Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 25, 1999, edition 1 / Page 1
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
75 c?n*s Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point vol. xxv no. 30 Thf CHRON ? E ??&??? ? ? ? ? ? -CAa-KT-soRT- -C012 -? -4 ^ from this library 4MmJk ?ors?wmonty pub lib 1974 - Celebrating 25 Years - 1999 ' [ __ ?I 660 w A. . _ ^ ? ? ? ? Fire that destroyed church ruled arson I ? kwmllyaton Hound In? of Htmmktdt in thrmm ormat of ihm tiny church. *Z' ?"*. ft By DAMON FORD TwCmowclb Winston-Salem Fire Depart ment officials say a fire that destroyed a church in East Win ston was intentionally set. The fire swept through tiny Saints Delight Church March 14, causing more than $20,000 in damages "We've determined that the fire is incendiary and intentional ly set," said Assistant Fire Mar shall K.R. West. Fire investigators discovered traces of chemicals in three areas of the church. West says anyone with any information about the Sunday morning blaze can give the 24 hour arson hotline a call at 773 7997 or Crimestoppers at 727 2800. West says no timetable on keeping the case open has been determined. "Sometimes we run out all of our leads and we close the case," he said. "But later if we get some information then we can open it again." While investigators continued to look for dues, Bishop Evelyn Timmons and members of Saints Delight moved Sunday services to Beasley's Funeral Home, which is located around the corner from the burned building on Old Greensboro Road. "It was a positive day (Sun day)," Timmons said. "Probably the most (positive) since last Sun day." About half of the two dozen \\ people who normally attended Sunday services were on hand but Timmons says it was still uplift- - ing. The service featured a perfor mance by a youth dance team from Greensboro. Timmons said she expects a musical team from the Virginia District to come down this weekend. "Somebody said to me (Sun day) 'You can be assured in this Christian walk there will be strug Set Hn on All Controversial appointment V \ Davis ready to meet challenge By T. KEVIN WALKER The Chkonku . < ? It was a day where the spotlight shined radi antly on the 19 newest officers on the Winston Salem police force. But a department veteran with more than 29 years experience unwittingly stole a bit of the rookies' attention. With the word "interim" freshly axed from her title, Police Chief Linda Davis attended a graduation and recognition ceremony last Fri day at Winston-Salem State University's Ander son Cehter to watch as the city's latest batch of ' 'cops was sworn in. Davis - who was joined by numerous city leaders, hundreds of the rookies' family mem bers and friends and other members of the department's top brass - briefly addressed the new officers during the nearly two hour event, but much of her time before and after the cere mony was spent receiving congratulatory hand shakes and words of encouragement. Less than 48 hours earlier, Davis had helped the city that she's lived in all of her life take a .progressive leap forward as she was niade the Twin City's first female police chief. Davis was promoted to assistant police chief in 1994, a position she held until her retirement oh Dec. 31, 1998. Davis' departure from the force coin cidentally collided with Chief George Sweat's 'exit. r: After a little persuasion, City Manager Bryce Stuart convinced Davis to come out of ?retirement in January to become the interim .police chief, while he interviewed four other 'candidates who wanted to be top cop. But last Wednesday ^in a move that sur prised some and angered others - Stuart appointed Davis chief, although she never applied for the job. "I believe Chief Davis is the person best 'suited to take on this responsibility," Stuart said in a statement. "We are at a time in Win ston-Salem where we need to strengthen our key relationships; relationships between the police department and the community it serves ias well as relationships within the department! ? ^Chief Davis possesses the character, training * jand experience to provide the leadership we ? need." Although she knows that many obstacles lay before her, Davis says she is ready to lead the department's 600 employees into the 21st centu Ty. "This is a tremendous responsibility," Davis See Davis onAH ?* a? AttitHma Chimf Mkhad McCoy, toeond ham right, lock* on ? nmr Mb* ChW linda Davit talu wtfi dfy nfflifirfi uovh tNNJi our rour omer omcars, inciuuHiy "icvoy, wno cyp*?go ana mvarwvwva. vcwis, wno fimo ftooi me forct ? fTif^iihir tfd nal tmalv (or ihm iob. Wmw WMVIHHOT/ WV ??**? MMVV IW WW WWW Officials miffed over selection process By T. KEVIN WALKER The Chronicle fl?? It was not the history that many hoped City Manager Bryce Stuart would make last week when he appointed Winston Salem's new police chief, but it was historical nonetheless. . Stuart named the city's first female chief, Linda Davis, last Wednesday during an afternoon press conference in front of the Public Safety Center on Cherry Street. Davis had retired from the department on Dec. 31, 1998, but was talked into serving as inter ?V im chief when Chief George Sweat left the department in Jan uary to work for Gov. Jim Hunt. ?? Many African American lead ers had hoped that the city would follow the lead of its neighbor Greensboro and appoint the first African American to head the department. Among the four can didates who applied and inter viewed for the job were two African Americans, veterans Patricia Norris, a captain, and Michael McCoy, an assistant chief. With 30 years on the force and a dedicated legion <of allies, Davis' ability to lead the depart ment has not become an issue; however, the method in which she was selected has raised concerns from some and objections from others. Davis, in fact, was made interim chief because she was not interested in the job perma nently. Having Davis in position would allow Stuart to evaluate the candidates who did want the position. Stuart had told at least one member of the board of aldermen that he would not give the interim chief the position per manently. Davis had planned to return See Controversy on All ? 0 Mayor, Chair 'out of loop' on resignation Hazzard's statement to paper baffling, officials say By T. KEVIN WALKER The Chronicle 1 , When Ellen Hazzard decided to resign from the city's Housing Authority Board of Commissioners last week, she contacted a local newspaper and described how unbearable the ? position had become. She told of a board that is I A fueled by politics, where she was Ijfl often left "out of the loop," KH because of she board's dictator- H like leadership. 1^ But seemingly, Hazzard only vented her frustrations to the I Winston-Salem Journal. Four fl days after the article appeared in ^ the paper, both William Hazzard Andrews, the board's chairman, and Mayor Jack Cavanagh say they have not yet received her resigna tion. See Hazzard on A10 Guilford to hold additional school forums By DAMON FORD The Cheonicle ' Two hundred people packed into the auditorium of Southwest Guilford High School in High Point Monday night for the first of two public forums on the Guilford County School System redistricting plan scheduled for this week. Because of pressure from the community, specif ically the N.C. Racial Justice Network, an interra cial civil rights group, the 11 member school board decided to give citizens an opportunity to voice their concerns. Board members were encouraged to give their personal opinions on issues. Keith Green, one of four blafck board members said the proceedings went well. "The public stated their opinion and we took it in," he said. "To me it's no different than speaking to someone one on one." See OuiWord on A12 The Chronicle new* a1 Opinion AC Forum A7 *Sports B1 * Religion B7 Claminim B9 ? Comm.Focui CI .Health CJ ' Enter. C7 Family Fvn CB Calendar C1B Since 1974 m Rams finahy on the road: New vanity tags a big hit By T. KEVIN WALKER The Chronicle As Bernice Davenport shuf fled through her mail last Friday, she had no idea that a much anticipated surprise was hidden in the mountain of envelopes and circulars in her mailbox. "I get a lot of catalogs from companies. And I felt something stiff underneath one of the cata logs, and I screamed," Davenport said with a laugh. Davenport's reaction jolted her husband, John, but sha said she couldn't contain her excite ment. She was one of hundreds of people who received the First batch of Winston-Salem State University's very own collegiate license plates. With the plates carefully secured on cars in cities throughout the state, the school 1 iiaa seen iiic realization of a five year dream. Although larger schools like Duke Uni versity, Wake Forest Uni versity and U N C - Davenport Chapel Hill have had collegiate plates for quite some time, WSSU is the First and only historically black college or university in the state to snag its own plate. "It is truly gratifying to put the 'Rams on the Road' and it is even more significant because we were first," said Gregory Hair ston, director of alumni relations and coordinator of the license plate campaign. Davenport said when she first saw her plate - with the name of the university distinctly etched on the left side in white letters over a red background - she couldn't wait to get it on the back of her vehicle: "My husband said 'when do you want me to put this on your car' and I said yesterday," she said. She was equally eager to show off her new tag at her church - Set PtatM on At 2 Ffcrt* by T. byte Walkor Hundrodt of W5SU font roeohrod a tpotial doihrory loot wook. Iho first batch of toHogioto lit on to piatot hit tho ttroott. ? FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (336) 732-3634 ? MASTERCARD, VISA AND AMSRICAN SXPRSSS ACCSPTKD ? s* .
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 25, 1999, edition 1
1
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75