S File pictures
Linda Garrou is one of only a few women in the Senate.
Taylor sets sights oh
Garrou's Senate seat
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BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Forsyth County will be
getting a new senator this
year.
Controversy erupted last
year when Republicans in
the General Assembly rolled
out new Congressional and
Legislative districts that
critics say were designed to
empower the GOP.
Longtime Forsyth
County State Sen. Linda
Garrou wasn't happy with
the -hew districts. Her home
was drawn out of the 32nd
District, which she has rep
resented since 1999, making
her ineligible to run for
reelection this year.
Garrou is one of more
than 40 plantiffs who have
filed legal challenges, claim
ing the new districts are
unconstitutional. Though
she is not spearheading the
lawsuit, which was filed in
?\ November, Garrou said get
ting involved was an easy
decision for her.
"I was certainly willing
to participate because I
believe that the Republican
party are doing what they
can to marginalize minori
tipc anrl u/nmpn anH I r<*r.
tainly do not think that this
is what the intentions of
redisricting should be," said
the UNC-Chapel Hill alum
na. "...I'm dismayed that
they are short sided and that
they are overreaching in
such a way because I don't
think that in the long run it's
helpful."
Garrou, who says she
won't run in her new
District, is one of only six
women in the NC Senate,
three of whom have
announced they will not
seek re-election in 2012.
Debbie Clary and Jean
Preston, both Republicans,
have also opted not to run
again.
On Monday, a panel of
three Superior Court iudees
threw out several of the
challenges. But groups like
the state NAACP, which has
filed its own challenge, are
happy that the panel saw
merit is several of the other
compliants. While
Republicans say many of the
new districts - including
Garrou's - were redrawn to
make it easier for black can
didates to win seats, the
NAACP is not buying that.
"We continue this fight
because we know the maps
adopted by the General
Assembly are a scheme to
increase the political power
of the ultra-conservative
leadership in the General
Assembly at the expense of
the power of the African
American vote," NAACP
leaders said in a statement.
"Once all the evidence is
heard, we believe the court
will ultimately find the
newly adopted maps uncon
stitutional."
Despite the controversy,
interest in Garrou's seat is
heating up. At least four
people have expressed inter
est in running for the 32nd
District seat, but only City
Council Member James
Taylor has said that he will
definitely run. Though he
said he doesn't agree with
the redistricting plan, Taylor
said it could also bring about
i
James Taylor and his wife monitor election results in 2009.
some good changes for the
black community.
"I do believe the redis
ricting in several districts
does minimize the black
vote," he stated. "But at the
same time, I do think this is
a chance for us (African
Americans) to have some
representation in Raleigh. I
don't think there's ever been
a black senator representing
Forsyth County."
Taylor, a Democrat, was
elected in 2009, beating
incumbent Evelyn Terry in
the proCC&sT ITe said he
appreciated Garrou's leader
ship during her more than
decade-long career in the
N.C. Senate.
"Senator Garrou has
done a great job for our
community, but there is still
work left to be done," said
Taylor, who represents the
city's Southeast Ward.
"Hopefully, I can take the
mantle ... and do what's best
for the people of the 32nd
District."
During his stint on the
Council, Taylor said that he
has advocated for an anti
graffiti ordinance, secured
upgrades for all the play
grounds in his ward and
landed a district office for
the Winston-Salem Police
Department, which is slated
to be complete later this
year. He said he wasn't
motivated by the recent
redistricting alone.
?
"I had been thinking
about running in the last
election two years ago, but I
knew I had a lot to learn on
the City Council and there
was a lot of work that need
ed to be done," said the
North Carolina Central
University alumnus.
"There's still a lot to be
done, but 1 feel like we've
accomplished a lot."
If elected, the 30-year
old will be among the state's
youngest legislators. He
believes his willingness and
ability to work with col
leagues across party lines
will be one of his greatest
assets as a state senator.
"If you look at what's
going on in Raleigh, there is
a large amount of divisive
ness. There is very little get
ting done because people are
focused on being
Republican or Democrat,"
said Taylor, a married father
of three. "...I want to go to
Raleigh to focus on things
that unite us."
Taylor said he is confi
dent about his chances of
making it to Raleigh,
though he likely will face
challengers.
"I am only as confident
as the people who will be
electing me," he said. "And
based on what I've heard
and what I feel, I've done a
good job representing them
and I will be the next senator
of Forsyth County."
I
Rep. Larry Womble
NC House of Representatives
71st District
Tel (336) 784-9373
Fax (336) 784-1626
E-Mail: LWistm@aol.com
Home Address
1294 Salem Lake Road
Winston-Salem, NC 27107
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Restaurants Being
Accepted for Hope du Jour
The 22nd annual Crisis
Control Ministry Hope du
Jour is looking for restaurants
to participate in its May 1
event.
Hope du Jour is Crisis
Control's signature event and
one of its largest fundraisers.
Participating restaurants
agree to donate 10 percent of
their sales on May 1 to sup
port the mission and pro
grams of Crisis Control
Ministry.
The Hope du Jour web
site (www.hopedujour.org)
provides a list of participating
restaurants, both alphabeti
cally and by city. Changes
have been made to the web
site so that symbols designate
restaurants that cater (C),
those that have on-site meet
ing space (M), and serving
times (B) (L) (D). There are
also links to the restaurants'
web sites and Facebook
pages.
News, updates and daily
menu specials from partici
pating restaurants are also
posted on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/hopeduj
our.
Radio program focuses on
money
"Your Money's Worth," a
weekly radio show aired on
WSNC-FM, the public radio
station at Winston-Salem
State University (WSSU),
will feature programs on
retirement funds and flexible
spending accounts this
month.
During the week of Feb.
7, the show will focus on
Roth IRAs and the following
week, the program will dis
cuss converting a traditional
IRA to a Roth IRA. The
week of February 21, the
topic will be healthcare flexi
ble spending accounts and the
program will discuss depend
ent care flexible spending
accounts during the week of
Feb. 28.
"Your Money's Worth"
airs on WSNC 90.5 on
Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and again
at 10:30 a.m. on Thursdays
and Saturdays. Nick Daves,
director of the Center of
Excellence in Financial
Services in WSSU's School
of Business and Economics,
writes and hosts the program.
McDonalds to offer com
memorative CIAA cups
The Central
Intercollegiate Athletic
Association (C1AA) has
announced an unprecedented
in-store commemorative cup
promotion with McDonald's
and long-time official C1AA
partner Coca-Cola to cele
brate the ClAA's 100th
Anniversary in Charlotte
from Feb. 28 - March 4.
I h e
CIAA, its
Board of
Directors,
member
institu
tions,
alumni,
students
and fans
are proud
Burnim
to have the
support of McDonald's and
Coca-Cola in celebrating our
100th anniversary," said
CIAA Board of Directors
Chairman Dr. Mickey
Burnim. "This is a great time
for the CIAA as we celebrate
100 years of history and sue-*
cess. This partnership not
only raises the awareness of
the CIAA, but it also show
cases the strength of our
brand."
The CIAA commemora
tive cup promotion began
Feb. 1 and will conclude on
Feb. 29. More than 12 million
keepsake commemorative
cups will be produced featur
ing the official CIAA l(X)th
anniversary logo,
McDonald's and Coca-Cola's
logos''and the tagline "Come
Celebrate 100 years of histo
ry"
The promotion will
encompass 681 McDonald's
restaurant locations in three
regions in the Mid-Atlantic.
Those markets include the
Richmond, Va. area;
Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta,
Chattanooga, Tenn.,
Columbus, Ga. and Augusta,
Ga.
For more information
about the CIAA conference
or the 2012 Tournament -
100th anniversary celebration
in Charlotte, please visit
www.theciaa.com or
www.ciaatoumament.org.
Report: Use arts to drive
economy
North Carolina
Department of Cultural
Resources Secretary Linda A.
Carlisle has released recom
mendations from a statewide
task force that calls for arts
and cultural districts planning
and funding for arts-driven
economic development pilot
projects.
The recommendations
were from the SmART
Initiative Task
Force appointed by Carlisle
last year. She charged "the
Task Force with using arts
driven economic develop
ment as a catalyst in North
Carolina communities. Jim
Goodmon. CEO of Capitol
Broadcasting, served as
chairperson of the Task
Force.
"The SmART Initiative
reinforces Cultural
Resources' work in the cre
ative economy." said Carlisle.
"Investment in arts and cul
ture makes North Carolina a
place where businesses want
to be, where people want to
live, and where visitors want
to explore."
Goodmon added that in
his experience in recruiting
new businesses to the
Triangle, the arts are a very
effective tool for bringing
new companies to the area.
"The big payoff is economic
development, including the
creation of new businesses
and restoration of vacant or
underutilized buildings," said
Goodmon.
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