56 Pages This Week x Thursday, January 1^1990
Panel denies loan
By TONYA V. SMITH
Chronicle Staff Writer
Patrick T. Hairston found him
self in yet another aldermen commit
tee meeting Monday afternoon, but
this time he wasn't representing the
North Ward. Instead, the former
aide rmaruvvas *asking-fh'c Bbard of
Aldjermen's finance committee to
overrule a previous judgment and
loan him $75,000 for his janitorial
cleaning business.
Pat Hairston Contract Cleaning
Company, Inc. submitted a SI00,000
loan request 4o the cilyVEconomic
Development Revolving Loan com
mittee: The seven-member group
administers the revolving loan fund,
established in 1985 ta assist pro
posed or expanded businesses whose
owners can't qualify for conventional
financing programs. The program
specifically helps businesses in the
city's "pocket of poverty" or at,the F.
Roger Page Business Assistance
Center.
AJter reviewing the request of
Mr. Hairston and co-owner Melvin
L. White, the committee recom
mended denying the loan. The gen~
tlemcn subsequently reduced their
. Please see page A9
Bids open on Skyland
By TONYA V. SMITH
Chronicle Staff Writer
Skyland School has been idly sitting for nearly six years. If has been van
dalized, engulfed in flames and overtaken-with asbestos.
Most recently, the school - which sits on about 19 acres off East End
'Boulevard - has been one of the most sought after pieces of property in the
city.
First, it was developer David Shannon who planned to renovate the facil
ity so that Family Services Inc., could locate its Head Start and enrichment
programs there. After vandals stripped the building, making the renovation
project a very expensive bne, Mr. Shannon withdrew his plan.
Early last month, officials with the Delta Fine ArxrCenter asked the the
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education}? convey Them the prop
eriy-to^S). Their bid was the only one on the tabrfe\imil late last week when
Ptease see page A6
More candidates announce intentions for local, state elections
Incumbents Gray, Neal, Sparrow
prepare for reelection campaigns |
From Chronicle Staff Reports
Education, specifically North Carolina
students' dismal national finish on Scholastic
Aptitude Tests, will be the top priority of
Rep. Lyons Gray in his re-clcction bid for a
''seat in the North Carolina General Assembly.
_Rcp. Gray was elected to his post late
last fall by members of the 39th District's
Republican Executive Committee. He
*
succeeded former state Rep. Ann Q. Duncan
who resigned.
In the December special session of the
North Carolina legislature, Rep. Gray served
on the Appropriations Committee and its two
subcommittees on human resources.
4,My top conccrn as slate representative
is" improving the education of young pcoptc
in Forsyth County/' said the local
businessman. "After all, the future of our
area is dependent on the ability of our young
people to compete on the worlcf market in the
next century. I believe the legislature must
tackle the education problem quickly with
innovative approaches whose ultimate goal is
upgrading educational skills.
Rep. Gray said he will al^o place
legislative emphasis on the environment,
jobs and criminal justice. ?
Forsyth County's legislative-delegation
Please see page A6
3 Logan Burke will not seek second term;
> Naomi Jones wants vacated state seat
From Chronicle Staff Reports
Yet another Afro-American
woman may be tossing her hat into
the Forsyth County Commission
ers' race. Norma Smith, resource
consultant for Winston-Salem State
University's academic computer
- system, said she is^ thinking about
running for county commissioner.
' "Some people have approached
me, encouraging me to run, but all 1
can really say right now is that I'm
thinking about it," Ms. Smith said.
"Tho. factors that will influence my
decision arc mostly personal things.
and I probably won't make a deci
sion before the end of the month."?
Ms. Smith was active in the
Martha Wood for Mayor campaign
and is a member of the mayor^
appointed Ea&t Winston Develop
ment Task Force.
Naomi W. Jones lost her bid for
a seat on the city-county school
board nearly two years ago, but
now she is setting her sights on the
state House. '
Mrs. Jones said Monday that
she will run for the 67th District
Scat to be vacated by Rep. Logan
Borke. She said she made her dcci
sion after Rep. Burke declined to
run for a second^jerm. Mrs. Jones,
58, has been a strong supporter and
friend to the representative's wife.
Alderman Vivian H. Burke.
441 felt this would be a bigger
challenge for me and felt that I
would like to see some of ihc differ
ent things that happen &i(the state
level of government," said the for
mer cducator. "I'm particularly,
interested in education, utilities and
teen pregnancy and seeing what can
be done at the state level to help
. Please see page A6
Burke
Jones
Volunteer programs suffer
from fea'r*bf drug violence
?? ? - ? ?? ? ?. '
By TONYA V SMITH
Chronicle Staff Writer
Afro^American children, espe
cially little girls, who have been
accepted by Big Brothers/Big Sisters
children's homes, Mr. Grisard
cxpTatnod^ big brothers and sisters
can call and let the children know'the
time of their arrival.
That would at least allow the big
Of Forsyth County have been waning brother or sister: toTilow their horn
to be matched
with an adult for
at least six
months because
volunteers don't
want to visit the
drug /.ones the
youngsters live
in, said executive
director Bert
Cfrisard.
"We do have volunteers who legiti
mately don't want to #o to certain
places. But tMe reality is we do haH'
kids who live in those places, in those
situations and in those areas, and
that's where we have to ho and pro
vide services
? -- Bert (irisard
"Typically, we hava kids wait
ing lor matches, but wc can't malch
the11 because of a particular neigh
bor "*>d situation or something relat
ed to that," Mr. Grisard said "I guess
wc vc had the problems mo_rc>o
with the girls, but it's been with liiile
noys loo wfm live in certain areas
-fine who don't have a telephone."
When ihcr,c <ire telephones in
"**' * tWT..
* . ? -
and wait for the child in the car.
Because ol the increased drug
and related crime activity in the
city's four public housing areas,
fairchild Apartments and on and
around 23/dand Jackson streets vol
untccrs are literally afraid,in go into
the neighborhoods, said Mr. (insard
"I*.specially it* the (Happy liill)
gardens," said Von C'orbell, a Big
Brothers/Big Sis
ters ease worker.
"I have about 10
little . girls
who've" proba
bly been waiting
on my list for six
months, and they
all live in the
gardens."
Vo 1 u n t c e r s
iire wary of I lie
signs posted on
the outskirts of
I lappy Hill (i;ir
dens. Piedmont
l*;irk, Kimberly
Park Terniee and
Cleveland
Avenue Homes
Photo by Mike Cuontnghinn
* ^
Von Corbett, a caseworker, and Bert Grisard, executive director of Big Brothers/Big
Sisters of Forsyth County, discuss how drugs and crime affect their program.
warning visitors and (ittFcr's^luit the\
tKV entering drug /ones?arc,w
known for I heir heavy drug traffick
ing and 1 hose in which jwlttc patrol
is lonslant. The volunteers want to
jviiow why the signs are tliere and
wh;it they menu, Ms. ('<>rheitt?ltd.
"And even when there is .>
phono in (lie children's homes, some
oi Uu iu Uvc m-;?v~vs without sKee4
lif^himji. and ihe\ <loq'i live neju oil
l he si reel." Mr. (irisarJ saul. aikiint!
th;!l Uk' volunteer mi^hi h.ive lo walk
aeios-s a couil >aul aiea lo net lo I he
tITild's home
Mi ere is the "nn'sv-oiuVptiori. Mr
(insanl s;ml, that because the chil
iircu hvc m an area that is infested
with crime aiut drills thai "They arc a
part ol that.
"That's just a stereotype that's
associated with the kids in those
neighborhoods,'' Mr. (irisard said.
/ ^ Pk\ifie see pjcje A9 *.
Local events
to mark MLK
observance
From Chronicle Staff Reports
A march, breakfast and noon
celebration arc among the events
scheduled to commcmoratc Mar
tin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday on
Jan. 15. The slain civil rights
leader was born Jan. 25, 1929,
and his birthday is celebrated as
a national holiday on the third
Monday in January.
The Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County Schools, post offices,
ABC stores and city, state and
federal offices will be closed
Monday. Banks and county
offices will be open and the city
bus schedule will operate a nor
mal schedule.
The following is a list of
activities in honor of Dr. King's
birth, life and death;
?Thursday, Jan. 11: A march
from Alumni House on the Win
ston-Salem State University
Please see page A6