Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Sept. 20, 2018, edition 1 / Page 2
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A2 September 20, 2018 The Chronicle File photo Cleveland Avenue Homes will be trans formed if the Housing Authority of Winston- Salem can successfully get a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant. City and HAWS try for grant to transform Cleveland Avenue Homes BY TODD LUCK THE CHRONICLE In a last-minute move, the City of Winston-Salem and the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem have once again applied for a $30 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant to transform Cleveland Avenue Homes and New Hope Manor. This is the third year that the city and HAWS has applied for the grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This time, HAWS is working with McCormack Baron Salazar, a national firm that specializes in revitalizing urban neighbor hoods with a history of receiving and implement ing Choice grants. HAWs was planning to apply next year, but while working with McCormack Baron Salazar, it became clear there would be far less competition for the grant this year than next. So to meet a midnight deadline, HAWS and its partners made a presentation to the City Council to get its sup port during its Monday night meeting, Sept. 17. To apply for the grant, HAWS is required to part ner with the city, which is responsible for “communi ty improvement" projects in the area like roads, streetscapes and parks. The project proposes replacing “distressed” public housing units with “high quality mixed income units” and some housing vouchers. McCormack Baron Salazar would act as property man ager with national nonprof it Urban Strategies coordi nating services there. Current residents would not lose housing or services if the grant is successful. This sort of item would usually be vetted in com mittee, but the deadline didn’t allow for that. To make the application more attractive, the grant area was expanded to include Happy Hill, Winston-Salem State University and Innovation Quarter. The project is in the East and Northeast wards. Mayor Pro Tempore Vivian Burke, who repre sents the Northeast Ward, wanted assurances that the grant would only be used for Cleveland Avenue Homes and New Hope Manor and threatened to nix the measure if she was n’t convinced of that com mitment. “I hope we are commit ted and that we know it is important to keep our word,” she said. Language was changed to make it explicit that the grant application was for those two developments. If accepted, HUD would only allow the money to be used for the project described in the application. City Council Member Derwin Montgomery, who represents the East Ward and is also co-owner of The Chronicle, said expanding the grant area allows the investments the city has made in those areas, including downtown devel opment and the rehabilita tion of Union Station and Happy Hill Park, to be used to leverage millions in funding for Cleveland Avenue Homes. “For the first time, for many people, this will be the opportunity where they see firsthand where invest ments in central Downtown Winston-Salem directly benefits residents outside of Downtown Winston- Salem,” he said. After Burke’s concerns were addressed, the item passed the City Council unanimously. (Above) FOX8’s Katie Nordeen interviews third- grader Tamarion Dixon about what he loves at school, with mom Arneishia Dixon and kinder gartener Kingston Hall looking on. Submitted photos Raising Every Child kick-off program participants are shown. Front row (left to right) are Campaign Co-chairs William B. Reingold and Peggy Reingold; former Head Start parent Renee McIntosh; FOX 8 news anchor Katie Nordeen; former Head Start parent Arneishia Dixon; Greg Brewer, president of Right at Home of Winston-Salem. Back row (left to right) are kindergarteners Kingston Hall and Diamond Hall; and third-grader Tamarion Dixon. Family Services launches fundraising campaign SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE Family Services, a nonprofit organiza tion, launched its Raising Every Child cap ital campaign in order to address Forsyth County’s immediate needs of the most vul nerable population, children from birth to age 5. The goal for Raising Every Child is $3.75 million. Since November 2017, the campaign has raised $2,811,027 or 75 percent of its goal from community foundations, busi nesses and private donors. Now, the organ ization is asking the community to help close the opportunity gap and give every child the start they need to succeed in school and life. “Studies show that the first five years of a child’s life are a time of rapid brain development - a once-only window of opportunity when a child’s mind becomes wired for success (or hardship) that will last into adulthood,” said Bob Feikema, president and Chief Executive Officer of Family Services, said on Sept. 12. “Children who do not have access to qual ity pre-K programs and services start behind and constantly struggle to catch up. Too many in Forsyth County never catch up.” The Raising Every Child campaign will expand and fund several projects, including: *Repair and improve existing class- rooms at Sarah Y. Austin Child Development Center and add five addi tional preschool classrooms to increase the number of 3- and 4-year-old children served by over 300. *Provide 100 teachers in 50 class- rooms with training, coaching and mentor ing in how to address the behavioral and emotional challenges of 3- and 4-year-olds *Partner with Wake Forest Baptist and Imprints Cares to expand physical, social, and emotional health services to 1,500 young children and their families annually *Establish the foundation for a county- wide engagement campaign, The Pre-K Priority, to make high quality Pre-K pro grams available to all four-year-old chil dren in Forsyth County In Forsyth County, more than 8,000 children, age 5 and under, are growing up under the constant stress and pressures of living in poverty. More than half of the children who enter kindergarten in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools are at risk of falling behind, particularly in reading, from the first day they start school. In addition, a 2017 Harvard University study ranked Forsyth County one of the worst counties in the United States in helping poor children up the income ladder. Studies show that these children can benefit from high quality early childhood development programs. Current Family Services programs are working and improving those numbers, yet limited pub lic funding is not meeting the needs of all preschoolers who are eligible. The organi zation needs additional funds to expand, collaborate and impact more children and their families than ever before. “We must build a community culture that views this as critical to the future vital ity of Forsyth County,” said Bill Reingold, campaign co-chair along with wife, Peggy Reingold. “Every child deserves the chance to reach his or her full potential. The future of our community depends on making this possible. The sustained suc cess of this crucial endeavor requires a nurturing community. And for that to hap pen, we must come together as never before to expand these powerful, proven solutions.” For more information, go to https://family servicesforsyth .org/. www.wschronic!e.com CONTACTING THE CHRONICLE To send news items: email news@wschronicle.com 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101 Main Phone Number: 336-722-8624 Advertising: Ext. 113 Circulation/Subscriptions: Ext. 100 Editor: Ext. 108 To send a Letter to the Editor (350 words or less) or column (550 words or less): email letters@wschronicle.com For advertising: email adv@wschronicle.com For subscriptions: email plewis@wschronicle.com Like us on Facebook: facebook.comA/VSChron icle Follow us on Twitter: WS_Chronicle The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Ernest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Chronicle Media Group, LLC, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston Salem, N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. Annual subscrip tion price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, P.O. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636
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