^ m Pem?.r- __
Published each Thursday in Pembroke, N.C. H ^k K
Caro lina Indian Voice
"Building Communicative Bridges In A Tri-Racial Setting"
Volume 27 Number 18 Thursday, May 4, 2000' MAY 5 2000 | 2gc
Robeson County Voters Elect new Leadership
on Board of Education; Judge Moore Returned
Robeson County voters changed
the face of the Robeson County
School Board on Tuesday. Expressing
dissatisfaction with the present
leadership, voters unseated three
incumbent school board members. At
large representative Beth Williamson
who served as chairman of the board
was defeated by Millicent Nealy. Sixteen
year incumbent Abner
Harrington of District 7 was unseated
by Steve Martin. District 5 representative
Paul Brooks was unseated by
challenger Patrick Bullard. Brooks had
served in that capacity for eight years
and Bullard is the former finance officer
for the school board.
Robeson Deese, incumbent in District
4 overcame a challenge by
newcomer Edward Henderson.
Bullard won with 1,157 votes to
728 votes for Brooks.
Incumbent James DeFreec6 in District
1 out polled Tom Jones with a
vote of 709 to 619. Incumbent John
C ampbel I piaced ?1 in the at-1 arge rac e
w here seven people were running with
incumbent Mitchell "Bosco" Locklear
coming in second. Nealy was
third in this race. The three top vote
getters in this election are the winners
of the three at-large seats.
In other races
In the District Judge's race, Judge
Jeff Moore defeated Judith Milsap
Daniels by more than 2,000 votes.
This is the second time Judge Moore
has overcome a challenge by Daniels.
Moore received 8,410 votes county
wide to 6,326 for Daniels.
Incumbent Donald Bonner returned
to the North Carolina General
Assembly to represent District 87,
easily defeating James "Rusty" Perry.
District 16 incumbent Douglas Yongue
ofLaurinburg was unopposed as was
District 85 representative Ron Sutton.
And Robeson County supported
Mike Easley for the Democratic nomination
for Governor.
Patrick Bullard
Mithcell "Bosco" Locklear
I
LIBRA^/
C PEMBROKE
Multiple Sclerosis
Support Group
Presents Special
Program:
Saturday, May 13
The Multiple Sclerosis support
group, a group for persons with multiple
sclerosis and their family
members, will hold a special program
on Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m. in the
Assembly Room at Southeastern Regional
Medical Center. Neurologist
Indra Gatiwala, M.D., will speak on
multiple sclerosis related research and
treatment. For more information,
call Nancy Jacobs at 738-7006 or
Randy Florke at 739-3413.
Judge Jeff Moore
Cape Fear Valley Health System
Named"Most Wired"
For A Second Year
For the second consecutive year,
Cape Fear Valley Health System has
been named one of the 100 Most
Wired hospitals and health systems
in the nation by "Hospitals & Health
Networks" magazine.
According to "Hospitals & Health
Networks," America's Most Wired
hospitals have effectively integrated
online technologies for key constituents:
patients, doctors, employees,
suppliers, insurers and management.
Evaluations for Most Wired hospitals
included information on hospital
technology infrastructure such as
transmission speeds and security technologies.
Typical hospitals use the Internet
for less than 20 percent of key payer
activities. On the other hand, health
systems such as Cape Fear Valley
Health System have implemented
online technologies for 41 to 60 per
cent of all payer activities. _
Most Wired hospitals repprit Uiat
they are using IntemeL^tgchfiolbjj^es
to provide eligibility verificatior^precertification
and referral
authorizations.
In addition, Most Wired hospitals
report that approximately 27 percent
of doctors and nurses are using the
Internet forclinical tasks. These clinical
tasks may include radiology order
entry and pharmaceutical prescriptions.
Less wired hospitals report
that only 3 percent of doctors use the
Internet for clinical tasks in those
hospitals.
As we enter a new decade. Cape
Fear Valley Health System continues
to integrate leading-edge technology
into its daily operations with the support
of both its Board of Trustees and
medical staff.
RevivalTo Begin At
New Bethal Holiness j
Methodist Church
i
Revival Services at New Bethal Holiness
Methodist Church begin on May 14
-19, 2000. The services begin Sunday at i
7:00, and Monday through Friday at 7:30.
The church is located on the lona Church
Road between Rowland and Fairmont, j
Evangelist Jerry Scott is the Pastor of
Hopewell Holiness Methodist Church and
Brian Keith Oxendine assistant Pastor of
Maxton Full Gospel Holiness Methodist
Church. There will be special music each
night. The public is encouraged to worship
with us.
Reverend James H. Woods is pastor.
AA Weekly Meetings
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a
self-help group for recovering alcoiolics,
meets Tuesdays and Fridays at
} p.m. and Thursdays at 6 p.m. at
Carolina Manor Treatment Center,
1 lOOPineRun Dr.,738-1191.
Virginia Graham
Family Reunion
Virginia Graham descendents have
planned an evening of fun and renewal.
July 6,2000 at 6:00 p.m. At the
Quality Inn in Lumberton. Call 5214556,
521-2944, or 521-9031 for
information. The deadline for registration
is June 11,2000.
Dr. Richard Vela A UNC Teaching
Excellence Award Winner
PEMBROKE, N.C.?Dr. Richard
Vela cannot imagine the day he will
grow weary of teaching.
So, when he talks about winning
North Carolina's top teaching award
- the University of North Carolina
Board of Governor's Award for
Teaching Excellence - his enthusiasm
is tempered with caution.
"I do not want to think of it as a
crowning achievement," Dr. Vela
said. "There are still a lot of things I
want to do."
Dr. Vela, who has been teaching
English and composition at UNC
Pembroke for most of 29 years, may
be accelerating the pace of his career
in academia. This year, he presented
five papers at five conferences in
different states, and he is writing
sections for a new encyclopedia on
William Shakespeare.
If teaching has become wearisome,
it does not show on this
energetic professor.
"If there is a time when I do not
find teaching interesting, I should
leave," he said in a recent interview.
"I like to see things grow. If you
engage people in conversation about
literature or writing, there is a kind of
growth that has got to take place."
"There is a newness about teaching
that is always going to be
exciting," he continued. "Getting
someone to see something they have
not seen before and never knew existed
is the kind of interaction I find
exciting."
Because Dr. Vela views teaching
as an interactive process, the learning
experience is mutual. For this
outstanding professor, a career in
teaching is not a matter of staying
power, but of successfully influencing
his own joy of intellectual
discovery into his students.
So, after countless classes offreshman
composition, he-continues to be
one of UNCP's truly great teachers,
according to his students and colleagues.
Here is a small sample or comments
from his packet of
recommendations to the Board of
Governors Committee on Teaching
Awards:
"I am so invigorated! The way he
utilized the multiple essay portfolio
set up around the text itself made
class discussion far more
intelligent..and (it) suited the
timeframe and my branched interests,"
wrote a former student.
"Affected by the intensity of
Richard's interest, students share their
own insights in a classroom atmosphere
that encourages
participation...the feeling of inclusiveness
and genuine care enables
students to perform at a level that
even surprises them. Their willing
and enthusiastic contributions to class
discussions give a sense to everyone
involved that this is the way education
is meant to be," a professor
wrote.
Dr. Charles Jenkins, provost and
vice chancellor for Academic Affairs,
agrees with these sentiments.
"Dr. Vela is well known at UNC
Pembroke for being an excellent
teacher during his many years of
service at the university, and it is
gratifying to see him selected for this
distinguished award," Dr. Jenkins
said. "He has influence the lives of
many students at both the baccalaureate
and master's levels through his
effective teaching."
Over the years, Dr. Vela has enjoyed
the lifestyle at this regional university
setting.
"Because I have a Hispanic background
and grew up in a border
community, this campus and community
looked familiar to me," he
said. "In a rural and remote place, I
have an interesting life. What a place
is like is what you do with it."
When not in Robeson County, Dr.
Vela enjoys traveling and open sea
diving. Besides attending conferences
and visiting his son Marc, who
is stationed at a San Diego naval
base, he is a master scuba diver with
nearly 200 dives.
The Excellence in Teaching
Award carries a $7,500 prize and a
bronze medallion. The winner is
grand marshal for UNCP's spring
and winter commencements and featured
speaker at the winter exercises.
The award was created to underscore
the importance of teaching and
to reward good teaching across UNC.
It is given to one tenured professor on
each of the 16 campuses.
The awards ceremony was "very
impressive," Dr. Vela said. "I spent
some of the award money to bring
family members to the ceremony."
This is the second time that Dr.
Vela's has been named an outstanding
teacher at UNCP. He was named
the recipient of the university's OutstandingTeacher
Award for 1998-99.
At UNCP, he is director of the
Composition Program and past director
of Advisement and Retention.
He has taught a wide variety of English
courses as well as English as a
second language. He is a Spanish
speaker.
Dr. Vela came to UNCP in 1971.
He left to earn his doctorate in English
from The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and returned
in 1981. He received his baccalaureate
and master's degrees in literature
from the University of Dallas.
He has written numerous articles
and presented papers on Shakespeare,
film noir, contemporary and Latino
literature. Dr. Vela has also published
poetry and short -.
He was a counselor at the Rape
Crisis Center in Cumberland County
and a founding board member and
past president of the Robeson County
Rape Crisis Center.
Compassionate Friends Support Group To Meet
The Compassionate Friends support
group, designed to offer
friendship and understanding to bereaved
parents,Siblings, stepparents
and grandparents, meets the third
Monday each month at 7 p.m. at
Health Horizons Home Health, 2002
N. Cedar St. in Lumberton. The
group is a mutual assistance, selfhelp
organization. There is no charge
for these sessions.
For more information, call Dean
Carter at (910) 671-5600.
Leadership Program Gives Awards
PEMBROKE, N.C.--Twentythree
UNCP students were honored
at the first Leadership and Service
Opportunities Program awards ceremony
Wednesday.
Calvin Webster, a sophomore,
earned the Community Service
Award, the highest honor for his
work on numerous community
projects.
"Calvin is a greater leader by example,"
Student Activities Director
and LSOP coordinator Abdul Ghaffer
said "He is an outstanding student
who finds time and energy for the
community. In fact, he will be working
on a roadside cleanup project
Saturday."
"He has tremendous rapport with
children as his work with youth in
one of Pembroke's housing projects
shows," he said.
Mr. Ghaffar said LSOP's first year
was a good one. He thanked the
Student Government Association: the
Athletics Department, Teaching Fellows
Program, Freshman Seminar
Program and Career Services for
helping get the program started.
"We were pleasantly surprised at
the large number of students who did
volunteer in the community," Mr.
Graffar said. "This is a solid foundation
for a program that is designed to
help both our students and the community."
Chancellor Allen Meadors praised
the students for their efforts.
"The number one criticism in this
nation is that people do not get involved,"
Chancellor Meadors said,
"I challenge you to make this a lifelong
habit of service to the
community, and to go out and recruit
others."
"Distinguished Leader's Awards"
were earned by 17 students who attended
at least five workshops and
contributed 30 or more hours of community
service:
Mindy Davis, a senior, social work
major from Hope Mills; Shannon
Floumoy, a senior, criminal justice
major from Pembroke; Carolyn
Hollifield, a senior, special education
major from Charlotte, Jaclyn
Locklear a senior, elementary education
major from Maxton; Paula
McDonald, a junior, mathematics
major from Peachland.Janelle Miller,
a senior, English major from
Lagrange, N.C., James Nichols, a
junior, computer science major from
Jacksonville; Sweta Patel, a senior,
psychology major from Greensboro;
Olivia Reid, a senior, social work
major from Fayetteville; Farrah
Sheppard, a senior, criminal justice
major from Maxton; Khalid Tapia, a
senior, mass communications major
from Spring Lake; Amanda Terry, a
senior, accounting major from Ham</
let; Sarah Topp, a freshman, English
major from Greensboro; Yoneka
Trent, a senior, social work major
from New Bern.N.C.; Dawn Wallace,
a senior, social work major from
Raeford; Jennifer Watson, a senior,
middle grades education major from
Fayetteville and Calvin Webster, a
junior, biomedical major from Newport.
"Student Service Awards," for students
who attended three workshops
and contributed 20-29 hours of community
service, were earned by:
Gina Britt, a senior, criminal justice
major from Lumberton; Debbie
Edwards, a sophomore, social work
major from Fayetteville; Carrie
Elkins, a senior, marketing major
from Mt. Gilead, N.C.; Aaryn
Kowalchuk, a senior, psychology
major from Oak Island; Michelle
Kuhn, a senior, mass communications
major from Lumberton;
Michelle Williams, a junior, social
work major from Fayetteville and
Nicholas Dimery, a sophomore,
chemistry major from Pembroke.
A short list of service projects
includes food driv.es, tutoring,
mentoring, hurricane relief work,
blood and bone marrow drives.
Award recipients also get a special
transcript of the award and their
volunteer activities.
Indian Education To Be
Topic At Regional Forum
RALEIGH?Indian leaders from throughout the Southeastern United
States will gather in Raleigh on May 9-10 for a regional partnership forum.
One of a series being held throughout the country, the forum will bring
together representatives from tribes, states and the federal government to
discuss Indian education issues.
The forum grew out of a 1998 executive order by President Bill Clinton
concerning American Indian and Alaska Native education. The executive
order established six goals: improving reading and mathematics; increasing
high school completion and post-secondary attendance rates; reducing the
influence of long-standing factors that impede educational performance,
such as poverty and substance abuse; creating strong, safe and drug-free
school environments; improving science education; and expanding technology
use.
The forum is being sponsored by the Office of Indian Education in the U.S.
Department of Education in coordination with the N.C. Commission of
Indian Affairs in the N.C. Department of Administration.
Among the forum's scheduled speakers are Mike Ward, N.C. superintendent
of public schools; Dr. David Beaulieu, director, Office of Indian
Education, U.S. Department of Education; and Greg Richardson, executive
director, Commission of Indian Affairs.
According to Richardson, the meeting has several goals. "Through the
forums," he said, "we hope to identify ways we can share information, provide
assistance to schools, develop partnerships and coordinate intergovernmental
strategies aimed at meeting the intent of the executive order."
The Raleigh forum will be held at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. For
additional information about the forum, contact Mickey Michelle Locklear,
director, Educational Talent Search Project, N.C. Commission of Indian
Affairs, at (919) 733-5998.
Diabetes Support
Group Meets
Weekly
Health Horizons Home Health sponsors
a Diabetes Support Group at 7
p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each
month. Meetings are held at 2002 N.
Cedar St. in Lumberton. Health care
professionals speak on topics helpful
to persons with diabetes and their
families. For more information, call
671-5600.
SRMC Sponsors
Video Series On
Health
Southeastern Regional Medical
Center presents "Picture of Health"
each Thursday evening at 8 p.m. on
the Community Channel (Channel
6). The topic for May 4 and 11 Is
"Grief Etiquette." Thanks to Time
Warner Cable of Lumberton for providing
this free community service.
For more information about scheduled
topics or to suggest a topic, call
671-5499.
Rodeo Flying Operations To Be Conducted In Local Area
POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C.-Community
residents in the greater
Fayetteville area may hear more cargo
aircraft than normal between May 6
and 12. The reason for this increased
air traffic is due to the Air Mobility
Command Rodeo 2000 competition
at Pope Air Force Base. The compe-,
tition areas include airdrop, air
refueling, aeromedical evacuation,
and related ground operations.
Pope apologizes for any inconve- , ;
nience this increased air traffic may
cause. Residents with questions or
concerns regarding the scheduled
flights can call the public affairs office
at (910) 395-1724 or the command
post at (910) 394-9000.
I s
SRMC Offers Free Program To Parents
unpwicuit pai&iiia aig lllVHCU lO
attend the New Parent Orientation on
Tuesday, May 30, from 7 p.m. until 9
p.m. in the SRMC Assembly Room.
The free program includes a video
lV
pi?ciuauun un moor ana cnuaDirth,
a tour of the birthing suites and a car
safety seat demonstration. For more
information call 671-5341.
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