Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / March 6, 2014, edition 1 / Page 2
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j: Study: ID laws adversely affect blacks CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT A recently-released study conducted by Dartmouth University and the University of Florida predicts that the implementation of new state voting laws - like those being implemented by Kepubucans in North Carolina - will adversely affect minority voters, impeding their Constitutional right to cast votes freely. Since black voters have dispro portionately voted during the first week of early voting, the shortened voting calendar under the state's Voter Identification Verification Act | (VIVA) means that fewer of them | may go to the polls, the study pre Hirfs Fleming Additionally, it states that black voters disproportion ately lack the forms of identification deemed acceptable under VIVA. The study goes on to say that regulations placed within the laws which are meant to aid those who lack photo identification - particularly older voters - are more beneficial to white voters than black ones. "The recent reports ... confirm what we have been say ing all along: the extreme GOP in Raleigh is more con cerned about preserving its own power than serving the citizens of North Carolina," said Randy Voller, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. "These reports expose the hypocrisy of their intentions to eliminate a fraud that frankly is statistically non-existent by shining a searing light on their true intention: make it more difficult for African-Americans to vote in North Carolina." ? In addition to shortening the early voting period and eliminating same-day registration during the early voting period, VIVA eliminated pre-registration for 16 and 17 year-olds. "I find it disturbing that the great-grandchildren of African-Americans who suffered through the horrors of Jim Crow laws when trying to vote during the early half of the 20th century may once again face these challenges at the voting booth," said Willie Fleming, president of the North Carolina Democratic Party African-American Caucus. The North Carolina Democratic Party continues to maintain its position that the actions of the majority of the General Assembly are violations of North Carolinians' Constitutional rights. Following the U.S. Supreme Court's scaling back of portions of the Voting Rights Act in June 2013, Democrats in North Carolina expressed concern that the changes would open the door for a weakening of pro tections for minority voters in the state. Piedmont from page AI catfish from Ayden, beef from Randolph County or cheese from West Jefferson. Buying from small, often family owned farms as opposed to larger conglomerates is not always cheaper, and uti lizing components straight from the farm - such as whole pigs, which he regularly purchases on the restaurant's behalf - sometimes requires more manpower, but the one on-one relationship he enjoys with farmers offers leeway in price negotiat ing, Pierce explained. "I had to demonstrate to them first that I could drive our food costs down if we invested in people," he said, noting that the company has embraced the initiative wholeheart edly. "...It gave an order to my universe, and it also propelled me forward, because I saw that 1 could "be the change I wanted to see in the world." Last week at the Forsyth County Cooperative Extension Center, Pierce joined some of his fellow chefs, farmers and others com mitted to strengthening the relationship between local growers and cooks at the third annual confer ence of Piedmont Grown NC, Inc.. a nonprofit brand-identity program that certifies food and agricultural products from farms in 37 coun ties. Pierce serves as presi dent of the board of Piedmont Grown, which wants its label to become synonymous with fresh ness and quality. "There's a sense that people, when they con nect with who produced (the food), it has a differ ent value than just buying it in the grocery store," explained Dr. Noah Ranells, a small farm agribusiness specialist in the NC Cooperative Extension program at NC A&T State University and Piedmont Grown board member. "...In this day and age, people want to feel connected and to con nect over food." Ellen Polishuk of Potomac Vegetable Farms in Virginia gave the keynote address at the conference, which attract ed more than 80 atten dees. She gave what she called "a worm's eye view of marketing from the trenches." Polishuk, who has worked on farms most of her life, implored attendees to build their brand identity by employ ing people who are pas sionate about their food, educating their customers about the crops they sell, and capitalizing on the elements that set them apart from traditional food sources, such as gro cery stores, before charg ing them to "Go forth and make money." "Freshness is really the advantage that we have over the local gro cery stores; nobody at the grocery stores can com pete with us in terms of freshness," she said. "... (and) you're accountable - that doesn't happen at other points of sale." Attendees also took part in break-out and net working sessions and enjoyed a luncheon fea turing local and organic products provided by Spring House Restaurant and Chef Tim Grandinetti. Margo Bennett, who co-owns a produce farm in CJiatham County, said the conference was a great learning experience for her, both as a farmer and as kitchen manager at Angelina's Kitchen, a Pittsboro-based farm-to table restaurant and cater ing business that her farm also supplies. A growing awareness of the dangers preservatives and addi tives in food potentially pose is contributing to an increased interest in the farm-to-table concept, which utilizes ingredients from local growers at every opportunity, Bennett believes. "The whole back to organics movement is so important, and we feel like we're walking the walk, in a sense," she said of her farm. "We care about the quality of the food because we eat it." Extension Agent Mary Jac Brennan said promot ing locally grown and raised products makes dollars and sense for Forsyth County, which is home to 86 farms. "Some of the econom ic development folks and other businesses are rec ognizing that this is a great opportunity," Brennan, who also serves as a Piedmont Grown board member, said of the farm-to-table movement. "...Branding with Piedmont Grown is a wonderful way to recog nize that (a product) real ly is grown in these 37 Piedmont counties. This could be a real economic driver for our area if more people would seek out locally grown foods." The conference was followed by optional "field trips" to the Lowe's Foods store in Clemmons. which features local food and products and a Chef and Fanner Summit led by Brennan and Extension Agent Christ Jeffcoat. For more information about Piedmont Grown, visit www.piedmont grown .org. Photos by Layla Garms Piedmont Grown board members (from left) Cheryl Ferguson, Aaron Newton, Lindsay Smith, Casey Roe, Mary Jac Brennan and Jay Pierce. Margo Bennett The Chronicle (USPS 067-910) was established by Emest H. Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974 and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co. Inc., 617 N. Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101. Periodicals postage paid at Winston-Salem, N.C. Annual subscription price is $30.72. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Chronicle, RO. Box 1636 Winston-Salem, NC 27102-1636 4 Chronicle wins awards CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT The Chronicle took home three N.C. Press Association 2013 News, Editorial and Photojournalism Contest awards last week. The hon ors were presented Thursday, Feb. 27 during NCPA's 2014 Winter Institute at the Hill Alumni Center at UNC-Chapel Hill. The Chronicle - which competes in the category for mid-size community (non-daily) newspapers - won third-place honors in the "Best Community Coverage" and "News Coverage" categories, and T. Kevin Walker, the paper's managing editor, won sec ond-place in the "Editorials" category. "Todd (Luck), Layla (Garms) and I give it our all every week to put out a product of value and of inter est," Walker said. "We don't do it for accolades, but having your hard work acknowledged by your peers certainly feels good and validating." flMIHAK i I . i. C February 4 - Man* & 2014 ? Minimum one day ***** fl reservations required Other ? restrictions may apply Visit ~m website for details The Chronicle lOjmjS! 29TH ANNUAL / MT COMMUNITY w/ mm'/SERVICF r l cj , HioUJ'-il" Awards Banquet Honoring the Award Recipients Saturday March 22nd at 6:00 pjn. Benton Convention Center Call 336-722-8624 for tickets I TICKt r RLQU EST: I I Yes, I would like to attend the | Awards Banquet Number of tickets at S25 each $25 Admission I Includes a f> month subscription I Number o( tables at $200 each (in honor of Recipients) available (seats 8) ? Reserved by Name Address City/State/Zip Phone # (Home) Email Send this completed form with check or money order payable to: "The Chronicle 617 N liberty Street ? Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Mon - Tue dam to 5pm, Wed - Hn dam to 4pm
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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