Page A6-The Chronicle, Thursday, December 22, 1983
people
Social Notes, Service News, Club News
Close-up
Multi-Talented Housewife Has ‘Little People’ Up For Adoption
By AUDREY L. WILLIAMS
Stuff Writer
There’s been a lot of hoopla about the not-so-
altractive pudgy little Cabbage Patch doll and Winston-
Salem resident Sandra Potter says there is no possible
way she would pay the price some are paying for this
season’s hottest gift item.
“1 wouldn’t pay that much for a doll,” says Potter.
“I’d rather give it to a church.”
The original handmade dolls of Xavier Roberts carry a
price tag of $125, but Potter, a housewife and mother of
six, has been making the “Little People” (the original
name of the dolls before they were mass produced by
Coleco ind., a toy company) since last year for a selling
price of $30 to $40.
Potter, a multi-talented housewife who has been sew
ing since high school, says her first interest in the dolls
came when she saw a little girl in her church with one of
Roberts’ original Little People. “I just thought her doll
was so cute,” she says.
Potter soon discovered the Xavier Roberts People Pals
doll pattern and began making them herself. She says
she’s gotten better since her first creation and she now
has enough material to make 31 dolls.
Her dolls are made from a polyester fabric called
“southern comfort,” the original material Roberts used.
“Before the dolls became popular,” says Potter, “you
could just go in the store and buy the material. With this
fabric, you can just throw the doll in the washer.
“Those dolls that everybody’s killing themselves over
to have are plastic-face dolls that Coleco is mass produc
ing,” she says. “If they (customers) realized the dif
ference, they probably wouldn’t buy them.”
Potter’s dolls may as well be the original dolls, with the
exception of Roberts’ own touch. The patterns were
designed by him and an assistant. Her dolls come with
belly buttons, birth certificates (made by Potter), toes
and the puckered faces, the same as Roberts’ dolls, and
she u.ses real baby clothes to dress them.
Her dolls can be purchased at Charles Department
Store and she says the black dolls have gone over well
COMMUNITY
CALENDAR
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23
•The Pacesetler’,s Travel Club is sponsoring a
Christinas dance from 9 p.m. until 1 a.m, at Roots
Night Club on Liberty Street.
•John Bennes, who u,se,s the stage name James
Reard, will present the 10th holiday reading of
Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at 8 p.m. at
Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 24
•The Winston-Salem Jaycee Women will join
Jaycec Women Chapters across the nation in lighting
candles of remembrance for those who died in
Lebanon and of hope for peace in the year to come.
The chapter is asking all local residents to place
lighted candles in their windows tonight.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 26
•Ihc Get Together Club of Kernersville and
Walkertown will have its annual dinner program and
gift exchange at 2 p.m. at the home of Maxine
Johirson.
WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 28
•An adult fitness class will be held at Belview
Recreation Center from 10 a.m. to noon. For more
information, call Al Jones or Sharon Isaiah at
78i7381.
•Adult ceramics clas.ses for ages 19 and over will be
held al Belview Recreation Center from 9:30 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. Call Al Jones or Sharon Isaiah at
788-7381 for more information.
PUBLIC SERVICE AN
NOUNCEMENTS
• riu' W'insion-Salcm Stale University Department
of Mu.sic will prc.scni a C'ommunity Music Program
foi agc.s nine (o adult in January. Insiruciion w'il! be
gi\cn in piano, hey inning and intermediate levels,
musicianship and handbell ringing. Call Dr. Faustina
Holman al '^61-2P)1 foi additional information.
the ('h/onn'/e wvlcofnes Community Calendar
noth t s AnnoufU'vmcnts should be concise and
tvpeJ n; neatly printed. I hey should include the
da'.. tithe, ptaev and sponsors of the event, plus a
nuitf^'et to call for additional information. An-
tu> ' tnen!'^ should he addressed to the Winston-
Sai : s G' '111. it Community Calendar, P.O. Box
i.' i. (ison Saiem, S.C. 27102. The deadline
!o> attnouneemetUs is Mondays at 5:30.
with both children and adults, although last year most of
her customers were adults.
“I’m not really out pushing these dolls,” says Potter,
“and 1 haven’t launched an all-out campaign. I’m really
selling my babies by word of mouth.”
As a mother and housewife, Potter says she has often
found ways to save money and capitalize on her creative
talents. She also makes clothes, bedspreads and
macrame. Her time now is being consumed with the dolls
and teaching another friend how to make them.
“When I started selling my dolls, most of my competi
tion was white,” she says, pointing out that she’s the only
black person she knows of who makes the dolls. “They
would go to the plants and sell them there and everybody
would just buy them up. When 1 would try to sell my
dolls, some of the black people would say they were too
expensive.”
But Potter says when the media began promoting the
**When I would to sell my dolls, some of the
blacks would say they were too expensive. ”
” Sandra Potter
dolls, and consumers started buying out the stores, her
business picked up.
“These dolls have been out about five years,” says
Potter, “and right now I really think it’s just a fad. But
with the birth certificate and you naming it, it’s easy to
imagine them being real babies.”
Two of the dolls Potter displays in her home belong to
her daughters and she says all the hoopla about the dolls
hasn’t phased them.
“My little boy hears the Cabbage Patch dolls advertis
ed on the radio and he thinks they’re mine,” says Potter
with a laugh. “My little girls had the dolls last year and if
it had been new to them, they probably would have been
just as excited as everybody else, but they’re used to
them.”
The rarity of the original Roberts dolls are making
them a haven for collectors, but Veleska Edwards, a
16-year-old Winston-Salem native, isn’t about to let go of
Sandra Potter: On the way to becoming Winston’s Xavier Roberts (photo by James Parker).
hers.
Edwards, who coaxed an aunt into buying the $125
doll for her in a local shop when she was 14, says it was
love at first sight.
“When I saw it,” she says, “I just fell in love with it
and I just had to have it. When the Cabbage Patch dolls
came out this year, I didn’t realize they were the same as
mine because Cassandra Lizzy (her doll) was a “Little
People” doll.”
Edwards, whose doll came with a birth certificate and
adoption papers, says she’s always been a collector of
dolls, but when she saw the “chubby little black doll
the window, she was convinced that it was the one for
her. '
“I’ll be keeping her for a long time,” she says, “andl
wouldn’t sell her for anything.”
“It’s just like someone said,” says Potter, ‘“they’re
highfalutin’ rag dolls.’
“I’m always looking for something new,’’she says.
“There’s no telling what I’ll be doing next year. Maybe
I’ll make hats. I’ve always liked them.”
Club Hosts Party
Members and friends of
the Flower Niche Garden
Club held its second annual
Christmas party recently at
the home of Mrs. Carolyn
Boyd of Wallingford Road.
Mrs. Lois Hauser and
Miss Louise Smith led the
party in pokeno and
pinochle.
Those attending were
Mrs. Florence Rennick,
Mrs. Olivia Dereef, Mrs.
Marian Wooten, Mrs.
Glennie Hall, Mr. and Mrs.
Delray Hartsfield, Mr. and
Mrs. James Davenport, Dr.
and Mrs. Charlie Hauser,
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Dob
son, Mrs. Gwendolyn
Green, Clyde Dayis^|4rs.
Roberta Cook, 4th Districi
Garden Club director; Mr|.
Leola Sadler, Mr. and Mrs,
Joseph Lowery, Mrs. Mar)
Warren, Mrs. Jessie Ballen-
tine, Mrs. Vivenne Conley,
Dr. and Mrs. Clarence
Smith and Mr. and Mrs.
William McKoy.
Seasons greetings were
extended by presideni
Edythe Williams, and gifts
were distributed by Mrs,
Gwendolyn Green and Mrs.
Grace Lowery.
Alumni Throw Party
The Greater Winston Kiwanis Club held a tree trimming party at the Children’s Group Home.
Social Notes
Kiwanis Qub Holds Trimming Party
As a part of its special
Christmas project,
members of the Greater
Winston Kiwanis Club held
a tree trimming party at the
Children’s Group Home on
Dillon Farm Road recently.
Bill McClain, special pro
jects chairman, said the
project was especially ap
propriate because of this
year’s international Kiwanis
theme, “Year of the Han
dicapped Child,” and
because it was a new ex
perience for the children.
Larry Anthony, president
of the organization, said,
“The project was a success
as well as a great experience
for our members. I would
like to extend thanks our
Special Projects Commit
tee, Bill McClain, Larry
Upshaw, Wil Jenkins, Tim
Jackson, the Rev. L.V.
Lassiter Jr. and a special
thanks to our Santa Claus,
Reginald Scarborough.”
The Greater Winston
Kiwanis Club is planning
another special project at
the first of the year.
Evans-Nichols
Jacqueline Vernice Evans
and Denorris Carlyle
Nichols were married Dec.
17 at a 4 p.m. ceremony al
Friendship Baptist Church,
with the Rev. S.E. Tyndall
officiating.
The bride is the daughter
of Mrs. Bernice Cross of
100 Cassell St. and the
groom is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. James Powell of 514
W. 125th St.
Evans is currently a
senior majoring in early
childhood education at
Winston-Salem Stale
University.
Nichols is employed by
J.C. Walker Company.
The bride was given in
marriage by her uncle, Ber
nard Evans. Mrs. Sharon
Rawlinson served as matron
of honor, while Miss
Angela Evans served as
maid of honor.
Bridesmaids were
Carolyn Harris, Denise
Norris, Michelle Evans and
Carolyn Cross.
Willie Rawlinson served
as the groom’s best man.
Ushers were Mark
Saunders, Elmo Linton,
Reginald Nichols and
Monte Coker.
The couple will live in
Winston-Salem.
The Brown Alumni
Chapter of Winston-Salem
State University held its an
nual Christmas party
recently at the home of Mr.
and Mrs. J.D. Williams on
Spaulding Drive.
The covered-dish affair
was planned by the social
committee of Renee
Streeter, Virginia Hairston
and Cupid Kellum.
Members attending the
dinner were Bert and John
Collins, Barbara Harriet,
Helen Williams, Winslow
and C. Randleman Taylor,
Marie Matthews, Bernice
Davenport, Jean Salter,
Sandra Ireland, Josie Clem
mons, William Phillips,
John Moore, Paul Poore,
Vicki Summers, Tony
Gaines, Eleanor Bryant,
Lorraine Little, Annie and
Bennie Lassiter, Delores
Phillips, Joniest Mdses,
Sadie Daniels, Debbie
Daniels and Doris Moore,
Other guest and members
attending were Garret!
Phillips, Norman King',
President Georgia Dunlap^
Dolphus Parker, Darlene
and Rupert Bell, Wanda
Hill, Joseph Yarborougb,
Mildred Griffin, James
Stewart, Selena Nicholsan3
William Brown.
A plaque was presented
to Winslow A. Lowery in
appreciation of his dedica
tion and service as former
alumni director of the
WSSU Alumni Association.
The Brown Association
also made a Christmas
presentation to its shut-in
member, Clarence
Staplefoote.
Monticello Park Is Lit
On Christmas Eve, Mon
ticello Park will be lighted
by 500 lumonarios as a part
of the neighborhood pro
ject instituted by the
Pomland Oakhills Com
munity Club. Members of
the Forget-Me-Not Club
celebrated their second aff
nual Christmas
recently at the home of
Mrs. Remele Summers of
Indiana Avenue. ,
Jacqueline E. Nichols
Correction
In the Dec. 1 edition of
he Chronicle, a headline,
.‘Bowman Gray To Start
vlinority RecruitmemtV’
ndicated that the school of
medicine was about to
begin minority recruitment.
Bowman Gray is ranked
48th in minority admission,
among all 127 medical
schools and ninth among all'
private medical schools.
The press release did noi^
contain the above infor-
mantion.