75 c*nts Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point vol. xxv no. 19
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FORSYTH CNTY PUB L IB 1974 - Celebrating 25 Years - 1999
660 W 5TH ST # Q
A. WINSTON SALEM NC 27JL0i.^2^.^^^??
Fire destroys Saints Delight Church |
By DAMON POKO
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Fire destroyed a black church
in Winston-Salem during the wee
hours of Sunday morning.
Saints Delight Church located
at 460 Barry Street in East Win
ston was engulfed in flames when
a fire broke out in the pastor's
office and spread to the sanctuary
of the tiny white church.
After arriving on the scene at
5:57 a.m. Winston-Salem fire
fighters were able to put the fire
out 21 minutes later.
No probable cause for the fire
has been determined by fire inves
tigators.
"We can't find an accidental
electrical cause for the fire," said
K.R. West, assistant fire marshal
and leader of the post-fire investi
gation.
When asked about the possi
bility of arson West said that it
was suspected but they haven't
found any concrete evidence.
According to West, offical shope
to have more answers by the end
of the week.
"I'm crushed in a way of
(peaking," said Bishop Evelyn
Timmons, who has pastored
Saints Delight since 1997. "I real
ly had that community at heart.
We've fed those people, we've
clothed those people."
Estimated property damages
to the small white church came to
525,000. According to Timmons
her office is completely destroyed
while the smoke and intense heat
destroyed the sanctuary including
the organ and drum set.
Sunday's fire adds Saints
Delight to a growing list of hun
dreds of churches that have
burned since 1995 According to
the Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms, who have investigated
the fires, 724 churches have
burned down since 199S. More l
than 300 of the fires have bee set
at black churches
According to officials at the
Congress of National Black
Churches, an ecumenical organi
m
Str Fir* on M
State Champs
Parkland
takes
3 A title
I By SAM DAVIS
* the Chronicle
* , v ' ..."
CHAPEL HILL - The final
result was what Parkland had
in view when it began the 1998
99 basketball season.
The Mustangs concluded
_ the most successful season in
the history of the school with a
. 101-83 victory over West
* Rowan to earn the State 3-A
title last Saturday at the Dean
E. Smith Center.
Danny Gathings led the
way for the Mustangs, pouring
in a career-high 36 points.
"Ijust let the game come to
me," Gathings said. "I had a
feeling that J was going to have
a big game. I knew it was going
to be my night."
It was. Gathings connected
? on 14 of 20 field goals, eight of
10 free throws, pulled down 12
rebounds, dished out three
assists, had three steals and
four blocked shots.
With his offensive produc
* tion, Parkland didn't have to
rely on Clifford Crawford, its
point guard and leading scorer,
; who was bothered by foul trou
ble. Crawford still managed 20
points six assists and six
rebounds in 24 minutes of play.
But it was the play of Bran
don Bowman, Brandon Isaiah
and Camden Banner, who all
stepped up offensively to help
the Mustangs record their first
state championship in basket
ball. Banner scored 14 points
; on six of nine shooting from
the field and also grabbed six
rebounds and handed out five
assists in 21 minutes of play.
Isaiah also came off the Mus
tangs' bench to match Banner,
with 14 points. He had nine
rebounds and two steals.
Coach Mike Pennington of
Parkland gave the team credit
for its focus.
"We had our sights on this
all year long," Pennington said.
"I thought the kids did an
excellent job of knowing what
they had to do and going out
and doing it."
The Mustangs had few
occasions throughout the year
when they looked like they
might not meet their expecta
tion. That was also the case in
the title game. Parkland fought
off an early flurry by West
Rowan to take control of the
, game in the first quarter. But
that wasn't the end of the story.
The Mustangs then had to talk
their way through a West
Rowan rally in the second
quarter. The Falcons went on a
14-8 run to take a?d4-32 lead
with 4:31 remaining in the half.
Pennington called timeouf
to calm his troops for a
moment. *
"For a moment, we got too
caught up in being in the state
championship game," Penning
ton said. "I told them to just
*
See Parkland on AS
v Photo by Bruca Champman
Danny Oathingi rid** in far a dunk far Parkland. Oathingt tcorad 36 pointt at tha Muttangt gal
lopad ta a 101-83 vktory ovmr Wat* Iowan.
Lyons resigns as
Baptist president
i ;? '
By PAT LEISNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER .
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Rev. Henry Lyons, president of one
~ of the nation's largest and most influential black denominations, sobbed
and apologized as he resigned Tuesday, two weeks after being convicted
: ji: *1 ca ?:u: ?
ui awiuuiiug uiuic mail jw minion.
"I'm just so sorry about all of this," he said qui- T
etly at a news conference outride his Bethel Metro- I
politan Baptist Church, where he told the board of I
the National Baptist Convention USA of his deci- I
sion.
"I'm truly repentant about it. 1 hate that I hurt I
so many people," he said, his voice breaking.
He was surrounded by other ministers, who told P
him: "You're not alone."
"I appreciate it," he said as he began sobbing. |
The Rev. E.V. Hill, who will run for president
when the convention's next elections are held in Sep
Lyons
tember, patted Lyons on the back and told him: "We are with you. We
forgave any errors you have made. We love you."
Lyons' wife, Deborah, then kissed him on the cheek and defense
attorney Denis de Vlaming helped lead him back into the church where
he has been pastor for the past 27 years.
Lyons, 57, is awaiting sentencing March 31. He faces three to seven
years in prison under state sentencing guidelines. He is also expected to
plead guilty to similar federal charges.
The Rev. S.C. Cureton of Mauldin, S.C., the convention's vice presi
' See Lyons on All
President Clinton j
tackles brutality
Spurred by black activists; Clinton treads
murky waters of law enforcement
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
At the urging of civil rights groups. President Bill ClitUon unveiled
several proposals aimed at curbing what many con- ,
sider an upsurge in police brutality cases.
Surrounded by leaders from the NAACP, the I
National Council of La Raza and the National
Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium as well
as Justice Department officials like Deputy Attor
ney General Eric Holder and Attorney General for
Civil Rights Bill Lann Lee, Clinton presented fhe
21st Century Policing Initiative during his weekly
radio address last week. The proposal, which has
yet to be sent to. Congress, will earmark more $40
million to help reduce crime and increase the pub
lic's trust in law enforcement.
v
Clinton
See Brutality on At I
I Freshman whizzes through first semester
The following article is part of an
ongoing series about Brian Graham, a
freshman at North Carolina Agricul
tural and State University. Through
Brian 's eyes, Chronicle readers will see
what it's like to be a freshman at a his
torically black college
By DAMON FORD
THE CHRONICLE
Spring break.
Fbr most college students it's a
time to kick back relax and have
some fun in the sun.
But that wasn't the case for
North Carolina Agricultural and
Technical State University freshman
Brian Graham last week.
Instead of heading to the beach
for a little rest and relaxation, the
18-year-old accounting major threw
some clothes into his car and headed
west down 1-40 to Hickory - his
hometown.
During the week Graham
worked and hung out with friends.
In between, he managed to dispense
advice on how to survive life at a
major university.
"A lot of the high school seniors
ask about college and you give them
first hand information," he said,
sagely.
And Graham's advice may be
worth its weight in gold. While many
of his freshman counterparts strug
gled to get through first semester,
Graham pulled an impressive 3.82
grade point average - enough to put
him on the Dean's List.
"I was shooting for a 4.0 but I
was satisfied with a 3.8. When I left
for the break I thought I had all A's,"
he said. "This semester I have easier
classes but harder professors ... (but)
I expect a 3.8."
Graham's five "As" and one "B"
are a matter of "focus" he says.
"I guess it depends on where
your focus is," he said. "When I was
in high school my mind was acade
mically focused so when I came to
college my priorities were on that.
Some people are a little more mature
than others. It all goes back to time
management."
With 17 more hours of school
work on his plate this semester, Gra
ham has to work harder. Right now
his astronomy and Spanish courses
are giving him problems
"I've just got to keep working,"
Graham said. "In high school
(Spanish teachers) spoke English
Sit Frashmon on A9
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