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THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1995
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“Power concedes nothing yyithoiit a struggle." — Frederick Douglass
VOL. XX!, No. 53
Delayed Renovations A Factor in Bond Vote
A Residents and leaders to decide fate of school bond referendum on Nov. 1 ballot
By MAURICH CROCKER
and VERONICA CLEMONS
Chronicle SiatT Wriicr
A delay in promises concerning renovations to
Atkins Middle School may affect a new school bond
referendum. Residents and community leaders will
soon be faced with the decision to pass a new bond
referendum on Nov. 7.
"I've made a personal pledge to the .school .sys
tem to support the referendum if renovations to
Atkins; arc cornpicted and the Afrocentric Schools
are started." said Rev. Carlton A.G. Eversley. pastor
of Dellabrook Presbyterian Church
Eversley says although he plans to suppport the
referendum he's not sure how' other members of the
African-American community will vote.
"Black people have no reason to tru.st the school
system, they have every reason in the world not to
trust them," Eversley said.
According to Eversley. the long delay in renova
tions to Atkins will have a negative effect on the
bond referendum.
The renovations to Atkins are a result of a 1989
bond referendum. School Board officials and resi
dents passed a referendum that included renovations
at Atkins and other local schools.
Residents raised concerns when Atkins was
placed last on the list of renovations, and school
board officials ran out of money to start renovations
on Atkins.
Dr. Reginald Teague, division director of facil
ity management, said he made the decision to place
Atkins last on the list becau.se it was the most com
plicated.
In May. the school board accepted a recommen
dation from a building committee to complete the
renovations at Atkins.The project, which is in its
third month is expected to be completed by February
of 1997.
"It's unfortunate that the delay occurred, but
now that the renovations are started we're working
hard to complete them," said Donny Lambeth, chair
man of the Winston-Salem Forsyth County School
Board.
In an effort to prevent the same problems frorn
see DELAYED page 12
SAT Scores Increase
For Black Students
A SAT Tutorial program plays significant role
By VERONICA CLEMONS
Chronicle Suiff Writer
Angela Ramgeet, (left) stands next to her children, Tonya and Melissa while Benjamin Johnson holds
his granddaughter, Monique. Ramgeet says that Monique deserves a happy life.
Child
Defies
Odds
By JOHN HINTON
Chronicle Senior Staff Writer
Monique Johnson has a human spirit that
brings a .special joy to the people in her life.
Monique was born on July 29.1986 with the
medical conditions of scoliosis and kyphosis,
which caused her to have a curved spine and a
lump in the her back.
"The lump in her back continues to grow,"
said Angela Ramgeet. Monique's mother. "It
may cause her lungs to collapse and it puts pres
sure on her heart."
The nine-year-old girl also suffers from
diastrophic dysplasia that is a severe form of
dwarfism.
Monique weighed eight pounds and five
African American students in Forsyth County
saw a significant increase in their SAT scores in
1995 and even more of them are taking the test.
Scores for African American students rose 18
points to an average score of 734 in the 1994-95
school year. Twenty five more African American
students took the test this year than last year.
"We are pleased the scores went up," said
School Superintendent Donald Martin. "When the
percentage of test takers go up usually the scores
go down."
School officials contribute the ri.se in African
American students' scores to them taking more
advanced courses and the success rate of the SAT
tutoring courses available to students after school.
Bessie Allen, director of the Phi Omega Chap
ter of Alpha Kappa Alpha and Phi Omega Inc.'s
SAT/Tutorial Program, said that this after school
program has had a significant impact on the num
ber of African American students taking the test
and the higher, courses.
Allen said .she and the program's teachers were
elated at the increase in African American students'
test scores.
"We were very pleased:," she said. "We felt like
what we attempted to.do, we accomplished."
The Tutorial program, entering its fifth year,
not only helps students prepare to take the SAT but
also offers tutoring in other subjects for students
who need help.
The increases in scores and test takers in the
school system coincided with the SATA'utorial
program.
During said the first year of the program only
five students took the test. Now they have 45 who
are taking it. In the entire Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County system in 1993, 301 African American
see SAT page 13
County May Lose Title I
Funding for Fiscal Year '96
By JOHN HINTON
Chronicle Senior Staff Writer
Vngela Ramgeet and her daughter, Monique,
pose outside their home.
ounces and was 19 inches long when she was
bom. She now weighs 22 pounds and she is 21
inches long.
see CHILD page 13
Forsyth County is projected
to lose more than $469,000 in
fi.scal year 1996 and more than
$4.6 million in Title 1 education
funds over the next seven years
if the Labor-HHS Education Bill
becomes law. U.S. Rep. Melvin
Watt, D-N.C., says.
Watts condemned the bill
which recently passed the U.S.
House of Representatives as
"mean spirited, shortsighted and
an effort by the Republicans to
take from the poor and give to
the rich,” he said.
The bill provides federal
funding for the nation’s health,
human .services, education, labor.
U.S. Rep. Melvin Watt
and job training programs.
Watt voted against the bill
which passed the House by a
vote of 219-208.
‘‘The massive cuts in the bill
will have a devastating impact
on the lives of poor and middle
class people, " Watt said. "The
bill imprudently cuts valuable,
proven programs that educate
our nation’s children, aid the dis
advantaged, invest in working
people and protect our nation’s
health and safety.”
The bill would cut the Title 1
Education funds by more than
$1.2 billion, thereby denying
help to about 100.00 disadvan
taged children in North Carolina
and more than 7.1 million chil
dren nationwide in reading, writ-
see COUNTY page 12
CLASSIFIEDS
OPINION
ENTERTAINMENT
OBITUARIES
SPORTS
2
10F:
21
23L
15::
This Week in Black History ^
August 31,1979
Donald
McHenry
named lo
ti
succeed
Andrew
Young
as UN
ambassador.
w
Twin-City Women Vie for Pageant Title
By MAURICE CROCKER
Chronicle Staff Writer
Two Winston-Salem women will
strut their stuff as they compete for the
title of Miss Black North Carolina
U.S.A. The pageant will be held on
September 16. in the Harrison Audito
rium on the campus of N.C. Agricul
tural and Technical University.
The pageant is designed to offer
young African-American w'omen the
opportunity to pursue their dreams
through education, while being
involved in a positive, life-affirming
experience.
Patricia Aurelia Hill, and Mer
cedes Miller plan to seize the opportu
nity and make their educational
dreams a reality.
Hill and Miller are among 18 con
testants competing in the pageant. The
winner will receive $2,000 in scholar
ship money.
Hill. 26. of Winston-Salem, .says if
she wins, the scholarship money will
be put to good use becau.se it will help
toward her education.
Hill is a student at Salem College,
where she plans to receive a bachelor's
degree in English with a minor in
communications.
According to Hill, one of her most
important accomplishments is the fact
that she is continuing to pursue her
education,
"1 feel education is very important,
so getting back in school is a great
accomplishment for me." she .said.
Hill said, once she graduates from
Salem, she plans to attend law school
at Wake Forest University,
see TWIN CITY page 13
Aurelia Hill, and Mercedes Miller will compete for the
title of Miss Black North Carolina U.S.A.
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