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LIFESTYLE FEATURE: SUMMER FUN GUISE TU HUME: Local parks are great venues for making summer memories 6B
CHAMPION
1ST PLACE
General Excellence
award Winner
Georgia Press Association
'Better Newspaper Contest’
2007, 2009-2017
SECTION A: VOL. 28 *Nl
The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain.
THURSDAY, JULY 19-25,2018
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THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM
DeKalb
school
THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM
police back-to-
drive a knockout
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Opinion ...
Education
Sports
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BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
DeKalb County Police Detective Khary
Ricketts said he’s passionate about helping
DeKalb’s youth stay out of trouble.
On July 14, Ricketts, who participated
in a Police Athletic League as a child, used
that passion to bring a different approach to
keeping children out of harm’s way.
Ricketts, DeKalb County Police Athletic
League Plus, Sugar Bert Promotions, Paul
Murphy Boxing Club and Sweet Science
Fitness and Boxing Club hosted a back-to-
school amateur boxing event at Exchange
Park Recreation Center in Decatur.
According to DeKalb police officials, the
goal of the event was to introduce DeKalb
County youth to the sport of boxing through
local gyms and programs.
Despite being a physical contact sport,
Ricketts said boxing is a great option for
some of DeKalb’s youth.
“It teaches discipline, even through
aggression. It’s a great way to let off steam,”
Ricketts said.
More than 70 boxers registered to
compete in the event and DeKalb County
Police officers provided school supplies to
students.
“This is for the kids,” Ricketts said. “We
want to educate and bring something new to
DeKalb. This is about saving lives. If we’re in
a position to be mentors and develop those
relationships between the kids we encounter
consistently, that’s our goal. It’s about
bridging the gap.”
The event featured boxers of various age
groups. Police officials said they wanted
DeKalb children to get an opportunity to
view a boxing event up close.
Bert Wells, also known as Sugar Bert
with Sugar Bert Promotions, lives in
Clarkston and has a gym based in Doraville.
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SEE KNOCKOUT ON PAGE 9
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YOUNG CHEFS
TO COMPETE
IN SALSA
COMPETITION
BY CARLA PARKER
carla@dekalbchamp.com
Young chefs from nearly 20 Boys &
Girls Clubs in metro Atlanta participated
in the club’s 2018 Salsa, Salsa
competition July 18 at Piedmont Park.
Salsa, Salsa is a celebration of Boys
& Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta cooking
and gardening programs and a way of
showing children the importance of
good health, club officials said. Officials
said Georgia has seen youth obesity rates
decline in recent years, but the state still
reports the third highest prevalence of
overweight children in the country.
Greg Lafortune, a health educator
at HealthMPowers, assisted students at
Samuel L. Jones Boys & Girls Club in
Decatur and East DeKalb Boys & Girls
Club in Lithonia with the salsa recipes
before the competition. Lafortune said it
is important for children to know how to
prepare health meals.
“That’s why [HealthMPowers]
come out and teaches the kids the
importance of physical activity as well
as healthy eating because if they don’t
adopt some of the methods of eating
healthy and staying active, we’re going
to see problems in the future,” he
said. “Especially when it comes to our
community. There are a lot of places
where there [is] not a lot of education
going out. These kids are the future
and if they’re not cognizant of how to
keep their bodies healthy and how to
make healthy meals, they could get sick
tomorrow and won’t be able to take care
of their future families.”
Among the competitors are cousins
12-year-old Sharrod Burns, 10-year-old
Summer Burns and 11-year-old Nadia
Dixon. The cousins attend Samuel
L. Jones Boys & Girls Club and will
represent the club in the competition.
They said their salsa is good and they
are confident they could win the
competition.
“In my opinion, I think the flavor will
help us win,” said Sharrod, a student at
McNair Middle School.
“I think it’s going to be a little sour
SEE SALSA ON PAGE 9