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22 110807 1,
NORTH CAROLINA ROOM
FORSYTH CTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
660 W 5TH ST
WINSTON SALEM- NC 27101-2755
5 -DIGIT 27101
Vol. XXXIII No. 39
THURSDAY, June 7, 2007
Atkins
honors
sports
legends
See Page BJ
Famous
daughter
talks to
graduates
- See Pate A3
Unity
event
draws
#
thousands
And the Show Goes on
Cheryl Oliver and Brain Mcl.aughlin announce Hal Williams as one of the 2007 NBTF
celebrity co-chairs. He will share duties with Vanessa Bell Calloway.
2007 NBTF will raise curtain
in wake of Hamlin 's death
BY LAY LA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Ironically, just hours alter the grand plans lor the 2007
National Black Theatre Festival were announced, the festival's
founder and biggest star, exited this world.
Larry Leon Hamlin died early Wednesday, according the N.C.
Black Repertory Company, which Hamlin also founded. He had
neen ill since las! summer,
and his wife, Sylvia
Sprinkle-Hamlin, and oth
ers, have been Ailing in as
organizers of (he 2(X)7 festi
val
During Tuesday's news
conference, at the Sawtooth
Center, to announce 2007
festival highlights, those
involved in putting together
the event were already
focused on keeping
Hamlin's legacy alive
through the festival.
"Larry always said that
we have to reach beyond
excellence," Brian
McLaughlin, the festival's
media liaison, told the
assortment of press mem
bers, NBTF supporters,
sponsors and participants
Hamlin's family had not
disclosed the nature of his
illness. Hamlin's mother.
Actor Tommy Ford chats with a
fan at the Sawtooth Center.
Annie Hamlin-Johnson, read a statement on the family's behalf
on Tuesday.
"Our family wishes to take this lime to thank each and every
one of you for the prayers, words of encouragement and support
you have shown since I .airy became ill," she said. "He asks that
1 tell you that he is most appreciative of all of the love and sup
port jou have given us. He is recovering and we anxiously await
his return to the helm of the North Carolina Black Repertory
Company and the festival. I ntil such time, please keep us lifted
in prayer and keep supporting the magnificent vision of my
.Sec NBTK on A12
Forum
tackles
hunger
problem,
BY LAY LA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Ever>' day, 16,000 chil
dren worldwide die of
hunger-related causes -
amounting to one child ever)
five seconds - and 854 mil
lion
people
go hun
g r y ,
accord
ing (o
Bread of
t h e
World
organi
zation's
web
site
It was statistics like these
that led former
Congresswoman Eva
Clayton, a longtime supporter
of anti-hunger initiatives in
the I nited States, to establish
a series of hunger forums in
North Carolina, her home
state.
"The severity of it world
wide is much more than it is
here. Nevertheless, there are
850 million people who are
hungry - more of them are
children and women,"
Clayton said. "I thought of it
in terms of America being a
developed country - we
should never tolerate our
neighbors being hungry, and
we could do something about
it. This is very important -
this is life and death - 1 could
n't (not) be involved."
Free and open to the pub
lic, Clayton brought her sec
ond forum to Winston
Salem's I nited Metropolitan
Missionary Baptist Church
Monday morning. The
church's pastor said that it is
the duty of the faith-based
community to take a stand
against the problems that
affect their congregants.
"I think the church's role
is to help its own community
see that it has enough, we do
really have enough, but it's a
matter of getting the informa
tion and the resources out to
the people who need them,"
the Rev. Prince Rivers com
mented, "Everyone can do
something and everyone
should do something."
Second Harvest Food
See Forum on All
'Bridge' connects residents with computer know-how
BY TODD LI CK
THE CHRONICLE
Computer knowledge is
vital in this increasingly high
divide with computer labs all
over the city. The program has
already offered 94 classes with
more than 400 registered stu
dents. The classes range from
teen worm anu yei
many people still
don't know how to
hold a mouse. A
new program offer
ing free computer
classes at recre
ation centers and
libraries across
Forsyth County is
looking to bring
everyone into the
digital age.
the very basics ol
how to use a com
puter, to the training
of very specific pro
grams such as
PowerPoint.
Classes have even
focused on how to
perform specific
tasks on a computer,
such as how to sell
on eBay.
Jane Jester
The Computer Training
Bridge, which started offering
classes in February, is a collab
oration of the Forsyth C ounty
Public Library and
WinstonNet, a local non profit
trying to bridge the digital
teaches a small "Computer
ABCs" class at the South Fork
Community Center. Her four
week class covers computer
basics, Microsoft Word, email
and the Internet. The class has
a waiting list, with mostly sen
Photos bj Todd I.uck
Jane Jester
instructs a
group at the
South Fork
Community
Center last
week.
ior citizens taking advantage
of the instruction.
"I'm always surprised how
many people are interested,"
Jester said. "They're always
surprised when I tell them it's
free."
Jenny Wall - one of
Jester's students - said that she
took the class because she's
going to buy a computer soon
See Classes on A9
Woman in need of transplant seeks help
BY TODD 1.1 CK
THE CHRONICLE
You may or may not
know Karyn Hillian. but
she's asking for your
help.
Hillian - an Atlanta
native who calls Winston
Salem home - needs a
liver transplant due to a
disease called Primary
Sclerosing Cholangitis.
The procedure itself costs
about $382,000 and her
Medicare and Medicaid
coverage only cover part
of that On top of that,
there's medications she
must take, in home care
after the surgery and
transportation to and
lodging in Chapel Hill,
PhcKo b> Todd I ink
Karyn Hillian is fighting
Primary Sclerosing
Cholangitis.
where the procedure will
lakcjplace All of it adds
up to a pretty penny
which is why the Karyn
Hillian Liver Transplant
Fund was formed. The
nonprofit is run by a com
mittee of Hillian's family
and friends from several
different states.
Hillian has not yet
secured a new liver. She
was put on the waiting list
of the 1 nited Netw ork for
Organ Sharing in January
The call telling her that
an organ is available
could come at any
moment But o\i (he other
hand, due to the shortage
of organ donors, she may
be waiting awhile, even
though the doctors tell her
the sooner, (he belter
"They're looking at
the transplant (from) now
to the next five years,"
she said. "What they
would like is for patients
not to be ill so they can
undergo (he surgery that
it requires So (hey like (o
transplant you before you
really get sick."
Currently, most symp
toms of Hillian's liver
disease are controlled by
medicine Fatigue,
though, is a problem. The
disease is progressive
and, without the trans
plant, may cause liver
failure. Though nothing is
for certain, she said her
chances are good after the
See Hillian on AI2
Grand Canvas
& Photo b> Janon Pilt
World-renowned artist Kenji Hirata paints a large scale mural in
SECCA's Main Gallery this week as a part of SITEings, a year
long evolving exhibition that also includes artists Mark Dean
Veca. Gary I'anter, Laura Lashley. Ricky Needham and Elana
Herzog. SECCA will host a free Community Day on June 23 in
conjunction with the new exhibit.
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders,
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H. Russell, Sr.
"Growing and Still Dedicated to Serve You Better "
ffiuggell fflimeral ^tame
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 Carl KiisnvII Ave.
(at Martin Luther King Dr.)
WinNton-Salcm, NC 27101
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