Judge Oks Charter Schools

Local motorcyclists take to the streets. Page 1C LaGrangeWEEKEND Daily News $1.25 May 8-9, 2010 lagrangenews.com Saturday’s She looks forward to holidays in America with son weather Judge High 79 Low 43 OKs Mostly sunny charter schools Today’s artist: Dakota McCormick, fifth grade, Rosemont Elementary School. The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A judge ruled Community Friday that the Georgia Charter Schools Commission is constitu- Students may nomi- tional, issuing a blow to seven pub- nate their lic school systems posing the first favorite ever legal challenge to the state’s teacher charter school law. for the Fulton County Superior Court annual Judge Wendy Shoob ruled from Golden the bench against the systems, Apple award. which argued that the commission PAGE 3 is creating an independent school system prohibited by the state con- Robyn Miles / Daily News stitution. Shoob said state law Sports Ana Fernandez and son Joe Liranzo pause during an interview in Fernandez’s residence in allows for the creation of “special Whispering Pines Apartments. The 82-year-old mother of two has seen many things in her life, schools,” a definition that fits the including having family members killed by the Dominican Republic’s dictator Rafael Trujillo. charter schools approved by the state commission. “The General Assembly has pro- Woman reflects on life’s journey vided sufficient guidelines,” Shoob said in her ruling issued after she By Trey Wood girls (was) killed because they heard more than three hours of Staff writer pushed him up and said, ‘Do you arguments from attorneys. Ana Fernandez doesn’t have want to see what we did to Attorneys for the school systems your typical Mother’s Day story. them?’ And he said no,” said Joe said they likely will file an appeal In fact, there’s a good chance Liranzo, Fernandez’s youngest of the ruling. she could have missed this son and a resident of Hogans- “She’s just wrong,” said Mike weekend’s observance, held in ville. “According to my mom, my Bowers, a former state attorney honor of mothers everywhere. dad was supposed to be the driv- general who is representing Gwin- Born in the 1920s, 82-year-old er that day.” nett County schools in the case. Fernandez is a native of the Those three deaths set off a Gwinnett, the state’s largest Dominican Republic and lived chain reaction that would end school system, filed the lawsuit in there along with her family dur- with Trujillo’s assassination six September, and six other system ing the rule of Rafael Trujillo, months later. Nov. 25 was rec- have signed on since. described by some as one of the ognized by the United Nations The other districts are: Atlanta, The Callaway most tyrannical rulers of the in 1999 as the International Day DeKalb County, Bulloch County, Cavaliers split a pair of 20th century. for the Elimination of Violence Candler County, Henry County and state-tournament Three sisters worked to over- Against Women to commemo- Griffin-Spalding County. games on Friday. throw Trujillo – Patria Mercedes rate the day the three were mur- The systems were upset that the PAGE 1B commission approved charter peti- Mirabal, Maria Argentina Min- dered. In her youth, Ana Fernandez erva Mirabal and Antonia Maria “It’s so close that they knew tions they had turned down and spent time in the Dominican then moved state funding from the Teresa Mirabal, also known as each other,” Liranzo said. “They Opinion school system to the charter the Butterflies or las Mariposas. were in turmoil to fight the gov- Republic and later moved to schools’ coffers. Their parents were raised along- ernment, but fortunately my New York, where she became For systems like Gwinnett, that Pepper Ellis Hagebak side Fernandez’s father. In their mom left Dominican Republic in a seamstress making Broad- meant losing $850,000 in a year remembers picking culture, that made them all fam- 1957.” way costumes. when state funding for education out a Mother’s Day gift In a quiet voice and broken ily. “I worked in costumes,” she was slashed by hundreds of mil- is a child’s delight. English, Fernandez talked about PAGE 6 In 1960, Trujillo allegedly had said, using her wages to help her lions. the three killed for their politi- her life after the Dominican family and live herself, all the But charter school supporters Weekend cal activism. They were execut- Republic, flying into LaGuardia while trying to get another son say the ruling means the schools ed, along with their driver, after Airport in New York with a visa to the United States from the will get the funding they deserve Trivia meeting with their imprisoned in 1956 and a son on the way. Dominican Republic after she and desperately need. husbands. Their vehicle was She became a U.S. resident in had to leave with family mem- Tony Roberts, CEO of the Geor- driven off a mountain to make 1957 and worked for 45 years as bers. gia Charter Schools Association, their deaths look like an acci- a seamstress, making Halloween celebrated with supporters after the dent. costumes and clothing for MOM SEE , PAGE 2 judge’s ruling. “The driver for these three Broadway shows. “The school districts have proven they dislike the commission, but ‘Role of stay-at-home mom isn’t dull’ that does not make it illegal,” CHARTER By Becky Holland SEE PAGE 2 Lifestyle editor TV What relative knitted In the days of TV’s June Cleaver many of the sweaters and Marian Cunningham, stay-at- home moms were the norm. Now, Chase worn by Fred Rogers with advances in technology, the on the popular televi- wavering economic situation and sion show, ‘Mr. change in family status, a 100 per- Rogers’ Neighbor- ends in cent stay-at-home mom is less hood?” common. That is what Sheila Stanley Answer on page 2 Phillips of Hogansville is. ‘swamp’ ”Every mom’s role is a busy one, and we’re all different, and though INDEX From staff reports I chose to be at home with mine, it Two men are charged with mis- Business . .7 is my choice, and I respect those demeanors after leading police on a Calendar . 3 who can’t or don’t choose to be 100 short chase Friday night – that Classifieds 3B-5B percent at home. We all do impor- nearly ended in a swamp. Comics . 6C tant things,” she said. Officers said they saw a Lincoln Community . 3 Though her mother worked, Towncar at the Food Depot at 908 Crossword . 6C Phillips does remember both of Hogansville Road with a broken International . 8 her parents making the extra effort window. The driver stared at police Local ........4 to be a part of her everyday life. Sheila Phillips thinks being a wife and mother are the most impor- as the passed by – hard enough to National . 8,9,10 ”I remember my dad taking my tant roles in her life. From left are her children Evan, 4, Natalie, 2, raise their suspicions even more, Obituaries . 2 training wheels off of my bike, and Kyle, 14, and Zachary, 8. officers said. Opinion . 6 telling me he wasn’t going to put practicing with scissors. I am not When police turned around to School . .8C them back on, and I remember I Neighbors sure how that is going to work stop the car, the Oldsmobile took Sports . 1B,2B,6B that daring Summer day when I out,” she said. “I discovered the off through the intersection of State . 4,5 took the chance and rode by four children, ages 14, 8, 4 and 2. other day that my son had cut off Hogansville Road and Commerce TV Listings . 7C myself down the hill and how A typical day for the 34-year-old some of the hairs on his arm … so, Avenue before pulling onto the for- happy they both were for me … we begins at 6 a.m. when “I make sure mer Douglas-Lomason property, For home delivery yes, they are well-supervised. We shared that together, and that was everyone in the house is up and are doing lots of coloring, because which was recently razed. call (706) 882-5624 important. It was a connection,” after my husband is at work, I get they can do less destruction with The Oldsmobile traveled behind she said. all four kids ready. We have to crayons.” the site of the former building, Printed on 100% Phillips, who gave up a career in leave by 7 a.m. to take the oldest In play time, if the weather is intending to cut through to a resi- Recycled Paper banking, since has received “sev- two to school, and then we come good, Phillips takes the children dential neighborhood. The car was Vol 167 Issue 103 eral offers to go back into the back home for breakfast, maybe outside. stopped, however, by a large pond 24 Pages banking field, but I just said no. I an hour later.” “I grew up playing in the woods, on the property, formed by recent could have been a census worker. Borrowing from a friend’s day- making trails and forts, and they heavy rains. I think they are making, what $12 care schedule, Phillips plans the love it,” Phillips said. “Right now, Officers reported seeing “a big an hour? Right now, while we have day with her younger children to we have been doing a lot of sheet wave” of water before the driver the means and opportunity for me include art time, play time, meal to be at home, I am going to do it.” time and nap time.

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