Mac On The Mat
Local wrestler places in top 8 of
NCAA Division II championships
Call Him 'Scoop'
Moore first-grader writes
special article on Old Salem trip
36 Pages This Week " SUBSCRIPTION HOTLINE 722-8624 Thursday, March 23, 1989
Winston-Salem Chronicle
50 cents * "The Twin City's Award-Winning Weekly" VOL. XV, No.
Debate starts over districting plans for Forsyth County elections
By David Perkins
Special to the Chronicle
State House members began
debating rival plans for overhauling
Forsyth County's method of elec
tion Wednesday, and no prospect
for a compromise was in sight .
But, to the disappointment of
proponents of a [dan backed by the
Forsyth commissioners, the House
Subcommittee on Local Govern
ment delayed a vote on the bills
until next Wednesday, when back
ers of an alternative bill sponsored
by state Reps. Annie Brown
Kennedy and Logan Burke will be
heard.
Both plans would replace the
county's at-large election system
with a plan based on districts. The
commissioners' bill, introduced by
Rep. Frank Rhodes, a Republican,
was a compromise reached last June
between the commissioners and
Walter Marshall, president of the
Winston-Salem chapter of the
NAACP. The NAACP.had filed suit
against the county, charging that the
at-large system diluted Afro-Ameri
can voting strength.
Federal Judge Eugene A. Got
Board hears plans for
parkway, transiteenter
By TONYA V.SMITH
Chronicle Staff Writer
A team of consultants will present their findings and recommendations
on the proposed parkway to be built through East Winston, and residents
will be given an opportunity to address the subject in a public hearing slat
ed for 7:30 p.m., Monday, April 3.
The firm of Kimley-Hom and Associates will recommend that the city
nix building a parkway through East Winston, and in its stead, extend 14th
Street and build another leg of the Northern Beltway to carry traffic
around, rather than through, East Winston.
I. Steven Mifflin, an assistant Regional manager for the consulting
? n,mmm a ^ a ? it afti m n m illi tm -*? ? ?- ? a
engineering nrm, presented tne preceding preliminary nnding during die
last of three public hearings on the subject
"Improving 14th Street and extending it improves accessibility and
opens a wide area for development," Mifflin told about 16 East Winston
residents during a Jan. 12 public hearing. NWe can make local improve
ments and build the Northern Beltway to serve through traffic."
The Board of Aldermen awarded the contract to Kimley-Horn in May
1988 to study the feasibility of constructing the East Winston Parkway.
After about 20 years of considering the East Winston Parkway, city
aldermen said last year that it would provide land for commercial and
industrial development in the area south of Smith Reynolds Airport, a
move they hoped would generate economic growth in the predominantly
Afro-American community. The parkway is envisioned as a short-cut
between U.S. 52 and Interstate 40.
City residents have supported the proposal to extend 14th Street, but
have said a short-cut is needed through East Winston to make their com
munity a part of the city. However, Mifflin disagreed, saying a parkway
would not be feasible because those using it would not stop in East Win
ston. But the beltway would keep that unneccessary traffic out of the com
munity, he said.
"The purpose of the Northern Beltway for the residents of East Win
ston is that it avoids taking that 20,000 or 30,000 vehicles a day and drag
ging them through your community when they aren't going to stop," Mif
flin told East Winston residents. t
In addition, Mifflin has recommended that the undeveloped parcels of
land south of Smith Reynolds Airport be connected by short roads to Lib
erty Street and U.S. 52
After the public hearing, the aldermen will be asked to accept the con
sultant's findings and recommendations.
In other business, the board heard an update on the progress of the
recently approved transit center. In November, city aldermen authorized
construction of the center downtown at the corner of Third and Liberty
Please see page A9
don approved the compromise in a
consent decree signed in June and
called on the commissioners to seek
legislative approval. Since then,
however, many Afro-American
leaders have criticized Marshall as
selling the Afro- American commu
nity short in the deal.
Kennedy and Burke introduced
their bill on March 14 in reaction to
local protests.
Introducing his bill, Rep.
Rhodes told the lawmakers that the
plan had widespread bipartisan sup
port in the county, including the
Forsyth County Senior Democrats,
I :
which endorsed the plan on March
9. '
^ While other reorganization
plans may be possible," Rhodes told
the committee, "the Board of Com
missioners believes that this court
ordered compromise is the best wqy
to insure minority representation on
the board of commissioners while
also serving the interest of all citi
zens of Forsyth County
"The plaintiffs have been satis
fied, the NAACP has been satisfied,
the judge has been satisfied and has
so ordered that this be presented to
the legislature."
? : 1
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Mike Tyson thrills youth with special visit
By TONYA V.SMITH
Chronicle Staff Writer
Butterflies fluttered in Troy
Hatcher's stomach about 8 a.m. Sat
urday morning as he and his family
drove into the parking lot of the
Twin City Medical Building.
It wasn't a doctor's examination
that the 17-year-old was worried
about, but in two hours he was
scheduled to meet the undisputed
heavyweight boxing champion of
the world.
"I'm kind of nervous, but Troy's
very excited," said Mary Hatcher,
Troy's mother. "It's something he's
been praying for and we're glad to
see this moment arrive."
A few months ago Mrs. Hatch
er helped Troy compose a letter to
Mike Tyson asking him if would
visit Troy. The Hatchers live in
Ararat, Va., but Troy has doctors in
Winston-Salem and his father works
vs - % *
* r
for Stroh Brewery Co.
"We wrote a letter telling him
Troy would like to see him," Mrs.
Hatcher said. "We told him (Tyson)
we knew he had a busy schedule,
but we had heard about his desire to
be with children and how he loved
children."
The Hatchers have always tried
to make Troy's dreams come true
because he is a "special child," said
Clifton Hatcher, his father.
"What he wants we try to get it
for him because he's something spe
cial," Hatcher said of his son who
has had cerebral palsy since birth.
Cerebral palsy is a crippling
disease resulting from any of sever
al disorders of the central nervous
system caused by brain damage*
especially before or during birth. Its
victims are usually severely retard
ed, unable to talk and confined to a
wheelchair, said Dr. Charlie L.
Kennedy, Troy's physician.
"But Mr. Tyson is not coming
here because he (Troy) is sick," said
Kennedy. "They didn't know about
his illness. They're coming here
because Mr. Tyson loves children."
Troy's dream came true when
he saw Tyson and his promoter,
Don King, making their way
through the crowd of about 100 fans.
"Hey, how you doing Troy?,"
Tyson said taking pictures of the
teen.
Troy's face lit up and he smiled
as Tyson squatted beside his
wheelchair. Tyson, who spent most
of his youth in and out of reform
schools, said his hard childhood has
given him a special love for chil
dren.
Boxing Federation. "That may have
been a blessing and the reason why
I just love kids."
He smiled at Troy and leaned
closer as the youth playfully
punched Tyson ifrthe nose.
"I'm very determined to go all
over the country, but there are so
many letters," Tyson continued. "I
usually call most of them. But this
time the timing was right. We had
available time and I was determined
to come see him. This worked out
great because he caught us at the
proper time when there wasn't much
going on."
Tyson and King had planned to
make a stop in Winston-Salem on
March 30, after journeying to
? / ? O
"1 had a rough childhood but it Indonesia. They hastily rescheduled
was something I just got accus- the visit fearing that they wouldn't
tomed to," said Tyson, who holds
the heavyweight boxing titles of the
World Boxing Association, World
Boxing Council and International
make it back to the states in time,
said King.
Please see page A9
John Holleman, chairman of
Forsyth's Board of Commissioners,
similarly asserted that the consent
decree left no room for further dis
cussion. Quoting the judge's state
ment in the decree that "the Forsyth
County Board of Commissioners
shall take all steps reasonably nec
essary to obtain from the North
Carolina General Assembly a local
act modifying the method of elec
tion of the board as set forth (in this
decree)." Holleman said, "What that
means is we're not in a position to
be able to compromise - that com
promise has already taken place. . . .
It is a good bill, it is a good system
- it protects minority representation
and it does not unnecessarily dis
rupt the good system that is already
in existence."
The consent decree could, in
fact, be dissolved by the judge if
both parties withdrew their support,
according to legal authorities. But
Marshall has said he will remain
neutral in the dispute.
No one opposed to Rep.
Rhodes' bill or backing the
Kennedy-Burke bill spoke before
Please see page A8
Tenants, landlords to learn
specifics of hni i^ing laws
By TONYA V. SMITH
Chronicle Staff Writer
Workshops that will educate
city residents about their rights and
responsibilities as tenants and land
lords are only part of the activities
on tap for Fair Housing Month.
Sponsored by the Human Rela
tions Commission's New Horizons
Fair Housing Committee* Fair
Housing Month will officially begin
at noon on April 5 with a presenta
tion of proclamation and guest
Deltra Bonner, chair of the Educa
tion Commitee, told New Hori
zons committee members during a
meeting Tuesday.
In addition, community work
shops will be held April 6,11,17 and
18^ There also will be an essay con
test and a poster contest for the
city's youth. The schedule includes:
?April 6, 7-9 p.m Community,
Workshop at the Forsyth County
Main Library on "Fair Housing
New Amendments: Adding Fami
lies with Children and Handicapped
as Protected Classes,
?April 11, 7-9 p.m., "Land
lords/Tenants Rights and Responsi
bilites"
?April 17, 7-9 p.m., repeat of
April 6
?April 18, 7-9 p.m., repeat of
April 11
?April 24-28, display of poster
contest entries in the main library
?April 27, 7 p.m.. Awards pre
sented to essay and poster contest
winners
?April 28, winners' posters to
be displayed in the lobby of City
Hall
Fair Housing Month is coming
at a good time because it will allow
MT7
the commission to quickly dissemi
nate information about two new
federal laws protecting families
with children and the handicapped,
said Florence Corpening, commit
tee chair.
The federal laws prevent resi
dential dwellings from turning
down potential residents because
they have children, or because they
don't have facilities for the handi
capped, said Paul Shepard, an attor
ney and chair of New Horizon's
Local Compliance subcommittee.
His committee has prepared a
draft of the local version of the fed
eral law for the review of the
Human Relations Commission, the
state Housing and Urban Develop
ment (HUD) department, and for
eventual approval in the state legis
lature, Shepard said.
Although local entities have 30
months to comply with the new fed
eral laws, Corpening said her com
mittee refuses to wait until the 11th
hour.
"We're really sort of pro-active
in our response to its (the federal
legislature) coming through," Cor
pening said. "We're really trying to
move on with getting this in action
in our community.*'
The, committee also is pushing
a survey that would^letenninelfce
degree to which fair housing is alive
and well in Winston-Salem. The
committee submitted the proposal
two years ago but HUD turned it
down, saying Winston-Salem was
too small of a sample area to study,
Corpening said. HUD's approval
would mean it would help pay for
the almost $25,000 study.
"HUD turned it down because
Please see page A9
photo by Sonja Covington
17-year-old Troy Hatcher and hia mother, Mary, greet Tyaou.
I