Residents excited about proposed plans
HAWS wants to use federal dollars to jump start economic development in the area
BY LAYLA FARMER
[HI CHRONICLE
Residents of the city's
East Ward listened last
Thursday as Larry Woods,
CEO of the Housing
Authority of Winston-Salem,
discussed a strategic plan
that could drastically change
the look and vitality of their
community.
Woods, who has led the
Housing Authority for more
than three years, detailed the
plans for the Cleveland
Avenue Neighborhood
Transformation Initiative
that the Housing Authority
has devised in conjunction
with a variety of community
partners during a meeting at
the 14th Street Recreational
Center.
City Council Member
Derwin Montgomery praised
the plan, saying it is
"absolutely wonderful,"
even though funding for the
project has not been secured.
Last week's meeting was
a followup to a Blueprint for
the East Ward gathering
Montgomery had convened
in August to look at strategic
plans in the city and discuss
their progress. Woods
believes the Neighborhood
Transformation Initiative
could help bring new com
merce to the area, which has
been plagued by inactivity
and stagnant growth in many
areas, compared to other
regions of the city.
"When 1 came here, one
of the major' complaints or
concerns that I kept hearing
over and over again was no
one was paying economic
attention to the East Ward.
Woods explained. "(This
plan will) use the resources
of the federal government to
try to stimulate economic
growth in the East ^ard tor
the benefit of the entire com
munity."
To facilitate the plan.
HAWS will sell some of its
properties. including
Cleveland Avenue Homes, a
large low-income complex,
which will be demolished to
make way for a new devel
opment with smaller, more
attractive living spaces with
tree lined connector streets
that would broaden accessi
bility to and from thostfea.
"Since we know that
we're part of the problem."
he said, referring to the high
concentration of crime in the
Cleveland area. "We re will
ing to give up some of our
land - about a third of it -
and turn it into a park that
would include a swimming
pool . If the city agrees to
develop it. we will turn it
over to them."
Woods says breaking up
Larry Woods addresses the audience.
large concentrations of
poverty such as Cleveland,
which houses nearly 250
families, is a strategy that the
US Department of Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD) is pushing housing
authorities across the nation
to implement. He assured
those present at the meeting
that none of the residents
will be displaced as a result
of the Transformation
Initiative.
"By federal law, we can
not displace people," he stat
ed. "We will have to ensure
that they have a place to live
plus cover moving
expenses."
Although it is currently at
the forefront of the initiative,
and plans to use its resources
to help secure funding for its
implementation from the
HUD and other sources, the
Housing Authority's role in
the transformation will be
relatively small. Woods said.
"Once the property is
sold, the Housing Authority
will be out of there." he said.
"The people that are going to
make sure the investments
are made are going to be
you. the community."
Beautifying the area will
have no impact if its people
- who are disproportionately
uneducated and low income
compared to other wards in
the city - are not also
empowered to better them
selves and their neighbor
hoods. Woods said. The
Cleveland Avenue Plan
would address these issues
by involving partners like
the school system, the city
and the Urban League to aid
in education, job placement
and other support initiatives
for liast Ward residents, he
said.
The Housing Authority
hopes to secure a $25(),(KK>
Dororthy Bonner
planning grant early next
year. The project would
require at total of around $30
million in grants to com
plete, Woods estimates, but
he is confident the plan has
the potential to spark the
interest and financial support
of HUD and other grantors.
"There's not another
Housing Authority that has a
plan as thorough as ours," he
declared. "There's a good
chance that we can get this
money."
Citizens responded posi
tively to the plan overall.
"That's very exciting. I
think it could put a great
impact on the residents of
public housing," Dororthy
Bonner, a resident of the
neighboring Northeast Ward,
said of the plan
Bonner was especially
pleased with the idea of
breaking up Cleveland
Avenue Homes in favor of
smaller communities dis
persed throughout the area.
"Everybody needs their
freedom," she said. "In order
to be successful, you've got
to have space (to grow)."
Marva Reid. a communi
ty activist and longtime pro
ponent of building a swim
ming pool in the East Ward,
said she is thrilled with the
Photos by LayU Farmer
proposition that could allow
her dream to finally come
true.
"You know I'm excited;
I'm looking forward to the
swimming pool coming to
fruition," she said. " The
overall plan is very good, but
the social issues is what
we're going to have to
address as a people."
Montgomery also briefly
discussed the East Ward
Development Coalition, a
collaborative of concerned
citizens and community
agencies he is trying to
organize to help increase the
quality of life for citizens in
his ward.
"It's going to take .all of
these individuals and organi
zations to leverage the
capacity that they have to
drive projects and things for
ward in this community,"
Montgomery said.
During a meeting in late
August. Montgomery heard
the concerns of several of his
constituents, who com
plained that bulletproof bar
riers that had been installed
in the Wachovia on Martin
Luther King Jr. Drive and the
BB&T on New Walkertown
Road gave the community
the appearance of being
unsafe. Montgomery had
said he hoped to convene a
meeting where officials from
each bank could explain the
logic behind the barriers,
which are found exclusively
in the East Winston branch
es, to the community. To
date. Montgomery has not
been able to entice either
bank to participate.
Montgomery said Tuesday
he will remain diligent in his
pursuit of information for the
community.
"I do believe that it's
probably a thought of Let s
see if this blows over That's
probably the feeling of the
other side," he said. "But I
do think that it's something
that needs to "be addressed
I'm going to keep pushing to
get some answers and get
(the banks) to answer to the
community as well."
Residents of the East
Ward will Rather for their
regular Town Hall meeting
on Thursday, Nov. 4 at City
Hall, for more information,
contact Montgomery at der
wtnm@ cityofws .org .
Photo by LajpIb Farmer
Tia Sorfleei poses with members of her family, her race learn and local supporters.
Norfleet
from page A I
The benefits of sponsor
ing the fledgling team could
be great, according to Allen
Ellison, founder of the
Washington. DC'. -based
Platinum Sports and
Entertainment Group and
sports agent for Team
Norfleet.
"NASCAR is one of the
biggest marketing platforms
available." he noted. "It can
bring a great deal of expo
sure for companies looking
to expand their brand."
Tia Norfleet began racing
on the go-cart circuit around
the age of nine.
"I love racing; it\ excit
ing, its an adrenaline rush
and it's a challenge all at the
same time." she declared.
"I'm very competitive, so I
fit perfectly in this equa
tion."
The second of four chil
dren. she says she is
undaunted by the field of
mostly white, predominantly
male competitors she faces
"I don't let that intimi
date me." remarked the
Suffolk. Va. -native. "It moti
vates me to work just as hard
as they do."
Bobby Norfleet. owner
of Bobby Norfleet Racing,
says his daughter is a talent
ed songstress who has turned
down several recording con
tracts to pursue her dream of
racing Though racing has
consumed much of her life
in recent years. Tia Norfleet
savs her first love was
singing.
"Before 1 would drive. I
would sing. It's just some
thing that is natural; It's
God-given." she related.
"I'm a very emotional being,
and that's how I express
myself, through writing and
singing."
Though much of the
attention her team has
received thus far has
stemmed from the fact that
she is an African American
female. Norfleet says she
hopes that her fans and oth
ers will soon learn to judge
her by her record, not her
looks.
"I just want to race." she
commented "It's not neces
sarily about making history.
I just want to do what I love
to do."
f*iir Ph.*
Duane Cyrus
UNCG
from puitr AS
Registration is SI 75 for
all attendees.
The Literary ('ate on the
evening of Oct. 16. organ
ized by Cyrus, will combine
readings and dance, and will
be held at the International
Civil Rights Center and
Museum, where tours will be
available and a reception will
be held. Admission to the
Literary Cafe is included for
those who are attending the
conference. For those who
wish to attend only the
Literary Cafe, admission
costs $25.
For more information
visit iniu iincK .edu/afs
email afs(& uncn.edu or tall
336-334,5507.
IT'S A BOY!
JODY ADONIS WHITE
PFC Ronald (RJ) and Brittney White
(RJ previously stationed Ft. Hood, TX -
now on Army deployment in Mosul,
Iraq) announce the birth of their son
Jody Adonis White delivered at LNC
Women's Hospital in Chapel Hill, NC;
12:56 a.m. - Sept. 13, 2010, 8 lbs. 15 ozs,
19 3/4 inches.
First time proud paternal grandparents Ronnie and Brend.i White
Winston-Salem, NC, maternal grandmother Judv Rogers, Durham, \C
paternal great grandparents Lewis and Sarah White, letfersonton, VA
paternal late great grandmother (our angel smiling from heaven > D<t
Robinson, formerly of Culpeper, VA.. paternal Aunt Robvn (W estern
Carolina Univ.-Cullowhee, NC), paternal twin Uncle Rvan White ( NC A &
T, Greensboro, NC), paternal L'ncle Randall White (Winton Salem Stat.
Univ.) and maternal Uncle Anthony McFadden, Washington, IX paterna:
great Aunt Linda Arnngton, Woodbndge, VA, paternal great Uncle I red
and great Aunt Denise Robinson, Dumtnev VA are all ri'joicmg at hi*
arrival.
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