VOLUME 21 NUMBER 13 FREE JUNE 27, 2015

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

CHASE page 9

Fliers page 9

Rockdale authorities say KKK fliers not

unlawful

By Valerie J. Morgan and Joshua Smith

Residents in Rockdale County may be upset over recruitment fli-ers distributed by the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) on Father’s Day, but author-ities say they won’t pursue their investigation.

The KKK’s Rockdale campaign comes in the wake of the nation reeling from the massacre of nine black worshippers who were shot to death on June 17 at a Charleston, S.C. church by Dylan Storm Roof, a 21-year-old white avowed racist.

Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett called the KKK’s campaign a “cow-ardly act,” especially in light of the shooting massacre, but he said what the white supremacy group’s distribu-tion of fliers is not unlawful.

“We determined that the group has the right to leave those types of materials, just as a church or anyone else practicing freedom of speech,” said Levett. “It would only be crim-inal if they were on the property like Wal-Mart and refused to leave after management asked them to.”

Some of the fliers were in fact placed on cars at a Wal-Mart in Rock-dale, authorities said. They were also left at the Cedar Lake subdivision. Rockdale Sheriff’s deputies canvassed the subdivision, picking up several of the fliers, which were placed in plastic baggies filled with candy and a rock. The deputies took the fliers before many residents had a chance to see them in their driveways on June 21, Father’s Day.

Meanwhile, the Rockdale NAACP plans to hold a press conference to discuss the incident. The branch’s president, Gary King, said the com-munity has stood in solidarity against the KKK.

“What the KKK intended for evil actually has brought our community together. He (King) wants to thank everyone for coming together to stand

Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett

CHASE prepares to battle asphalt plant proposed for Lithonia site

By Valerie J. Morgan

A group of DeKalb County environmental-

ists are preparing to fight an asphalt plant that is seeking to build in unincorporated Lithonia.

Members of Citizens for a Healthy and Safe Environment (CHASE) say they are concerned the project by HEH Paving, Inc. will be a health hazard to the community. The asphalt company has filed an application for a Special Land Use permit to build a plant in the light industrial district at 1913 Rock Chap-el Road in unincorporated Lithonia.

CHASE is scheduled to meet with HEH Paving and officials of DeKalb County’s Planning and Zoning Depart-ment on Tuesday, June 30, 6

p.m., at the county’s 330 West Ponce de Leon building in downtown Decatur. CHASE member Gina Mangham said planner John Reid is coordi-nating the meeting to bring

interested stakeholders to-gether to discuss the proposal before the application goes before the DeKalb Planning Commission on July 7.

“This is not good for

Lithonia. This is not good for South DeKalb,” said Mang-ham. “We understand this project is proposed for an

DeKalb School District salutes Michael Thurmond for job well done

By Joshua Smith

Hundreds of well-wishers packed the DeKalb County School Board headquarters in Stone Mountain to

honor Michael Thurmond for the leadership he demonstrated as superintendent over the last two years. Thurmond is handing over the reigns to Dr. Stephen Green, who officially becomes DeKalb’s schools chief on July 1.

Both, current and past school board mem-bers, and community leaders gathered to say thank you to Thurmond, who is credited with reviving the the troubled school district from near collapse by improving the district’s accreditation status, fiscal management, graduation rates and standardized tests.

“I have loved every moment that I’ve been here. I appreciate all the support you all have pro-vided to me. I’ve said this on numerous occasions that my life has been transformed coming here to DeKalb,” Thurmond told the crowd who attended

the June 25 celebration held for him. “I have literally been born again because of my service here. Because of you and the 100,000 students that we have dedicated our lives to. Not only are their lives better but we have been enriched as well.”

The Redan High School Drum Line kicked off the celebration under the direction of Loren-zo Moore, band director.

School Board Chair, Dr. Melvin Johnson, greeted those in attendance and Cornelius Staf-ford, president of the 100 Black Men of DeKalb mentoring organization of which Thurmond is a member, made a special presentation.

Thurmond and his wife, Zola, were serenad-ed by Columbia Middle School Principal Keith Jones, who did a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way.” David and Victoria Guillory, who respectively serve as a transportation direc-tor and teacher with DeKalb County Schools, sang Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable.”

Several people gave reflections and praised

Thurmond for his leadership including a student, parent, bus driver and DeKalb Chamber of Com-merce’s Arnie Silverman.

Susan McCauley, principal of the DeKalb County School of the Arts served as the Mistress of Ceremonies.

Thurmond said he believes the school dis-trict is in good hands with newly-appointed su-perintendent, Dr. Stephen Green, who left Kansas City Public Schools to accept the job in DeKalb.

“Dr. Green is going to do an outstanding job and I want—I plead—I ask you to support him as you continue to serve these children,” said Thur-mond. “Thank you for honoring me but the way you could really continue to honor me is to think about the bus drivers, janitors, school nutrition workers, future teachers, parents who can’t speak English first when you do the Fiscal Year 2017 budget. Think about serving the people who need it most. I will continue to fight for you all and be an advocate for DeKalb County Schools no matter where I go.”

CHASE members held a planning meeting on June 23 to discuss the propose asphalt plant.

PAGE 2 •JUNE 27, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

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EDITOR/PUBLISHER Valerie J. Morgan

editor@ocgnews.com

GENERAL MANAGERGlenn L. Morgan

gmorgan1@ocgnews.com

STAFF WRITER Joshua Smith

joshsmith@ocgnews.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Richard S. Hill

richardhill@ocgnews.com

On Common Ground News is published weekly by On Common Ground, Inc. The newspaper serves DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Henry counties.

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DeKalb Bingo event spells fun, safety for seniors

By Joshua Smith

More than 100 seniors filled the Manuel Maloof Auditorium in Decatur for DeKalb Solicitor-General Sherry Boston’s annual

“Safety in Numbers” Bingo event on June 24. Before the chips were down for Bingo, seniors were

greeted by the event’s sponsors including WellCare, American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), Fraud Watch Network and the Disability Law Firm of Victoria L. Collier, P.C.

The sponsors, along with Boston and members of her Special Victims Unit, provided information on senior abuse, lunch and goodie bags filled with items such as back scratchers, wallet and coin pouches, a “con artist playbook,” manicure sets, pens, mouse pads, water bottles and hand sanitizers.

Boston said she hosts the event every year to inform seniors of resources to help keep them safe and to hope-fully, prevent elder abuse.

“We have been doing this event since 2011. We usually go to different county senior centers on a small-

er scale, but this year was a little different because we were able to bring the centers to one place and host the event on a larger scale with sponsors, prizes and lunch,” said Boston. “Approximately 55 cases of elder abuse are reported in DeKalb County each year, but investigators suspect many seniors never come forward to get help. We want to make sure anyone who might be in danger comes forward to get help. My Special Victims Unit can make sure seniors get the resources they need to stay safe.”

The event also provides lots of fun. When the Bingo games began, seniors were yelling out Bingo! Winners received gift certificates from Target, Publix and VISA and AARP gift bags, which included calculators, water bottles and other items.

One winner, Margaret Smith of Decatur, said she had a great time at the annual event.

“It feels great to win and to mingle with other seniors who are all on the same page. We just want to enjoy our golden years and have fun,” said Smith, who has been a member of the Lou Walker Senior Center in Lithonia for six years. “I try to stay active doing things like playing Bingo, water aerobics and going to different classes at the

Lou Walker Center. It’s always good to know someone like Sherry Boston is looking out for us and our inter-ests.”

To report immediate danger of elder abuse, always call 911. If there is not immediate danger, call the Na-tional Center on Elder Abuse at 1-800-677-1116 or visit www.ncea.aoa.gov.

Rockdale sheriff, chief deputy say farewell at going away reception

By Joshua Smith

There was laughter, hugs and even some tears as Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett and his personnel said their goodbyes to Chief Deputy Scott Freeman on June 25. Freeman will take on a new role as the Chief of Police for the Athens-Clarke County Police Department on July 6.

Levett and Freeman have been lifelong friends and worked together closely as the No. 1 and No. 2 leaders respectively at the Sheriff’s Office.

“You know, we always call each other brothers from another mother,” Levett said jok-ingly. “We went to elementary school together, middle and high school. We were even room-mates for a while at Harvest Grove Apartments before I got engaged and started my family.”

Freeman fought back emotions as he reflected on his time with the Sheriff’s Office and talked about his new job. Levett appointed Freeman to his leadership role in Rockdale in January 2013 after Levett was elected to become Rockdale’s first black sheriff. Freeman was tasked with assisting the sheriff in running the day-to-day operation of the RSCO. Previ-ously, he worked at the Conyers Police Depart-ment for 22 years, serving in several leadership roles.

“Sheriff Levett and I have been life-long friends, both making careers in law enforce-ment. We made a promise as young men that we would always support each other and we always will,” said Freeman, who will oversee 240 sworn officers and 65 civilian employees in his new position with the Athens Clarke County Police Department. The position became avail-able after Chief Joseph “Jack” Lumpkin retired after serving 17 years.

Freeman said he has already visited the

Athens-Clarke County Police Depart-ment.

“I’m excited about my new job. Just last week, I went down there and sat through a roll call and met every-body. There will be a time and place for everything but I want to spend the first days getting to know each other.”

Levett said Freeman will be great-ly missed.

“I am going to miss working directly with Chief Freeman. However, I am excited for him because this is a great opportunity for him and the Ath-ens Clark County Police Department is getting a great guy,” said Levett. “He always had this goal. We both did. I just beat him to it. I know he will serve there as he did here—with honor and integrity. Even though Chief Freeman will be working for another department, I know we will still see each other and I hope that some

day, our departments can work together.”Levett said he plans to continue to run the

day-to-day operations until he selects a new chief deputy.

Photos by Joshua Smith/OCG News Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett congratulated Chief Deputy Scott Freeman on becoming the Athens-Clarke County Chief of Police.

A sea of seniors were all smiles at DeKalb County Solicitor-General Sherry Boston’s annual “Safety in Numbers” senior Bingo event on June 24 in Decatur.

PAGE 4 • JUNE 27 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Coming Up

Rhodes Jordan Park offers 80’s family fun night

Rhodes Jordan Park, 100 E. Crogan Street, Lawrenceville, will host “Like, Totally 80’s” for the entire family to enjoy on Saturday, July 11, 5 p.m.

Your family is invited to come dressed in your “80’s” outfit to join a costume contest. There also will be family games, an 80’s trivia contest, crafts, photo booth, and an outdoor movie. Gwinnett’s Hooked Teen Club will be on hand to do face painting and temporary tattoos.

The family fun night ends with a “Movie Under the Stars.” Grab a blanket, pack a picnic and enjoy a screening of “Back to the Future” on a jumbo screen.

“Back to the Future” is a 1985 American comic science fiction film produced by Steven Spielberg. The movie stars Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. Fox plays “Marty McFly,” a teen who is sent back in time to 1955. He meets his future parents in high school and accidentally becomes his mother’s romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by causing his parents-to-be to fall in love, and with the help of scientist, Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown (Christopher Lloyd), he must find a way to return to 1985. Admission is free. 770-822-8840

ATLANTA

Grant Park to host Nezian Fest 15 Grant Park, 840 Cherokee Avenue, S.E., Atlanta, will host the 2015 Nezian

Fest on Saturday, July 11, 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. Enjoy a day of cultural sharing of the South Pacific Islands. Talofa. Aloha.

Malo lelei. Kira Ora. Shop with food vendors, play in the kids’ zone and check out live entertainment from the tropical islands of Hawaii, Somoa, New Zealand, Guam and more.

Admission is free. For more information, contact Naomi Hunkin at doc_omikin@yahoo.com.

DEKALB

Real Men Read at Southwest library branch The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s Southwest branch, 3665 Cascade

Road, S.W., Atlanta, will host “Real Men Read” on July 11 and July 25, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.

From toddlers to elementary school-aged students, children and their families are invited to come out for a story time session where men from several local orga-nizations will read.

For more information, email comments@co.fulton.ga.us or call 404-699-6363.

Commissioner Larry Johnson sets annual “Let’s Move!” event DeKalb County District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson is encouraging res-

idents to mark their calendars for “Let’s Move! DeKalb” on Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at the Exchange Park Intergenerational Center, 2771 Columbia Drive, Decatur.

Johnson, The Center Helping Obesity in Children End Successfully, Inc., and the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority will join in hosting the event, which in-cludes free school supplies, healthy cooking demonstrations, live performances, fitness exercises and games.

The fourth annual event will host health organizations to stress the importance of raising a healthy family. Several county departments will set up booths in a sci-ence-fair style to offer information, door prizes and healthy snacks.

Admission is free. Children must be present with an adult to receive school supplies. Volunteers are needed to pass out school supplies and for other tasks. For more information, call 678-819-3663 or visit www.choicesforkids.or

Decatur Library offers musical fun for all The DeKalb County Public Library System’s Decatur branch, 215 Sycamore

Street, Decatur, will offer two music events that the entire family can enjoy this summer as a part of the library’s “Musical Bookings” series.

The series kicks off on Sunday, July 19, 4 p.m., when the branch wel-comes “Ja’Naan.” Equipped with a distinctive style, jazz vocalist and performer “Ja’Naan” has graced the stage with Sarah Vaughn, Betty Carter, Lionel Hampton and others. She is founder and liaison for the Jazz Collaborative, which brings awareness about education, health and wellness through the arts.

The series concludes on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 7 p.m., when the branch welcomes the “Atlanta Baroque Dance” group. The dance group specializes in performing, reconstructing and teaching court and country dances from the 17th and 18th cen-turies. Included are historical English, Scottish County and Regency Dances( from the Jane Austen era). The group is based in Atlanta and performs throughout the Southeastern states.

Funding provided by the Friends of the Decatur Library. Registration has be-gun. For more information, call 404-370-3070 or visit www.dekalblibrary.org.

.

One DeKalb county pool to reopen this weekend, one will remain closed

Two DeKalb County pools were closed temporarily this week due to unexpected issues. The Kelly Cofer pool, 4259 N. Park Dr. Tucker, was closed after an electrical surge resulting from lightning damage. The pool is expected to be reopen on Saturday, June 27.

A water main break had closed the pool at Gresham Park, 3113 Gresham Road; however the recreation center is not affected by the water main break and remains open. For more information, contact Al Sheppard, Athletics and Aquatics Recreation Program Manager, at (404)371-6270.

GWINNETT

County to host “Smart Irrigation” workshop Gwinnett’s Department of Water Resources will host a free workshop for resi-

dents, “Smart Irrigation,” on Thursday, July 23, 7 – 8 p.m., at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center’s Conference Room C, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrencev-ille.

Water demand for lawns, gardens, and landscapes typically peaks in July, which can lead to higher than expected water bills. Gwinnett residents are invited to join Extension Service Director Robert Brannen and learn how to water smarter and keep your yard green without wasting water or money. All participants will receive a free outdoor water efficiency kit.

Registration is required. Pre-register by sending an email with your name and address to dwrconserve@gwinnettcounty.com or call 678-376-7126.

ROCKDALE

Rockdale sets Ag & Natural Resources Day The Rockdale County Extension Office will host “Ag Day” on Tuesday, June

30, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Rockdale County Government Annex, 1400 Parker Road, Conyers.

Rockdale Agriculture and Natural Resources Day will offer fun for the entire family. Ever wondered where our food comes from? Come see a dairy cow be-ing milked, mingle with the rabbits, pigs, horse, goats, pigs, chickens and more. Natural resources organizations will be there to teach kids about the environment around them. Also, there will be a pie contest and a Farmers Market. All ages are welcome. Admission is free. 770-278-7373

Conyers Police sets public information session The Conyers Police Department will host a public information session to hear

from the community on Tuesday, June 30, 6 – 7 p.m., in the Conyers City Council Chambers, 1194 Scott Street, Conyers.

As a part of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agenices, Inc. (CALEA) on-site assessment for the Conyers Police Department, agency per-sonnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at the public information session.

For those who cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call 678-374-5650 on Tuesday, June 30, between the hours of 1and 3 p.m. to submit.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to 10 minutes and must address the Conyers Police Department’s ability to comply with CALEA standards. Copies of the standards are available for view-ing at Conyers Police Department Headquarters, 1194 Scott Street, Conyers. Any-one wishing to submit written comments about the Conyers Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation is requested to write to www.calea.org or The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320, Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

For more information, contact Lieutenant Tanya Yvette Young at 770-785-6684.

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SPORTSCRAZE 2015 Summer Basketball Bootcamp

SPORTSCRAZE is still accepting registration for Summer Basketball Bootcamp for boys and girls ages 5-16 for beginners and advanced players. There is a $45.00 non-

refundable camp registration fee. The weekly cost is: $90.00 for ages 5-12, $80.00 per child for 2 or more children, $75.00 for ages 13-16. There is also a weekly field trip fee. Breakfast, lunch and snack are included. For the convenience of the parents, drop off is at 6:30 a.m. and pick up by 7:00 p.m. The camp dates are June 1st – July 31st, 2015

Camp is held at the Big Miller Grove Baptist Church Gymnasium, 3800 Big Miller Grove Way, Lithonia, Georgia 30038. Contact SPORTSCRAZE at 404.423.2177 to register.

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Metro Atlanta schools awarded $6,000 with help from Kaiser

Seven metro Atlanta schools won $6,000 for being a part of the Kaiser Permanente’s “Fire Up Your Feet”

activity challenge, which promotes physical activity and health wellness in youths.

At participating schools, parents, students and school staff kept track of their physical activity during the month-long challenge using the “Fire Up Your Feet” online activity tracker.

Schools won awards in several categories such as “Most Overall Participation,” “Highest Weekly Activity” tracking numbers, “Most Bicycling,” and “Most walking.” In metro Atlanta, the top prize of $2,150 was awarded to Morrow Elementary School in Clayton County. Six other metro Atlanta schools that also won cash prizes include: Briarlake Elementary School in Decatur; Burgess-Peterson Academy in Atlanta; Ellis School of Atlanta in Decatur; Mountain View Elementary School in Marietta; Peachtree Academy in Conyers; and State Bridge Crossing Elementary School in Johns Creek.

“Fire Up Your Feet” was launched in 2013 and is aimed at increasing physical activity before, during and after school, and helping participants stay motivated in a fun and friendly environment. The program also supports schools with resources to fundraise in a healthy way. Since the launch of the challenge awards, Kaiser Permanente and “Fire Up Your Feet”

have awarded more than $290,000 to participating schools.

“It’s a great program, one of those gems you’re searching for to help get kids excited,” said Howard Fore, PTA secretary at Burgess Peterson Elementary in Atlanta. “It’s just a matter of getting parents to understand that a small amount of time will help your school. Kids want to be active, and it’s a slam dunk since all we had to do was keep track of the activity the kids were already doing.”

Challenge awards help to support walking, school bus programs, purchase of bike racks, safety vests, incentives for Walking Wednesdays, traffic safety countermeasures to help promote more walking and biking, and much more.

“It’s so exciting to see schools embracing Fire Up Your Feet and getting into action,” says Peggy Agron, national director for Kaiser Permanente Thriving Schools. “It’s been such an engaging program and we’re proud to partner with Safe Routes to School National Partnership and others to bring this program to schools as a way to engage parents, students, teachers and school staff in getting more physical activity before, during and after school.”

The next activity challenge will take place Oct. 1-31and is open to any K-8 public, private or charter school in metro Atlanta. Sign up at fireupyourfeet.org.

Three new libraries to open in Atlanta’s system this summer

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System is preparing to open the next three new libraries as part of its Library Building Program this summer.

The new 25,000-square-foot Northwest Library at Scotts Cross-ing, will open on Thursday, July 9 at 11 a.m. The library is located at 2489 Perry Boulevard, Atlanta. The Perry Homes and Bowen/Bankhead Libraries permanent-ly closed on May 15, 2015 to prepare for the grand opening of this new library.

The new 25,000-square-foot Milton Library will open on Thursday, July 16 at 11 a.m. Located at 855 Mayfield Road, Milton, this branch is providing service to an area of the county that was previously unserved by a library.

The new 25,000-square-foot Alpharetta Library will open on Thursday, July 30 at 11 a.m. The library is located at 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, and is part of the new Alpharetta City Center.

The existing Alpharetta Library, located at 238 Canton Street, Alpharetta, re-opened on June 3 after closing on May 21 to prepare the collection for the grand opening of the new Alpharetta Library.

This library will permanently close approximately two weeks prior to the opening of the new Alpharetta Library. The closing date will be finalized in the coming weeks.

These openings are part of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s Library Building Program, including construction of eight new branch libraries and two expansion projects.

In addition to the Alpharetta, Milton and Northwest libraries opening in July, three libraries have already opened: East Roswell (February 2015), Palmetto (De-cember 2014), and Wolf Creek (September 2014). Two additional new libraries, the Southeast Atlanta and Metropolitan branches, will open later this year. Both the Auburn Avenue Research Library and the South Fulton Library are currently closed and under construction as the two expansion projects.

Green building design and sustainability are priorities for all library projects. Staff members say each library will reflect the culture and interests of its community.

In November 2008, Fulton County voters overwhelmingly passed the Library Bond Referendum. The plan will greatly enhance all of the county’s libraries. For more information, visit www.afpls.org, and click on “Your New Libraries” on the front page for updates or call 404-730-1977.

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PAGE 6 •JUNE 27, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Metro Atlanta is ready to celebrate the county’s independence with a wide

range of events for you and your family to enjoy. We have complied a list of

some of the events. All events are on Saturday, July 4, unless otherwise noted.

Decatur sets parade, concert and fireworks

Decatur’s July 4th Pied Piper Parade will wind through downtown Decatur. Residents are invited to decorate a wagon, ride a bike, skate, or walk in this event. The entire community is invited to come and spectate.

City Commissioners will lead the parade in a mini firetruck. Parade line-up is 5:30 p.m., at the First Baptist Church of Decatur, 308 Clairemont Ave., Decatur. The parade begins at 6 p.m. and ends at the Community Bandstand on the square, 509 North McDonough St., with a presentation of colors and the Star Spangled Banner.

Anyone with a motorcycle or convertible may participate in the parade but those with vehicles must register by completing a July 4th Pied Piper Parade Guidelines form.

The concert, featuring the Callanwolde Concert Band, begins at 7 p.m. in the Community Bandstand. Fireworks begin at dark (approximately 9 p.m.) and are shot from the top of the DeKalb County parking deck.

For information or to complete the parade guidelines form, call 404-371-8386 or email Katie.Abel@decaturga.com.

Avondale Estates parade, concert and fireworks Avondale Estates will host a community parade, starting at Avondale

High School, 1192 Clarendon Ave., 10 a.m., and will end at the intersection of Clarendon Avenue and South Avondale Road.

The city will host a concert with local bands and a fireworks show at 59 Lakeshore Drive, Avondale Estates.

Residents say The 4th of July Celebration is a time-honored tradition in the community where residents and friends come together to enjoy the festivities. The community is invited to either march in the parade or cheer from the sidelines of Clarendon Avenue, which features historic landmarks.

Dunwoody Fourth of July Parade The City of Dunwoody and the Dunwoody Homeowners Association will host

their parade at 9 a.m. The two-mile parade route steps off from the intersection of Mount Vernon and Jett Ferry, and proceeds west on Mount Vernon to Dunwoody Village Parkway.

The parade features marching bands, floats, clowns, animal units and “local celebrities.” Last year, the parade attracted more than 2,500 participants and 32,000 spectators.

This year’s theme is “Honoring Our Educational Stars.”

Conyers Stars & Stripes horse show

The Georgia International Horse Park’s Charles Walker Arena, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, will celebrate the Fourth with the “Stars & Stripes” Circuit Horse Show.

The 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. show features sanctioned quarter horse show horses and their owners to compete in a “Top Ten” show. Horses and their riders will compete for more than $100,000 in cash and prizes. Some of the competitions include Western dressage, ranch horse riders, reining and leveling.

Hunterfield Derby horses will be on display and they will compete in a Non-Pro Trail Derby for spectators. Exhibitors and vendors will host parties and breakout sessions for you to learn more about the horses. This event also includes a painted ponies and dog show.

Admission is free. For more information, visit www.gqha.com, or call Robin Barrow at 770-785-2747.

Lawrenceville hosts “Prelude to the Fourth”

The City of Lawrenceville will host the “Prelude to the Fourth” on Friday, July 3, 7 – 10 p.m., 210 Luckie St., Lawrenceville.

Kick off your 4th of July holiday with what the city calls a one-of-a-kind celebration. Lawrenceville’s renowned Aurora Theatre will perform a Broadway Musical with a full orchestra, “Camelot.”

“Camelot” is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. It is based on the King Arthur legend as adapted from the T. H. White novel “The Once and Future King.”

The original 1960 production, directed by Moss Hart and orchestrated by Robert Russell Bennett and Philip J. Lang, ran on Broadway for 873 performances, winning four Tony Awards and spawning several revivals, foreign productions, and the 1967 film Camelot.

The Broadway production will be followed by a dazzling fireworks display.

Snellville Tourism and Trade presents “Star-Spangled Snellville” Get your Fourth of July off to a good start with Snellville’s own Independence

Day Celebration at 3 p.m. on the Towne Green, 2342 Oak Road, Snellville. The entire family can enjoy plenty of games and live musical entertainment,

along with a large playground of inflatables, train rides and a space ball.The event will wind down with a fireworks display after sunset.Vendors from local restaurants will be on hand on the Towne Green or you can

bring your own picnic lunch. You can also compete for prizes in a cookie walk and hula hoop contests.

Bring your blankets and chairs for the music and fireworks show. For more information, visit www.SnellvilleTourism.com.

Fireworks at Lenox Square Mall Lenox Square Mall, 3393 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, will host live entertainment

and a fireworks show. For over half a century, Lenox Square has celebrated Independence Day

in grand tradition with patriotic activities for the entire family. This year’s activities will include “the Largest Fireworks Display in the Southeast,” musical entertainment and food concessions.

Musical entertainment begins at 6 p.m. with Gump Fiction, then at 7:30 p.m., Party on the Moon, takes the stage. Fireworks will begin at approximately 9:40 p.m.

For the comfort and enjoyment of all guests, Lenox Square management asks that attendees please refrain from bringing pets to the event.

Atlanta Library to show “Captain America” The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System’s Martin Luther King Jr. branch,

409 John Wesley Dobbs Ave., Atlanta, will kick off the Fourth of July weekend with a free movie, “Captain America: The First Avenger,” on Friday, July 3, 10 a.m. – noon.

“Captain America: The First Avenger” is a 2011 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character, Captain America, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film stars Chris Evans, Tommy Lee Jones, Hugo Weaving, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Dominic Cooper, Neal McDonough, Derek Luke, and Stanley Tucci.

Set predominantly during World War II, the film tells the story of “Steve Rogers,” a sickly man from Brooklyn who is transformed into super-soldier Captain America to aid in the war effort. Rogers must stop the “Red Skull,” Adolf Hitler’s ruthless head of weaponry and the leader of an organization that intends to use an artifact called the “Tesseract” as an energy-source for world domination.

Fourth of July fun in metro Atlanta

Parade, fireworks and a corn hole fun in Chamblee From 5 – 10 p.m., Keswick Park Soccer Field, 3469 Keswick Drive, Chamblee

will host a night of family fun to celebrate the Fourth of July. There will be live music, games and activities such as rock climbing, train

rides and bounce houses. Clowns will join in on the fun at the 5 p.m. Kids Bike Parade, which will begin at Chamblee Middle School and end at the park. Vendors will be on hand selling food.

Live performances start at 6 p.m. featuring the “Rockaholics” and Rupert’s Orchestra at 7 p.m. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m.

To register for the corn hole tournament, visit the city’s website at www.chambleega.com.

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GPTC hosts “Ride Your Motorcycle to Work Day” in

Clarkston

Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) hosted “Ride

Your Motorcycle to Work Day” for students and staff on Mon-day, June 15.

About a dozen GPTC motor-cyclists gathered on the portico for a photo shoot to mark their participation in the special day at the school.

“With the increasing em-phasis on sustainability, it is important to rely on means of transportation other than auto-mobiles,” said GPTC President Jabari Simama. “Motorcycles are a viable alternative.”

Georgia Piedmont’s motor-cycle service technology pro-gram is the original motorcycle repair training facility within the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). In 2013, Georgia Piedmont’s Motorcycle Service Technology Program was ranked among the nation’s “Top 30 Motorcycle Repair Schools,” according to the web-site www.BTO.com.

Over the years, students in GPTC’s Motorcycle Service Technology Program have won two gold and two bronze med-als in a national competition known as SkillsUSA. A group of Georgia Piedmont’s mo-

torcycle technology program students are currently the State Skills USA champions. Skill-sUSA is a national organization comprised of students, teachers and industry representatives working together to ensure America has a skilled work-force. It serves high school and college students who are pre-paring for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations.

“I ride a motorcycle to work almost every day, as do most of my students. Ride Your Motor-cycle to Work Day gives riders a powerful feeling of solidarity, knowing that like-minded peo-ple all over the country left their cars at home and rode to work on two wheels,” said Mike Sachs, a Motorcycle Service Technology Program instructor at Georgia Piedmont. “We’re saving a little gas, reducing our footprint, and having a blast as part of our daily routine.”

Upon graduation, GPTC’s motorcycle service technology students are prepared to become professional motorcycle tech-nicians, having studied how to repair American, Japanese and European motorcycles.

PAGE 8 •JUNE 27, 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

Joshua Smith/OCG NEWS

Stonecrest Library’s new manager loves making a difference through reading

By Joshua Smith

Stonecrest Library’s new branch manager, Steve DeJarnette, didn’t take

your average path to the library system. DeJarnette, 51, majored in criminal justice and worked in Atlanta’s prison system for about eight years before gaining an interest in working at the library.

“I worked in the prison system as a correctional counselor,” said DeJarnette who earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Florida A&M University. “After seeing so many guys in prison who had gone down the wrong path, I decided I needed a career that would allow me to reach our youths before it is too late.”

DeJarnette found himself pursuing and earning a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of South Florida to fulfill his passion of helping to make a difference in the lives of young people.

“I don’t just stock books and do inventory on our volumes, I’m always talking to our youths, making sure they go to school and checking up on their grades,” said DeJarnette, who oversees a staff of eight. “I just want to keep that interaction with them and do all I can do prevent them from going down the wrong path.”

This month marks DeJarenette’s sixth month on the job as the new branch manager at DeKalb County’s Stonecrest branch. DeJarnette was the branch manager at DeKalb’s Hairston-Crossing branch for about two years. Before that, he worked in

the Albany, Georgia Library System for five years. DeJarnette took over the Stonecrest branch in January when former manager Teresa Totten was promoted to program services coordinator for the DeKalb Public Library System.

DeJarnette, who is originally from Montgomery, Alabama, lives in Rockdale County with his wife, Diane. Married for 29 years, they met at their alma mater, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. They have four adult children.

“When I’m not at the library, enjoy tending to my yard. I mow the lawn about two times a week. I love making it look so green. I take pride in my yard,” said DeJarnette. “My wife will often come out and pat me on the

back to make sure I’m O.K. and will give me a nice, cold glass of lemonade.”

DeJarnette says he finds his work at the library extremely rewarding because he is always meeting people who have interesting talents to share with the library community.

“Just this week, I met a photographer who has pictures at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church when they hosted a birthday celebration for the late MLK just a year after his death,” said DeJarnette. “A couple of days ago, I met someone who is in the film industry and wants to offer free advice on lighting and shooting videos. These are just two potential community partners that I hope I can get to the library sooner rather than later to do exhibits and help us host programs.”

DeJarnette, who describes himself as a “non-fiction guy,” says he enjoys how-to books because he is interesting in learning. He says one of his main goals is to continue pushing the latest technology available at the library. He also encourages patrons to take advantage of the library’s free summer programs because they provide the opportunity for patrons to have fun while learning.

“When all the new technology first came on the scene many people thought it would mean the end of libraries. That may have been the case, if we hadn’t embraced it. We embraced it and these days, with just having a library card, you can use programs we offer from anywhere the internet is available. To download any audio book in our collection, you can use Georgia Download,” said DeJarnette. “We also have a program called Zinio. It allows you to view a wide range of online magazines. You can use both of these tools, even if you don’t have a library card. You can stop by and use these tools at the library.”

Some events coming up at the library DeJarnette is especially excited about include the Teen Cosplay Competition, an event offered annually at Atlanta’s Dragon Con where youths ages 10 – 17 can come to the Stonecrest branch dressed in their favorite costume to compete for prizes on July 25, 2 – 3:30 p.m., and the adult summer reading program, where adults and the young at heart can win a Kindle Fire, phone wallets, coolers to beat the summer heat and other items via raffles after completing library activities.

For more information on the library and the programs being offered at the Stonecrest branch, call 770-482-3828 or visit www.dekalblibrary.org.

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/OCGNEWS JUNE 27,2015 • PAGE 9

DEKALB COUNTY GOVERNMENT Advertisement for Thursday, July 2, 2015 Sealed bids will be received in the Department of Purchasing and Contracting, The Maloof Center, 1300 Commerce Drive, 2nd Floor, Decatur, Georgia 30030, for the following until 3:00 P.M. on date(s) designated below: REQUEST FOR ITEM CLOSING DATE SOLICITATION NO. 15-100531 Repair Parts for Water Lines (Annual Contract with 2 Options to Renew) July 16, 2015

15-500354 Street-Level Imagery Project Phase I (3 Year Multi-Year Contract) July 29, 2015

15-100534 Small Domestic Brass Fittings and Gate Valves (Annual Contract with 2 July 28, 2015

Options to Renew)

             Specifications and other details will be available in the Purchasing and Contracting Department, The Maloof Center, 2nd Floor, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, Georgia 30030. For additional information, please view the DeKalb County Website at: http://www.dekalbcountyga.gov/purchasing/index.html DeKalb County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids or any part thereof, to waive any technicalities, and to re-advertise.

By: Scott M. Callan, CPSM, Chief Procurement Officer DeKalb County Department of Purchasing and Contracting  

 

Registration for Clergy academy underway

The Gwinnett County Police De-partment for the first time is offering a Clergy Academy. which will start Aug. 17. The program, similar to the Citizens Academy, will teach clergy the ins and outs of the department.

The mission of the new academy is to create and develop a growing nucleus of responsible, well-informed clergy members who want to learn more about their police department, said Corporal John Rowell, one of the instructors.

The sessions will be held on Mondays, Aug. 17 – Sept. 21 (with no class Sept. 7 in observance of Labor Day), from 12 – 5 p.m.

Corporal Michelle Pihera, public information officer for the depart-ment, says clergy of all faiths are welcome to learn about what police

officers do to make the county a safer place to live, work and play.

“You’re talking about nine weeks of unique training both in and outside the classroom, as well as practical application of things they learn,” said Pihera, who formerly served as an academy instructor. “The academy usually draws about 20–40 people and we hope to see the same results with the members of the clergy. We enjoy the academy because it allows us to be transparent with the community when it comes to training and other elements of the department.”

The deadline for clergy to apply for the academy is Aug. 3. For more information, email policevolunteers@gwinnettcounty.com

against this type of thing,” said Deborah Anderson, who handles the Rockdale NAACP’s publicity.

The KKK has recruited in Rockdale in the past. Since at least 2013, the KKK has distributed recruit-ment fliers in Rockdale. At least six different fliers were found with messages such as “Save Our Land, Join the Klan,” “The KKK Wants You” and “Come Together as White, Bring Our Country Back Right.” At least three residents in the Cedar Lake subdivision contacted the Sheriff’s Office about the fliers, said Cpl. Michael Camp.

Information on the fliers point to a KKK chapter

based in Pelham, North Carolina, though Sheriff Le-vett said he believes the group has ties to Georgia.

Rockdale resident Elaina Brignac took a cellphone picture of one of the fliers in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Dogwood Drive in Conyers.

“I think the Charleston shooting was the O.K. for the KKK to rise up again. I’m sure they have members among us but just don’t wear the traditional attire they wore in the past,” Brignac said.

Community activist Josie Dean said it is no co-incidence the fliers surfaced in Rockdale, where the black population grew by 230 percent between 2000

and 2013, according to U.S. Census report. Of Rock-dale’s 85,215 residents, 39,559 (46 percent) are black.

“The Charleston shooting was the event they needed to feel like they need to rise up. They are tar-geting Rockdale because they feel black people have taken over and they want to see who is out there in the county who shares their views,” said Dean. “We are not afraid and we will continue to stand up against them.”

Fliers continued from page 1

industrial area, but we’re already inundated with detrimental facilities in that area. We’re not against development. We’re just against this kind of development.”

CHASE president Renee Cail said African-American communities bear the brunt of environmental waste, and CHASE plans to vigorously fight to stop the asphalt plant the same as it did Green Energy Partners, which planned to build a facility in unincorporated Lithonia to convert wood chips and yard waste into elec-tricity to sell to Georgia Power.

“A lot of people don’t realize how dangerous an asphalt plant is. The fumes from the chemicals they use to make asphalt impacts the quality of air that we breathe. It can be dangerous to the people who work there as well as people who live in communities near these plants,” Cail said. “These types of places are always in African-American communities and what they see as low-income or uneducated communities. We’re going to make sure we do our research and we are going to fight it.”

Cail said CHASE was very disappointed that the District 5 Community Coun-cil deferred making a recommendation on the asphalt plant at the council’s June 15 meeting, rather than voting it down.

“It doesn’t appear that they’re addressing health or environmental issues. It’s almost as if nobody takes into consideration what the residents go through,” Cail said.

George Turner, who chairs the District 5 Community Council and who is in a runoff with Mereda Davis Johnson for the District 5 Board of Commissioners seat, said the council wanted to give the asphalt company more time to meet with the community and discuss the proposal in depth.

“They only had about 15 minutes and we just felt it was best to defer the issue,” said Turner. “In all fairness to everyone, we need to have a full presentation and we need to allow the community to get their questions answered. I understand where the community is coming from. I wouldn’t want to live next door to an asphalt plant either, but if we say no, let’s at least have a good reason for rejecting the proposal.”

Turner said he also wanted to defer the application to gain more insight from county personnel regarding the zoning for the area where the asphalt facility is proposed.

Turner said he plans to attend the upcoming meeting scheduled with the coun-ty’s Planning Department, CHASE and H.E.H. Paving.

CHASE plans to invite Turner and Mereda Johnson to its July meeting to dis-cuss their platforms for the District 5 commission race including where they stand on the issue of the asphalt company’s proposal.

The asphalt company’s officials, Hobson Milner and Ralph Defares, said in their application zoning the facility, which would be located on 11 acres, would operate Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The perimeter of the property will be “heavily vegetated to noise and visual impact.” In the company’s notice to the community, it said the plant would employ 45 people, however, the company’s zoning application states five people will be employed.

“They have provided very vague, conflicting information on this proposal. We’re going to be looking very closely at all of these things,” Mangham said.

CHASE continued from page 1

PAGE 10 • JUNE 27 2015 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

John BellSteve Slifer William Baker

L-R: TC Cooper, Lolita Morrison, Faith Bristow, Pamela Lane and Sadie Kirkendoll

TO CONTACT USBY PHONE: 678-526-1910BY FAX: 678-526-1909BY E-MAIL: EDITOR@OCGNEWS.COMVISIT ONLINE: WWW.OCGNEWS.COM

People Movers & Shakers in the Community

Joel Baker appointed Atlanta’s fire rescue chief

Mayor Kasim Reed has appointed Joel Baker chief of the Atlanta

Fire Rescue Department. Prior to Mayor Reed’s announcement, Bak-er served as interim fire chief.

“I am proud to name Joel Baker as chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department,” said Reed. “Chief Baker has served the Department with honor and distinction. I am confident in Chief Baker’s leader-ship, his steadfast commitment to his firefighters and staff, and his high standard of excellence for one of the nation’s leading fire depart-ments.”

As interim chief, Baker led the effort to ensure the Department maintained its ISO Class 1 rating and international accreditation by

the Center for Public Safety Excel-lence. The City of Atlanta is one of 19 municipalities with both certifi-cations. The city has 35 fire sta-tions and more than 1,000 employ-ees, sworn and civilians, serving an area of 132 square miles.

“I want to thank Mayor Reed for his confidence and faith in me. It is an honor to be named Chief of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Depart-ment, and it is particularly mean-ingful to be chosen for this role after serving the City of Atlanta for more than 20 years,” said Baker. “I pledge my commitment to Mayor Reed and to the women and men of AFRD, and I will work every day to meet the expectations of the stakeholders and residents of the City of Atlanta.”

Baker holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science Technology, a Bachelor’s of Science in Human Resources and Policy Studies from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, a Master’s of Public Administration Degree in Justice Administration from Columbus State University and is currently working toward his Doctorate of Education in Leader-ship at Creighton University.

Joel Baker

GPTC’s HR team receives Commissioner’s Award

Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s Human Resources

five-member team was recently awarded the “Commissioner’s Recognition Award” by the Georgia Department of Adminis-trative Services (DOAS).

“We congratulate Director of Human Resources Lolita Mor-rison, along with her team, for receiving this award based on their performance in the fiscal year 2015 human resources au-dit,” said GPTC President Jabari

Simama. “This accomplishment is a good demonstration of one of our strategic goals: manage-ment excellence.”

The technical college was randomly selected to participate in the audit. GPTC exhibited practices that were identified as models other entities in the state should replicate. The purpose of the audit is to support Geor-gia organizations in their efforts to build and retain a qualified workforce.

Westside Future Fund names Quince Brinkley executive director

The Board of Directors of Atlanta’s West-side Future Fund (WFF) has appointed Quince T. Brinkley, Jr. as executive

director of the organization.“The WFF is dedicated to help revitalize the

Westside with jobs, housing and education for thou-sands of area residents, and Quince is the executive director we need to lead us,” said Richard J. Dugas, Jr., chairman of the WFF and CEO of PulteGroup, Inc. “His skill set and values are perfect for our endeavor. He is a proven leader in community development, community outreach, housing finance and the use of public/private partnerships.

The WFF was created in 2014 by the Atlanta Committee for Progress and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to work with the city of Atlanta, community

partners, non-profits, foundations and corporations to reinvigorate community growth in Westside com-munities. The board is made up of a distinguished list of business, public servants and political leaders in the region.

“Quince is an outstanding choice to lead the revitalization of the Westside, and the city is here to serve as a strong partner as we transform West Atlanta,” said Mayor Reed. “His experience in community development, housing, and finance combined with his education and work experience right here in Atlanta make him ideal for this role.”

Brinkley will assume his new duties on July 13. He most recently served as vice president of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and has almost two decades of experience helping to improve the lives of residents in low-income communities, including in Atlanta.

“I look forward to working in Atlanta with my family to do the work I love most: Improv-ing lives and creating opportunities in struggling communities similar to where I grew up in the West Englewood area of Chicago,” Brinkley said. “The task ahead for the WFF will be challenging. But at the end of the day, I want to ensure that it will be considered a success by those who matter the most – the individuals and families who live there.”

The WFF will work to fight the concentrat-ed poverty found on the Westside of Atlanta, and

focus its efforts on jobs, public safety, healthcare, housing and education. Neighborhoods targeted include: Vine City, English Avenue, Castleberry Hill, Ashview Heights and the Atlanta University Center area.

tlanta’s Westside Future Fund Names Quince Brinkley Executive Director.

The Board of Directors of the Westside Future Fund (WFF) has appointed Quince T. Brinkley, Jr., as executive director of the organization.

“The WFF is dedicated to help revitalize the Westside with jobs, housing and education for thou-sands of area residents, and Quince is the executive director we need to lead us,” said Richard J. Dugas, Jr., chairman of the WFF and CEO of PulteGroup, Inc. “His skill set and values are perfect for our endeavor. He is a proven leader in community development, community outreach, housing finance and the use of public/private partnerships.

The WFF was created in late 2014 by the Atlanta Committee for Progress (ACP) and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed to work with the city of Atlanta, community partners, non-profits, foundations and corporations to reinvigorate community growth in Westside communities. The Board is made up of a distinguished list of business, public servants and political leaders in the region.

“Quince is an outstanding choice to lead the revitalization of the Westside, and the city is here

to serve as a strong partner as we transform West Atlanta,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. “His experience in community development, housing, and finance combined with his education and work experience right here in Atlanta make him ideal for this role.”

Brinkley will assume his new duties on July 13. He most recently served as Vice President of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and has almost two decades of experience helping to improve the lives of residents in low-income communities, including in Atlanta.

“I look forward to working in Atlanta with my family to do the work I love most: Improv-ing lives and creating opportunities in struggling communities similar to where I grew up in the West Englewood area of Chicago,” Brinkley said. “The task ahead for the WFF will be challenging. But at the end of the day, I want to ensure that it will be considered a success by those who matter the most – the individuals and families who live there.”

The WFF will work to fight the concentrat-ed poverty found on the Westside of Atlanta, and focus its efforts on jobs, public safety, healthcare, housing and education. Neighborhoods targeted include: Vine City, English Avenue, Castleberry Hill, Ashview Heights and the Atlanta University Center area.

Quince Brinkley

Perimeter CID announces Board of Directors appointments

The Perimeter Community Improvement Districts have announced new board

appointments to the Fulton County Community Improvement District and Central DeKalb Community Improvement District. Steve Slifer, vice president corporate real estate at United Parcel Service, and John Bell, regional senior vice president of Regent Partners, have been appointed to the Fulton County CID. In addition,

William Baker, General Growth Properties, joins the Central DeKalb CID. The Perimeter Community Improvement Districts (PCIDs) comprise both, the Central DeKalb and Fulton Perimeter CID. The two self-taxing districts, operating as one entity, to fund needed transportation and infrastructure improvements that enhance mobility and improve quality of life across the region.

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