Vol. XXXIII No. 43 THURSDAY, July 12, 2007
Six-year-old
gymnast
claims
gold medals
See Page B1
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ADDITION 1
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Park for
dog owners
will soon
be opening
Teacher
finally fo
finishes 6(
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Green efforts
earn 'Cool'
designation
for Winston
BY TODD Ll'CK
THE CHRONICLE
The Foothills Group of the N.C. Sierra Club named
Winston-Salem a "Cool City" recently for making a com
mitment to fight global warming through local conserva
tion.
Winston-Salem is the 16th city in the state to be declared
a Cool City by the Sierra Club. Mayors of Cool Cities have
signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Change Agreement, a
Phoio by Todd Luck
Mayor Allen Joines accepted the honor
from the Foothills Group of the N.C.
Sierra Cluh.
pledge to work
to reduce carbon
dioxide pollu
tion Scientists
say that carbon
dioxide pollu
tion causes glob
al warming, an
increase of the
Earth's tempera
ture that could
have devastating
effects.
The serious
ness of global
warming -
which scientists
say could cause
deadly hurri
canes, earth
quakes, floods
and the extinc
tion of many
forms of wildlife
and vegetation -
has caught the
world's atten
tion. More than
170 nations have
signed the Kyoto Protocol Global Warming Treaty, which
also calls for a carbon dioxide pollution reduction. The
United States has not signed that treaty, despite cries to do
so from environmental groups.
The mayor's agreement was started in 2005 by Seattle
Mayor Greg Nickels to get action on global warming at a
local level. So far more than 500 mayors have signed the
agreement. Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines signed the
agreement in March and the City Council passed a resolu
tiOii in May to perform a greenhouse gas emissions invento
ry. Carbon dioxide is one several greenhouse gases, which,
if unchecked, are believed to be the main culprit in the
warming of the Earth's surface.
The mayor was presented with a plaque of appreciation
from the local Sierra Club. Joining Joines at Grace Court
Park, were City Council Members Vivian Burke, Joycqlyn
Johnson, Molly Leight and Dan Besse.
Besse, who is also a candidate for N.C. Lt. Governor,
said the city's energy supply and transportation system are
its two big sources of carbon emissions. The city is looking
for ways to cut emissions down and save energy, which will
not only be good for the environment but also save the tax
payers money, Besse said.
The city took a small step in that direction last year with
Sec Cool city on A 12
Photo by Layla Fannci
Well-known music man Reginald McCaskill stands in front of a Habitat house currently under construction.
A Reason to Sing
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Collaboration breeds innovation,
community spirit and success. That was
the thinking behind the formation of
HabitatForsyth's community choir. The
choir is the brainchild of Faith and
Community Relations Manager Karen
Bell Chandler and funded by a grant from
Habitat International. The grant aims to
increase the involvement of African
American churches in its mission earlier
this year, the new, unique ensemble will
hold its first meeting next week.
"We ... thought that singing and
music was a really particular gift that
Habitat looking for a few
good voices for choir
African American churches bring, and
maybe that would be a wonderful way to
engage them," Chandler explained.
So she began making plans to create a
Habitat for Humanity Community Choir.
"I just think there is a common lan
guage with music," Chandler stated.
"There are differences between people all
through the community - that's clear -
but when we have a common language
with music, a lot of those things can be
bridged."
Comprised of a diverse representation
of Winston-Salem itself, the choir will
perform at home dedications and other
key HabitatForsyth events. Already, nine
churches have agreed to participate.
Traditionally, the organization has
served predominandy African Americans
in the area, and Chandler says the choir is
part of a larger effort to encourage diver
sity on all levels of the Habitat ministry.
"(Executive Director) Sylvia (Oberle)
and other people in the organization, me
certainly included, believe that we need
to have people of color, to have their pres
Sec Choir oil A 12
Boys will be Boys
Photo by Kevin Walker
Vic Johnson's
annual youth
golf program
wrapped up
another summer
of fun Tuesday
at Reynolds Park
Golf Course. In
between swings,
some of the
youths occupied
themselves by
using a stick to
unearth worms
and other things
that crawl. To
read more about
the golf clinic,
see B14.
Mentoring agency providing summer stimulation
Kids on waiting list take advantage of reading program
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
This summer, youngsters on Big
ing kids a nice preview of what it's like
when they find their Big Brother or Big
Sister.
Brothers Big Sisters' (BBBS)
waiting list are taking part in a
reading program that is honing
their reading skills and giving
them a chance to experience new
and exciting places.
Currently, about 70 children
are waiting to get a Big Brother or
Big Sister. Most of them are from
single-parent homes and are in
need of more positive adult role
models. The majority are boys.
BBBS has a harder time finding
men to volunteer with the agency
This gives them the opportunity to get
out and have interaction with
adults, with positive adult role
models, and ... they'd probably be
in the house doijlg nothing, so this
gives them a chance to still contin
ue learning from the school year
and have some fun," said Williams.
The reading program takes 12
children, ages 8-12, and gives
them educational activities to do
twice a week for six weeks. The
focus is on reading and the chil
dren get to keep all the books they
read. As part of the program, they
Lamaya Williams, a volunteer recruiter
with the local BBBS, said that for six years
the summer reading program has been giv
take trips that coincide with what they're
reading. Field trip destinations have includ
See Summer reading on All
Photo provided
BBBS' Molly Buckley leads kids in a reading activity.
Push for
party-less
board begins
BY LAY LA FARMER W
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem
Forsyth County School
Board has become a bit of a
rarity in the state, as one of
the few school boards still
adhering to partisan elec
tions.
The
issue of
partisan
vs. non
partisan
school
board
elections
has been
the sub
ject of
debate
Lambeth
among
community members for
some time and no& the grass
roots organization known as
CHANGE (Communities
Helping AH Neighbors Gain
Empowerment) has decided
to head^ijie the struggle to
make the elections nonparti
san.
The organization is cur
rently in the throes of a sum
mer long petition drive,
which it hopes will convince
local lawmakers to amend
th?ir earlier decision to keep
the elections partisan after a
statewide mandate ended it in
most counties, according to
Walter Joyce, a designated
spokesperson for CHANGE'S
See CHANGE on A12
In Grateful Memory of Our
Founders ,
Florrie S. Russell and
Carl H. Russell, Sr.
"Growing andSM Dedicated to Serve You Belter"
mne For Their Support
822 Carl RumeU Ave.
(at IVKarttn I^utlier King Dr.)
Winfrtiin-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722^3459
f (336) 631-8268
rw<fhome@belbouthjiet
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nmn
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