North Carolina Newspapers

uBRNW Stc - \ ^7Q SHE CHARLOTTE POST ijp. .■ V*il » UtMTt VOL. S NO. » "Oiariotte'e Fastest Growing Community Weekly' CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA-Thursday. November 30. 1ST78 BLACK NEWSPAPERS EFFECTIVELY REACH BY FAR, MORE ' BLACK CONSUMERS Prirp !U) rpnLs To Aid Bus Riders City Officials Put Τogether Alternative Transportation Plan ATTRACTIVE VIVIAN MCDANIELS ...Allstate employee ; -, ί . . ·· Yrnan McDaniels Is Beauty. Of Week «/ WCKICVU OTVAUJ Poet SUff Writer "You only live this life once, so you may as well greet everyone with a smile," chid ed Vivian McDaniels, the 4 Poet's beauty of the week. . Vivian like· to smile à lot smile· so much A native of Concord, 22-year -old Vivian Is presently employed by Allstate Insur ance Company. A two-year veteran, she works in the Service· Department Vivian's secret ambition is to soar the skies. "1 want to —become an aiiUne stewar dess," she said. "Itovetofly." Describing herself as the kind of person that seems to get along with everybody, Viv ian enjoys bike-riding, tennis and Jogging. She also like· to dance ft"< attend conceits. "I like a lot of love songs," Vivian confessed. Teddv Pen ut^Biasa, wiiu slugs sweet songs for the ladies," and Ashford and Simpson rate high among her favorite recording artists. Vivian said that she also likes to read the Bible. "Reve lation is my favorite Book," afee SiAicd. "malnJu h(«-amLj it'· bo interesting and scary too." Vivian has the highest re gard for her mother whom she said has had the greatest influence in her life. "My mother is a very religious person," she said. "She tries to keep all her children straight. She's such a sweet person," she added. "Maybe one day I'd like to be just like her." Vivian is a 1975 graduate of Northwest Cabarrus High School. The youngest of five children, she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John A. McDaniels. Minority-Owned Business Promised More Opportunities special To The Poet Local minority-owned busi DMM are promised more acceoe to Government con tracting opportunities with eeta btiehroent of a Federally sponsored Minority Business Opportunity Committee (HBOC) In Washing'on. C. Robert Kemp, executive «Srector of the Interagency Ρ Council for Minority Business EHtarpitee, announced forma-· don of the new committee saying that Washington be comes the 40th U.S. city where an MBOC has been set np to aaetet minority firme. The 19 members of the Waahington committee repre sent 1· Fadiral agnrios and the District of Cotunphia gov ernmeat Members are rod* ral officials who have reeporv .ibttty for the Wellington reg AnoMter member le from the Greater Washington Business Center (GWBC), a private minority business technical assistance agency. GWBC is funded by the U.S. Depart ment of Commerce's Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE), the Federal agency responsible for minority busi ness development. OMBE Director Randolph Biackwell called formation of the Washington MBOC an important step for the city's minority entrepreneurs. "Too often local minority bnaiMas needs have gone un attended because of the nat ional focus of many pro grams," Biackwell explained. "Establishment of the MBOC should help fill this gap for Washington minority business own*·." In announcing formation of the MBOC, Interagency Coun cil heed C. Robert Kemp explained that an MBOC to a local counterpart of the coun cil wMeh crosses department ta I Mm and draws from over 30 Federal agencies. MBOOs duplicate the coundl In 40 dttoa by having members who are regionally based Feder al officiate. The Washington MBOC to tocsTosefe to a metropolitan area which to the teat of the National Government," Kemp τ-ftn'-*^ "Bet its function is the same as other MBOCs to help local minority Arms gain access to mûrement offi cial·, training, capital or whatever they require to do business with tbs Govern Computer Program To Detect Welfare Fraud RALEIGH-If you are on welfare in North Carolina and working but not reporting your income, you stand a sood chance ot being caught, accor ding to Robert Ward, director of the Division of Social Ser vices of the N.C. Department of Hum;i Resources. The Division has started a computer "match" with the Employment Security Com mission to detect welfare fraud. The "match" compares the welfare roles of the state's Aid to Families With Depen dent Children (AFDC) pro gram with work records from across the state kept by the Employment Security Com mission. Ward said the initial result has been an increase in dis covery of AFDC recipients that are working, or have worked, and have not reported ϋκύτ employment te their local departments of social services which administer the program "The number of cases being discovered and prosecuted by the counties has been increas ing significantly since the first listing was sent to the counties in July. In October, 96 cases of suspected fraud were reported to the Division by the county departments. It appears that there will be twice as many reported for November," \iin~A αβ;«ι The quarterly "match" list ing for every county in the state is mailed to county social services departments for their investigation when determin ing ongoing eligibility for AFDC assistance. Ward said the "match" should also bene fit the local departments to a greater extent in the discov ery of fraud in the Food Stamp program. The "match" listing is the result of the Division's increa sed efforts to detect and pre vent welfare fraud. The Divi sion is using a toll-free num ber, l-MO-662-7030, for persons across the state to report suspected welfare fraud. It has also established a fraud unit to develop methods of fraud detection and assist in coordinating statewide train ing for county social services departments personnel. The Division of Social Ser vices is also participating in "Project Match-Cross match", a federal match which compares North Caro lina's AFDC roles with the other 49 states. The Division is also in the process of compar ing recipient roles to Federal Insurance Contributions Act withholding to determine reci pients to the Employment Security Commission. CBRC Plans Seminars For Minorities The Charlotte Business Re source Center will be holding three seminars on Federal, State and Corporate Tax responsibilities for minority and disadvantaged business persons on December 12, 14, anW 1C Open to residents of Meck lenburg, Gaston and Union Counties, the Charlotte Busi ness Resource Center and Central Piedmont Community College will co-sponsor Tax Seminars on the following da ye: Tuesday, Dec. 12, 7-9:30 p.m. Subject: "Federal Tax Responsibilities for profit making businesses." Thursday, Dec. 14, 7-9:30 p.m. Subject: "State Tax Re sponsibilities for profit mak ing businesses." Saturday, Dec. 16, 8:30-11 a.m. Gethsemane Education Building, 509 Campus Street. Subject: "Corporate Tax Res ponsibilities." The Charlotte Business Re source Center is a non-profit organization funded to provide assistance to existing minor ity businesses or persons who want to start a business Herb Burns, head of the Accounting Department at CPCC will conduct the semi nars and a question and answer session will follow. To register by phone call, Joice Burwell of the Charlotte Business Resource Center at 332-8578. W τ u i-O CAt \ Τ V5 /V * I.-CVO » a8EraHffism& « Ο Η * S •Hih· Bus driver Robert Hardin walks the Picketline as Charlotte bus drivers strike to protect the gains they have made in the past 40 years, after rejecting a propsed contract by a vote of 162 to 1. (photo by Eileen Hanson) Mrs. McISeel: "No One's Thinking About Poor People" Among the estimated 27,000 stranded bus riders weekly, Luciel McNeel, 58, is one of the victims of the Charlotte Tran sit Svstem strike. For Ms. McNeel, who is disabled, deprivation of bus service threatens her life Without transportation she is unable to cash her social security check at the bank, pay bills, buy groceries or collect foodstamps "No one is thinking about poor people," she complained. Since Ms McNeel of 3203 Faye St. has not been able to join a car pool, she stated, "I'll just have to depend on the mayor and City Council." Charlotte Mayor Ken Harris has announced plans to help passengers who have no trans portation because of the bus strike. The bus drivers wage de mands cannot be met without either increasing taxes or re ducing bus services, accord ing to Harris. Yet. a union negotiator said Monday that a proposed plan to hire part-time drivers and not wages is the major barrier to a new two-year contract. Drivers and mechanics went on strike Sunday follow ing a breakdown of negoti ations that occurred late Sat urday Negotiators were apart on at least 26 issues Harris has warned that strikes drive riders away After the 36-day strike that ended in Dec 1976, it took three months for the bus sys tem to recover riders, he pointed out HlJO Grant To Increase Effective Enforcement Of F air Housing Law The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Develop ment has awarded a OU. W cooperative agreement grant to the National Committee Agai net Discrimination in HMMflf IM (NCDH) for a demonstration which could Vand to more effective enforce ment of fair housing laws. The HUD-NCDH Pair Hous ing Demonstration Project wltt create a fermai working and nine local private fair housing groups. The groups wiH assist in identifying and rectifying housing discrimina tien by provtdu« Knowledge about local problems and ·■ gathering information through tasting and other In making the ynisinin· ment, Secretary Patricia Roberts Harrui pointed out the pressing need to increase effective enforcement of fair housing laws. "Our fair housing taws must be enforced, and we must ensure equal opportunity in housing if we are to foster communities that are racially, ethnically and economically inclusive," she said. The two-year demonstration project, funded by HUD'» development at a waif arm Local Group Activity Piaa which will provide the basis for h relationship hohssen HUD field staff and the parti cipating local groupa. NCDH, a non-profit organi zation concerned with the rights at minorities and the poor to decent housir*. will assist HUD in selecting the nine local group· to partici pate in the project, provide training, technical aaaiatance and in monitoring the groups' performance. Each of the local groups must obtain an equal sum of funds to match the grant from HUD. "This démonstration prog ram," said Edward L. Holm gren, Executive Director of NCDH, "will test the assump tion that local fair housing impact on local housing mar ket practices than any other single factor. It will also pro vide the opportunity for ex panding the partnership of HUD and the private sector in Title VIII enforcement ' In April 1171, HUD released the prellminery results of s fsir housing evaluation for which NCDH has collected the data (or HUD A national survey in 40 metropolitan areas across the country, con firmed that black people con tinue to encounter substantial levels of racial discrimination in the housing market Two of the nine local groups selected for the demonstration project will be from among the five citiea used for inten sive study during the 1977 HUP NCDH fair housing and its These cities are: Auariia, Boston, Dallas, Milwaukee and Sacramento The other seven will be chosen from highly qualified fair housing groups For further information on the HUD-NCDH Pair Housii* Demonstration Project, con tact NCDH. Washington, D C 20005 Plan Stresses Need For Voluntary Efforts by Susan Ellsworth Post Staff Writer The City of Charlotte has organized an Alternative Transportation Plan to aid bus riders in finding other travel methods during the Charlotte Transit System's strike. This plan involves both vol untary efforts and the operat ion of alternative transporta tion. Suggestions of voluntary efforts to help during the bus strike are as follows: Share rides with relatives, neighbors and friends. Limit travel, if possible. Many services such as phar macies, grocery stores and restaurants will deliver. Lists of such establishments will be provided Participate in the existing Mecklenburg County Car Pool Program. Α —..ail 1- —.» community members needing transportation. Employer personnel depart ments can help match employees living near each other to form car pools. Em ployers could also arrange for private transportation for some workers. — Nelghburhuud- associations may help citizens in need of transportation. A special telephone number will be established to provide transportation counseling ser vices. Trained operators will be able to give advice on types of trans portai ion available. While these activities can accommodate much of the tra vel demand created by the strike, the City will also arrange to have transportat ion provided to people not serviced by voluntary meth ods The Charlotte City Council is discussing with Meck lenburg Taxicab Association Public Asked To Help Play Santa Gaue The Charlotte Neighborhood Centers Department and local merchants are asking the pub lic to donate toys for a "Mer chants Play Santa " scheduled for Saturday. December 9 from 10 a m to noon at Bel mont On ter, 700 Park wood Avenue The party will pro vide refreshments, entertain ment and toys for 100 children from the Belmont-North Caro lina area Persons with toys or gifts are asked to bring them to the Vacuum Shop located at 1419 Kant way Drive and 4207 Mon roe Road The "Merchants Flay Santa" party is the Mm of Paul Anderson, owner of the Vacuum Shop in Charlotte. Anderson grew up as an orphan in England and de cided that he and other mer chant* should help make the holiday season brighter for Charlotte children Many mer chants are pa η ici pa ting, but additional toys and gifts are needed Specialists with the Char lotte Neighborhood Centers Department have already screened and selected the 100 participants a way to provide sei /ice. If discussions are successful, the Charlotte City Council will lie requested to temporarily sus pend a portion of the City Code which prohibits shared taxi rides without approval of the first customer. Upon tempo rary suspension, a shared ride taxi service will be establish ed which will operate as follows : Persons wishing to use this service will be required to telephone a special number at least four hours in advance to reserve a ride. When using the service, pat rons will be required to pay a $1 00 fare for a one-way trip and $2.00 for round trip The City will subsidize the difference in operating cost and revenues at 1,00 per person The taxi operators will • group" tripe to take advant age of the shared ride concept. Patrons using the shared ride program can expect to ride with other individuals. Regular taxi patrons can ride by themselves at normal taxi meter rates if they so desire. Medical Center Bue Routes Starting Wednesday, Nov ember 29, two temporary bus routes will be operated by the Charlotte Neighborhood Cent ers Department to aid citizens needing medical attention during the bus strike. Service — on the buses will be free The blue and white Neigh borhood Centers buses will operate from 8:20 p.m., Mon day through Friday. They will stop only at Charlotte Transit System bus stops along the temporary routes. The routes will originate from the West Boulevard, Greenville and North Char lotte areas and will serve major medical centers in Charlotte Route One will serve Boule vard Homes, Little Kock Apartments, Reid Park. Dal ton Village, Southside Homes, Β rook hi II Village and Grier town Route Two will pick up passengers in Double Oaks, Dillehay Courts, Try on Hills, North Charlotte and Earle Village. Da»I> Dm..»·· ...ill following medical facilities -Independence Medical Plaza -Health Department -Memorial Hospital -Department at Social Ser vice· -Mental Health Center -Randolph Clinic and Medical Building Piedmont Eye Clinic Presbyterian Hospital Providence Medical Center -Charlotte Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital I met or'* But Ming The Motroview Building Flyers describing the times and routas will be distributed to all Neighborhood Centers, public bousing offices and neighborhood associations. For route or schedule infor mation , person· should call Neighborhood Centers at J74-M7.