r i: City gets new, sleek logo for 21st century,.Sec Page A4 I star Biddle sd for stardom EtsWeek • • • • Community Actor to bring l^end to life • • • • See All See Cl Kwanzaahas mighty kickoff Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point Vol. XXVII No. 14 The Choice for African American News THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, Living Poetry \w \ lains ! nee with 'oetry ( JNS 'ects at a poetry read- ' 1 ^ Sia - of and plenty *Jftcipation. it-essayist-freelance Weatherford enter- 40 people, mostly ^ 1 reading and talk last ight at the Forsyth ' j tral Library. On sever- ^to bring her topics to Tord had members of make sound effects lents. ;m “How Man First " Weatherford had : bird sounds, clap shake jingle bells and ick. about the Under- ilroad, Weatherford bark like hound dogs is (hell - a bus driver for the Transit Authority and a Artistic Studio School for ts - will appear in concert le The Artistic Studio The- ntly opened at 201 W Third j I I. t < ( Get on the Bus if You i|sus'' - is directed by Janice artistic director of The ool for Performing Arts, from the studio says of dynamic performer is not rtain the audience, but to with foot tapping gospel Rllads that are skillfully wonderful choreography.” ^Hinton said, “He goes the personal things he goes i day, driving the bus, wit- jle, that kind of thing.” Chris Young takes his turn turning a Weatherford. Photo by Paul Collins "rain stick" to create sound effects during a reading by Carol when she mentioned the slave catchers. For a poem about a church ser vice and baptizing, Weatherford had children say amen and shake a tambourine.’’’V^en I say amen, say amen; say it like you mean it,” she told the audience. For the poem “Soul Food,” Weatherford had children give thumbs up or rub their tummies when she mentioned foods they liked and thumbs down when she mentioned foods they didn’t like. The poem contained these lines: Blackeyed peas, collard greens Dirty rice and pinto beans Brawn sugar glaze on honey ham Marshmallows ... in candied yams... Buttermilk biscuits and corn- See Author on A9 RJR foundation donates $125,000 to local nonprofits BYT. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE The R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company Foundation announced last week that it would donate $125,000 to local nonprofit organizations on behalf of 125 RJR employees. The announcement came as the company prepared to celebrate its 125th anniversary. The donations were meant to show the company’s century-old commitment to the community, a commitment that dates back to 1891 when Richard Joshua Reynolds gave $500 to start Slater Industrial School, which would go on to become Winston-Salem State University. The 125 RJR employees were selected as “outstanding community vol unteers” during a company-wide contest. One thousand dollars was donat ed to 104 different organizations (some employees selected the same organi zation). The agencies ranged from organizations that help young people and the elderly to arts organizations and groups that help the ill. “The wonderful diversity of the agencies that our employee volunteers selected for their gifts represent the wealth of community involvement of our employees, “ said Vivian Turner, director of contributions and president of the RJR Foundation. “Although we could only honor 125 employees, we feel this donation to the communities where our employees live and work will contribute to improving the lives of so many individuals.” Assistant marketing director Shelley Malloy was one of the lucky employee winners. She chose Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Forsyth County, an organization that she has become intricately involved in since becoming a Big Sister volunteer a year ago. But Malloy admits that when it came time to choose a nonprofit, the decision was not ah easy one. Malloy also works with the YMCA’s Black Achievers Program. She has been serving as director, a volunteer position, since the program’s previous director left for a new job earlier this year. Her work with the Black Achievers and her time with her little sisters take up a lot of her time, but Malloy said she would have it no other way. “I really enjoy spending time with them. It reminds me of being back in high school, ■ siie said. Malloy said working with the teens has also given her a positive view of See Foundation on AS downtown theater has opened Mitchell described the concert as “con tributing to God, really. That’s what Tm about. (The concert is about) things that happen in my life and how God stepped in and helped me overcome....” “I try to deal with what most things a majority of people (deal with), like death in your family, things that happen in your family life, you know, true to life things.” The theater, which seats about 65 peo ple, opened last month with a production of “Winter Isn’t Over Yet,” a comedy/drama by Nathan Ross Freeman. “I wish you could have seen the set we built for ‘Winter Isn’t Over.’ It would have (blown) your mind,” Price-Hinton said. Other productions planned and tenta tive performance dates include: • “Widows’ Pique,” performed by Shirley Ann Fenner, directed by Steve Willis, produced by Metamorphosis The atre Project, Jan. 19, 20-21. For mature audiences, “Widows’ Pique” is three short stories by N.C. writers adapted for the stage: “Condolences to Every One of Us” by Allan Gurganus,: “A Tube of Tin Rose” by Sandra Redding and “The Happy Memories Club by Lee Smith.” • “Murder Was Called for” by Robert G. DeMers on Jan. 25, 26 and 27 and Feb. 1, 2 and 3. ‘*Murder Was Called for” (for mature audiences) is a parody of a million aire murdered in his study, with all the doors and windows locked from the inside. A famous mystery writer presides over the resolution of this mystery despite the encumbrances dispensed by the local police. • “Cafe Society” - music and original lyrics by James Fusco; book by James Fusco and Nathan Ross Freeman; starring Janice Price, Chris Murrell and Cle Thompson; musical director Joe Robin son; Feb. 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18; for mature audiences. Opened in 1938 Green wich Village, Cafe Society was one of the most unique and extraordinary fixtures of See Theater on A9 Photo by Paul Collins From left, Thomas A. Hinton, business manager of The Artistic Studio for Performing Arts; Janice Price-Hinton. artistic director; Chris Bonner; Michelle Johnson and her chil dren, Jessica Johnson and Jonathan Johnson. duates hope to be kinder landlords BYT KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE fochern takes a look at j fishing an environmental Photo by Kevin Walker the certificate received last praperty management class. From its inception, the East Winston Community Develop ment Corp. has prided itself on putting people before bricks and mortar. That philosophy was men tioned often last week as the CDC celebrated the success of its first Environmental Property Management class. In all, 12 local residents graduated from the program, which teaches a new type of people-friendly property management. The pro gram was developed by officials at the East Winston CDC. James Grace, the president of the CDC and one of the archi tects of the program, said envi ronmental property management involves landlords putting resources, of all types, back into the communities they oversee. These resources will then, Grace said, help tenants to feel better about where they live and will make them more willing to make timely rent payments. “Community development is simply a marriage between peo ple and economic development, with people leading the way....It’s a simple equation,” Grace said. The graduates received instruction over the last several months from a teacher provided by Forsyth Technical Communi ty College. The CDC received a grant from the N.C. Association of CDCs to cover costs associat ed with the program. Grace hopes to offer the class to other CDCs in the state through the association in the years to come. Susan Perry-Cole' CEO of the state association, was on hand for the graduation. She praised the East Winston CDC for being what she called a “change leader.” “We have to get comfortable with looking at things in new ways,” she said. “Change is what this new economy is all about.” Most of the graduates enrolled in the class with some type of background in property management. Many said that the kinder, gentler approach they learned in the class will change the way they do business. See Landlords on A4 Firefighter Paul Stanback is named city Employee of the Year SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE named Employee of The Year for 2000 last week. Paul Stanback, a firefighter Stanback was honored for his with Engine Three of the Win- “character, dedication and com- ston-Salem Fire Department, w'as See Firefighter on A2 FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (336) 722-8624 • MASTERCARD, VISA AND AMERICAN EXPRESS ACCEPTED •