Chronicle Profile
Jones Is Jus
By AUDREY L. WILLIAMS
Staff Writer
In August 1971, Davida Jones was the most
envied 13-year-old girl in her hometown of
Savannah, Ga.
Unlike many admiring fans who seek the
gratification of an autograph or a lock of hair,
Jones took a different approach and decided
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teen idols, the Jackson Five - and she did,
which made most of the other little girls in her
: town jealous.
"I got the bug at thirteen," says Jones. "It
J. started out as a gimmick between me and my
J girlfriend, who wanted to interview the
Osmonds. I wrote a letter to the Savannah Morning
News saying I wanted to interview the
Jackson Five from a fan's point of view. They
U bought the idea immediately."
So when the famed brothers came to town
for a concert, Jones says she armed herself with
f pen and pad, as well as her albums for the
"usual autographs," and had her first story
^ published in a daily newspaper at 13 years old.
.* The motivation Jones showed 12 years ago
* launched her career as a broadcast journalist.
, Today, she is one of the most respected TV
R journalists in the Triad as WFMY-TV's
ff Winston-Salem beat reporter.
However, Jones' coverage of Winston-Salem
is relatively new. She is more often identified as
lr Channel 2's "Nightside" reporter, the beat she
covered for a year and a half.
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Airman 1st <
Miss North Carolina 7
The 1984 Miss North Carolina USA Pageant
Carolina Teen USA The contestants of
Pageant, previously teen pageant will be sp
scheduled for this month, guests of the live stage s
will be held the same and state-wide telecas
weekend as the Miss North the Miss North Can
Carolina USA Pageant on USA Pageant Jan. 14.
January 14 and 15 at the
Winston-Salem Hilton. On Sunday, Jan. 15
reigning Miss N<
?Due to the conflicts of Carolina Teen USA, J
scheduling a pageant during Freeman, will crown
the holiday season, the deci- successor, whci^wTlf gej
sion to reschedule will allow compete in the natio
for more contestants in televised two-hour
January and include the Teen USA Pageant t
teen contestants in the ac- held in the Spring of 1
tivities of the Miss North Along with special
I ^
A United Way Agency
t A 'Down-Ho
"People identify me with the snow and al
the elements," says Jones as she takes a minutt
to laugh at some of her experiences. "Yoi
wouldn't believe how bent out of shape peopU
get when they would see me in flood water 01
walking on ice.
"They see me at Burger King and all the nor
mal places," she says. "The older women lool
at me like a daughter, while the younger one
look at me like a sister, and they really teel to
me out there in the cold.
"1 get more calls in the winter because peopl
can't stand to see me out in the air,'* Jone
says. "But once people in the Triad accept you
"I'm just an everyday, down-home gir
from Savannah, Ga.t who's trying t<
sell ability, not appearance."
? Davida Jone
they care about you because they consider it
as the girl next door."
Growing up in Savannah and reared by ca
ing parents who chided her with love and ei
couragement, Jones was the kid on the bloc
who usually did what others only dreamed <
doing.
She was the first black editor-in-chief
Windsor High School, the first black stude
government president, the first bla<
sophomore class president and one of the fii
black cheerleaders at the school.
"I pushed tor these^ihings," Jonesnsays.^
M* '
Class Byron C. Penn
A, .
een Pageant Rescha
for all contestants, Miss talent is re<
the North Carolina Teen USA the limitatio
ecial 1984 will receive $500 in plications \*
how cash, jewelry valued at immediately
t of $2,000, a fur coat, an all ex- will be acce
3lina pense paid trip to the 1984 date of the |
Miss Teen USA Pageant, a
competition gown, a For free
, the custom-designed state tion, send i
Drth costume to represent North your nan
fanet Carolina in the national telephone n
her- pageant and much more.
ap to The search continues for Carolina T
nally young women to compete in tional Hea
Miss the pageant. Air Intere!
o be Single women between N.E. 149th
984. the ages of 15-18 may 33181, o
gifts qualify. No performing 944-3268.
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me Girl'
I was motivated by people who said 1 couldn't
i have them."
i After high school, a determined Jones
: entered the University of Georgia in Athens,
r where she majored in broadcast news. And
again, Jones knocked down barriers.
"I did my internship in Atlanta for public
k televison as a legislative reporter," she says,
s "You really had to be respected by the pror
fessors to get that internship, but by that time 1
was used to being first."
e Like many college graduates with a degree in
5 a not-so-sound profession, Jones says she was
i, worried about her future, which she says look_
ed bleak for a tearful six weeks until she landed
, a job in Birmingham, Ala.
"Believe me, there was nothing but hard
0 news in Birmingham and it was indeed a baptism
by the wolves," Jones says. "I had to learn
5 how to be aggressive the first day, and because
? it was such a large and vicious market, I didn't
ie (have time to) get a strong writing
background.
r- But Jones, 25, says she's thankful to Channel
2 and anchorman Bill Kopald for helping her
;k smooth her rough spots.
3f "I consider Kopald, Rick Amme and Denise
Franklin real journalists, despite what some
at people may say about them just being there to
nt look good," says Jones. "Kopald really helped
:k me, and for some reason, I can take a lot of
st criticism from him. '
"Unfortunately, there are a lot of people on
1 * 1 Ptease see page A 9
Penn Is
Awarded IS
I Airman First Class Byron II
I C. Penn distinguished I
himself by meritorious ser- II
vice in Publications . and
I Forms Distribution Clerk,
Base Administration, 8th
Tactical Fighter Wing,
Kunson Air Base, Republic
of Korea, from June 16,
1982 to June 10, 1983.
During this period, Airman
Penn's superior pro- II
I fessional skill, job II
I knowledge and dedication 11
contributed in providing
outstanding publishing and "? ?
requisitioning and distribu- m""
tion support to all units and
to the training effectiveness I
and ultimate success of the
8th Tactical Fighter Wing.
The distinctive ac- I
complishments of Airman I
Penn reflect credit upon
himself and the United I
States Air Force. I ^
Airman Penn is the son [
www of Mrs. Annie Mickle Penn
aUlea of Winston-Salem and the
late Harold Penn Sr.
quired Due to He is presently serving at
ins of time, ap- the Air Force Academy in
11 i * i PftlrtroXn Cnrinoc Palif
Ill DC itt'tcpicu V.VIWIBUW upi iKgai ??? ?
and candidates
pted up to the QLAU7 From
pageant. *3llOW Page A6 _
entry informa- Force are Marcella Oglesby,
i postcard with Clifton Graves, Florence
tie, address, Corpening, Johnetta
umber and bir- Huntley, Rhonda Cov- st
Miss?North?ington Dr. Mvrna
een USA Na- Williams, Earline Parmon,
idquarters, Tel Willard Coker and Curtis j
its Inc., 1755 Canty. FT"""
St., Miami, Fla. For ticket information I i
r call (305) call 725-2090, 727-8100 or \\
722-0918.
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( km/ Fortyth County I ?
YMCA I 1
TRAL Y> 722-1163 I a
ORSYTH Y? 996-2231
ON AVENUE* 724-920S
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Davlda Jones: She's always doing what others dream of
(photo by James Parker).
V
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