Sports Week
Sports winners, losers t
for 2002 }
? ? ? ?
Meet Anthony Hill,
Chronicle sports man
See BI See >13 See CI
Community
Social club holds
anniversary bash
? ? ? ?
HAWS program
finding success
Thb Chronicle
: j FORSYTH CNTY PUB LIB VIN STON-S A LI \1 ? GRLINSKORO ? Hl(,ll I'OINT Vol. XXIX No.18
660 5TH ST * 2
. ^NST0N SALH^ *C 27101-2755 Hlliy2iUaUiUlUlftflUiiifiHj^^^M ~
Community
Gauge <
Each new year brings lots and lots
of resolutions. People make
pledges to eat less, exercise more
and save more money. We asked
local people what they resolved to
do in 2003.
'To get bet
ter grades."
- Uriel Alberto, Parkland High
School student
"Peace on
earth, good
will to men,
and keep
Satan under
neath your
foot."
- Rico, the Liberty-Trade Street Hot
Dog Stand
"I hope to
drum up more
business for
. my barber
shop. Big
Tyme Barber
shop and
Styling Salon;
lose more
weight;
, expand some
' and come up with a surprise busi
ness venture; spend as much time as
. I can with my family; open a pro
gram to get some kids some schol
arships for college; fulfill my
church duties; and be more health
conscious."
? - Jon Brown
??
"To begin
to think about
plans for
building my
vacation home
in North Car
olina."
- George Lowery
Latham leader up for challenge |
BYT KEVIN WALKER
^fHE CHRONICLE
Ingrid Medlock has vivid
memories of the day she sat
across from Larry Fields to dis
cuss her background and ambi
tions.
It was about a year-and-a
half ago. Fields was a trailblaz
ing principal at Latham Elemen
tary School and Medlock was
being interviewed for an assis
tant principal's position at the
school.
"The man was brilliant,"
Medlock recalled. "He asked
me questions that no else asked
me, made me think out of the
box, stretched me to no end."
At the time, Medlock was
developing a name for herself in
the school system, teaching
everything from math to drama
and writing grants to jump-start
several local programs. The ?
assistant principal position at
Latham - a school that, with
Fields at the helm, developed a
successful formula that resulted
in inner-city students achieving
test results only seen in the sub
urbs - was Medlock's dream
job. but Fields told her at the
end of the interview that he
already had someone else in
mind for the position.
"He was very upfront with
me....But he tojd me that you
are going to have your school
one day. real soon,'" Medlock
said.
Fields' words were on Med
lock's mind a lot the week
before Christmas as she cleared
out her office at LEAP, the
school where she eventually
landed an assistant principal
ship. Today is Medlock's offi
cial first day as the principal at
Latham. Fields died unexpect
edly of an aneurysm in Septem
ber. Medlock won the top job at
the school after an exhaustive
See Medlock on A3
Ingrid Medlock
pile Photo
A woman lights a
candle on the
kinara during on
one of the days of
Kwanxaa. The
African-American
Christmas celebra
tion has gained
popularity over
the past several
years.
Local folks celebrate Kwanzaa
BY PAUL COLLINS
THE CHRONICLE , ?
Dozens of people attended the open
ing hight of the annual citywide Kwan
zaa celebration last Thursday at the Win
ston-Salem Urban League - to celebrate
the principle of Umoja, or unity.
The program included a welcome,
history of Kwanzaa. recognition of eld
ers. explanation of the Umoja principle,
lighting of the Umoja candle, African
drumming and dancing (by the Otesha
Arts Ensemble), recitation of a poem,
refreshments. Also, vendors sold ethnic
crafts.
Some people wore colorful African
attire. One dance featured several mem
bers of the audience in a contest, and at
other times some members of the audi
ence stood up and danced on their own.
Debra D. James, coordinator of the
citywide Kwanzaa, celebration, said of
Kwanzaa: ?This rva wonderful celebra
tion. The hard times that a lot of families
are going through with layoffs and budg
et cuts, this is another way to add festiv
ities to this time of the year without
being commercial, without feeling obli
gated to buy gifts. This is a way to come
together."
She said that at Christmas time,
some families delay paying bills or do
without in order to buy gifts for their
children. "We need to get back to love.
We need to get back to the basics." she
said.
Kwanzaa is an African-American
and Pan-African holiday that celebrates
family, community and culture! accord
ing the the official Kwan/aa Web site.
Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec. 2b
through Jan. I and "its origins are in the
first harvest celebrations of Africa." The
name Kwanzaa is derived from the
phrase "matunda ya kwanza," meaning
"first fruits" in Swahili. the most widely
spoken African language.
The first-fruits celebrations are
recorded as far back as ancient Egypt
and Nubia. Kwanzaa was established in
the United States in 1969 amid the Black
Freedom Movement. It has been cele
brated in Winstorf-Salem since the late
1970s.
Kwanzaa stresses seven communi
tarian African values, or principles:
JJmoja (unity), Kujichagulia (self-deter
mination), Ujima (collective work and
responsibility), Umajaa (cooperative
economics), Nia (purpose). Kuumba
(creativity) and Imani (faith).
When asked to explain what Kwan
zaa means to him and his family. Alvin
Borders, education specialist at the
Urban League, said: "It's like you're
passing on the old and bringing in the
new. really. That's what it means to us.
It's a time to reflect on our family.val
ues."
Tahnva Bowser, who owns,fi|id oper
Sce Kwanzaa on A7 |
City to
be topic
of course
Residents to be educated
about local government
BY AL WHITE
CHRONICLE INTERN
Interested in learning
more about the functions of
Winston-Salem's city gov
ernment?
The city of Winston
Salem was recently awarded
a 10.000 ECHO. Grant
(Everyone Can Help Out)
from the Winston-Salem
Foundation The grant will be
used to establish a public
education program called the
City of Winston-Salem Uni
(CWS2J)
tor tlW
fall oP
2003..
."The
City of
Win
ston
Salem
Univer
sity is a
k ,1
u i kj a u -
brushed education about all
facets of city government."
said Carrie Collins, Winston
Salem's marketing and com
munications director.
CWSU is a free 10-week
course, with classes meeting
once a week for three hours.
It will give citizens insight
on city functions and allow
them to have a more active
voice in the government. The
CWSU wil| not focus on one
particular department or pro
gram within the government.
"Students will have a
chance to work with the vari
ous city departments, and
their involvement and ideas
will help better the city of
Winston-Salem," Collins
said. CWSU students will
learn about all>t.the city's
committees, depanments and
programs.
The course will be limited
to 25 residents, who will be
selected through a free appli
cation process. Residents
from Winston-Salem will
receive priority within the
application process, yet if
there are openings, residents
of Forsyth County will be
accepted. s
"We're looking for eve'ryW
body who is 18 years of agd
or older," declared- Collins.
"Any citizen of Winston
Salem is welcome to apply."
High school seniors interest
ed in public policy with
strong credentials and experi
ence are encouraged to apply.
See Course on A7
Collins
More families turning to
schooling kids at home
BY COURTNEY GAILLARff
llll CHRONICLE
Almost 10 years ago. Sochi
Nzewi (pronounced Soche En/uey)
decided to home-school her only
child because his late birthday
would make him one of the
youngest in his kindergarten class.
Today all five of Nzewi's children
are being home-schooled and on
the road to academic excellence.
"I didn't think (my son) was
ready for the long school day
schedule....We had a great experi
ence that first year (of home
schooling) and each year has been
rewarding ever siijce." said Nzewi.
whpse children are among the esti
mated 1.412 students who were
home-educated in Forsyth County
during the 2(M) 1 -2002 school year,.'
according to the Department of
Non-Public Education. The DNPE
is a regulatory agency within the
N.C. Department of Public Instruc
tion that oversees private elemen
tary/secondary schools in the state.
The Nzewi household is also
one of 800 home schools in
Forsyth County, with 941 home
schools in Guilford County and i
nearly 1.800 home schools in
Mecklenburg County during the
previous school year.
Nzewi and her husband,
Emmanuel Nzewi, a professor at
N.C. A&T University, are original
ly from Nigeria, but they have
lived in the United States for 16
Stv Horn* school on A3
Photo by Krvin Walkn
Shateka Cuthbertson spoons tiny bits of macaroni and cheese into
the mouth of her baby girl, Janiquia, at a Christmas dinner held in
Happy Hill Gardens recently. The event was organized by a church
outreach program. See A2 for the full story.
"I hope to
be more pro
ductive with
my time."
<7
- Wanda Johnson, owner and
operator of Klassic Kreations
Compiled by Jaeson Pitt and Al White
^UmomcKMiMcc for African.American and UlimmiMimmmm