Vol. XXXVII No. 43 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.
THURSDAY, June 23, 2011
Early
honor for
footballer
Cooper
-See Page B8
Freedom
festival is
set for
Saturday
-See Pane A3
Men use Aebra/,.,
, North Carolina Room
WOrdS Forsyth County Putf
to ins^r^
others ?
75 cents
?See Page HI
Vmy
Local volunteers begin efforts
to re-elect President Obama
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Nineteen year-old
Autumn Banner will vote in
a presidential election for the
first time in 2012, but
Banner, a city native, has
been involved in the politics
since she was in high
school .
"I think it's really impor
tant for people to get
involved in the political
process," commented
Banner, a junior at NC State
University. "1 think there
are far too many people who
say they don't care about
politics when really it runs
our lives."
As a high school student.
Banner made calls on behalf
of then -presidential hopeful
Barack Obama. She returned
to the effort Saturday, join
ing a group of local volun
teers who canvassed the
Photo by Lay la Farmer
Obama for America volunteers ( from left) Thomas Cannady, JoAnn Russell
and Autumn Banner work in nNorthside Shopping Center Saturday.
Northside Shopping Center,
registering voters and solic
iting volunteers for the 2012
Obama campaign.
The volunteers' efforts
were mirrored by similar
groups across the city and
the nation, as thousands of
the president's supporters
took to the streets as part of
the first national Day of
See Obama '12 on A5
Photo by Layla Farmer
Stephen and Michele Powell have dedicated their lives to
helping other people to improve their lives.
Couple opens
faith-based
nonprofit agency
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Michele and Stephen Powell share a love for
three things: God, their community and each other.
The couple, who met in 2000 and married after a
whirlwind six-week courtship, have sustained both
in recent years through their collaborative efforts to
better the lives of their neighbors.
"We're both licensed ministers," Michele
revealed. "I think it's in our DNA that we are just
compassionate about helping people."
The couple currently operates Transformed
Lives, Inc. a faith-based nonprofit that encompasses
a community center, a Client Choice Community
Food Pantry, and a yearlong transitional housing
program to help exoffenders successfully reintegrate
into society.
"We just try to go about doing good for people
who cross our path and putting a support system
around them," Michele said.
The facility, which is located on New
Walkertown Road, was designed to help boost
health, financial and computer literacy within under
served communities in the city.
'There's a lot of families in this communi
ty-especially in the 25th Street area-that don't have
computers in their home," said Stephen, the director
of Student Centers at Winston-Salem State
University. "There are so many companies that are
See Powells on A9
Carver braces
for new school
in Walkertown
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
There are lingering fears
that the new Walkertown
Middle/High School, which
is set to open in the fall,
will negatively affect Carver
High School.
About 900 sixth through
10th graders will start the
school year at the new
school. The school will
expand to a 6-12 school in
coming years, and
has a capacity of
1,600 students.
Roughly 200 high
school students are |
expected to attend
Walkertown in its |
inaugural year. 18 I
percent of whom are
African American.
In the initial
stages of its con
struction and plan
ning tor Walkertown
Middle/High School, some
supporters of Carver High
School expressed concerns
that the Walkertown school,
which was supported by a
2006 school bond, was being
constructed to provide an
alternative to Carver for
white students.
Carver, which suffered
from slipping enrollment and
dubious test scores at the
time, was underutilized and
many were more than a little
concerned that the addition of
Walkertown, which draws
part of its population from
Carver's residential area,
would push the historically
black high school to closure.
Wake County Judge
Howard Manning Jr. did call
Barber
for Carver to be closed in
2006 due to low test scores,
but Board of Education
Member Vic Johnson said
the school was never in dan
ger of being shut down.
Johnson, who has served on
the Board since 1997,
believes Walkertown's open
ing will have minimal effect
on Carver.
"Most of the Walkertown
kids-black and white-don't
go to Carver in the first
place," he
pointed out.
"They were
going to East
Forsyth. As
many as 50-60
kids (from
Carver's dis
trict) were
going to East
Forsyth each
year."
Carver
Principal Nate Barber says
the number of potential
Carver students that choose
to go elsewhere is higher
than he would like it to be.
"It's (a trend) that has
grown through the years." he
said of the sloughing off of
students. "Some of it is per
ception and some of it is
lack of knowledge as to how
great things are at Carver."
Carver, which has a near
ly 70 percent black student
population, will be gaining
a new pool of potential stu
dents next year, because
Atkins Academic and
Technology High School is
going to a designated magnet
school and is relinquishing
See Carver on All)
Making the Grade
Photo by Lay la Farmer
Rising college sophomores Erin Kenny (left) and
Jasmine Simington are hoping to help local teens
score high marks on the SAT through their work with
the Ivy Insiders program this summer. See the full
story page A 10.
Teens get back into 'theMix'
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
theMIX has returned this year to
Hanes Hosiery Recreation Center as a
place for teens to play, dance and
socialize on Friday nights.
Held since 2008, theMix is. spon
sored by the City's Recreation and
Parks Department. It offers a variety
of activities for teens, including video
games, pool and foosball in the recre
ation room, and dancing with a live
DJ in the low-lit gym. Attendees can
also purchase inexpensive conces
sions, like one-dollar slices of pizza.
Organizer Haley Gingles said
theMIX acts as a safe place for teens
to go and have fun on Friday night.
"There really wasn't anywhere for
kids to go on Friday night or there
wasn't anything for them to do," said
See 'Mix' on A10
Photo by Todd Luck
A staff member uses Michael Jackson X-Box 360 dancing game
as several teens look on.
Spend it here.
Keep it here.
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A Mind For Business.