Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / July 23, 1998, edition 1 / Page 1
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75 cents WlNSTON-SALEM GREENSBORO HlCH POINT Vol. XXIV No. 47 Vol. XXIV No. 4Q eait'hinstow t?bharys0bt 11 7 10 e 7th st ' The Choice for African American News and Information e-mail address: wschron? netvnlimited.net _ *'"sto" ??? nc , ' ' ' ? . ' ' '? ' '. . ' ?' ; ? ? ? ???'.'?, .; ? ? ' . ? . ' Roadway employees in uproar over noose photo by Kevin Wtafter of j^vfvsBV ABWBI^^ By KEVIN WALKER feffiOBMOl Who placed a noote inside of Roadway Express' That m the question that company officials are asking; and they are hoping the independent private investigators they have hired can provide them with The noose, one of the most infamous symbols of racial intimidation and violence; was found on a dock at the facility over two weeks ago. But managers at the terminal were still reading to some employees a strongly worded letter regard ing the incident from company headquarters as late as last Thursday. Roadway Express, a $2 billion freight transport th company known for its double "pup" trailers that t> travel highways on five continents, responded to the si incident by hiring Crowe and Associates, an inter national private investigation agency. a A move that company officials fed is adequate at under murky cuv umstanccs. in "This is very serious." John Hyre, Roadway's corporate relations managrr said from company A headquarters in Akron, Ohio, "We don't know if ct someone did this with the intention to threaten (s someone or if somebody meant this as a joke, it pi doesn't matter... We have a code of corporate con duct; we do not tolerate things like this" In addition to sending in detectives, Hyie mid te company wasted tittle time informing the farib s Bisiisgfii and employees of the severity of the hiptinn "We immediately^ had meriuig> with *11jmr ice pokey," Hyre said, "We will not tolerate acts of itimidarirai. harassment and discrimination.'* Roadway Express' policy requires that only Juon officials make comments regarding such ises, management at the Wmstoo-Salem complex ictually looted in Kernersville) are bound by that ?hcy . Srf liadray cm M Measure passes Photo by Damon Ford Thirty protestors picketed before Monday's Board of Aldermen meeting. Despite the throng, aldermen voted to revamp the Housing Authority of Winston-Salem's Board of Commissioners. ? . ?* ?* Despite avalanche 01 protest, aldermen move to slash board By SAM DAVIS THE CHRONICLE __ Despite an avalanche of protests, the Winston Salem Board of Alderman approved Mayor Jack Cavanagh's proposal to cut the Winston-Salem Housing Authority Board of Commissioners from nine members to five Monday night. That decision was not a popular one for the city's public housing residents and supporters, who were in attendance at the board's meeting. And it is not one that opponents of the proposal said that they are willing to accept. The resolution passed by a 5-3 vote and crossed racial and partisan lines. Cavanagh, a Republican, offered the proposal and it was supported by three of the five African American aldermen, Fred Terry, Vivian Burke and Vernon Robinson. Terry and Burke are Democrats. Robinson is a Republican. The three aldermen casting dissenting votes included African Ameri cans Nelson Malloy and Joycelyn Johnson. Wanda Merschel, a white Democ rat, also voted against the measure. Terry, whose office was picketed by public housing ferry See HAWS on M Dejected NFL star says board vote crushing By DAMON FORD THE CHRONICLE " It was a dejected Ray Agnew Jr. who left Monday night's Board of Aldermen meeting. Normally Agnew d6es his talking on the football field for the NFL's St. Louis Rams. But at the Board of Alderman meeting Monday, Agnew, a Winston-Salem native, took the micro phone to voice his Opposition for Mayor Jack Cavanaeh's nronosal to slash the Housing Authori ty of Winston-Salem's Board of Commissioners from nine to five members and to eliminate two of the three seats held by resi dents of public housing. The vote, though con troversial, proved to be nonpartisan. Three of the board's five black aldermen, Vivian Burke, Fred Terry and Ver non Robinson voted for the measure. Only two, Joyce lyn Johnson and Nelson Malloy voted against it. "I was crashed," Agnew said. "I kind of think it was decided before the meeting started. Why applaud me and then disrespect the people that I come from. Maybe when it's explained to me more, I'll understand." During an impassioned three-minute speech, Agnew, who grew up in Piedmont Park and Happy Hill Gardens, called for aldermen to understand the often desperate plight of residents who live there. "I wasn't going to say anything because the city has been good to the Ray Agnew Scholarship Fund but I would be wrong if I didn't get up here and speak my mind on behalf of the people," he said. "I am a product of the Winston-Salem Housing Authority. Because I'm a professional football play er now, everybody wants to forget that. But that's where I come from, that's where my roots are from, that's where my family is from... and these people love me and I love them," Agnew joined a throng of supporters - some res idents of public housing, others members of the community who voiced their opposition to the measure which passed by .a vote of five to three. Agnew came to the meeting to recognize the Scholarship Fund recipients, which benefits public housing residents. During the meeting he was recog nized for his work by Burke. He said the vote was a slap in the face. "It was a shock to me," Agnew said. ''I'm not going to get into a battle with it. I haven't talked to her yet, but I will voice my opinion and leave it at See Agnww on A3 Agnew State asks high court for clarification In 12th District revamp, . is race gerrymandering V - *? . ' THE ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH - North Carolina has a question for the U.S. Supreme Court: when does drawing congres sional districts that are fair to blacks and other minorities cross the line into racial gerrymandering? In an appeal filed recently, the state asks the high court to better articulate the ground rules for legisla tive districting. sen. Koy cooper, u Nash, chairman of the Senate Redisricting Com mittee, acknowledged that courts may look at dis tricts like former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stew art looked at obscenity: They'll know it when they see it. Even so, Cooper says, "undoubtedly the courts can supply a clearer set of instructions than we have now." As state legislatures redraw congressional dis tricts after the 2000 cen ??n ?Uai> 1il/a ? z-v sua, uitj wuuiu IU avoid the contentious redistricting battles and lawsuits that marked the 1990s. "There .are very fundamental questions about the role of the courts that have to be answered as we get into the next redistricting cycle," Eddie Speas. state chief deputy attorney general, said Monday. "The states are entitled to better guidance from the court." The shape of the districts is important because it helps determine who gets elected to Congress: blacks or whites, Republicans or Democrats. The U.S. Supreme Court in 1996 failed to spell out what's acceptable when it rejected North Carolina's original 12th District, drawn in 1992 specifically to help get a black candidate elected. State lawmakers 1 responded last with a new plan last year, which also * was rejected. Rep. Mel Watt has represented the district since its inception and faces tough competition in the newly ? redrawn district. That rejection is what they are now appealing. A decision will come in October at the earliest. The legal fights have forced the state to approve four sets of congressional districts since 1990. Robinson Everett, a Duke University law profes sor, successfully argued that the state's latest 12th Dis trict was not geographically compact and was drawn with race as the predominant factor. See District 12 on A2 Watt ; Kids head back to school By JERI YOUNG THE CHRONICLE Monday was a big day for five-year-old Brittany Bowman. It marked the first the day of school for children attending year round schools across Forsyth County and Brittany, along with countless other five-year olds, headed off to school for the first time. She was up at the crack of dawn, jumping into her new shorts and t-shirt and begging her mom Hazel Bowman to "just hurry up." By the time she got to school, she had a major case of butterflies. "I think it may take her a while to get used to real school," Bowman said. "This is a big up-step for her." Brittany stood quietly through the "Pledge of Allegiance." "I don't know this song," she whispered anxious ly to another wide-eyed kindergartner as she tried to figure out what hand went over her heart. She listened intently as her mom reminded her to be good and listen to her teacher. By 10 a.m. Brittany, a kindergartner at Kimberly Park Elementary School had settled into her new routine. And her mom was relieved. "She's doing pretty well I think," Hazel Bowman said. "She's been to preschool all her life, so she pret ty much knows the routine. I just feel relieved. She's the last one. Going to nursery school is good for kids. They learn the routine and they're not nervous about heading to real school. She was ready to go." Bowman spent the entire summer getting Brittany prepared for the first day of school. They talked See School on A9 Kindergarten itvdanH at Klmharly fork Slainan tary School ling during itorytima. ?????I ? fOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (336) 732-8624 ? MASTERCARD, VISA AND AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED ? * . . v i
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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July 23, 1998, edition 1
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