Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
thechampionnewspaper.com
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014 VOL. 17, NO. 23 FREE
A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
FREEPRESS
of the projects.
Tat dollar value is strictly just the money that was
approved by the county to get the engineering done,
Brown said. Tats not the construction dollar value.
Construction on pipe work along Allgood Road
from Rockbridge Road to Redan Road is expected to
be completed in two weeks, Brown said.
Te $2.78 million project includes repaving the
road and replacing fre hydrants, as well as increasing
the number of them. Hydrants will be on both sides of
the streets and will be between 600 to 1,000 feet apart.
Currently, hydrants are 2,500 to 3,000 feet apart in
some areas, Brown said.
When asked about the state of the CIP, Brown said,
I think its in good hands. Te program teamis a
good team.
Education .............. 18-19A
Business ........................17A
Sports ...................... 21-23A
Opinion ........................... 5A
Classifed .......................20A
QUICK FINDER
LOCAL, 6A SPORTS, 21A
LOCAL, 2A
NEW ETHICS COMPLAINT
FILED AGAINST
COMMISSIONER
STEPHENSON
DOMINATES ARABIA
MOUNTAIN
POLITICAL SIGNS MAY
LAST LONGER THAN
CAMPAIGN
Commissioner resigns, federal charges filed
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
DeKalb County Commissioner Elaine
Boyer is out.
Te 22-year veteran commissioner
resigned her position Aug. 25, a day before
federal charges of mail fraud conspiracy
and wire fraud were brought against her.
Bond was set at $25,000.
Te charges fled in U.S. District Court
I want to express my heartfelt
gratitude for the opportunity to
have served in this capacity for
the last 22 years.
Elaine Boyer
See Watershed on page 15A
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
D
eKalb County will hold a cer-
emonial ribbon cutting for two
booster pump stations con-
structed as part of the countys
$1.35 billion watershed capital improve-
ment project (CIP).
Booster pump stations at North Shal-
lowford and Tilly Mill in Dunwoody will
be on display during the ceremony.
Te $3.9 million North Shallowford
booster pump station was moved from an
underground location in a street island
into a newly constructed nearby building.
Te project, which contains four
pumps, was completed in late July and
took eight months to construct, according
to Wendell Brown, the countys CIP con-
struction manager.
At a cost of $1.5 million, the two-
pump Tilly Mill booster station serves
Dunwoody High School, Georgia Perim-
eter Colleges Dunwoody campus and sur-
rounding areas.
Currently there are more than 48
watershed projects underway including
construction, planning and design, Brown
said.
On Aug. 12, the DeKalb County Board
of Commissioners approved approximate-
ly $10 million in contracts to restart many
Two completed
watershed projects
to be unveiled
Water, water [projects] everywhere
County workers replace pipes on Allgood Road as part of the countys billion-dollar watershed capital improvement proj-
ect. Photo by Andrew Cauthen
See Boyer on page 15A
Photo by Andrew Cauthen
PAGE 2A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014
See Signs on page 3A
Political signs outlast campaigns
by Lauren Ramsdell
lauren@dekalbchamp.com
B
oth the primary and runoff elections are
done in DeKalb County but that doesnt
mean all the signs advocating for certain
candidates have disappeared.
Though most have been taken down or
stashed for use closer to the Nov. 4 elections,
some political signs still abound around the
county.
James Adams, interim special operations
supervisor of code compliance, said theres not
much he or his officers can do for out-of date
signs. There is currently no county ordinance
requiring signs for defeated candidates to be
taken down.
As long as [the property owner] has given the
person permission, as the ordinance is written
that is what we have to go by, Adams said. With
political signs and signage in general it is a
touchy subject. We have to make sure we abide by
the letter of the law.
The law can be found in appendix B, article
XIII, section 702 of the DeKalb County Code. In
regards to political signs, the code only specifies
where signs can and cannot be placed. In code
chapter 21, article II, section 21-3, the code
stipulates that each sign erected, even on private
property, must have a permit issued through
the county. In section 21-11, the code says signs
may not be dilapidated or constructed of non-
durable material including, but not limited to,
paper, cardboard or flexible plastic that has been
displayed for more than sixty (60) days. Though,
No county law requires removing signs afer election
At an apartment complex off Columbia Drive, a large sign encourages voters to elect Atticus LeBlanc to the county
school board. LeBlanc lost in the July 22 runoff to Michael Erwin. Photo by Lauren Ramsdell
393 police offcers
you
You may not see us, but were nearby.
Maybe just a few seats away. To make
sure you have a pleasant, uneventful
ride. We could use your eyes, too. If
you see something thats not right,
call us. Well take it from there.
Chief Wanda Dunham
See
Say
something
something
If you
Use MARTAs See & Say App.
Txt MPD: (404) 334-5355
or
Call (404) 848-4911 if you see something out of the ordinary.
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014 PAGE 3A
$4.6M grant to help
homeless veterans
Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-
04) recently announced that four Atlan-
ta-based groups will receive more than
$4.6 million from the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) to fight veterans
homelessness.
United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta,
Action Ministries Inc., Travelers Aid of
Metropolitan Atlanta Inc. and Decatur
Cooperative Ministry Inc. will receive a share of funds
to provide services to low-income veteran families living
in, or transitioning to, permanent housing in the Fourth
District and throughout metro Atlanta.
Every day Im inspired to work on behalf of our men
and womenand their familiesin uniform, said John-
son, who sent letters of support to the VA for the grants.
Im committed to doing what I can to help our veter-
ans get their lives back on track.
The grants are part of a more than $300 million na-
tionwide effort in homeless prevention that is going to
301 non-profit community agencies in 50 states, Puerto
Rico and the District of Columbia that will help more
than 115,000 homeless and at-risk veterans and their
families.
The program, Supportive Services for Veterans Fami-
lies, is part of President Barack Obamas pledge to be
relentless in his pursuit of ending veterans homeless-
ness within the decade.
the code states state the sign can
be replaced with no penalty.
Those are the rules, and you
notice that section 21-11 gives a
dramatic breakdown in regards
to signs in general, Adams
said. What we tend to do is we
enforce the sign ordinances every
two weeks. We do biweekly sign
sweeps and pull signs.
Adams and the code
compliance officers can write
court summons, and do, for sign
violations. The infraction counts
as a misdemeanor and comes with
a $250 to $1,000 fine.
Right-of-way issues are the
prime issues, Adams said. If they
are in the public right-of-way,
those are immediately pulled. We
do run into it where we would
have to issue a court summons
and make sure its brought into
compliance.
Adams said most complaints
and violations come from these
right-of-way issues. He said that
signs in the public right-of-way,
frequently the strip of grass
between the sidewalk and the
street, can distract drivers. They
also cant be attached to telephone
poles, trees in the right-of-way or
street signs.
So that yard sale sign tied to
the stop sign at the end of the
cul-de-sac? That is absolutely a
violation, he said, We would take
that down immediately.
Altogether, signs are a hot
topic, not just after elections.
Adams said he does get
complaints from neighbors about
disruptive signs.
Signs are a nationwide
problem, not only here in DeKalb
County or the metropolitan area,
Adams said. We do have to stay
on top of signs because they can
be an eyesore.
Signs
Continued From Page 2A
NEWS BRIEFS
Authorities search for masked armed robbers
J. Britt Johnson, special agent in
charge of the FBI Atlanta Field Office,
along with Dekalb Police Chief James
Conroy and Brookhaven Police Chief
Gary Yandura, request the publics
assistance with identifying and ap-
prehending those responsible for an
armed robbery in DeKalb County.
On Tuesday, Aug. 12, at ap-
proximately 9:30 a.m., three armed
individuals entered the Navy Federal
Credit Union located at 2470 Briar-
cliff Road, NE, Suite #43, Atlanta,
and announced a robbery. During
the robbery the suspects brandished
handguns and ordered the customers
and employees to the ground while
demanding money.
One of the robbers vaulted the
teller counter prior to all three de-
parting the bank with an undisclosed
amount of money, according to an
FBI statement.
One suspect is described as a
Black male, approximately 6 feet tall,
medium build, 20 to 30 years old, car-
rying a handgun and wearing a mask
and dark clothing.
A second suspect is described as
having a light complexion (race un-
known), approximately 6 feet tall, 20
to 30 years old of age, and wearing a
mask, sunglasses, blue jeans, white
sneakers, and carrying a handgun.
The suspect who jumped the
counter is described as a heavyset
Black male, wearing gloves and a
mask, and carrying a handgun and a
bag with a white strap.
The robbers fled the bank in a sil-
ver Nissan Altima.
The FBI is offering a reward for
information leading to the arrest and
conviction of those involved.
Anyone with information re-
garding this robbery should contact
Crime Stoppers Atlanta at (404) 577-
8477.
Johnson
Former Decatur mayor
directs local cities group
The Georgia Municipal Association (GMA)
has named former Decatur mayor Bill Floyd as
the managing director of the DeKalb Municipal
Association. Floyd is also a consultant with the
Pendleton Group.
I look forward to working on issues related
to the complex and evolving local government
situation in DeKalb County, Floyd said. I know
city leaders are prepared to collaborate and
find solutions that will best serve the needs and
aspirations of residents.
Floyd served as mayor of Decatur from 1998 to
2012 and began a one-year term as GMA president
in 2009. He became DeKalb Municipal Association
managing director on Aug. 1.
Bill has extensive knowledge of city operations
and is a relationship builder, said GMA Executive
Director Lamar Norton. He knows the political
history and players in DeKalb County, and we
believe he will do an excellent job for the 10 cities in
the county.
The DeKalb Municipal Association was
established in 2011 to foster better understanding
between government authorities of all levels
of government. It also seeks to ensure DeKalb
municipal residents are provided effective
and efficient services from DeKalb County
government.
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014 PAGE 4A
OPINION
ONE MANS OPINION
Celebrating the real Labor Day
All labor that uplifts humanity
has dignity and importance
and should be undertaken with
painstaking excellence, Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-
1968).
I have always admired the
American worker, the laborer who
puts in an honest days work for
a hard days pay. This Labor Day
weekend, I hope to join several
million Americans in honoring
our workers and the men and
women who helped build and make
America the greatest nation on the
planet.
That said, I also want to make
a strong distinction between
honoring our laborers and workers,
versus honoring our labor unions,
which have grown over the decades
to become a twisted version of
what they once were, and to
point out that the first Labor Day,
reportedly celebrated on Sept. 5,
1882, was created following a pro
labor demonstration and picnic
in New York, led by Matthew
Maguire, a machinist and then
secretary of the Central Labor
Union. Another version of the
founding story credits Peter
McGuire, a cofounder of the
American Federation of Labor.
Either way, a day celebrating
the achievements of American
workers can be credited to early
pioneers in the organized labor
union movement. In those days,
sweatshop practices were common,
women and children were worked
excessively long hours and the
worker was generally not valued.
That first Labor Day rally was
actually a protest against 12-hour
workdays and seven-day work
weeks. By 1884, New York City
officially named the first Monday
in September as Labor Day, the
idea spread and by 1885 the
holiday was being celebrated in
Chicago and many industrialized
regions of the country. In
1887, Oregon became the first
state to declare a state holiday,
followed by Colorado, New York,
Massachusetts and New Jersey in
short order.
During 1893 in New York City,
labor workers took an unpaid day
off and marched around Union
Square in support of creating a
national Labor Day holiday. The
following year, President Grover
Cleveland sent 12,000 federal
troops into Pullman, Ill., to end
a huge labor strike against the
Pullman Railway company. U.S.
Marshals killed two workers during
the dispute and strike-related
hostilities.
In an election year attempt
to regain support among union
workers shortly after the Pullman
strike ended, on June 28, 1894,
President Cleveland signed
legislation naming the first
Monday in September as a national
Labor Day holiday. The tactic
failed politically, as workers did
not support Cleveland, and he lost
the election which followed.
In the more than century
since, workplace reforms led by
unions as well as both the public
and private sectors have brought
the 40-hour work week, paid
vacation and sick time, healthcare
and related employee benefits,
pensions and retirement planning
options. A long list of local, state
and federal agencies which exist to
protect the rights of the employed
including OSHA, the EEOC, state
and federal departments of labor
and the Clean Air and Water Acts
which made significant regulatory
improvements to restrictions on the
handling of industrial waste have
also come into being.
As the need for labor unions
to secure these protections has
waned, unions have become more
about their own hierarchy, self-
aggrandizement and leadership
extravagances. And with only
the exception of public sector
government unions, union
membership is down in the teens,
in terms of the total percentage
of the American work force,
following a more than 50-year
period of decline.
However, the true purpose
of this end-of-summer/back-to-
school holiday weekend remains
essentially unchangedto pause
and for a moment reflect on the
sacrifices, hard work and often
uncounted contributions of millions
of hard working Americans.
Between picnics, parades
and sporting events this holiday
weekend, lets all try and take a
moment to remember that. Happy
Labor Day!
Bill Crane also serves as a political
analyst and commentator for Chan-
nel 2s Action News, WSB-AM News/
Talk 750 and now 95.5 FM, as well
as a columnist for The Champion,
Champion Free Press and Georgia
Trend. Crane is a DeKalb native and
business owner, living in Scottdale.
You can reach him or comment on a
column at billcrane@earthlink.net.
Bill Crane
Columnist
OPINION
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014 PAGE 5A
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 verifcation. All letters will be considered for publication.
Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-
1347; Send email to Andrew@dekalbchamp.com FAX 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
necessarily refect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Publisher reserves the
right to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. The Publisher is not responsible
for unsolicited manuscripts.
Publisher: John Hewitt
Chief Financial Ofcer: Dr. Earl D. Glenn
Managing Editor: Andrew Cauthen
Production Manager: Kemesha Hunt
Photographer: Travis Hudgons
Staf Reporters: Carla Parker, Lauren Ramsdell
Advertising Sales: Louise Dyrenforth Acker
The Champion Free Press is published each Friday by ACE III
Communications, Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA.
30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.
www.championnewspaper.com
DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110
FREEPRESS
STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER
We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this and
any issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was
founded in 1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse
for all community residents on all sides of an issue. We have
no desire to make the news only to report news and opinions
to effect a more educated citizenry that will ultimately move
our community forward. We are happy to present ideas for
discussion; however, we make every effort to avoid printing
information submitted to us that is known to be false and/or
assumptions penned as fact.
Thoughts on Ferguson, MO.
As a former resident of the metro
Saint Louis, East Saint Louis area, my
heart has been heavy watching the
police dogs and tear gas being used to
disperse peaceful protesters standing
up for their right to be treated with
dignity and respect. Te photos re-
minded me of a throwback to the 60s
and the Civil Rights Movement. We
have made progress as a people but we
have so far to go.
I have been silent on the St. Louis
riots but no more!
Hopelessness is a formula for di-
saster. Te Bible says where there is no
vision the people parish.
While I in no shape or form en-
dorse the destruction of our own
neighborhoods by violent acts car-
ried out by frustrated and desperate
people, I do think its important to
realize how weve gotten here and the
attitudes that drive such behavior.
When a person lacks hope or faith
in tomorrows possibilities, by default
they will seek to abort or destroy
their present reality. Teir tolerance
for risky behavior increases because
in their minds, they have nothing
to live for anyway. Te question has
been asked over and over, why are
these young Black men and women
destroying their own communities?
My frst response is do they really own
them? Te fact that there is very little
pride of ownership in many of our
communities is a part of the problem.
Ten we have to deal with the
mental state of a people that would
destroy everything and anything that
is around them (people included).
Te same hopelessness that can cause
63-year-old comedian Robin Wil-
liams to use a belt to hang himself, is
the same spirit of depression and defeat
that justifes torching a community.
Not logical or reasonable think-
ing, but a fact! As for why the citizens
of Ferguson, Mo., are torching their
community, while there is no logical
reason to justify it, the problem for
many is a lack of pride, respect and a
sense of ownership.
Absent these basic and funda-
mental human traits, society helps to
create a subculture of people who see
themselves as worthless. Te unfor-
tunate reality is that many of us rise
or fall to level of expectations of those
around us.
Every day young Black men are
killing each other over turf and street
corners they dont own. Why? What
they are seeking is respect! Feeling de-
nied the odds of achieving the respect
they desire through the boardrooms
of corporate America and mainstream
legitimate channels they compromise
their goals by seeking the pride and
respect they desire through street
credibility.
Tis is a diferent world they seek
to rule that operates by a diferent and
defant set of rules. Denied access to
mainstream success, they resort to
creating their own world run by their
own rules of engagement. Today its
Mike Brown, yesterday it was Tray-
von Martin.
What mainstream society needs
to understand is every time the scab is
ripped of this national crisis among
people of color and the disadvantaged
of this nation, it oozes the same infec-
tious pus and blood.
Today, more than ever a time in
this nations history, we need to be
about the business of giving people
hope!
People of DeKalb, we have work
to do!
Cornelius Staford is president of
100 Black Men of DeKalb County Inc.
and author of recently released book
Pathway to Purpose.
PAGE 6A THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014
If you would like to nominate someone to be
considered as a future Champion of the Week,
please contact Andrew Cauthen at andrew@
dekalbchamp.com or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.
Mary Davis lives in
Philips Tower in downtown
Decatur, but it took a while
for community managers to
take her up on her offers to
volunteer.
After a long career with
American Express, Davis
moved to Decatur about
three years ago. At first, she
approached managers at Phil-
ips Tower and asked if they needed any help or volun-
teers. They said no, initially.
They didnt utilize me until they realized I had
gone outside the building, she said. The people that
run the building here approached me then. I dont let
things interfere with the things I have promised to give
to the visitors center. When I say Im going to be there,
Im there.
Davis volunteers about three days per week at the
Decatur visitors center on Clairemont Avenue. She has
since becoming a de facto ambassador for the city.
I always enjoy the visitors center because you get
to meet so many people: people who are visiting our
little city, people who live in the city and say they dont
know this is here. I took Decatur 101. I really became
just totally aware of the great activities that take place
in our little four-square mile city.
Davis said that growing up, her mother always told
her and her siblings to give back whenever they could.
I have always had to give some of my time to the
community, she said. Thats what I do.
Davis said she originally volunteered at the visitors
center so often that people thought she was homeless.
Before the center had a permanent space, she sat in
Decatur Square handing out pamphlets touting Deca-
tur to residents and visitors alike.
She finally did get to volunteer at Philips Tower.
She also tries to volunteer at Decatur events such as
the beach party and book festival. She said her work
with American Express took her around the country,
as well as her earlier career in the travel industry, as
well as a stint in the air force, left her with a need for
variety in her life.
I believe that if you have any type of talent at all,
even if its just smiling and saying hello to people, it
makes your life more interesting, Davis said. Particu-
larly seniors. Just because youre retired doesnt mean
you just sit and do nothing.
Davis said while she was younger, she volunteered
because it was the right thing to do and she had gifts
to share. While she still enjoys giving back and offer-
ing a smile, it has become more important as she gets
older to maintain connections and give back.
I have lived for 77 years, she said. And I love
my life. I think its important that seniors remember
that you have something to give. Youve lived this life.
Youre fortunate.
MARY DAVIS
I have lived for 77 years,
she said. And I love my life. I
think its important that seniors
remember that you have
something to give. Youve lived
this life. Youre fortunate.
New ethics complaints fled against commissioner
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
L
ess than a week after DeKalb
Countys ethics board dis-
missed a complaint against
county Commissioner Jeff
Rader, a new one has been filed
against him.
The complaint was filed Aug. 18
by Warren Mosby, a DeKalb resi-
dent and senior consultant with HSI
Systems & Consultants.
In his complaint, Mosby alleges
that Rader failed to acknowledge
his inherent conflict of interest
at each and every meeting of the
Board of Commissioners wherein
a decision was made regarding
DeKalb Countys Contractual rela-
tionship with Commissioner Raders
then employer, Jacobs Engineering
and its subsidiaries.
Theres not much new there in
the accusation, Rader said Aug. 20.
This I think is a politically moti-
vated distraction.
In response to a similar com-
plaint dismissed Aug. 14 by the
ethics board, Rader said that when
he was first elected, he sought and
received from the ethics board an
advisory opinion on how to avoid
conflict of interest regarding his em-
ployment.
Mosbys complaint states the
ethics board in in 2007 should have
specified the need for full disclosure
by Commissioner Rader along with
other actions (such as not voting,
abstaining or otherwise being ab-
sent from a vote) for each and every
individual item coming before the
DeKalb County Commission that
presents a conflict of interest to in-
sure compliance.
The complaint also states that
the ethics boards decision to not
act on a complaint on the grounds
of lack of investigatory authority
does not preclude the Ethics Boards
responsibility to address this sepa-
rate complaint.
Both ethics complaints try to
work around the fact there is an
advisory opinion that informed my
conduct, Rader said. They all say,
well he might have done what the
advisory opinion said, but its still an
ethical violation.
I think thats a tough case to
make, Rader said. How else are we
supposed to conduct ourselves?
Additionally, Rader is accused
of using county purchasing card
(P-card) to pay more than $3,400 in
bills for his personal cell phone.
Mosby also states that Rader has
used his P-Card to pay $500 annual
membership dues to Professional
Planning Organizations that he
then uses in his line of work (not
commission only) and to purchase
travel and hotel accommodations to
conventions for Planners instead of
paying for the employment-related
expense out of his own pocket.
Rader said that each expendi-
ture has been vetted when reviewed
by the countys internal audit func-
tion [and] by the district attorney.
The complaint is without merit.
The first ethics complaint
against Rader was not dismissed
on the merits but the lack of speci-
ficity, Rader said. This one has
more specific accusations so I dont
know that it would be dismissed on
a first review. In any event, Im very
confident that the accusations
are invalid and I ultimately will be
exonerated.
In June, Mosby was mentioned
in an ethics complaint against Com-
missioner Sharon Barnes Sutton.
That complaint alleges that Sut-
ton had a conflict of interest when
she hired Mosby for at least three
contract jobs totaling more than
$35,000. The alleged projects in-
clude the design of a program for
the Youth Leadership Academy
kick-off ($1,336); District 4 commis-
sioner newsletter ($4,212); Board of
Commissioners transition advisory
capacity ($10,000); and professional
services for District 4 ($20,000).
Theres not much new there
in the accusation. This I think
is a politically motivated
distraction. Commissioner Jeff Rader
Mosby
Rader
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014 PAGE 7A
COMMUNITY
AROUND
DEKALB
Brookhaven
New toy donation policy announced
The city of Brookhaven announced recently that
it will begin reviewing toys donated at city parks
to ensure the safety of all Brookhavens park users,
especially children.
A neighborhood tradition of leaving old or
outgrown toys at Ashford Park presented a serious
challenge to Brookhavens Parks and Recreation
Department, according to a statement from the
city.
We appreciate the spirit of community and
generosity that the parents of Ashford Park have
been demonstrating by leaving toys on the play-
ground at Ashford Park, said Gary Schussler,
assistant parks director. Its our responsibility to
keep all city parks neat and make sure that toys
and equipment are safe to use and in good working
order.
Rather than just discarding toys their children
have outgrown, parents or others who wish to do-
nate toys should bring them to Brookhavens Parks
Department for a safety check. To keep the city
parks safe and visually attractive for all visitors,
toys that are unsafe, worn out or broken will not be
distributed in city parks.
Brookhaven residents who wish to donate toys
or other items to Brookhaven Parks can access a
donation request form on the Parks and Recreation
Department webpage and drop the form and the
items off at the Lynwood Park Recreation Center,
located at 3360 Osborne Road in Brookhaven.
To review the donation policy and donation
request form, see the Toy Donation Policy on the
citys website at www.brookhavenga.gov.
Doraville
NASCAR driver to meet fans
Dylan Kwasniewski, driver of Camaros No.
31 and No. 42 for Turner Scott Motorsports, will
attend a meet-and-greet for fans at the Doraville
Fraternal Order of Eagles. The international F.O.E.
sponsors Kwasniewskis No. 31 car.
Kwasniewski will be at the chapter building, lo-
cated at 3118 Chestnut Drive, from 7 to 8 p.m. Ac-
cording to the chapters Facebook page, there will
be raffles, races and a dinner. Register by finding
the event on the Fraternal Order of Eagles Atlanta
714 Facebook page.
Dunwoody
District 1 Citizen Connection
meeting announced
Dunwoodys district 1 city council representa-
tives, Terry Nall and Dennis Shortall, will host a
citizen connection meeting at the Dunwoody Na-
ture Center Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. The event will be a fo-
rum where participants can write and send in ques-
tions on paper or electronically. Representatives will
answer questions and take feedback from residents.
Residents can send in their ideas ahead of time at
connectdunwoody.co/contact-us/
Lithonia
Library to host movie screening
Stonecrest Library will host a special screening
of The Abolitionists, a film that brings to life the
intertwined stories of Frederick Douglass, Wil-
liam Lloyd Garrison, Angelina Grimke, Harriet
Beecher Stowe and John Brown.
The Abolitionists takes place during some of the
most violent decades in American history and re-
veals how the movement shaped history by expos-
ing the fatal flaw of a republic founded on liberty
for some and bondage for others. The screening is
a part of the Created Equal: Americas Civil Rights
Struggle series. The series is made possible through
a grant from the National Endowment for the Hu-
manities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative,
in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute
of American History. For more information, call
(770) 482-3828.
Stone Mountain
Art Station hosting exhibit
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION an
exhibit of renowned plein air painters will be held
at the ART Station Contemporary art center in
Stone Mountain until Sept. 28. A Paint Out will
also take place Sept. 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. to
celebrate the artistic tradition of plein air painting.
For more information about the exhibit or the Paint
Out, call ART Station at (770)-469-1105.
Commissioner to hold monthly
community breakfast
DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson is
taking his monthly community cabinet breakfast
on the road. He will partner with Stephenson High
School PTSA which will facilitate the community
breakfast Saturday, Sept. 6, from 9 to 11 a.m.
Stephenson High School is located at 701 Ste-
phenson Road, Stone Mountain.
During the breakfast, Watson launch the count-
down to his annual Stephenson Road community
clean up, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13.
Representatives from Comcast Cable, Discover
DeKalb/DeKalb Convention and Visitors Bureau
and Georgia Department of Transportation will
update attendees on services, initiatives and pro-
grams.
The breakfast is free and open to the public.
There is no registration required. For additional
information, call (404) 371-3681.
Countywide
Charter district public hearings
scheduled
The DeKalb County School District is consider-
ing a bid to become an all-charter school district,
which would be the largest in Georgia if accepted.
The district is seeking community input to go to-
wards a petition to be submitted to the state board
of education.
Five meetings, one for each district, have been
scheduled around the county. All meetings will
take place at 6 p.m.
Region 1 Dunwoody High School Aug. 28,
Region 2 Lakeside High School Aug. 27
Region 3 Stephenson High School Sept. 3
Region 4 Lithonia High School Aug. 26
Region 5 Towers High School September 2
Avondale Estates
City to host Labor Day race
Avondale Estates will host its 36th An-
nual Labor Day 5K Race and 1 Mile Race
Sept. 1. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., the
1 mile race will start at 8:30 a.m. and the 5K
race will begin at 8 a.m. To register the day
before the race, visit active.com. For more
information, contact Karen Holmes at (404)
294-5400 or kholmes@avondaleestates.org.
THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2014 PAGE 8A
LOCAL NEWS
NOTICEOFPUBLICHEARING
TheMayorandCityCounciloftheCityofChamblee,Georgiawillholdapublichearingon
Thursday,September11,2014,attheChambleeCivicCenter,3540BroadStreet,Chamblee,
GA30341at6:00p.m.toreceivepubliccommentsregardingthefollowingmatter:
1. TextamendmenttoArticleX,Section1002.PermittedUsesofAppendixA,Zoning
Ordinanceasfollows:
toindicatethattheuseAutomobilewashserviceispermittedonlyinthe
IndustrialTransitional(IT)andLightIndustrial(I)zoningdistrictsandtherefore
isprohibitedintheCorridorCommercial(CC)zoningdistrict;and
toreplacetheuseAutomobileandtruckrepairasaprimaryusewiththeuse
Automobileandtruckrepair,bodywork,andmodificationasaprincipaluse.
toreplacetheuse,Automobileandtrucksalesandservicewithrepairand
bodyworkasanaccessoryusewiththeuse,Automobileandtrucksalesand
servicewithrepair,bodywork,andmodificationasanaccessoryuse.