Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 2, 2016, edition 1 / Page 6
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
OPINION The Chronicle i Ernest H. Pitt Publisher Emeritus \ 1974-2015 617 N. Liberty Street 336-722-8624 . I 41 \ www.wschronicle.com \?/ea? f Elaine Pitt Business Manager Donna Rogers Managing Editor wali D. Pitt Digital Manager Our Mission The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth to power, standing for integrity and encouraging open communication and lively debate throughout the community. Wallin, Morgan are good choices for the future Voters are going to the polls now in early voting for June 7 primary candidates. Josh Brannon, Jim Roberts and Charlie Wallin are vting to be the Democrat to represent the newly drawn 5th Congressional District in the / United States , Congress. / ^ """ This district now includes tne_pnriside of Winston-Salem. The east side was in District 12, and had Alma Adams as its representative. All men have admirable traits and a strong desire to serve the public. But The Chronicle endorses Charlie Wallin for the 5th Congressional District. Adams, who replaced Mel Watt as the congres sional representative for the area in 2014, has spoiled people who live on the east side of Winston Salem, so to speak. Adams was very constituent ori ented. She communicated with the media constantly about the things she was doing to help us. She opened an office in Winston-Salem and provided help to veterans and others who needed help with federal programs by hiring former state Sen. Earline Parmon of Winston-Salem to be a liaison. (Parmon died in March.) She paid attention to historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) such as Winston-Salem State University. She paid attention to us. , Out of the three Democratic candidates, Charlie Wallin seems to understand constituent work. He has been chairman of the Fifth District Democrats since 2015 and has been active in the community and in the Democratic Party for the last 16 years. He acknowledged our loss of Adams as a representative in his op-ed piece last week in The Chronicle. He talked about several issues that we are concerned about, such as poverty, the legal system, mental health system and low graduation rates. These are topics Adams, from Greensboro, would address, Now, she is running for re-election iq the new District 12, which does not include any of Forsyth County. Wallin appears to be the best choice for lis, but none of the three Democratic candidates has held office before, and the winner's most likely opponent in November, Republican incumbent Virginia Foxx, is expected to be a formidable foe. She has endorsed Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for presi dent. We will see how her candidacy is affected by that and by her new constituency on the east side of Winston-Salem. The Chronicle endorses "Michael Morgan of Raleigh, who is an African-American superior court judge who is running for the Supreme Court seat. He has served as Superior Court judge for the last 11 years. He was also a district court judge for five years and a state administrative law judge. He's a lifetime member of the NAACP and was among the first black students to integrate New Bern school system in 1964. Morgan has this chance to run because of a ruling by the N.C. Supreme Court when incumbent Robert H. "Bob" Edmunds of Greensboro recused himself in ruling on a court case challenging the new N.C. law that allowed retention voting for incumbent Supreme Court judges rather than allowing oppo nents to run against the judges. The state Supreme Court voted 3-3, a tie, in the matter, so that let the lower court ruling stand. It said the retention election ' would be unconstitutional. the u wsftsrw v 3 BBGUUR BCamS W I, tafjiBamKji LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Thank you, John Larson, for fighting to make every vote count To the Editor: On June 7 there will be a new South Ward primary for the Gity Council. The new primary was added to the existing ballot by unanimous vote of both the local and state Boards of Elections because of irreg ularities in the voting process in the March 15 election. We voters have candidate John Larson to thank for his fight to make every vote count. This stapce is the most recent exam ple of John's willingness to defend the rights of all residents of the South Whrd. 1 As a member of the City Council, he will continue his constant advoca cy for the South Ward as he has done for 37 years as Vice President of Old Salem Restoration. His successful work record and keen business apti tude have already served us well, because he understands the South Ward to be the southern gateway to the city. John is conversant with the policies and procedures of the city government and will be able to champion what is best for the South Ward in terms of ^??-=? zoning, safety, taxes, job growth, and economical develop ment with compe tence and vision. John also has an ? . ? LI Larson undername appreciation for and dedication to the city as a whole and will promote cooperation among all wards for the common good. He wants all citizens of our city to thrive and feel secure. Strong thriving neighborhoods con tribute to a better Winston-Salem, and when the city as a whole suc ceeds, the entire city reaps the bene fits. This is a stance John Larson will embody as a member of the City Council. I cannot think of a more imagina tive, competent, and energetic candi date to represent us. Remember to vote on June 7, and cast your vote for John Larson, ? ' < ? Charles Francis Wilson Winston-Salem Carolyn Highsmith will strengthen Southward To the Editor: Neighborhoods are the lifeblood of a city. Strong neighborhoods need local leaders that can inspire people to unite over mutual interests and concerns. This is what I see in candidate Carolyn Highsmith who is running for South Ward City Council. ' Carolyn has successfully led ini tiatives to improve the South Ward neighborhoods through community coalitions. Although I live in a irciguuui tug ward, the issues affecting one will affect the other. In fact, that's how I met Carolyn, through mutual con cerns over crime in our High smith neighborhoods. Her view that sections of Winston-Salem are moving ahead while others are being left behind is a"waming to the entire city. Our economic recovery is in a delicate balance. New small businesses, farmer's markets with local foods, and parks are thriving in the inner city. Old Salem, a premier historical tourist destination, has become a tremendous educational tool for all citizens of Winston-Salem. Developments in nearby neighbor hoods, universities, and the Research Parte have added greatly to the city. No one is begrudging this and how it has contributed to the li ability of our city. But if all are not lifted up, then true recovery is uncertain. Now is the time to pay attention to neighborhoods that seem to be left behind or overrun by corporate America such as the corridor along Peter's Creek Parkway. Vote for Carolyn Highsmith and help the South Ward strengthen every neigh bor for a better Winston-Salem over all! Sally Hirsh Winston-Salem Give vote to John Larson for South Ward Council seat To the Editor : I would like to urge the residents of the South Ward and fellow read ers of The Chronicle to vote for John Larson for Winston Salem City Council on June 7. John Larson has worked with the city, colleges, businesses, churches, state and federal governments on a wide range of issues such as the redevelopment of Highways 52 and Business 40 and the roads and streets that connect to them, the city's Southeast Gateway, the restoration of St. Philips Church and the restoration of Lloyds Presbyterian Church, the Creative Corridors project and tourism in Winston Salem. My first introduction to John Larson was a letter I found that mentioned he had arranged to have large wooden posts placed in the sidewalk outside Ms. Wilkie's house to protect her home after it had been hit by a car traveling through a fast moving intersection where she lived that was known for car accidents. My second introduction to John Larson came when we worked to develop a plan to repair sidewalks, streets, signs, and replant trees that had been damaged or were dying from disease in historic Old Salem. After that, John seemed to show up wherever there was work to be done." Whether it was helping an older couple move from one house to another, planning and obtaining per mission to establish a community garden for the benefit of Sunnyside Ministries, restoring historic church es.or CAMPAIGN serving 4 ^ g ?Idles facility that led to the electrification of Winston Salem, John Larson seemed to be involved or leading the effort. John Larson is no stranger to hard work or difficult problems and if elected, will provide a positive and unifying presence on City Council. John Hauser Winston Salem Making a difference by listening, building consensus To the Editor: I live in the South Ward and know John Larson from my years as Jhe city's videographer. I first filmed him in the 1980s as he cru saded to protect the urban streams and launched the Big Sweep Waterway cleanup while chairman for Beautification, Keep Winston Salem Beautiful. Our paths crossed numerous times with his leadership to preserve the two oldest African American churches in Winston Salem, St. Philips in Old Salem and Lloyd Presbyterian Church. He is ? well known in City Hall having been involved in everything from zoning cases to highway-planning. I saw his efforts in the early 1990s to unite the city across the highways that divide us. He was key in devel opment of.the Southeast Gateway Plan designed to connect WSSU across US 52 with UNCSA and Salem College. Twenty-five years . later, the continued implementation of that plan can be seen in the new Salem Creek Connector into the city, as well as Creative Corridors' enhancements to Martin Luther King Boulevard. Larson under stands the big picture and that some things take time to fully implement, but that you need a vision. I have seen him work with the city to con vert South Marshall Street from a deteriorating commercial area into a strong residential neighborhood that tied West Salem Neighborhood to Old Salem. Larson knows that there is strength in listening and building consensus. Larson is not about showmanship; he just quietly seeks to make a difference. It seems like we all could benefit from such a councilman. Billy Rich Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 2, 2016, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75