OPINION The Chronicle tlNlST H. fltt hunt Pitt T. Kf vim Mfiim K*r Stum Pu bl isher/C Incumbents cannot rest or rejoice, though. There is still much work to be done, espe cially in terms of economic development artd revitaliza tion in minority communities. No incumbent or even the popular mayor can survive another term if there is not a change for the better in some of our most blighted areas. Downtown has had its moment in the sun. Private developers are now taking the lead hi creating the downtown of tomorrow. The city's focus should be elsewhere. The reason why so many incumbents are facing chal lengers is because the state of minority communities is so deplorable. People are look ing around and saying, "Is this the best that the City Council can do?" The black members of the council should also be more vocal and wield their power more effectively. With the lit tle that has been done in terms of new initiatives in their wards, the black council members often appear to be no more than puppets or seat fillers. The only black mem ber who makes a fuss regular ly is conservative Robinson. The others should follow Robinson's lead every once in a while and raise a little hell if it will lead to results. There will be at least one new member of the City Council when members are sworn in at the end of the year. Council Member Fred Terry has decided not to run again. The voters in Terry's Southeast Ward must choose between three candidates: Terry's wife, Evelyn; Antonio Jerniaine Baxter; atid Jimmy Boyd! All three are concerned members of the ward who have'its best interest at heart. But Baxter's youth will add a facet to the council that does not etfist currently. He was the first to announce his inten tions to run for the seat, and he possesses the intelligence and fire to represent the ward well. Corrections The story in last week's paper about the PFLAG awards banquet had the wrong names for two of the award winners - the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Winston-Salem and Aon Services Corp. Letter to the Editor Great service To the hditur: On April 11, I requeued a year's subscription of The Chron i c I e because friends had spoken so highly of your news paper M y reason for writing to you is to express my apprecia tion to Paulette lewis (Imftj, Andrea M?su these employees, Faulette Lewis and Andrea Moses, for so courte ously and professionally prepar ing my subscription, which I am receiving. 1 am looking forward to some very special reading. In closing, please pass on my appreciation to the two young ladies! They are most certainly assets to your newspaper busi ness. Sincerely, Delores H. Robb m wr m... OH SECOND TH0U6HT, BETTER ^^^KE IT * WWkTORy I EVAC.UKTION! HOBOPV TOLD ME I HM> TD *E SPECIFIC,! VWAT PWT OF mtlU.??!' ODtfT "WET WKRSTANC>* SEIZW& COKW*. FWHA A FEIAM.E GCNERNCR COULD WRT US M T?E POUV-S ! THE COLLAPSE OF THE I LEVEE NOT \ ENVISIONED! 'OVBS 7-MCMw-fcCMtDeB. I DIDNTT EVEN KNOW NEW , owsmis rtw k cowemort ? rsWTF R V Hi HWE. ENOUGH TROOPS TO DO bOTrtl Incumbents and challengers Ernie Pitt This & That In my column last week I tried to heighten the interest in the upcoming primary election for seats on the City Council. Wow! Did I strike a nerve. I got more phone calls and e-mails about that column than any I've ever written . One person called me an "Uncle Tom." I'll let y'all try to figure out who that was. Another person said I endorsed Vivian Burke and that wasn't fair. Well, hear this and hear it loud: I endorse Vivian Burke for a seat on the City Council. I do that in spite of what may have transpired some years ago. We have to learn to forgive and forget. What I find really interest ing, though, is the fact that most voters want new leadership but don't feel that comfortable with those who are running. I guess the known in this case is better than the unknown for a lot of voters. But I believe that every seat up for grabs should be chal lenged. That's the American way. There are no dynasties in politics - or, rather, there shouldn't be. And no one owns a seat on the City Council. Whether you've been there three decades or three days, the seat does not belong to you, and no one should be afraid to chal lenge anyone on the council during an election. Unfortunately, we in the African-American community take everything personally. If I don't support so and so, I must have something personal against him or her. And, con trarily, if I support someone, I must have some personal reason for doing so. Hogwash! We must enlarge the pool from which our candidates are drawn. Because of all of this bull, oftentimes people in our com munity who are best qualified to run won't because they know there are likely to be conflicts and loss of friendships and the like. This city is cliquish and people have a way of applying pressure through the many clubs and organizations that people are affiliated with. How ever, that does not bode well for our community because we can't really get our best and brightest to put up with the mess. Realistically, 1 know that the incumbents will probably pre vail in the primary and beyond. Why? Because not enough peo ple know the challengers. Name recognition is the name of the game. And it is also the reason that I am encouraging the chal lengers to get out there and put their platforms out and be seri ous about trying to win in this election. Unless the knowns do something really raunchy, when voters start punching that ballot they are going to vote for the knowns rather than the unknowns. Running for office is hard, thankless work, but you have to do it if you want to make a dif ference. I sincerely wish all of the candidates good luck and God speed. Our community deserves to have the best representation possible if we are to grow and prosper like the other side of the tracks. God bless you. Amen? Amen! Ernie Pitt is the publisher of The Chronicle and president of the N.C. Black Publishers Asso ciation. E-mail him at erpitt@wschronicle.com. A call for national service Dr. Ada Fisher Guest Columnist The national disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina has proven that we need more citi zen volunteers for national service between 18-30. Older workers with critical talents in public health, the Coast Guard, as well as private groups such as the Red Cross or Salvation Army, need more to step for ward to help. Right now this nation is most vulnerable to a terrorist attack, and we don't have the troops we need for domestic and international operations. Building homeland defense requires direct military services for the home front, public health, infrastructure systems as well as civil defense systems. We must be able to defend our nation, as the federal oaths of offices require from enemies domestic and foreign. We need people as leaders who understand that national security isn't just about wars and national security but pro tecting the sanctity of our land ancj welfare of her peoples. It istime we got real and put the people in place this will take. Our young people need more work skills as well as experiences. Now is the time to f^ask of them that they step for ward to serve. When we all are asked to equitably sacrifice for those values we espouse, we make it so. Options for service include the military (with the induce ment being higher pay), public safety and first responders, teaching as paid assistants (which would relieve the bur den on local education budg ets), workers in hospitals and nursing homes as orderlies or aides. Volunteers in Service to KRT Ptxxo by Drew lister Volunteers distribute ice and water to residents in Gulfport, Miss., on Sept. 2. America, the Peace Corps or private agencies with national scopes. Dr. Rhonda Fisher Kroll, my oldest niece, who is also a physician, lives in New Orleans, La. When told of the pending arrival of Hurricane Katrina. she put her kids on a plane and stayed behind to help. Those like me with unique skills should also volunteer and sign up to serve, which I have. This disaster can pull us together and bring jobs back in this country, with a compas sionate conservative's national paradigm shift. It is past time that corporations appreciated they can't operate autonomous ly with no responsibility to this nation's, national security. It isn't about just making a buck; we must put our people first, as in We the People. The solutions to disasters have roots right here. A radio listener said, "Let the cruise lin ers come offshore to assist in providing temporary housing for people." Go for it and give them a total tax write-off. Bot tled water and food should be shipped gratis with full tax credits for this effort. Colleges can expand their admissions for those students with acceptance letters and/or completed Feder al Student Applications for Stu dent Aid (FAFSA), which will take thousands in and decrease their parents' worry. When jobs were outsourced, too few looked at the possible impacts from a national disaster with the devastation on our national needs as is now being seen. Corporations need to step to the plate and own up to their part in our nation's defense and security solutions. Start with alternative energy using wind, water and sun, as well as hydro gen fuel cells. We cannot con tinue gas guzzling. Farming can be expanded to stimulate an organic option for family farms or medicinal herbs. N.C. State and A&T should be on the fore front of this. Housing using a modular concrete system developed through Thorn Cross' team at Oakwood International in Rich land, N.C., can be adapted to any living condition in the world whether war threatens or the environment blows part of our homelands to smithereens. Warren County's "Soul City" sits somewhat vacant. Greenevers, Fairmont and other rural areas losing populations can offer housing for the dis placed. besalination technology from Duke or UNC's oceanolo gy efforts is a must as the amount of fresh water available worldwide steadily decreases. Sustainability efforts in recy cling buildings, tines, rebuilding and preserving' historic struc tures offer limitless options for tradesmen to find jobs in infra structure repairs. We are a great nation with so much untapped promise. It is time for each of us to step to the plate to belp and demand the same of our young as well as ourselves as we mend this nation and bind our wounds. Dr. Ada M. Fisher is a physician, licensed teacher for secondary education in mathe matics and science, previously elected school board member, and was a Republican candi date for the US. Senate in 2002 and 12th US. Congressional District in 2004. Contact her at P.O. Box 777, Salisbury, NC 28145; telephone (704) 637 6134; DrAdaMFIsher.org.