Newspapers / What’s Happening (High Point, … / April 21, 1972, edition 1 / Page 2
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Long-Time Task Force Member Marley: Model Cities Not Listening, Not Getting Its Story To Community Thurman Marley is disillusioned with Model Cities. A member of the Recreation and Culture task force for two years, Thurman has been involved in one way or another with Model Cities since its beginning. Now he is con cerned that Model Cities is failing in its responsibilities to the community. Marley, a widower, lives in Daniel Brooks Apartments. He has taken an active role in his neighborhood, par ticularly in expanding recreation facil ities for young people. But he feels that Model Cities is misunderstood, and is doing little to change its image. THURMAN MARLEY “My big gripe is that people in the community have been asking for two years what Model Cities is, and what their function is, and they continue to come to me and ask what Model Cities can do for them. . . . They continue to struggle. . . . “One thing I have said time and time again: Model Cities is here for the people. But it seems to be the other way around,” he said. “People are trying to identify with Model Cities.” However, he went on, they are not able to identify with the pro gram. “What I’m faulting Model Cities (for) is this; they’re not telling people what Model Cities is here for,” said Marley. “They’re not getting the story to the community. They’re not going to the people and finding out what things are really like, and what can be done to change things.” ‘NO ONE LISTENS’ The community is full of people with problems, he continued, but claimed that no one is listening to those problems. Marley said at first he made prom ises to the youth of the community about “what Model Cities had in store for them.” But, he went on. New Wise Street Office Will Serve Macedonians A new ofBce of Concentrated Social Services is opening at 600 Wise Street, next to Mike’s Grocery. “Model Cities hasn’t deUvered. . . . Kids have problems, they get in trouble with the police, they don’t feel that there’s anybody out there who can help them, which is true. “I have some answers, but not all of them. Model Cities should take over some of this responsibility,” said Marley. One project about which Thurman is pleased is the Model Cities multi purpose recreation courts, which he describes as “very nice.” As a member of the task force which saw the project through, he proudly calls it “one of my projects.” For all his discontent about Model Cities, Thurman Marley still considers himself a part of Model Cities “to a certain extent.” He remains willing to listen because he cares about his com munity, and particularly about its young people. “Model Cities must identify with these young people. They’re lacking in this part. They don’t talk with these kids, they don’t Hsten,” he ex plained. “I still have very strong convictions — I’m just getting disillusioned. But I’m not ditching my convictions. I’m still for my people.” Know Your Rights A file is kept in the local Credit Bureau on every person who is a potential user of credit in the High Point area. Do I have a choice about whether a file is kept on me? No. The bureau is a private organ ization supported by businessmen for their own use and reference. What can I do if I think there may be something in my file that is not true and I have a hard time getting a loan or charge account because of this untrue information? A new federal law passed in 1970 makes it possible for you to check out and challenge your credit rating. The law requires a credit bureau to let each person know what is in his file, upon request. Before the law was passed, most credit bureaus would not let any person look at their own file. How do I go about looking at my credit file? In High Point, go to the office of the Credit Bureau at 740 N. Main Street. Someone there will show you your file and explain each entry you don’t understand. When should I do this? There is no need to make this check unless you have trouble getting credit or for some other reason believe that there may be untrue information in the file. If I find that there is untrue in formation in the file, what can I do? There are a variety of ways you can get items removed. These ways will be discussed in the next issue. Neighborhood Support ^Tricky' Says Committee Chairman M(m place, as well, Cauthen said. The office, one block of Clara Cox Apartments on the comer of Wise (Continued from Page 1) making is an extremely difficult, yet necessary, task, he adds. “Unless we see some positive re sults quickly in this NDP,” Moore said, “neighborhood support will die just like it has in the past. That’s the meat of this issue — to show peo ple fast results, so we can let people know that their efforts haven’t gone in vain.” Still, Moore went on, neighborhood support is a “precarious, tricky busi ness, and it hes in the balance right now.” The resident review committee is one possible way of maintaining a link in the community between cit izens and the traditional decision making bodies around City Hall, Moore believes. It will be important, however, to show people how they are affected personally before one can expect them to get involved. “Unless something affects a man’s own family he isn’t going out of his way to go to a meeting or speak out. We’ve got a selling job to do. . . . “We’ve got to sell progress in South- side, and the politicians can help by going into the neighborhood them selves. It’s touchy right now. We’ve got to produce, and we can’t make any more excuses. “The timing is crucial, and so is the credibility of this committee and the people behind it,” said Moore. Participation is lukewarm now, and it’ll be going to zero rapidly unless people see some results.” WHATS HAPPENING is published bimonthly by the Model Cities Com mission of High Point, North Carolina, William S. Bencini, Mayor; Dr. Otis E. Tillman, Commission Chairman; Don J. Forney, Director; Cecil A. Brown, Information and Evahiation Specialist. OfiBces of the agency are located at 609 S. Main St., High Point, N. C. 27260. Telephone 885-9081. The preparation of this magazine and its free distribution were financially aided and made possible through a federal grant from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under Title I of the Demonstration Cities and Metropolitan Act of 1966. Editor . Elmily Hedrick
What’s Happening (High Point, N.C.)
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April 21, 1972, edition 1
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