Only black in sheriff's race says he has right stuff
BY COURTNEY GAILLARD
THE CHRONICLE
James "Jim Bob" Camp
bell thought about running for
Forsyth County sheriff nine
years ago. He |lht it off
because it wasn't the right
time and he wasn't quite
ready. Campbell, a Democrat,
has thrown his hat into the
race for sheriff this election
year. He is the only African
American in a crowded field
seeking the job held by popu
lar incumbent Ron Barker.
Campbell, who intends on
campaigning with the purpose
of "making Forsyth County
the safest place in the world."
is not thwarted by the histori
cal absence of a black sheriff
in the county and hopes his
race will not negatively
impact voters or hinder his
campaign.
Campbell is also not
threaded by Barker's many
years of service to the county
or by the credentials of other
candidates. He says those with
many years of law enforce
ment experience may be
"immune" to doing a good
job.
"I've had law enforcement
experience, but I have not
worked in it a long time. So I
am back in touch with the peo
ple, but I will be surrounded
by people who have the expe
rience. You want people to
work for you that know the
job better than you," said
Campbell, who says he want
ed to get in touch with the
community from the inside
out in order to devise a solid
enough plan to protect the
area if elected sheriff.
Campbell sees a need for
change in the Sheriff's
Department. He feels that
social skills coupled with law
enforcement training as well
as consistent promotions and
better benefits within the
department will raise morale
and send a positive hut firm
message to the community,
"A lot of people have lost
respect for law enforcement
and for everybody. That's one
of the major problems that I
see," Campbell said.
Recalling the days when
he was growing up, Campbell
longs to see the rapport
between officers and civilians
strengthened, so that a firm,
mutual trust and respect will
exist between the two.
"When law enforcement
officers try to come and talk to
you about something in the
community, people kind of
step back from that. That's
because they feel like they're
not being protected; no matter
what kind of protection is pro
vided, they're not seeing it on
a level which they're used to
seeing it in the past. I'd like to
take it back to that level."
After serving in the U.S.
Air Force as a law enforce
ment officer, Campbe^ then
retired from the U.S. Postal
Service after becoming
injured on the job and now
works for the Department of
Social Services in the emer
gency systems program.
Campbell also would like
to make town hall meetings a
quarterly occurrence through
out the county so. that the
Sheriff's Department can
measure the job it is doing and
determine what the residents
need and expect from the
department.
Although Campbell com
mends the job that Barker has
done with the jails, Campbell
still feels there is plenty more
work to be done in reinforcing
the local criminal system.
"A lot of people that com
mit crimes go to a jail that is
like a recreation center. I think
we need to close that recre
ation center down and still
stay within the guidelines of
the law," Campbell said.
Campbell views protecting
Forsyth County residents from
crime much like a parent
views raising a child in that
"you love that child, do every
thing you can to protect that
child and to serve that child
good, but at the same time you
got to try to prevent that child
from doing wrong. When they
do wrong you need to punish
that child."
Having been out of law
enforcement for more than 27
years, Campbell prides him
self on not straying too far
from law enforcement, always
observing criminal trends and
safety issues around the area
He furthered his education in
police science at Forsyth
Technical Community College
and then went on to graduate
from Winston-Salem State
University.
Campbell will face John
Polite. C.C. McGee and
Clarence Moody in the Demo
cratic primary.
Photo by Courtney Gaillard
Jim Bob Campbell is hoping for an upset in the sheriff's race.
CenterPoint expects to lose up to $500,000 in state funds
But official for
state says no final
decisions have
been made
BY PAUL COLLINS
THE CHRONICLE
Ronald W. Morton, area
? director of CenterPoint
! Human Services, the public
! mental health, agency for
; Forsyth, Stokes and Davie
? counties, said Tuesday he
expects the state to announce
; shortly that it will cut state
- funding for public mental
? health programs throughout
! North Carolina by more than
; $10 million the remainder of
? this fiscal year (which will
end June 30), which would
mean a loss of $350,000 to
$500,000 ip state funds for
Center
Point.
Morton
also said
it is
likely*
that the
state
will cut
state
funding
for pub
lic men
tal health
programs by $40 million
statewide next fiscal year,
which could mean a loss of
$1.4 million to $2 million in
state funds for CenterPoint.
However, Mark Van Sciv
er. a spokesman for the N.C.
Department of Health and
Human Services, said
Wednesday, "There have been
no final decisions on anything.
There have been no figures,
set by anybody, set for cuts at
this point. It's still fluid."
He said he expects the
state will announce soon any
budget cuts related to the state
budget deficit.
Morton said his informa
tion about the expected state
budget cuts comes from a con
ference call he was involved
in on Tuesday. On the confer
ence call, he said, were area
public mental health program
directors from across the state
and representatives of the
trade association N.C. Council
of Community Programs.
Morton said there were no
state government officials
involved in the call, but he
said he is confident about the
truth of the information that
was given on the call. "I have
no doubts at all," Morton said
Morton said he has
received no official notice
from the state about budget
cuts, but he has directed his
executive team to begin look
ing into where cuts could be
made, hopefully in ways that
would cause the least impact
to services. He said it is too
early yet to say where cuts
would be made. He said his
staff will take its recommen
dations about budget cuts to
the board of directors of Cen
terPoint the third Thursday in
March. CenterPoint board
would make the final decision
about where budget cuts
would be made.
Morton said that it's possi
ble that some of his agency's
programs would be exempted
by the state from state budget
cuts.
Morton said he thinks the
state budget cuts will amount
to 3 to 5 percent of Center
Point's total state funds. "1
wouldn't call ftat devastating
in the short term. If this level
is sustained in the next (budg
et) year, it would be devastat
ing."
CenterPoint has a total
operating budget of just under
$.35 million. Of that, between
$11 million and $12 million
comes from the state, Morton
said.
www.
WSCHRONICLE.
COM
NOTICE MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is seeking minority and women-owned firms
(M/WBE) to bid on upcoming highway projects throughout the State. The Locations of the projects are:
g | GOALS BY
? fl) = o .<2 PERCENT
a> 3 3 Q. tu v- ?
o oo v y ; ? in uj ui .
>- m rr i_^ O | C co (q cq
o- V g H -J 2 LU Q s ^
6.051044 Dare/Hyde Construction of passenger/veNlie NC-12 from Hatter&s Village to English 09}
terry / Qcracoke island
8.1242002 Duplin Grading, drainage, pavin/ and Bridge over Northeast Cape English 109}
structure [ Eear River and approaches ton
. , NC-41/50 near Chinquapin
8.2250108 New Widening, grading, drainage.' Smith Creek Parkway from Metric 99}
Hanover paving and structures proposed US-117 Connector to
' east of 23rd Street
8.2312001 Johnston Grading, drainage, paving and Bridge over a branch and Metric 109?
structure approaches on SR-1553
8.2321501 Nash Grading, drainage, paving, and Bridge over Stoney Creek and English 99}
structure approaches on SR-1435 at
Nashville
8.2430501 Columbus Grading, drainage, paving and Bridge over Frair Swamp and English 79}
structure approaches on SR-1740 (Old
Lake Road
8.2462101 Robeson Grading, drainage, paving and Bridge over CSX Transporta- English 59}
structure tion System and approaches on
SR-1001
5.4641028 Robeson Cleaning and painting of Ext 3 Existing bridges at various English 09}
structures and pollution control locations along 1-95 in Robe
son County
5.4641029 Robeson Cleaning and painting of Ext 3 Existing bridges at various English 09}
structurs and pollution control locations along 1-95 in Rohe
son County
5.4641030 Robeson Cleaning and painting of Ext 3 Existing bridges at various English 09}
structures and pollution control locations along 1-95 in Robe
. son County
8.1511501 Rockingham Grading drainage, paving and Bridge over Mayo River and English 99}
structure approaches on US-220 Busi
9.8079843 Guilford Widening, drainage, paving and NC-68 from South of SR-1556 English 409} 59}
signing (Gallimore Dairy Road) to
North of Triad (.enter Drive
8.1602201 Davidson Median guideraiI 1-85 from US-29/52/70/I-85 English 12'} "
business to south of NC-109
8.2751001 Watauga Grading, drainage, paving and Culvert on Clarks Creek and English 59}
culvert approahces on SR-1136
8.1792305 Catawba Widening, grading, drainage. SR-1692 (Tate Boulevard Ext) Metric 109}
paving and culvert ext. from east of SR-1468 (Sweet
water Road) to SR-1476 (Fair
sirove Church Road)
8.2812102 Gaston Grading drainage, paving and RC Box Culvert at Forest English 99}
culvert Brook Branch and approaches
on SR 2444 (Gaston Day
School Road)
8.2941001 Haywood Grading, drainage, paving and Bridge of Fines Creek and English 109} "
structure approaches on SR-1334
8.2580801 Richmond Grading, drainage, paving and Bridge over CSX Transporta- Metric 59}
structure tion System and approaches on
SR-1713 (Rice Street) in Ham
- - ~ " ~ " let *? " ;
8.1402210 Wake (8 Gradingr~3rainage. paving and US-64 from 1-440 (Raleigh Metric 119}
weeks adver- structures Beltline) to New Hope Road
? * , tisement)
??* MONDAY, March 18,2002 6 PM ? MIDNIGHT ***
North Raleigh Hilton ? 3415 Wake Forest Road ? Raleigh. N.C.
LETTING DATE: March 19, 2002
Prime contractors will be available to receive quotes for trucking, sub-contracting and
materials. MAVBE's needing more information and/or technical assistance may come
to Room 522 to meet with representatives from the Bennington Corp., NCDOT's
Supportive Provider. (919)832-6027
NCDOT Office of Civil Rights & Business Development l?800?522-0453
Certification of highway contracting firms: Richard Chrisawn
Certification of supply/service/engineering firms: Robert Malhes
Comments or concerns: Delano Rackard: Director
^E|3| ? ?J jS&j
From 1-40, take Hwy. 52 south,
take Stadium Dr. and left at top of
I ramp, take right onto M. L. King Jr. Dr., take left M j
onto Reynolds Pk. Rd., after passing the recreation IL
center, take immediate right onto paved street
and proceed left to enter fenced-in area. '!/]
? liMilll'jrlllllMninBUMfl BUHhrl ?# *C>lfa Ei>n i
?HHflBNHBHMHtHBHMMMBlHMBM'?* v4 1
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