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— ■'' . CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, November 7, 1985 Price 40 Cent
| What Are The |
; l»CTdf» For A
: Good Marriage
See Story On Page 4A A
Rev. Dewberry
By Jaljrne Strong
Post Staff Writer
Attractive Charm ie Gaston is this
week's beauty; A native of Mt. Holly,
NC, she’s 20-years-old and has
recently- began a new job with
Burlington Coat Factory Warehouse
Store.
But there’s a lot more toCharmie
than meets the eye. She’s also mar
ried, the mother of two small
children, With aspirations of becom
ing a beautician.
After getting more settled into her
position at the store, Charmie plans
to go to cosmetology school to re
educate herself in the craft of hair
styling, which she enjoyed studying
in high school. Though she’s not
presently in school, Charmie does
practice the art of hairdressing by
penning and styling Iter friends’ and
relatives’ hair.
"Pve always enjoyed fixing hair,”
she relates And as soenfas the time
is right, assures Charade, “I’m
going to get my license. ” .
Yet right now, Charmie ha* her
hands full with her two children,
LaKeftha, three; and La Quae, 13
months. The two tykes keep her
quite busy and tMugh Charmie
notes that they are “pretty sweet
and well-mannered” children.
"Sometimes,” says the young
toother, ”1 have to try to keep from
pulling my hair out.’’
Married for two years to Keith,
Charmie says she also spends a lot of
time taking care of her marriage
“It can be a struggle,” she confess
es and from experience she believes
idealistically, people should be older
before they get hitched "You have
to give up a lot,” Charmie notea. The
foundation of a happy marriage
should be equality, says this young
lady. “Things should be 50-50,” ex
plains Charmie. “Not just for seif."
r or relaxation, me Dusy wile and
mother says she likes to unwind by
going out to clubs once in a while.
The area club she enjoys most is Mr.
Pee’s on Freedom Dr. “It’s very
nice,’’ describes Charmie.
A gifted singer, Charmie also likes
belting out a few songs. She won
first place in a high school talent
show for singing. She prefers soul
music and especially the songstress
Whitney Houston, who’s soprano
voice, Charmie claims, is similar to
her own.
Lnarmie is one of a family of four
girls. Her sisters Cassandra, Alesia
and Shawn and herself are all pretty
close in age. What was it like
growing up in a house of four fe
males? "Locks on the closets,”
laughs Charmie. “Everyone could
wear the same things. It was a
hassle,” she adds. However,
Charmie says, “Now, we get along
a lot better since we're spread out.
You knosv how women are,” she
smiles.
The other woman in Charmie’s
childhood household was Shirley
Mack, her mother and the person
she most admires. “She raised four
children: kept a roof over our heads
and saw us all through school My
youngest sister, who’s still in high
school, will be going to college. I
admire my mother a lot for what’s
she was able to do for us,” af
firms Charmie.
ane, ot course, wants to do the
same and more for her own chil
dren. Charmie says her future will,
for the most part, be devoted to the
raising of her daughter and son
“Leading them in the right direct
tion and providing educational op
portunities for them,” she elabo
rates. For herself, ten years from
now she projects, “I’ll be settled and
successful, owning a beauty salon.”
For a person who says about
herself, “I like things to go my
way,” Charmie will likely try ex
tremely hard to reach her goals.
"But I do bend,” she adds, and it’s
assured that she'll even manage to
work around any unforeseen snags
Gantt Reelected
"r
Kousso Provides
Election’s Biggest Surprise
By Audrey C. Lodato
Paat Staff Writer
While it earne as no great sur
prise that incumbent Mayor
, Harvey Gantt handily won re
election on Tuesday, the election
was not without some unexpected
rapuM*
District 3 City Council member,
Ron Lecper, who had no apposition,
expressed that opinion when he
stated. “I’d be surprised if anyone
was not surprised at Rouaso’s lead
I thought he and Stenhouse might be
a toes-up for fourth niece."
Instead, jeweler A1 Rousso was
the top veto-getter, with 33,740 votes,
over 3,000 more than Me pexl rlnacet
opponent, Richard Vinroot lUwao’s
total waa 15 percent W the vote In a
field of eight candidates The next
three highest each had approxi
mately 14 percent at the total votes
■; cast for at-large City Council seats
With two aMargo seats going to
Democrats 'Rousso, C. Pattern*)
and two to Republicans (incumbents
Vinroot and Trench); and with the
only contested district seat (District
f f 'VfihP > W- V V - •*»
^ •
4> going to Democrat Roy Malthas
City Council win once again here a
Democratic majority.
' Howaigniflcant it that?
According to Ron Leeper, not
1 •*< ,jr , '.-.A
1
r
. ....At-Large winner
out after the election, not many local
issues are determined by party "
He added, however, that "tome of
the people elected will be benefi
dal to the Democratic mayor "
Charlie Donnelly, incumbent from
District l, agreed with Lseper’s
estimation of-the relative impor
tance of political party at (he City
Council level.
Ronl^eeper
.District 3 incumbent
“From the party standpoint." he
began, “it makes a difference But
from the serviceto-the-city stand
point. it doesn't make a difference
"Newly elected Council members
are going to be as well-informed and
eager to serve the dtllenry as those
already on Council.
“The citizens elected responsible
people.” he added.
Majeed Gives Update
On “Business Incubator”
By Audrey C. Lodato
Post Staff Writer
Several weeks ago the Post
reported on efforts by the West
Trade-Beatties Ford Area
Merchants Association to spur
economic development on the
westside. Cited among the
association's projects was a
"business incubator” which would
provide space and support services
for small businesses just getting
started. Here is an update on that
proposed project.
At the next meeting of the
association on November 25, Chilton
Rodgers, assistant director of the
North Carolina Development
Authority (NCDA), will brief
members and elected officials on the
intricacies of an incubator.
According to Nasif Majeed,
president of the association, a
business incubator is seen as a
mechanism to increase employment
opportunities in an area, as well as
to increase the tax base.
It enhances the viability of new
through the
for new busine^^stoacquire, such
as computer access, a business
library, marketing services,
possibly discounted accounting
services, other business expertise,
and even copy machines
rne incubator would have an
executive director and secretarial
personnel. The center would also
actually lease space to start-up
Nasif Majeed
.WTBFAMA president
companies at a greatly reduced
rate.
“We're looking for industrial type
businesses, light assembly or light
manufacturing, because, generally
speaking, these have the potential
* for employing more people,"
"However, we will
Swo sme to assist’ retail
businesses.”
He adds that the association will
have to develop statistical data in
the Beatties Ford area. The proposal
to the NCDA is to be submitted by
December 30 in anticipation of fiscal
year 1986
Majeed explains that the
Authority puts up $200,000, which is
matched by private or public
sources. "We’ll have a series of fund
raisers,” he remarks.
“It would be a golden opportunity
for the county and the city to join in
this investment." he says “We’re *“>
taking the position of solving
problems, which is a breath of fresh
air for our total community.”
Majeed does not anticipate any
problems with the city or (he county..
"Their initial response has been
positive.” he says, “but we have to
go into more detail with them
i nere are no negative aspects in
an investment like this," he adds.
Majeed believes that a project
such as the business incubator
••facilitates communities believing
in the positive powers within
themselves."
It is not known yet precisely where
the incubator facility might be
located, if funding is approved. And
it would not be the first such project
in the state. The Smoky Mountain -
Development Corporation has three
centers in the works, with one
scheduled to open this fall.
The West Trade-Beatties Ford f
Area Merchants Association is also v
working with .hohnson C SifiMTorr* 0|
Project Catalyst, a development
project near the university, savs
Majeed.
1,11 mercnams association
currently has about 50 members It
has grown rapidly since its inception
a few months ago Majeed estimates
there are about 150 merchants in the
West Trade Beatties Ford Road
area
Where Will Bob Walton Go From Here ?
ny .\uorey i.ooaio
Post Staff Writer
County Commissioner Rev. Bob
Walton recently announced his de
cision to remain in the Democratic
Party, ending months of specula
tion over whether or not the four
term Commissioner would switch
political affiliation.
wauon s aecision was Dasea on his
conclusion that, “I would be truer to
myself and to those who have given
me support in my several cam
paigns by remaining in the Demo
cratic Party... I did not want to give
any credence whatsoever to those
who would say that I had ‘sold out’
and more importantly, I did not
want to destroy, in any way, my
credibility and integrity.”
With the party question settled,
the next question becomes, where
will Bob Walton go from here?
‘‘I have three options,” he re
marked in a recent interview.
Those options are to run again for
the County Commission in 1986, to
possibly run for the state legisla
ture. or to take a sabbatical.
“My wife often tells me to run for
the county line or to run for cover,”
he laughed. “It's a very time
consuming endeavor to hold public
office.” His daughter Karen’s first
word, he noted ruefully, was “meet
ing "
With the elections now over,
Walton expects to come to a deci
sion on his future course after
further discussions with close
friends and political advisors.
If he decides to run for a fifth term
on the commission, he’ll need to
choose whether to go for one of three
at-large seats or to run from his
district Until now, the commission
did not have district representation
If he decides to run for a seat on
the state legislature, his pre
ference is the Senate “I wouldn't
rule out the House, but the Senate is
a smaller body.'' he commented. “I
think I would be more effective
working in a smaller body " Those
presently holding the seats for which
he would consider running are
Senator Mel Watt and Represen
tative Jim Richardson neither of
whom Walton would look ,‘oiv ird to
challenging.
And then there are others who
have suggested Walton seek other
offices “Some have said i ought to
consider running for statewide of
fice, maybe lieutenant governor.'' he
related
One thing he has learned in his
years in politics: “Don ' -ule any
thing out: you never say never' '
He continued. “All of us in public
office think about where you want to
be five or six years from now One
day I wouldn't mind being mayor of
this city, or a member of Congress.
Certainly, Jesse Jackson has in
spired all of us "
whatever he does Walton said
he's sure of the support of his family
and his church. St Paul's My
family would support me." he re
ported. “even though it takes
away a lot of time from the
family They believe in my giving
time for public service ”
So does the congregation he has
pastored for 13 years The church,
he explained, sees his political role
as “an extension of our ministry It's
one thing to talk about feeding the
hungry and other problems facing
society As a commissioner. I’m
able to actually do something, to
vote for programs that help '
Among the examples he cited are
the hot lunch program for senior
citizens, a library and other ser
vices in the western half of the
county, and the assumption of emer
gency services by the county, a
move which he initiated
Walton was also the commissioner
who recommended to the board
that the questioo of four year tarms
for commissioners be put on the
ballot. He advocated doubling the
term of office for two major rea
sons. One is that campaigning takes
See WALTON On Page ISA