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"Charlotte's Fastest Growing Community Weekly7
POST
Ν4Δ.Υ 2 31977
ΓΜΑ11 ilTIF ami UFntl CflMttlT CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA-282<*-Thursday, May 19, 1977
BLACK NEWSPAPERS
EFFECTIVELY REACH
BY FAR. MORE
"BLACK CONSUMERS
Ralëigh To
Hoet NAACP
Youth Meet
The State Youth Conference
of the NAACP will bold tbt
first NAACP Youth of the
Year Celebration Saturday,
May 21, In Raleigh at Saint
Augustine's College.
The NAACP Youth of the
Year will be selected from
participants from all over
North Carolina. This person
will receive an expense paid
trip to the 68th National Con
vention of the NAACP in St
Louis, Missouri June J7
through July l. Other awards
and certificates will be given
to outstanding Darticioanta
Highlights of the day's acti
vities are a Youth Awareness
Session beginning at 12:90
p.m. in the New Fine Arts
Center. Dr. John Lark ins, Spe
cial Assistant to the Govern
or's Office, Sir. Charles Jeff
ress, Assistant Commissioner
of Labor will serve with the
State Youth Conference Exe
cutive Board in presenting
this session. The session will
deal with national and state
concerna Of the NAACP, mi
nority interest in state govern
ment and youth employment.
The Youth of the Year Pro
gram will begin at 7:30 p.m.
in the New Fine Arts Center
Auditorium at St. Augustine's
College. The speaker will be
Dr. Ruth G. Kennedy, Associ
ate Professor of English at
North Carolina Central Uni
versity.
A disco dance will be held in
the Martin Luther King Jr.
·. Union at 9 a.m. IMsopentothe
public. Admission is $1.
The State Youth Conference
hopes that many people in
this area will attend these
functions and hopefully will
support the NAACP by becom
ing an active participant in the
cause for freedom.
LBDO, NAA To
By Hoyle H. Martin Sr.
Post Executive Editor
The Charlotte Local Busi
ness Development Organiza
tion and the Charlotte Chapter
of the National Association of
Accountants will co-sponsor a
seminar on May 25 entitled
"How To Do Business With
The Farmers Home Adminis
tration."
The keynote speaker for the
program will be Robert Shav
er, Mecklenburg County Su
pervisor of the Fanners Home
Administration. Other mem
bers of his staff will offer
visual presentations.
Thomas S ta ton, director of
LBDO said the purpose of the
seminar will be "for minority
contractors to gain greater
understanding of how they can
'provide their services to the
Farmers Home Administra
tion."
The seminar will be held in
the Action Center of the Char
lotte Chamber of Commerce
at 7:30 a.m. Minority Contrac
tors are invited to attend.
Further information about
the seminar may be obtained
by calling the LBDO office at
394-7681.
ATTRACTIVE VIRGINIA GASKINS
...Overflowing personality
Virginia Gaskins
le Beauty Of Week
Bv MelveM* WrieM »- *
Poet Staff Writer
Our Beauty for this week is
Miss Virginia Gaskins, a 21
year old dispatcher at the
Charlotte Law Enforcement
Center whose personality
overflows with friendliness
and whose voice reflects the
efcthdsiasto she has about life.
Vi^|Kiii hails from Hemp
ton, Virginia where she at
tended a junior college. In 1973
she came to Charlotte's UNC
on a music scholarship and
earned- her Bachelor of Crea
tive Arts degree in 197·.
A talented singer who says
that she doesn't "want to be
famous, Just happy," Virginia
received an offer about three
months ago to sing with the
Facts of Life, «-nationally
known group which has made
it to the top in many of the
trade publications.
Virginia said that before
coming to Charlotte, she was a
member of a small band with
t *4 » —ι— ι
working with Millie Jackson,
out of New York. Monroe
informed Virginia of the op
portunity.
Virginia met the offer with
mixed emotions. She loves
singing and feels that through
her voice she can give people a
much needed message. But
she was afraid, too, because,
as she confessed, she's not a
"big city personThe thought
of going to New York filled Her
with apprehension, so she was
quietly relieved when the com
munication process between
she and Monroe got crossed.
"I was to meet Levi in
Fayetteville, N.C. to plan for
my audition but I missed him
because he had to return to
New York suddenly." She still
has the opportunity to try to
fill the position, but still has to
make up her mind.
Her talent in singing and her
present Job as a dispatcher
are seemingly on opposite
ends of the pole, but law
enforcement is Virginia's se
cond professional love. As a
matter of fact, she plans to
return to UNCC to earn a
degree in that field.
«η ■ ininmeg in Decom
ing « court probation officer,
which will allow Virginia to do
something with meaning. "I
have always wanted to work
with children," the ta id, ex
plaining. "I've seen a lot of
juveniles who just need some
one to talk to and I listen
pretty well."
Born under the ferocious
sign of Leo the Léon, our
Beauty will celebrate her
21 birthday on July ». She
said that she likes s lot of
attention, is considerably gen
erous and free-hearted, is im
pulsive, and, because she does
not like being alone, she likes
people
Her philosophy of life mir
rors her personality in that
she believes in "doing what
body." Virginia is also a
strong believer in "living each
day like it's your last."
Virginia most admires he
Virginia most admires her
mother, who is now deceased,
and credits her with having
contributed the moet to her
present state of mind. "J
remember Mama moat for her
kindness," Virginia said. "She
was an Indian-big, tall, strong,
and beautiful. Mama always
used to say that if you ao
something nice for someone,
God will see it."
Because she was an only
child, Virginia said that she
wants to have five children,
"all of them small at the same
time so that they can drive me
crazy." Until the time comes
for Virginia to be a mother
five times over, she spends a
W f\t timo tttUU Ua» *···» -· — — —
old German Sheppard, Thor,
raising plants, and decorating
her first apartment.
"I went all the way with this
apartment," Virginia said. "I
painted all of the walls my
self." Subsequently, the whole
apartment is painted blue,
which is her favorite color.
Virginia laughed as she re
called her first attempt at
raising plants. "When I first
got my apartment, I bought
about forty or fifty dollars
worth of plants.
County Offices
Will Close Friday
Mecklenburg County offices
will be closed Friday, May 20,
in observance of Mecklenburg
Independence Day, and Mon
day, May 30, in observance of
Memorial Day.
This includes all units of the
Health Department, the Pood
Stamp Office, the Tax Offices,
and the Register of Deeds
Office.
The Social Services Center
on Billinosley Road will be
closed both May 20 and May
30, but day care centers opera
ted by the Department of
Social Services will remain
open both days.
All branches of the Public
Library will be closed on the
20th and 30th. In addition, the
Main Library will be closed
Sunday, May Λ. and will
remain closed on Sundays
for the rest of the summer.
The two County landfills,
Harrisburg Park and Hols
brooks Road, will remain open
on both holidays.
The County Police Depart
ment will handle emergency
calls for the County. Animal
Shelter, and the number to
cell ts 374-2991.
The General Court of Jus
tice, including sll District and
Superior Courts, will be in
session on Friday, May 20, but
will close Monday, May 30, in
observance of Memorial Day.
Reaction To Carter's Plan
rKIL-fc, ZUC
Black Caucus To Campaign
For $3 Minimum Wage
Poet Office
Honors City
Officials
Two local city official·
and the chairman of the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg Bicenten
nial Committee, were each
«warded framed Bicentennial
Souvenier sheet collections il
lustrating events of historical
significance. Also the award·
were presented to a represen
tative of the citizens of Char
lotte-Mecklenburg County.
Mayor Belk, Elizabeth Hair, ~
Chairman of the County Com
mission and A. Grant Whit
ney, chairman of the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg Bicenten
nial Committee were present
ed with the awards by OA.
Sloan, Postmaster and Willie
J. Stratford, manager of the
Trade Street Branch of the
Post Office.
These souvenier sheets con
sisted of 13 cent stamps that
illustrate a part jf the Surren
der of Cornwall at York town,
18 cent stamps illustrating a
part of the Declaration of
Independence, July 1776, 24
cent stamps based on Wash
ington crossing the Delaware
which was painted by Leutze
Estman Johnson, and is locat
ed at the Collectors Institute,
LPD, in Omaha, Nebraska,
and 31 cent stamps reviewing
the ragged army at Valley
Forge, by William Trego. This
painting is located at the
museum of the Valley Forge
Historical Society in Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania.
According to Stratford, 1775
was an important year for the
U.S. Postal Service and Meck
lenburg County. "Mecklen
burg broke away from the
crown and we started in busi
ness," Stratford said.
Stratford said that in com
memoration of the Bicenten
nial, the U.S. Postal Service of
Charlotte wanted to present
the souvenier sheets to the
city, county, all its citizens
and the chairman and mem
bers of the Bicentennial Com
mittee who did an excellent
job in helping the postal ser
vice commemorate this Bi
centennial.
» »· · «··■
TUKTll-WK
Λ
* A . *
A fUkROW MIND and a
WIDE MOUTH often go toge
Proposes
Plan To
Raise Wages
By Hoyle H. Martin Sr.
Post Executive Editor
Reacting last week to the
Carter administration's pro
posed plan to raise the mini
mum wage from $2.30 to $2.50
per hour, the Congressional
Black Caucus took a strong
position for raising that mini
mum to $3.00 Congressman
Augustus F. Hawkins, (D-Ca
lifornia) who heads the Cau
tee, said that it is "imperative
for Congress to provide a
minimum wage responsive to
rapidly inflating costs, parti
cularly as energy costs are
about to rise again."
Hawkins added, "It is time
to put into practice the assu
rance of a living wage by
indexing an adequate income
level. Indexing is a concept
whereby a figure, such as the
minimum wage, is increased
over time to respond to chan
ges in the economy. It would
ensure that the minimum
wage stays at the same rela
tive percentage of other wag
es." Hawkins concluded by
calling enactment of the $3.00
minimum wage "essential."
He said that "we violate our
own work ethic when we do not
protect those fortunate enough
to be gainfully employed."
Congressman Parren J. Mit
chell, (D-Maryland) Chair-,
man of the Caucus and a
member of the House Budget
Committee, called institution
of a decent minimum wage
"one major key to eliminating
jaover^v in the nation. "We
must recognize," Congress
man Mitchell continued, "that
the problems of our welfare
system can in large part be
eliminated by providing for a
full employment economy and
providing each worker with a
minimum decent living in
come."
Congressman Mitchell poin
ted out that the increased
minimum wage would mean
improved living conditioins
f 1*11^ _# -_-»-·« ··
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MEMORIAL FUND
Fund-raising campaign committee
fl ood Stamp Allotments Rise
Dy ο acquit i^evisier
Post Staff Writer
The U.S. Department of Ag
riculture announced that as of
July 1 food stamp allotments
and income eligibility levels
wil increase. This increase
will reflect the rise in food cost
for low income households.
Monthly food stamp allot
ments for all household sizes,
except one-person households,
will increase by at least $2.
The monthly stamp allotment
for a family of 4 will rise from
$166 to $170.
Since income eligibility le
vels are tied to the size of food
stamp allotments these levels
also will increase in most cai
es. The net income limit for a
family of 4 will increase from
$553 to $567 a month.
Lee Burgin, Assistant Direc
η » ma v*
tor of Food Stamps and Out
reach Coordinator for Meck
lenburg County, does not anti
cipate any sizable increase of
applicants in the local office
due to this change. "Because
of the effectiveness of the local
outreach program, 38-39 thou
sand families have been pro
cessed since October 1973,"
Burgin said.
According to Burgin there is
a small percentage of appli
cants denied on a weekly
basis. In that small amount of
families about one-half is due
to income in excess of the
standards set forth by the
Department of Agriculture.
Burgin added, "this is the
first time in the last 18 months
that the allotments and eligibi
lity levels have been raised
(something that is usually
done every six months). Be
cause of the time elapsed
there may be a slight increase
in our traffic but again w<
don't expect any great influx
of applications."
The Food Stamp act of 1964
requires USDA to adjusl
stamp allotments twice a year
to reflect food price change:
as reported by the Bureau ol
Labor Statistics. The adjust
ments take effect on Jan. 1
and July 1. July adjustments
reflect the cost of the Thrifty
Food Plan during February,
while January changes reflect
plans cost in the preceding
August.
Since the cost of the Thrifty
Food Plan was higher in Feb
ruary than last August, the
stamp allotments were in
creased accordingly.
MiWB oaseoau jrrooiems
Communication Breakdowns
η il t _ ii m m il— β_ ·· ·· — - — -
J Λ èKtJ iV **' i'IBI till Ul .
Post Executive Editor
"A breakdown trr communi
cations between the school
and the community is proba
bly the primary reason for the
recent questions over viola
tions of the double participa
tion rule," Bill Cordell, said
Tuesday.
Cordell, athletic director at
naming nign acnooi, aaaea in
a telephone interview that
''the breakdewn-in communi
cation is In that we (the
schools) do not directly inform
the semipro teams of these
(baseball) rules. Each student
is given a brochure that ex
plains the rules of participa
tion and they are responsible
for complying with them (the
rules) because there is no wa)
• wt iMiiiiviiJ vi niuico as well
as Blacks and other minori
ties He said that according to
tfie Labor Department s tm
ployment Standards Adminis
tration, 11.9 percent of all
ι American workers at the end
of 1976 earned between $2.50
; and $3.00 an hour and would
benefit from the higher mini
mum wage level Blacks ave
rage 60 percent the income of
whites and have a special
concern for the higher mini
mum wage. Members of the
Black Caucus consider the
minimum wage one of the
most important issues before
Congress this year.
The AFL-CIO has taken a
similar strong position in fa
vor of raising the minimum
wage to >3.00 per hour
City Government
To Ofanerve
Independence Day
All City government office·
will be closed on Friday, May
20 in observance of Mecfclen
burg independence Day. Of
fices will reopen for business
at S a.m. on Monday, May 23.
Due to the four day week the
Sanitation Division will NOT
collect curbslde trash on Wed
nesday, May IS. Citizens are
urged to help keep Charlotte
clean by not placing Items at
the curb until Tuesday, May M
for pick up on the 2Sth.
CAF Meeting
The Board of Directors
meeting of the Charlotte Area
Fund will be held Thursday,
May 10 in the upstairs lounge
of the Trade Street YWCA, 418
East Trade Street, at 7:30
p.m.
gtor'g artivties "
Cordell's comments wen
related to published report)
late last week that Garinger
Harding and possibly three t<
five other southwestern 4-/
high school baseball team
may be disqualified from par
ticipating in the state cham
pionship playoffs because the;
used ineligible players.
Bill Cole, president of the
Triple County Baseball I^ea
gue, confirmed Cordell's com
ment about communication
He said, "unfortunately, oui
league has had no prior know
ledge of the Ν C. Higt
School Athletic Associa
tion's double participatioi
rule Triple County Leagu*
players are required to sign
up according to the rules of th«
league, however, we would no
knowingly encourage a hig)
school player to sign with us il
by so doing he were violating t
state association rule "
. Garinger, the conference'!
leading te^m, was declare*
ineligible because one of iti
player's parents maintains re
sidence in another state, a rul<
violation.
Harding High SchMt, Mm
expected benefactor of Garln
ger's penalty wm then appa
rently declared ineligible alsc
because of report· that senioi
pitcher outfielder Emmitl
Cherry had participated ir
See Communication Page II
Dr. Anita Allen Is JCSU
Commencement Speaker
Alumni and friends of John
son C. Smith University will
join the 1977 graduating class
of Smith in Commencement
Exercises to be held this
weekend.
Beginning Saturday, May 21
at 9:30 a.m. with registration
of alumni. Commencement
Exercises will continue with a
meeting of classe· in reunion
at 10:30 a.m., a general alum
ni meeting at 3 p.m., the
alumni buffet at β p.m. in the
Memorial Student Union, and
the annual reunion dance U> be
held at the Civic Center at 9
p.m.
On Sunday, the approximate
231 graduating Seniors, pa
rents, and alumni are invited
to attend a worship service in
the University Church at 10
One Hundred Tenth Com
mencement will be Dr. Anita
F. Allen, of the U.S. Office of
Education.
Dr. Allen, currently serving
as Chief of the Advanced
Institutional Development
Branch, Division of Institu
tional Development, Bureau
of Poet-Secondary Education,
of the U.S. Department of
Education, has had twenty
four years experience in the
Federal Government, begin
ning with three years at the
Library of Congress and seven
years with the Department of
the Army.
Classes in reunion this year
are the classes of : 1902, 1907.
1912. 1917, 1922, 1927, 1932,
1937, 1942. 1947, 1952, 1957.
1962, 1967. and 1972
mim mw····!
Dr. Anita F. A Den
...AID Branch chief
a.m. Commencement will, be
held in the Hartley-Wood·
Gymnasium on Sunday, May
22 at 2 p.m.
The guest speaker for the