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THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1991 46 PAGES THIS WEEK
help at-risk youth
By YVETTE N. FREEMAN
Chronicle Staff Writer
A new program located at the Piedmont Park Housing Com
munity is helping at-risk African-American students, who live in
the neighborhood to do better in school, with the help of comput
ers.'
The program was set up last summer by Geneva Brown,
program manager of Special Achievement for the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Schools and former principal of Moore
Elementary School.
"Part of my job is to see what we can do for at-risk kids. So I
have been trying to target work in the housing community, and
this is one that 1 started off with, putting some computers in here
that were given on loan to us by the school system," said Brown.
Not only does the school system provide the computers, but also
materials for the kids to work with, as well as Brown and Gwen
dolyn Jones, who help tutor the kids.
There are about 15 students from Hanes Middle School, RJ
Reynolds High School and Rural Hall, who utilize three comput
ers on a rotating basis, three days a week, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., in
the housing office off of 29th Street. Brown says "I selected
some high school kids and elementary kids that guidance coun
selors said could use the help on learning how to write better,
read better, and do some math." Brown adds that all of this is
financed through a summer school budget for kids in need,
although the center is open year-round.
"It is year-round. We've got about 13 schools doing differ
ent kinds of tutoring. My thing was to come out here^vhere the
kids are. They don't have to worry about transportation. They
can walk to the center. So it's an extension of tutoring that goes
on in the schools," stated Brown.
Brown adds that she hopes this center will not be the first
and only one in the city. Currently there are four housing commu
nities in Winston-Salem; Kimberly Park, Happy Hills, Cleveland
Ave. and Piedmont Park, and she says "I hope to get a unit like
this in every housing community." She also believes that more
Please see page A9
"I hope to get
a unit like this
in every
housing com
munity ... I
get a joy out
of helping
kids , and
seeing them
grow."
- Geneva Brown
Petition to rehire
Smith submitted
By RUDY ANDERSON
Chronicle Managing Editor
A petition, with more than 900
signatures on it, calling for the rein
statement of former Urban League
president and CEO Delores Smith,
has been hAHd*delivered to the
Urban League's new board chair
less than a week after his election.
During its May 15 meeting, the
20 member board elected Nat Irvin
II, Winston-Salem State Universi
ty's vice chancellor for develop
ment and university relations, as
chair.
On Tuesday, Lee Faye Mack, a
former Urban League employee and
supporter of Smith, gave Irvin the
petition.
"It is time that right is done by
this lady. All this lady ever did was
her job/' Mack said. Ironically,
Mack is the mother of one of the
board members elected to the exec
utive committee.
In addition to Irvin's election,
Legal Aid staff attorney Hazel
Mack was elected vice chair; Ger
ald Church, a senior vice president
of NCNB, as treasurer; and
Eldridge Hanes, chair of XPRES
Corporation, as secretary.
"The board has made outstand
ing progress thus far," Irvin said.
"We are in the process of building a
team and getting to know one
another and the Urban League bet
ter. One of our first orders of busi
Ptease see page A 13
N*A*T*!*0*N*A*L
NEWS
Paper urges talks to be resumed
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) ?
The country's largest black newspaper urged the
African National Congress Sunday not to abandon
talks on ending white rule, saying if it did, South
: -Africa could be pushed into "self-destruction."
The appeal came a day' after the ANC
announced it would boycott talks with the govern
ment on South Africa's political future until
demands on ending violence in black townships
were met Bur the ANC said it would continue
other talks on trying to resolve the differences.
lit
Jackson rips Reaganomica
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) ? The. Rev. Jes$e
Jackson told 200 graduating University of Col
orado law students on Priday that America
rewards greed and selfishness while civil rights
remains the challenge of the day.
* Jackson noted that South Africa's Nelson
Mandela passed his law exam three days before he
faced sentencing o* the crime of treason not
knowing whether he would receive life imprison
ment or the death penalty.
Mandela uncertain of status
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) ? Nelson
Mandela on Thursday told an eighth-grade class at
Boltz Junior High School here that he doesn't yet
know how his wife's conviction on chaiges of kid
napping and being an accessory will affect his sta
tus as a leader in South Africa.
J Mandela, who spoke with the class by tele
phone, has maintained his wife's innocence.
: * ? ;;> ;\-V, $ - -'nS > ? ??"
Photo by L B. Speas Jr.
Students from R.J. Reynolds High School and ;
Hanes Middle School work on computers at
the Piedmont Park Community Center.
Photo by L B. Speas Jr.
Mary Stromskl hopes Project Graduation
'91 is as successful as last year's cele
bration.
I Anti-drug/alcohol party set
By YVETTE N. FREEMAN
Chronicle Staff Writer
Project Graduation '91, a drug and alcohol
free graduation celebration for high school
seniors is only a week away, and the organizers
of the event hope it will be as successful as Pro
ject Graduation '90.
The celebration will take place Friday, May
31 at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds, from 8 p.m.
to 4 a.m., for all graduating high school seniors
in Forsyth County and their guests.
It's being sponsored by the SAFE Initiative
"to try to change the attitude and show students
that they can celebrate safely, they can have a
good time, they can save lives, and it can be sup
ported by the community," said Mary Stromski,
director of the SAFE Initiative.
On May 31st, the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds
will be closed to the general public, and only
open to graduates and their guests who have tick
ets purchased for $5 at their schools. The tickets
will not be sold at the gate because "we have to
guarantee to parents that this, is going to be really _
and truly a drug and alcohol free event. And
then we guarantee to seniors since it's their cele
bration, that only seniors can come. So all. the
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Teen pregnancy prevention
Pregnancy-free target reached
By YVETTE N. FREEMAN
Chronicle Staff Writer
A local program to prevent teenage pregnancy can
boast that since 1989, none of its participants have got
ten pregnant, in contrast to a high teenage pregnancy
rate in Forsyth County.
TEEN TALK was set up in 1986 by the Health
Education Division of the Forsyth County Health
Department, to educate young girls between the ages of
9 and 17, on pregnancy prevention, peer pressure, and
other issues teenage girls face on a daily basis.
"TEEN TALK is an adolescent pregnancy preven
tion program. It's main focus is to prevent adolescent
pregnancy. Now that says a whole lot, but we do it in a
creative way. We help the girls look at other issues
other than pregnancy, for instance, career choices, look
ing beyond today and looking into the future, and mak
ing responsible decisions, and just understanding their
entire sexuality, said Coordinator Yvonne Booker.
The program has about 150 young girls who are
actively involved, and divided into two groups. "We
have a TEEN TALK II, which is 9 to 11 year olds. The
reason wo lowered the age is because in 1988, there was
an increase in pregnancies between the 10 and 14 year
olds. So that's how TEEN TALK II grew. TEEN TALK,
the original program, that's been with us five years this
month, is from 12 to 17 [year olds],*1 stated Booker. She
adds that even though the participants of the program
are racially mixed, she is concerned that 95% of the
Please see page A 13
Photo by L.B. Speas Jf.
Yvonne Booker, coordinator of TEEN TALK Is "?
very pleased that none of the participants of the
program have become pregnant Since 1989.
Chancellor's response to auditors
kept secret
By RUDY ANDERSON
Chronicle Managing Editor
Winston-Salem State University's Chancellor has
provided the state auditor's office a preliminary draft of
his responses to question* raised about expenditures
related to the school's athletic program.
Attorney Michael Grace, retained as special counsel
to chancellor Cleon Thompson, said he met with state
auditors last week in Raleigh and exchanged informa
tion relating to the auditor's inquiries.
"We were very well, received," Grace said. "The
process now is willowing down the issues. For example,
they could cpme back to us saying they need more
information or clarification on some point that still may
be an issue for them."
Deputy state auditor, Bruce Thomas, confirmed that
the meeting took place Monday May 13. "We have
received a draft copy of the university's response which
we are in the process of analyzing," Thomas said.
"We will have another meeting with university offi
cials in the next few weeks so that our final report will
contain the university's final response," said Thomas.
He said there were some items that needed further
discussion and points that needed to be clarified in the
university's draft and the auditor's request for informa
tion.
Neither Grace nor Thomas would not discuss any
specifics relating to the auditor's investigation of allega
tions raised by a former university employee. Sources at
the university say that employee was Vernon Knight He
had been employed as a residence counselor during the
spring and summer of 1988.
Officials with the auditor's office have said this
"special investigation" at the university was initiated
after a call was placed several months ago over the
agency's hotline raising several allegations.
Those allegations involve six payments that were
supposedly paid to Knight at that time from the chancel
lor's discretionary fund. The payments totaled about
$4,800.
In earlier published reports, according to Robert
Emken, chair of the university's Board of Trustees, the
fund was created by the chancellor using his own money
to provide tutoring and counseling services for athletes.
Emken has said the the board was notified by auditors
about the payments three years ago and so was the
NCAA. But neither body pressed the investigations at
that time. Emken said the auditor's office informed the
board that the matter was not serious enough to warrant
board action. And the university did respond to the
NCAA's 1989 inquiry about the matter and no further
action was taken.
In that inquiry and the subsequent response, by then
athletic director Clarence "Bighouse" Gaines, focused
on the academic eligibility of one athlete; the summer
session attendance of classes by* athletes in 1988; their
employment at that time; how rent for an apartment at
Tower Gate Apartments, utility bills, and furniture were
Please see page A6