F ORSYTi
660 W *
WINSTON
Vol. XXXV No. 3
THURSDAY, September 18, 2008
West
displays
itjs Titan
spirit
See Page Bl
O
Boot effort
will help
local
charity
- See Pane AH
Rally held
for man
convicted
of beating
Sign of the
(Uneasy) Times
Hundreds seek work at Urban League job fair
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
The national unemployment
rate rose by 0.4 percent last
month, climbing to 6.1 percent,
the highest level in more than
five years. Statistics suggest that
rate is nearly double for African
Americans.
Here in the Twin City, work
ers are also feeling the strain, as
was evident at the Winston
Salem Urban League Job Fair
and Career Expo last Friday,
which started at 9:30 in the
morning and lasted until 4 p.m.
By noon, nearly 1,000 job
seeker had visited. Applicants
continued to pour in as the after
noon progressed. At times, they
spilled out onto the sidewalk
outside the -building, leaning on
walls and windowsills to com
plete applications.
"We're not surprised," Steve
Jones, director of employment
for the Urban League, said of
the turnout. "It's just a micro
cosm of the larger economy."
Twenty-one year-old
Chrisshawn Scales was among
the throngs of people seeking
employment.
"I'm trying to better myself
Photo by Layla Faroe
The crowd was so large these people had to fill out applications on the sidewalk outside of thi
Urban League's downtown building.
and remain independent,"
Scales, a former Wendy's
employee, said of his motivation
to attend. "It seems pretty cool.
There are a lot of companies
here. It's a great variety."
By 1 p.m., Kelly Services
Staffing Supervisor Eva
McWillis was preparing to
leave, having passed out all of
tne packets that she brought
along.
"Oh my goodness, it wa
tremendous!" she exclaimed
adding that she collected mor
than 100 resumes at the fail
"I've never seen so many peo
See Jobs on Al<
Two district court
races competitive
Incumbents challenged by youngbloods
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
When it comes to Sens. Barack Obama
and John McCain, virtually everyone has an
opinion on who is the best man for the job.
On the local and state level, deciding which
candidate to vote for on Nov. 4 may be a lit
tle more challenging.
This is especially true for the 21st
District Court races, which are nonpartisan,
meaning they cannot be decided by straight
party ticket voting. Indeed, these races will
require voters to do a little thinking and a lit
tle research.
Of the county's 10 District Court Judges,
seven are up for re-election this year, but
Judges Lawrence J. Fine. William Graham,
Laurie Hutchins, William Bartin Reingold
and Camille Banks-Payne are unopposed
and will sail into subsequent terms.
Judges Chester Davis and Victoria
"Tori" Roemer aren't so lucky. They have
fights on their hands this time around.
Roemer, a Winston-Salem native, began
practicing law in 1984 and has been on the
bench for 12 years.
"I really enjoy just about everything we
do," said Roemer. 55. "1 enjoy when I can
help people, and I see that 1 have made a dif
ference."
Attorney Kelly Patterson, a Wake Forest
University alumnus with a decade of legal
service under his belt, is challenging
Roemer.
"I wanted to be more involved in peo
ple's lives; I wanted to be in the trenches,"
the 38 year-old Patterson said of his motiva
tion to enter the legal field.
Roemer's work history includes service
as an assistant district attorney and magis
trate prior to assuming her current post. She
believes her experience on the blench and
mild temperament are some of her greatest
assets.
"It's very challenging to try to determine
who's telling the truth sometimes," she said.
See Judge* on A13
Allred
Patterson
Roemer
Welcome Wagon
Photo by Kevin Walker
Visitors from Africa are greeted last week at Goler
Memorial AME Zion Church. They were in town as part
of an ambitious spiritual and economic exchange pro
gram. Read more about the program in next week's
Winston-Salem Chronicle.
Photo* by Layla Farmer
Two women join hands as they left their hands in prayer.
Faithful surround
jail to pray, sing
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE ?
[
? Though low in the sky, the sun did make an appearance at the
kickoff for this year's Forsyth Jail and Prison Ministries' Hope on
the Inside event - lacing
its gojden tendrils
through tHe balmy
evening air as citizens
gathered to prepare for
die service.
"They said that there
were going to be thunder
storms," remarked Senior
Chaplain Rodney
Stillwell, gesturing
towards the clouds, "but
we've been blessed."
Representatives from
more than 70 churches
lined up on the sidewalks
that skirt the Forsyth
County Detention Center,
joining hands and casting
their eyes upwards
towards the subjects of
their prayers. The
inmates inside clamored
to windows to catch a
glimpse from above.
They rapped incessantly
on ine glass, aesperate to inmatts look down from the jail at
make their presence the sea Qf pt0ple praying.
known.
"Bless my grandson.
He's down in ... Georgia, in prison, but I'm praying for him here,"
one woman murmured.
"I don't know their names, my Lord, but bless every one," whis
pered a man.
A 11
Bookmarks gives Carver sneak peek
BY DR. FELECTA PIGGOTT-LONG
THE CHRONICLE
You could say that the fourth annual
BookMarks Festival began a day early.
It seemed that way when author Chris
Crutcher visited Carver High School. The popu
lar writer of young adult fiction was one of
dozens of authors on hand for Saturday's
BookMarks Festival, where he kicked off the
Forsyth County Public Library's Big Read, a
community reading project that this year fea
tures Ray Bradbury's "Farenheit 451."
At Carver, Crutcher, author of books such as
"Deadline," spoke to students about censorship
and free speech, two of the themes of this year's
Big Read. Crutcher knows a bit about the sub
ject. Many consider his books controversial
because they dare to venture into areas such as
racial and religious prejudice, mental health,
poverty and even homosexuality. His books are
among the most challegened by censors, accord
ing to the American Library Association.
"I love for my books to be banned," Crutcher
See Festival on A16
? ? ~~~ ?
Library Director Sylvia Sprinkle -Hamlin, left, with Carver Principal Carol
Montague, Author Chris Crutcher and Assistant Library Director David
Fergusson at Carver High School last Friday.
In Memory of
Charlene
Russell Brown
' 'Growing and Stul Dedicated to Serve You Better
jiiuggeU jFumral ffiome
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 Carl Russell Ave.
(at Martin Luther King Dr.)
Winston -Salem . NC 27101
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