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Photo by T. Kevin Walker
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Book tells story of black community HI
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONKXq
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Through a series of innovative
and popular calendars, The Soci
ety for the Study of Afro-Ameri
can History has paid tribute to
many of the city's unsung heroes
and heroines.
For more than a decade, the
society has literally made the
study of African American histo
ry a year-round event, packing its
calendars with the lore and lega
cies of black schools, churches,
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neighborhoods, entrepreneurs
and politicians.
But those who have missed the
calendars over the years shouldn't
fret. SSAAH is branching out in
order to tell a story that hasn't
been told before.
The group has spearheaded
"African Americans in Winston
Salem/ Forsyth County: A Pictor
ial History. a soon-to-be pub
lished book that will attempt - in
192 pages - to tell a story that's
been more than 200 years in the
making.
' "History only becomes history
if it is recorded some place," said
Henry Lewis, the president of
SSAAH. "We want to ensure that
the contributions that African
Americans made to the develop
ment and growth of Winston
Salem and Forsyth County are
recorded for the next generation."
A reception last Friday at the
Anderson Center to announce the
book's publication brought out
Winston-Salem's A-list. Politi
cians, business leaders, educators.,
and plain folks mingled and
milled around the spacious recep
tion hall while classical musk
wafted through the air, courtesy , j
of a masterful pianist.
The event was highbrow and
SSAAH promises that the book
will be as well.
"The book will be a first-class,
coffee table publication," Lewis
said.
Although copies of the book
weren't on display - it will not be
released until late July or early
' :
- See Book on A13
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75 cents WlNSTON-SALEM GREENSBORO HlCH POINT Vol. XXV No. 41
The Chronicle ,
010600 CAR-RT-SORT*"C0x2
N C ROOM 1974 - Celebrating 25 Years - 1999 "
: FORSYTH CNTY PUB LIB ^ . ? '
6b0 W 5TH ST # ^
WINSTON SALEM NG 27101-2755
Ready to run
I til^ BiF ill?Hi l> ?!?!????I ???!! ?? ?? III?? I ???? I
v Photo by TVsrry Jones
Jonieee L&wia, Kori Ctmptitmi, DeArtist Woods and Alexander Jones chat at they wait their turn to cot i ipofs during Boston Elm i Ml Itory School's annu"
of (bM day. The foursome, at trthgraders, were set X> run in the school* relay race.
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Robinson delavs aldermen's vote on budget
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Two weeks ago the board of
aldermen muzzled one of its
own, when it prevented Alder
man Vernon Robinson from
questioning officials from non
profit agencies. At a budget hear
ing Tuesday night, Robinson
retaliated by introducing a
motion of "no consideration" on
the budget vote, pushing the vote
back at least two weeks.
I' "I'm not ready to vote on the
budget," Robinson said. He said
his fellow board members
deprived him of his "constitu
tional duty" of asking in-depth
questions of the non-profit offi
? ?
?
y
cials, who had come to the hear
ing to ask the city to allocate
funds in the 1999-2000 budget
for their particular agencies.
Unlike
other
motions, a
motion of
no consider
ation cannot
be debated
or voted on
by other
board mem
bers. Items
that an
alderman
moves no consideration on are
simply pushed back for a vote at
* - .
a later date.
. Other board members were
visibly annoyed by Robinson's
motion. The aldermen, who had
spent more ? ?
A.t A.\- - I I
man mice
hours at
City Hall the
night before
to vote on a
landfill
expansion,
have been
attending
budget
workshops
nn/4 Vt ?*t n r*e
aliu ..vai.i.ga i
for a month and had planned on
passing a budget Tuesday.
Robinson has advocated cut
ting all city funding for non
-profits and using the money to
provide tax relief to city resi- _
dents.
He and Alderman Steve
Whiton have even come up with
their own version of a budget,
the Changing Course Budget,
which would give property own
ers a 12 percent tax cut. The bud
get the board is , considering
reduces the property tax rate by
only a penny for every SI00 of
property evaluation. The budget
currently being considered will
probably provide non-profits
with about SI million.
Set- ludyt on All
Bl_-JL
v Robinson
Cavanagh
PTAA vacancy
stirs controversy
By DAMON FORD
THE CHRONICLE
By the end of this month members of the Win
ston-Salem Board of Aldermen will vote on
appointing a person to the Piedmont Triad Airport
Authority board.
And some political watchers hope that appoint
ment will go to an African American.
Currently, Hudnall Christopher temporarily
holds the seat until a decision is made. The Win
ston-Salem appointee also serves as the board's
chair.
The PTAA board is made up of seven members
who serve three-year terms. They are appointed by
Burk* ~
See Airport >? n A12
Champions *
TV Associated Press photo by Jacques Brinon
Vtnui Williams, loft, and hmr sistar Sarana Williams pass with
tha trophy aftar thay dafaatad Martina Hingis and Anna
Kaurnikova in tha woman's doubias final at tha Franeh Opan in
Paris Sunday.
Audit reveals
costly issues
at HAWS
HUD flags irregularities in
contracting, credit card procedures
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE ' ?
A much anticipated audit of the Housing Authority of Winston
Salem by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
reveals that HAWS has often thrown standard procedures aside over
the years, instead following unorthodox processes that have been
costly to the agency. ? \
According to the audit, HAWS failed to install air conditioning
and heating units in 1,624 of its properties in a timely and effective
manner. Delays in installing the units will result in unnecessary costs
of about $3 million.
From 1995 through 1997, HAWS purchased more than 1,700
heating and air conditioning units, but by February 1999, units had
been installed in only 446 apartments, according to the audit. HAWS
attributed the delays to the fact that its own personnel were being
iiu>H to install thp units a situation HAWS savs ?
was not effective. A private contractor was
brought in to work on the project in 1998, three
years after the units were purchased.
The agency did not follow federal guidelines
that require agencies to operate projects in an
"efficient and economical manner," according
to the audit.
The audit recommends, among other
things, that HAWS submit a plan detailing the
source of funds and the methods that will be
used to complete the projects. HAWS has 60
days to report corrective actions that have been
implemented or taken in response to all tne audit s recommendations.
A copy of the final audit, which was conducted by the District
Office of the Inspector General from December 1998 to March 1999,
itfas sent to Reid Lawrence, HAWS executive director, on June 3, but
(Lawrence was informed of initial findings a month earlier. The audit
/ was spurred by citizen complaints, which "generally concerned ques
tionable and unsupported disbursements made by (HAWS)." The
audit review covered a three-year period, January 1995 to December
1998.
Lawrence was appointed interim executive director in October
1998, winning the permanent position two months later.
Though many of the blunders contained in the audit happened
while other executive directors were at the helm. Lawrence said he is
working to come up with solutions, rather than pointing fingers.
"As far as blaming anybody, I don't do that," he said Tuesday. "I
just take what's been put in front of me."
Lawrence said he'll try to learn from the mistakes the agency has
made in the-past.
"I've always tried to better my administration through things I've
' * learned from others," he said. .,
Lawrence said he will soon begin working with his staff to come
up with solutions to the problems to present to the board of com
missioners and HUD. V .
"We will go through each one of (the recommendations),"
Lawrence said.
; See HAWS on A!3
1 t
Board sets site tor
EastSide Cafeteria
Much talked about eatery will be on 14th Street
By T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
The EastSide Cafeteria took one giant step toward becoming a real
ity this past weekend.
At a board meeting Saturday, members of the East Winston Com
munity Development Corporation and the Ministers Conference of
Winston-Salem announced that the much talked about eatery will be
constructed on East 14th Street, near the point where the street intersects
with New Walkertown Road.
Officials chose the site over four others including a spot in East Win
ston Shopping Center because stockholders pushed for a brand new
facility rather than an existing one.
Set CufaUitu on AH
? ro* SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (336) 722-8634 ? MASTERCARD, VISA AND AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED ?
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