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The Chronicle
Volume42,Number2 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, September 10, 2015
City looking at options
after liberty Street
Market closed
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Photos, file photos by Todd Luck
The Liberty Street Market consists of two shelters on Liberty Street. This shot shows the structures before a
fence was erected around them prior to the market's opening last year.
After opening in
October, vendors and
customers dwindled
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The City of Winston-Salem is cur
rently assessing what went wrong
with the Liberty Street Market, which
closed this summer.
The market, which consisted of
two covered shelters built on a vacant
lot the city owns at 1591 N. Liberty
St., was shuttered after Mercedes
Miller ended her company's contract
to run it for the city. Mercedes
Empowers Inc. is her company. It is
widely believed the low response of
the market was the reason for Miller
using the 10-day escape clause to end
the two-year conn-act. The shelters
are currently only being used on
Thursdays for food distribution by
Second Harvest Food Bank. The
City's Business and Community
Development Department oversees
the market and is currently assessing
its options for it. The market cost
around $350,000 to design and build.
When the grand opening at the
market was held in October, the mar
ket was packed with vendors.
Lynette Fitzgerald, of Lyn's Special
Tees, who creates hand-crafted
ladies' clothing from T-shirts, said the
opening drew a large crowd that pur
chased her clothes. She said it looked
like everything would get bigger and
better from there. But in her two sub
sequent times setting up there, she
found much less traffic and participa
tion. Like many other vendors, she
decided to use other venues instead.
"The concept and what it could
offer the community was a great
idea," she said. "I'm very, very sur
FuitU-Satimia
Fitzgerald
"It was a catch
-22, the people
would say they
want the produce,
we would get the
farmers in there
and the farmers
were sitting all day
and it's not like
the community
was running over
there buying the
produce."
-Ardella Fuiell-Salimia, vendor
prised it's not doing extremely well. I
was looking forward to being on a
waiting list to get in versus it being
closed down."
Ardella Fuiell-Salimia, The Bean
Lady, who sells dried heirloom beans
and food made from beans, set up
weekly at the market because she
believed in what it could do for the
community. She said after a hopeful
opening, participation dropped.
"As the weeks went on and the
weather changed, as the season
changed, it dwindled down," she said.
The market was originally
planned to be open Thursday
Saturday all year-round, but that did
n't happen. Even with a glass
enclosed shelter and vendors using
the electrical outlets there for space
heaters, it was still very cold in the
winter. Fuiell-Salimia said there was
a mutual decision between manage
ment and vendors to take a winter
hiatus, starting in December and
returning in April, because of the bit
ter cold and lack of customers. The
hiatus, however, had its costs for the
fledgling market.
"Those few months of not being
open, I think the interest that had built
up from the grand opening in
October, I think it had dwindled by
then," said Fuiell-Salimia. "I think
people went back to not knowing the
market was there or that it was open
or what we were even doing up
there."
She said days with special activi
ties held there got good participation,
but vendor participation and cus
tomers were still down.
One of the goals of the market
was to bring fresh produce to the area.
Fuiell-Salimia said before the hiatus,
there was produce at the market, but
after the break, the farmers didn't
return. She said one farmer came
See Market on A2
14th ANNIVERSARY
Police Chief
Barry Rountree
reflects on 9/11
BY TEVIN ST1NSON
THE CHRONICLE
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, Barry Rountree, chief of the
Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD), gave his
reflections on the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America.
This Friday, Sept. 11, will mark the 14-year anniver
sary of the day 19 militants associated with the extremist
group al-Qaeda hijacked four airliners and carried out sui
cide attacks against targets in the United States.
Rountree's reflections were part of the 9/11 Day of
Remembrance organized by the Love Community
Development Corporation.
During his speech to the community and members ol
the WSPD, Rountree asked everyone to think back to
what they were doing when they got the news of the
attacks.
Rountree, who has been police chief since 2004, said
he can recall that he was in
i! -
isaicign aucnuiiig a management
course when he heard the news.
"We had just started the class
when someone ran in and
instructed us to turn on the TV,
said Rountree. " Being in a room
full of police officers, we all
started to call around to see if we
could find out any new informa
tion that had been left out."
"My thoughts and views on
9/11 is that it was a day of calcu
lation, grief, courage and a day of
determination."
Rountree said although the
attarlrs wprp ralrnlntpH anrl
caused a lot a grief, they also showed him how much
courage and determination the citizens of this country
have.
"We should think about the courage and dedication of
the first responders, while everyone was running away,
the firefighters, the emergency EMS, and the police offi
cers were running into the fire. That's why, in my opinion,
it was a day of courage."
Over 3,000 people were killed during the attacks in
New York City and Washington, D.C., including more
than 400 police officers and firefighters. The attacks on
the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon were the
worst terrorist attacks on Americans since Pearl Harbor in
1941.
Rountree believes that although the attacks were
meant to destroy America, it only made the country
stronger. He went on to applaud everyday citizens for their
courage and determination to help fellow citizens on that
horrific day.
"It wasn't only just the professionals. There were a
number of citizens who risked their own lives to help oth
ers," said Rountree. "After seeing all the devastation, we
as Americans became determined to become stronger and
find out who carried out the attacks."
"We were determined to rebuild. I believe this is the
same determination that we have right here with our citi
zens and first responders in Winston-Salem," Rountree
said.
After Rountree's speech, Dr. Kathy Kenney gave her
reflections on the day. On the morning of 9/11, Kenney
was in New York City, were she was working at the time.
Kenney said its hard to forget about the things she saw
on that clear Tuesday morning, but said the attacks have
taught her to become more involved in the community and
in improving and securing the quality of life for all
Americans.
"We shouldn't just be mourning those we have lost on
this day, but we should also use it as a day and time to
improve the lives of those who are still here," Kenney
See 9/11 on A2
Rountree
United Way is targeting Carver School Road area with millions in grants
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
United Way of Forsyth County and Neighbors
for Better Neighborhood (NBN) are working with
local residents in a 13-neighborhood area to
improve their community as part of the multimil
lion dollar Place Matters Initiative.
United Way selected neighborhoods in and
around the Carver School Road area near the
United Way of Forsyth County
Smith Reynolds Airport where it will be giving
grants to groups to fund projects in the area. The
neighborhoods are North woods Estate, Monticello
Park, Ebony Hills, Prospect Park, Wildwood Park,
Cardinal Acres, Castle Heights, Spaulding Drive,
Eastgate Village, Lakeside. Dreamland, Bowen
Park and Ladeara Crest.
The Forsyth United Way Director of
See United Way on A4
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