File Photo
?.An officer uses a radar gun to monitor the speqdj of drivers. Now those that speed in Forsyth
County will face stiffer financial penalties.
ijSpeeders, beware
Increased fines for violators will be used to help
school system educate youngsters
BY COURTNEY GAILLARD
THE CHRONICLE
Speeders, slow down or else
. expect to pay $25 more in traffic
violation fines the next time you
are pulled over and issued a
speeding ticket.
As of July 1 of this year,
2 fines on traffic citations
'increased in Infraction Court to
provide funds to the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County school
system,
suffering
from the
state
budgetary
crisis. A
panel of
39 judges
from
around
North
Carolina
set the
statewide $15 rate increase and
none of the monies will go to the
state or local governments.
The idea to increase traffic
; court fines developed once word
arose about possible teacher lay
offs at budgetary meetings, said
District Attorney Thomas J.
Keith, also faced with a poten
tial downsizing in the D.A.'s
office.
"The volume (of traffic tick
ets) is tremendous, the numbers
are tremendous and we thought
this would be some way to level
the playing field where
motorists have been getting the
breaks all along. At the same
time it will (now) benefit the
schoolchildren in a really tight
budget year." said Keith.
Data concerning traffic
infractions over a three-month
period compiled by the District
Attorney's Office .revealed that
the Infraction Court handles an
average of 860 traffic cases per
week that can now be subject to
increased fines.
Keith explained that the vol
ume of traffic citations, having
almost tripled in the last decade
from 20.000 citations a year to
70,000, will accrue a substantial
amount of funding for the
School Board.
Schools are expected to
receive a 25 percent increase, or
as much as $1 million, to the $3
million in the funds generated to
them from fines and forfeitures.
According to Keith, the state
Constitution requires that the
court system allocate these fines
and forfeitures to the school sys
tem.
"We don't feel that anybody
is going to plead not guilty and
(ask) for a jury trial over an extra
$15. but you do 50,000 cases a
year and that adds up." Keith
said.
With close to 150 revoked
license citations being issued on
a weekly basis, Keith expects
the courts to pick up an extra
$50 for each of those citations.
Superintendent Donald Mar
tin was grateful to the DA's
office for recognizing the loss in
fee revenue for the school sys
tem. Martin said he hopes to
"begin to replace some of the
things that (the school system) is
in fact cutting." Martin also indi
c a t e d
that the
budget
i s
already
set for
this year
and
these
extra
funds
will be
used
toward
a future school year budget.
"It sounds very creative to
me to work towards restoring
something that (he) believes the
Legislature intended, with those
fees actually going to public
schools," said Martin, who says
the school system can hopefully
proceed with plans to decrease
class sizes with the money gen
erated from traffic fines, espe
cially after the budgetary crisis
called for the schools to increase
their class sizes.
Anyone having received a
ticket on or after July I of this
year will be affected by the new
citation fine increase. Motorists'
insurance will not change as a
result of the fine increase.
Judges hope that this will not
only help schools recover from
the state budgetary cutbacks but
also encourage motorists to obey
the speed limit.
Keith
Martin
WSFD cited for number of responses
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem Fire
Department has been named
to the Firehouse Magazine
Top 150 in the magazine's
annual survey of responses.
In 2001. the department
responded to 19.849 calls of
all types, including fire calls,
calls for medical assistance
and false alarms. This placed
it 104th in the national rank
ing of responses compiled by
Fire
house
M a g a -
zine. a
monthly
publica
tion for
fire
depart
ments.
The
maga
zine con
UUCl.S U V. V?111J'I V. I It 11 1 Y v. 11 HI I v 'l l
al survey every year of key
fire department statistics. The
Top 150 is based on total calls
and ranks those departments
that are the most active and
productive. The survey was
published in the June 2002
' issue.
This is the sixth time that
the Winston-Salem Fire
Department has made the Top
150. said Fire Chief John Gist.
"We're pleased that the men
and women of the' Fire
Department are being recog
nized for their dedication in
responding to the increasing
needs of the citizens in our
community," Gist said. "It is
an independent measure of the
quality of service that all of
our personnel provide to city
I residents 365 days a year."
The Winston-Salem Fire
Department has 285 certified
firefighters serving in 16
engine companies, four aerial
companies and a hazardous
materials response team.
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EOE WTO
Hampton ministers' group
has its first female leader
The Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook
will represent the conference's
7,500 members during gatherings
BY AMY BECKLEY
NNPANEWS INTERN
When Ihe Hampton University Ministers'
Conference - one of the nation's largest inter
denominational black clergy groups - sought a
new president, it made good use of the adage,
"If you need something done, give it to a busy
person,"
That person turns out to be Rev. Suzan
Johnson Cook, founder and senior pastor of the
Bronx Christian Fellowship in New York, who
also is a mother, wife, author, producer and
inspirational speaker. She is the first woman
and the youngest to preside over the confer
ence, which meets annually to focus on the tra
ditions of worship in the African-American
church.
Many women want it all, a successful
career, family and equal time for each, but few
women know how to juggle it all. However,
Cook is doing just that.
"This will only enhance what I currently do.
It will be a joyous addition because it is w ith
colleagues who I know well," Cook said, "and
new doors will open with which I am unfamil
iar." e
During her four-year term, she will repre
sent the conference's 7,500 members during
religious gatherings and oversee plans for the
annual meeting. Clergymen and women from
different denominations gather at Hampton to
sharpen their skills, learn new tools and deal
with personal issues such as loneliness.
Conference officials have every confidence
in Cook.
"She is an outstanding woman of God. She
is going to be a major asset to the conference,"
said Timothy T. Boddie, Hampton University
chaplain and executive secretary of Ihe confer
ence. "We are really excited about her plans for
the conference."
Cook has been a familiar face among the
ministers, conducting workshops for women in
the ministry. She said there are many issues
plaguing the women, including not having
enough opportunities in the church, having to
work full-time jobs while completing their
church duties and finding balance in their lives.
"I was elected by the board in 1996 as the
conference's first female officer, and many of
the delegates felt I should now be president,"
she said.
A lifelong Bronx resident, she is married to
Ronald Cook, who is church administrator and
a community development planner. They have
two sons, Samuel David and Christopher
Daniel. 0
She is active in her community and nation
ally. She has been a chaplain for the New York
City Police Department and president of the 0
New York Coalition of 100 Black Women. In
the religious community, she served 13 years at
the historic Mariner's Temple in lower Manhat
tan. She was the first black woman elected sen
ior pastor of an American Baptist congregation
in its 200-year history. On the national level.
President Bill Clinton in 1997 appointed Cook
to the Initiative on Race Advisory Board, the
only African-American woman and faith leader
on the panel. She also was a White House Fel
low and a consultant to the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development from 1994
97.
Cook is excited about her new post.
"I am sure this has opened numerous doors
for women in the ministry, and it has broken
what we termed the stained glass ceiling," she
said.
There are many women with gifts who are
not able to use them. Now they have a chance
to prove they are Just as good, she said.
Her advice to women in general is to stay
focused, and she warns them not to get too
See Hampton <m A9
Tyro Realty
Rev. Suzan Johnson Cook, of the Bronx, N.Y.,
takes over as the first woman president of
the 7,500-member Hampton University Min
isters' Conference.
NOTICE MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED FIRMS
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) is seeking minority and women-owned firms
(MAVBE) to bid on upcoming highway projects throughout the State. The Locations of the projects are:
5 > S r GOALS BY
C 9 A) ~ O ? PERCENT
d) 3 3 o co u ? ill
?=< no r o ttOiuujuj
E R 9, > o ?CmmcD
o. ODC I- _t 2 tu d s g
8.1101102 Northampton Grading, drainage, paving & Bridge over CSX Transporta- English 39F
Structure tion system & approaches on
? ? . US-301
6.F39006T Tyrrell Widening, grading, drainage. I 'S-64 from West of SR-1116 to Metrics 105%
paving & structures East of SR-1110
6.149009T Washington Widening, grading, drainage. US-64 from NC-45 East of Ply- Metrics 10i% 5%
paving & structures mouth to SR-1126 f
8.7322010 Pitt Grading, drainage & paving . US-I3/NC-11/43/903 (Memor- English 7c/r
ial Drive) at SR-1598 (Dickin
| son Ave) in Greenville
8.2271302 Pender Grading, drainage, paving & Bridge over Cypress Creek & English 7%
structure approaches on SR-1216 near
Burgaw
8.2370802 Granville Grading, drainage, paving & RC Box Culvert at Spewmar- English 7c/<
structure row Creek & approaches on
SR-1445 North of Stovall
Bridge over Shocco Creek &
8.2410603 Warren Grading, drainage, paving & approaches on SR-1614 near English 7'i<
structure Elberton
Bridge over Carolina Southern _
8.1431101 Columbus Grading, drainage, paving & RR & approaches on US-76 at Metrics 5(7r
structure Fair Bluff
1-40 from 1-40 Bus/Cloverdale
6.492(X)2R Forsyth. Intelligent Transportation Systems Ave in Winston-Salem to East English .0#
Guilford, ' of SR-1616 (Holden Rd) at
Rowan Greensboro
Bridec over Gum Swamn
8.2590602 Scotland Grading, drainage, paving & Creek & approaches on SR- English 5#
stiiicture 1614 near Eaurinburg
'Charlotte Outer Lwp)
6.6780I9T Mecklenburg Widening, grading, drainage & from NC-27 (Mount Holly Rd) Metrics 1 (KT 591
paving to East of SR-2042
_________ 3 sections of US-441
7.9711115 Macon Resurfacing, shoulder reconst. English .0T .09F
& pvmt. markings
*** MONDAY, July 15,2002 6 PM - MIDNIGHT ***
North Raleigh Hilton - 3415 Wake Forest Road ? Raleigh. N.C.
LETTING DATE: July 16, 2002
Prime contractors will be available to receive quotes for trucking, sub-contracting and
materials. M/WBE'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 1 ?800?522-0453
Certification of highway contracting firms: Richard Chrisawn
Certification of supply/service/engineering firms: Robert Mathes
Comments or concerns: " Delano Rackard: Director