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SUPEBIWftaKE
long, 5-Star
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State’s only black-
owned grocery
store closes after
three years
BY CHERIS HODGES
THE CHRONICLE
Photos by Cheris Hodges
Plaza will soon be replaced with the sign of another grocery
Aug. 11, 2000, is the day that a piece
of history died. The only African-Amer
ican owned supermarket in the state
closed, never to open its doors again.
The 5-Star Supermarket opened three
years ago to high hopes and a lot of fan
fare, yet Harry Hankins, one of the own
ers, said the operation was troubled from
day one.
“When we opened our doors we were
under-capitalized,” he said. “We thought
the area was a good location and that the
sales would allow us to overcome the
under-capitalization.”
The supermarket planned a re-grand
opening to coincide with the launching
of the Victory Masonic Mutual Credit
Union branch that was located in the
store. Less than a month ago. Victory
Masonic and Truliant entered into a
partnership and opened their branch in
5-Star. That branch is temporarily
closed, but Victory Masonic president
Alvin Atkinson said it is only a minor
setback.
“Victory has been around for 50
years,” he said. “(The store branch) was
one part of the big picture to elevate our
profile in the community.”
The credit union branch was open for
about three months before the formal
grand opening July 31. In that short time,
many people in the East Winston com
munity put their money into the bank.
Atkinson said that the credit union is
not trying to leave the area because 5-
Star has closed down. He added that he
is hopeful that the new supermarket will
continue the partnership with the credit
union that 5-Star started.
According to the shopping center’s
owner, Terry King, when the store
closed, he stood in front and told people
the news. “A good number of the people
that came (to the store) came to use the
credit union,” he said.
King said that he is in negotiations
with four potential clients for the store.
See 5-Star on A9
seeking
nput for
iKtation
GES
[Ifl iton-Salem Police
is the distinction of
3 he 500 law enforce-
in the nation that
ition. Even though
fe than 9,000 law
Ili gencies in the coun-
®|:ct few have earned
ipproval from the
m Accreditation for
j lent Agencies.
llVLEA officials will
epartment to begin
® n of policies, proce-
:ement, operations
irvices.
to Sgt. Bill Cobb,
nanager, the process
tid shows a level of
ween the public and
t.
n a majority of the
sfied with the Police
he said.” (Accredi-
a third party orga-
me in and look at
hng.”
people associated
EA team that will
ipartment are inde-
he Winston-Salem
nent. “This is not a
1’ Cobb said. “If we
our job, they will
from CALEA is
tee law enforcement
Connecticut, Ohio
he department will
proof of all of the
;|j|LEA is judging the
Memory lane
Photo by Kevin Walker
Youngsters com
pete in a hula-
hoop contest at
last weekend's
Boston Roundup.
Roundup conjures memories of old neighborhood
BYT. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Young builder specializes in tailor-made living
Sackie’s Florist, Mr. Cootie
Knox’s Soda Shop and Mr.
Walker’s Cleaners went the
way of many black businesses
after the onset of integration -
swiftly toward extinction.
The folksy businesses all
called the city’s Boston com
munity home at one time. For
decades they supported the
community and in turn the
community supported them
with patronage and respect.
What used to be was a big
topic at last Saturday’s seventh
annual Boston Roundup. Talk
of Sackie’s and the others and
how strong the bond among
the community used to be
could be overheard around
Drayton Pines Park, amid live
music and the aroma of fried
fish and hot dogs.
Today Boston is the popu
lar name for the area that
includes Kimberley Park,
Thurmond Street and parts of
Northwest Boulevard and
Cherry Street. But the commu
nity’s influence has stretched
far beyond its geographical
borders.
Many of those who came
out for the four-hour roundup
- a massive reunion-type event
- grew up in the Boston com
munity but have since moved
to other parts of the city and
other parts of the nation.
Sharon Wright, president
of the committee that pulls
together the event each year,
said people came from as far as
See Roundup on All
Photo by Kevin Walker
Hardy's obituary features her trademark smile.
Hardy ‘called home’ days
before her 100th birthday
BYT. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Technically, Lula Hardy was
“called home” a few days shy of
her 100th birthday. In theory,
though, her friends and family say,
she lived a life so full and complete
that it was as if she lived 100 years
and more.
Hardy died at her mammoth
birthday bash Aug. 12, the one
that was talked about with great
anticipation in a cover story on the
Aug. 10 issue of The Chronicle.
The family chose to hold the
party on Aug. 12, though Hardy’s
actual birthday was not until the
following Tuesday, Aug. 15.
She was surrounded by hun
dreds of family members and
friends as she made her way into
the reception hall for the party.
She danced down a red carpet
to the sound of African drums and
the applause and cheers of guests,
family members said. After her
dance. Hardy sat in chair and
never got back up.
The irony of her death has
been the topic of many conversa
tions among family members over
the last two weeks. They say Hardy
knew the end was near; she had
talked about it with one of her
nine surviving children days before
the party.
“She told my brother that
when I dance to my seat. I’m going
get my wings and fly away,” said
Burnu Rucker, Hardy’s youngest
child.
Rucker said that though Hardy
was often upbeat in her last years,
she harbored a deep sadness that
because of the many years she was
blessed with, she was preceded in
death by her beloved husband and
many other family members and
friends.
Rucker said the family is taking
solace in the fact that Hardy has
See Hardy on A4
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
right, Ashleigh, Ray and Debra
steps of their newly constructed
It isn’t hard to spot Dannie and Lor
raine Wood’s house among the many that
line Bethania-Rural Hall Road.
It has the crisp, fresh look of a newly-
constructed house, a look that is rare on
a stretch of road where the houses date
back 15 years to 20 years. A lot of rub
bernecking takes place in cars and trucks
as people travel past the Woods’ home.
Whether the stares stem from the fact
that the house contradicts those around
it or from the fact that less than a year
ago the two-acre tract where the house
sits was a thick patch of trees and shrub
bery is something that the couple have
had little time to contemplate.
The Woods have only been in the new
place for a few weeks. They are still dec
orating, planting and taking it all in.
This is the third home the Woods have
owned. Their new house, however, is the
first one they had built, from foundation
to roof Dannie Wood said owning hous
es in which he had no hand in construct
ing was the best preparation when it
came time for him and his wife to start
visualizing what they wanted in a new
home.
“We didn’t want a formal dining
room; it would be wasted space.” Wood
said late last week, taking a break from
yard work. “We found that we probably
only used the formal dining room once or
twice a year....We wanted everything on
one level too; the older we get we do not
want to climb steps.”
The Woods got that and more in their
1,900 square-foot, three-bedroom dream
home.
The vaulted ceilings are decorated
with several sunroof-like windows that
brighten the house without the aid of
electricity.
“This whole house is based on light,”
said Wood, who is a financial consultant.
See Houses on A10
Photos by Kevin Walker
John-Troy Witherspoon describes why he likes stone veneers. They
have become features on many of his houses.
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