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Winston-Salem Chronicle
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The Choice for African-American News and In)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 1994
75 CENTS
" Power concedes nothing without a struggle. " ? -Fred^m'
'V' I r
Ni
VOL. XX, No. 50
Goins Thumbs
Nose at Poor Whites and
Blacks
By VERONICA GLEMONS
Chronicle Staff Writer ... . ' , . /
The 14.9 percent of children in Forsyth
County who live in poverty -^-especially
those who will be labeled educationally "at
risk" by age 4 ? get no sympathy from
school board member Jane Goins.
After continuously shaking her head
throughout the staffs presentation of a pos
sible program for "at-risk" 4-year-olds
Thursday, Goins voiced her opposition.
"I will not vote for a program that sub
sidizes diy care," she said. "Preparing chil
dren for kindergarten is the responsibility of
the parent ? not the taxpayer."
Board member Dale Fol well agreed.
Despite knowing that the School system has
some programs in place to help parents with
parenting skills, Folwell attacked the idea
for the program, saying more efforts should
have been made in that area instead of
assuming the parent's responsibility.
"We're taking the responsibility of
being a parent away from them, he said.
"They're asking us to do wliat they should
I
be doing as a parept."
A disproportionate number of black
children in this county live in poverty and
would probably qualify for this program.'
However, several white preschool-aged
children will also be adversely affected.
Goins said the only way she would
consider voting in favor of a preschool pro
gram is if it's offered to a!4 4-year-olds and
- ? ? ? see GOINS page 3
Jane Goins has
never been one to
embrace the cause
of African-Ameri
cans . J. . '
Editorial, page 10
Black Lawyers
Failed to Use
Voting Strategy
By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Executive Editor
/.
>
b An African-American
lawyer who failed last week
to win enough votes for
nomination for the District
Court judgeship said she and
the other black candidate
should have caucused before
the voting took place and
decided on one candidate
running. Beverly R. Mitchell
Because they didn't, it is
likely that the votes were split for Beverly R. Mitchell
and David W. Martin, who had 103 and 101 votes,
respectively, finishing last. Their defeat means that the
District Court will have only one African- American and
V one female judge among the seven judges.
, Mitchell, a founding member and former president ol
the Winston Salem bar, which is comprised of about 25
dues-paying African-Americans, said she will suggest
that African-American lawyers meet to discuss strategy in
case a similar situation arises in the future.
"My suggestion is that we ... look at what went
wrong this time .and try to avoid it again, Mitchell said id
an interview. "I was told by political analysts that there
- have Hwetingn and^barwe shotitcT Trave cIcl itTed ffrr"
ooe of us running instead of both. That was not done.
' The question is whether either one of us could have
picked up the additional votes to get into the top three. I
think the answer is yes," she said.
The Forsyth County bar named three white lawyers
? Ronald E. Spivey, Anne Connolly and Lisa V.L.
Menefee ? as the top choices for the judgeship to replace
Loretta C. Biggs. Biggs, the first and only black female
judge in the county, resigned last month to accept^tt^pc^t1
tion with the U.S. attorney's office.
Spivey, 34 and an assistant district attorney who ran
tor District Court judgeship in 1991, got 240 votes. Con
nolly, who runs her own general law practice, received
132 votes. Menefee, 38 and a former assistant district
attorney, got 123 votes.
Only about 40 members of the Forsyth County bar's
more than 800 members are African-American. More
than 4(X) members of the bar ? - but less than 20 African
Americans ? were at the Aug. 3 meeting.
Willie Clark, a lawyer with the National Labor Rela
tions Board and vice president of the Winston-Salem bar,
said he was surprised that neither Mitchell nor Martin was
among the top three vote-getters. David Wagner, presi
dent of the Winston-Salem bar, could not be reached for
comment. v '
Gov. Jim Hunt can appoint one of the three candi
dates within 60 days of the vote, or the job will automati
cally go to Spivey-as'the top vote-getter.
" Liberty Street is a major thoroughfare and a gate
way into town . We're trying to get the community
involved and draw people into the area." <
By DAVID L DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writer ^
City officials say beautifying a corridor along Liberty
Street vv ill attract more tourists and small businesses into
the city. _ ?.
City staff and a citizen's advisory committee ? made
up of area residents and merchants ? have been making
-plans to improve a section of Liberty Street that runs from
Eighth Street to the Smith-Reynolds Airport.
Toni Tupponce, an assistant planning director with the
city/county planning board, said people traveling along the
corridor to the airport or downtown should feel good about ?
the city.
"We. want to give visitors the best impression of the
city," Tupponce said. "When a stranger goes in the area
they should know this is a special place." ?'
Judith A. Hunt, the project leader and principal plan
ner with the planning board, said the staff and community
giuups have uHiiOffTwiTTnT list 0Necumiiiuiddll6u>; IeF-^
improve the area.
One recommendation is to create an African-Ameri
can Business District along "The Strip," located between
1 1th and 19th streets.
Vivian Burke, alderman of the Northeast Ward, where
much of the district lies, said many businesses along the
corridor wanted to make a change to improve their own
business.
"We haven't been able to showcase our black busi
nesses because the area doesn't look attractive," Burke
_said^lLthejieighborhood Iboks better, people will want to
do business there."
Hunt also said a design study will be done to deter
mine ways to beautify the residential areas as well as the
businesses.
. "Liberty Street is a major thoroughfare and a gateway
into town," Hunt said. "We're trying to get the community
involved and draw people into the area."
Burke said making the neighborhood look first-class
will also reduce crime and vagrants from the area.
A community meeting to discuss the recommenda
tions will be held Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 7 p.m. at Shiloh
Baptist Church.
Hunt said the preliminary recommendations will be
examined and there will be a slide show of ethnic districts ~~~
in other cities. .
Report: Health Care System
Shows Lack of Commitment
By DAVID L. DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writer
Increased education, early prenatal care
and better diet are ways the African-American
community can decrease the high infant mor
tality rate, an expert says.
Dr. Thomas Clark, an obstetAcian at 501
N. Cleveland Ave., said high infant mortality
rates are a nationwide problem in the African
American community.
"There are several things that contributes
to the problem such as health status and
poverty," he said. This is a national trend. It's
- not unique to Forsyth County."
The infant mortality rates in Nurth Car
olina for 1992 were 9.9 per 1,000 live births,
but in Forsyth County the rate was 1 1 .2 per
1,000 live births ? the highest of all urban
counties in the state. In Forsyth County, the
non-white infant death rate was 1 8.6 compared
to 7.0 for white infant deaths. The 1993 fig
ures are not yet available.
According to a study commissioned by
the Greater Triad March of Dimes, the health
care system in Forsyth County is not ade
see REPORT page 3
Business ...,20
Classifieds 25
Community News... 4
Opinion 10
Entertainment 21
Obituaries .24
Religion .23
Sports 15
Thu Week In Black History
4 t 14-19 , 19 OR
Race not, Springfield,
I IHnois. Troops called
out. Riot led to
founding of NAACP.
k
Aldermen to Decide Monday
on Home Improvement Loans
A Measure wins approval in committees
By DAVID L. DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writer
City officials say a number of houses
along Hairston Avenue and surrounding
streets are showing signs of deterioration.
Richard Brooks, the city's director of
housing services, is hopeful that the board of
aldermen will pass a revised proposal Monday
to offer area homeowners and investors beau
tification loans.
"We have a number of streets that are
beginning to decline," Brooks said. "If we can -
get to (houses) just as they are showing signs
of decline, we can arrest that deterioration in
the early stages and spend less money on
repair work."
Last month, the board of aldermen shot
down a measure that would have given home
beautification loans up to $7,500 to investors
see ALDERMEN page 3
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