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JOIN OPRAH WINFREY HERE FOR THE NATM
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DOUBLE DUTCH TOURNEY JUNE 23
Gantt rolls to victory in U.S. Senate run-off
History-making campaign sets the stage fo_L_
November bout with Senate incumbent Helms
By TRACY L. PROSSER
Chronide Staff Writer _
"We delivered! We delivered," were the ecstatic
cries at Harvey B. Gantt's Winston-Salem's campaign
headquarters Tuesday night shortly before 9 p.m., when
Gantt was declared the winner in Forsyth County.
Excitement was running high, victory hugs were
abundant, and celebration was in the air as local Gantt
? supporters celebrated his victory over Michael F.
Easley in Tuesday vs run-off election for North Caroli
na's Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Gantt will
square off against Sen. Jesse Helms for the seat he has
held the last 18 years on Nov. 6.
Soon thereafter, NBC and the Associated Press
officially declared Ganu the statewide winner, leinind
ing North Carolinians that he is the first Afro- American
to run for the U.S. Senate from this State.
The unofficial statewide statistics with 99 percent
of the vote counted gave Gantt 272,824 votes, or 57
percent of the vote, leaving Easley 206,950 votes, or 43
percent. Statewide voter turnout ran at about 25 per
cent, down from the estimated one third who voted in
Please see page A10
Enthusiastic Gantt supporters celebrate his
victory over Mike Easley In the run-off Tues
day night. Pictured from left are Denlse D.
Adams, Jean Irvln, Alderman Virginia Newell,
Elizabeth Elklns, Sylvia Penyan, Commlsslon
er-elect Eartlne W. Parmon and Susan Law.
Photo by L.B. Spe? Jr. ?
Police Were Justified
DA: Shooting
was necessary
By TRACY L. PROSSER
Chfonld* Sa? Writer
~ ?A
? % . *?? .
District Attorney W. Warren Sparrow has released
his long-awaited statement regarding the SBI investi
gation about the shooting of Tommie Joe Witcher on
April 20. The report, released late Tuesday afternoon,
holds that there was no wrongdoing by law enforce
ment officers in this case.
A statement released from the Forsyth County
District Attorney's office begins, "Law enforcement
officers used reasonable force when they fired at an -
armed suspect April 20 in a Winston-Salem neighbor
hood."
The statement also read, the SBI report was com
plete and no criminal charges would be filed against
the officers. "Under the laws of this state," Sparrow
said, "the officers had every right to use deadly force
against Witcher when he pointed his gun at them."
Hazel Mack, a resident of the house where Witch
er died said, "People have evidence that they will turn
over to the press that will prove [the DA's evaluation]
to be not true."
"We were waiting to see if the system would
work," she continued.
R.B. Nicholson, a co-chairman of the group inter
ested in forming a citizen's review board, said, "We
looked to the elected officials to provide a solution.
Sparrow has chosen to contribute to the problem."
Please see page A9
Photo by LB. Speas Jr.
Mourners of the dead draw attention to victims of violence with candlelight.
Victims remembered in vigil
of 2915 N. Patterson St., the yard where
i ?? 1 1., mm ? , 1 1 in V V V V Witshet crashed his car and was shot to
death. It was held in the hope that ttiere will
At 8 P-m. on Thursday, May 31. riniost be a fair resolution of the Witcher incident.
50 people gathered for a candlelight vigil in Attorney W. Warren Sparrow has
remembrance of Tbmroie Joe Witcher and Bn SBI report concerning the incident,
all the other victims of violence in the com- sparrow Issued a statement Tuesday stat
mumty.
The vigil ax* place in the front yard Please see page A9
Local group fights
to reduce high
infant death rate
By RUDY ANDERSON
Chronicle Managing Editor
Afro-American and other minori
? ty born children in Forsytlv County
are twice as likely to die before age
one than are white babies according
to statistics from the Forsyth County
Health Department. Several state
medical studies have shown that the
number of infant deaths generally is
on the rise.
A group calling itself the
Reduce Infant Death Foundation
has organized to try to turn the tide
of sobering statistics. For example,
R.I.D. officials said county health
department figures revealed that in
1987 the death rate among white
babies in the county was 7.5 per
1000 live births, for Afro- American
babies the figure was 14.5 per 1000
live births.
In 1988 the figures jumped dra
matically according to R.I.D. In that
year, the year for which the latest
statistics are available, the death
rate for babies generally increased
to 13 per 1000 live births arid for
Afro-American babies the figure
jumped to a staggering 26 deaths
per 1000 live births.
G. Michael Mason, executive
director of the foundation, cited-"
three reasons for the high death
rates. He said low birth weights (3
1/2 pounds or less), high teen prcg
- nancy, and a high rate of drug abuse
were major contributing factors.
"We are trying to identify just what
part drug abuse plays in these statis
tics," Mason said.
Mason said the 15-member
board, chaired by Dr. Robert G. Dil
lard Medical Director of Intensive
Care Nurseries at Baptist and
Forsyth Hospitals, will concentrate
its initial efforts on Forsyth County.
"Our mission is to reduce general
infant mortality in this county by 30
per cent over the next five years,"
he said. The group held its first
planning session at Forsyth Hospital
Monday June 4.
The group plans to expand its
operation into other counties
statewide to address the problem.
Please see page A8
City pool openings delayed two weeks
By TRACY L. PROSSER
Chronicle Staff Writer
Recent violence in two Afro
American communities has led to a
staff shortage at two city-owned
tions. The message heard on the
city/county job vacancy information
line begins: "The city of Winston
Salem is now accepting applica
tions for the following summer
positions: lifeguards, swimming
When asked why Winston
Lake and Happy Hills pools were
chosen to be closed, Winston-Salem
Recreation Department Aquatic
Supervisor Richard C. Butler said,
"Some of the lifeguards who have
swimming pools.
As a result, these
pools have
delayed their
openings forcing
local children to
find other ways to
cool off during
ihedeiay.
T? t tl tf k W II
Lake and Happy
Hill swimming
pools will open
on June 12
instead of June 2
as originally
planned -
Sharon
Anderson, the
personnel analyst
in charge of
recruitment for
worked there in
the past don't
want to work
there now due to
problems like
the ones in the
past month." In
addition to sev
eral earl iff inci
4rr ttr rtf *r?n .
1 lence, last Sun
day shortly after
12 noon, Barry
Bethea was shot
several times at
a house on the
3500 block of
Old Greensboro
Rd.
"The recreation
facility has pro
Photo by L B Speai Jr.
Pools at Happy Hill Gardana and Wlnaton Laka wilt ramaln
cloaad until ataff can ba hired.
the city, said that most of the vacant pool coordinators and assistant grams for people to come and enjoy
staff positions were lifeguard posi- coordinators...." n,
_ ok- Please see page A10
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Business AG
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Community News B1
Editorials A4, as
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Religion H<>
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Aldermen annex
despite protests
By TRACY L PROSSER
Chronide Staff Wnter
On Monday, June 4, the Winston-Salem Board of
Aldermen voted in favor of annexing two areas of
Forsyth County, which many Afro- American leaders
believe would dilute the strength of the Afro-Ameri
can vote in city elections.
The ordinance to annex parts of Old Town, to the
northwest of the city, and Sedge Garden, to the south
east , was accepted at the first reading despite vehe
ment protests from residents of these areas. Because
1 he proposal is an ordinance instead of a resolution, it
Will iMW a dVWniU i vcivnng, at uiv i IS/A i uuaiu ui / uuvt
man's meeting, on June 18.
In Monday's meeting, three aldermen voted
against the ordinance: Aldermen Vivian H. Burke,
Nelson Malloy, and Larry D. Womble. Alderman Vir
ginia K. Newell was the only Afro-American member
of the board to vote to accept the annexation.
The proposed areas for annexation would be
incorporated into the Southeast, Northwest and North
Wards. The aldermen for these wards are Womble,
Nancy T. Pleasants, and Malloy respectively. The
entire Sedge Garden annexed area would be added to
the Southeast Ward, but the Old Town area would be
Please see page A8