The Chron_ ~
Vol. XXXVII No. 14 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, December 2, 2010
Football
program at
A&T has
new leader
See Pane BH
Program
helps
mother to
get a car
?See Page A4
Seniors
treated
to holiday
lunch$&ch
sfiGQuWes
Winston
Daughters of Happy Hill
Honor their Heroes
BY TODD LUCK
I HI ( HRONW I I
Women who once called
the Happy Hill community
home honored two greats
from the historic neighbor
hood last Friday night.
Happy Hill Gardens
Ladies of Elegance held their
"Evening of Elegance" at the
Odd Fellows Cluh House. It
was the first-ever event for
the HHG Ladies of Elegance,
which is made of ladies w ho
either grew up or once lived
in Happy Hill, the oldest
African-American communi
ty in Winston-Salem.
rounder uenoie Lewis
said she formed the group to
bring women together from
her old community for a joy
ous occasion while honoring
those who made Happy Hill
great Lewis takes pride in
growing up in Happy Hill, a
former-public housing com
munity that has since under
gone a multi-million dollar
facelift to become a mi\ed
mcome community. of swank
homes, apartments and town
houses.
"I wouldn't change it for
the world because it made me
who I am." Lewis said of her
Photos b> Todd Luck
Right: Yvonne Jefferson
speaks as her sons, Michael
and William, and goddaugh
ter, Thelma Westbrook,
stand around her.
Above: Honoree Hen Piggott
led the Sims Center for near
ly two decades.
public housing roots.
The Ladies honored
Yvonne Jefferson, who for
decades was known as the
"Mother of Happy Hill" and
Ben Piggott. who for years
ran the community's William
C. Sims Recreation Center.
Jefferson called the
neighborhood home for near
ly 30 years. Though she had
eight children of her own.
s?he opened her home up to
children who needed a place
to go after-school, referring
to them as "her baby cakes."
She served as president of the
Happy Hill Residents
Council and started a tutor
ing program for neighbor
hood children. She's also
served on the Housing
Authority of Winston-Salem
Board of Commissioners.
Jefferson suffered a dev
astating stroke several years
ago. She is still recovering;
but made it to last week's
event. From her whccktuir.
she told the room full of for
mer Happv Hill residents to
love each other and take
See Happ> Hill on X2
Budding playwright draws from own life
Photo b\ Ljyla Farmer
Peachanda DuHose stand s outside of the new HanesBrands Theatre.
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRON IC LE
Peachanda DuBose never set out to become a plav wright.
but. DuBose says, that doesn't mean it wasn't meant to be
"Destin> just kind of fell in m\ lap.'" she said. "I feel like
I am walking in m\ true pur
pose now."
DuBose's latest gospel
play. "Surrender." will he
staged at the new
Hanesbrands Theatre on Dec.
18. "Surrender." which has
already played to large,
enthusiastic crowds three
times, chronicles the strug
-ghrtrf Raymond "Ray"
Smith, a drug dealer who
gives up his life of crime to
follow Christ
"It's a play of redemption
for all ages." declares the
playwright. "I know (audi
ence members) will leave for
ever changed ... and
inspired."
Mi>M frodttctH** Ph?w(?v
Actor/singer Darryl Rarr as
"Ray" in the musical.
Despite being a work of fiction. "Surrender" comes from
a very real place, said DuBose. a native of Wilmington. Del
Sec DuBom* on All
Phuto by I .?> la f irmer
Some want II) cards like this
one to be accepted like a dri
ver's license would be.
Driver
ID idea
axed by
police
BY LAY LA FARMER
I HI CHROMCLL
Winston-Salem Police
Chief Scott Cunningham met
last week with City Council
Member James Taylor and a
handful of Hispanic leaders
to discuss the growing num
ber of tickets issued by offi
cers to Hispanics for driving
without a proper driver's
license.
According to North
Carolina law . dri\ ing w ithout
u license
lis a Class
2 misde
meanor
that can
cam fines
of up to
$2,500
and or jail
time in
rare
instances.
Ta\lor
Members ot the burgeoning
Hispanic immigrant commu
nity arc the hardest hit by
these penalties because many
of them are undocumented
and therefore cannot legally
obtain a driver's license,
according to Lesbia Castillo,
the Community Hispanic
Organi/er for Neighbors for
Better Neighborhoods and
founder of the Hispanic civil
rights organization Comite
Latino Derechos Humano de
Winston-Salem.
"I'm very concerned with
this situation and a lot of
people have a lot of fright."
said Castillo, a native Of
Chitre, Panama who was
among those at last week's
meeting. "I want the people
not (to i have frustration
because they may get (a)
ticket with no driver's
license."
Srt- I1K on \lll
Cardinal to Cardinal
PhtKo I j\la Farmer
St. Louis Cardinals player CJ Beatty probes a student
about her career goals last week during his visit to
Konnoak Elementary School, home of the Konnoak
Cardinals. See the full story on page HI.
WSSU opens Piedmont Park wellness center
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
The Winston-Salem State Universit) School of
Ty$on
Nursing has opened another health
care facility in Piedmont Park hous
ing community on 29th Street
The School once operated sever
al health facilities in public housing
communities throughout the city
with the help of federal and state
grants. Those centers disappeared
over the years when funding dried
up.
The new RAMS Wellness Center
is supported by a SI 0.000 NC
\HfcC (Area Health Education Centers) grant.
School of Nursing professors Tamika Anderson.
See ( enlrr im \J
w w it**
School of Sursing staff and students stand in front of the
Community Building in the Piedmont Park neighborhood.
DON'T
PASS
THE BUCK
BUY LOCAL