THE CHARLOTTE P{ fST
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HISTORIC PROPERTIES ”
i ne ^narioue-iviecKienDurg Historic Pro
perties Commission has been awarded a
_ >2,000 grant from the National Trust for
Historic Preservation in Washington,
D.C. The matching grant from the
Consultant Services category of the
Preservation Services Fund will help to
finance an adaptive reuse study of Little
Rock AME Zion Church..Chartered by
Congress in 1949, the National Trust for
Historic Preservation encourages parti
cipation by Americans in the preserv
ation of this country’s buildings, sites,
objects, districts and structures. This is
done, in part, through grants and loans to
member nonprofit organizations and
public agencies. The Preservation
Services Fund awards grants in three
categories: consultant services (to fund
outside professional help on specific
projectsi: preservation education (to
support program development at the
elementary through post-graduate
level); and co-sponsored conferences (to
support conferences that address sub
jects of particular importance to historic
preservation). - By this action the Nation
al Trust is helping to preserve one of the
most magnificent buildings in the history
of Charlotte architecture and the black
community," said. Dr. Payl Escott,
Chairman of the Historic Properties
Commission.
Supporters Of ERA
Set March For Raleigh
RALEIGH - Supporters
of the Equal Rights
Amendment will march
“Shoulder to Shoulder" in
Raleigh, at noon on Satur
day, May 2. The march is
sponsored by North Caro
linians United for ERA and
50 member organizations
as a positive statement of
the justice of.equal legal
rights for all people.
"This is an opportunity
for men and women across
the state to join together to
express our commitment to
the principles of justice and
fair legal treatment repre
sented by the Equal Rights
Amendments,” said Beth
McAllister, president of
NCUERA. 'We are demon
strating that these issues
will not disappear and our
work will continue in the
future as it has persevered
in the past.”
Participating individuals
and groups will meet at the
field in front of the Arch
dale and Dobbs Buildings,
corner of Peace St. and
Wilmington St. The
“Shoulder to Shoulder”
procession will lead to a
brief program at the Capi
tol Building.
“The march is also a
celebration of the hard
work of North Carolina's
grass roots supporters over
the past eight years, and
the benefits that have al
ready come about as a
result of their hard work,"
McAllister said. “We are
celebrating the time, the
energy, and the gift of
themselves these people
have given in order that
men and women might
have justice."
Bett Hargrave, coordina
tor of the N.C. Council of
Churches' Religious Com
State’s Infant Mortality
Rate Declines 30 Percent
Special To The Post
RALKIGH - Dr. Sarah T.
Morrow, Secretary of the
N C. Department of Hu
man Resources announced
today that the state's infant
mortality rate declined by
30 percent betwee nl973
and 1979.
The infant mortality rate
is the number of babies
who die before reaching
their first birthday.
“This is a clear indica
tion that North Carolina's
pregnant women and in
fants are getting health
ier,’’ Dr. Morrow said.
“And I think that the de
cline can be attributed to
better overall general
health care, better nutri
tion and improved care
during pregnancy and
childbirth Two other signi
ficant factors have made
^ this possible. One is the
growing and closer part
nership between public and
private health care provid
ers and the other is in
j^rease<ncvislative^juj>|x)r^
wntwn
The salary we used to
dream of is the one today
we can’t live on.
> I
since 1974 to improve ser
vices to high risk mothers
and their babies.”
The death rate of babies
from 20 weeks of preg
nancy through the first 28
days of life (the perinatal
period) declined by 30.7
percent; fetal mortality (20
weeks of pregnancy
through birth) declined by
mortality (from birth
through the first 28 days of
life) declined by 33.3 per
cent in the same time
period.
From 1973 to 1979, the
death rate of infants at
birth weighing three
pounds (1501 grams) and
less declined by 14.1 per
cent while the death rate at
birth for those weighing be
tween three poui. ’s and
five and a half pour' i < 2500
grams) declined by 32.5
percent The death rate of
infants at birth born at
normal birthweight also
declined by 33.3 percent.
The decline in the death
rate for low birhtweight
infants during the first 2D
days of life was even more
pronounced with those un
der three pounds showing a
28 2 percent decline in the
death rate, those from
three to five and a half
pounds showing a 53 7 per
cent decline and infants or
cent decline and infants or
normal birthweight show
ing at 36 1 percent de
crease
>
mittee for ERA. added.
This is a matter of sim
ple justice. It is right, and
we are going to continue to
work for the ideal of equal
ity for all people "
A planning committee
appointed by NCUERA is
coordinating arrange
ments for the "Shoulder to
Shoulder" march. McAllis
ter said initial response has
been enthusiastic, with lo
cal groups spreading the
word and beginning to or
ganize transportation to
Raleigh
Promotional materials --
including T-shirts, buttons,
and posters -- will be avail
able to commemorate the
event The promotional
items carry a quote from
Susan B. Anthony summar
izing the purpose of the
march: “Never another
season of silence until wo
men have the same rights
as men have on this green
earth.” Funds generated
from sales will be used
toward ratification of the
Equal Rights Amendment,
in North Carolina and other
states.
For further information,
contact NCUERA, 5 W
Hargett St., Raleigh. 919
828-0568
— ^^^ v uvo
Census Bureau Reports:
1 Of 3 U.S. Households
Gets Government Aid
FOCUS Sets
People’s Town
Meeting Day
ment Section of the Meck
lenburg County Agricul
ture Extension Agency is
joining FOCUS on the John
son C. Smith University
Urban Studies Center in
announcing People's Town
Meeting Day Part II.
The Town Meeting, the
culmination of the second
part of the Black Urban
Symposium, will be held at
the Johnson C. Smith Uni
versity Student Union at
9:45 a.m. on Saturday,
April 11
Guest speaker will be
Henry McKoy, assistant se
cretary for the Department
of Administration. Govern
or's-Office. His topic will
be: ' Responding to To
day s tconomic and Poli
tical Needs - A Challenge.”
In the first part of the
symposium, which started
last fall, hundreds of Char
lotte area residents met
weekly at JCSU and drew
up a document, identifying
concerns facing the black
community.
During part two of the
symposium, residents
drew up a more compre
hensive document which
lists suggestions and re
commendations toward im
plementing solutions
toward solving problems
raised in part one. The
document will be made pu:
blic for the first time
during this meeting.
The meeting will also
include a leadership train
ing and development sem
inar which will be a first
step in the organization of
neighborhood groups
through increased citizen
participation.
A schedule of the day's
activities is as follows;
9:15-9:45 - Registration;
9:45-10:45 - Group Session.
10:45- 11 - Break; 11-11:30
Speaker (Henry McKoy i;
and from 11 30-1:30 Lead
ership Training and De
velopment.
JANICE ELAINE BROWN
...Rutledge College honor student
Janice E. Brown
Is Beauty Of Week
By Terea Burns
I’ost Staff Writer
Janice Elaine Brown is
among the lop of her class
at Kutledge College and
recently was listed on the
college's Dean's list
"I believe 1 became an
honor student because I
pray a lot It's due to the
answer to my prayers and
a lot of w ork behind them
Ms. Brown explained con
cerning her success.
Ms. Brow n is completing
her final quarter of Secre
tarial Science "I'm study
ing to become a medical
secretary I like dealing
with people and I've al
ways liked learning new
experiences."
The daughter of Irene
Brown and Leonard
Brown, our Leo beauty has
two sisters and two bro
thers To summarize her
feelings concerning her
tor Community Hospital
WGIV Radio Will Host
Rally And Picnic Sunday
By Susan Kllsworth
Post Staff Writer
“People think of Char
lotte Community Hospital
as a black hospital, a free
nursing home or a place to
die...” according to Terri
Byrum, public relations
spokesman for CCH.
To combat that image
the hospital along with
WGIV Radio will host a
rally and picnic on Sunday.
April 12, from 1-5 p.m.
complete with live music,
clowns, balloons and
prizes.
Speakers Jim Black of
WGIV and Ms Byrum. the
rally organizer, will pre
sent arguments on why the
hospital should be saved
The rally is the first of
two programs designed to
raise public support for
saving the hospital and pos
sibly influencing the Coun
ty Commission decision
May 1 on whether or not the
hospital will close
Opened in 1868 as Good
Samaritan Hospital by the
Jim Black
.. Guest Speaker
Episcopal Church, this was
the only black hospital in
the country then
“If you were black and
born in Charlotte up till
1958 you were born in Good
Sam." Black said.
When it was sold to the
i
City in 1963 it became
Charlotte Community Hos
pital which houses a
general care facility. Sur
gery and emergency are
the only facilities not avail
able
Poor image and lack of
funds are the major handi
caps the hospital faces Up
till March 81, Charlotte
Community Hospital didn't
have a public relations
spokesperson Many of the
patients are indigent Clos
ing the hospital would
move them and responsi
bility for the poor to Char
lotte Memorial -- the other
county hospital, Ms.
Byrum said.
Although it has 143 beds,
only 30-40 patients use
Charlotte Community Hos
pital now Two wings have
been closed at the hospital
located one block of More
head at 801 S Graham near
Third Ward- One hundred
twenty employees are on
See WGIV on Page 10
family she confessed. "I
wish there were more!”
She described her
mother as being her • fa
vorite person
She helped to encourage
me through school At
times l wanted to slop and
get a job right away. Then
she would encourage me to
continue. She's always
been there when I needed
her "
Another friend of Ms.
Brown’s is Jerry Oates w ho
showed her that people can
be sincere. "I used to be
mean," our beauty admit
ted." and 1 had such a
negative attitude But
when I talked to Jerry as a
friend, he helped me to
change and now we are the
best of friends."
Ms Brown believes that
prayer is important "I
believe in praying and be
ing faithful I have always
prayed . in the morning
and at school. I've always
done this, it has always
f>een a part of me." Ms.
Brown also feels that love
is important in this world
loday, our 20 ycm r old
-beauty describes hersell as
a nice person. “I like meet
ing different people and I
like to keep people laugh
ing by cracking jokes "
Our beauty enjoys her
self by singing, roller skat
ing and writing poems She
recently began attending
Gethsemane Baptist
Church where ltev Dew
berry is the pastor
She also enjoys the talent
of Dionne Warwick. “She's
always been my favorite";
Diana Koss, “When I saw
her special on television
she brought back a lot of
memories ', and Roberta
Flack. “She usually sings
duets and I love harmony."
While our beauty enjoys
music she deploys crime,
especially the occur ranees
in Atlanta She would like
to see more union "I would
like to see everyone come
together as one I would
like to have white and
black come together and be
friendlier and love one an
other." she expressed
One final fact of life our
beauty says she cannot
forget. "Life can be won
derful.” she says, "if you
make it that way "
-
I
Green: Medicare Is The
Single largest Program
i ne census tsureau. in its
first iook at who gets go
vernment help, reported
Thursday, that lederal he'
nefit programs reach one
out ol every three Ameri
can households
The agency studied non
cash assistance programs
as of 1979. reporting on the
recipients of food stamps,
school lunch aid. subsi
dized housing. Medicare
and Medicaid.
According to the repoi.,
these programs reached
27.190.000 households out of
a total of 79.108.000
.Medicare is the single
largest program, covering
one or more persons in
18,52t>.iK*0 households
Gordon W Green .!r . au
thor of the . report, cau-'
tioned that the.large num
ber of people covered by
. Medicare means the totals
do not merely reflect a
picture of assistance to the
poor.
Medicare eligibility is
based on age or being dis
abled, he noted, noi in
come Green said that peo
ple receiving only Medi
care totaled more than halt
of those studied Thus,
those receiving assistance
based on income level ac
counted (or about one
household in six
Ninety percent of the
people covered by Medi
care! were white. 9 percent
black, and the rest were
listed as Hispanic.
According to the report.
15 million of the involved
households included some
one aged 65 or over
• Forty percent of the
covered individuals either
lived alone or with people
not related to them, and in
78 percent of the cases the
householder was female
i no median income of
households with somone
covered by Medicare was
$8,584. compared to
for all households in the
country Green noted that
most Medicare recipients
are over age and living
on retirement income
While Medicare is aimed
at the aged and disabled,
Medicaid tries to help
needy families with de
pendent children li cover.
ed 18 1 million people in
- eight-million—h.irnrhnhR
under a complex array of
rules that vary Irom state
to state
The median income of
households with Medicaid
coverage was only $5,990
Of these. 68 percent had a
white householder, HO per
cent black and nine percent
Hispanic.
According to the report,
about 5.9 million house
holds received food
stamps. 66 percent of them
including children under
age 19 These households
had a median income of
$5,100 and 77 percent of
them had incomes under
$10,000
While all public school
lunches are at least partly
subsidized, special pro
grams provide free or re
duced cost lunches to
children from low income
families.
Children from families
earning less than 125 per
cent of the poverty level get
free lunches, while price
reductions are available
for those from families
rated between 125 percent
and 195 percent of poverty
level.
A total ol *4 9 million
households have children
receiving this assistance.
ahoui rr,—pen out uf—rrti
households with school age
children. -
Dr Raleigh Bynum
Studies at Congress
l)r. Bynum
“Hones” His
sun. At stxx>
\TI \\ l A Dr K W
Bynum. () D of Charlotte.
N ( . area practitioner of
optometry, ha.-, just re
turned from honing his pro
fessional skills at the Sou
tern Kduational Congress
of optometry
The optometrist attended
educational courses at the
Congress designed to en
hance his proficiency as an
optometrist and as a pri
inary health care provider.
They also were aimed at
bringing him up-to-date
with the latest develop
ments in the field ol op
tometry and in the whole
sphere of eye care
While at the Congress he
took courses from among
more than 170 hours ot
continuing education that
covered everything from
recognition of eye disease
conditions to special cart
needed by people wearing
contact lenses. The courses
were taught by recognized
experts in vision health
from colleges and univers
ities not only throughout
the t nited Stales, hut from
anroaa as well.
The Congress, one <>( the
largest in the country, has
tioon hold anmmlly im lim
past :>8 years and ha> met
in Atlanta since 1959
The Congress is spon
sored hy the 4,ono-member
Southern Council of Opto
metrists, a 12-state region
al group whose purpose is
the advancement of opto
-metry and optorinclric pro
fessionalism, arul was cen
tered abound the theme of
"Excellence in Education
...Proficiency in Practice ”
Board Nomination
At its Monday, April 13.
meeting the Charlotte City
Council will make nomina
tions to fill two positions on
the Municipal Information
Advisory Board Persons
with suggestions for these
vacancies are requested to
contact any member of the
Charlotte City Council
The positions open for
nominations include:
Sarah Stevenson, was ap
pointed in May, 1977, for an
unexpired term and was
reappointed in March, 1978
for a three-year term
Wiley G. Held was ap
pointed in March, 1979, for
an unexpired term.
7T7.