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(USPS 091-380)
f Words Of Wisdom i
None preaches belter than (he aaf. and she
says aothing. ; -Benjamin Franklin
The more we study, the more we discover our
ignorance. Shelley'
God, keep me still unsatisfied.
. Louise Untermeyer
VOLUME 59 NUMBER 52
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26, 1981
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913
PRICE: 30 CENTS
Plan For NCR-54 Redevelopment
Includes All Relocatees
Former NCCU Law
Dean Dies
. v By Donald Alderman "
The Hayti Development Corporation (HDC) has
i submitted a plan for the development of the old
r Hayti community to a sub-committee of the city;
; council. The plan is similar to. one the city ad-:
ministration had prepared for council approval,
i' But, for the most -part, the plans are markedly dif
; ferent. ' V .
City planners say their plan is only an example of j
j how the land much of it vacant because most :
; businesses were forced to relocate, families were;
uprooted, houses torn down and the expressway;
J built may be developed. They add that any group '
y can present a development proposal. j
However, the city's plan originally was set for
council approval,: including public hearings, by;
December 21. :
A public hearing on the city's plan is now set for '
, January 11. The administration'? timetable for
council approval was set back after Finance Com
- This means, HDC says, the fact that the area is '
largely a black community; the fact that black
businesses were all but destroyed; and the fact,
despite fears, the land is very valuable with easy ac
cess to the east-west expressway, Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina Central University,
downtown and Duke University, is being
whitewashed.
The HDC says the area's development must
bridge the. old spirit of Hayti with new luster of
higher quality; must remember the area is valuable
urban renewal land; must remember that promises
of rebuilding Hayti's black business district were;
never fulfilled; and, must never be so narrowly
focused as to think that because the area has project .
housing it cannot be redeveloped so as to resemble
with better quality -r- it's past.
HDC's sentiments do not reflect a desire for the
city to financially rebuild black businesses. It does1
mean, however, the city should set the tone for!'
;
.ATTORNEY
LeMARQUIS DeJAR
MON, former dean of
the North Carolina Cen
tral University Law
School, died suddenly at
his home on Masondale
Avenue, Wednesday
morning, of a heart at
tack. Funeral ar
rangements were in
complete at press time.
He is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Elva P. De
Jarmon and one
daughter, Miss Michelle
DeJarmon of Durham.
1
hi
i-
May the joys of the season )
dwell in each and every heart.
mittee members thought the public was not allowed: ' reconstruction of black commercialism in the area
' enough time to study the plan.
- City planners' concept also calls for the Durham
Business and Professional Chain to offer technical
assistance to eight businesses in the Tin City' area,;
aiding in their permanent relocation. The HDC also
has it's differences with the terms of that proposed
: contract. , '
According to HDC president, Nathaniel White, ,
Jr., HDC's plan is formulated to accomplish three
basic bbjectives:
(1) Primary consideration is given to the eight ex
isting businesses of the Hayti community. HDC
says the eight businesses have been removed but;
never renewed. Their relocation and renewal into;
anywhere they want in the whole 54-acre tract is;
primary.' ;
(2) Consideration to any businesses removed,
from Hayti that want to return. That is essential, '
White said, because they were forced to move,
against their will.
(3) Consideration to any minority firm, from out
side or within the city, that wants to locate in Hayti :
should also be given top consideration.
White said the city's plan mainly concerns the
' area's development without much emphasis on the
area's historical significance, He said, however.
mat nL'Vi uu uic vuy cue
mulate ft plan acceptable to the council.
Paul NprtJfKhedtyS:toniiitg department
director, said' the administration1 .''mainly' wants a
plan that will be acceptable to potential developers.
While both, the city and HDC have talked to
developers about the feasibility of their develop
ment concepts, they reportedly have no idea who
will develop the valuable land.
. City planners contend that, to lure developers,
the fact that the land is urban renewal property
must be minimized, and most development is pro
posed east of Old Fayetteville Street because the
large project area may frighten potential
developers.
Duke Power Cuts
with the same fervor as it did for destruction of the
area. f
The most notable difference between the twofl
plans is development east of Old Fayetteville Street, if
The city's plan lays out nothing concrete. It men
tions "continued development . of community
oriented commercial services. HDC's Dlan envi-j
sions a park, skating rink, real estate firm, a bank, if
small business development, and, a larger medical j
plaza. f.
HDC's plan views Hayti as an extension oft
downtown. The city's plan, in terms of develop- :K
ment concept, is seemingly and extension of the
Forest Hills community.
There are commercial enterprises already east of -Fayetteville
Street. Some have been bothered with
crime and some have not. The same is true
throughout the city.
In a letter to the editor, printed in The Carolina '
Times December 19, Norby said after the city's plan ;
was determined to be feasible, the eight existing r
businesses now in Tin City were contacted. !'
The Carolina Times; one of the eight businesses,:
was never contacted. Furthermore, HDC members p
agreed it would have been, moj-e meaningful for the? ,
businesses to-be! contacted before the blattwasi
' hdc says another misgiving in tne city s plan is
the wording of the proposed contract with, the
Chain. The Chain is being asked to determine if the
businesses are viable, thereby deciding if they can
be relocated. .
This, HDC contends is shortsighted. The Chain
should aid in making sure the businesses are
relocated and not simply determining whether they
can be relocated.
H, DC says it's criticisms of the city's plans are not'
meant to halt progress, but to ensure that the Hayti
ypm nmQM. It,
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community
disserved.
Night
ignored "for two decades is not
Bus Service
Fantasy In Storybook Land
William Beverly, 3, played the role of Santa Claus and Yolanda Carrington, 3, played an elf as
the children of Russell Memorial Child Development Center presented their Christmas play last
Tuesday.
rkoto y Urn Hlott
McNeil: Still "Waiting For Justice
9 9
By Donald Alderman
Duke Power Com
pany'sWd to discontinue'
night transit service;
beginning at 7 p.m.,
January 15, was approv
ed on a 7-6 vote by the
City Council on Monday
night following a long,
often emotional session.
Several opposition
groups say the decrease;
in service will be pro
tested. Doug Lowe of the
, Transportation Alter
natives Network said a
strategy is being worked
out. Sam Reed, presi
dent, Durham Cfiapter, ,
National Council of
Senior Citizens, said the
local group will join the '
effort. The People's
Alliance and the Durham
Committee on the Af-v
fairs of Black People are
also expected to par
ticipate. The groups ex
pressed dismay with
Mayor Charles
Markharh, whose vote
proved decisive , in
eliminating the service.
Councilmen voting to
end night service were
company operates the
bus system under a fran
chise agreement which
also gives Duke Power
electric service rights and
said the company has an
obligation to the council
! and to citizens.
That obligation to
provide both electric and
transportation services
to the city was weakened
despite desperate cries
from, community
members who said the
night bus service elimina
tion will cause night
workers to lose jobs and;
put undue hardships on
the transit-dependent
: population.
, Duke Power officials
were present but did not
speak.
Duke Power says night
bus service elimination
will reduce it's losses on
the transit system due to
low ridership.
Instead of -cutting ser
vices, the company
should do more to pro
mote services, said the
Rev. Z.D. Harris, pastor
of Oak Grove Free Will
will receive reports from
city and company of
ficials in thirty-day inter
vals. Although the routes
are not hampered by low
ridership, Duke Power
contends it's losses can
be reduced by crowding
three buses and dropping
one driver on each route.
The test is being used
as an excuse to reduce
services, said Reed,
speaking on behalf of the '
Durham Chapter of the
National Council of 1
Senior Citizens.
Test the impact of
reduced services for
ninety days and the
ridership is gone, said
Lowe, adding, "Let's
not kid ourselves.".
In other business the
council:
Deferred action on a
resolution approving the
participation of the N.C.
Housing Finance Agency 1
in the financing of a
75-unit apartment-complex
to be constructed on
(Continued on Pge 6
By Donald Alderman
Although the wheels
of justice often turn
slowly, Leroy McNeill
says in his case they are
turning "unnecessarily"
slow!
"It's been nearly two
months and there has
been no action yet,"
McNeill said Wednes
day. "I don't understand
it. I don't know what is
happening. No one has
even contacted me," he
said. ,
McNeill said he
regularly visits his doctor
and has, to take medica
tion daily to control
seizures he suffers
because of a flashlight
blow to his head.
ABC Officer Ronald
Allen struck McNeill on
the head on November 7
while conducting a raid
at his home in the
Walltown section of
Durham, McNeill
alleges.
"I didn't provoke the
man. He just hit me,"
McNeill said, when told
that . many question
1 whether Allen struck him
without reason.
Doctors at Duke
Medical Center said
McNeill suffered a brain
contusion, fractured
skull and loss of hearing
in his left ear." "He" was
hospitalized for three
days before being releas-
ed. i
NAACP president, said
that inaction is un
necessary and unaccep
table. Saying Allen's
assault charges ' have
nothing to do with the
alleged brutality McNeill
Immediately after the suffered, Frazier called
incident, Public Safety the inaction' a
Barney West, Kim Grif- Baptist Church, echoing,
fin, Harwood Smith, the sentiments of several
.Paul Vick Carroll
Pledger, Ms. Jane Davis,
along with Mayor
Markham.
Councilmen voting
not to end the1 service
were Chester Jenkins,
Ralph Hunt, Maceo
Sloan, Thomas Hudson,
Jr., Thomas Campbell
and Mrs. Sylvia Ker
ckhoff. :
According to Coun
cilman Ralph Hunt, the
action was not "honest
or fair to the citizenry"
of Durham. He and
others who spoke in op-,
position to the service;
reduction noted that the
present. About twenty
church members accom-;
panied Rev. Harris at the
meeting.
Duke Power can
reduce the number of
buses from four to three
on Watts Hospital-East
Durham and Duke ,
Hospital'Wellons Village
routes " beginning
February 1 , another ac-;
tion the council took
concerning the transit
system.
The service reduction
on heavily used routes,
was approved 11-2 as a
ninety-day test period
during which' the council
-;., ' V, " ' - ii I. " : ' - ' 1 ' I
ft
Annual
Party
detectives were called in
to investigate brutality ,
charges and the local
NAACP chapter was
asked to fight on
McNeill's behalf.
Besides that, there has
been little action on the
part, of local law of
ficials. "It is not fair,"
McNeill said somberly.
'"I'm stilt waiting for
justice. I will continue to
fight regardless of how
long it takes."
McNeill was twice
denied warrants against
Allen. However, Allen
has obtained two war
rants against McNeill
one for interfering with
an officer and another
for assault. Detectives
; advised Allen against ob
taining warrants
After receiving t the
detectives' report of1 in
vestigation ot the incHv
dent, Durham County
District Attorney Dan K.
Edwdrds, Jr., said he
would decide a course of
action within a week.
Three weeks have
passed and there has
been no action on the
report that Edwards said
was thorough. Edwards
said there is ' evidence
Allen struck McNeill. He
said he will decide
whether the force was ex
cessive. . -
Edwards, it was learn
ed, will not act until
i McNeill has his day in
"whitewash".
"It is a miscarriage of
justice-when law enforce
ment v agencies do not
take brutality charges
against their officers
seriously," Frazier said.
"There has been ample
time for Edwards to
make a decision. It looks
like a cover-up.
"We'll ask the Justice
Department to determine
whether McNeill's con
stitutional rights have
been violated. t
"They arc prolonging
this thing to try to tire us
out. We have many op
tions left and we will not
give up," Frazier said
when asked why there
has been no motion in
the case.
Frazier called for he
fifing of ABC Chief of
Police Roland Leary last
week, saying Leary,
NEW YORK Mayor Ed Koch and Cardinal Cooke entertain children at I court for allegedly
the Cardinal's annual Christmas party for children of the New York Foundl- assaulting Allen.
Ing Hospital and others at the Waldorf, UPIPHoJo George Frazier, local
Allan's boss, acted indif
ferently to the alleged
misconduct of Allen.
Frazier called for i the
suspension of Allen pen
ding an independent in
vestigation of the
felonious assault
charges. Leary, however,
ignored the calls.
Frazier stopped short
of calling for Edwards'
resignation. He said Ed
wards inaction will pro
bably be reflected at the
polls should he decide to
run for re-election next
year. ''.'
Leary has announced
his candidacy for
Durham Count ySberiff
next year.