OPINION
i The Chronicle
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Ernest H. Pitt /
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Elaine Pitt i
Fannie Henderson >
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Jeri Yolng .<
Karen J. Olson <
Kay Stlltz /
*uNisher!Co-Founder
'o-Founder
iusmess Manager
tdverlising Manager
Managing Editor
ireulation Manager
'roductioif Manager
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A pat on the back
for Sprinkle-Hamlin
Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin's ascension to the top post with
the public library is a victory for us all.
Over the years, she has shown herself to be a tireless
worker and the kind of person who knows how to get
things done and bring in the kinds of people needed to real
ly make a difference.
? Nearly 20 years ago, Sprinkle-Hamlin introduced Kwan
zaa to the library and since she's also been on the cultural
cutting edge. " ? *
We hope her reign will be a long and successful one.
We feel the library has made a good decision.
Proud of WSSU
Winston-Salem State University athletics have awaken
from their slumber.
In February, the basketball team earned a CIAA cham
pionship for first-year coach Rick Duckett. Now the foot
ball team pulled out a victory at the Pioneer Bowl for long
time coach Kermit Blount.
Coach Blount deserved an enthusiastic thumbs-up for
his hard work and dedication to the program.
Way to go. Rams.
A really merry
Christmas
This holiday season, take time out to finally give thanks
for things that you have that are worth something.
Begin with your health. Even if the bones creak a little
! and things aren't exactly where they used to be, be grateful
that they - and you are still here.
Offer up a little thanks for you family. No matter what
happens, someone you're related to will always be there for
you. And remember, family isn't just the people you're
related to by blood. Family is everyone that you touch and
all the people who care for and reach out to you.
Be grateful for the stuff that you do have. Of course, we
all want a little bit more, but there's something to be said
for having a starting point.
Be thankful that you can give a little something back.
* This is the thing most of us take for granted. No matter
how much - or how little - you have, you're still valuable to
? someone else. ,
Volunteer at one the city's homeless shelters or spend a
little time on Christmas Day helping someone who may not
have as much.
Instead of making New Year's resolutions that you can't
keep, make a vow to make a difference in the life of a child.
It's easy. Qften, all a child needs is a little love and con
cern from an adult to keep him or her going.
We all have a lot for which to be thankful.
What better time than now to show it.
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To the Editor,
My name is Andrew Hagler
and I am the executive director
of The Mental Health Associa
tion in Forsyth County, a non
profit, nongovernmental agency
that provides advocacy, outreach
and support services for persons
with mental illness and their
families, friends and loved ones.
I am aware that Gov. Hunt
has ordered all state depart
ments to make some portion of
their 1999-2000 budgets avail
able for disaster relief and I am
aware that the governor has the
authority to shift this funding -
without the approval of the leg
islature - during an emergency.
However, 1 am writing to ask
that you and the entire body of
the North Carolina General
Assembly seriously consider and
urge the governor to weigh
(how) the impact his proposed
$830 million in hurricane disas
ter relief will ... (affect) all per
sons with mental health, mental
retardation and substance abuse
needs in North Carolina.
Please know, first of all, that
my heart and soul goes out to
our citizens affected by Hurri
cane Floyd. On a personal level,
I grew up in Washington, N.C.,
and 1 earned my undergraduate
degree at East Carolina Univer
sity.
For five years, I taught sec
ond and third grades in Bel
haven. I have many good friends
Down East and that part of the
state will always hold a special
place in my heart.
However, if passed, the gov
ernor's proposed financial pack
age for hurricane relief will have
serious consequences affecting
all persons with mental illness,
developmental disabilities and
substance abuse problems across
the state of North Carolina.
To my understanding, $504
million of the total $830 million
disaster relief package will come
from redirecting funds from the
current budget. The Division of
Mental Health, Developmental
Disabilities and Substance
Abuse Services is facing a $17
million cut by which half of the
cut will come from the state
institutions and the other half of
the cut will come from area men
tal health programs, excluding
those authorities in the eastern
part of North Carolina. Center
Point Human Services, the area <
mental health program serving
Forsyth, Stokes and Davie coun
ties, would be one of the mental
health authorities possibly
affected by this proposed cut. 1
Last Monday, Surgeon Gen- ?
eral David Satcher issued a first- ]
ever report on mental health in
our nation and stated that mil- i
lions of Americans are currently
failing to get the mental health
treatment they need due to the
stigma placed on mental illness
and, more importantly, due to
lack of money and access to ser
vices. Making additional cuts
from the Division of Mental
Health to fund the hurricane
disaster relief package will only
prevent more of our citizens in
North Carolina from getting the
treatment they need and will
contribute to additional social
ills such as homelessness, sui
cide, incarceration and involun
tary commitments.
Therefore, I respectfully ask
that you and the members of the
North Carolina General Assem
bly seriously consider urging
Gov. Hunt not to fund the pror
posed Hurricane Floyd Relief
Package with existing state
resources. Rather, I ask that the
General Assembly and the gov
ernor work together to consider
establishing a separate funding
' stream for the Hurricane Relief
package such as bonds or a tem
porary tax increase.
Andrew Hagler
To the Editor,
I live in Winston-Salem and I
read The Chronicle. I read a
recent column of Nigel Alston in
which he talked about a list of
questions, and he offered to
email those questions. I would
like to have those questions. I
would also like to thank Nigel
for all the positive energy he puts
out, the Motivational Moments
on WSNC, and for your column.
Keep up the great work.
Ouida Patten
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Being suddenly handicapped isrit easy
Cheris Hodges
Guest
Columnist
Over that last few days I've
learned a valuable lesson.
Last week, I had an accident
and broke my ankle. The doctor
said I will be in a cast for six to
eight weeks.
Less than a week into my
injury, I've alrdSdy realized
something about being "handi
capped" - it ain't easy.
After two days in my huge
black cast, hobbling around
Winston-Salem on crutches, I
noticed a change in the way peo
ple looked and talked to me.
Then again, I guess in a way I
am helpless.
I have never been in a caSt. I
have never broken a bone. But
there are people who have been
born without legs, arms and
other body parts we take for
granted.
v But I'm not taking anything
for granted anymore and living
life in a cast has forced me to see
the plight of people who are
handicapped permanently. i
Like most people, the weeks
leading up to Christmas are
filled with shopping trips to the
mall.
But, now that my leg is cov
ered with a hard cast, and I'm on <
crutches, those trips are made
more difficult than I ever real
ized.
I can't tell you how many
times I walked up to information
counters 2nd service desks at
local stores and have been told
that they either don't have
wheelchairs or that they only
have one wheelchair and it's out.
My favorites are the stores
that have wheelchairs and when
you get them, a wheel is warped,
making it impossible to get
down the aisle.
Another pain is stores with
aisles crowded with displays. It's
tough enough to maneuver a
wheelchair, but when you have
to duck and dodge, pallets of
merchandise, it's enough to
make anyone frustrated.
Another thing I've come to
realize is despite years of politi
cal correctness in dealing with
people with disabilities, most
people still are uncomfortable
around people in casts or wheel
chairs.
The first look people give me
is the "Oh bless your heart"
look. The person semi-smiles
and asks for the ten-thousandth
time, "Is there anything I can
do?"
While this is nice of people to
say, I want to scream that I am
not helpless.
Often, people go overboard
constantly asking, "Can I help
you?" or giving you looks that
show that they feel sorry for you.
The worst are the people who
look at wheelchairs with disdain.
They seem to wonder whether,
burdened by a wheelchair, if you
have the right to be out in pub
lic.
Some people try to be polite
and not stare at the big black
brace on my leg. But many fail
hopelessly and end up staring at
my leg.
The last couple of weeks have
made me truly begin to think
about the plight of people per
manently living with disabilities.
I know that in six-eight
weeks, my disability will be a
distant memory.
With just a week of living
with a disability, I've come to
understand the plight of the dis
abled. i
These are the people who
deserve the parking spaces and
wider aisles at the market.
These people worry about
whether the stores they enter
will have working wheelchairs
every day and real aisles without
stacks of merchandise.
These are the people whose
entire lives are Tilled with blank
stares from passers-by and the
eery feeling that somehow you
just don't belong.
You really can't empathize
with their struggle until you have
tried to walk a store in their
shoes.
Suddenly, you realize that
society has been built for people
with two working arms and legs,
who can reach the third shelf for
the last Furby.
People, including me, are
conditioned to think if someone
is not able to do something
"normal," they are in the way.
It's not true. There's a place
for everyone; we just have to
make it accessible.
To wheel around a store is an
experience. My eyes have been
opened.
Cher is Hodges is a staff
writer for The Chronicle
Km FROM THE COMMUNITY...
We are asking local residents their New Year's
resolutions until the end of the year. Here is
what some of them said:
Cedric Young
"To get closer to God "
I
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Purvis Conrad
"To marry Janifer Mclntyre in
the spring."
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Janifer Mclntyre
"To marry Purvis Conrad in the
spring."
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Chandra Holly
"I don't make resolutions, hut
what / do want to do is continue to
huild my relationship with God."
Bruce Cross Jr.
"To be a better person and to
work hard to achieve all of my goals
and dreams."
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