• See Opinion/Foru m pages on A6&7*
• See Sports on page Bl*
THURSDAY, December 28, 2017
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C
Volume 44, Number 17
What would be
in a 2018 bond?
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
More two-way streets
downtown? A second
phase for Quarry Park?
Millions for workforce
housing? Those are just
some of the possibilities
for a potential 2018 bond.
The Winston-Salem
City Council appointed a
Citizens’ Capital Needs
Committee in September to
review the city’s $630 mil
lion worth of capital needs
for a potential bond refer
endum next year. The
committee narrowed it
down to a $120.3 million
Mayor Joines
bond package that would
result in a 4 cent tax
increase.
The next step will be a
workshop held on Monday,
Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m. at City
Hall in which the council
will examine the recom
mendations. If the council
decides to move forward
with a bond, it could be
placed on the November
ballot for voter approval.
The last referendum
was in 2014 when voters
approved $139.2 million in
general obligation bonds,
which included new police
district offices and trans
forming a former quarry
into a new park. Most of
those bond projects have
been completed, but a few
like Happy Hill Park reno
vations, have yet to break
ground.
Mayor Allen Joines
said doing regular bonds is
necessary to keep up with a
city’s capital needs. He
said the committee did a
good job finding needed
upkeep projects.
“I think they acknowl
edge that you have to take
care of your existing facili
ties before you build new
ones,” said Joines.
The committee ranked
projects on things like
reducing service costs,
urgency of need, how it’d
improve service and how it
City of Winton-Salem image
This concept art shows what downtown Liberty
Street would like as a two-way street.
enhances the economic,
social or natural environ
ment. Some projects, like
repairing the fountains at
Corpening Plaza, weren’t
part of the recommenda
tions. However, many
projects did make the cut.
The City Council, with
input from the community,
may decide to change, add
or subtract from the com
mittee’s recommendations.
Here’s the recommen
dations, organized by cate
gory, with the approximate
See Bond on A8
Teacher Jessica Ridgeway, far left, teaches African-American literature at Winston-Salem Preparatory
Academy. It is unlike many other elective courses offered across the district.
African-American literature
comes to Prep
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
Seniors at Winston-Salem Preparatory Academy
(WSPA) have the opportunity to take an English course
that is unlike anything else being taught in the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County School district. If you were to walk
into Jessica Ridgeway’s first period English, class you
would see what I mean.
For the first time, Ridgeway, who is a third-year
teacher at WSPA, is teaching an African-American litera
ture course. Ridgeway said she got the idea for the course
after introducing her junior Advanced Placement (AP)
course to a number of African-American classics last year.
She said after witnessing her students engage and have
constructive conversations, she knew it would be a good
idea.
“The AP students really enjoyed the African
American literature I gave them last year, so they wanted
a course just for that their senior year,” continued
Ridgeway. “And that’s what we did. I fought for it and we
got it.”
Although the course may be tougher than the average
elective course, the juniors from Ridgeway’s 2016 junior
AP English course were eager to sign up for the class.
After each lesson, students are required to present a
Socratic seminar, where they are required to come up with
See Prep on A8
Liberty Market
in transition
once again
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The city is once again considering its options for the
Liberty Street Market after the contract with its latest
manager ended.
The market consists of two shelters the city built on a
lot it owns at 1591 N. Liberty St., which originally opened
in October 2014 with a variety of farmers and other ven
dors, but closed the following year after low vendor and
customer turnout. After that, the city continued to rent it
out for various events.
This vear. the city accepted an unsolicited proposal
Dalton-Rann’s R and Company LLC, to
The contract was
File Photo
The Liberty Street Market is in another transi
tionary phase after another attempt at hosting a
farmers market there ended.
for $1,800 a month to manage the market for a six-month
trial period, which ran out on Oct. 31. All revenue from
vendor and rental fees went to the city.
The market reopened on Saturday, July 8, with a shel
ter full of urban farmers, most of whom were graduates of
the Cooperative Extension’s Urban Farm school. Dalton
Rann said farmers came as they had produce, but that
number decreased as time went on and fall approached.
She said she kept it open on Satrudays even if it was
See Market on A8
NC 27101-2755 60
New season for Chronicle, other community mainstays
BY DONNA ROGERS
THE CHRONICLE__
2017 started with President
Barack Obama, beloved leader of the
United States, adored by the black
community, leaving that office.
Donald Trump won the Electoral
2017
Looking back
College but not the popular vote.
Many people didn’t think Trump
would replace Obama, who said
Obama was not bom in the United
States.
Amid that scenario, the biggest
overhaul of bus routes in Winston
Salem Transit Authority’s history
began on Jan. 2. There are 30 newly
drawn bus routes with more than
1,000 bus stops. The routes have
been redesigned to cut down on ride
time and include new crosstown
routes. Winston-Salem Transit
See 2017 on A8
(336)924-7000
www.assur8dstoragews.cofn
H Bethania Station Road • Winston-Sa
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