Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / June 13, 2002, edition 1 / Page 10
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Board not ready to OK Human Relations move BY T. KEVIN WALKER THE CHRONICLE . At least one member of the Board of Aldermen is not pleased with a proposal that would relocate the city's Human Relations Department to City Hall. Human Relations, which works to promote equality and opportunity for all residents and helps to resolve conflicts between tenants and landlords, has been housed in the Black Phillips-Smith Neighborhood Government Services Office since 1996. The office build ing is at the intersection of Patterson and Glenn avenues. Human Relations has three full-time employees and one part-time employee. City administrators, citing a need to consolidate more city offices, want to relocate Human Relations to City Hall, which is undergoing a massive facelift and will probably reopen in November. The Human Relations Commis sion, the body that governs the department, has already approved the move. Alderwoman Vivian Burke pressed administrators about the change Monday during the aldermen's Finance Commit tee meeting. Burke questioned whether or not the idea to relo cate the department came as a result of u request by Wanda Allen-Abraha. who took over as director of the department a few months ago. Allen-Abraha was not available for comment. A Human Relations employee said Tuesday that Allen-Abra ha was out of work for the week. " Assistant City Manager lcc uar rity said that plans to relocate t h e depart ment were put into place months before Allen Abraha took over the helm at the department. Burke was also upset because she said she heard that some Human Relations employees wanted to move out of Black-Phillips because they did not feel safe. The area where the building is located, which is, part of Burke's Northeast Ward, has been a hotbed for prostitution and drug activity. Burke said the area has its problems but has many more advantages than disadvantages. "1 feel that (he Black Phillips (building)...is a very fine place." Burke said. "A lot of the people with human rela tions problems have a difficult time getting to City Hall." Alderwoinan Joycelyn Johnson has also raised con cerns. She was not pleased that signs were placed at entrances of Black-Phillips notifying visitors that no pub lic bathroom facilities were available. Johnson took down the signs. She said they sent the wrong message to the com munity. Concerns by the alder women were enough to make the Finance Committee table the proposal. Garrity said he will work to address the con cerns raised at the meeting. If the department is relocated, it would not mean that Black Phillips-Smith would be shut down, he said. The city's Neighborhood Services Department is also housed at the building. Residents also can pay their water bills and parking tickets at the building. Classes on various topics are also held there. Garrity said that if Human Relations is relocated, the city would look for additional ways to utilize space at the building. He said the Police Department may use the site for training. Burke Football from page A3 Bernard Fulk. Ashford has been a Little League coach for 29 years. He was inducted into the Winston Salem State University Sports Hall of Fame on May 3. Ashford was proud to be one of the coach es for the UBC football camp. "I am proud to participate in a vision of one of my former play ers. My reward for all these years of service is to see a lot of young kids out in the community doing well, being good citizens," Ash ford said. "I kept doing it because someone took the time to put time and effort into me as a young person. 1 feel obligated to give back. People also gave time and effort to my four kids. My grandkids are playing football now." Coaches who assisted Hill with the camp hailed from vari ous churches in the city. The coaches from Union Baptist Church included Adrian Sides, James Watlington. Edward Blackburn. Willie Patrick Thomas. David Edwards. Lance Searcy, and Harry Davis. Other coaches were Willie Ashford Jr. of Dreamland Park Baptist Church, Anthony Coles of First Waughtown Baptist Church. Donald Grand of First Assembly of God. Dred Booe of New Hope Missionary Baptist Church and Bernard Fulk. Ronnie Beverly of the Carl Russell Recreation Center assist ed with lining out the field, and Kenneth Pinkney Jr. served as the watchman, to be sure that players were supervised when they left the field to use the facilities. LaKeishia Hill. David Hill's wife, assisted w ith organizing the documentation for the camp. Karla Brown and Mary Carlton served as nurses for the campers. Hill and Gregory closed the program by inviting youths to come to Christ. "You don't have to be an adult to givj God your heart. God has made me a better man. He has changed my character." Hill said. "We have talked about scores and trophies, but there is nothing like everlasting life. That is the trophy that counts." gowned during Sunday's ceremony show off their outfits. Stanley ?vw pagrAI TbSrs of the Liberian Organiza Z;Dob of the Piedmont view Let as a godsend. ? ? -"I just do what I do every -;ilay. The Lord works through Nine." Letton said. C r Letton was just one of the InlSny people who made Stan ;tgfs trip to the United States possible. James Hunder, a for ? mar president of the Liberian Organization of the Piedmont, first started pushing Stanley's Isftjry when he read about the *bpy on a Liberian Web site. - Hurnfer. who was then a student and employee of Wake Forest ? University, went to his friend ' Edwin Wilson, senior vice pres | Idem at Wake Forest University. to seek guidance. Wilson put Hunder in touch with the inter national affairs wing and started the ball rolling. Wilson was also - honored Sunday at the celebra L tion. which featured traditional Liberian songs and popular fopds from the West African " nation "When we help children, we ? do the most that we can to move ~ toward the kingdom of heav 'etv," Wilson said. C Wilson. Letton and several Whers who have helped Williams and Stanley during - iheir stay here were also feted - during a "gowning" ceremony. Z iu "which they were proclaimed 3bj0?rary "Liberians" as they were outfitted in traditional African clothing. Rev. Seth O. Lartey. the pastor of Goler and a Liberian. was among those "gowned," as were David Flomo, the president of the Liberian Organization of the Piedmont, and his wife, who took in Stanley and his mother after they left the Ronald McDonald House last year. Lartey said the good deeds that have beeifdone on behalf of mother and child will resonate throughout the world. "This humanitarian act will go a long way to show others that America is a great country." Lartey said. Since Stanley's condition will require lifelong check-ups and monitoring. Stanley and his mother will continue to live in Winston-Salem. They hope to be joined by Stanley's father soon. Williams, who recently found a job. could not thank those who helped her son enough. She says Stanley has become a different person since his surgery. He used to be ham pered by severe stomach pains because of the condition. No more, his mom said. "Look at him." sift said pointing at Stanley, who was eating a piece of his birthday cake. "He is happy and full of energy. He is totally different than he used to be." i Photos by Kevin Walker Edwin Wilson is presented with an African print top. CDC from pane AI cafeteria as a way to build the economy in East Winston. Plans are to build a K&W-style cafeteria that would employ about 100 full and part-time employees and give people living east of Highway 52 an opportunity to enjoy good tixsi in their own back yards. But the project has hit several snags over the years. Investors have complained that they have not seen their money put to good use. David Capital raised $136,000 through its stock offer ing and received a $250.0(X) grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. All told, David Capital had $434,300 in its coffers to bankroll the cafe teria. But most of that money has been spent, including about $300,000 spent to pay consultants and salaries for CDC and David Capital employees. Although the land for the cafeteria has yet to he bought, David Capital has only about $26,000 in the bank. At Monday's meeting, alder men also raised questions about the land David Capital wants to buy for the cafeteria. The land, located off a relatively new stretch of 14th Street, is owned by Michael Grace, the brother of James Grace, the executive direc tor of the CDC. The results of an audit of the cafeteria project recently done by Health and Human Services was also a topic of concern. HHS is reportedly looking into whether the grant it gave David Capital was used properly. That has got to be addressed." Alderman Clark told cafeteria supporters. Grace said the results of the audit could take from 90 days to a year. A clearly frustrated Grace told aldermen (hat rumors and innuen dos have been allowed to fester because he and other cafeteria backers have not been given an adequate forum to answer linger ing questions. Aldermen gave Grace and company only about I5 minutes Monday to plead their case. 'The whole truth never seems to get out because we don't get a chance to present it," Grace said. "The project is a great project, but it is so full of other layers." Grace said fairness is now an issue in terms of how the CDC has been treated. Aldermen did not rule out the possibility of revisiting the CDC's request once the CDC finds other financing for the cafeteria. CDC officials say they plan to go to BB&T to secure financing. Jobs from page A J ing officials of their peacef ul pur pose. Mendez and the youngsters were "graciously" received by Joines at City Hall, who then took some time to speak with the stu dents and listen to their plea for help. "I was impressed and delight ed with the young people's will ingness to go out and try to address concerns they had. It was gratifying to see these young peo ple wanting to fina jobs instead of just taking it easy for the sum mer." said Joines. who offered to take in one of the students as an intern in his office for the sum mer. Joines has pledged to get the word out to the private sector along with the Chamber of Com merce with hopes that businesses will consider hiring local youths. Many of the youths, includ- ' ing Taylor, who signed up through the Urban League's YES Program (Youth Employment Services) to participate in the job lobbying effort, have either applied for jobs and never received word back about posi tions or simply been turned away altogether from local businesses. Taylor was one of the students chosen to address the mayor. Tay lor said he attempted to "persuade the mayor that they needed jobs." "It was good for the students to get involved in the democratic process, to learn how to talk to their city government and to bring to the attention of the city that this problem exists," said Mendez. who feels a plan should have already been put into action by the city to put these willing and able teens to work. Once budgetary cuts came down from the state this (year, Pam Peoples-Joyner, employ ment specialist for the Urban League, explained that the Urban League had to fly solo in its efforts to employ youths through the YES Program, typically a joint effort between the Urban League and the Job Link Center. Quickly Urban League officials found themselves in a bind..with numerous high school students jobless for their summer vaca tion. "We don't know if we're going to hear anything simply because a month ago we sent out letters to the local churches, area businesses, neighborhood associ ations and we haven't had any response," said Peoples-Joyner. who blames the summer job predicament the students are fac ing on the state budgetary crisis. Annessa Warehime. with the Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber was "pleased to see the students and their enthusiasm" about job opportunities. Ware hime is the work force develop ment manager for the Chamber of Commerce, and she indicated that the chamber will assist the students this summer as well as work to create a system to ensure they and other students like them are employed for summers to come. "The chamber has several dif ferent programs to help connect employers with the community. Our ears are always open for new opportunities for the emerging work force here in the communi ty. It's one of the best ways to build a strong local work force." When asked about why so many students are having trouble getting hired for the summer, Warehime said she believed the "tight labor market" resulting from the state budgetary crisis could be blamed for creating some challenges on youngsters in search of work. Nonetheless, Warehime said the chamber will be making a daily effort to seek out employers who have job openings and work with the Urban League to devise a long term strategy to avoid this prob lem again. In past years. Joines said, the city "always had monies to hire and place (students) in nonprofit organizations to work through the summer." but the recent budget ary cutbacks are not allowing the city to spend money for that Unfortunate as it may be. that is why so many kids are experienc ing such bad luck in searching for summer work. "It's not fun sitting at home, looking at TV in front of a bunch of fans. It's hot all day," Taylor said. He said he will continue to apply for jobs wherever applica tions are being taken but also hopes that his lobbying efforts will encourage businesses to give him a calls with job offers. r^n \ Hlotortptle, Int. SILVER ANNIVERSARY I PRESENTS the 25th ANNUAL I TRIAD MOTORCYCLE RALLY I AMERICAN LEGION CLUB 267 | " JUNE 14 & 15 3214 McConnell Road ? Greensboro, NC ? Hot Disco ? Live Music ? Friday Night Dance ? Fish Fry TROPHIES and AWARDS ? Best Dressed: Bike,Truck,Van 10 Classes ? 25 Trophies j FIELDS DAY ? Highest Participation Club < ? Longest Distance Club ^ ? Best Dressed Club | * Vp? "Don't Mies This Day of Tnn With the Sunt"!
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
June 13, 2002, edition 1
10
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75