being embarrassed.

by Kathy MitchellDont let the nameor the

fact that it takes place in anantebellum Southern mansionsettingmislead you, StoneMountains A Tour of SouthernGhosts isnt a haunted house ex-

perience. Its a storytelling festi-val that showcases ghost storiesfrom across the South.

The event, an annual fund-raiser for Stone MountainsART Station, celebrates its 25thanniversary with what ART Sta-tion President and Art Director David Thomas said should beone of the events best yearsever. During a 12-day periodleading into Halloween, visitorsgo on a guided lantern-lit tour of yesteryear vividly brought tolife through the grand tradition

of Southern storytelling insidethe mansion in Stone MountainPark.

Republican candidate Liz Carter was the lone participant in a recent 4th Congressional District forum after incumbent Hankohnson cancelled his appearance six hours before the event. Photo by John Hewitt

Congressional forum continueswithout Congressman Johnson

Southernghost tourscaresup somefamily fun

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A Section Page 2A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010

Your participation will help:

Identify what health issues are important inyour communityDevelop action plans to improve the healthand well-being of residentsDevelop partnerships to work together tofnd solutions

Share your voice. Be heard!

We need to hear your voice to work toward ahealthier DeKalb County.

Join our

Live HealthyDeKalb Coalition

404-508-7847www.dekalbhealth.net

Express Yourself !Express Yourself !

Monthly meetings are the f irstWednesday of each month.

State high court hears constitutionalchallenge to temporary custody statuteby Nigel Roberts

The state Supreme Courttepped into a child custody

appeal on Oct. 12 that couldadd clarity to Georgia law.Boddie v. Daniels involvesa DeKalb County JuvenileCourt ruling in which theourt denied a mothers peti-ion to terminate temporary

guardianship of her now6-year-old daughter. Thisappeal asks the court to re-view the constitutionality of he states temporary guard-anship statute.

According to court docu-

ments, in 2007, TammieBoddie voluntarily gaveYolanda Daniels , a familyriend, temporary guardian-hip of her then 2-year-old

daughter. Boddie, who hadwo older children, facedviction and asked Danielso care for her youngesthild. One month later, the

Probate Court formally ap-pointed Daniels temporaryguardian of M, as courtdocuments refer to the child,o protect her identity.

About 18 months later,Boddie asked Daniels toerminate the temporary

guardianship. When Dan-els refused, Boddie askedhe Probate Court to termi-

nate Daniels guardianship,which led to a trial in the Ju-venile Court. The court ruledn favor of Daniels, ndinghat it was in Ms best inter-st to stay with Daniels.

Boddies lawyers arehallenging the constitu-ionality of the states tem-

porary guardianship statute,which they say improperlyuses the best interest of the

hild standard in violationof Boddies right to raiseher childespecially in theabsence of evidence to sup-port a claim that living withBoddie endangers the childswelfare.

According to Boddie, her arrangement with Danielswas voluntary and never in-ended to be permanent. She

pointed out that child wel-are authorities did not getnvolved in the case becausehe considered Ms best in-erest when deciding to grant

Daniels guardianship.Throughout Daniels

guardianship, Boddie saidhe visited her daughter our times a month. She

approached Daniels aboutterminating her guardian-ship after she had obtaineda steady job at Walgreens,leased a two-bedroom apart-ment in Clarkston and com-

pleted a certied nursingassistant course.

But Daniels tells a dif-ferent story. According toDaniels, when Boddie rstapproached her about guard-ianship, Boddie told her thatshe had not bonded withM and considered givingaway her daughter. Childwelfare authorities didnt getinvolved because Daniels

became Ms guardian, Dan-iels lawyer contended. Dan-iels added that Boddie hasdone nothing to improve her

parenting skills and fails tocommunicate or spend timewith M.

In their constitutionalchallenge, Boddies attor-neys point to a 1995 case(Brooks v. Parkerson) inwhich the state SupremeCourt declared Georgiasgrandparents visitation stat-ute unconstitutional.

Brooks involved parentswho opposed their childsmaternal grandmothers

petition for visitation. Inthrowing out the statute, the

justices ruled that parentshave the prerogative over

petitioners unless the peti-tioner could prove that thechild is being harmed.

Boddies attorneys alsoargued that the courts 2001decision in Clark v. Wadefavors their position. Clark involved grandparents whosought to intervene in thegrant of temporary custodyto the father of their grand-

child, when the mother wasarrested on a probation vio-lation for testing positive for cocaine. The grandparentsargued that state law allowsthem to obtain custody if itis in the best interest of thechild.

In their brief to the highcourt, Boddies lawyersargued that under Clark,the court ruled that Danielsmust show that parentalcustody would harm M. Andthat harm must be proven

by clear and convincingevidence, not merely apreponderance of the evi-dence.

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 PAGE 3ANEWS

DeKalb Schools studentswith 15 days or more ofunexcused absences

Elementary SchoolSchool Year No. of Students2004-05 7,3002008-09 3,800

Middle School2004-05 4,0002008-09 1,700

High School2004-05 8,2002008-09 6,700

Source: DeKalb County Schools

y Gale Horton [email protected]

From Holly Burt s perspective thefforts of the courts and the DeKalb

County School System to help her ruant son deserve a C. Though her on is no longer attending publicchool and she is still entangled in

DeKalb Countys Educational Ne-glect Court, she said the combined ef-

orts of the court and school ofcialshave resulted in what she considers aworkable solution: home schooling.

Burt has turned the kitchen inher Lithonia home into a makeshiftlassroom with her 15-year-old son

Shelby as her sole student.Shelby missed 97 days of school

n Newton County and eight days inDeKalb last school year.

His dad up and left us with noth-ng, said Burt of a separation thatook place in 2008. It was very hard

on him.According to his mother, Shelby,

who had been an A/B student, gaveup. He cried every morning aboutgoing, said Burt, relating that heold her, My father dont care, whyhould I.

However Shelby paints a differenticture of why he no longer wants to

go to school. He said he was one of the few White teens at StephensonHigh School in Lithonia and he was

picked on and hassled continuously.Chronic absenteeism is a complex

problem in local schools. Illness of a parent, unstable domestic situations,drug/alcohol abuse, disinterest inschool and difculties with academicwork are a few reasons students missschool for days at a time. Some situa-

tions involve runaways, prostitution,nancial crisis, mental illness andother weighty matters. Sometimesstudents are to blame, sometimes

parents or guardians carry the burden.Often times both share responsibility.

However, according to state law,children ages 6 to 16 are legally re-quired to be in schoolbe it public,

private or home school.When a child has excessive ab-

sences, parents may nd themselvesin DeKalb Countys monthly educa-tional neglect court.

Heres an example of what typi-cally takes place:

Parentsmostly mothers but afew fathers toobegin arriving justafter 12:30 p.m. for the court whichis scheduled to commence at 1 p.m.Some 15 to 20 adults and about 12young people wait anxiously as ba-

bies and toddlers fuss, squirm andcry. While everyone waits, someindividuals are called to the front of the courtroom and when documentsare presented showing that their chil-dren have been attending school, theyare allowed to leave. On a particular August afternoon, the judge arrives at3:15 p.m. Court ofcials call namesof parents who are supposed to bethere. Two womens names are called,

but they arent there. A bench warrantfor their arrest is requested. One caseis reset for a future compliance check and in another its noted that proof of a child being in school is needed.

The bottom line is we got their attention, said Associate JudgeRalph Merck from the bench.

Folders are opened, reviewed, briey discussed and closed.

While Tiffani Green waits to becalled, she explained to a Champion reporter that she knew her daughter missing school for a year was not agood thing. We have to hurry up and

put her in school because somebodysgoing to get in trouble if we dont, iswhat she said she told her daughtersfather.

I wasnt stable, he wasntstable, said Green, who was the cus-todial parent and was charged with

educational neglect. Her daughter was put into foster care.

I almost had a nervous break-down when she was away, saidGreen, adding that despite the ordeal,the outcome has been favorable.It was good. It taught me how todeal with my little girl. She was sospoiled. It was very helpful.

Now her daughter is in the sixthgrade at a Cobb County school and

is off to a good start, according to her mother.Merck said that his role in the pro-

ceedings at education neglect court isvery limited.

I am just here to approve theagreements that come up, he said.Most of the time they have agree-ments intended to get kids in school,not to punish or anything like that.

Most times parents agree withand abide by the plans that are putin place to remedy the problems andthe cases are not adjudicated. Merck

praised DeKalbs deputy chief assis-tant solicitor-general Angel Riley andAttendance Review Team staff for their compassion and effectiveness.Merck added that jailing parents isa last resort that doesnt often occur.

Court time for parents andmonitoring makes a difference

See Hooky on Page 7A

Part 3

Photo by Gale Horton Gay

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Let Us Know What You Think!THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinions from its readers.Please write to us and express your views. Letters should be brief, type-written and contain the writers name, address and telephone number for

verication. 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] To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779

Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior to publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do not necessarilyreect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel

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F REE P RESS

The Newslady

Making a statement

In the midst of all the negativenews of shootings, muggings, rob-beries, child molestations, greed,corruption, domestic violence anddisease and bad political ads comeso my attention a story that warmshe cockles of my heart.

In fact, word of Lithonias Track Phi Track Club Elite owned and op-erated by coach Karsten Edwards made me a tad bit envious of theboys and girls who are his charges.The time and place where I grewup did not tolerate female athletes.Girls couldnt play basketball or runrack except for eld day once a

year in the spring.I fancied myself a Wilma Ru-

dolf in our summer-time races. Ioutran all the girls and boys in theneighborhood. But, alas, the gloryof the wind at my back and my eet

of foot became a mere memoryonce school began. For boys only.

No girls allowed.Fast forward a few years to a

different time and place. Fortu-nately, Track Phi Track welcomesgirls as along with the boys, fromas young as nine years to 18. Theclubs motto is No track and eldathlete left behind. Based on thenumbers in the win column the onlyones left behind is the competition.Track Phi Track is indeed making astatement.

Edwards started the club nearly12 years ago out of his own love of the sport. The Alabama A&M gradu-ate has been involved in track andeld for 24 years. He competed inthe Olympic trials in 1992 and wasa four-time all-American in the 100meters. Edwards shares that passionwith more than 40 boys and girlscurrently listed on the team roster.They compete with athletes from

public and private schools through-out the Southeast such as WoodwardAcademy and organizations such asthe Boys and Girls Clubs.

The young athletes are nurturedin a family-like environment thatstresses the development of the

budding track stars to their fullest potentialmentally, physically,academically and spiritually. Pa-rental involvement is a huge factor

in its success. And, success storiesabound about the difference the clubhas made in the lives of the par-ticipants. A dozen former studentsreceived scholarships to colleges asdiverse as Alabama A&M and Geor-gia State to Embry Riddle Aeronau-tical University and the Universityof South Carolina. They returned tothis years awards banquet.

This year six young athleteswere nalists in the United StatesTrack and Field Youth National inLisles, Ill., and 16 were national -nalists in the AAU Olympic Cham-

pionships in Hampton, Va. TatiyanaCaffey brought home the gold inthe USTAFs Intermediate Girls 800Meter Run. Adolphus Gray wonthe Boys 400 meter dash.

In the Midget girls AAU Jr.Olympics competition 4X800 meter relay, Mackenzie Ellison, Alexan-dria Green, JNai Jones and At-wonette Thomas were the winners.In the Intermediate girls 4x800 re-lay it was Aaliyah Pettway, Crys-tal Gray, Crystal McBride and

Caffey. The 2010 Prospective Stu-dents Athletes were Antonio Cart-er, Amina Cox and Bria Philpot.The students are excelling off the

eld as well10-year-old JaysenEdwards was named to the DeKalbCounty schools board of scholarsfor his academic achievements andleadership.

There is so much negative newsabout young people, it is pleasure towrite about scholarly young athletesand caring adults who are helpingthese young people be all they can

be. Kudos to the young track starswho endure the rigors and disciplineof training; their parents for their encouragement and assistance; andcoach Edwards and his staff, coach-es Moses , Felix , Carter , Gray andSmith. You are denitely making astatement and helping young peopletake their game to the next level.The track season has been over for a while, but the young athletes arestill going for the gold.

Steen Miles, The Newslady, is a

retired journalist and former Geor- gia state senator. Contact Steen Mi-lies at [email protected].

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 PAGE 4AOPINION

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Guest Opinions

Tax the rich: The U.S. tax system is a mess

Taxes, like death, may beertain. Unlike death they can be

nagled.Finagling works best if youre

ich and can join with brethren tohire accountants, lawyers, lobby-sts and politicians to carve outoopholes in the law. Then either he rest of us have to pay your hare, public services degrade, or he country just goes deeper into

debt.

Google, with its ironic Dono evil motto, epitomizes thisproblem. The tech giant shifts itsprots to cooperative nations, in-luding Ireland, the Netherlandsnd Bermuda, Bloomberg News re-

vealed. Thanks to ploys with cutenames like Dutch sandwich,Google has saved $3.1 billion thatt would have otherwise paid inaxes since 2007.

Locally, this conniving takeshe form of spiffy cars and comfy

yachts being registered someplace

else that offers lower property tax-es. Meanwhile businesses wheedlelocal abatements and credits for amultitude of questionable purposes.

Ironically, state capitols areoften even easier to eece thantowns since they are farther re-moved from prying local eyes.Thus state income taxes developmysterious exemptions, favoredindustries get handled with kidgloves, and nominal corporateheadquarters. Plus, some statesdont levy income taxes at all,meaning that the rich mans bur-den gets borne by you-know-who.

While these local scams navi-gate quietly through placid waters,the economic seas in Washingtonare more turbulent. How is it thatwhile overblown headlines glower

about Social Securitys impend-ing doom were rarely informedthat payroll income more than$100,000 is not taxed at all for this key federal system? If wecould simply collect Social Secu-rity taxes on breadwinners totalincome, wed end that blather about raising the retirement age or cutting benets in other ways.

But not only do the rich ownCongress, they own the media too.So we hear little of this and other obvious solutions.

We do hear plenty about theBush tax cuts currently bankrupt-ing our nation. The general wis-dom is that they should expire for the wealthy at the end of the year,so those folks might nally ponyup their fair share. For the rest of us, the cuts should be extended awhile so that we can, in our ownmeager way, continue to stimulatethe economy.

But Republicans claim that thewealthy stimulate the economytoo. True, but unfortunately theystimulate the economies of Swit-zerland, Bahamas, Brazil, Austra-lia and China. They dont investmuch back here.

Investors under Bush also gota juicy deal on dividends and capi-tal gains. What, you say, youre

not living high off the moneyyouve saved instead of pay-ing as taxes? And neither is theeconomy? You dont mean thosePledge to America types lied tous back in 2001? Gracious sakes!Well, maybe we ought to restorethose higher rates on investment

prots too, and tax hedge fundoperators at regular percentagesinstead of pretending that their

prots are capital gains.The estate tax is another big-

gie. The rich call it the Death

Tax and they really hate it. Notthat they will have to pay it them-selves. Theyll be dead. But yes,their kids will pay it from momsand dads investments. Their dy-nasty will be impaired, after a$3.5 million exemption, of course.I can see the tears welling in your eyes. Would a $3.5 million exemp-tion cover your needs?

The Republicans biggest ar-gument against a fair estate taxis that it dooms family farms. Itsnot a bad ploy for tugging heartstrings, but so far they havent

been able to nd any farms thatwere sold because of a taxed es-tate.

In short, the U.S. tax systemis a mess. Corporations shift prof-its abroad and the rich shift as-

sets and legal residences to other states, all to avoid taxes. And itworks. To obtain further protthey purchase lawmakers and me-dia outlets. If only we could getthose folk to pay their fair share,we wouldnt have to worry somuch about bloating decits.

OtherWords columnist William A. Collins is a former state repre- sentative and a former mayor of Norwalk, Connecticut. www.other-words.org

www.ChampionNewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 PAGE 5A

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If life were an old-fashioned movie se-rial wed be at the scenewhere Barack Obamas tied to railroad tracks

while an oncoming trainsounds in the distance.

And if it were a movie, hed escape.m not sure how, but at the last moment

hed slip his bonds and roll off the tracksust as the train roared by.

Thats the difference between moviesand real life.

Its beginning to look as though Pres-dent Obama wont escape his current

predicament, that indeed hes going tobe run over by the train that is, for want

of a better name, the Angry AmericanVoter.The polls going into the mid-term

congressional elections, while improv-ng some in recent weeks, are still a

bloody nose for the Democrats.A recent Associated Press poll, for

example, shows working class Whitesfavoring Republican candidates by twicehe margin of the last two elections.

Democrats are used to losing out withhis group. But to see that cohort aban-

don ship at this rate is alarming to thosehoping the party will hang on to its con-rol of Congress for the next two years.

And its getting hard to find any pollshat offer good news for Democrats. Theatest one from Gallup has Republicanseading Democrats 53-41 in a high-turn-

out election; 56-39 with low turnout.Conservative analyst Michael Bar-

one says its beginning to look like the94 election. Not 1994 when the Demo-

crats lost about 50 House seats but 1894when the Republicans gained 100. Thatelection was conducted in the aftermathof the Panic of 1893, the nations worseeconomic collapse up to that time.

OK, so the economy isnt so greatright now but it could be worse and al-most was.

I think people have forgotten justhow bad things were when Obama took

office. The economy was cratering andour financial system was on the brink of collapse. We were hemorrhaging jobs.The stock market was tanking, with theDow Jones Industrial Average at about

8,000 and heading down.Obama fixed that, kindof. He stabilized the econ-

omy at a price. But youdidnt expect it to be free,did you? He got a healthinsurance bill passed. Not

a perfect bill, but a lot of people whodidnt have insurance are now goingto. He managed to install some brakesinto our financial system that might, justmight, forestall another meltdown. Hesaved two American auto companiesfrom extinction and the Dow crossed the11,000 mark the other day.

He gets credit for none of it. Evenliberals do little but complain. Hes too

slow in getting out of wars. His eco-nomic advisers are too Wall Street. Thehealth insurance plan sucks.

Stop already. This is politics.Part of the problem, maybe a lot of it,

is the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. Hill-ary Clinton coined that phrase whenshe was defending her husband againstvarious right-wing attacks, many of them financed by Richard Scaife , theDuPont billionaire and right-wing nut.

She was on the mark, of course, butthe mainstream liberal press ridiculedher for it. (Our press hates conspiracytheories.)

Well, Im sorry to break the news toyou but there is a right wing conspiracyand its more vast than ever. It centersnow on Rupert Murdoch , owner of Fox News and The Wall Street Journal ,among other things. He not only gave$1 million to a Republican campaigncommittee, hes got four Republican

presidential hopefuls on his Fox News payroll. Thats the fair and balancednetwork.

And hes a piker compared to Texasoilmen Charles and David Koch , whohave financed just about every right-wing think tank and project that Scaifeneglected.

No wonder a third of the American people think Obamas a Muslim.

In a year or two, theyll think hes aMartian.OtherWords columnist Donald Kaul

lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. www.oth-erwords.org

Tied to the tracks

by Donald KaulColumnist

Its beginning to look as though President Obama is going to berun over by the train that is the Angry American Voter

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

Decatur spreads the wealth with one-time tax credit

It is all really deceitful. Decatur already has one of the highest, if not highest, property taxes in the state that are frivilously used for the city commissions ultra liberal agenda. It is like if I go to a high priced retailer and see a $100 item marked down to $90 when I could get the same item somewhere else for $50.00. Which is the better bargain?

Latitude posted this on 10/23/10 at 3:28 p.m.

Yet another example of why we live, work, and play in Decatur!

Miriam Holland posted this on 10/22/10 at 8:24 p.m.

Pastor, author will rally to call for Longs resigna-tion

The bottom line, He MUST step down. He has brought reproach upon the office of Bishop (i.e - pastor,elder). The opinion that this is about money is second- ary to the fact that he has brought this reproach upon the office.

Guest posted this on 10/24/10 at 9:57 p.m.

The following comment: (This man of God drives a $150,000 Bentley.)Thats really what this outrage is mainly about, a Black

guy driving a Bentley -- Otherwise, what does the POPE drive? How much is the Pope-Mobile worth? You people are Pathetic and you couldnt care less about those young boys, or, youd be somewhere RAL- LYING against the Catholic Church!!

Tom posted this on 10/23/10 at 5:39 p.m.

None of us has to judge; none of us has to demand Mr. Longs resignation. God has come down to us some time ago to judge us christians; He has been exposing many of us; He will do the rest.

Mind you, what I have noticed among us christians is that we are very afraid to declare when a thing is wrong; and we are afraid to declare malpractices because, I guess, we are not the light of the world. Light is never hid under bushel. We too must be careful not to

join in the fun of evil actions.

wilam7 posted this on 10/20/10 At 04:07 p.m.

Printed on 100%post-consumer

recycled paper

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www.ChampionNewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 A Section Page 7A

Larris Boston Champion of the Week

If you would like to nominatesomeone to be considered as afuture Champion of the Week,

please contact Kathy Mitchell at [email protected] or at 404-373-7779, ext. 104.

Grassroots voter organizationsrallying turnout in DeKalbimmigrant communities

HookyContinued From Page 3A

by Nigel RobertsDeKalb has a small but

close-knit Chinese Ameri-can communityand BettyChu is working hard to con-vince them to get involvedn the electoral process.

Too many people inChinese community dontwant to vote, said Chu. Sheheads the voter registrationeffort in the Chinese Ameri-can community for the Chi-nese Community Federationof Atlanta (CCFA).

Chu said most eligibleChinese American votersshe encounters believe thatheir vote would make no

difference because theyare such a small minority.And although these votersare American citizens, theyoften feel that they are in aforeign country and are notnvolved in government, she

continued.At a registration drive

held at the Chinese CulturalCenter in Chamblee, Chuold her listeners that their

voice and vote does make a

difference. She has a simpleslogan: If we ignore theright to vote then we willbe ignored. And we cannotafford to ignore or be ig-nored.

In addition to register-ng voters in DeKalbs

Chinese community, CCFAhas translated the ballotnto Chineseparticularly

focusing on ballot questionshat will appear when vot-

ers go to the polls. CCFAdistributes these translationsat voter registration drives,Chinese markets and com-munity centers. Chineseanguage newspapers are

also instrumental in gettingnformation out into the

community, said Chu.Georgias strict voter

D requirements have beena major concern for many

immigrant communities inDeKalb. Washington, D.C.,-based Asian AmericanLegal Defense and Educa-tion Fund (AALDEF) in-tervened, along with other civil rights groups such asthe NAACP and ACLU, inGeorgia v. Holder . Georgialed the federal lawsuit inJune against the U.S. De-

partment of Justice, seekingto overturn the departmentsobjection to preclearing thestates voter ID law.

Jerry Gonzalez, execu-tive director of the GeorgiaAssociation of Latino Elect-ed Ofcials (GALEO), saidhis organization also joinedthe suit and expressed dis-appointment that the JusticeDepartment settled the mat-ter this month by preclear-ing Georgias voter verica-tion process.

GALEO works not onlyto elect Hispanic candi-dates but also to educateHispanics on issues thataffect their community andto encourage participationin elections. Gonzalez said

the organizations focus inDeKalb is in Chamblee andDoraville, which have ahigh density of Hispanics.

The organization startedan initiative called Orale!10 in Georgia that hasgone national. Orale! 10asks Hispanics to make a

pledge to register 10 neweligible voters, volunteer 10hours to register voters and/or donate $10 to supportthe effort. At this stage, inwhich registration is over,the emphasis is on gettingout the vote.

Gonzalez has noticedsome apathy among His-

panic voters and believes itwill take some convincingto get them out to the polls.But he highlighted two is-sues that are mobilizingHispanic voters: Immigra-

tion and access to higher education.Hispanics in the DeKalb

community and statewidedont want to see Georgia

pass immigration legisla-tion similar to what passedin Arizona. Gonzalez said a

part of what GALEO doesis give information and edu-cate voters on issues that areimportant to the community.With dismay, he noted that

both gubernatorial candi-dates sound the same onimmigration issues.

The second issue gal-vanizing the Hispanic voteemerged last week. Geor-gias Board of Regents vot-ed to ban illegal immigrantsfrom attending Georgiastop public colleges startingnext fall. And some law-makers are planning to passlegislation to block thesestudents from attending all

public colleges.With early voting already

under way, GALEO hasshifted much of its focus tohelping eligible Hispanicvoters who are turned away

at the polls. The group hasset up a hotline, 888-54G-ALEO, to assist with voter verication issues so that

peoples rights are pro-tected and Hispanic voterscould cast a ballot at the

polls instead of having toll out provisional ballots.

So far, early votingnumbers have been brisk,said Phyllis Wheeler , thecountys assistant electionsdirector. She said 6,841voters have cast a ballot asof the morning of Oct. 15.The busiest day up to that

point was Oct. 12, when698 DeKalb residents voted.We expect the numbers to

pick up even more duringthe last week of early voting(Oct. 25 to Oct. 29), shesaid.

DeKalb County resi-dent Larris Boston isno stranger to volun-teering and helpingothers. As a schoolpsychologist for theDeKalb County SchoolSystem, Boston en-counters many teens,particularly young wom-en whom she feels shecan help during theirtime of adversity.

The daughter ofeducators, Boston hasbeen involved with vari-ous local organizationssuch as Youth Leader-ship of DeKalb, DeltaGems (Delta SigmaThetas teen mentoringprogram), Cross KeysHigh Schools Danc-ing Jewels and mostrecently the FeedingAmerica Program.

Boston helped or-ganize a communityfund-raiser in whichproceeds went to theFeeding America Pro-gram, the nations larg-est charitable hungerrelief organization.

When assignedto Cross Keys HighSchool, Boston wentbeyond her duties ofschool psychologist bysponsoring the DancingJewels, a dance squad

for the high schoolsband program. Shetook a personal inter-est in the young ladies.Even when reassigned,she continued to sup-port the squad bydonating her time andmoney for the nextthree years. In addi-tion, she provided tuto-rial assistance for theyoung ladies.

Mentoring to youngteens just feels good.Teaching them socialskills and building theirself esteem is impor-tant, said Boston. She

stated that these girlsneeded to see a relat-able example of whatbeing a positive inu-ence isfor those wholack an example else-where in their lives.

Theres nothingprofound to say, I justenjoy helping others.Expanding kids socialskills and exposingthem to opportunitiesthey otherwise wouldnthavethats why I do it,

she said.Exposing the youthto the arts is importantto Boston. She spon-sored eight girls to viewthe play For Colored Girls Who Have Con- sidered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf .

Shantrella Turner was a student of Bos-tons for almost veyears. She credits hersuccess through thefoster care systempartially to Boston, re-membering her wordsof wisdom. She said,Mrs. Boston has beenan inspiration. Shetaught me to love andbelieve in myself soothers could.

He estimated that parents/guardians were put in jail veo 10 times during the pastyear for failing to adhere to

court orders.The judge said that igno-

rance of the law is often the

problem.We show them going to

school is not an option, hesaid. I think people I seethink well, its not againstthe lawI have other thingsgoing on in my life.

Meanwhile Holly Burtis hopeful that lessons fromhome will work out favor-ably.

Shelby, who wants to be amechanic one day, said hesin favor of it.

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See Redistrict on Page 12A

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School system unveils2020 redistricting,consolidation plansby Pureterrah Witcher [email protected]

A paradigm shift is under way within the DeKalbCounty School Systemoneargely driven by a declininghare of state entitlementunds, a decrease in student

enrollment and highmaintenance costs on older acilities.

School ofcials lastweek rolled out a new2020 redistricting andconsolidation master plan,

which they say will be a far more inclusive process thanast year.

Interim superintendentRamona Tyson said time isof the essence in all matters.

Every day we wait, weose the ability to earn the

maximum state funding,Tyson said of DeKalbs11,000 empty seats, whichprohibit the system fromeceiving its full share of tate entitlement funds.

Empty seats cost thetudents funding for music,

art and [physical education].n tight economic times theocal budget cant affordo fully fund schools, ando we need to earn our ull share of funding, she

added.Ranked as the third

argest school district inhe state, DeKalb has more

buildings than any other ystema greater supplyhan demand.

This imbalance haschool ofcials looking

at how to consolidate andedistrict some of its older

buildings that are in needof repairs, and not at fulloccupancy.

Ultimately, more schools

will have to be closed or repurposed before DeKalbsees more state dollars. The2020 master plan calls for repurposing closed schoolsas charters schools or greenspace.

There are a number of things we can do withthe closed schools. Weregoing to have to make harddecisions. When you closeschools its emotional.People have an intimateconnection with these

buildings, Tyson said.But this time before

one decision is made we aregoing to include the public parents, staff, students andcommunity stakeholders,she added.

The redistricting andconsolidation process will

begin Nov. 9 at ChambleeHigh School from 6:30 8:30 p.m. There the districtwill hold the rst of what itcalls its public charrettes.

Charrette is a Frenchterm that refers to an intense

period of public input on thedesign activity of a pieceof art in this case, schoolofcials want to hear the

publics ideas on how tocreate a redistricting andconsolidation plan.

An interactive process,the meetings will includethe use of an interactivewireless keypad calleda ResponseCard to voteon issues concerningredistricting andconsolidation of schools.

We dont want a repeatof 2009. The districtsattempt to consolidate lastyear was not a success.

I want to do thingsdifferently, Tyson said of the ve scheduled publicsessions.

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Code enforcement division ghts numbers gameby Andrew Cauthen

Enforcing DeKalb Countyregulations concerning prop-erty maintenance, signs andzoning can be a dauntingask for the 23 ofcers of the

countys Code Enforcementdivision. The ofcers do aremarkable job, havingresponded to nearly 11,000complaints so far this year,said Nancy Funny Law-ence , manager of the code

enforcement division of theDeKalb County Police De-partment.

But more ofcers areneeded to tackle the countyscode violations, she said. Lastyear the complaints, whichmostly originate in the south-ern part of the county, totaled13,575, Lawrence said.

We need additional man-power, said Lawrence, add-ng that her department is inhe process of hiring two of-

cers to bring the total to 25.With the size of the county,ts going to take more than25 ofcers.

With additional ofcers,here could be a team thatust handles the complaintsand a special team for actu-ally sweeping the streetso eradicate the problems,

Lawrence said. Thus, thedivision could be more pro-active. Even now, with itscurrent number of ofcers,he code enforcement divi-

sion performs sweeps whereseveral ofcers will targeta specic street, residentialarea, commercial area or hotel. The ofcers go door-to-

door, often at the request of aneighborhood or homeownersassociation, looking for codeviolations.

In 2009, there were 143such sweeps and this year there have been 163, Law-rence said.

When the citizens see our trucks, they know they needto do something to their prop-erty, Lawrence said.

According to Lawrence,some of the most commonviolations reported to codeEnforcement are: vehicles onunpaved surfaces; overgrowthof grass and weeds; commer-cial vehicles in residential ar-eas; major automobile repair in residential areas; inoper-able vehicles; unregisteredor unlicensed vehicles; openstorage of debris; and vacantor unsecured houses.

Some of the problems withabandoned houses could beattributed to the increase inforeclosures, Lawrence add-ed. Absentee landlords andownersviolators who do notlive in DeKalb Countyarealso a source of headaches for residents and code enforce-ment ofcers, Lawrence said.

In addition to hiring moreofcers, one way to better deal with the code violationswould be to establish a typeof citizens board to reviewsome of the infractions andmake recommendations of remedy, Lawrence said. Thiswould reduce the number of cases actually going to court.Last year, code enforcementofcers issued 6,608 courtsummons. The year-to-date

CITY OF CHAMBLEE PUBLIC NOTICEA copy of the proposed 2011 Operating Budget for the City of Chamblee will

be available for review at City Hall on Tuesday, November 16, 2010.The Mayor and City Council of the City of Chamblee, GA will conduct public

work sessions regarding the proposed budget as follows: Monday, November 8, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall ConferenceRoom, 5468 Peachtree Road. Wednesday, November 10, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Hall ConferenceRoom, 5468 Peachtree Road. Tuesday, November 16, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Center, 3540 BroadStreet. (Draft Budget to be presented.)

A Public Hearing on the proposed budget will be held on Tuesday, December 14, , 2010 at 6:00 p.m. in the Civic Center, 3540 Broad Street. Any persons wishing

to be heard on the budget may appear and be heard.The City Council will adopt the budget on Tuesday, December 21, 2010. The

meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in the Civic Center, 3540 BroadStreet.

number in 2010 is 4,980,Lawrence said.

Code enforcement ofcersalso issued 9,802 warningsissued last year and 7,648 sofar this year. The ofcers ef-forts in 2009 resulted in about$267,100 in nes collected,while the amount this year isnear $149,000 thus far. Thismoney goes back into DeKalbCountys general budget,Lawrence said.

When code enforcementofcers respond to a com-

plaint, they not only deal withthat specic infraction, butthey also check the houseson each side and in front of that house for violations,Lawrence said. This increasescode enforcements visibilityin the communities, she said.

Lawrence said residentsare often frustrated with the

amount of time it takes to geta problem resolved. Theyusually want instantaneousrelief, she said. But thereis a process that can be verytime-consuming.

The process includes awarning and a re-inspection.If the violation is cleared

satisfactorily, then the com- plaint is closed. Otherwise,the ofcer must issue a courtsummons and the court dateis usually at least three weeksout, Lawrence said. Thentheres the problem with ab-sentee owners, properties thathave been abandoned, and

people who simply do not appear for the court summons,she said.

In addition to handlingcomplaints, ofcers attendvarious community meetingsnearly every month, Law-

rence said.Code enforcement ofcers

also are rst responders tonatural disasters such as the2009 ooding, Lawrence said.Ofcers are charged withgathering information for theDeKalb Emergency Manage-ment Agency.

With its 10-hour shifts andsix-day-a-week operations,the code enforcement ofcersshould be commended for their hard work, Lawrencesaid.

To report a code violation,contact the DeKalb CountyCode Enforcement divisionby phone at (770) 724-7940;by e-mail at codeenforce@

DeKalbcountyga.gov; by faxat (770) 724-7963; or by visit-ing their third-oor ofces at 1950 West Exchange Place,Tucker, GA 30084

Photo by Travis Hudgons

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Federal mandate cutsfood stamps benetsby Pureterrah Witcher [email protected]

Some of DeKalbs52,766 food stamp re-cipients began receiving aeduction in their benets

between $1- $5 per month beginning Oct. 1.

The cut in food stampsbenets, also known as theSupplemental Nutrition As-istance Program, comes af-er a recent federal mandate

directed all states to reducehe standard utility deduc-ion, which many working-

class families receive for

paying home utilities.As a result of the newmandate a smaller percent-age of a recipients util-ty bills will be considered

when calculating foodtamps benets. In DeKalb,he utilities allowance has

dropped from $323 to $309 $14 less of a recipients totalhousehold bills.

In the Supplemental Nu-rition Assistance Program,

a household may deducthelter costs that are morehan half of the householdsncome after the other de-

ductions.For example, if a fam-

ly of four has no income, itwould receive the maximummonthly food stamp benetof $668. Another family of our that has $500 in net

monthly income would re-ceive the maximum benet$668), less 30 percent of

its net income ($150). Thus,that familys monthly ben-et would be $518.

Only those householdsthat incur heating, cooling,electricity or phone costsseparate from their rent or mortgage will be affected

by the cuts, according toDeKalb County Departmentof Family and Children Ser-vices officials.

If you have no incomethe cuts will not affectyou, said Cynthia Wil-liams , DeKalb DFCS Officeof Family Independencedeputy director. The work-ing poor, who pay a phone

or heating billa utility, willsee the decrease.The reduction follows the

passage of a bill in Augustthat provides $26.1 billionin additional funding to helpstates cover Medicaid ex-

penses and teacher salaries paid for by acceleratingthe decrease of food stamps

payments. Nationally, $11.9 billion

in cuts to food stamps willgo into effect in 2014. The-ses cut would bring fundingfor the food stamp program

back to pre-stimulus levelsahead of schedule.

In a statement on its Website, the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture said that thenumber of Americans rely-ing on food stamps rose tonearly 41 million in July a19 percent jump from 2009,and a record high.

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RedistrictContinued From Page 9A

Real estate firms unpreparedfor new foreclosure registryy Pureterrah Witcher [email protected]

Members of the Associa-ion of DeKalb Realtors saidhey are not ready to comply

with the countys new fore-

losure registry, which waset to go into effect Oct. 27.Realtors say the new

rdinance that requires allreditors who foreclosen a property to register he property with DeKalb

County and pay a fee of 175, or face nes of $1,000er day, is too much, toooon.

We are absolutely noteady for this. So much isnanswered. A lot of theesponsibility for theseroperties will just fall back n the Realtors, said Cas-andra Barber, president of he Realtor association.

The ordinance does notonsider circumstances,uch as what happens to aroperty when the creditor s out of state, she said.

Realtors will get leftaying the nes and fees,

Barber said. Who is re-ponsible for the blighthen? There simply wasot enough input from the

Realtor community. We hado true notice or time to re-pond.

Barber said members of he association have severaloncerns: the ordinancetigmatizes properties basedn the owners nancing

or occupancy, regardlessof its condition; it is an un-necessary task for propertieswhich a Notice of Defaulthas been served; it assumesowners who pay no heed tothe property maintenancecode will have regard for

a registration requirement;the sign requirement willinvite crime; its confusing,vague and poorly worded;the county should use exist-ing laws to address nuisance

property and abate blight.A total of 1,787 foreclo-

sure notices were postedin DeKalb this month,and 1,361 foreclosures inSeptember, according toEquity Depot, a real estateinformation service based inAlpharetta.

Weve been at this for four months now. Howlong should we wait? saidDeKalb community devel-opment director Chris Mor-ris .

And yes, time is of theessence. The ordinancetakes all sides into account that includes out-of-statecreditors, and especially thatof the most vulnerable, our children, who need safe andclean neighborhoods. It wasnever intended to be puni-tive.

In the ordinance, credi-tors or mortgagees who

are located outside DeKalbmust designate a local prop-erty agent within the countyto ensure security and main-tenance of the property in

compliance with countycode.

The real estate agentmust have the authority to

perform all of the responsi- bilities outlined in the ordi-nance, including: ensuringsecurity and maintenance

of the property; comply-ing with code enforcementorders issued by the county;accepting rental paymentsfrom tenants; and acceptingnotices pertaining to anycourt proceeding or admin-istrative enforcement.

With DeKalb havingthe third-highest num-

ber of foreclosures in the13-county metro Atlantaarea, trailing only Gwin-nett and Fulton, Morris saidthe implications of a downeconomy wasnt somethingthe county was ready for.

No one was ready for the impact that foreclosureshave had on our community.The massive number of foreclosures has devastatedsome areas, she said.

When I drive in someareas and see a home withthe grass uncut, lookingabandoned and unsafe for children, I hope that everystakeholder takes a rolein helping to assure our foreclosed properties aremaintained. This is simplyanother way to assure we

all take responsibility for xing whats happened inour neighborhoods, saidMorris.

It is critical that peoplecome out. This processempowers everyone to makegood decisions, based onobjective data. In the endwe wont make everyonehappy, but we will walk

away having developed acomprehensive plan where

we all had a voice, Tysonsaid.

Recommendations toredraw attendance lines andconsolidate those remainingwill be presented to theschool board for a February

2011 vote.

Here is a list of DeKalb schools communitymeetings (all from 6:30-8:30 p.m.)

Tuesday, Nov. 9 Chamblee HSWednesday, Nov. 10 Towers HSMonday, Nov. 15 McNair HSTuesday, Nov. 16 MLK HSWednesday, Nov. 17 Stephenson HS

Has DeKalbTech been a part of your life?

We want to reconnect with youthrough our newly launched

DTC Alumni Association website!

DEKALB TECH ALUMNI

(Degree, Diploma or TCC)

Please Register atdekalbtech.edu/alumni

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 PAGE 13AHEALTH

b e y o nd

P U S HI N G

www.dekalbmedical.org

PHYSICIAN

SEMINAR

GI Problems

and Treatments

Thursday, November 4, 2010

6:307:30 p.m.

Community Room at Hillandale, Lithonia

Is your discomfort the result of alarge meal, or a sign of

a gastrointestinal problem?Hear about the most up-to-datetreatments for different typesof GI conditions from Barry

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FREE SEMINARAppointments are required.

Call 404.501.WELL to reserve your space in this FREE lecture.

I T F . : :

Amid the pink ribbonscommemorating October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, theGeorgia Department of Community Health (DCH)s continuing to encourage

Georgians to be proactiveabout their breast health.

Performing monthlybreast-self exams andgetting mammogramsregularly can help improveife expectancy from breast

cancer for women and men,according to the DCH.

As breast cancer ratesdecline, Georgians shouldcontinue to get regular mammograms and conductmonthly self-exams, saidDr. Kimberly Redding ,director of DCHs HealthPromotion and DiseasePrevention Programs.Early detection, throughregular screenings, is thekey to increasing the lifeexpectancy of individualsdiagnosed with breast

cancer in our state andhroughout the country.According to the Georgia

Cancer Registry, 76 percentof women age 40 years and

older had a mammogramwithin the last two years.Screening prevalence inGeorgia is similar to theUnited States prevalence of 76.5 percent.

Breast cancer is thesecond most commoncancer in women in theUnited States. It can causechanges in how the breastlooks or feels. During

breast self-exams and/or mammograms, changes inthe breast and/or symptomsof breast cancer may bedetected early. Accordingto the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention(CDC), breast cancer symptoms can include:

New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit) Thickening or swelling of

part of the breast Irritation or dimpling of

breast skin Redness or aky skin

in the nipple area or the

breast Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area. Nipple discharge other

than breast milk, including

Breast self-exams, mammogramskey to fighting breast cancer blood

Any change in the size or the shape of the breast Pain in any area of the

breast.

For more informationabout the states breast andcervical cancer program,log onto www.health.state.ga.us/programs/bccp.

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SchoolsContinued From Page 1A

GhostsContinued From Page 1A

ow enrollment and high inventory of under-populated schools are affectinghe systems ability to earn maximumntitlement funds.

The state looks at surplus anddecits in empty seats as a whole.DeKalb has several schools that can-

not receive entitlement due to lowFTE numbers, Jackson said.My job is to assist you in getting

your full entitlement.Full Time Equivalent (FTE) for

chools, community colleges, collegesnd universities refers to the size of he student body.

To receive entitlement funds inGeorgia, an elementary school musthave an FTE of 200 students; middlechools must have 400; and highchools 500.

For DeKalb to receive share of tate funding, Jackson said one pos-ibility is to phase out some elemen-ary schools and make them pre-K enters since Georgia doesnt fundre-K. Schools with pre-K classesome across as having a surplus in

FTE, however those students are notounted for funding purposes.

She also proposed closing oldschools.

I know its not an easy or popu-lar move, but I believe its the rightthings to do for DeKalb, she said.

That goes for school policies too.On Oct. 20 the school boards

committee on instruction and board policy approved amendments to thewhistleblower protection and lay-off

policies, and a new bullying policy.If the amendments are passed at

the Nov. 1 full board meeting, staff will see a change in the way admin-istrators recommend employees for termination.

In the rewritten personnel layoff policy, the last hired, rst red rule isout. Termination will be rst based on

job performance, than seniority. Writ-ten annual evaluations and absentee-ism will out-weigh years of service.

Weve lost some of our mosteffective, experienced and high per-forming staff as a result of looking atseniority rst, said Tyson.

That policy has had the districtshands tied.

However, the school system chief

human resource ofcer, Dr. JamieWilson , cautioned that although thedistrict will be looking at the poorest

performersand that goes for teacherstoo, certied teachers with contractsrequire a completely different legal

process.

You cant just lump all staff together. There is a separate processwhen dealing with teachers, assistant

principals and administrators, Wil-son said.

But theres no difference in howschool employees are handled withregard to bullying complaints.

The new bullying policy, whichexceeds the state guidelines, not only

prohibits bullying of any kind, butalso provides examples of bullying,gives age-appropriate consequences,and makes teachers and administra-tors more accountable as it requiresthat investigations begin no later thanthe following school day.

Under this policy there wouldnt be an option to report bullying. Allstaff is told what to do, said schoolsystem attorney Judy OBrien .

Our policy is actually more strin-

gent than the states. The state saysafter three instances of bullying a stu-dent may go to an alternative school.We took out the may.

Eliminating any possible shadesof gray, committee members imploredAlexander to amend the policy to

include termination as a disciplinaryaction for employees.Weve seen a string of suicides

by young people who were bullied,said school board member DonaldMcChesney .

So weve got to take this serious-ly and sensitize people to the realitiesof bullying. Everyone needs to knowthis wont be tolerated.

Board members also extendedsensitivity to school whistleblowers.

In the amended version of DeKalbs whistleblower policy, if acomplaint is sent to the wrong ofce,it is that ofces responsibility to re-route it to the right place, and wherethe whistleblower can le his com-

plaint now includes the chair of the board of education, superintendentsofce, and internal affairs.

Some of our top storytellers avorites with our regular visi-orswill be here for the landmark nniversary, said Thomas, one of he not-for-prot, contemporaryrts centers founders. He said that

here are people, including somewho travel long distances, for whom the event is an annual tradi-ion.

Although its billed as a familyvent, Thomas estimates that 75ercent of those taking the tour aredults. He said it would be impos-ible to describe a typical visitor.

Families, couples on dates, peopleof all ages and ethnic backgroundsome for the tour, Thomas said.

Theres a new button producedach year and some visitors likeo collect them. Tour of Southern

Ghosts veterans know the answer o the question thats always asked,What does a Southern ghost say?

The right response is Boo, yall.The professional storytellers

ome from across the South andepresent a number of traditions,ncluding Appalachian, Native

American and African American.Each evening there are six story-ellers. Each story takes the samemount of time, so that when visi-ors nish at one location, they can

move on to the next and the story-eller there will be ready for them,

Thomas explained.During the 12-day event, some

torytellers rotate, but David Hirt ,

whom Thomas describes as a hugehit is there every night. Other fa-vorites include Tom Coleman andDavid Moreland , who presents theConfederate side of the tour, ac-

cording to Thomas.The stories, Thomas said,

are drawn from real-life legends.They are built from fragments stories that more than one persontells of having seen the same ghost.Then we create a story aroundthem. He added that the talesarent too scary even for youngvisitors. Most of them are funny.

Thomas said that althoughvisitors come by the thousandsfrom all over the worldthis year 15,000 are expectedthey movethrough in small groups and itfeels like an intimate experience.

He said that as of Oct. 18 morethan 2,000 people had taken the

tour this year. Weve been luckyto have good weather. Last year it rained just about the entire twoweeks. We lost money last year,

but thats unusual, Thomas said,explaining that the storytellers andlots of people working behind thescenes must be paid no matter how few visitors come.

Visitors can complete their eve-ning of fall family fun with cook-ies and hot chocolate and a visitto the whacky graveyard, wheretombstones have such inscriptionsas I told you I was sick. That wasactually taken off a tombstone in aKey West cemetery, Thomas said.

Thomas said that many people

thank him, not for making theghostly experience available, butfor keep the Souths oral story tra-ditions alive.

A Tour of Southern Ghostsis held at Stone Mountain ParksAntebellum Plantation Thursdaysthrough Sundays, through Oct. 31and starts at 7 p.m. each eveningwith tours starting every 10 min-utes. Tickets$14 for adults and$6 for children 12 and younger may be purchased nightly at the

box ofce of the Antebellum Plan-tation beginning at 6:45 p.m. or inadvance at ART Station or online atwww.artstation.org.

www.ChampionNewspaper.com THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 A Section PAGE 15A

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 PAGE 17ABUSINESS

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Br nG T n TO A SEArS DrOP-OFF rEPA r CEnTEr.To fnd a location near you, visitsea s.com,

click fnd a store and select Repair Parts Center.

y Kathy [email protected]

While urban myth investi-

gative Web site Snoops.comefutes the story that Hal-oween is the second biggestetail holiday in the United

States, its not doing badly.According to the National

Retail Federation (NRF), Hal-oween spending nationwides expected to hit $5.8 billionhis year, putting it in sixthlace for holiday spendingnd in rst place among those

with no gift-giving tradition.In the past ve decades,

Halloween celebrations havegrown from simpleoftenhomemadecostumes for

arties with balloons andrepe paper decorations tolaborate costumes, decora-ions and even a line of greet-ng cards. Once largely therovince of school children,

Halloween has grown to amajor adult holiday withgrown-up costumes, partiesnd decorations.

Despite a sagging econ-omy, the trend continues.n a recent NRF survey, 70ercent of respondents saidhat the recession would have

no effect on their Halloweenpending plans, and manyaid they plan to increasepending.

According to BeatriceRoland , manager of a Hal-oween Express retail storen Dunwoody, customersuy childrens costumes,but adult costumes go a lotaster.

Roland said that adultspend on average approxi-

mately $40 for a Halloweenostume and many spend

$200 or more. Some go for uch evergreens as vampiresnd witches, while manyustomers gravitate towardurrent trends. This year, the

Mad Hatter is really big. Wehave to keep reordering thatone, she said, explaininghat customers want Johnny

Depp s look from the Alice inWonderland movie releasedearlier this year.

Adult costumes range

from scary to funny to sexyand may depict ctional char-acters such as Popeye and Ol-ive Oyl and or real people

political gures are especially popular, Roland said. She said18- to 24-year-olds are reallyembracing the Halloweencostume fad, but lots of older adults are dressing up as well.

Roland said helping cus-tomers put costumes together is really fun. Some peopleknow exactly what they want,

but might need help pull-ing the look together. Othersarent sure what they want, so

I suggest some options and letthem try on a few costumes.She said most adult customersare getting ready for parties where there often are costumecontests and some like todress up to take their childrentrick or treating.

While costumes are the biggest money makers for Halloween retailers, decora-tions and such equipmentas fog machines and strobelights are big sellers as well.

NRF reports that candy issecond only to costumes for Halloween spending.

Roland estimates that thestore she manages brings inapproximately $5,000 a day.As we get closer to Oct. 31,

business really picks up. Westay busy. Were still hiringhelp, she noted on Oct. 21.Roland said the store, whichis open seven days a week,has about 12 employees.

The approximately2,000-square-foot store onAshford-Dunwoody Road is,according to Roland, one of Halloween Express smaller stores. Entire sections are de-voted to masks, wigs, weap-ons and decorations. The storealso sells make-up, props,trick-or-treat bags and a widevariety of novelties.

Although Halloween Ex-

press retail stores are openonly August through the rstfew days of November, itsenough for the nationwide

chain, which started in 1990,to continue as a viable busi-ness. Retail space is rentedand employees are hired onlyduring the three-month period;however, Halloween Expressfunctions year-round as an In-

ternet operation.Roland said that after Nov.

2 she will return to her regular job in a family-owned restau-

rant. She explained that thestore remains open a couple of days after Halloween so thatcustomers can take advantageof post-season markdownsand shop ahead for next year.

Beatrice Roland, manager of a Halloween Express retail store in Dunwoody, said the store brings in approximately $5,000 a day during thehree-month period that its open each year. Photos by Kathy Mitchell

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by Gale Horton [email protected]

As schools of higher educationgo, American Intercontinental Uni-versity is still in its infancy, having

been established in 1970.However, the schools birth in the

20th century is germane to its educa-tional approachto help studentsacquire industry-current knowledgeand skills as they pursue, build and

advance their careers in many of to-days most in-demand elds.AIU has ve brick and mortar

campuses worldwide (Atlanta, Hous-ton, Los Angeles, South Florida andLondon) as well as a sizeable student

population who attend online classesin virtual campuses. The Atlantacampuswith a student populationof 1,800 (the largest of the groundcampuses)is actually located inDunwoody. Altogether, some 20,000students attend AIU.

Thanks to the move, students nowhave access to an industry-currentforensics lab, virtual rearms simu-lator lab, drawing studio, dedicated

math/science/writing labs and morein a 75,000-square-foot facility.And according to Peter Correa ,

president of the AIU-Atlanta, in ad-dition to having a global perspec-tive on education, the school givesstudents the opportunity to accesseducation through various modalitiesand to leverage technology to suittheir needs. For example, studentscan take a mixed schedule of tradi-tional classroom-based classes alongwith online classes and change it upas their personal needs dictate.

He added that often potential stu-dents nd that higher education isunavailable, unaffordable and inac-cessible, however, by design AIUis not and strives to provide exiblelearning options.

The online classes and exibleoptions are exactly what attracted

TaJuanna Jones to the school.Jones, who was working as a mar-keting coordinator for a hair salon aswell as designing and selling jew-elry and accessories while attendingAIU for a year, said it was the ex-ibility that helped her balance all her endeavors.

Jones went to work for the state

as a project coordinator for a childcare assistance program four monthsafter receiving a masters degree in

business from AIU in 2009.I enjoy making the big ideas

come to life, said Jones, a residentof Decatur who credits her degreewith her immediate employment. Ithas been a great benet.

Asked who are typical AIU stu-dents, Correar said many of thestudents they attract are high schoolgrads who have made a consciousdecision that they dont necessarilywant to go away to school due to

jobs they have or family; some are people who are reinventing them-

selves, some pursuing an encore ca-reer in something they have alwayswanted to do.

Our student body goes from 18to 88, he said.

AIU-Atlanta offers bachelor andmaster degrees in business, crimi-nal justice, design and informationtechnology with concentrations innumerous areas.

The university has no housing butCorrea said third-party providers of-fer a range of accommodations for students. Shuttle buses connect thecampus to the Sandy Springs MAR-TA station.

In 2009, AIU-Atlanta held a

grand-reopening when it consoli-dated its two Atlanta campuses (theother was in Buckhead) to the Dun-woody campus.

Ahead for AIU-Atlanta is thelaunch in 2011 of a Center of Excel-lence for Lifelong Learning, conver-sational language courses in Spanish,Arabic and Mandarin and English asa Second Language training.

We need to do a better job of providing a venue for learning. Wewant to make sure we are connectedto our community, he said.

Correa began his stewardship of AIY-Atlanta in January 2009, fol-lowing a career dominated by ser-

vice to others while in the militaryand in education. He has worked for the National Security Administra-tion, the U.S. Army Russian Institutein Germany and was president of Colorado Technical University.

He said he still enjoys teachingand gets into the classroom when-ever he cansometimes teaching anintroduction to business class.

However, it is the connectionto young people and seeing howeducation can lead to generationaltransformation that he nds mostgratifying.

If ever I doubt Im in the right place this is what makes me under-stand this something special we aredoingchanging lives through edu-cation, said Correa.

AIU- Atlanta focuses on careers

Eric Greenwood , region man-ager of AGL Resources, was elect-ed chair of the board of LeadershipDeKalb at the organizations annualmeeting in September.

Other elected officers includeChair-Elect Arnie Silverman , prin-cipal of Silverman ConstructionProgram Management; SecretaryGwen Keyes Fleming , regionaladministrator of the U.S. Envi-onmental Protection Agency; and

Treasurer Richard Stogner , chief operating officer of DeKalb Countygovernment. Maria Mullins , for-mer director of Economic Develop-ment for DeKalb County, is imme-diate past chair. Sara A. Fountain s executive director. The meeting

was held at Agnes Scott College. New board members are Steve

Apolinsky , owner of Apolinsky &Associates, LLC; Tony DelCam-po , judge of DeKalb County StateCourt; Mary Leight , president of Leightworks; and Ron Sauder ,vice president for Communications& Marketing at Emory University.

Returning board members areRon Alston , first vice presidentof SunTrust Bank; Angela Battle ,manager of bulk system planningor Georgia Transmission Corpora-ion; Charlotte Combre , partner

with McKenna Long & AldridgeLLP; Delores Crowell , regionalmanager of AT&T; Sadie Den-nard , assistant to the regional

manager of AT&T; Leigh Minter ,executive director of the DeKalbMedical Foundation; RobertMoseley , associate superintendentof the DeKalb County School Sys-em; Susan Neugent , president

& CEO of Fernbank Museum of Natural History; Julie Ralston ,communications director of theAtlanta Regional Commission; BoSpalding , principal with JacksonSpalding, Inc.; Rocio Woody ,president of The Road to Recovery,nc.; and Charles Yorke , president

of Cornerstone Bank.Leadership DeKalb is a com-

munity leadership developmentprogram that annually trains a classof ethnically and culturally diverseeaders who are committed to ad-

dressing issues that impact thequality of life in the metro region.

Eric Greenwood headsLeadership DeKalbBoard of Directors

Jones

American Intercontinental University-Atlanta president Peter Correa. Photo provided

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Agnes Scott setto become a zero-waste schoolby Pureterrah Witcher [email protected]

Trash is a thing of pastat Agnes Scott College. In-stead of throwing it away inhe local landll, 64 percent

of the schools waste is be-ng diverted by several re-

cent recycling initiatives.The colleges recycling

program was the top-rankedcollege program in the stateand No. 35 nationally out of 267 colleges and universi-ies in this years RecycleM-

ania. In Georgia, Berry Col-ege and Emory Universityreceived second and thirdplace in the competition.

But even with suchachievement, the collegesnt stopping there the

nal goal is to be the rstzero-waste institution inGeorgia.

Pretty much everywherehere is a trashcan there is a

recycling bin. We have themn ofces, dorms, class-

rooms and hallways, saidSusan Kidd , director of sustainability.

There is some wastehats unavoidable. The only

waste that cant be recycleds what comes from bath-

rooms and anything dealingwith health, said Kidd. Theschools zero-waste goaldoesnt mean producing norash, but rather a very tiny

percentage.Well actually be divert-

ng about 90 percent of our waste. The other 10 is un-avoidable, Kidd added.

Just two years ago thecolleges waste diversionrate was 28 percent. Thatyear it created a single-stream recycling programhat allowed students to put

all materials to be recyclednto one container.

In addition the schoolalso started a compostingprogram in its dining hall

and residence halls the fol-lowing fall, further reducinglandll waste. Last fall Ag-nes Scott began offering re-usable plastic take-out con-tainers to further minimizewaste in the dining hall.

The colleges goal is to be at 80 percent waste free by June of next yearandreach its zero percent goal

by 2012.Agnes Scott has also

partnered with TerraCycle,an eco-friendly manufac-turer of products made froma range of non-recyclablewaste materials. TerraCyclerecycles the campus chip

bags, candy and cookiewrappers into a variety of

products.Recycling and compost-

ing are fundamental parts of the colleges goal to movecloser to producing zerowaste and major parts in itslong-term strategy to reduceAgnes Scotts environmen-tal footprint.

To get to its goal of 0 percent waste by 2012, thecollege plans to improveon what its currently doinglooking for funding to pur-chase recycling bins for out-doors and public spaces, andto be more vigilant aboutrecycling at student events.

Last year, the collegecompleted a comprehensive,long-term Climate ActionPlan, part of a commitmentmade with approximately650 other colleges and uni-versities across the countrythat signed onto the Ameri-can College & UniversityPresidents Climate Com-mitment to reduce their impact on the environment,according to school reports.

Agnes Scotts ClimateAction Plan outlines strate-gies and ve-year targetsdesigned to achieve climateneutrality in time for its150th anniversary in 2039.

Students gather recycling for RecycleMania, a national recycling competition among colleges. AgnesScott placed first in the state. Photo provided

8/8/2019 Free Press 10-29

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THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 PAGE 22ASPORTS

M.L. Kings Carson inducted to Buford hallM.L. King coach Michael Carson will be inducted into the Buford Sports Hall of

Fame on Nov. 4. Carson was a two-sport star at Buford High School in Gwinnett Countyfrom 1975-79. He was the Class A Back of the Year, all-state and honorable mentionall-American in 1978 while helping the Wolves win their rst football state title. Carsonalso was an all-state second baseman on the baseball team. He helped the Wolves winthe Class B state title in 1977 and place second in the state in 1978. After graduating, he

played college football and baseball at Alabama State University.

Middle school football seminals setMiddle school football teams Bethune, Cedar Grove and Columbia all won rst

round playoff games and remained undefeated at 7-0 on the season. Bethune beat McNair 16-8, Cedar Grove beat Stone Mountain 34-8 and Columbia beat Henderson 40-0. Miller Grove, 6-1, beat Stephenson 24-16 in the other rst-round game. The seminals are setfor Oct. 30.

GPC mens soccer team ready for regionThe Georgia Perimeter College mens soccer team opens the Georgia Collegiate Ath-

letic Association Region 17 tournament this weekend in Albany. The Jaguars, 13-3-1 andranked No. 9 in the nation among junior colleges, enter the tournament as the No. 2 seedand receive a bye into the seminals. The Jaguars are led by Boubacar Toure , who leadsthe nation in scoring with 62 points20 goals and 22 assiststhrough 17 games. JasonAndrew has the sixth-best goals-against average in the nation at 0.40.

Photo of the week Chamblees Brandon Rhodes (81) deliverers a clothesline sack on Miller Groves QB Jonathan Gib-son. Miller Grove won 20-13, see Highlights on page 22 for details. Photo by Travis Hudgons

by Robert [email protected]

Ray Bonner and his play-ers have had a week to let itsink in.

A win over state-rankedWoodward Academy on Oct.15 put Cedar Grove in posi-tion to qualify for its rst stateplayoff berth since 1999. TheSaints enjoyed a week off and need a win over winlessMcNair on Friday to lock upthe spot.

That was a big win for the community, the kids andthe school, Bonner said.Weve got a lot of work to do

for it to really pay off.That work begins withMcNair and continues thefollowing week likely againststate-ranked Grady for theregion championship. If theSaints beat McNair, they willbe the top seed in Region5-AAA, Division B and areguaranteed no worse than a No.2 seed in the region and homeeld advantage in the playoffs.

Another DeKalb team istrying to follow in the Saintsfootsteps and grab one of four playoff spots out of Region5-AAA. Columbia, at 6-2and 4-1 in Region 5-AAA, isguaranteed of a chance to playfor a state playoff berth.

Theres a lot of excite-ment about what were doing,Columbia coach Mario Allen said. This hasnt happenedin a long tim

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Free Press 10-29