Inside
Education Guide Winter 2013 PAGES 13 - 28
Roll call Riverwood capping students from other districts COMMUNITY 3
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Poker face Council members vocal, coy about 2013 election plans COMMUNITY 4
Party on Synagogue celebrates 125th anniversary FAITH 6
Street feet Group brings warmth, love to homeless MAKING A DIFFERENCE 8
Tough talk Gun control discussion needed now COMMENTARY 11
Unplain Jane Literary society reveres novelist Austen COMMUNITY 32
You’re excused DUI offenders get second chance PUBLIC SAFETY 35
PHIL MOSIER
Riverwood International Charter School coach Scot Waldrop, center, gets his junior varsity girls’ basketball team fired up as the Lady Raiders prepare to take on the Creekview High School Lady Grizzlies Jan. 4. The Lady Raiders eventually fell to their opponent 43-15. More photos on page 31.
Bidders have history of raising a racket BY DAN WHISENHUNT
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Fulton County legislators focusing on state issues BY DAN WHISENHUNT
danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net
danwhisenhunt@reporternewspapers.net
Operation Tennis Inc. in December filed a lawsuit to overturn the city of Sandy Springs’ decision to award a contract to a competitor. But disputing the contracts to run tennis centers may be as popular as the game itself, public records and newspaper reports show. In the past, disputes have arisen over contracts to run tennis centers in Sandy Springs and at Blackburn Park, a DeKalb County facility located in what is now the city of Brookhaven. Operation Tennis’ lawsuit alleges the winning bidder, Groslimond Tennis Services, gave the city “bogus” third-party evaluations of previous work. Some of the evaluations were written by people who appear to work for Groslimond. President Gery Groslimond denied those allegations. City At-
Members of Fulton County’s state legislative delegation said they are going into this year’s session with a big-picture agenda. Ethics, schools and transportation are among the broad range of topics they intend to tackle this year. The legislature convenes on Jan. 14. Rep. Ed Lindsey, R-Atlanta, is promoting his “parent trigger” bill that will make it easier for moms and dads to form charter schools, publically-funded schools that are more independent from the school district than traditional schools. While that’s the bill that’s generating the most discussion in light of controversies at the Atlanta and DeKalb public school districts, Lindsey said he wants to focus on water management
SEE BIDDERS, PAGE 34
SEE FULTON, PAGE 2