Newspaper Page Text
Page 8A
LOCAL
The Champion, Thursday, June 25 - July 1, 2015
Coffee and jobs
Nonprofit offers jobs and training to resettled refugees
by Justin Beaudrot
Refuge Coffee Company
is a newly established 501c3
nonprofit organization that
offers jobs and job training
for resettled refugees living
in Clarkston.
Founder Kitti Murray
came up with the idea for a
coffee shop after speaking
with neighbors, and real
ized it could fill the need
for a central place where the
community could relax and
enjoy coffee.
Murray formed a team
and worked to develop a
plan to meet this goal with
the knowledge of Clarkston’s
large resettled refugee com
munity and unemployment
rate in mind, Refuge Coffee
was developed.
Currently, the nonprofit
is operating as a coffee truck
with two refugees hired and
working. The decision to
begin Refuge Coffee as a
truck came from the idea
to start small. This also en
ables them to attend various
events around the county
and in Atlanta.
Jessica Darnell, direc
tor of relations and training,
is in charge of carrying out
refugee job training using a
job-training curriculum sup
plied by Raleigh-based non
profit Jobs for Life. This in
cludes a weekly class that as
sists resettled refugees with
cultural adjustments geared
toward good interview prac
tices, financial planning and
more.
Eleni Tsegu, a resettled
refugee from Ethiopia, said
she enjoys working with Ref
uge Coffee and meeting new
people.
“I went to the interview.
... The board of Refuge Cof
fee Co. said I passed the in
terview, and then I was very
happy,” Leon Shombana, a
resettled refugee from the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo, said. “I feel at home
[here].”
Both Tsegu and Shom
bana are participating in
the Jobs for Life job train
ing. Refuge Coffee plans to
expand its hours and opera
tions in the coming months.
Murray also mentioned
plans to be open 8 a.m. to
2 p.m. Saturday, June 20,
at the corner of East Ponce
de Leon Avenue and Mar
ket Street in Clarkston for
World Refugee Day.
From left, Jessica Darnell, Kitti Murray, Leon Shombana, Eleni Tsegu and
Caleb Goodrum are part of Refuge Coffee in Clarkston.
Refuge Coffee is currently operating as a coffee truck to start small.
Photos by Justin Beaudrot
Brookhaven appoints interim city attorney
by Carla Parker
carla@dekalbchamp.com
Chris Balch of Balch
Law Group in Atlanta was
named Brookhaven’s interim
city attorney June 19 after a
3-2 vote by the city council.
Mayor Rebecca Chase-
Williams said Balch was
recommended to her by
Susan Moore, chief council
of the Georgia Municipal
Association and by other at
torneys.
“I think it is an advan
tage that Mr. Balch has no
affiliation to me or any
council members,” Chase-
Williams said. “He was un
known to all of us, except
maybe in passing through
legal circles with [Council-
woman] Linley [Jones].
He’s not a friend, he’s not a
buddy.
“I think he [has] the
sturdy, moral compass to
help us restore the trust in
the city,” she added. “He has
a tremendous knowledge
of the law and his experi
ence as a city and a county
attorney provides the solid
background that I think we
need.”
Jones also said Balch is
what the city needs.
“He is a rare find and we
were lucky to find him on
short notice, but with the
help of the Georgia Munici
pal Association,” Jones said.
“I believe, most importantly,
that Mr. Balch has a strong
foundation in ethics that
has been revealed time and
time again throughout his
lengthy legal career.”
Councilmembers Bates
Mattison and John Park
voted against the nomina
tion. Mattison said the
council had not had a
chance to talk with Balch
nor view his resume.
“I only got your resume
yesterday afternoon,” Mat
tison said to Balch. “We
created this crisis. I do not
believe it’s in the best inter
est of the city of Brookhaven
to move so quickly on some
thing so important.”
Mattison proposed that
the council should approve
Balch’s contract for 30 days
so they could have time to
review other candidates for
the position. However, Mat-
tison’s motion was denied.
Balch said he hopes he
can earn the confidence of
those “who wanted to take
longer to decide whether I’m
the right choice or not.
“I certainly understand
the desire to have more
time, but I will always give
my best advice and my best
analysis,” Balch said.
Balch is replacing Tom
Kurrie, who resigned June
16 in the wake of reports
of his involvement in an
alleged cover-up of a city
employee’s claim of sexual
harassment against former
See Brookhaven on page 18A
THE DEKALB COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, DOES HEREBY ANNOUNCE THAT THE MILLAGE RATE WILL BE SET AT A MEETING
TO BE HELD AT THE MANUEL J. MALOOF CENTER AUDITORIUM, 1300 COMMERCE DRIVE, DECATUR, GEORGIA 30030 ON JULY 14, 2015
10:00 A.M. AND PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF O.C.G.A. 48-5-32 DOES HEREBY PUBLISH THE FOLLOWING PRESENTATION
OF THE CURRENT YEAR'S TAX DIGEST AND PROPOSED MILLAGE RATES ALONG WITH THE HISTORY OF THE TAX DIGEST AND LEVY OF
THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
CURRENT 2015 TAX DIGEST AND FIVE YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Real & Personal
24,410,744,814
21,399,133,588
19,286,135,214
19,237,343,834
20,940,598,158
23,478,083,009
Motor Vehicle
1,346,683,110
1,317,170,660
1,362,176,640
1,468,928,740
1,231,387,800
851,329,130
Mobile Homes
656,584
510,171
440,056
396,572
355,333
358,733
Timber -100%
0
0
0
0
0
0
Heavy Duty Equipment
65,347
82,712
77,829
34,308
57,864
2,208
Gross Digest
25,758,149,855
22,716,897,131
21,017,441,547
21,086,933,073
22,545,529,410
24,727,109,931
Less M&O Exemptions
2,030,793,744
1,919,082,084
2,090,546,483
2,061,365,888
2,345,016,850
2,851,144,144
Net M&O Digest
23,727,356,111
20,797,815,047
18,926,895,064
19,025,567,185
20,200,512,560
21,875,965,787
Gross M&O Millage (1)
8.96
10.31
11.37
11.51
9.02
11.28
Net Tax Levy (2)
212,597,111
214,425,473
215,198,797
218,984,278
182,208,623
246,760,894
Net Tax Increase ($)
(6,834,053)
1,828,362
773,324
3,785,481
(36,775,655)
64,552,271
Net Tax Increase (%)
-3.11%
0.86%
0.36%
1.76%
-16.79%
35.43%
(1) Countywide taxes only; no Special Services, Fire and Police Services or bonds in accordance with OCGA 48-5-32/32.1.
(2) Net tax levies for 2010-2015 are prior to the Homestead Option Sales Tax Exemption and the GA Homeowners Tax Relief Grant.