Local diabetics
being sought for
blindness study
Participants must
be on Medicaid
SPFflAL TO THE CHRONICLE
About 3,000 North Caroli
na adults who have diabetes
and are on Medicaid are invited
to participate in a project called
"1 SEE IN NC" to
dueled at Downtown Health
Plaza of Baptist Hospital, part
of Wake Forest Baptist.
I SEE IN NC is seeking
Medicaid or uninsured patients
who have diabetes in six Pied
mont counties or six in the
Wilmington area. The counties
are Forsyth, Davie, Yadkin,
Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, New
Hanover, Brunswick, Bladen,
Pender, Columbus
determine if early
screening using a
special camera and
images transmitted
over the Internet can
prevent blindness.
"Medicaid
patients are rarely
screened and are at
risk of becoming
blind," said Ramon
Velez, M.D., M.S.,
Velex
and Onslow.
By comparing
study counties with
those not getting
special screening.
Velez and his .col
leagues will deter
mine to what extent
the screening
reduces blindness.
I SEE IN NC
(Increasing Screen
of Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center, the
principal investigator. Diabetes
is the leading cause of prevent
able blindness in the United
States, and Velez said the study
will, determine if early referral
to ophthalmologists will help.
Preliminary results from
pilot testing of the high-tech
approach showed that among
diabetic patients screened,
about 15 percent required
urgent referral to ah ophthal
mologist and more than 40 per
cent had some degree of dia
betic retinopathy - changes in
blood vessels in the retina,
Velez said. The test was con
ing eye examina
tions for diabetic retinopathy
IN North Carolina) is being
supported by a $465,034 grant
from the Duke Endowment to
establish the reading center,
and a $456,203 grant from the
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable
Trust to pay for the screening
in the two networks. The N.C.
Rural Health Foundation will
pay for evaluation.
Local people interested in
taking part may contact Ron
Gaskins, M.P.A., associate
project manager, at ( 336) 480
6934 or
rgaskins@ wfubmc.edu .
A Supreme Guest
Students schooled
on Constitution by
Justice Mark Martin
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
At times, Mark Martin sound
ed a bit like Alex Trcbek during
his address Monday to eighth
g rollers at Hanes Middle School.
Martin, an associate justice
on the N.C. Supreme Court, was
on hand to talk to students about
law, justice and the American
way of carrying out both. But he
let the young people do much of
the thinking themselves as he
quizzed them on everything from
the number of counties in North
Carolina, to the various duties
and responsibilities of the three
branches of government.
The students were up for the
challenge that Martin's many
questions posed. At least one
young person answered each of
them correctly.
"Wow, you guys are better
than my law students," said Mar
tin, who has taught at N.C. Cen
tral, Duke and UNC.
Martin's visit was part of
Hanes' Constitution Day activi
ties. A new law requires every
school that receives federal
money to in some way mark
Sept. 17, the day the document
was signed in 1787.
Sept. 17 was a Saturday, so
Hanes had two Constitution
themed programs - one on Friday
and Martin's talk Monday.
Martin told the students that
the historic document holds a
special promise for every Ameri
can.
"Because of that Constitu
tion... no matter what obstacles
Pholo by Kevin Walker
Those on the
M e a I s ? o n ?
Wheels wait
ing list are
not left com
pletely in the
cold. They
receive bags
of food like
these.
Meals
from page A1
Financial resources are pro
hibiting the growth of the feeding
program. Seniors who can pay are
charged $4 per meal , but no senior
who qualifies for the program is
turned down. Seniors can spend
weeks or months on the waiting
list. The
Smith
program
does pro
vide a bag
of food to
those on
the wait
ing list,
but the
goal is to
get those
seniors
hot meals
Monday
through Friday, and the kinship
with volunteers that usually come
with them.
Senior Services recently
kicked off its third season of Edi
ble Evenings, a unique fund-rais
ing concept to benefit Meals-on
Wheels. Through the end of the
year, churches, organizations,
businesses and individuals will
hold lunches and dinner parties
where guests will be asked to
open their hearts and wallets.
Dr. Michael Lischke, who
heads the Northwest Area Health
Education Cenfer (AHEC). says
the need to get people off of the
waiting list is great. Often, the hot
lunches seniors receive through
Meals-on-Wheels are the only
nutritious meal they receive all
day. In its promotional material
for Edible Evenings. Senior Ser
vices describes one of its clients
who had dwindled down to 99
pounds as a result of a heart attack
and the little money she had left
for food after paying bills and pre
scription costs.
"I don't know any person in
our community who would want
that for anybody that they know or
anybody that they love," said Lis
chke, who is chairing this year's
Edible Evenings.
, ^ The fund-raiser pumped about
$66jOOO into Meals-on-Wheels
coffers last year. The goal this year
is to raise at least $75fl00.
The original plan was to start
recruiting people after Labor Day
to hold Edible Evening events.
Hurricane Katrina changed that
plan, slightly. With so many Katri
na efforts occurring at the time,
organizers held back. But Edible
Evenings are slowly happening
around the county. There have
been two already and more than a
dozen more are in the works.
Jeff Smith is considering host
ing another Edible Evenings event
after raising more than $1 XXX)
with his dinner last year. Smith,
whose e-mail newsletter Smitty's
Notes contains the city's latest
happenings and events, hosted a
dinner for about 30 guests at Sim
plYummy. The fund-raising con
cept appealed to Smith because it
allows for local people to meet,
network and interact in a leisurely
setting.
"It helps to build our social
capital," said Smith. "It gives peo
ple a reason to have a party."
To sign up to host an Edible
Evenings event, call 748-5932 or
log onto wwwEdibleEveingsjcom.
Call 748-5932 to learn about
volunteer opportunities available
at Senior Services.
NOTICE OF A CITIZENS INFORMATIONAL
WORKSHOP FOR US 52 FROM NC 65
TO THE 1-40 BYPASS
WBS No. 34871 U-2826B Forsyth County
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will
hold the above Citizens Informational Workshop on Tliesday, October
18, 2005 between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the Audito
rium of the Kennedy Learning Center. 1000 North Highland Avenue.
Winston-Salem.
The purpose of this workshop is for NCDOT representatives to pro
vide information, answer questions, and accept written comments
regarding the alternatives for the proposed project. Individuals may
attend at anytime during the above hours.
NCDOT is proposing to improve safety and traffic flow along this
section of US 52. The combinations of the following proposed
improvements are under consideration:
? Using the current shoulders as travel lanes from 1-40
Business/US 421 to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
(one additional lane in each direction),
? Closing Ramps along US 52 at Stadium Drive, Third Street
and Fifth Street.
? Additions to the existing Intelligent Transportation System
(traffic cameras, traffic signals, signage, and more).
Any person interested in the identification and preservation of historic
properties located in the vicinity of the proposed pro ject is invited to
communicate with NCDOT either by attending this meeting or by
contacting the Project Manager identified below.
Anyone desiring additional information may contact Michael Penney,
PE, 1548 Mail Service Center, Raleigh. NC 27699-1592, by phone at
(919) 733-3141, fax at (919) 733-9794. or E-mail at
mpenney @dot .state .nc .us .
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans
with Usabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in
this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Mr.
Penney at the contact information above as early as possible so that
arrangements can be made.
Justice Mark Martin holds a gift presented to him by Vickie Baker on behalf of Hanes.
thai may be in your way, you
have the potential to be whatever
you want to be," he said.
Martin's words were ironic
because many black leaders in
the state have argued that it is
next to impossible for a person of
color to be elected to the state's
highest court. Martin is one of
seven members of the court. At
the time, there are no minority
justices and only one woman.
Martin told the students that
all courts strive to be blind in
terms of matters of race, sex, reli
gion and socioeconomic class.
"The goal is to have the law
uniformly applied to everyone,"
he said.
Martin stayed clear of
addressing political matters, a no
no for appellate level judges
especially. When one student
asked Martin his opinion of U.S.
Supreme Court nominee John
Roberts, Martin quickly deflected
the query.
"I'll leave that to you to
decide what you think about
Judge Roberts," he told the stu
dent.
There was a similar response
when another student asked about
the death penalty.
Martin's appearance at the
school was-arranged by Vickie
Baker, a history teacher. Baker
met and befriended Martin at a
Raleigh education banquet hop
oring the legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
"I thought he would be a
good fit for Constitution Day,"
Baker said.
Martin ended his remarks by
telling the students to stay in
school, study hard and vote when
they become of age.
"The way we are going to
keep our freedoms is for us to be
engaged," he said.
Eight-grade
students at
the school
listen to
Martin talk
for about
an hour.
The employees of Sara Lee Branded Apparel invite you to a
Produc
: Saturday, Sept. 24
Date
Location: Madison Park Parking lot
5660 University Parkway
Winston-Salem
Hours: 8 3.01. * 1 P.ffl.
Including: Clothing from Hanes,l'eggs, Champion,
Playtex. Bali, Just My Size and mote.
No sales prior to 8 a.m.
Cash & Credit Cards Only ? No Checks
All proceeds benefit the United Way of Forsyth County.
Together, we do what matters.
tfctmfcc
Branded Apparel