North Carolina Newspapers

3?.' il i Duke University Library 'f - ; -Newspaper Department i, UUI lldlll tv '-, wl Atlanta Children Death Toll. . . , .21 Missing . 4 : 2 Murderer(s) Still Not Found Wear A Crien Ribbon Apr: 3 isar Words Of Wisdom Tkc more yon we yout brain, the more brain yo win have lo use. . C.& Dof'iey Patience is bitter, bat if frail is sweet. VOlUMt- 59 - NUMBER 14?. DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1981 TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE: 30 CENTS 4T N -"J" . an f . iV- "ll r '."v !l ri'::: J .'117 1 ' Ji Lji'' - j riur 4 if' ! Oinference On Or osTnizing Foi' 80's Well Attended Rep.Spaulding Introduces Bill To Allow Tenant Representation State Representative Kenneth B. Spaulding has introduced legislation;- the N6rth Carolina House of Representatives ;that would allow a public housing tenant to server on a Public Housing authori ty Board.'' ry Currently, an Attorney General's ppihion in dicates that the present lw in North Carolina prohibits a tenant from serving on the Housing Authority's Board. Spaulding's bill would make it possible for a housing authority tenant to serve on the Housing Authority Board. Spaulding said that he believes tenants should be allowed to serve on a Housing Authority Board and that the input given by a tenant would be beneficial to the Board's decision making process. 500 Persons Jam St. Joseph's Church REP. SPAULDING Call Issued For "People Answer To Duke Power power Joins Search For Clues r An -elderly .lady Jhas a wistful look as she holds, two daffodils she picked in the woods last week while helping conduct a weekend search for clues in the mystery of ..Atlanta's disappearing chiiaren. Thls marks the 25th weekend search conducted by J J Citing Duke Power Company's 1980 neti in come as being substantial ly up from 1979, the Durham Chapter of the National Council of Senior Citizens as issued a call to "answer Duke Power with People Power" at the Durham City Council meeting on Monday, April 6, at I p.m, Duke Power Com pany has requested a iy."o rate increase. are already suffering hard ships, and unable to make ends meet. And now, it seems that Duke Power wants to add to our economic plight", he con tinued. Reed said that Duke Power's "reasoning in arguing for a rate increase is faulty". Duke Power Company reported net income in . 1980 of $311,091,000, an i increase pt $36,331,000 Utilities Commission per forms an important func tion of research and fact finding. But in the final analysis, there is no substitute for the role and influence of the tax payers and consumers." "We of the National Council are ready to cooperate with City Coun cil, and with all people of goodwill, to help improve the living standards of all citizens, and especially to (Continued on Page 3) Trellie L. Je tiers' More than 500 persons representing civil rights, labor, low income groups, women's rights and en vironmental interests jam med St. Joseph's AME Church on Saturday, March 28, to attend the se cond day of a conference on "Organizing for the 80's". Saturday's group consisted of all races, ranging from senior citizens to young people who had come to develop strategies to create a coali tion of groups from across the state the deal with what many expressed as "major concerns" about the direction of the Reagan administration. Six persons began the conference after a welcome address by Rev. W.W. Easley, St. Joseph's pastor, all stressing their perception of the need for "those concerned about democracy" to come together for greater strength. Ms.' Barbara Arnwine, N.C. Co-Convenor for the National Black Indepen dent Political Party and told the group that racism has been used in this coun try to divide people who have common interests. "It (racism keeps peo ple ignorant by making some believe that a certain race or group is superior," said Ms. Arnwine. She said that racism is unconscious, conscious and institutional. "An ex ample of institutional racism is the use of power to exclude certain groups or races. When you look at CETA, you see so many whites controlling the pro gram. The program is set up to help many low in come blacks and there are no blacks making any decisions. Racism is in the right, center and the left." Ms. Arnwine said. She called upon the group to form a coalition against racism. Art Martin of the Inter national Ladies Garment Workers Union, another of the speakers, told the group that the U.S. Department of Labor has changed sides, and stan dards on occupational safety and health will be beararicg of two Others. UPI Photo DHA Commission Assures In Changes Communication By Donald Marable The Board of Directors of the Durham Housing Authority, in its monthly meeting on Thursday, March 26, adopted and approved a resolution revising maintenance charges that will be assess ed to tenants when repairs are made., Mrs. Pat Rogers, direc tor of the Tenant Steering Committee, felt that the. eligibility. Benjamin S. ' Ruffin, chairman of the board Of commissioners, had to gavel to order residents and representatives who were disturbed about not having received copies of the proposed policy changes. Ruffin confirm ed that the commission is dedicated to informing and receiving information from the tenants and that resolution was unjust 'ihe would assure a two-way unless abuse, deliberate f communication for future damage, or neglect was ; news in the Authority. found among residents. A resolution to adopt a revised Statement of Policies also came before the board. Included was a rent rate increase from 22 to 25 based oh in come, and an annual reex amination ' for rent l enants . and represen tatives agreed with nod ding heads as the resolu tion was tabled until the next meeting, during which a survey of tenant feelings may be presented, with a proposal to revise the grievance procedure. The Com mission f urr ther considered a concept of Organizing resident; councils. The Tenant Steering Committee sug gested that such a move would weaken that com mittee. But DHA Ex ecutive Director James Tabron said the policy is being urged by the Depart ment of Housing and Ur ban Development and it, would call for a more ef-' fective use of community funds. In this same vein, the commission went on to approve a HUD applica tion that would seek money for a Section 8 Moderate Rehabilitation Program. This would give money to tenants who refurbished and renovated their houses. : people, but, especially among the retired people; living on fixed incomes, this literally caused a shock wave", said Sam Reed, president of the Durham Chapter, in a, presentation to the Com munity Services Commit tee in behalf of the NCSC on Wednesday, March 25. "We are already living on; a tight budget. Many of us were . $3.08 - as compared with $2.88 in 1979. Dividends on common stock were $1.95 and $1.83 in 1979. Reed contended that "the voice of the people must be heard an con sidered, before the State Utilities Commission acts on, this case. That is the democratic way. The Public Staff of the one or ine six soeaKCTv rcrmtimiod nn Pa Housing Authority Director Reviews Termination Decision Never Too Late Too Learn By Donald Marable There are 25 million adults in this cduntry who cannot read this article. An illiterate is defined as a person who is unable to function in today's society that is to read or write above the eighth grade level. In Durham County alone, of males 25 and older, 662 had no school; 2,904 completed one to four years of school, 5,053 completed five to seven vears. and 2,292 com- oleted eight years of ' school. For females, 25 and over, 616-no school; 2,193-one to four years; 5,419-five to 7 years, and 2,707-eight years. And these statistics have changed by 14, accor ' ding to the 1980 census. The Durham Literacy Council held a two-day workshop for volunteers -ft Ms. Mary Whaley, director of the Illiteracy Program at Yates Baptist Association, and Ms. Mary Collins, teacher trainee, beamed like the sunshine on methods of helping those who want to help themselves. The Durham Literacy Council started at Yates Baptist Association made up of churches in Durham and Orange counties 1 with head quarters on Chapel Hill Street. ' W.W. Sprouse, com mittee member of com munity ministers, said, . "The biggest problem is that people will not come of. call for help. It is the people that don't want to admit they can't read that, we are most concerned about." He further said, that this service is at no cost to the student, but we interested in 'teaching do like them to buy the in adult non-readers on ' a one-to-one basis.on Friday and Saturday, March 27-28, in the Durham County Library on Rox boro Street And what better place ' an vviiuiioi uvvm moi will aid them in learning to read. . After the students finish the series of classes in i structed by. the tutors, : they will be able to read at a fifth grade level, with a knowledge of English grammar. From there, the student can take a class at Durham Technical In stitute. Sprouse mentioned that, "As a result of the CBS movie, "Pride of Jesse Helms," starring Johnny Cash, which characterized the hard ships of a man being a non-reader in today's society, many people are coming forth." There are 25 volunteers from all walks of life, in cluding a writer of children's books who completed the workshop and became certified teachers. The program is co sponsored by Yates Bap tist Association and Pro ject LIFT at the library, and anyone wanting help may call either of those places. A volunteer will be assigned based on the specific needs of that stu dent. A schedulers then worked out between the tutor and student. Tutors are available for in-home service and are trying at all angles to start turning the pages in life for a non-reader. Don King Tells Students: "Give Back To Community" World-renowned boxing promoter Don King visited Howard University recently and delivered more than a message. He set the example by donating some $140,000 to black and other charitable organizations. "Some of our successful blacks are such that as soon as the wrinkles get out of their bellies, they proclaim they have done it alone," King told the students. "We must deal with the fact that we are our brother's keeper, whether we want to be or not." Then, King said he wanted to pause for a moment to "practice what he preached.'' From his pocket he pulled checks payable to the NAACP for $10,000. the United Negro College Fund, $10,000; PUSH, $10,000; Con gressional Black Caucus Foundation, $10,000; American Cancer Society, $10,000; Africare, $5,000; Howard's School of Communications, $2,500; and to several other organizations, When he finished, the total donated amounted to almost $140,000. Calling his philanthropy "tantamount to a mere pit tance," and quoting (he late John Kennedy, King said he was taking the "first step" of the "longest mile" by giving back to the community from whence he came. "Our plight will not be changed, until we help ourselves." Education and economics, King told the students, arc the best keys to self-help. "We must, he economically independent, unless we want to be in another form of subordination. I feel that economics will be our savior. But right now. we're 99 per cent consumer." "We need minds like yours to get the cducaiton this fine institution can provide so you can work lo deal with productivity and other problems that face our nation." "As blacks., we must come together to work with our communities, and institutions; Then we can have the strength to bring about change." Saying his own strength lay in his "ghetto ties," his mother afid friends, King told the students how he made four years - of incarceration for second-degree manslaughter work in his favor. "I read Voltaire, Chaucer Gibraii, King, Kennedy, Dante, and all those cats. Wlidi I came out , I was armed with ait atom bomb of knowledge." , His jailhousc education and a relentless "desire for affluence,'' motivated King to. try his hand at pro moting local boxing matches in Cleveland. From here, he went up the la''W of success, promoting the last Muhammad Ali bouts in the U.S. and Africa, as well as the recent Duran-Lconard showdowns. Despite his success itt the American marketplace, King is an humble man. recognize that I am nothing without. yoii. Everyone dealing has to deal from a con-' stitiicncyV You must have someone with you." By Donald Marable As a result of an appeal by Ms. Cloyce Lassiter, former Deputy Director for Operations at the Durham Housing Authority, James Tabron, Executive Director, is began accumulating heat as council for Ms. Lassiter pointed to facts in his clients ' file on being a valued employee and that Tabron had promoted her in the two weeks that he had been there with advice reviewing his decision that fr0m the interim director terminated her on January and team at the 26 Daniel K. Edwards, at torney for the Housing Authority, said, "The purpose of this hearing is to give Ms. Lassiter an op portunity to be heard by the commissioners. She feels that her dismissal was improper and therefore we are affording the director an opportuni ty for consideration of keeping that decision or setting up a meeting for a later hearing." Tabron said, "As Deputy Director for Operations, Ms. Lassiter's duties were three part, which mainly concerned an overseer maintenance, management, and in charge of community ser vices." Tabron stressed that he released Ms. Lassiter after consulting her on late and inefficient reports. He had con sidered her experience at the Authority for the ap pointment, but was fin ding through the proba tionary period that she was slowly losing her grip on handling the position. Ms. Lassiter has heldj positions with the Authority since 1969, annd has been promoted at a yearly rate since 1972. She formally assumed the position of Deputy Direc tor for Operations in May, 1979. Ms. Lassiter was placed on a probationary status for a period of four months in October, 1980, which was to end by January of 1981. William A. Marsh, Jr., attorney for Ms. Lassiter, made reference to Tabron putting Ms. Lassiter in a "Catch-22" position by evaluating her and exten ding fier probationary period at the same time. The smoke-filled room Greensboro office. Marsh stressed the inconsistence of Tabron's decision to promote her to this posi tion and then fire her within a year, and then not seek another position at the Authority for her. Ms. Lassiter said that "Tabron did not appoint me to the position of ' Deputy Director for Operations, the manage ment consulting team at the Greensboro office had appointed me." Ms. Lassiter also contended that the six areas that Tabron Used to fire her listed in a termination let ter were not the same areas he had consulted her about in October. Tabron strongly reiterated that, "In the let ter sent to Ms. Lassiter, I stated that the items were not all-inclusive of her duties and that her posi tion entailed a broader spectrum as Deputy Direc tor for Operations." Edwards said that be did not hear any conten tions on sex or race discrimination and assumes this will not be part of the case. However, Marsh stated that, "although there were no direct contentions, Ms. Lassiter's termination brought forth the hiring of two males of a race that we all know of." Jack Preiss, board member, stressed that he hopes that in terms of discrimination, "all the cards are on the table," and that 'there will be no (Continued on Page 3) EOC Office Open At Warren Library By Donald Alderman The Roxboro-based Educational Opportunity Center has opened a satellite office. in Durham's Stanford War ren Library, according to Ms. . Shelia Smith, EOC Outreach Counselor. The new satellite office will provide interested Durham residents with in formation on types of educational financial assistance available and application procedures. The EOC encourages individuals interested in enrolling in diploma pro grams, trade or technical schools, two or four year colleges, or graduate and professional schools to use these services. The new Durham office " will be. open every Tues day from I to 4:30 p.m. The EOC provides all ser vices free of. charge. April 511 is National Week. In observance, the Stanford L. Warren . Library will stage the following activities: Wednesday, April 8, 7:30 p.m. A viewing of the black history documen tary, "Dark Night In March" produced by WTVD Public Affairs department. The film ac-' counts the life of sharecroppers on Stagville Plantation during the 1920s. Saturday, April ll. Comic Book ' Swap for children and youn adults, 11 a.m. Amateur Radio Operators Demonstration by Mid-State Amateur Soceity, 1 p.m. All per sons interested in ham operating or joining the' society are encouraged to attend.