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The Making Of A Great Gty
Charlotte, the “Queen City” of the
Carolines, has made great strides in the
past two decades to allow it to be deserving
of such a name. With the developments of .
Discovery Place, Spirit Square, the en
largement of the Mint Museum, the
impressive growth of UNC-Charlotte, and
Central Piedmont Community College, and
the in-migration of such private Arms as
Gold Bond and Royal Insurance, Charlotte
Is fast acquiring the qualities of a great city.
Yet, a great city is a constantly
maturing city, not necessarily hi the sense
of bigness, as in the case of Atlanta, but
more in the sense of its feeling of com
munity, brotherhood, and closeness. These
qualities are very evident in our annual
SpringFest as strangers develop a com
monality in the mutual fun of the events,
feasting and merrymaking. Such fun, -
merrymaking and sense of community can
hundreds of young men and women engage
in Mtpw-pltch softball games in Freedom,
Hornet’s Nest and Park Road parks. As
they play, young wives or husbands hold
infant children and cheer their spouses and
teammates to victory in the hustle of an
evening of fun. Elsewhere, within the sound
of a bouncing basketball, young men are
doing just that - playing pick-up fast pased
roundball games, all within a sense of
closeness and community.
1 What all this brings quickly to mind
is the fact that while softball is certainly not
baseball, the people of Charlotte do have a
sincere love of the first cousiU to baseball.
Then too, let’s not forget that while the
college and high school baseball seasons
are relatively short because of the timing of
school closing, there are six baseball
diamonds across the city that play the hard
ball game every Saturday and Sunday from
mid-April through the end of August, year
after year. -
Chariotteans Love ACC
While the league's name has changed
occasionally throughout the years - now
called the Triple County Baseball LMKgue -
the league contains some teams that are
legends in the etty. The Hoskins Giants, the
Queen City Rangers, and the Charlotte
Phillies, formerly known as the Charlotte
Hawks, to name but a few. Out-of-town
teams in the 124eam league this year
include the Rock Hill O’s, the Norwood
Pirates and the Monroe Dodgers. Minnie
Mindosa is a former league player and
Bobbie Thompson, formerly of the Texas
Rahgers, now plays in the league. On any
weekend hundreds ef people are gathered
around baseball diamonds across Charlotte
enjoying baseball, fried fish and assorted
other goodies.
Chariotteans are noted too for their
fantastic love of ACC and local high school
basketball. Thousands of Chariotteans this
past season followed closely the ACC teams,
especially Duke University, in Its quest for
the NCAA title which it lost only in the final
game. Likewise thousands more traveled to
many places to see West Charlotte’s un
defeated team in the state ~4A Playoffs
which it won in Chapel Hill’s Dean Dome
with a perfect 29-0 record.
True, this is not professional basketball
and many would argue that pro ball' was
once here and did not succeed. That’s
history and a history that was rooted in a
weak league to begin with and a team
doomed to failure because its “home” was
shared with two other cities.
NBA Franchise Possible
We have said all this to say that Charlotte
has the possibility of getting an NBA
franchise, a women’s professional basket
ball team and a more suitable home for the
Charlotte O’s baseball team. As a maturing
city characterised by diversity in many
areas,' Charlotteans should give each of
these sports ventures an opportunity to
succeed.
Those who would oppose the agreements
that the City made with George Shinn in the
quest for an NBA team or who oppose the
proposed one-tftne 1.3 cents on your County
property tax for one year to help build a
baseball park, simply don’t understand the
economics of professional sports, including
the indirect economic benefit to the city.
For example, in the heydays of theTw<Mlay
North-South Basketball Doubleheader with
N.C. Chape! Hill and N.C. State against
Clem son and South Carolina, estimates of
$2 million in revenue were generated for
each weekend in private business sales —
motels, food and retail sales - and taxes for
the City and County over and above ticket;
and concession sales at the Coliseum. 7
Because the voters approved the baseball
park one-time tax of $2.7 million by the
slimmest of margins, 50.6 percent of the
votes cast, or 17,825 to 17,386, it was
neverthless a majority vote. The real issue,
as former City Councilman Tom Cox says Is,
whether the people of Charlotte-Mecklen
burg want a ballpark for professional and
amateur baseball.
Mr. Cox, who was considered to be a
conservative while serving on the City
Council, offers a number of valid reasons
F rfor countv-wide support pt the single-shot
ballpark lax. Drawing; partly from tils
thoughts r i) there frill tie no debt and Hi
cost operating subsidy; 2) partial
. government financing in any venture of this
type is necessary as has been shown across
the nation; 3) the tax means a one-time
$7.80 on a home with a tax valuation of
$60,000, again only a one-time tax; 4) the
absence of the ballpark will diminish our
great city’s quest as a maturing city
because those who appreciate the Mint
Museum may not be the same people who
like and appreciate baseball; 5) the ball
park will be owned by the citizens of
Charlotte-Mecklenburg; 4) the facility will
complement the nearby new 25,000
coliseum; 7) it may be the first step toward
moving up to a Triple A baseball team only
one step from the major leagues; and $) the
pew park will be a prime factor in retaining
Charlotte ks the hopie of the Charlotte O’s.
THE CHARLOTTE POST
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Miller Say*:
Black Upward Mobility: Reaching Back To Help
: By Sherman N. Miller ,,
Special To The Post
As the black intelligentsia
joins the white American
exodus to the suburbs, their
flight raises concern over
who has the responsibility to
help less fortunate blacks ",
also rise up the socioecono
mic ladder. Do upwardly
mobile blacks really have a
responsibility to return
something to the black com
munity for the help they
themselves received?
1 recently attended a youth
guidance program, hosted by
the Black DuPont Employ
ees Association (BDEA),
where upwardly mobile
' blacks were attempting to be
both counselors and role
models for approximately
9M black youth. John
Fisher, BDEA president,
says this annual youth gui
dance program offers them
an opportunity to return
something back to the Mack
community.
“The participants,
organisers, as well as the
people who come out to help
put this on, fat some way are
returning to the community
what we have gained during
our early development. We
all extracted something from
wherever we came from and
it’s Important that we take
something back.”
•4 %■ W* .'«•
I have heard the Mack
intelllgentaia being seterly
criticized for "acting white"
and ignoring mainstream
Black America. 1 chatfeiiijM
Fisher to tell If this annual
program was an attempt to
address this criticism.
"Exactly that," replied
Fisher. "In 1971 when this
organization was founded, ,
one of the key issues the
founding members of this
organization attempted to
deal with was that very
Issue. That is, taking some
thing back to the com
munity. You’ve gotten some
thing from it and you’ve been
educated of whatever, so now
you have to give something
back to that community."
BARENESS
BUSINESS MEN AN
SHOULD BE IN THE FOREFRO
RANGE PLANNING FOR IT IS 0
ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CUA
ETHNIC GROUPS HARE BEEN A
MOVE UP THROUGH SOCIETY.
I «UW CHfZOHK Le .
Health,fitness: Everyone’s Concei*n
i ' By Sabrina Johnson
Special To The Post
Health and fltnets is every
one's concern in today’s
society. Whether One is phy
sically active or not, it is still
a major topic of conversa
tion. People are going about
it in a variety of ways: lunch
hour walking, running or *
aerobics is still popular
among office rats. It allows
them the opportunity to get
outside, move aroimd and,
according to experts, reduce
stress. Those are the health
benefits. The vanity benefits i<
Airf thaJJolks can (wear the
latest look Clothing manufac
turers have convinced the
world is “in.” \
Two places people we
looking to for fitness we the
mail (a new use) :,and the
> mice termed fat fwm.
Older citizens arie using
malls to walk instead^of shop.
Walking is the preferred ex
ercise of more tuU more
adults, partlculwly the aging
and ailing. Walking Is less
intense than jogging, aerobics
and burns calories., There
are about 55 million Regular
walkers in America.
Why are elderly citizens
walking in malls? They we
climate controlled, security
f —
\J 'Sabrina - 1 _
patrolled and usually con
veniently located; freeing
the walkers from the hazards
of outdoor walking such as
dogs, the unsavory street
element and other potential
hazards to the elderly. lx
Some malls open their
doors early to mall walkers,
measure courses and even
issue walkers maps. Con
sidering most malls are
large it Is not uncommon for
walkers to log a couple of
miles in one session.
Also with the assistance of
health organizations and
hospitals, some facilities are
Although this guidance
program afforded the black
intelligentsia an opportunity
to give something back to the
black community, Fisher
was urged te reveal its
underlying objective.
“The primary objective is
to expose minority students
to the . various professions,
trades, and skills te help
them tnake intelligent career
choices (through inter
action) with persons , who
have already achieved!, in
those career areas,” he said.
“We feel that having the
students also talk with dther
people in the community
gives the sense that the
community at large Is sup
portive of them and their
roles as future runners of our
community.”
mevenneiess, annual pro
grams caa become merely
vehicles for the black Intel
ligentsia to alleviate their
guilt complex. Fisher argues
that the BDEA program Is
not a once a year “show and
tell” but rather ah
increment in a continuum.
“This Is, of course, our*-;
mass showing as ft were, but
throughout the year we ;de
things on a much smaHer
scale like going to the school
systems. We get requests
from the various school
systems or even just some
a. r ■ ' • Y' J*' ''hrfiSrSuJ?
times on a classroom basis to
have a single career go to a
school. We do get Involved in
some of the tutorial pro
grams. I think there Is
enough visibility that people
realize that we’re sincere In
our efforts.”
Fisher made it clear that
the BDEA does not solicit
funds from other organiza
tions and he Implied that
groups with a vested Inte
rest In their annual pro
gram’s success underwrite
It.
Clearly, upwardly mobile
blacks have a responsibility
to make a conscious effort to
help at least one other Mack
person rise up the socio
economic iBddtr,
Bus Route Changes
Runes will depart the Square for
tfNCC et 7:00 am, 8:07. a.ra., 9:07
a m., 13:00p m.,*: 11 p.m., and4:30
p.m. Return trip* from UNCC la the
Square will depart at 7:80 a m.,
10:00 a.m., 13:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m.,
3:00 p.m., and 5:08 p m
Passenger* on the 3»X are urged
to pick up their new schedule from
their driver.
The J0X-UNCC - South Perk bus
will maintain ita hourly service, but
the 5:08 p.m. bua departing
South Park will be the laat UNCC
bua each day. Night aervlce to UNCC
will not be available the 30X win
continue ita service from UNCC to
Charlotte on ita hourly schedule,
with the last bus departing UNCC at
3:08 p.m.
c 'T-3,
establishing walker’s clubs -
issuing T-shirts, buttons, dis
counts and free, meals. Of
course, they also log the
mileage for their' members.
Mall walkers are serious
about their purpose. They do
not window shop. They move
quickly and zippUy along the
appointed route and H allows
for camaraderie of the fun
kind - making new friends.
Recently Joining these people
are overweight adults, preg
nant women and mothers
with infants. Can fitness help
1 bridge A - jin | "mjl
gender gap»T Af
The second phase id the
lifestyle of health and fitness
fa the “fat farm” - which
“ain’t what it used to be,*’
Middle class baby boomers
spending $1,800 to $3,0M a
week to rediscover
themselves.
Rediscovery through six
hours of exerdse. jugs of
water, sliced oranges, mud
baths and water therapy, and
meals. Greetings, UA. Spa
1980s!
About 10 years ago spas
were for pampering and f
passivity. They catered to
the welt fed and well spread
women of the era. .Today's
spas are “one-stop fitness
shops." Guests are carried
through vigorous' ekerdSe,
low calorie rations for lunch
and dinner, taught nutrition,
stress reduction and healthy
habits. Facials, massages,
pedicures and the like offer
some temporary relief from
the day's events.
The spa is the w§y to
expose the self to new things
in health, fltneas, diet and
nutrition, according to some
experts. Yesterday’* fat
farms are today’s* virtuous
vacations. About five Million
people sign up each year to
go to the new fat farms.
Which is up significantly :
from 4M.0N five years ago.
x There are more than M spas
today where as years ago
there were about a dozen.
Spas are big business ca
lming to more and more
ynppie-buppie types than the
once exclusive rich and
elderly. Couples and men are
too a new part of this scene.
The new spas are located In
the mountains, by the *
beaches, in posh hotels and
resort areas and In corporate
headquarters.
What sparks the flamer It
is believed that spas are a.
great vacation at weU at »
new beginning. They put the
soul and body o* the same
thought pattern toward
health and fitness.
There may be and are true
benefits for the growing
concern and preoccupation
with health and fltneas.