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Vol. x\x... No. s - THURSDAY. September 28, 2006
NBA star
gives back
to his
hometown
?See Page B1
Former
justice
speaks to *
local crowd
?See Page AI5
downtown "
?See Pane B/6
Age has not slowed 100-year-old
_ t Photo by Kevin Walker
Cora Warren is greeted by her pastor.
BYT KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
It was hard to spot the birthday girl at
the lighthearted party held Saturday in her
honor.
At 100-years-old, Cora Warren was.
by far, the most senior person in the fel
lowship hall at Zion Memorial Baptist, a
church that sits just across the street from
her East Winston home. But with the skin
of a woman half her age and the witty per
sonality of a teenager. Warren looks far
from a card-carrying member of the cente
narian club.
"She is just a blessing to have as a
neighbor." said Frances Strickland, who
has lived across the streerfrom Warren for
nearly the past 10 years. "She is still very
active. She is always in her garden, and
she still does ironing and washes clothes."
Every now and then in the summer
months, Strickland even catches Warren
trimming her shrubs with hedge-clippers.
Strickland planned Saturday's party,
which was held on Warren's actual 100th
birthday. Neither Warren or Strickland
attend Zion Memorial. Strickland chose
the site because of its proximity to their
homes.
' Warren is still an active member of
United Progressive Baptist Church. Her
pastor, the Rev. Lewis Devlin, was among
the four dozen who came to celebrate her
long life.
During an opening prayer, he said it
was clear that God has "kept his arms of
protection around (Warren) for all these
years."
?ff
See Warren on All
Gay activists
evoke city's
great sit-in past
Protest ends with arrests
BY TODD bUCK
THE CHRONICLE ^
GREENSBORO - Nine people were arrested last Thursday in a
sit-in conducted at the Army Recruitment Station on Merritt Drive.
They were protesting the military's 13-year-old Don't Ask, Don't
Tell policy, which forbids openly gay individuals from serving in the
?military.
Similar sit-ins at military recruitment centers have been happen
ing all over the country
organized by
Soulforce, a gay rights
organization. Each
protest has had openly
gay individuals apply
at military recruitment
offices, followed by a
sit-in after the appli
cants are rejected on
the basis of their sexu
al orientation.'
"I'm not participat
ing in this protest to
stir the pot," said local
participant Alex Nini.
"I believe in what I am
doing, the fact that I
should be able to enlist
and, if I am allowed, J
am ready and willing
to go into the military."
Nini. Matt Comer,
Jessica Arvidson and
rw by Tbdd Luck Stacy Booe went into
Jessica Arvidson is arrested by a the Greensboro recruit
Greensboro police officer. ing office last week
and told a recruiter that
they would like to serve in the military but will not hide the fact that
they are gay. The recruiters refused them as a matter of policy and
they promptly began a sit-in along with six supporters in the lobby
of the station.
The police were already there in anticipation of the widely-pub
licized protest. When the protesters refused to leave, a plain cloths
police officer told them they would be arrested for trespassing.
Booe left because she did not wish to be arrested. The remain
ing nine protesters were escorted away by the nearly two dozen
police officers at the site. Each protested had his or her wrists bound
See Sit-in on A5
Healing Sounds
- -
Phom by Kevin Walker
Nella Silverspear, a noted shaman, healer, intuitive, teacher and minister, plays one of
her hand-crafted flutes during a recent peace festival held on Trade Street. Silverspear,
who has sold her flutes to people all over the globe, says her instruments have healing
powers.
Panel
? ?
explores
health,
poverty
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Poverty is ail undeniable'
aspect of every culture. For
those who live in such unfortu
nate conditions, it adversely
affects
nearly
every
aspect of
life,
including
health.
A
program
Monday
at Salem
college
drew def- Monroe
inite con
nection between poverty and
well-being.
"Poverty - whether rural
poverty or urban poverty, is
very strongly correlated with
poor health," said Dr. Tim
Monroe, the director of the
Forsyth County Health
Department.
Monroe was joined by two
other panelists - attorney
Andrea Kurtz, a victims' advo- ?
cate for the Forsyth County
Domestic Violence Center; and
Peter LaRoche. president and
C.E.O of Consumer Credit
Counseling Service of Forsyth
County. The panelist* broached
a variety of related topics,
including the current debate
over living wages and domestic
violence, which Kurtz said can
be related to money issues.
"Many of my clients, when 1
was practicing law. would com
plain that they had no access to
their income or their partner's
income," said Kurtz, who was a
Legal Aid attorney for 10 years.
"It traps them into a relation
ship that they otherwise would
not have chosen."
Other more prevalent healtli
concerns often occur once the
victim is "financially trapped"
in such a relationship. Kurtz
said domestic violence can lead
to a bevy of other health issues.
Sec Panel on 413
Groups asks city to pay its workers fairly
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE __
Food or rent, health care or heat - it may
not be a decision you have ever had to make,
but for many among us the reality is that
these choices must be
prioritized because
not all of them can be
afforded. It is a dire
circumstance and
community * groups
say it happens right
here in Winston
Salem everyday.
Several organiza
tions are coming to
the aid of local work
army ers who they say are
being inadequately
compensated for the jobs that they do.
The Black Leadership Roundtable. the
NAACP, CHANGE, the Ministers
Conference of Winston-Salem, the
Advocacy for the Poor, the Forsyth-County
Healthy tommunity Coalition (FCHCC)
and the Right Choice have formed the
Living Wage Campaign Coalition.
The coalition's objective is for Winston
Salem to join 140 cities nationwide in pass
Pho?w h> I *\ la ftmw
Linda Sutton speaks at last week's event.
ing an ordinance thai requires all employers
' to pay their employees a living wage - a
wage high enough to maintain a normal stan
dard of living. The coalition believes the city
should set the example by first paying all
city workers a living wage.
"If you could hear the stories they tell us.
(city employees are) having to work two and
Sec Wage* on All
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders,
V >
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H.Russell, Sr.
"Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better"
iFimgral jftgmg
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 Carl Unwell Ave.
(at Martin I^uther King Dr.)
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
<33*) 722-3459
Fax (33?) 631-8268
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