POST
“The Voice Of The BIock LCMtwnuniiy
r ; r,
«* ■ '' ' —i————_/_____■ /
- _THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, December 12, 1985_, Price :40 Cents
5
■s*:|
iV*v'
. o.. •
Story On Page 4A
B* kind to y«w Mm*. H H
Mra’t for Omm p«Wi total
flHPIBUv A> -J-C -f
- . -.
BY Jalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
Fourteen-year-old Usa Givens, a
ninth grader at Albemarle Road
Junior High School, participates In
her school’s French Chib, Band,
Honor Society, and Project Aries.
She will also be In the Teen Cotil
lion, sponsored by the Gamma
Sigma Rho Sorority this coming
spring.
Usa berime involved in the
Cotillion, a fund raiser for the
Sorority, through sponsorship by a /
Sorority member who she refers to
as “Mrs. Johnson.” Usa is looking
toward to the activities planned such
as: .self improvement courses, re
hearsals, and being to e parade, but
-JAke most fun is had through cotn
raderie of the girts. Says Usa, “I
like the other girls in it. They’re
really nice.”
Asked what other activitiss she
enjoys. Usa responds. ”1 talk on the
phone a lot, 1 have to confe*. I like
all different types of mneic, es
pecially Rap.” Doug E. Fresh is a
favorite of Lisa’s, though she has an
awful lime of trying to narrow her
choice down to one favorite mu
sician, Why is the attraction to Rap
music so prevalent among the
tetmage set? “I have no idea,”
laughs Lisa. “I guess it’s the
rhythm and learning the words,”
she surmises. To try to keep up with
and mimic the rappers is a chal
' lenge, Lisa acknowledges.
This week's beauty says it's OK
being 14. “Considering it’s as far as
I’ve gotten, it’s pretty good,” she
notes. At this stage, Lisa's most
excited about graduating from junior
high, going to high school and
driving.
Further in the future, this young
lady is weighing whether to pursue a
career in law or engineering. Law,
Lisa says, "Offers a lot of dif
ferent things you can go into.”
Meanwhile engineering is something
she took an Interest In through her
mother, a math teacher, and an
uncle who once was an engineer
See USA On Page 4A
WM fit ^
James Harris: Location An Important Consideration
Jim J. Hwrli
—ChirMti architect
"'.Sam
-'—•“*--—
ipaoe which may be ueed, the type of
equipment needed, who may work in
the home office, typo rddcloa
Anyone thinkinc about operettas a
By Audrey C. Lodato
Poat Staff Writer
An official chartering ceremony
for the National Black Child De
velopment Institute, Charlotte Affi
liate, Inc. (NBCDI-Charlotte), was
held on December 5 when national
director Evelyn K. Moore welcomed
the group on board .
NBCDI is a national, non-profit
organization dedicated to improving
the quality of life for black chil
dren. The Charlotte group’s interim
director is Arthur Griffin, business
owner and school board member.
The local group has been meeting
since July, spurred by the sharp
contrast in statistics between Mack
and white children In the incidence
Of such problems as teen pregnancy,
high school dropout, and Others '
i “We felt it was imperative to talk
about this,’’ says Griffin, who states
the Charlotte affiliate will be pri
marily an advocacy. group rather
than a service organization
iraibediate.flMlstbe group ^
Irop^why there am so few black
children in fhe schoc^ sys&em’a aca
demically gifted program, and ope
rating a thrift store in the black„ -
community to recycle quality, line
toys and clothes for needy children.
A step has been taken toward the
first goal. On November 25, a
workshop was held to provide each
NBCDI member with a baseline of
knowledge about the academically
gifted program.
According to Griffin, less than two
percent of black students are in the
program, whereas 16 percent of
white students are enrolled. “We
may find that the barriers are not
necessarily on the school side,”
notes Griffin. “We will look at the
community and the private sector as
well as public policy. We’re not here
just to knock on government’s
door.”
Griffin hopes to have the thrift
store off the ground by spring. The
first step, he says, is to find a place
to warehouse and catalog merchan
dise. Some products will be new,
while others will be good quality
used items. Prices will range up to
$5, with most in the 75 cents area, he
predicts.
As an affiliate to the national
organization, which began in
Greensboro in 1970, NBCDI
Charlotte will be able to receive
technical assistance from the parent
business from home should first
check with the Zoning Ordinance
Department.
Leasing is the moet common
means for acquiring space for small
businesses Explains Harris, "A
lease is simply a contract to rent
space for a predetermined period of
time, usually years.”
A primary advantage is the mo
dest capital Outlay required when
leasing. Modifying the space to suit
the lessee’s needs is sometimes In
cluded in the rent. And rental pay
ments are tax deductible as a bus!
Some entrepreneurs prefer teas
ing with the option to purchase Such
an arrangement is suitable whan the
company wants to own but cannot do
so initially A purchase option gives
the tenant the right to buy during a
specified period at time and usually
at a predetermined price.
The advantages at owning their
property make purchasing an exist
ing facility or building a new ona the
preferred choice for tome baatnsas
es Besides “pride at ownership,”
advantages include depreciation on
the value of improvements, .ppre
elation oh the property, control of
Arthur Griffin
.NBCDI interim director
organization, but sets its own goals.
Griffin sees its purpose as one of
educating and informing the com
munity about the problems con
cerning black children, and then
suggesting solutions.
“The black community itself
doesn’t get a good picture of the
gravity of the problem and how our
children are affected,” he states
“We don’t see the impact of teen
age pregnancy, for example, in a
way that we will try to do something
about it."
The organization’s role, he adds, is
to tie information together and keep
the issues of black children in front
of the community. "The statistics
are alarming," he warns. “The pro
blem isn’t going away; it’s getting
worse."
One immediate fund-raising pro
ject is the sale of black child ca
lendars. In fact, it was seeing one of
these calendars In a friend’s home
that led Griffin to write NBCDI for
information. The calendars, which
are $6 50, can be ordered by call
ing Linda Stallworth at 376-1608
during daytime hours
An annual meeting is planned for
February, at which time officers j
will be elected
For more information about
NBCDI, call Arthur Griffin at
542-0764
the premises, and, in the case of
building, having a facility tailored to
the needs of the business,
Harris' checklist for locating a
business includes the following:
amount of space required, type of
facility required, type of exposure
needed, potential for expansion,
parking and loading requirements,
available transportation, length of
lease, utilities available, modifica
tion expenses, governmental regu
lations, such as fire codes, insur
ance coverage, and occupancy
permits.
In selecting your location, says
Harris, “Your search for a site
should be focused in areas already
zoned for that purpose.” If s zoning
variance is required, don't commit
yourself to the property until you've
gone through the variance proce
dure and are assured of the proper
zoning.
The Charlotte- Mecklenburg
Planning Commission may be able
to guide you toward potential lo
cations if your proposed business fits
into the goals of one of the "Small
Area Plans” which have bean
“stahlished for various communi
ties.
Finally, Harris advises, the
Chamber of Commerce keeps tabs
on the availability of communal
space in the Charlotte area and may
be able to help you find rottaNft
space through its directories j
Next week: Taxes and fees. SA