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_ BLACK MABKIT
The Voice Of The Black Community call
—THE chaRLOTTE POST - Thursday, October 24, 1985 Pril,0.
-1
To CMzon Groups
See Story On Page 12A
Officer Williams
Jiicole Berry
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■ py Jaiyne strong
Post Staff Writer
Fourteen-year-old Nicole Berry is
a ninth grader at Ranson Junior
High School. She’s already looking
forward to graduating next year and
geltg on to high school. Why? “To
get an education," Nicole says.
Presently, her favorite subjects
are math and the sciences, especial
ly chemistry. These interests are
sure to be relied on when Nicole
becomes the nurse sbe aspires to be.
She’s not quite sure about the rea
sons she wants to be a nurse. “I’ve
just always wanted to be one,”
Nicole-pointa out. “I want to help a
lot of people out.” When she be
comes a nurse, Nicole says, she may
also work part time at a
MacDonald’s. Fourteen is still an
idealistic age
For fun, Nicole likes to do regular
teenage stuff. "I like to talk on the
phone, go to the movies and have a
good time riding around,” she
describes. One of her favorite
■ movies so far Is the “Goonies.” “It
"fm 1‘ight silly,” Nicole critiques.
VjQf course Nicole goes to the
movies at Queenpark along with
what seems to be a million other
Charlort^ teenager* What’s the
attraction? Nicole tells, “To see the
vouna men ”
reason by noting, "Because I don’t
look like I’m 14. Sometimes I look
older, sometimes I look younger,”
Nicole laments.
One thing Nicole does like is being
the youngest in her family. She has
an older brother, Kelvin, who’s 21
and an older sister, Tonja, 20.
Nicole mentions that though she and
her brother fight she loves him alot.
In describing her sister, Nicole
claims, "She’s crazy. But we get
along pretty good.” About being the
baby of the crew, Nicole admits, “I
like it, I’m spoiled.”
Her mother, Bobbie, spoils her,
Nicole confesses. "She does more
for me than anyone else,” she adds.
Her mother, Nicole asserts, is the
person she most admires.
Perhaps, Nicole’s mother follows
the advice Nicole would give to
adults on dealing with their teenage
children. She suggests, “Listen to us
and try to understand us more each
day. See how we feel.”
This week’s beauty attends <
Rockwell AME Zion Church.
If Bond Issues Are Approved
Richardson Urges Equal
Treatment For West Side
By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer
There is a push on to win the
support of voters on the west side of
Charlotte for bonds which, at least
on the surface, appear to primarily
benefit other areas of the city and
county.
State representative from District
59, Jim Richardson, while coming
short of urging west side voters not
to approve the bonds, does want
them to stop and think before
making their decision.
His concern, he says, is local go
vernment’s commitment to the west
side of town; or, perhaps more to the
point, a perceived lack of commit
ment.
While admitting that the bonds are
for projects which are needed, he
protests that the east side “always
gets priority, while the west'side is
neglected.” - ,
mere are still areas to the west
without water and sewer,.he points
9*JwUJwUftck M>ervice» is wJiit
Se^j-ti^velopmenffrofft'oecurtrtdjg.
He Wants to see an equal commit
ment on the part of elected officials
for the west side of town.
Richardson recalls that a number
of years ago during an early airport
bond issue campaign, the black
community's initial lack of support
eventually led to greater minority
inclusion in the project. “When
black or west side communities have
hung back, then officials have given
greater priority to their needs and
concerns,” he remarks.
It's just this sort of trading,
''one-hand-washes-the-other.’’ that
Richardson wants to see happen
regarding the current bond issues.
“On the west side of town, people
understand and sympathize with the
water and road problems in the
southeast,” he declares, "but we
expect them to support efforts for
the west side.”
Top priority issues in the west, in
Richardson’s opinion, include the
completion of water and sewer lines
to spur development, and the ac
tive encouragement of develop
ment by elected officials and the
Planning commission. A lot of what
1 has been approved for the west side
are not given priority, but are part of
_JHHSk
.State representative
uve or m-year plans, ne notes
Although he admits that Dr. Jay
Robinson, superintendent of schools,
has made a good case for the
construction of four of the proposed
new schools in the southeast,
Richardson fears the burden will fall
primarily on inner city children to
be bussed out rather than for chil
dren in the southeast to be bussed in.
Additionally, without increased
development in the west, the shift in
population base may make it econo
mically unfeasible to maintain all of
the schools currently operating on
the west side.
Richardson would like to see ex
plored the possibility of building
some of the new schools closer in,
although he admits land costs could
be a prohibiting factor. What he
wants to avoid is “an undue burden”
being placed on one segment of the
community.
Other proposed projects to benefit
from bond money include an in
cinerator and several swimming
pools Of the incinerator, he states
that one of the more likely sites
would be at a closed landfill on
Statesville Road. "That side of town
has paid its dues as far as having
dumps," he comments.
Of the pool project, he says, "Fine,
but is it above development of the
west side of town?" Then he reite
rates, “All of these are things the
city or county needs, but I question
the priorities "
Besides development for the west
side. Richardson wants to see a
greater commitment on the part of
local government to support mi
nority and women businesses. “The
private sector does a better job of
giving business to minorities and
women than government does," he
remarked
Pointing out that the decision
makers who could determine city
county policy regarding women and
minority business are the same
officials who are involved in the
bond issues. Richardson would like
to see some give and take result
ing in a stronger commitment on the
part of government toward doing
business with minority and women
enterprises.
At-Large Candidate
: “Giampion Of The Underdor j
By Audrey C. Lodato
Poat Staff Writer
A* top vote-getter in the Democra
tic primary few at-large City Council
seata, A1 Rousao says that. If elect
ed, he would "stop, look, and listen,
and then do what I think is best for
• the city of Charlotte "
Rousso, who Is owner of Brownlee
Jewelers, may be the local cham
pion of "the little people" and small
businesses. Rousso Is no stranger to
fighting the powers that be for what
he believes to be right • ■
He says a lot of people In Charlotte
haven’t gotten a fair ahake. "I have
seen people displaced, who didn’t
have the funds to fight for their
rights. I would fight for the little
man. I am from 'little people.' and 1
understand the small person's
problems, ” he states. „ . -
One of the main Issues Rousso has
been addressing as the campaign
progresses % that of eity
expenditures There must be ways,
ha reasons, of cuttti* expenses as
other eitiee have dorXv >
An opponent of a payroll tan,
R<***o comments, "I'm against
another burden on the tax-paying
cltlzemof Charlotte. Tim dty should
took Mo ways of saving as a
aSggffa care
businesses who woidd be saddled
r
wi%th« responsibility of Additional
tax-keeping procedures, and might
discourage new businesses from
opening here
The candidate would like to see a
re-ordering of prioritise The traffic
situation he calls atrocious and
thinks mantes spent an other
Projects should have been ueed to
allevlata Charlotta’s traffic
problems
A new coliseum, he baHevet, is
tomthing the city can live without
for a few more years “It put us on
the brink of our credit limit,*' he
states, and may ultimately mean
more taxes because of other needed
projects
Growth, Rousso believes, can be
directed with incentives, such as tax
breaks, lower-interest loans for
housing, and greater city-developer
participation
"The entire scope of this
campaign," he summarizes, “is
growth, taxes, and traffic ’’
The primary front-runner adds
that he would investigate “why
certain areas of town are treated as
step-children '’ After exploring the
problem, he would push for giving
more neglected areas priority “If
they were neglected, they should be
on top of the totem pole," he
declares.
A1 Rousso is a native of Mont
gomery, Alabama. He came to
Charlotte in 1M6 aa a clerk for
Brownlee, which he bought is years
ago His civic Invofvwnenta include
membership in the Jaycees; troop
commute# chairman and Ufa Scout
for Boy Scouts of America, board of
direct*-* of Holy Angels Nurasry:
prwMsnt, vice president, treasurer,
and board member of Temple
Israel; end regional vice president
of United Synagogue of America ,
Rousso would bring to City Council
» years of business experience in
Charlotte He Is firmly committed to
N_/
uptown Charlotte, where he kept his
business while others were fleeing to
the suburbs His original store has
expanded to four locations
This businessman considers
himself quick to learn and a good
manager "I would consider every
angle before T cast a vote," he
remarks A large part of
government, he adds, is common
sense, with specialists available for
direction in making informed
decisions. "You can apply business
sense to the running of the city," he
claims "Our budget of almost $300
million has to be watched more
closely than in the past
"I look into every area before I do
something. I can be an astute
Council member," he adds.
Rousso and his wife. Doris, have
four sons, two of'whom are in the
jewelry business in Charlotte. The
other two are commercial artists
living in Atlanta and New York
Sailboard Regatta
Mecklenburg County Park k Re
creation Department and All-Star
Sports win co-spensor a Sailboard
Regatta at Ramaey Greek Park on
Lake Norman Sunday, Novembers
The regatta Is open to all •‘nit of
sailboards and there le no entry fee
Registration to at 1:10 p m. with
races starting at».