Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Dec. 6, 2012, edition 1 / Page 5
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
WFU professor: Nothing special about upcoming dates SPECIAL TO THE O?0NlCtB Hot on the heels of last year's 11/11/11 come two big dates in December. Are you ready for 12/12/12 or 12/21/12? Should you be? A Wake Forest University nrnfessnr ?i?I?a. says these dates on a calendar page do not offer mystical truths. While a few specific dates when written out can achieve a unique and interesting numeri cal pattern, are these dates really significant or is there just increased attention from the superstitious? Eric Carlson, a physics nmfAaoA* ?'*?? |rivivaavi TTIIU R19U IVOVIIViS about skepticism, pseudoscience and the scientific method, offers his take on two upcoming dates in December: December 12,2012 (12/12/12) "Although repetitive patterns like 12/12/12 are interesting, they have no more special significance than when your car's odometer hits 121,212 miles." December 21,2012 (12/21/12) "This date marks the end a ? Kit 1 1th h'olr'tlin tha VI 11IV UUI V OA lUIi UI UK long count Mayan calendar. But just as our own calendar ends on Dec. 31, but then starts over again, so also the Mayan calendar continues after Dec. 21. The date has i no other particular astronom ical or other significance, and there is no reason to expect it to mark the end of the world, or the beginning or a spiritual iransiormauon. The date is not singled out in Mayan writings as being particularly special, and claims that it coincides with some sort of galactic alignment are incorrect, and fly in the face of our understanding of astronomy and physics." Womble from page AJ learned months after the crash that he would be facing a misdemeanor death by motor vehicle charge. The N.C. Attorney General's Office, which was charged with han dling the case to avoid the appearance of bias by the Forsyth County District Attorney's Office, decided to charge Womble after an initial investigation by the Winston-Salem Police Department indicated that it was Womble's car that crossed the center line and hit Cirmichael's vehicle. The police department's investiga tion reportedly included the statements of two wit nesses, From the beginning, Womble has insisted that he was traveling in the westbound lane of Reynolds Park Boulevard, heading towards a banquet at WSSU, and did not leave his lane. "1 knew that it couldn't have been Larry (at fault) because I knew he was coming from his home," said Womble's attorney David Freed man. "...1 had wit nesses that could place Larry at his house (east of the scene) just before the accident. Once 1 heard that the accident hap pened in the westbound lane ... I knew that Larry was not the driver (at fault)." After viewing the ini tial WSPD report, Freedman contacted Special Deputy Attorney General Steven Arbogast and asked that he review both Womble and Carmichael's phone records and talk with Womble's witnesses, who could - support the defense s claim that he would have been travel ing in the westbound lane. I had tremendous trust in the prosecutor I was dealing with, that he wanted to do the right thing, so 1 decided rather than surprising him in court, maybe we could J*01* together," freedman said. Arbogast agreed to have the investigation re opened. During the sec ond investigation, which rreedman said was also WCDT> membCrS ?f ^ W5FD, receipts were dis covered in Carmichael's pockets that placed him at a downtown bar west of the scene 20 minutes before the accident. ?a' ,'aw enforcement called in an accident re constructionist, whose findings corroborated the partial story told by Womble's phone records (which included a call reminding him of the banquet) Carmifhael's Receipts Soon after, Arblfcut filed the paperwork t^Savethe charges draped. Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke, chair of the city's Public Safety Committee, said that she is concerned that local law enforcement's initial assessment of tlie acci dent was so far off base. She and other city leaders discussed the incident during a City Council meeting on Monday. "When you give reports like the one that we just got (initially), it makes the citizens doubt ful of the police depart ment," Burke remarked. ... It puts the thought in your head: Did they do what we would consider a thorough investigation? That was the question | that I asked (City i Manager Lee Garrity), and of course he said that they did." Burke added that the incident may be an indi cation that the police department needs to I reevaluate the way it investigates accidents of I this nature. "It would appear that the individuals who investigated it, it would appear that they failed but they will tell you that they used a different tool (to investigate). That's my understanding," she said. "I'm sure the next accident that we have ... that it will have a better report than this one." Police Chief Scott Cunningham declined to comment on the WSPD's involvement in the case. "For a variety of rea sons, WSPD will not comment for the article," Cunningham said in a Dec. 3 email to The Chronicle. Although the initial report turned out to be wrong, Freedman sai<Lhc doesn t blame the police. In fact, he said local law enforcement have been more than fair in their handling of the investiga tion. "I think they took some extra steps. They on their own contacted the accident re-construction ist once I gave them the witness that put Larry at his home," he stated. "They reopened the investigation. They didn't have to do that." Womble said he is just happy to be able to put it ?11 behind him. "I'm grateful to have the State Attorney General's Office make the ruling that they did," he said. Vets from page A4 any way possible." Rankings are based on several factors, including staff assigned to support veterans, graduation rates for veterans, loan default rates for veterans and numbers of military-affil iated students enrolled. "Obviously this is a huge recognition of UNCG's commitment to military-affiliated stu dents and 1 look forward to future endeavors," said Dedrick Curtis, UNCG's veteran services coordi nator. About 630 schools in several categories applied for the ranking. Categories include four year schools, two-year schools, online schools, and career and technical schools. About 483 military affiliated students at UNCG receive G1 Bill benefits; UNCG's gradu ation rate for veterans is 72 percent. I Media ftvmpmft M Since she founded the Institute, it has commis sioned more than 12 groundbreaking research studies and has amassed the largest body of research on gender preva lence in family entertain ment in the last 20 years. The Institute's research has found that: ? Males outnumber females 3 to 1 in family films, a ratio that has not changed much since 1946; ? Females on the screen are almost four times as likely as males to be shown in sexy attire and are nearly twice as likely as males to be shown with a diminutive waistline; ? And from 2006 to 2009, not one female character was depicted in G-rated family films in the field of medical sci ence, as a business V J ' V leader, in law, or politics. Diversity Woman's editorial content is designed for the unique concerns of women busi ness leaders, executives and entrepreneurs. Pounder Sheila Robinson says that it is the only magazine on the market designed exclusively to help smart, savvy women of all races, cultures and backgrounds achieve their career and business - Winning Designs Second Harnett HHio Jamison (left) and Oded hold the holiday cards that they designed for Second Harvest Food Bank's Gift Outside the Box holiday honor card program. In all, the designs offour Second Harvest Kids Cafe clients were selected for the cards program. The winners took home prizes and the cards featuring their designs are available for sale at wwwJsungernwnc.org to benefit the Food Bank. December 6, 7, 8 Candlelight Guided Tours Tours offered every half hour, 4:30-7 p.m. Stories of a Reynolds family holiday, carols on the Aeolian organ and live entertainment. Includes Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey. December 11 | 8 p.m. Holiday Pops Concert: Carolina Brass December 16 | 3 p.m. Play: A Christmas Memory REYNOLDA HOUSE MUSEUM of AMERICAN ART 2250 Reynolds Road | 336.758.5150 reynoldahouse.org Advance purchased recommended for all holiday events.Tickets on sale now. Supported by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County 1 I Sit your latest ntws online
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Dec. 6, 2012, edition 1
5
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75