Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Oct. 23, 1997, edition 1 / Page 6
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BellSouth, InnoTech wire Woodson school |l k j As volunteers converged on kNorth Carolina schools Saturday to [help wire classrooms for access to [the Internet during NetDay '97, (BellSouth and InnoTech Systems & [Training brought their technical (expertise to Carter G. Woodson (School of Challenge on Goodflqss (Street in Winston-Salem. ( Close to 50 BellSouth Pioneer [Volunteers. InnoTech representa tives and Woodson parents, board ""members, faculty and community supporters desoted their day to wiring Woodson's new computer jjlab and classroom space for ^Internet access. 2 NetDay is a state and national ^initiative to wire classrooms across 4 Jthe country for Internet access to Jbring the boundless resources of (the information superhighway into (the schools. * "This is a bridge to the 21st cen tury." said Ruth Hopkins, interim ?principal of the charter school. Jwhich was established by African (American par.ents. "Exposure, (exposure, exposure ? that's what (ihis is about, for our students to ^ain access to information." ?Gaining Internet connections will jillow students and faculty at ^Voodson the benefits of infinite Resources, she said. ( InnoTech. a local computer con I ^ : : ; ^ : BellSouth and InnoToch Systems A Training wired Woodson's new computer lab and classroom space for Internet access Saturday. suiting and training company, is project coordinator for the event, as well as the school's technology part ner. "We have installed and set up the school's computer lab and class rooms for computer use. and we will implement the Internet access and donate our time for training the teachers," said Claire Robinson. Innotech's president and co-owner with her husband. Michael. "We know first-hand, in the business we are in, the value of technology-pro ficient employees, and we are proud to be a NetDay corporate sponsor. As the largest corporate sponsor of NetDay. BellSouth is contribut ing more than S25 million through out its nine-state service region in wiring materials, telecommunica tions lines. BellSouth.net Internet accounts and training manuals for schools and teachers' homes, train ing, classroom telephones and grants to the NetDay effort. North Carolina schools received approximately 54 million in free materials, services and grants from BellSouth. The company con tributed services valued at over S300.000 to schools in the Piedmont Triad region. "Education is BellSouth's No. I community focus." said Lynn Roberson, BellSouth's corporate and external affairs director in Forsyth county. "As a telecommu nications and Internet provider. NetDav is a great match for us. Our BellSouth Pioneer Volunteers also bring expertise to a project like this, since we are BellSouth employees, retirees and family members, and we know the value of strong com munications and the local commu nity. For information, call L>nn Roberson at 722-9061. Claire Robinson at 725-7252 or Ruth Hopkins at 723-6838. INFIELD JV<mi I'tige 11 > r I rated because those same people who help put money into the town coffers have no say in how that money is spent. "If people living in those enclaves around town could vote, plant Street would have sewer lines. ?00. But the commissioners won't Ennex them. They won't allow them o vote, and that makes Halifax "ounty next to being a third-world ountry." fumes Hardaway. , V "I've been beat up in the press," says Hardaway in reference to news stories that have focused on the piethod he's used to shed light on (vhat he considers the teal problem: {nodern day discrimination. bespite criticism for boycotting ? town board meetings. Hardaway says, he won't quit fighting for what he believes is right. ' | | The three blacks on the town governing body ? Hardaway Bud tVhitaker and James Sledge ? refused to pass a budget for next ? jear as a way to get the town's three white commissioners to give in on tjie sewer line issue. But their efforts $o block the budget were met by fegal maneuvers by the town attor ney Before long, reporters were writing about the failed budget and ite black commissioners' refusal to attend meetings | The standoff went on for three i)ionths before the state local (government Commission resolved the crisis by passing a $7.1 million budget to keep the town operating. According to Hardaway. that repre gmts $33,000 for every man woman 4nd child living in Enfield. "And that ought to be enough to pay for getting sewer lines to Plant Street." hardaway contends. i "But the situation wasn't about i tfie budget," Hard away insists as he discusses the national media atten t on he attracted last month when I e decided not to be stymied in his c uest to bring indoor plumbing to Plant Street. The state agency's i^tion may have compromised the town's sovereignty, but Hardaway ijas not thrown in the towel. He has dther strategies in mind If he couldn't use the budget as leverage, he figures he may have more success ajt the ballot box or in court. J There was a time when fyardaway thought he would get rjiore help from the state's black leadership. particularly the rilAACP ? "I think they can bring some pressure to the situation," ijardaway said The local NAACP asked the s|ate chapter for assistance, but abcording to Hardaway. little has i. been done. Despite what he consid ers a "clear cut case" the NAACP has not filed a lawsuit against offi cials in Enfield "It doesn't sit well for me to advocate suing the town. I am the mayor." Hardaway observes." Still, he was hoping that the NAACP would intervene. "Injustices are being done to the residents here, and elected officials in Enfield must be held account able." Elected officials in Enfield may not be the only folks responsi ble for the continued use of outdoor toilets in Halifax County. The fed eral Department of Agriculture gave the town a grant to build a waste water treatment plant in , 1989. Service was extended to industry with a pledge to bring the lines to residences on Plant Street two years later. Two years have long since passed and the very homes that help secure the federal assistance are still lacking plumb ing. The federal subsidy of tax exempt bonds for the sewer system apparently was based on the area's poverty rate. "The commissioners take the statistics of people living here and get money, but they don't take that money and give relief to those who need and deserve it." accuses Hardaway. who also ques tions whether the USDA should have approved the grant USDA officials did not return calls for comment this week When the civil rights champi ons didn't ride in like the calvary, demanding justice, Hardaway real ized that he and his supporters would have to take matters into their own hands. "What Kai has to understand, | and what other people have to understand, is that the NAACP just can't do something tomor- I row. "says Melvin "Skip" Alston, president of the state NAACP. On Sept. 2 Alston and Keith Sutton, the state NAACP executive director, visited Enfield. They held a press conference on the town hall steps before an audience of about 70 people. At that gathering, ; Sutton urged state and federal offi cials to investigate the town's poli cies toward black neighborhoods. Since then no official action has been taken, and Alston says it could be another month before a decision is made on what legal recourse is available "We have to get in contact with the national office and let them know what we're doing and get per mission to go ahead and do that, because everything we do involves national also," Alston explains. He says that officials at the state level have to be mindful of proto col. "When we go out and file a friv olous law suit, that doesn't just jeop ardize the state organization, it jeopardizes the organization nationally and then the town can come back and sue us for damages." Alston said. He added. "That's why we have to make sure that we dot every T and cross every 'T.' And that's what our attorney is trying to do now. It does take time." To Hardaway, though, the situation in Enfield could hardly be considered frivolous. He says it would be easy to build a case. In another month, the lawsuit could be a moot point, however Hardaway recognized this and isn't sitting around waiting for the NAACP legal team to bring jus tice to his town. He and others are trying to change the composition of the Enfield commissioners. By replacing the individuals who have blocked the sewer extension, the problem may be resolved. The key now, says Hardaway. is getting the people who are eligible out to vote. "We're going to be there on elec tion day to get out the vote. Our chapters have been trying to get some voter registration down there, but we had a very tight, short time frame to do that. October 10 was the last day to register someone to vote in the election Wardlow named Worshipful Master of the Year ^ H Most Worshipful Grand Master Nathaniel Johnson pre sented a plaque to local man Albert Wardlow (pictured right), naming him North Carolina's Worshipful Master of the Year, at the 127th Communication of the North Carolina Prince Hall Grand Lodge herein the Research Triangle Park Sheraton Hotel Oct. 3. Christmas Is Bight Around The CornerI I ?. ' Shop Early ? Great Selections sums, DRESSES $ SPORTSWEAR Sites #-16 Petite ? 8-20 Misses ? 12 1/2-241/2 Ha# Sites Blackburn's 628 West 4th Street ? 722-8203 Closed on Saturdays MasterCard ? Visa ? Discover Wg I. ? 1.1 II i . .I ii Bennie McBride L now offers his automotive B customers the benefit of r* his expertise in - ml Im PB 1 ill IP liinln tS NtW& 3 ttst* 1 "Whether you need a Truck, Van or Car, I can help you get the New or Used Vehicle that's right for your business!" M0HEBM'GZZS!i7 t 800 W. Fourth St. ? Winston-Salem ? (910) 7224191 I Aegis Family Health Center - Peace Haven More than 9 to 5. We've extended our hours to help you get the expert health care you need at a time that ^^^| works with yOur schedule. Our new urgent care center is available for you and your family 8 am - 8 pm Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm Saturday and noon ^^^| until 5 pm on Sunday. When you need a doctor now, Urgent Care is ready to help. Call today for an appointment. For Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, call (910) 760-5400 For Urgent Care and Occupational Health, call k (910) 760-5410 I AEGIS FAMILY HEALTH CENTER PEACE HAVEN 1930 North Peace Haven Rend; Winston-Salem, NC 27106 Mon. - Frt 8an? - 8pnv Sat 8am - 5pm; Sun. noon - 5pm Boss Amo^fciP.; Pediatrics Charits Stamey, M.D.; Betsy Parsley, M.D. Ladle Scott, M.D.; Pfein Gamble, PA-C Urgent Care/Occupational Health Gerald IbwTisend, M.D.; Norman Tampion, Jr., MLD. - ? ? ? - Iy^POlQ HS . JL IVWIU Centers /TV Bringing the resources of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to you. More than 9 to 5. '?>fore doctors.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Oct. 23, 1997, edition 1
6
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