IK
I Blflclu qnd
I Hi# Fourth ?I Jul
IWli
Vol. XII, No. 45
Upshaw pleads
I
guilty in case
By JOHN HINTON ^
Chronicle Staff Writer
Larry V. Upshaw, the city's
formcp assistant to the director
for public works, was given a
30-day suspended jail sentence
and was placed on probation for two
years after he pleaded guilty
to misdemeanor larceny in
District Court Tuesday.
Judge James A. Harrill also
ordered Upshaw, 34, to pay court .
?costs and perform 48 hours of
community service. "We are
human beings," Harrill said as he
sentenced Upshaw. "We all make
mistakes." ^
Upshaw was charged with taking
$9 from the purse of his
secretary, Mary Ruth Vogt, on
June 5. Upshaw resigned from
his position after he was arrested
later that same day.
Miss Vogt attended the trial,
. but declined to comment on Upshaw's
conviction. "1 am sorry,
but I am not going to get into it
this time," she said.
Three weeks ago, Miss Vogt
denied reporting to police that an
unspecified amount of money
was taken from her purse. But
^ her name was indicated on a
police arrest itpui t as the penon * ~
filing a complaint against Upshaw.
Upshaw showed no emotion
while Harrill was sentencing him.
He did not speak during his
20-minute trial.
R.A. Spillman, a detective with
the Winston-Salem Police
Department, testified that $245
was taken from the public works ,
office on nine other occasions, j
but Upshaw was not charged with '
these thefts.
"Those cases are still open," s
said Capt. G.G. Cornatzer of 1
police department's Criminal In- \
vestigations Division. "Those c
cases have not been connected."
Defense attorney Michael A. f
Grace told the judge that Upshaw c
already has been punished. "This
man has forfeited a lifetime of c
work," Grace said. "It will be c
tough for him to be hired in a
position of trust again." s
Upshaw joined the city as its c
assistant to the director of public
works in July 1985. The position
Please see page A13 s
Newprogran
children invol
By CHERYL WILLIAMS
Chronicle Staff Writer
Jody Bennett has been an advoca
. children for a long time. So it seem;
natural that she should head a progri
adult volunteers who protect a chilc
terest in child abuse and neglect cases
county.
The program, which is called the
dian ad Litem program, has been i
county since January. "Uuarcua
litem9' is a legal term meaning a gui
for the trial.
. Mrs. Bennett, whose job it is to
dinate the program, said that 1
volunteers were used, an attorney ser
_ guardian ad litem, or GAL, conduct!
vesdgations and ^making recommend
bout what was best for the child.
She said that in 1977, the N.C. O
Assembly mandated that whenever
buse or neglect petitions came btfo
L ?
/
J
J
? >
ision-csai
The Twin City's /il
U.S.P.S. No. 067910 Winston-Salem, N.C.
iSl I
IWSPfl B^KidiiMw
^1 ^K v^^l
I " B1
111 V ii* 'tv" W
H i ^Cirifl ^H9r- * I
f^| |1
Ulll* MIm Liberty
* ; * * 9m>:\ ;* * v 1 i' ';? < '.? \ ,%\t '% +JT. " ' - jjn . . .' . ,;
Xfttle "E?3yT?Si^ AlecTaWeat, X dons torch and tablet
for Thuraday'a Independence Day parade on Wheeler Street.
The parade was sponsored by St. Matthews Child Dpy Care
and Educational Center (photo by James Parker).
Parents: Young bus drive
3y CHERYL WILLIAMS He sai
ShronJcte Staff Writer substitute
Several parents of children injured in a recent school bus c*1|^cniccident
feel that discipline on the school bus is not so e w
nuch a problem as having 16- and 17-year-old bus drivers a P*111
vho aren't experienced or mature enough to handle the ~~??
:hildreo. "AS fa
Student bus drivers came under sharp attack recently dlffofQ
ollowing the June 6 Old Town Elementary School bus ac- ^
rfdent that injured 35 children. ?
James Greg McCormick, the 16-year-old bus driver, was ' O-ySfll
xiticized by parents and school officials for his handling
>f the situation.
Parents and officials said that it was the last day of sai(j that
chool and that some rowdiness on the part of the students <<}je jQ
>aiim k> ?j * * * *
viuw uv wa^cvicu. inwurnuwKi nicy say, ovciiC3CICQ. tHc accid
David L. Farrcll, a white parent who had two children young mi
njured in the accident, said that it was very cruel of the He sak
chool system to put the young driver into that situation, on the ch
i begun to help 7- j
ved in abuse cases
court, a GAL had to be appointed. At that I
__ time the GAL had to be an attorney, she
said.
tc t?r This was modified in 1979 when the ^3
5 ? y Legislature said that the GAL did not
!? . necessarily have to be an attorney but could
be a lay person. I
By allowing volunteers to do the in- iBV
- vestigations and footwork that were Epc
. . " previously done by attorneys, money is sav- pK V
* ed, Mrs. Bennett said.
n .. Mrs. Bennett said that two attorneys, f
uaiAn Alice E. Patterson and Pamela H. Rabil, | fj
are appointed for this county and aid the 1.
coor" volunteers with any legal questions. They '
before a|so appear in court with the volunteers. ;JC
****** The organization presently has 18
nJin* volunteers, she said.
ations "We are appointed by the court," she ri V' 1
said. 'The judge signs a court order that
eneral gives us the authority to go out and con- Younq: "I v
child duct investigations. treat edunf
re the * Please ate page A2 ? I??i?
** .
, 1
Vem
Chn
ward-Winning Weekly
Thursday. Julv 3. IBM
"Wh?n I w?nt to AfrT, p*opl* w*r* q
Mack t?ach?rs."
Dr. Marclo Ipstoln
Number of loca
lagging behind 1
By CHERYL WILLIAMS
Chronic^ 8taff Writer
LAST YEAR, blacks comprised only 25 percent
of the teachers in the city/county schools, while
black students comprised nearly 38 percent of the
enrollment. The number of black teachers isn't likeAy
to increase next year, either.
Dr. Marcia Epstein, the school system's assistant
superintendent of personnel, said there will be
fewer vacancies during the coming school year, so
room for increases in the number of black teachers
will be limited as well.
Ms. Epstein said that the number of available
positions in the school system has decreased appreciably
between August 1984 and June 1986.
During this period, the school system hired 120
secondary education teachers and 121 elementary
education teachers, she said.
Only 33 were classified as minorities.
Ms. Epste|n said that fewer vacancies are positive
in that they Indicate low turnover.
"Teachers are staying in the classroom longer,"
she said. "We must be doing something right."
The school system also employs more black
teachers than the overall percentage in the state.
The latest data from the Department of Public
^ Instruction show that, in 1984-85,' 19.5 percent of
the state's 56,040 public school teachers were black.
Ms. Epstein said the school system actively
recruits minorities at black institutions in the state
| as well as at other colleses. Males and hlacVe ar? in
rs, not passengers, ai
d that the situation was that McCormick was a youi
j driver who was unfamiliar with the route and the Fi
but <
as a very young kid," said-Farrell, who has head- bus
ion drive calling for all adult bus drivers. Farrell
of S(
r as I'm concerned, there is no ^
nee between driving a school bus on ti
Iving a Greyhound. They don't let bus 1
r-olds drive Greyhounds." sch0
?James Henry Jr. _
Scho
~???????. fQr J
the petition drive netted 1,200 signatures. Fa
oked like a baby," Farrell said. "When I got to child
ent scene, I couldn't believe that this was the Jo
m." - Isiah
I that although some of the blame can be placed teach
ildren on the bus because of their behavior, the
^ ^ Worn
By JOHN
A. ?bA Chronicle
" JB Hj ???
A black 1
r woman was fir
Wp^B recently in the
E?^ ^ -*
1 ststb
?. with a white n
Debbie
I W the departmen
am fightii
am {
9 against," Mil
vill stick it out to the end ... I was "That white g
airly" (photo by James Parker). fag, and 1 wan
(
\
Dancars show
t>< fMliiilUillatent '' .
B4. PAOIA4.
Ai^d ???* I I
4
onicle
50 cents 2? Plgli TN? W?k
ggrastlv?iy r*crumng
1 black teachers
>lack enrollment
' . _ a ?
the most demand, she said, and the system makes
if forts to find them.
But the system is up against not only other school systems
in the state but systems in other parts of the
country, Ms. Epstein said.
"When 1 went to A&T, people were aggressively
recruiting black teachers," she said.
Ms. Epstein said that one problem recruiters have
faced in recent years is that the best students have
not chosen teaching as a profession. Teaching is not
a competitive field, she said. v v > v.:-;' . *
In science and math, blacks are just not there, shift y
caiH Tk? r?ae/*? ? *!??* *? *?* 1?""" '* * '
??>? . HIV iV4UVI1 ia mat U1USC DIBCKS UllCTCSlCa III
math and science choose other, more lucrative
fields.
Mike Lee, a personnel administrator who handles
the recruitment of secondary teachers, agrees with
Ms. Epstein.
Although the school system is competitive with
other school systems when it comes to starting
salaries, it can't compare with salaries from hi0
ousinesses, Lee said. >J6t
The starting salary for teachers here is $16,900.
Lee said the only way teaching will be able to
compete with other fields is if the General Assembly
increases starting salaries. A starting- salary of
$24,000 would help, he said.
"The way it is now, we don't have a chance," "
Lee said.
Lee also said that there is a surplus of qualified
blacks seeking teaching jobs in physical education
Please see page A2
re the real problem
ig driver's actions caused it.
irrell said that the children could have behaved better,
discipline problems should have been expected on the
that day since it was the last day of school.
Those kids were at full steam," he said. "The last day
:hool is kind of a bad time to pick about maniiers pn
>us."
irrell said that he could recall some discipline problems
le bus during the year. He said that once or twice the
lad to be turned around and the children taken back to
ol.
inette Beatty, a teacher at Southwest Elementary
ol, has suggested that parents take more responsibility
heir children's behavior.
rrell said he has done just that and has warned his
ren against misbehaving on the bus.
yce Bailey, the grandmother of 9-year-old William
, who was injured in the accident, said she feels that .
ting a child about behavior begins at home. But she
Please see page A2
an; ujurny urea no*
ly after argument
Miss Young's duties include
??? interviewing clients for food
Winston-Salem stamps, Medicaid and Aid to
ed from her job Families with ? Dependent
Forsyth County Children. She had worked at
' Social Services the department for about three
I an argument months.
jceptionist. Walter Marshall, president
Young, 24, an of the city's NAACP chapter,
>ecialist, was said he is investigating the
ter on June 20 case. Officials in the departs
being fired ment have refused to discuss
egedly used pro- Miss Young's case with him,
argument with Marshall said.
a receptionist in The argument^ began tm
t. June 16 when Miss Youngfeskng
this because I ed Miss Boles to take informaiiscriminated
tion from a client. Miss Young*
? Young said. Mid. She said she also asked
irl is still work- Miss Boles why she didn't
t my job back." Please see page A3