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Services Irom page AS and other non-profits, allowing them to find out what agencies are providing any given service so that local resources can be tar geted more efficiently and without duplication. Stacey Field, a Forsyth Futures practicum intern who is a doctoral student in the School of Psychology at North Carolina State University, completed the initiascape. She also updat ed a directory of advocacy support services for fami lies with exceptional chil dren and youth. As part of her project, she organized the discussion, "Community Table: Advocates for Exceptional Children and Youth Services" on Nov. 14. Various stakeholders met and discussed their roles and areas of expertise with one another, and the group developed pictures of the connections among the partners. The Initiascape is avail able at www.forsythfu tures.org. NCCU from page AS tant the faith community is to emergency manage ment efforts," said M. Chris Herring, executive director of the institute. "These organizations, have personal, trusted relationships with local communities and a unique ability to reach millions of vul n e r a b 1 e Americans. This course is aimed at enhancing whole community plan ning before an event, so effec tiveness can be maximized." in late zu tz. Herring presented overviews of the course at a disaster management conference convened by the National Baptist Convention USA in Nashville. Tenn., and at the Nati6nal State Administrative Agency Symposium at the Department of Homeland Security's Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Ala., which was attended by more than 40 state and federal emer gency management train ing administrators. A second workshop course created at the insti tute has also received Homeland Security certi ficatiori. Titled "Planning and Intervention for Gangs, Hate and Terrorist Groups in Rural Jails and Prisons," the course focuses on providing management tools for rural jail and prison offi cials to identify and dis seminate recruitment activities information on gangs, hate groups and t a r r r% r i c t groups. The e i g h t - h o u r workshop has been delivered in nine cities throughout the United States, and the Institute Has received reuuests from six more juris dictions 'to offer the course in 2013. Both courses were developed with funding from Department of Homeland Security in collaboration with the Rural Domestic Preparedness Consortium. The Institute for Homeland Security and Workforce Development is part of NCCU's Department of Criminal Justice. It provides train ing to help communities prepare for emergencies and engages in research that improves the emer gency preparedness levels of organizations through out the world. 1 Herring Court from pa ft A1 the offenders were 15 or 16 years of age. and almost all admitted to using marijuana daily. Through the drug court, which is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, youth ages 12-16 will have access to a variety of treatment options and pro grams designed to help them get on the right path. It is a far cry from a tradi tional courtroom setting where youth could face harsh punishments for their drug-related offenses. Many of the youth - who were referred to the court by other judges, counselors or drug treat ment providers - have been expelled from school or simply refuse to go. according to their mothers Judge Hartsfield told the teens that school atten dance would be mandatory throughout the duration of the program, which could last anywhere from nine to 18 months, depending on the individual needs of the youth. "It's exciting." said Chief of Court Stan Clarkson, who has been heavily involved in Reclaiming Futures, a community-based youth drug treatment collabora tive. for years. "It's a good opportunity to bring a treatment focus for kids who really need some redi rection in their lives." Despite the seriousness of the circumstances that brought the group togeth er, Hartsfield kept the mood intentionally light during the inaugural ses sion. She cracked jokes and conversed easily with the young defendants, pro fessing her staunch sup port of their journeys and unflinching belief in their respective abilities to be successful. Hartsfield brought along two pineap ples to symbolize the role of the court in the youths' lives. "Since the pilgrims came in colonial days, the pineapple has been a sym bol that means welcome," she said. "I want everyone to feel welcome and to be very comfortable on this journey... There are going to be some slips - there are going to be some falls - but the pineapple tells us that we're all welcome here and we're all working together." Hartsfleld likened the teens to the fruit, which she said has a "rough, prickly" exterior, but "what's inside is fleshy, juicy, sweet and absolutely wonderful." Hartsfield told the youth that many of the defendants who come before her - both young and old - land in her court room because of an alco hol or drug addiction. "One of the goals that I would have is trying to make sure that you never have to see adult court." she said. "...1 anticipate that we're going to have a great deal of pineapples in here, and we're going to celebrate some folks." The Reclaiming Futures court differs from traditional juvenile court because it is treatment focused, Hartsfield said. Because it is grant-sup ported. program leaders have access to resources that aren't traditionally available in juvenile courts, such as regular drug testing and research based assessment tools that aid the treatment team in identifying the best pos sible treatment program for each offender. Hartsfield said. Youth who adhere to the court's direc tions will be rewarded with a variety of incentives in Hartsfield's "treasure box," ranging from gift cards to event tickets. Those who do not comply will receive sanctions, everything from required book reports to detention, if necessary, she said. The Forsyth County Adult Drug Court became one of the first in the state when it was implemented in 19% as one of five pilot programs in North Carolina. Both courts fell victim to state budget cuts. The juvenile court has been defunct since 2011. "We're extremely for tunate and very, very happy to be able to start this court up again," Hartsfield told those pres ent in the courtroom for the start of the program last week. "1 know that we need this in this communi ty ... this is indeed a great Photo by Lay la Garrm Reclaiming Futures Project Director Mina Cook with Drug Treatment Court Coordinator Mark Kinney. day in Forsyth County." Attorney Eric Ellison was tapped to represent the young defendants. "This is going to make just a huge impact on the young kids in our commu nity." he said of the pro gram. "Hopefully, it will prevent them from enter ing the adult system." So far. participants in the program are all people of color, and Ellison said last week that he hoped their interaction with black professionals would help to inspire the youth to want to pursue their own dreams and goals. "Culturally speaking, maybe these youth will be able to identify (with us) and we might be able to close the gap on the people who are running this courtroom and the people who are serving (in it)." he said. Reclaiming Futures Project Director Mina Cook said the drug court program will fill a much needed niche in the local sector. "(Reclaiming Futures) is about better treatment, more treatment and beyond treatment. Drug court is a really beautiful example of those three things working together." she remarked. "...This is a vehicle for everybody who's invested in the kids' success to come together." i Taste of the Islands Long-time caterer brings Jamaican fare to Winston-Salem BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE For more than 15 years, Desmond "Uncle Desi" Wynter has been serving authentic Jamaican food. Locals have turned to his Uncle Desi's Jamaican Kitchen catering service for their weddings, parties and business and social gatherings. The Jamaica native, who has also served up his food at the Dixie Classic Fair and local street festi vals, is hoping to reach an even wider clientele through a deal cur rently in the works with a local restaurant, which will serve Wynter's Jamaican fare during din ner time hours. The dinner menu will feature Wynter's food. He is confident that diners will not be disappointed. "I stand behind my product," said Wynter. "1 know once they try it they'll come back because it's addictive." Wynter credits his mother and grandmother for giving him his lifetime love of cooking\ He immi grated to the United States to join his mother when he was 19. Like many immigrants, he said his fam ily came to the states looking for a better life. He lived in New York, where he studied at the French Culinary Institute and majored in both business and computer sci ence at the Interboro Institute. He worked as a cook at major Big Apple hotels. He held a secohd evening job at a Pepsi data center. When Pepsi moved the center to Winston-Salem in the 1990s, Wynter followed. By 1997, he was working at Wachovia. It was then that he began catering on the side. Uncle Desi's Jamaican Kitchen catering is a family affair. Wynter's adult children Sean and Sasha and his wife Joyce help out. Desmond and Joyce married in 2004 after Joyce's hairstylist, Renee Bell of Stella's Daughter hair salon, introduced the two. Bell had promised to find her a good man, and Joyce said she succeeded. A nurse, Joyce is no slouch in the kitchen herself, whipping up homemade chili, banana pudding, chicken salad and cornbread for customers when her work schedule allows. "I love it," said Joyce about helping with the catering. "I'm a very sociable person, and 1 enjoy talking to the people and telling them how good the food is. And you meet all kinds of people when you're at these events." Wynter's offerings are varied. He is a vegetarian and an avid gar dener with his own greenhouse, where he grows the vegetables he uses in his dishes. Though his veg etarian items are popular, island favorites like braised oxtail and jerk chicken are most popular with customers. Wynter said he always sells out of his food and his famous Caribbean punch when he sets up a tent at local events. "I remember when we did the Wine Festival down in Tanglewood Park, the event started about 11 and was supposed to go 'til 6 and by, say, 1 the line was so long," said Wynter. "They left every other line and came to our line because the food was superior." Wynter started his own restau rant in 2008, after he retired from Wachovia. Oasis was adjacent to Marketplace Mall. Wynter said the eatery did well, but a sewer issue caused $40,000 worth of damage. The expense to fix the building eventually sunk the restaurant, Wynter said. He said he is looking forward to a fresh start in a restau rant setting next month. To reach Uncle Desi's Jamaican Kitchen, call 336-995 5659. I?^?. Photo by Todd Luck Chef Desmond "Uncle Desi" Wynler with his wife, Joyce. ? ^ fcS~ Thinking about graduate school? Want to learn abomKk the opportunities J UNC Greensboro^BL you are invited to attend UNCG's annual Spring Graduate School Information Session on Monday, February 4, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Workshops will include "Building a Strong Application," "Graduate Student Life at UNCG" and "Financing Your Graduate Education". Meet with program representatives and faculty. Free parking. For additional information and to register for the event, visit our web site at grs.uncg.edti/infosession or call 336.334.5596. 'A 3^ THE UNIVERSITY oj NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Jan. 24, 2013, edition 1
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