the DeKalb FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2018 • VOL.

23, NO 29 • FREE

Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Stone Mountain, Stonecrest and Tucker • A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS

Manufacturertoreplace‘defective’watermeters
reprogramming services.
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
Thurmond said the settlement is a
horace@dekalbchamp.com step in the right direction to restoring

D uring an interview with The trust in county government.  

Champion Newspaper Aug.
21, DeKalb County CEO
Michael Thurmond said one of the
most “embarrassing aspects” of the
water billing/meter replacement crisis
was unintentionally installing defective
meters which could have contributed to
inaccurate water bills.
During a Board of Commissioners
committee of the whole meeting,
commissioners approved a legal
settlement that will replace 47,000
iPerl water meters within the next two
years. According to county officials,
the total value of the settlement
amount to approximately $8.64
million in equipment, installation and
“This is huge. One of the most
embarrassing aspects of the water
billing crisis has been these 47,000
that were placed in the ground with a
manufacturing defect,” Thurmond said.
“To address this issue is a huge step
forward for the county.”
According to the settlement,
Kendall Supply Inc. and Sensus USA
Inc. will deliver and install 47,000 new
Accustream meters, install 30,000 radio
transmitters and reprogram 17,500
previously installed radio transmitters.
The 30,000 radio devices will transmit
real-time customer water consumption
data, according to county officials.
DeKalbCountyofficialsapprovedalegalsettlementthatwillreplace47,000iPerlwatermeters
SEE DEFECTIVE ON PAGE 6 within the next two years.

DeKalbpreparesnext
cropoffirefighters
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
It wasn’t all fun and games
at the DeKalb Fire Explorers
2018 Summer Games at Stone
Mountain park. For some
young firefighters, the chance
to compete in the event served
as valuable practice for real-life
scenarios.
On Aug. 18, seven fire
explorer teams competed in
the 2018 Summer Games. The
event was hosted by DeKalb
County Fire Rescue Explorer
Post 901.
Annette Haygood,
youth development program
administrator for DeKalb
County Fire and Rescue,
said the DeKalb County Fire
Rescue Explorer Post 901 is a
program designed for young
adults ranging from ages 14
to 18 who are interested in
firefighting.
Haygood said firefighters
come to the games with a
“competitive spirit.”
“The reward is to see who’s
the best of the best,” Haygood
said. “I have to commend these
young adults. They practice
hard and play harder.”
Explorer groups competed
in events such as rapid dress,
hauling a dummy through an
obstacle course and fire hose
repair.
According to Haygood,
Explorer Post 901 holds the
record for fastest rapid dress
time.
In the past, DeKalb Fire
and Rescue Explorer Post
901 attended events in the

SevenfirefighterexplorerteamsfromthesoutheastcompetedintheDeKalbFireExplorers2018SummerGamesatStoneMountain SEE FIREFIGHTERS ON PAGE 6

park.

Visit www.championnewspaper.com for local, real DeKalb County news.

LOCAL
DEFECTIVE Continued From Page 1
“This will improve
customer service across
the county. This is
embarrassing. It’s an
embarrassing decision to
buy and install that many
defective meters, but today
we are moving in a new
direction,” Thurmond said.
Since January 2018, the
Department of Watershed
Management has previously
installed or replaced more
than 12,000 new meters.
The county will now replace
approximately 102,00
meters including 47,500
iPerl meters and 54,000
meters that have outlived
product lifespan, according
to the county.
An open records
FIREFIGHTER Continued From Page 1
southeast region but has never
hosted a summer games event
until last year.
“Chief [Darnell Fullum]
had the idea of us hosting
our own competition. It’s
always hectic but I’m satisfied
this year, just like I was last
year. I’m satisfied with all the
teams that came in and the
individuals who volunteered,”
Haygood said.  “These young
adults also get the opportunity
to network and create
friendships while they are
request by The Champion
Newspaper revealed the
county had been several
months behind its “grand
scale” meter replacement
program.
According to a request
for proposal (RFP), DeKalb
previously had more than
175,313 meters older than
15 years. Meters 15 years
or older are beyond the
standard life expectancy.
According to the RFP, more
than 49,000 meters are
currently seven to 15 years
old and will exceed the 15-
year useful life expectancy
within the four-year meter
replacement program
contract.
Thurmond said the
here.”
Fullum, who attended this
year’s summer games, said the
event is a great opportunity
for young adults wanting to
pursue a career in firefighting.
Teams from Florida and
Alabama traveled to Stone
Mountain to participate,
Fullum said.
“The teams that are here,
it’s an opportunity to network
and share some good times,”
Fullum said. “The fire service
as a whole is a big family and
DEKALB FREE PRESS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2018 • Page 6
county will continue to
address aging water meter
issues.
“We’re way behind in
[the meter replacement]
process,” Thurmond said.
“Right now, we’re playing
catch up. These first 102,000
meters need to be addressed
first. This will be an ongoing
effort and we hope within
the next four to five years
having a totally reinstalled
new set of meters across
DeKalb County.”
According to Thurmond,
workers can only install
approximately 25,000 to
30,000 a year.
“This will take some time
for us to get it all corrected,”
Thurmond said.
we all come together and we’re
able to share some good stories
and have some fun.”
Fullum said he wants to
expand the event in upcoming
years.
“The explorers and the
counselors are giving their
time and they are helping these
kids develop. I really want to
give kudos to them and we’re
planning on making this event
bigger and better next year,”
Fullum said.
CrossRoadsNews announced it would discontinue its print edition.
Localnewspapershuts
downprintedition
the age of the internet and
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN tariffs,” Parker wrote.
horace@dekalbchamp.com Some DeKalb County
residents were surprised
by the announcement.
DeKalb County-based
Leanne Mayfield, who
newspaper CrossRoadsNews
was shopping for her
on Aug. 17 announced its
granddaughter in Walmart,
Aug. 18 edition would be its
said she often reads
final print publication.
CrossRoadsNews.
In an editorial,
“I had no idea,” Mayfield
CrossRoadsNews staff
said when asked about
writer, editor and publisher
the paper’s decision to
Jennifer Parker said it was
discontinue its print edition.
a tough decision but, “we
“I pick it up all the time.
know that no business can
I’ve read [CrossRoadsNews]
stay in business if it is not
for years.”
making money.”
The paper, located on
“Blame it on the
Candler Road in Decatur,
migration of advertising
has been in existence for
revenues to the internet,
23 years and four months,
especially Google,
according to Parker.
Facebook and other social
Samuel Wright, a
media. They get the money
lifelong Decatur resident,
while we struggle to cover
said he’s never read the
Board of Commissioners,
print edition of the paper
City Hall and School Board
but was familiar with the
meetings with dwindling
publication.
revenues to pay reporters,
According to Wright,
newspaper carriers, the
33, the internet has hurt
light bill and so on,” Parker
the bottom line of several
wrote. “While we were
businesses.
never short of stories to
“Even with books,
write, very few wanted to
buy advertising – the only
everything is going
digital,” Wright said. “It’s
product that we sell.”
unfortunate for industries
Parker also blamed
[such as] newspapers, but it
President Donald Trump’s
makes sense.”
tariffs on Canadian paper
Parker said the paper has
mills, which manufacture
more readers now than ever,
newsprint, for the paper’s
but “can’t generate enough
decline.
revenue to make ends
According to Parker, the
meet.”
tariffs have resulted in a
“Perhaps because our
30-percent increase in the
newspaper was ‘free’ to
cost of printing newspapers.
pick up, few readers saw us
“All around us,
as a normal business, with
newspapers are folding
weekly payrolls to meet and
because they are no longer
printing bills every week,”
commercially viable in
Parker said.
OPINION
Glimmerofhopeblossomsforroadimprovements
For those who live or travel
along some of DeKalb County’s
worst roads, I know the anger
and frustration that comes with
each jarring and explosive bump,
rattle and deep-pitted crash when
traversing these roadways.
For years I’ve been enduring
the commute from home in
Stone Mountain to work near
downtown Decatur, taking
Rockbridge Road almost the
entire way. It’s only 13 miles
but the two-lane road’s edges
are crumbling with numerous
potholes and a patchwork of
dilapidated repairs. It’s 13 miles
of misery. This thoroughfare
is extremely narrow and along
the side of the road there are
well-worn paths cut through
overgrown weeds by pedestrians.
Every politician and county
official who has come out to
Gale Horton Gay
fastgale@hotmail.com
my subdivision for community
outreach or seeking support prior
to an election has been asked the
same question: What are you
going to do about Rockbridge
Road? Assurances and promises
were made with what seemed like
heartfelt sincerity but the road
remained a nightmare.
Last fall there was a glimmer
of hope. Signage went up
announcing the start of a DeKalb
County water main replacement
project and, yes, soon crews were
digging up the concrete and earth
beneath and new mains were
DEKALB FREE PRESS • FRIDAY, AUGUST 24, 2018 • Page 4
being installed. Temporary steel
plates, road detours, single-lane
consolidation have also been part
of the improvements.
The water main replacement
project, between Memorial
Drive and South Deshon Road
in Lithonia is estimated to cost
$22 million, and it’s finish date
is projected to be summer 2019.
My neighborhood is just one
of many getting much-needed
infrastructure upgrades.
According to the county’s
website, there are currently seven
similar water main replacement
projects including Emory Circle,
Glendale, Briarcliff, Valley View
and Tucker in various stages of
completion.
Every aspect of infrastructure
improvement is costly, takes
considerable time, requires
political and often community
backing and the process will most
likely be disruptive. However, it’s
what must be endured if we’re to
have infrastructure on which we
can rely.
As the new mains go in,
bringing us a better, safer way
to get our drinking water,
improvements to the roadways are
also being made. After the mains
were installed in the first section
of Rockbridge and the heavy
equipment moved further down
the road, new asphalt was laid and
that small section now has one
of the smoothest road surfaces
around.
Although I know it’s going to
be awhile before I can report that
the majority of my commute is on
smooth roads, at least now I have
hope.
OPINION DEKALB FREE PRESS • AUGUST 24, 2018 • Page 5

Before the parade passes by

“I’m Muriel Bowser, mayor of
Washington, D.C., the local politician
who finally got thru to the reality
star in the White House with the
realities ($21.6M) of parades/events/
demonstrations in Trump America
(Sad).” Tweet late last week by
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel
Bowser.
 
Until a state visit to France for
Bastille Day and a military service
parade there that almost dates
back to the French Revolution, I
did not know President Donald
Trump to be a fan of parades. But
since his return from France two
years ago last month, the president
has been strongly advocating a
Veterans' Salute Parade, along the
streets of our nation’s capital, rolling
tanks, missiles and armaments
demonstrating America’s might,
including fly-overs, veterans in
period costume, etc. The president
has found few other advocates for
this extravaganza, in or outside of
the White House, but he remains
commander-in-chief, and until
recently, plans were moving forward
for the parade to fall on November
10, 2018, the day prior to Veterans'
Day and the 100th Anniversary of
the end of World War I.  If Trump is sincere about wanting
A CNBC report detailed rapidly
escalating cost estimates for the
fanfare, in part based on the
president’s parameters, a large-
scale display of modern weaponry
and armaments, a review stand
near the Capitol building or White
House, the presence of our military
and government leadership, and
a significant cadre of active duty,
reservists and retired military within
the parade itself. The Pentagon
resisted, but was moving forward
with planning, until the most recent
cost estimates became public,
detailing a one-day expenditure of
as much as $92 million. The next
day Defense Secretary and General
“Mad Dog” Mattis announced
that plans were being put on hold
to move the parade forward into
up those jets is not cheap, and known, well short of being on site in
‘One Man’s relocating and rolling nuclear real time. 
warheads down a public street is at The last major military parade
Opinion’ the very best ill-advised.  in Washington, D.C. followed the
American weaponry and missiles end of the first Persian Gulf War,
Bill Crane are in silos, submarines and in and primarily featured returning
bill.csicrane@gmail.com secret, secured locations around the active duty military personnel and
globe; moving them to display or wounded veterans on fire trucks, in
2019, and soon after President play "show and tell" is much more convertibles and marching down the
Trump tweeted attacks on the the move of a fascist or socialist streets of Washington, D.C. and later
municipal government and mayor regime, attempting to intimidate a ticker-tape parade in New York.
of Washington, D.C. for their neighbors.   Watch those tapes Mr. President, the
contributions to the cost estimates.  Another option would be for this scope and scale was right and the
The president has already president to work with Congress on proper folks were being paid tribute,
experienced a multi-million a modest appropriation to support as it should be.
Washington parade, on the day of a privately managed and funded
his inauguration. However other parade, showcasing the actual
than the significant additional surviving veterans, active duty
security costs in a post-9/11 world reservists, and where not in conflict Bill Crane also serves as a political
of moving the U.S. president with more pressing concerns of analyst and commentator for Channel
through open spaces and in public, duty, domestic military personnel.  2’s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk
inaugural festivities are privately Before this parade passes by, 750 and now 95.5 FM, as well as a
funded. Even so, Pennsylvania Mr. President, please consider the columnist for The Champion, DeKalb
Avenue intersections are fenced potential damage done to D.C. Free Press and Georgia Trend. Crane
off with security check-points, the streets by rolling through heavy is a DeKalb native and business owner,
National Mall, which is not secured, tanks and missile launchers. And living in Scottdale. You can reach
becomes heavily policed, manhole presidents have many ways of him or comment on a column at bill.
covers along the parade route are making their presence and support csicrane@gmail.com.
temporarily sealed, as the D.C.
Metro travels underneath virtually
all of Washington’s federal district,
routes along the parade route are
temporarily delayed or suspended. 
to honor our nation’s veterans, two
simple changes will significantly
reduce the costs and allow the event
to move forward. The president,
congressional leadership and
Supreme Court justices should
simply not attend. Even under the
"safe airspace" of our nation’s capitol
building, a cabinet member is
secured elsewhere in an unidentified
location during the State of
the Union Address, so that our
government would continue in the
event of a disastrous attack. 
Secondly, with all due respect,
leave the rolling stock, tanks, big
guns, missiles and even the fighter
jets at home. Yes, there are fighter
jets nearby at Andrews Air Force
Base, ready to be scrambled to
defend D.C. airspace, but firing

FREEPRESS
the DeKalb Publisher: Staff Reporters:
John Hewitt Carla Parker STATEMENTFROMTHE
Horace Holloman PUBLISHER
Chief Financial Officer: Derek Smith We sincerely appreciate the
Dr. Earl D. Glenn discussion surrounding this and any
Let Us Know What You Think! Social Media Manager: issue of interest to DeKalb County.
Production Manager: Donna Seay The Champion was founded in 1991
THE DEKALB FREE PRESS encourages opinions from SEND LETTERS TO EDITOR, expressly to provide a forum for
The DeKalb Free Press, Kemesha Wadley discourse for all community residents
its readers. Please write to us and express your views. P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; on all sides of an issue. We have no
Letters should be brief, typewritten and contain the Send email to Johnh@dekalbchamp.com desire to make the news only to
FAXTo: (404) 370-3903; Phone: (404) 373-7779. The DeKalb Free Press is published each Friday report news and opinions to effect
writer’sname,addressandtelephonenumberforverifi- Deadline for news releases and advertising: by ACE III Communications, Inc., a more educated citizenry that will
cation. All letters will be considered for publication. Thursday, one week prior to publication date. 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030 ultimately move our community
forward. We are happy to present
Phone (404) 373-7779. ideas for discussion; however,
EDITOR’SNOTE:Theopinionswrittenbycolumnistsandcontributingeditorsdonotnecessarilyreflecttheopinions www.championnewspaper.com we make every effort to avoid
printing information submitted to
oftheeditororpublishers.ThePublisherreservestherighttorejectorcancelanyadvertisementatanytime.The us that is known to be false and/or
Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110 assumptions penned as fact.