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Voice Of The Bloch Community CAtl 37*-»«9*
™E CHARL0TTE PQST ' Thursda>. October 17, 1985 Price: «> Cents
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See Story On Page 6A
Hew Hawthorne
Al« McMillan (farfett) .peaks with
M the West Trade-Beattk* Ford Road Area
/<r » Association (1-r) Jew Webber, Naslf
!
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By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer
The West Trade-Beatties Ford
kretf Merchants Association began
Ejffi$M9fea£nft
'Iriday night when well-known tele*
vision Journalist Tony Brown M
lressed area business people and
Community leaders at McDonald’s
lafeteria
Brown was invited as the keynote
pehker because of his stress on
elf-reliance in the African-Amebi
an community and his current push
or the “Buy Freedom” Economic
‘ ipment Plan,
invited Tony Brown to come
community tb facilitate
is,’.* explained Nasif
president of the mer
^ wciatioo and of A*M Fast
B. “We’re trying to control our des
Blny and keep' money in our com
munity.'- he continued. “The pro
blem is in out attitudes. We as
^consumer* have to consciously
fumed our monies within our com
jmunities inorder tostop the drain of
** *ii2Lr ~
_
in the African-American communi
ty. .African-American businesses are
getting only 6.6 percent of their
market share, he said, and “no
business can make it like that.
“The majority of African-Ameri
cans have not realized their eco
nomic quotient,” he stated. “It's
basically an educational process ”
Majeed warned that if this tech
nique is not used to bring an
economic base to the community,
“no amount of money can turn
around the problem.”
He. named it a mental problem,
rather than an economic problem,
and called for discipline to make
the community’s spending benefit
itself. “As we realize this, we as a
community will be able to eat the
proper portion of our pie,” he
pointed out, which will mean re
claiming it from whoever has it.
“We plan on doing that," Majeed
asserted.
At its next regular meeting on
October 28, the association will come
to some decisions regarding what
members heard discussed at Fri
day’s affair.
The West Trade-Beatties Ford
.Area Merchants^Association was
*£*?:«* M^tgomery
CPCC drama student
established to promote economic de
velopment along the Beatties Ford
corridor from W. Trade north to the
Sunset Road area
Among its projects is the de
velopment of a “business incubator”
as a tool for economic stimulation
The incubator concept provides
space and support services for small
businesses which are just getting
started. The goal is to decrease the
high rate of failure among new
businesses
The association will be submit
ting its proposal for the incubator
program to the North Carolina
Technological Development Au
thority. Funding from the Authority
is to be matched locally on a 50-50
basis.
The West Trade-Beatties Ford
association is working together with
Johnson C. Smith University, local
government, and the private sector
on the project.
Majeed explained the concept as
an “investment" rather than a
"program" because it will result in
an increased tax base.
The association president is ex
cited. and it shows. “Our outlook is
optimistic," he reported
University Park Shoeing
Center To Get New Facelift
By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer
University Park Shopping Center
at LaSalle Street and Beatties Ford
Road is about to get a new lease on
life.
The shopping center, which had
deteriorated over the years since its
opening in 1957, has recently been
acquired by SADY Investments, Inc.
The new general manager is Sam
Young.
“Our first step is to clean it up and
make it more presentable," Young
said. Repaving the parking lot is a
high priority. Other improvements
include lighting, painting, and
landscaping. “We want to make it
look like new," he stated, “and
make it a more pleasant place for
people to shop.”
According to Young, there are
presently 11 businesses located in
the shopping center, and no va
ctyicies. "We wou!4 like to keep as
tnarty 4^canls as there are," he
noted. “We ekpect fo lose some, and
some have not been offered new
leases We anticipate vacancies
around the first of the year, but we
don't believe there will be a pro
blem getting new tenants."
Young said plans are to bring in a
new laundry around January. By
then, he added, the master plan will
be completed and SADY Invest
ments will be in a position to an
nounce specific plans for growth.
At present. Young did say he
hopes to add between 12- and 14,000
square feet of retail space and pos
sibly a day care center and a
professional building
He would also like to see a full
service drug store and perhaps a
supermarket chain.
The Police Department has ac
cepted an invitation to open a
satellite center there and the speci
fics are now being worked out.
A springtime festival is also in the
works for the shopping center
His aim. Young said, is to "pro
vide more of the highest quality
opportunities for the community,"
and to make University Park Shop
ping Center a focal point for the
Beatties Ford area He is hopeful jhe
community will be patient as
changes are effected and will sup
port the businesses located there.
Young, who is also president of
Sam Young
...General manager
the Beatties Ford Communities De
velopment Organization, pointed out
■' that that-orgahiza?ion has worked on
getting the Beatties Ford small area
plan approved and implemented,
and that University Park Shopping
Center is in line with that plan. "We
believe in the communal aspects of
business." he remarked.
Among the elements in the small
area plan are expanded parks, more
and better housing, the beautifica
tion of the Beatties Ford corridor,
the formation of a merchants' asso
ciation 'which has been done),
better public services, rezoning to
less intensive uses of property with
an accent on quality development,
the strengthening ot neighborhood
organizations, crime prevention, the
establishment of focal points for
neighborhoods, and a search for low *
interest loans for businesses and
housing.
"Because of the small area plan, a
portion of the Beatties Ford corri
dor has been certified by the
Planning Commission as a re
development area, which allows it to
receive tax-exempt funds for reno
vation, improvements, and new
buildings." Young explained.
The Beatties Ford Communities
Development Organization is in the
process of negotiating with a bank
ing partner to set up a loan fund, he
stated
Growth and development will pro
vide more jobs for people in the
area, he added.
Young sees his involvement in
the Beatties, Ford arpa as "a moral
obligation." '/
“My goal." he remarked, “has
been to make west Charlotte a better
place for the people who live there."
os well as to attract new develop
ment to the area, which he called
"one of the most convenient areas of
town "
Young, a real estate broker for
Merrill Lynch, is married to the
former Sherry Davis They have
three children. Sean. 11, Sheree.
seven, and Sheara, nine months
Dr. Mable McLean Is Considering Retiring
Dr Mable McLean, president of
Barber Scotia College in Concord for
10 years, has decided to retire in two
years.
McLean. 63. told college trustees
during their annual meeting last
weekend that she would stepdown at
the end of the 1987 academic year
"While she has announced her
retirement, she still has a very long
list of goals she has outlined for
herself to complete," college spokes
man Melvin Walton said recently
"So. the next two years will not be a
period of rest There's still a lot of
work going on "
The private college, with 400 stu
dents, is affiliated with the Presby
terian Church
See Dr Me LEAN' On Page 4A
Dr Mablr Mclyean
..Will step down
Montgomery Has Her Sights Set
On Glamorous Mode' ig Career
By.lalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
, ' "I'm a go-getter." expresses
pretty Yvette Montgomery who has
her sight set on the glamorous
careers of modeling and acting
About these alluring ambitions the
18-year-old admits, "I know it's
hard There's a lot of work In
volved. But f'm going to keep
pushing until I make it.”
A 1985 graduate of West Char
lotte High School, where she
reigned as Military Ball Queen for
the ROTC. Yvette is currently a
drama student at Central Piedmont
Community College (CPCC). She
says she plans to audition for
CPCC's upcoming play and she's
also looking forward to a class trip to
New York City's theatre district
"1 like being on stage," men
lions Yvette as to why her heart is
set on acting "I enjoy working
behind stage also," the notes "But
mostly I want to be in flront. being
noticed.”
Yvette sees herself as an especial
ly talented leading lady for love
scenes and comedies
While working towards an acting
career, this week’s beauty is Iwm
ing to develop star quality through
modeling for the Ebony & Ivory
modeling group “I love modeling,"
she emphasizes Modeling intro
duced her to the process of audi
tioning and Yvette has found that
she "loves" auditions also Audi
tions. she's found, do not make her
nervous nor do failed auditions deter
her "I don't quit," points out
Yvette. "If I don't do well on an
audition I don’t get discouraged I
just move on to the next one
"I get my ambition from my
grandmother Mable Dykes,”
Yvette reveals “I talk with her
everyday about the things I want to
do and she says go for my goals She
always encourages me "
Yvette also gives credit to her
mother. Nellie Montgomery, and her
three aunts. Geraldine Daniels.
Brodie Broadway, and Estella
Gibson, for their continuous sup
port
"My family is very ctoae,” she
reveals Yvette has one older sister,
Maria. 20. who, Yvette says. “Is my
best friend " There is also older
brother Alexander Dykes, 25 "I love
him very much," smiles Yvette
"We all get along very well ”
For relaxing hobbies. Yvette pre
fcrs drawing, for which she has a
real talent She received a scholar
ship to attend Queens College for a
summer program in art through
Project Excel She also enjoys
swimming and partying
One other activity she's enthusi
astic about partaking in is travel
ing And it’s to the biggest and
brightest U S cities. New York, Las
Vegas, and Hollywood, that Yvette
wants to go «
She is also intrigued by the cur
rent biggest and bright star* of Pop
music. "I admire Tina Tomer,"
states Yvette ‘ She has a jot &
strength. I love Prince!" she em-.
phasizes "He has realty caught my
attention ”
Ten years from today. Yvette
hopes to be garnering at least half at
many raves as these superstars “t
see myself as living In New Yerk,
making films, commercials and be
ing In the theatre HI also be ki
wealthy,” she smiles •
Yvette win never give up
dream to be ah actrem She pre
dicts. ‘1 won't be satitfied with
anything elee.”
This week’s beauty attends C. N.
Jenkins Presbyterian Churhh,
where she sings on the church choir