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HAWS honors young movers and shakers By T.KEVIN WALKER THE OnoNinj ~ The board of commissioners of the Housing Authority of Win ston-Salem took a brief detour Tuesday from the serious business of running the city's public hous ing units to spotlight two young movers and shakers. HAWS Executive Director J. Reid Lawrence was all smiles as he introduced the person set to step into the shoes he previously filled. Fulton Meachem Jr. was named the agency's new deputy executive director before a crowd that included many of his cowork ers and some residents. Meachem had served as the housing management supervisor since last May. He has also served as a housing manager, housing specialist and adult/youth services specialist since coming to the agency in summer of 1994. "It's a dream come true." Meachem said, flashing a bright smile. "It has always been one of my aspirations to become deputy executive director since I first came here." A native of Greens b o r o , M e a c h e m received a bachelor's degree from North Car olina Central University in Durham. Meachem ? who is a bachelor and just 29-years-old ? has spent a large portion of his adult life in the business of helping people help themselves. He says he wouldn't have it any other way. "I have always wanted to give something back to the communi ty," Meachem said. Although the job will bring a slew of new responsibilities. Photo by T. Kevin Walker Bill Andrews presents Takresha Duncan with a certificate and say ings bond. Meachem's supporters say he is more than up to the challenge. As deputy director, Meachem will monitor and evaluate the agency's Department of Housing and Urban Development programs and assist Lawrence with myriad tasks. "He's been on my heels ever since I came here as executive , director,"* Lawrence joked just before he introduced his new right hand man, An obviously overwhelmed Meachem stood before the crowd of 20 or so people and said a few words of thanks. But not long after taking his seat, various peo ple around the room were spring ing to their feet to thank Meachem. A resident of Healy Towers thanked him for always taking the time to address residents' issues. A resident of Crystal Towers stood up and gave similar kudos. A board member even got into the act. "I'm very happy because he's already one of ours," commission-. er Louise Davis said of Meacheifi's appointment. Meachem sat quietly as those around him sang his praises. He said later that the words of sup port mean a lot to him, especially when they come from the residents he's charged with serving. "That is the ultimate compli ment when they appreciate what I've done," he said. But Meachem shared the wealth a little bit, not taking full responsibility for the strides he's made. "The morale at the housing authority is very high because of the leadership of Mr. Lawrence," Meachem said. " We are all work ing together to achieve goals." / And even though he is still get ting use to his new lofty title, Meachem already has clear ideas and a plan of action. A plan he hopes will aid the agency in its overall goal of changing the face of public housing. "1 plan on working with the city and everyone in the agency to build bridges for our residents so they can go from dependency to self-sufTiciently," he said. The betterment <?f public hous ing communities is also on the mind of 11-year-old Takresha Deveta Duncan. Duncan was honored for pen ning an award winning essay on the topic of "ties that bind people and their communities." She picked up top honors recently in statewide essay contest sponsored by North Carolina Crime Preven tion. "This is something I feel real good about," board chair Bill Andrews said, just before he told the audience about Duncan's feat. Young people living in public housing in Winston-Salem and cities and towns throughout the state jKere asked to write a short piece describing how people can become more intertwined with the communities they live in. Duncan - who was accompa nied by her mother Mary Geter - stood timidly before the crowd and read her now famous essay. "There are many things that can bind people and their commu nities," she read. "I'm sure we could figure out something, now let's start naming some." In her essay, Duncan paints a picture of a community where people hold block parties and street festival! to provide positive outlets for young people. In Dun can's ideal community, people also help each other and the neighbor hood by holding fundraisers and awareness meetings on timely top ics like drug abuse and teen preg nancy. Duncan received a standing ovation, a shiny, framed certificate from Andrews and a $200 saving's bond. "I was a little nervous, but it was exciting," Duncan said later that evening in the Jiving of, her mother's Cleveland Avenue Homes apartment. Duncan is a sixth-grade honor student at Atkins Middle School. Between studying, she Finds time to cheer for the Grayhounds Midget football team and partici pate in a bevy of afterschool pro See How* on A10 'Stinging' Helms wants to elimnate N.C. seats on court Clyburn, CBC vow to fight "lily-white" circuit By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WINSTON-SALEM - Sen. Jesse Helms - still stinging from a nomination bottled up by Democ rats eight years ago - wants to eliminate two vacancies for North Carolinians on the Richmond, Va.-based U.S. Court of Appeals rather than fill them. Helms, who has already helped block the appointments of two of President Clinton's nominees to the 4th Circuit Court, filed a bill in the Senate last week to kill the positions. The federal circuits are the nation's second-highest courts, right below the U.S. Supreme Court. Helms, citing the view of the court's chief judge, says two more judges aren't needed to handle the appellate court's caseload. "There's not any space in between right and wrong," the North Carolina' Republican said last week, "fwant to have all the competent judges that we need, but I don't think we ought to have even one judge that we don't need." The bill surprised judges and politicians, who have long hoped to fill the appeals court slots with North Carolinians, including the first black appointee. Freshman U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., wanted to work with North Carolina's senior sena tor on forging a compromise to get two judges appointed. Edwards, who was unaware Helms was filing a bill, sayS he has mentioned spe cific nominees to Helms, who raised no objections to them. "I'm certainly hopeful that he's _^rn . *n: ^ _ sun willing 10 _ discuss them I with me," he I appeals court, I which hears I appeals from I federal courts I in Maryland, I Virginia, West I Virginia, North Caroli Helm* na and South Carolina, has 13 active judges. Only one? Sam J. Ervin III - is from North Carolina. The two seats Helms wants to eliminate would be filled by North Carolinians. One was created in 1990 and never filled. The other was held by a North Carolinian who retired in 1994. Ervin said Friday the court needs 15 judges to field five three judge panels to hear cases. Chief Judge Harvie Wilkinson has had to rely on federal judges from lower courts to fill in. Ervin said. But Wilkinson said the court's caseload dropped 18 percent between 1998 and 1999. "The court's docket is well under control," he said Helms has made no secret that he is still steamed that Democrats killed the appellate court nomina tion of U.S. District 'Tudge Ter rence Boyle, who once worked for Helms. President Bush nominated' Boyle to the appeals court in August 1991, but Democrats stalled it. Bush lost the 1992 elec tion and nominating power went to President Clinton. Clinton nominated two North Carolinians for the jobs in 1995: J. Rich Leonard, a federal bankrupt cy judge in Wilson, and James A. Beaty Jr., a federal judge in Win ston-Salem. Beaty came under fire from Judiciary Committee chairman Sen. Orrm Hatch, R-Utah, who criticized him for voting to over turn a murder conviction because of a trial error. Clinton later renominated Beaty but not Leonard. Beaty would have been the first black judge on the appeals court. ? Clinton will nominate federal judges from North Carolina based on recommendations from Edwards, but Helms has consider able power to bottle up those nom inations. Helms filed the bill about a month after Rep. Jim Clyburn, D S.C., hinted he had a plan "to box in Mr. Helms" Clyburn, the head of the Coh gressional Black Caucus told a summit meeting, "We are not going, to sit quietly and allow him to keep the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals lily-white." Helms took offense. "This guy was accusing me of being a racist," he said. Helms openly supported Beaty when Clinton appointed him to the federal bench. Atlanta officials ponder Freaknik Despite lack of planned events, party still on THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ATLANTA - Waning from a peak crowd of 200,000 five years ago. the annual street party known as Freaknik is just a shadow of its old self. Freaknik. which draws thou sands of black college students to Atlanta each spring, is just a month away, but the city has received no requests for permits to hold outdoor events. Two Freaknik. Internet sites list no events and no advertisers. Mayor Bill Campbell, who was criticized three years ago for eroding support for the event, has not appointed the 1999 Black College Spring Break Committee to orga nize the event. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported Sunday. "My perception is that all the indications say that the event is going to be a non-event." said George Hawthorne, chairman of last year's spring break committee. About 50,(XK) people visited Atlanta in 1998. when just one event permit was requested. At the party's peak in 1994. six event permits were requested. "I think the event permits are a good indicator, and the Web sites that I have been monitoring ... are indicating that there's a lot less attention to Freaknik and a lot less attention to Atlanta," Hawthorne said. Campbell's chief of staff, DeWayne Martin, says the city is still preparing to handle large crowds the weekend of April 16-18. Martin said he didn't think the num ber of applications is a reliable indi cator of the throng. "We always take the position that we have the responsibility to prepare for guests and visitors no matter what that number may be," he said. Freaknik has never been an organized event. Atlantans who associate the party with traffic tie-ups are hoping the revelers will continue to head to events in Texas or Florida, which are scheduled at roughly the same time. But Ronn Greene, who helps run the freaknik.net Web site, said the Atlanta party is still on. , "This thing is now 17 years old." Greene said. "It has existed by word of mouth Even when there weren't events scheduled, people came to Atlanta." News deadline is |:00pm everf Monday The Chronicle's e-mail address . is: wschron@ netunlimited.net o vt%t Vj 1 Special Group ^ J White & Pink vfc Dress Shoes ? V2off / Jm Vyll Regular Price I/ouqmfa/er JUST / FOR / KIDS Stratford Oaks Hours: Mon. & Fri. 10-8; Tu.-Th. 'til 6; Sat. 'til 5:30 722-6630 bk WSm
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