TVack
brothers
keeping
the pace
- See Page Bl
Probation
officer
wins state
honor
? See Page 45
Jackson
plays
gospel on
the Web
- See Page A10
LaDeara
gets a
new kids
play area
-See Page A4
Theatre
Festival
to start
Monday
Opening gala sells out
ahead of schedule
BYT. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Today, the pavement down
town is merely a maze of
cement. On Monday, that pave
ment will become "Black The
atre Holy Ground." The Nation
al Black Theatre Festival has
adopted that Divine theme for
the past
several
years.
More
than two
years of
work,
prayers
and dedi
cation
will cul
m i nate
Monday
when the
2005 National Black Theatre
Festival kicks off. About 100
performances of dozens of
shows will be staged over the
six-day festival. Well-known
names like Melba Moore
(Sweet Songs of Soul); Mal
colm-Jamal Warner (Love &
Other Social Issues); Ella Joyce
(Willie and Esther) and Hal
Williams (Freeda Peoples) will
star in some of the productions.
Other shows will be headed by
up and coming newcomers who
many predict will be the stars of
tomorrow - people like Daniel
Beaty (Emergence-See!).
Michelle Banks (Reflections of
a Deaf Woman) and David Pal
adino (Champion).
Larry Leon Hamlin, the fes
tival's producer and artistic
director, promises that all of it
will add up to one of the best
festivals ever.
"This festival is going to be
like a nuclear explosion in the
city of Winston-Salem!" Ham
lin said Tuesday. Each show has
been hand-picked by Hamlin,
who began organizing the 2005
festival shortly before the 2003
event got underway. He is
spending this week wrapping
up last minute details. He spent
much of the early part of the
Graduates from old Atkins reunite
There are mixed
emotions about
new high school
BYT. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
There are few places in Win
ston-Salem as esteemed as the
former Atkins High School.
The thousands of students
who came
through
there and
the faculty
and staff
who
taught and
guided
them say
the school
was a
piece of
educa
tional
heaven on Earth. The expecta
tions that teachers and principals
set for students, and the tough
love style of education that was
practiced at Atkins High are cred
ited with producing not only local
leaders but worldwide leaders,
including Togo West, a former
U.S. Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.
"We felt that our school was
the best school in the world," said
Richard E. Rice, a 1955 Atkins
graduate. Rice and dozens more
Sec Atkins on All
? Photo by Kevin Walker
Frankie Neal helps her husband , Earl , gef ready for the mock graduation.
i n ti I
Better
than a
JUNGLE
GYM
Photo by Kevin Walker
Larvin Frederick Crockett
playfully hoists his son ,
Quentin, up into the air
Saturday afternoon.
Father and son were on
hand for the Belews
Street Reunion at Bolton
Park , which brought out
dozens of people from the
former historic communi
ty. To read more about the
reunion, see page CI.
Crosby Scholars present the gift of reading
Photo* by Kevin Walker
Crosby Schol
ar D'Andre
Star not (loft)
roads to
Khrio Sawyer
Tuesday at
the YWCA
Empowering
Families Cen
ter.
BYT KEVIN WAl.KER
ftffi CHRONICLE "
About 60 rising 7th graders spent part of their day Tues
day spreading the joy of reading to kids half their age and
seniors old enough to be their grand
The middle school students are
Crosby Scholars. As part of the pro
gram's community service component,
they spent the morning reading to
groups at three separate sites - the Best
Choice Center, the YWCA Empower
ing Families Center and the Elizabeth
and Tab Williams Adult Day Center.
The "read-Ins," as they were
called, gave the scholars the chance to
work one-on-one with the younger
kids. At the Empowering Families
Center, the scholars were paired with little ones in the cen
ter's pre-K through second grade summer camp. There were
more little-ones than scholars but that did not pose a prob
lem.
Set Scholars an A4
rarKiana
principal
ready to
be leader
School is in period
of great transition
BY COURTNEY GAILLARD
THE CHRONICLE
Timothy Y. Lee has been
operating on pure adrenaline
since he was appointed principal
of Parkland High School last
week by the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County Board of
Education. The former North
Forsyth
High
School
assistant
principal
has been
racing
from one
meeting
to the
next
between
the two
schools
were fifs tying up loose ends on
one campus anil interviewing
prospective teachers on another.
The whole experience proba
bly feels something liky the
fourth quarter of a season ending
basketball game to this former
college hoops player who stands
over 6'4 feet tall.
"It's a whirlwind right now,"
said Lee. who will succeed for
mer Parkland principal. Harold
Smith, who plans to head up a
high schixtl in Tennessee. "With
all of the things that have been
happening in the last few days
you'd think I'd be just be (over
Set- Lee on A9
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders,
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H. Russell, Sr.
"Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better"
Mussel X ifmteral jSCxxmc
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 Carl Ruaaell Ave.
(at Martin Luther King Dr.)
Winston -Salem. NC' 27101
(336) 722-3459
Fax (33fi) 631-8268
rusfhome<8,bel!south Jiet