Vol. XXXVI No. 7
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
THURSDAY, October 15, 2009
Rams Fan
Day will
be this
Saturday
?See Haxt HV
Women
join fight
against
cancer
-See fane A3
Annual
festival
for seniors
a big hit
'See Haffe B!
DNT TXT
& DRV!
Initiative launched to deter
dangerous habit
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE . -
N.C. State Troopers are
working to stop teenagers
from engaging in a dangerous
actiyity while driving
Text messaging has
become increasingly popular
among teens in particular,
and manv think
J
nothing of sending
texts while driv
ings or doing any
thing else, says Lt.
Doug Hayes, who
created the "Dm
Txt & Drive" pro
gram. The spelling
of the program is
similar to the
abbreviated words
maay use when
ic&iing messages using men
cell phones and other hand
held devices.
"It's their culture, really:
it's how they communicate."
commented Hayes, who has a
14 year-old daughter.
"...Traffic fatalities in teens
are on the rise, and 1 really
think this is the (chief) con
tributor."
The lack of experience
teen drivers have, coupled
with their distraction, due to
text messages and the like is
a recipe for disaster, says
Trooper Kevin Hennelly.
"A lot of the kids are tak
ing it for granted that it's not
going to happen to them."
Hennelly stated. "We were
all that age - you think
you're invincible ... but we
can show them the numbers;
(fatalities on the road are)
hunnpnino tn th#?m
more than anyone
else."
A group of
State Troopers vis
ited North Forsyth
High School
Friday, to expose
an estimated 350
juniors and seniors
to the dangers of
I J. Hayes
texting while driv
ing.
iviy main oDjecuve is
that they gain an understand
ing of how truly dangerous it
is to text while driving,"
commented Principal David
Burleson. "My hope is that
by doing this, we'll save a
life."
Teens, mostly upperclass
rnen, are asked to navigate a
small obstacle course in golf
carts. The first time, they are
asked to concentrate on driv
ing. The second time around.
See Texting on A 9
Photos by Layla Farmer
Sgt. Rich Aired takes a student through the course.
For Skip
Players, university honor late coach with
youth reading program
O I IWL/U
THE CHRONICLE
Pint-sized fourth graders at Latham
Elementary School got some big visitors
as last week.
Members of the Wake Forest
University basketball team visited the
school on Wednesday, Oct. 7 to kick off a
literacy program that the university has
started to honor of former Wake
Basketball Coach Skip Prosser, who
passed away suddenly in 2007 of a heart
attack.
Prosser
It was important to Prosser that his
players excel on the court and in the classroom, so a literacy pro
See Reading on A10
Council
hopefuls
tackle
questions
BY LAYf.A FARMER
HIE CHRONICLE
Winston-Sailem Urban
League Young Professionals'
Town Hall and Candidate
Forum Tuesday evening drew
many of
the men
and
women
who
want to
lead
Winston- I
Salem as I
members I
of the I
City Montgomery
Council.
Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian
Burke was the only incumbent
on hand for the forum,
although the East Ward's
Derwin Montgomery is virtual
ly already a Council Member
since he won his primary and
has no opposition in the
November General Election.
The others who joined
Montgomery on the panel
aren't so fortunate: All of them,
including Burkj. face opposi
tion next month.
Other candidates who field
ed questions on a variety of
issues during the forum were
Democrat Denise "D.D."
Adams and her Republican
opponent in the North Ward.
John Hopkins; Claudia
Shivers, Burke's Republican
opponent in the Northeast
Ward; James Taylor, the
Democrat running for the
Southeast Ward seat; and Peter
Sorensen, the Republican tak
ing on Wanda Merschel for her
Northwest Ward seat.
Sorensen went after
Merschel, the head of the
Council's Finance Committee,
and other Council Members for
throwing money at Dell in
order to lure the company to
Winston-Salem. Last week.
Dell announced that. it would
close its mammoth Winston
Salem production facility after
just five years. More than 900
people will lose their jobs.
"Going after just a large
enterprise wastes all of your
time and puts all of your eggs
See Frown on A 10
Photo by Todd Luck
David Weaver chats with students.
Hailing a Hero
Flowers cover the hood of Sgt. Mickey
Hutchens' cruiser, which is parked
outside of Police Department
Headquarters. The 27-year veteran
died Monday, a few
days after being shot
in the line of duty. A
public memorial serv
ice for Sgt. Hutchens
will be held on Friday
at 2 p.m. at WFU's
Wait Chapel. Today,
his body will lie in the
? > f * _ &
cnapei jrom i w j
p.m. The Police Benevolent
Foundation has set up a donation
fund for Hutchens' family. Donations
can he made at any Wachovia branch
or online at www.phfi.org. Please join
The Chronicle in praying for Sgt.
Hutchens' family; Officer Danny
Clark, who was also shot; and all of
our public safety officers.
Black Panther
legacy lives on
BY TODD LUCK
I Ml CHRONICI I
The struggles and accom
plishments of the Winston
Salem Chapter of the Black
Panther Party were recalled
Sunday afternoon by the men
and women who lived through
them.
Several former Panthers
came to the opening of an
exhibit in their honor at Delta
Arts Center. The exhibit fea
tures newspaper clippings,
photos and documents of the
local Black Panthers Party,
which operated from 1969
through 1977 and was the
See Panthers on AI2
Photo b\ Todd Luck
Nelson Malloy and
Larry Utile
DON'T
PASS
THE BUCK
BUY LOCAL