Photo by T. Kevin Walker mCASO PrmMm* Chart? Yancmy hug* Aid?woman VMan Burka. ? ... . J. ? \ ... ? ? _> Politicians gather for annual conference By T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials held its summer conference here last week, amid the glitter of the National Black Theatre Festival. More than 100 politicians from across the country met to discuss the 2000 census, charter schools, African/American rela tions and other wide-ranging issues. Local NBC/LEO members made a successful pitch to nation al officials to bring the conference to Winston-Salem. In the past the conference has been held in cities like Washington and Las Vegas. Local officials then persuaded the national board to move the con ference - usually held in June or July - to August so that it would coincide with the theater festival. The host committee, which was headed by Alderman Nelson Malloy and Alderwoman Joycelyn Johnson, even came up with a conference theme - "Community Empowerment Through Arts and Education'* - that enhanced the atmosphere that engulfed the qty last week. Malloy also serves as NBC/LEO director for the state. "This conference gives us a chance to network and communi cate with our colleagues," Malloy said last week during the confer ' ence's opening reception. "This will benefit the constituents that we serve." The host committee also came up with the numerous other topics NBC/LEO members discussed in ' . '? i workshops. Malloy said topics were selected because of their rel evance. For instance, the topic of tech nology and African American youths was selected because many elected officials around the coun try have expressed concerns about how that population will fare as the country becomes more and more automated. Charles Yancey, a Boston City. Council member who has served P See Conference on A4 i ? . m ? * ? ' - - - -?. 73 cents ^ WlNSTON-SALEM GREENSBORO HlGH POINT Vol. XXV No. 50 The Chronicle 0_0600 1974 - Celebrating 25 Years - 1999 t mm lLN c'*ooM"CAR-AT-sokT"c^2 fc> hi ^ L/ r-? ^ U ?j 1. . 7* ~ " 3IH ST * O - -*STOW SA^m AiC 2 7 0 " * * -~2705 It's Alive > ' ..." V Photo by Felicia McMillan " . 'V ' ^ .. . .? " ? > Photo by Jane Oslislo Thousands packed the streets during the six-day festival. Top, actress Ja'Net DuBois talks with a pint-sized fan. Festival jump-starts sluggish downtown By T. KEVIN WALKER The Chronicle ' The cadence of the drums began last week, reverberating off long-vacant buildings, pumping life into a downtown that many think has been lifeless for years and acting as a beacon for the thousands who followed the infectious sounds. The drums ushered in the National Black Theatre Festi val, th?, nationally-renowned arts celebration that has made Winston-Salem the place to be for the past 10 years - at least for a week. The beat served as a con stant backdrop for the six-day festival. The beat went on while greetings and money were exchanged at the festival's ven dors market; it continued on through the excitement of the nightly celebrity receptions at the Adam's Mark Hotel. In the wee hours of Sunday morning, the beat died, as did the crowds and the jubilee. It all signaled the end of yet another theater festival. The 1999 festi val took its final bow Saturday, leaving many city residents keeping their fingers crossed for an encore in 2001 and many out-of-towners hoping that fes tival officials will give their cities a look. Though Winston-Salem was unrecognizable last week, things are beginning to look familiar again. But residents here say they will not soon forget the events of last week. The good times, they say, will live on in the stories they will tell at work this week and in weeks to come, and in the countless images they captured with cameras and camcorders. The beat went on (and on....) It is not pictures of celebri ties that Hashim Saleh has to remind him of the festival, nor is it an extensive collection of playbills from the dozens of productions that were staged. Saleh, head of the Otesha Creative Dance and Music Ensemble, has two hands filled with white, puffy blisters that serve as painful, but pleasant, reminders of the festival. Though not a billed part of the festival, Otesha's free nightly performances outside of the Adam's Mark probably incited more of a frenzy than that inside of the celebrity-packed hotel. Thousands formed a huge circle around Otesha every night, clapping their hands and stomping their feet as the men of the group stroked African drums with precision and inten sity and the Otesha women danced up a storm. "It's a way of paying homage to our ancestors," Saleh said. "(The drums) are a unifying force for people. When drums are played, black people come together." See NBTF ,m A11 Photo by Bruce Chapman Hathim Saloh laodi a group of drummors. Local charter school in battle . to remain open State board votes to begin process to revoke LIFT charter 9 By PAUL COLLINS " ? - THE CHRONICLE '? ' " ' The State Board of Education voted 11-1 last week to begin the process to revoke the charter of LIFT Academy, a public charter school in Winston-Salem, because of financial prob lems. But the school is expected to appeal. "? If that happens, school officials could appear before the state Charter School Advisory Committee on Aug. 20 to pre sent their case! Phil Kirk, chairman of the State Board of Education, said, that if LIFT Academy officials can convince the * / Charter School Advisory Committee that the school has its "finances in order and they will cooperate (with) requests for information in the future, I believe - I can't promise fciut I believe - that the state board will (not revoke LIFT's char a ter). It's, not our intention to close schools." "The school has some severe finan cial problems - a bad record of overdue r. j i i . J a! . i r Parmon I . " 1/ ? I ! J ieuerai taxes anu a uencii ine year oeiore last, \irK saia. The audit has not been completed for last school year. Officials from the State Department of Public Instruction said in previous interviews that: ? LIFT Academy did not pay.$33,861.40 in payroll taxes to the Iiiternal Revenue Service for a period prior to LIFT Acad emy becoming a public charter school in 1997, and the IRS seized the $33,861 from LIFT Academy's bank account in early 1999. (LlfT Academy was a private school before'the See LIFT on A12 City gets boost in / ? * . revitalization v* : HUD awards $4.5 million for . neighborhood improvement By JERI YOUNG The Chronicle ? 1 j After more than 20 years of planning, local officials have finally received the financial boost they need to revitalize sev eral communities in the northeastern and southeastern corn? dors of the city. * ? Flanked by representatives from the Department of Hous ing and Urban Development and members of the Board of Aldermem Mayor Jack Cavanagh announced a $4.5 million i. *l .. . ??! l 1 r . . .. loan inai win ne useu 10 nnance iwo major projects that will change the face of downtown. The bulk of the loan will be used to give long-overdue facelifts to six neigh borhoods in the northeastern and south eastern areas of the city, including Lin coln-Maywood and Old Cherry neigh borhoods, which border University Park way. Located less than a mile from the heart of downtown, the historic neigh borhoods have declined over the years. Burke Other neigh borhoods slated to bene fit from the loan include Andrews Height, a subdivision off New Walkertown Road; and Vulcan Quarry, a former rock quarry that will soon house a brand-new community of home owners. LaDeara Crest Estates, an apartment complex in the 25th Street area, will receive a portion of the loan. The pack age also includes development efforts for the area officials are Sec MOO ,w At ? FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (336) 733-3636 ? MASTBRCARD, VISA AND AMERICAN BXPRESS ACCEPTED ? f ?