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LOCAL
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CHAMPION
April 21 - 27, 2016 » Page 4A
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While in college, Jihad AM saw
the positive effect that giving back
had on others and on him.
“When I was a student athlete
at Georgia State we did a lot
of mentoring and community
service,” AN said. “That’s when
I really got a passion for it...
like ‘wow, I’m really making a
difference, putting a smile on
people’s faces and things like
that.”
AN, 26, who was a captain
on the Georgia State University
basketball team, wanted to
continue volunteering in the
community after college, so
he joined the Emerging 100 of
Atlanta. Emerging 100, the young
professional auxiliary of 100 Black
Men of Atlanta Inc. is composed
of men ages 25-35 who serve the
Atlanta community.
“We do a lot of volunteering,
a lot of mentoring at B.E.S.T.
Academy in southwest Atlanta,” AN
said. “We do a lot of giving back
whether it’s Comcast Cares Day...
whether is planting or painting at
a school or something like that.
Giving back is really important.”
He also volunteers at events
that his friends host that focus on
giving back to the community.
“I definitely try to pitch in,” he
said.
AN, a Decatur native and
M.L. King Jr. High School alum,
said giving back is important to
him because he was raised in a
community that gave to him and
other youth.
“Someone else did it before
me and it’s always good to pay
it forward for the next generation
so that they can see you doing
things and feel that sense of
community and want to give back
when they get older or even when
they’re young,” he said. “I think...
our purpose in life is to give back
and make things better than [they
were] when you found it.”
AN said he believes everyone
should do something to make the
community better.
“I think it goes a long way and
you’ll definitely find happiness
when giving back to others,” he
said.
Jihad AM
Dunwoody OKs $129K in
pedestrian improvements
by R. Scott Belzer
sbelzer@dekalbchamp.com
Dunwoody city officials
moved forward on April 11
with a project to improve
pedestrian travel.
The city council of
Dunwoody approved a
request for proposal for the
design of a “multiuse path
between Peeler Road and
Dunwoody Club Road,”
along Winters Chapel Road
in March, according to city
documents.
The city commissioned
a study titled “Peachtree
Corners - Dunwoody Winters
Chapel Road Area Study” with
its neighboring community of
Peachtree Corners in April
2015. The study outlined
various improvements for the
corridor along Winters Chapel
Road; some of which are
already under construction.
The proposal, according
to a memorandum prepared
by Capital Projects Manager
Mindy Sanders, includes a
multiuse path from Peeler
Road in Dunwoody to
Dunwoody Club Drive, which
links Winters Chapel Road
to Happy Hollow Road. The
design of the path, which
runs along Winters Chapel,
will continue to Dunwoody’s
border with Sandy Springs.
The path will continue along
Winters Chapel until it hits
Spalding Drive.
“In addition, the design
will include restriping plans
for several areas along this
section of Winters Chapel
Road,” reads the city’s
memorandum.
The design team selected
for the project, Sprinkle
Consultants, will charge the
city $129,537 for the project,
which exceeds the $100,000
set aside by Dunwoody
officials in the 2016 budget.
The city will also authorize
an additional $15,000 in
contingency.
The project memorandum
also states the project will
“use excess funds from other
sidewalk projects as they are
available and will request
additional funding through a
future budget amendment for
any remaining shortfall.”
Sprinkle Consultants
was chosen over five other
companies with prices
ranging from $98,000 to
$286,500.
“Six qualified proposals
were received and reviewed
by staff from the city of
Dunwoody and the city of
Peachtree Corners,” reads
the city memorandum.
“Based on factors including
project understanding, scope,
schedule, experience, and
cost, Sprinkle Consulting
was identified as the highest
ranked firm for this project.”
Winters Chapel Road Pedestrian Improvements
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