Commissioners ask
lawmakers to consider
airport de-annexation
Pre-school
funding is also
discussed
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Forsyth County com
missioners asked state law
makers to consider de
annexing the Smith
Reynolds Airport out of the
city during a meeting at the
Forsyth County
Government Center in
order to avoid paying
stormwater fees.
The airport was one of
several issues that came up
during the commissioners'
annual meeting with the
legislators who represent
Forsyth County. Both the
City and County hold
meetings to let state law
makers know their legisla
tive needs. Attending legis
lators were state Reps.
Evelyn Terry, Donny
Lambeth and Julia Howard
and State Senators Paul
Lowe and Joyce Krawiec.
County Commissioner
Ted Kaplan presented the
lawmakers with a resolu
tion to de-annex the airport,
which would eliminate
stormwater fees, which
equal about 20 percent of
its annual net income, and
eliminate city taxes. He
said the taxes and fees are
making it less competitive
than Piedmont
International Airport which
doesn't pay city taxes
because it's outside of
Greensboro's city limits.
Commissioners also asked
"* fdr legislation to eliminate
local governments and
non-profits from paying
stormwater fees.
County Commissioner
Walter Marshall didn't sup
port either effort. He felt
the issue should be settled
locally and that stormwater
fees should be paid, since
larger cities are required to
have a stormwater manage
ment program to prevent
water contamination from
stormwater that flows off
surfaces like parking lots.
"If there's a building
there, someone has to pay
it," Marshall said at the
Thursday, April 14.meet
ing.
Terry said her concern
was for those who live
around the airport. She said
anything that is done must
involve helping the "pover
ty-ridden" community
around it.
"It's a bastion of eco-"
nomic opportunity that sits
in a desert of poverty," she
said.
The City and County
have been working on a
compromise on the issue
for months. Right now, the
City currently has a pro
posal drafted to give the
airport up to $100,000
annually for 7 to 10 years,
contingent that it remains
in the city and that the
County matches die funds.
The money would be used
to apply for grants from the
N.C. Department of
Transportation and the
Federal Aviation
Administration for capital
projects at the airport.
There's also a stormwater
fee credit being considered
in the City public works
committee for businesses
that install preventative
structural stormwater
measures.
Kaplan argued that the
airport's growth will help
the area around it, as did
County ' Commissioner
Everette Witherspoon.
"It's the largest eco
nomic opportunity on that
side of Winston-Salem,"
Kaplan said.
Marshall was cynical
about that, since the area
around the airport remains
poor and it would take sub
stantial outreach for those
who live near the airport to
get the training to work
there.
Lambeth also said he
hoped for a local solution.
"It would be better if
you can work it out with
the- City but if you can't,
just come to us," said
Lambeth.
Though the airport was
the longest and most heated
discussion, other issues
were talked about as well.
Witherspoon told law
makers he felt the county
got the "short end of the
stick" on pre-school subsi
dies. He saici many parents
can't afford pre-school for
their children and it's
affecting local schools.
"You talk about low
performing schools, it
doesn't happen by osmosis;
what you're having is chil
dren coming to school not
ready to learn," he said.
Marshall agreed on the
need for more local pre- .
school funding, which
Lambeth, a chair of the
appropriations committee,
said he'd look into.
Marshall also told leg
islators he'd gotten "calls
from all over the county"
on HB 2, expressing con
cerns that North Carolina
was regressing. The contro
versial law, passed last
month in a special one-day
session, has been called
discriminatory by critics
and resulted in protests and
boycotts of the state.
Marshall expressed con
cerns over the restrictions it
puts on local governments
on minimum wage and that
it eliminated employees'
rights to sue for discrimina
tion in state court.
State officials come to
W-S looking for ideas
for African-American
monument
BY TEV1N STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
A monument honoring
African-Americans' contri
butions to North Carolina
will soon be added to the
State Capitol grounds and
the public has the opportu
nity to decide what it will
lopk like. On Tuesday,
April 12, state officials
kicked off a month-long
series of public hearings to
gather feedback from resi
dents about the proposed
monument.
According to Suzanne
Kluttz, secretary of the
N.C. Department of
Natural and Cultural
Resources (NCDNCR),
input will be taken from
residents around the state,
and the final decision will
be made by members of the
N.C. African-American
Heritage Commission and
N.C. Historical
Commission.
"This is not something
that will be decided by state
staff. It will all come from
your ideas," Kluttz said.
Currently the state
grounds have 14 monu
ments, none of which fea
ture African-Americans.
NCDNCR member Mike
Hill said the new monu
ment will be located near
Wilmington Street in the
southeast corner of the
grounds. The finished
product will be a stone's
throw from First Baptist
Church, which opened its
doors to those of African
descent in 1812. The pro
posed location of the mon
ument is also near the cam
pus of historically black
*
university Shaw
University.
"We decided on this
location because of its his
torical significance," said
Hill. "The area was once
known as the black busi
ness district of Raleigh."
During the hearing,
held at St. Phillips African
Moravian Church on South
Church Street, a number of
residents made -suggestions
on what they believe the
monument should look like
o r* A
a ii u
repre
sent.
From
monu
ments
that
fea
tured
water,
to oth
e r s
that
Valerie Johnson
reached to the sky, those in
attendance presented a
number of interesting ideas
to think about. ?
Margaret Graham of
Winston-Salem said the
monument should honor
the history of slavery in the
state.
"It's impossible to tell
the story of African
Americans in this state
without including slavery,"
said Graham. "That is
something that has to be
included in the monu
ment."
Dr. Donna Benson, a
Winston-Salem State
University history profes
sot, said because of the
many contributions of
African-Americans, the
monument should show
b
diversity and the progres
sion the African-American
community has made over
the years.
"From education to the
arts all the way to sports,
African-Americans have
made contributions in a
number of different Ways,"
said Benson. "I feel that
having balance and show
ing the various hardships of
people of color should be
included."
N.C. African-American
Heritage Commission
Chairwoman Valerie ?
Johnson, who will be
involved in the final deci
sion-making process, said
she is excited because this
is a very important moment
in the state's history.
Johnson noted that without
the help of the public, this
project would not be possi
ble.
"To be able to reflect
and show the past, the pres
ent and the fiiture is very
important to the legacy of
African-Americans in this
state," said Johnson. "We
need your help to make this
vision become a reality."
In coming weeks, simi
lar hearings will be held in
Asheville, Wilmington and
Raleigh. Following those
hearings, officials will then
decide on a budget and lay
out a timetable for finish
ing the memorial.
For more information
on the monument hearings,
call 919-807-7290.
Individuals or groups wish
ing to voice opinions or
support the new monument
can visit ncdcr.gov/monu
ments-feedback to provide
feedback.
V
Wake Forest" ??iK?r
Baptist Health
May community health seminars,
screenings and events
Visit WakeHealth.edu/BestHealth for class descriptions and other events.
Events are FREE of charge and require registration, unless otherwise noted.
TUESDAY, MAY 3
Mike Wells on Estate Planning
Basics \ 1:30.to 2:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, Diabetes
Classroom, 4610 Country Club Road,
Winston-Salem
TUESDAY, MAY 17
Smoking Cessation \ 5:30 to 6:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Clemmons, Market Classroom,
2311 Lewisville-Clemmons Road,
Clemmons
THURSDAY. MAY 19
Vertigo: Benign Positional
6:30 to 7:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, Diabetes
Classroom, 4610 Country Club Road,
Winston-Salem
MOM DAY, MAY 23
Cindy Silver on 10 Must-Haves for a
Healthy Kitchen \ 6 to 7 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, Diabetes
Classroom, 461Q Country Club Road,
Winston-Salem
SATURDAY, MAY 28
Simply Seafood \ 1 to 2:30 pm
William G. White Jr. Family YMCA,
Brenner FIT Classroom; 775 West End
Blvd., Winston-Salem
MONDAYS, MAY 2. 9,16, 23
Choose your time:
8:30 am New Balance
Winston-Salem at Thruway
Shopping Center
6 pm Hanes Park (tennis courts)
Looking to be
more active?
If you're 50 ???
or older, have new balance
been inactive winstorwaiem
or have
diabetes, high blood pressure or
other risk factors for heart disease,
join us for a series of walks. Each
week we'll increase the distance.
Complete all four walks in May
and receive a coupon for free
coffee at Chick-fil-A, a T-shirt and
$20 gift card to New Balance.
Register at New Balance
Winston-Salem or online at
www.nbwinstonsalem.com.
To register, call or visit: ^ . , r *
336-713-BEST (2378) \ WakeHealth.edu/BestHealth
i i i
Carter G. Woodson School is now
enrolling for the 2016-2017 school year.
There is no fee to attend this wonderful school where ALL children
are welcomed and given the tools they need to succeed. We offer
small class sizes K-12, free bus transportation and award winning
sports and. music programs. At Carter G. Woodson School we help all
of our children to excel and get into a post- secondary experience or
a college. Our high school students study abroad and thrive in our
caring, structured environment. We believe in respectfully partnering
with parents for their child's success.
Carter G. Woodson School is enrolling NOW, and tuition free. To
fill out an application for elementary, middle or high school classes,
School tours are given on every Thursday. Please call 336-723-6838
for more information. It's not too late in your family's educational
journey for you to give your child the chance to succeed and to have
a great school year. At Carter G. Woodson every child is respected
and expected to learn, to grow, and to be the best that he or she can
be. We look forward to hearing from you at 336-723-6838.