t ? N.C. Black Repertory Company to hold MLK Birthday Celebration apfeCIAL TO THE CHRONICLE The N.C. Black Repertory Company will present its 17th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birth d a y ? C e 1 e - bration on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Arts ! Council ;T h e - 1 a t r e , ?6 I 0 1 Colise- Hamlin u m Drive. The event is free but reservations are required. Call 723-2266 to make reserva tions. The event will feature some of the Triad's most tal ented artists, including some of the exquisite singing cast fr^t the soulful, gospel Christmas musical "Black Nativity," which took the city of Winston-Salem by storm in December. Singers from the cast include Bishop John Heath, Twana Gilliam. Beathy n Heath, Jamera Rogers, Brandy Hunter. Sharon Heath, Carlot ta Samuels-Fleming and Ken neth Mallette. Other guest artists who will perform include the Expressions (an all-female singing group) and Bill Jack son. Youth performances will be provided by the Glory Phi Steppers of Greater Cleveland Avenue Christian Church and the' Boss Drummers of Win ston Lake YMCA. A special performance of Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" will be performed by Rev. Kedrick Lowery of Greater Cleveland Avenue Christian Church, where Lowery serves as the minister of youth. Larry Leon Hamlin, pro ducer and artistic director of the National Biack Theatre Festival and the N.C. Black Repertory Company, will make a special appearance. He is one of the most important artists and leaders in the "Global Black Theatre Move ment." Brian McLaughlin of WXII-TV 12 will host the event. r. File Photo Local entertainer and actor Bill Jackson performs at last year's event. He and many others are expected this year. (t ' Workers from page A1 looking in on the people hovering around the transportation center, where buses zipped in and out throughout the day. "We are still walking around downtown, patrolling and mak ing sure the people that are here are fine," Peterson said. Like the police officer. James ^McKeever III knows that he can't roll over once the alarm sounds on a snow day. As a bus driver for the city Transit Authority, McK eever says he has other people's plans to consider. "We have got to (go to work). We have got to get there because people depend on us," he said as he prepared to shuttle riders. His bus was not full, like on most days. Only a handful of peo ple scurried onto the bus when he pulled into the transportation cen ter. "Some said they have to go to work; some are just trying to get to the stores," McKeever said. ! describing his passengers' moti | vations for riding the bus. ; The Transit Authority gives ? drivers special training to help them move the buses along safe ly on icy roads. McKeever. a for mer truck driver, said that he did ! not run into any problems. | although his route takes him from ; downtown to along Silas Creek ? Parkway and back downtown i again. Some would say that Howard Wright and his crew at the Down | town Deli and Cafe did not have | the same obligation as Peterson 1 and McKeever to be at work dur . ing the inclement weather. But ! Wright, the manager at the popu | lar eatery, would disagree. "We feel that it's an obliga ? Photo by Kevin Walker Emanuel Mickens Jr. looks for potential customers while standing outside of Delight Barber Shop on Liberty Street. tion to be here no matter what it takes," he said. "Snow does not stop you; rain does not stop you." The Downtown Deli and Cafe has been open on Fourth Street for about a year, but has been downtown for more than a decade. Fewer burgers, omelets, and bowls of soup were served last week during the snow induced near-shutdown' of down town. but Wright said those who made their way U) work were delighted that the deli's "ppen" sign was glowing brightly. "We may not make as much as we would on a pretty day, but these customers are satisfied and grateful that we are here," Wright said. Charles Dolg didn't have hot cups of coffee, tea and cocoa to offer customers as Wright did. But he had a commodity that was just as sought after last Thursday. "I have ice melter to sell." Dolg said with a chuckle when asked why he decided to open his store. Clean Daze, on a snow day. The cleaning supply compa ny has been at its Liberty Street location for about five months. Dolg sold a few containers of the ice melter to downtown mer chants who wanted potential cus tomers to walk into their stores rather than slide in. Dolg even delivered some of the ice melter to business owners who did not feel comfortable taking their chances outdoors. A Connecticut native, uolg didn't hesitate when asked to make a delivery. "A little bit of snow does not bother me as much," Dolg said. Emanuel Mickens Jr. may not have years of experience in driv ing on ice and snow-covered roads, but his four-wheel drive vehicle more than compensated for that. Mickens put his SUV to good use as he made his way downtown to open Delight Bar ber Shop. Mickens put on his smock and arranged his clippers just as he would do on any day, but cus tomers were nowhere to be found. Mickens spent much of the morning standing outside of the shop, hoping to serve as an advertisement to potential cus tomers that he was open for busi ness. "I got a job to do. I have got to keep the place running." Mick ens said when asked what he was doing at work. When it was pointed out to Mickens that most of his neigh bors. including several other bar ber and beauty shops, were closed. Mickens looked around, grinned and said. "That means more money for me. then." MLK events from page AI Slate, and will start at 7:30 a.m. and end at 9:30 a.m., which will give attendees enough time to head to Mount Zion Baptist Church for the annual MLK Day March, which will start at around 10:45 a.m. In the past, the event has drawn thousands of city residents of all faiths, ages and colors. Marchers will walk from the church, on File Street, up Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and down Fifth Street into the hearPof downtown. The march is sponsored by the Ministers Conference of Win ston-Salem and Vicinity and usually features prominent city leaders and members of respected civic organizations. The march will end at Ben ton Convention Center at about the same time the MLK Noon Hour Commemoration is set to begin. This will be the 22nd year the commemoration has been held in honor of King. The event is sponsored by WAAA radio. The theme for this year's ceremony will be "Remember! Celebrate!! Act!!!" and will feature Brad Braxton, a reli gion professor at Wake Forest University School of Divinity. The commemoration will begin at noon and last about two hours. All events are free and open to the public. To reserve space at the praver breakfast, call (336) 722-8624. Look for other MLK Day events and sto ries related to the King legacy in The Chronicle's Martin Luther King Jr. special section, which will be published next week. D Nursing from page AS Forest University School of Medicine, has developed a Free College, Free Health program for under-represented Minority students that aims to expose them to various health career options such as nursing. According to Means, 84 per cent of the students who partici pate in this program declare a health career major by the time they enter college. Means com mented on the impact of visible minority health care profession als and the need to recruit them to serve that portion 'ptneuen Aive In Gur *i?e