Learning to Share Jo****/ irv~. Photo courtesy Crisis Control Ministry To celebrate the Week of the Young Child, Crisis Control Ministry (CCM) and the Forsyth Association for the Education of Young children (FAEYC) are inviting preschool children and their families to join a cereal drive. The donated cereal will be distributed by the ministry's food pantry to hungry families in Forsyth County. Wee Caret will kick off dur ing the Week of the Young Child, April 7-13, and continue throughout April. A national celebration of young children birth to age 7, the Week of the Young Child highlights the importance of families, early childhood professionals and communities working togeth er to support every child's healthy development. MEAC from page A1 could not be reached before press time, but Winston-Salem is likely competing against cities such as Richmond, which has hosted the tournament for the last several years. Other factors will also play in the city's favor. McCoy believes, including recent reno vations at Joel Coliseum and the city's reputation for putting on a good show, a reputation gained during the CIAA's stint here. Mayor Allen Joines said he is excited about the possibility of Winston-Salem hosting another basketball tournament. "I have been very support ive of the project....I feel it offers some good possibilities," Joines said. Joines has held informal talks with members of the Board of Aldermen about the bid. He says he has gotten positive feedback. Joines added that landing the MEAC would be another notch on the city's belt. In recent months, Winston-Salem has landed a Davis Cup qualify ing event and an AAU girls bas ketball tournament. "It would be a growing indi cation of the city's ability to compete for events such as this." Joines said. The Greater Winston-Salem Sports Commission has been a silent player in the city's recent success with landing sporting events. The volunteer commis sion worked closely with the CVB while the bid was being put together. Dennis Hatchell, the chair man of the commission, said that support for the MEAC coming to Winston-Salem is strong. Chancellor Harold Mar tin of Winston-Salem State University has given the effort strong support, said Hatched, even though his school is a member of the CIAA. Hatched believes that out siders looking at the city have to like what they see. "We are a good-sized town. We have a lot of good restau rants and hotels, and (this) is obviously still a very strong basketball area," Hatched said. MEAC officials are expect ing to announce their decision in June. Hatched is optimistic about he city's chances. "I think our chances are very good," he said, "if they base it on the energy our city would bring to an event like this." Denny's from pdge A8 Advantica grew out of the old Trans World Airlines, which was liquidated in 1986. The company, then known as TW Services Inc.. owned a contract food service business called Canteen Corp. and Spartan Food Systems, which franchised Hardee's and Quin cy's Family Steakhouse restaurants. TW Services bought Denny's and El Polio Loco restaurant chains in 1987. Two years later, TW Services was bought in a leveraged buyout. In 1997. the company filed for bankruptcy protection to cut its $2.2 billion debt f/om the leveraged buyout in half. It emerged from bankruptcy protection in early 1998. For 2001. the company reported more than $73 mil lion in interest expense related to more than half a billion dol lars in long-term debt. Ebersole said company needs to reduce its debt so it can invest more in its restau rants. The company reported an $88 million loss last year, compared with a $98 million loss the previous year. Rev enues fell to $1.03 billion from $1.16 billion. But the company cites pos itive nuniBers as well. Minority traffic increased to 61 million visitors in 2000 from 51 million in 1998. And systemwide. which includes franchise revenues, sales lasi year reached a record $2.23 billion. Mike Dahney recently stopped in for a bite at a Spar tanburg Denny's, almost on a whim. Like many other blacks, he had avoided the chain foi years. But now he said he was willing to give Denny's anoth er chance, and his decision on whether to return would have nothing to do with its past racial problems. "It depends on how good the pie is," he said. NAACP to hold annual gala The state's first female Victims and Citizens Attorney Liaison to speak SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE The Winston-Salem ' NAACP will hold its 25th Annual Freedom Fund Gala Banquet on Friday, April 19, at the Benton Convention Center. Tickets for the event are $35 and can be purchased by call ing (336) 748-1072. There will be scholarship awards given to area students in honor of the late Chuck Lewis and Sarah Marsh. The keynote speaker for the event is Gwendolyn Burrell, victims and citizens attorney liaison in the Victims and Citi zens Services Section of the N.C. Attorney General's Office. Burrell provides legal advice to state offices and agencies and to the public as allowed by law. She concen trates on victims and citizens rights and issues that may affect elders such as fraud and abuse. Burrell is the former inspector general for North Carolina. She was appointed to the position of inspector general by Attorney General Roy Cooper. Burrell was the first female to serve as inspector general for North Carolina. Prior to her appointment as inspector general, Ms. Burrell served as an assistant attorney general in the N.C. Department of Justice. Burrell has also worked as an attorney in private practice, with the N.C. Department of Transportation, Human Rela tions Section, and as a criminal magistrate in Wake County. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate of North Carolina Central Uni versity School of Law in Durham. Burrell is an active member of Wake Chapel Church in Raleigh, where she serves as a member of the Deacons' Wives Ministry. Disciple Intake Min istry and Sunday school teacher; she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and serves as an executive board member for New Begin nings Inc. a transitional hous ing program for women and children. She resides in Raleigh with her husband. Gary E. Burrell, a lieutenant in the criminal investigations section of the Wake County Sheriffs Depart ment. They have two sons, Jordan and Gordan. The NAACP will also host the 15th Annual Sarah Marsh Benefit Scholarship Golf Clas sic at the Winston Lake Golf course on April 20 and April 21. fte time is 8 a.m. on April 20. Sharpton from pa^e A1 Sharpton will speak about ways churches can take their messages outside of church walls and into the communities around them. Sharpton's visit comes as Union celebrates its 80th anniversary. The church is on the corner of Trade and Northwest Boulevard. Sharpton will speak during the II a:pi. service Sunday. Later that day. the Rev. James Isaac, pastor of New Hope Granville Baptist Church in Oxford, will he featured during an afternoon worship service at 4 p.m. Firefighters from page AS level. "We will be visible and out in our communities to show our support for Erskine Bowles," stated Mike Spath. "We will heed the call and work hard to spread the word that Erskine is the best candidate for firefight ers and the state's working fam ilies." "1 couldn't be more hon ored to have the support of the North Carolina Professional Fire Fighters," Bowles said. "Since September llth. fire fighters have become a symbol of the incredible sacrifice and dedication that is the hallmark of emergency responders. "I am particularly proud to have the support of these heroes, who risk their lives on the job every day. They truly care about this state, and they deserve a senator who cares about them and their, families and who will work to achieve real results. I want to be that kind of senator for these fire fighters. their families and for all North Carolinians." Bowles, a Democrat, has also recently received several endorsements, including former Gov. Jim Hunt and the state AFL-CIO. Hotel from page AS but didn't admit guilt, said Randy Myers, a hotel spokesman. The hotel alleges the teachers education associa tion was required to pay for each of 758 rooms it had booked that the hotel was 1 unable to fill, according to the ' federal lawsuit, which was [ filed Tuesday. "We expect all groups that signed contracts to live up to the terms," Myers said. Losing the event cost the 1 hotel $93,234 in room charges alone, according to the law suit. Another clause in the con tract called for the group to pay $75,000 if less than 49 percent of (he contracted guest rooms were occupied. The company also lost the money that the 2,500 people 1 who were scheduled to attend would have spent on food and liquor, the lawsuit said. Myers said he couldn't discuss whether other law suits would follow against other groups that canceled events at Adam's Mark hotels. Purchase I ? ( 'f ft a family P' '( ff + membership x ?p' vy (2 adults and _ f any minor WiAjnCtf ^zzsfL x ? ^ />2?/H \ Winston-Salem/' B fy* XJ"?" Warthogs V? ^k 'IJm' vV*"" Home Game! y' L ^r;OC*" For more ^k i V Vv information or to ^k i locate the nearest ^ branch, call 777-8055, Hp Ext.400, or visit us ac www.ymca-ws.org ^ YMCA of Greater Winston-Salem Serving Forsyth, Stokes, Davie, Yadkin and Wilkes Counties A United Way Agency \ Employment fv Fair A Career Expo Tuesday, April 23 10:OOam - 6:00pm ? Wfc LJVM Coliseum Annex ? Winston-Salem NC " sponsored by... GMAC Insurance Norftiwest Piedmont Work Force Development Board The Winston-Salem Journal Over 100 Piedmont Triad employers expected, with representation from several Fortune 500 companies. Bnng copies of your resume and dress appropnately. Child care provided on-site. ^ Spanish and Sign Language interpreters available. Job readiness and career seminars will be j^H held on-site. This year's Career Expo focus is Healthcare Careers co-sponsored by Forsyth Medical Center and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center for more info call 1.800.556.6658 or 336-748-3524 Contributing Agencies; The Winston-Salem Chamber and other area Chambers, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School System, Employment Se