M
17 110806 1 s-D
NORTH CAROLINA ROOM
FORSYTH CTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
660 W 5TH ST
WINSTON SALEM NC 27101-2755
'5-DIGIT 27i0i
Vol. XXXIII No. 6
West has
lofty goals
for rest of
the season
?See Page B /
Veterans
get overdue
medals
for service
-S*e Pane A3
Wake Forest
marks 50th
(year since
Imove here
Justice runs on her vast experience
Timmons-Goodson faces
challenge in Nov. 7 election
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
During election years like this one,
races for Congress and local boards
seem to get all of the attention.
Justice Patricia Timmons-Goodson
believes voters should not forget about
judicial races. The judges and justices
that residents elect make decision that
affect North Carolinians for decades,
she said.
Timmons-Goodson made history in
January when Gov. Easley appointed
her to the N.C. Supreme Court. She is
the state's first African-American
female justice. She's currently cam
paigning hard to keep her seat on the
state's highest court.
"1 hope our citizens will permit me
to continue to serve," said Timmons
Goodson . ,
Timmons-Goodson is currently the
only African-American oh the court
and only the fourth African-American
to ever be on the court. Black justices
have not fared well in statewide elec
tions to maintain their seats. The last
two black justices who ran to keep
their seats, G.K. Butterfield in 2002
and former Chief Justice Henry Frye in
2000. were not successful. N.C. Court
of Appeals Judge James Wynn is the
only other African American who has
served on the court. He lost an election
in 1998 to retain his seat.
Timmons-Goodson said that she
Justice Timmons-Goodson
will never forget those who came
before her.
"Every day that I sit. I am mindful
that a lot of people have come before
me that did not have this opportunity
and that I am. indeed, standing on the
shoulders of many of those folks and
I'm crossing bridges that they built for
me." she said.
She may be new to the Supreme
Court, but Timmons-Goodson is a
judicial veteran. She had just retired
from a long legal career months before
Easley appointed her to the high court.
During a career that has spanned more
than two decades, she has been a pros
ecutor and a legal aid attorney in
Fayetteville. In 1984, she became a
Cumberland County District Court
judge. Voters reelected her three times.
See Justice on AI3
PrO'Lifers hold signs along Hanes Mall Boulevard.
Silent protesters
take stance on
noisy boulevard
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
? THE CHRONICLE
Donna Dyer stands on the
front lines of one of this era's
most contentious battles
armed only with her faith and
her favorite set of rosary
beads.
"I use this one when 1 pray
at (abortion) clinics," Dyer
said about her ruby-colored
beads, a gift a friend brought
her from Italy. "The color
reminds me ot
the blood of the
babies."
Dyer clutched
the beads tightly
Sunday as she led
a silent pro-life
rally along Hanes
Mall Boulevard.
She and more
than 70 others
held homemade
signs with slo
gans like "Pray to
End Abortion"
and "Defend
Life" scrolled
across them.
They spread
themselves out
for several yards.
standing on the sidewalk,
making their presence
unavoidable to a steady stream
of motorists.
The local ralliers were
believed to be among thou
sands of others who took part
in the Rational Life Chain
Sundayt*H)?Life Chain began
more than 15 years ago.
Winston-Salem has taken part
for at leas* the last dozen
years. Dyer has organized the
local chain since 2001 .
"There are 4,000 abortions
a day in this country," she
said. "These babies don't have
a chance." ?
On Dyer's watch, the event
was moved from Peter's Creek
Parkway to Hanes Mall
Boulevard, whiih became the
city's main retail drag several
years ago.
Abortion has been a hot
button issue in the United
States since the landmark Roe
v. Wade case was decided by
the Supreme Court in the early
1970s. The issue
has decided pres
idential elections
and caused ver
bal, and some
times physical,
violence between
opposing sides.
Dyer refused to
talk about the
politics of abor
tion. She says she
is motivated by
faith - not poli
tics.
"This is a
prayerful gather
ing." she said.
"We just want to
pray for the lives
of the unborn.' *
Dyer wrote letters to
dozens of local churches,
inviting congregants to take
part in the local chain.
Sunday's participants. Dyer
said, were multi-denomina
tional. They were also multi
generational. Those who were
not able-bodied enough to
stand with their signs, brought
along folding chairs and sat
instead. The youngest partici
pants were John Andrysick'S
See Life Chain on A 16
Donna Dyer Iff her
rosary beads.
A Familiar Face
0 , Pholo by Felecia McMillan
Vivian Weaver and Robert Baity Phillips look for their pictures in this picture of the
Atkins High School Class of 1945. Members of the class gathered over the weekend for a
reunion at Reynolds Park Recreation Center. See story on B16.
Habitat
seeks
skillful
helpers
Agency aims to build
even more homes
? BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
For more than two decades,
Habitat for- Humanity of
Forsyth County has been a
source of salvation for families
in need
of ade
quate and
afford
a b I e
housing.
Houses -
built by
volun
teers and
t h e
future
home
Oberle
owners themselves - are sold
at cost to local families in the
community. Most of the fami
lies may never have been able
to become homeowners other
wise.
"We believe that when
families become more self
sufficient. get out from under
some of these needs that they
have about housing and can
live in a safe and decent home,
it changes their lives," said
Habitat Executive Director
Sylvia Oberle, who took office
in February. "We have
research that shows Habitat
homeowners' children do bet
ter in school ... they're more
involved in their community:
anecdotally, they're happier
and more satisfied. It just
improves the quality of life
when they can have their own
homes and learn to take care of
that."
Over the last 20 years.
Habitat for Humanity of
Forsyth has built more than
200 homes, becoming one of
only 29 Habitat affiliates
nationally to have done so.
"We need to continue to
make an impact." Oberle com
mented. "There are many
other good partners in our
community who are working
on this as well, but we want to
be able to do our part."
Sec Habitat on A 10
Kiwanis donation helps school with playground
Proceeds from popular
pancake supper
benefitted Hall-Woodward
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
The Twin City Kiwanis Club
presented a check to Hall
Woodward Elementary School
last week during a celebration of
its 50th anniversary.
The school's principal, Essie
McCoy, accepted the $7560.32
donation during a T\vin City
Kiwanis 50th anniversary cele
bration at the Benton
Convention Center.
"We are so blessed to have
that donation," McCoy said.
The money, raised at the
Twin City Kiwanis' annual pan
cake supper in February, will
allow the school to purchase
some much-needed playground
equipment.
"We have one piece of
equipment that was purchased a
few years^back, but most of our
pieces are things that have been
here for almost ... 30 years,"
McCoy remarked. "(Purchasing
the playground equipment) is
long overdue and it's well
Sec Play ground on A 10
Photo courtesy of
TVin City Kiwanio
Essie
McCoy,
left, and
Assistant
Superinte
n d e n t
Charlene
Davis
accept the
check last
week.
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders,
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H. Russell, Sr.
"Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better"
3R it ascll jlfumrat
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 Carl Russell Ave.
(at Martin Luther King Dr.)
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722-3459
Fa* (336) 631-8268
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