Vision From Afar
Native African shares homeland
customs with school children
SHMHHMi
Bridging Barriers
Planned Parenthood helps
religious youth handle daily pressures
40 Pages This Wssk
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Thursday, January 26, 1989
Winston-Sal
Wontt - ? ? ? ? "Thf Twin City'
Chronicle
VOL. XV, No. ?r
Board says no
to task force request
By TONYA V.8MTTH
Chronieto Staff Writer
SHI ijk A Jtt JBfc a JMfc
me cast Winston
members of the city Board of Aldermen opted to allow.
SIS, 000, not $23,000, in grant money to be used to impte-'
mem projects geared toward economic development in that
The task force had asked the board to approve two
grants,a $i3,00ft- one- from the Winston-Salenr Foundation,
and a $10,000 one from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation,
to be earmarked for the implementation of projects to be out
lined in a comprehensive economic development study of
East Winston. The task force hired Hammer, Siler, George
Associates, a consulting firm based in Silver Spring, Md., to'
conduct the study.
In October 1988, the aldermen appropriated $57,274 to
cover a portion of the cost of the market study, of East Win?
ston, and the board directed city staff members to help the
task force apply to three local foundations for grants to help
fund the study. Hammer, Siler, George Associates quoted a
$66,000 price, which will go down depending on the amount
of staff assistance provided by other sources, said Clifton
Henry, vice president of the company.
The Winston-Salem Foundation grant specified that its
funds be used to carry out the results of the study. Although
the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation made no stipulations on
its grant, the Finance Committee of the JBqard of Aldermen
recommended that the full board approW authorizing both
grants for the study's implementation.
During the board's Jan. 17 meeting. Alderman Marti*
Wood led the board to vote against the proposed resolution.
- HWia* w* 4M was. stick to our original uodentanrtoj ^
seeking grants to help defray the city's cost for the ' J
" said Wood, explaining that the board and Hie task iSraS'
agreed that funding from other sources be deducted from the
city's contribution far the study. 'The Winston-Salem Foun
dation wanted to go for the implementation of the study, so
we abided by their stipulation."
Tm a little disappointed in that because part of what will
make the study a reality is having some plan of doing what
the study says," said Ernest H. Pitt, chairman of the East
Winston Development Task Force. "At some point we're
going to have to get some money from somewhere and it's
going to have to come from the city."
The task force has been successful in obtaining grants to
help defray the city's costs, he added. The Greater Winston
Please see page A9
Afro-Americans attend school board meeting in support of Phillips
By TONYA V.8MTTH
Chrontete 81 wft Writer
More than 35 Afro-Ameri
cans greeted Board of Education
members during their Monday
night meeting in an apparent sup
port rally for Dr. Barbara K.
Phillips in her quest for superin
tendent of the city-county school
system.
Phillips, an assistant superin
tendent, is one of 11 candidates
vying for the position vacated by
Zane Eargle in June. Fourteen
semi-finalists had been selected,
but three of them have dropped
out of the running.
The question is whether the
board will continue to nil top
positions in the school system
with white males, the Rev. Dr.
Serenus T. Churn told board mem
bers as he spoke on behalf of the
Minister's Conference of Winston
Salem and Vicinity.
The question is will you send
shivers down the spines 6f every
little girl (in the city-county sys
tem)?" Churn asked board mem
b era. "Will her tan skin color and
Afro-American heritage be cited
against her, despite the fact that
she (Phillips) has lived in this
community all her life. Does that
count for nothing?
"Does this board have the
courage to pay more than just a lip
tribute . . . because rumors tie that
she (Phillips )will be given a
polite nod and acknowledgement
and the position offered to anoth
er."
The Chnmick reported in it's
Jan. 12 issue thai two Afro-Amer
ican women were among the orig
inal 14 semi-finalists recommend
ed for the superintendent position
by the school boanfs search com
mittee. Dr. Gerry House, superin
tendent of the Chapel Hill/Car
rboro City Schools, is the other
Afro- American woman up for the
position.
House said Doug Punger,
attorney for the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County system,
invited her to apply for the posi
tion.
"I'm not actively seeking a
change," House said, but she
admitted the superintendent post
in the local system was an attrac
tive one. She declined to speculate
about whether she would accept
the position, if offered, and move
to Winston-Salem.
However, some members of
the Afro-American community
have suggested that the board
intentionally sought an applicant
who had not demonstrated a gen
uine interest in the superintendent
position. That way, if House turns
down the position, the board
could offer the job to one of the
many white males who have
applied for the position, and, in
doing so, Phillips would be slight
ed.
In a letter to Garlene Grogan,
chair of the city-county school
board, Dr. H.L. Moore urged
board members not to follow its
traditional stance of hiring white
males.
"Voters and parents, area
superintendents, principals, guid
ance counselors, teachers and
especially students need to see
persons with authority and
responsibility coming in all colors
and both genders," said Moore,
Please see page A9
Dr. Barbara K. Phillips
Citizen asks Forsyth County Commissioners to dismiss Jean Irvin
By TONYA V.8MTTH
Chronica Steff WHlr
In the wake of simmering controversy about the
new Willie M. group home in Sherwood Forest and
Peacehaven Estates Community, one resident has
written a letter to county commissioners requesting
the removal of Jean Irvin from the Forsytes tokes
Mental Health Area Board.
During a Jan. 19 meeting in which Walkertown
citizens asked the mental health board to reverse its
decision to open a house in &c town for an after
school program for Willie M. adolescents, George A.
Bryant read his letter to the board. t
"I write regarding the conduct of Jean R. Irvin a
(mental health) area board member from Forsyth
County/' Bryant read. It is my opinion Ms. Irvin, as
a chairperson and as a (sic) area board member, has
failed to honor the confidence and trust extended to
her as a county appointee to the area board."
Irvin, who was present at the meeting, is in the
first year of a four-year term scheduled to expire
Sept 30, 1990.
"Ms. Irvin's failure to honor the commissioners'
request for time to study and review family-care
home placement within the county, demonstrates her
lack of understanding of our county system of gov
ernment," Bryant continued. "It is my view that the
residents of Forsyth County can be better served in
the area of mental health by removing and appoint
ing a replacement for Ms. Irvin.
Bryant's letter was addressed to Commissioner
Wayne O. Willard, with copies sent to Irvin and each
commissioner.
Irvin responded to Bryant's letter Wednesday.
1 did what I felt I had an ethical responsibility
to do in terms of taking my position on the need for
residential services for the handicapped population
of children," Irvin said. 1 understand that there was clients to community-based services* the need for
concern among the general public about it but I did group hoities and procedures for site selection, com
it with good faith and a sincere belief that all oar citi- munity notification and final site approval.
zens need a place to be and a good quality of life. In After an option for selected property has been
terms of the specifics of Mr. Bryant's letter, the com- signed, "immediate neighbors (within at least one
missioners will have to deal with that" block of the site) will be notified through home to
Commissioners and members of the mental home visits," according to the policy. "Flien about
health board have been at odds since the opening of the home and other relevant information will be dis
the Willie M. group home at 401 Hearthside Drive, tributed to neighborhood groups and churches."
Moat recently, the two groups have disagreed about a In addition, the commissioners, city Board of
preliminary poMc%^Wfefgjiy ^ nl Aldermen awl other public officials would be nod
public notification prepared by a health board com- fie4, Irvin has sakl.
mittee of which Irvin is a member. The commissioners suggested the mental health
Willie M. is a term from a class-action suit filed board change the policy to include: early notification
in 1979 to secure care for children with behavioral of commissioners in the group home site selection
problems. The suit guaranteed that these children process; definitions of responsibilities of people
have the right to special care and education in their involved in site selection; establishment of site
communities. ?
The preliminary policy outlines the rights of Please see page A9