North Carolina Newspapers

Will University Park PO Move To Smaller Facilities? by Eileen Hanson Special to the Poet “Why is it the small people ' who always pay? ” asked L. C. Coleman. As head of the Northwest Community Action Organization, Coleman thinks it’s always the voiceless poor that suffer from government bureaucracy. The current controversy centers around the future of University Park Post Office at 3239 Beatties Ford Road. The lease on the 6,000 square foot facility expired last August 31 and postal officials are considering moving the customer service operation to a smaller, less expensive building. Two years ago, letter carriers at the station and the Freedom Road station were moved to the new General Mail Facility on 1-85 in another "economic move.” Postal officials say they don't need the larger buttaVngs any more. Coleman tears that a smaller: facility will not accommodate all the people needing food stamps, money orders and other services the post office provides. He is also concerned about economics. “Who pays for the move, for renovating an old building, for the gasoline needed for carriers to drive jeeps and cars rather than walking or taking the bus?" asked Cole man. Willie Stratford Sr., Public Information Director for the U. S. Postal Service, told the Charlotte Post Tuesday, “If there is a move of the Univer sity Park Station, there will be no reduction in services. How ever, no decision has been made." Stratford said the rent on the current location was raised from $16,ooo a year to $24,000. He could give no explanation lor the increase However, Coleman thinks the post office has already decided to move the facility to a small vacant service station about 100 yards from the present location He is angry that the community was not notified. “Last week there was a lot of digging going on around that old gas station,” Coleman said. "The workers said they would move the post office there. Why would they be doing this if it wasn't to move tne post office’’ Were sup posed to be the government. We pay the taxes, but we never have any say in how it’s spent." No so. according to Strat ford He met with members of the Northwest Community Action Organization and the Westside Improvement Assoc iation on September 18 “We assured the group that no decision had been made,” explained Stratford. "We are mandated to notify the community, the Congress ional delegation, the Chamber of Commerce and the media of any changes in services or facilities." A final decision on moving the University Park station will be made by postmaster Oscar Sloan, on recommen dation of the field. Real Estate and Build ing Office in Atlanta, which handles all real estate for the postal service "Somehow these cuts always seem to happen in poor and black communities." said Coleman "They moved carr iers from Freedom and Uni versity Park, but not from Derita station. I wonder how many customers they have. Finding out such informa tion is not easy The results of a survey taken by the Postal Service a month ago of 50 Charlotte-area stations are still not available "due to computer breakdown." according to Jim Beard Sectional Center Director for Customer Service Nor could Beard tell the Charlotte Post who owned the Universitv Park building now leased by the Postal Service, how long it has been there, or how many carriers it used to have see WILL on page 11 Ml f L C Coleman Community leader BLACK NEWSPAPERS I YOUR BEST ^■syereach q*Tjr PIIJIDT i ITTP DAQT msssstist l—kc—ERS.i ijtiJbi (jttAnJutFi iJt» Jruoi I "‘Charlotte’s Fastest Growing Community Weekly** Voi. No. 11 THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, October 4,1979 Price 30 Cents Pedestrian Highway Deaths Up According to Highway Patrol Commander, John T. Jenkins, highway deaths involving pedestrians for the first seven months of this year were up by almost twenty-five percent. He said one-hundred-thirty-seven pedestrians died in traffic accidents during Januray thru July of this year compared to one-hundred ten for the same period in 1978. Jenkins said with pedes trian accidents already on the increase, the Patrol is -concerned with the approach of the fall season. According to Jenkins, the likelihood of pedestrian accidents increases during this season of the year. He said fewer hours of daylight and the increasing number of pedestrians on the high ways due to schools being in session were two of the pri mary reasons. Jenkins ottered some safety tips for pedestrians and motorists. He said where sidewalks are not available, pedestrians should walk on the left shoulder facing traffic. He said pedestrians should wear light colored clothing at night and, as a added safety measure, wear some type of reflectorized material or carry a light. He also suggested ihat parents teach their children safe walking practices. According to Jenkins, motorists should never anticipate the movements of a pedestrian. “Motorists should always expect the unexpected," Jenkins said. Metrolina Chapter The Metrolina Chapter of the National Executive Housekeepers Association. Inc., will hold its regular monthly meeting on October 10, at the Methodist Home. Business meeting will stan at 7:30 p.m. followed by t _— “ Intorim are invited to attend. For information call Mrs. Betty Moore, President of the Metrolina Chapter, al Charlotte Memorial Hospital, Charlotte, Nortli Carolina. Phone number: 704-373-2121. uroE-wft [ - . Many a man is proud of hi father and mother merel t _ because they are the parent of a fine fellow like himself ^—^^mt I LOVELY ELAINE COLEMAN .CPCC Student Elaine Coleman Is Beauty Of Week By Sherleen McKoy Post Staff Writer Our beauty for this week is 18-year-old Elaine Coleman, an architectural engineering student at Central Piedmont Community College. Now in her first year, Elaine said that her major is a five-year study, two of which she plans to spend at CPCC i and the remainder at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Eventually, she hopes to “draw blueprints foi houses and buildings anc hopefully have my own priv ate office.” She has alreadj designed the blueprint for hei dream house. Elaine became interested it architectural engineering while in high school (she is 1979 graduate of Hardinf High) and as a member of < carer club called EXPLOR ING. At Harding, sne was a mem ber of the JROTC Drill Team track team, FHA Club and i banner girl on the band. Elaine describes herself a a person who is nice to ge along with and one who be friends others easily "I wa popular in high school.” sh said Her hobbies are swimminf roller skating, reading an shopping. Michael Wall, a close frieni ; of Elaine’s has really made difference in her life. "He' nice to me and does things fc me,” she said. A freshman t UNC-C he is also an architec ural engineering student One of the most memorabl times in Elaine's life occurrf earlier this month. She ar some friends traveled l Myrtle Beach for a weekend < fun and relaxation. The swam, went to the Amus< ment Park and loured th Believe It or Not Wax Mu s seum. p "It was a really nice exp s rience," Elaine comment* "to be off by myself with* m my parents " Elaine has always wanted to be a model Someday she hopes she will succeed at becoming one. But while that is in the making. Elaine looks at the future more practically. She anticipates getting married, having children and enjoying them, and trying to get along with others through out my life." Elaine is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Willie L.,Cole man Jr. She is the second oldest of four girls City Of Charlotte Enacts Anti-l)iseiiiiiinatioi 1 Ordinance Aid To Benefit Minorities The Agency for Interna tional Development I AID) is spreading the word nationwide that M has contracts 'available — in some cases without competitive bids — for small businesses, minority owned firnjs, and disadvan taged persons who own firms. AID contracts with U.S. firms for goods, services, and agricultural products to help stimulate economic growth in developing countries. In order to benefit more and smaller U.S. businesses, AID is now setting aside certain contracts for small businesses on which large firms are not allowed to bid. A small business is defined as one that accounts for a minor share of the total amount of its products made in the country; minorities include Blacks, Hispanics, and native Americans (Indianl. Carter Sends Energy Aid Program For Needy To Congress Washington-President car ter announced last week that he had sent his Low Income Knergy Assistance Program to Congress. The program calls for $1.6 billion in aid to poor tamines tms winter and $2.4 billion each following winter. "This program will address a critical need-alleviating the impact of higher energy prices on those who are suffer ing most from higher energy prices." the President said in a statement released by the White House Press Office. "Without a substantial pro gram such as this one our most needy households, in including many of the elderly on meager, fixed incomes, will face almost impossible pres sures on household budgets which already go entirely for the necessities of life,” Carter said The program has two parts an Knergy Crisis Assistance Program which provides $400 million this year for states to operate flexible programs for low-income households faced with such health threatening energy emergencies as heat ing service cutoffs, space heaters for apartment dwel lers anti minimal heating ser vices for the elderly, and a Special Allowance Program which will provide $12 billion this winter and $2 0 billion annually thereafter for cash assistance io an poor nouse holds When fully operative, the Special Allowance Pro gram will be available to all households with income below 125 percent of the federal poverty threshold The thres hold is currently $7 I fid for a family of four While revenues from the proposed V.'.ndfall Profit Tax will be necessary to fund this program. "1 am asking the Congress lo move immediate ly to make general revenu« available for Ihe t4txi millior emergency program this win ter Revenues from th< windfall tax w hen it is passed will boused t« replace the $4d< million Here October 2(h The Honorable Coleman A, Young Will Bring Wealth Of Experience by Eileen Hanson , Special to the Post The Honorable Coleman A. Young, the first black | mayor of Detroit, the coun try's fifth largest city, will be , in Charlotte Oct. 20 to talk , about the rebirth of American's cities. As featured speaker for J the Charlotte Business league's Award Banquet, I Young brings a wealth of ex j perience as a union and civil s rights activist, a seasoned r politician and an astute t leader of America's automobile capital. Five hundred people are ® expected to attend the for . mal banquet at the Hadisson 0 Pla/.a Hotel. Tickets are 120 . and may be reserved by call ing 333-1215. 375-1111 or any member of the Charlotte p Business League. Born 61 years ago in Tuscaloosa. Alabama, j- Young moved north with his I. family, like millions of other i* southern blacks, to escape the South's economic depression in the I920’s. His father opened a cleaners and tailoring shop in Detroit’s working-class neighborhood of "Black Bottom." As a youth. Young found many doors closed to him because of his nationality. Although he as an excep tionally bright student, a Catholic higb school and the University of Michigan refused him financial aid. In the 1930’s a perfect score was not good enough for a bright Negro student to secure an electrician's job at Ford Motor Company, so Young went to work on the assembly line where he became an active trade union organizer. After serving with the Tuskegee Airmen, an elite black flying unit in World War II, Young returned to Detroit and founded the Na tional Negro Labor Council. The Council pushed for equal job opportunities, for cing Sears and other major companies to hire blacks. Coleman A. Young .. Mayor of Detroit In I't.t'Z the right-wing House Un-American Ac tivities Committee calledton Young to surrender the Coucil's membership list to the Attorney General, who labeled it a "subversive organization." Young refused to yield to the red-baiting and disband ed the Council. He later told a reporter, "In those days if you were trying to do anything for blacks, you were a Communist." After a seriesof odd jobs as cleaner, taxi driver, butcher and insurance salesmen. Young launched a full-time political career in the 1060's. He served in the Michigan State Senate form 1064 to 1073. where he led their struggle for open housing and for school busing to achieve integration. In I'HiO Michigan Democrats elected him the first black to serve on the Democratic Na tional (>>mmittee. Today he is a Vice President of the Committee. wnen inung deemed in run for mayor of Detroit in 1973, he faced a "law and order" white police commis sioner, John Nichols. In a ci ty where crime anti unemployment rates were soaring. Young won a nar row victory by H.000 votes on a platform of racial coopera tion. Now in his second term as mayor. Young has five years' experience grappling with see YOUNG on page f. CRC To Investigate Complaints Prohibiting discrimination in housing practices, the Charlotte Fair Housing Ordin anee went into effect this week. This is the first an'i-discrim ination ordinance enacted by the City of Charlotte which provides enforcement powers Raleigh and Charlotte are presently the only cities in North Carolina with enforce able fair housing legislation Raleigh s ordinance was en acted in 197fi The Charlotte Fair Housing Ordinance "represents a strong commitment by the City to equal opportunity in housing for all residents in Charlotte, ’ says Sis Kaplin, chairman of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Community Re lations Committee (CRC), which will administer the ordinance Ms Kaplan expressed her approval "that the Charlotte Board of Realtors and the Charlotte Apartment Associa tion's Legislative Committee have endorsed this ordin ance.” In the ordinance the CRC has the powe^- to investigate and resolve discrimination complaints based on race, color, sex. religion or national origin. To resolve a complaint, a record of the alleged discrim inatory act must he filed with the CRC within 90 days Then the CRC has 60 days to resolve the complaint, after which the complainant may file -suit in Superior Court If a complaint cannot be resolved through voluntary conciliation the CRC may hold a public hearing which the involved parties may be re quired to attend Under the ordinance, the CRC has subpoena powers to require testimony and re cords The Committee may also, with City Council's approval, apply to the court for tempo rary injunctions or restraining orders to prevent the sale or property rental until the com plaint is resolved. hollowing a hearing, the CRC will issue its findings of facts and conclusions of laws based on the evidence presen ted If the complaint still has not been resolved, the CRC may file suit in Superrior Court on behalf of the compl i ainanl. with the apprroval of Citv Council. Wi Photographer James Peeler caught these members of the House of Prayer in a Festive mood during their annual Convocation cele bration here last week.