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f|y°l\imejU, Number 45 THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, April 9,1987 Price: 50c
""""""" ■-- - — - ■ - - - - _
;sidents Fight
nTo Bitter End
By Jalyne Strong
; ,j Poet Managing Editor
There was ons thing that infuri
ated black westaide residents, last ‘
year, more than the fact the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg County Com
missioners had voted on and ap
proved placing a Waste Transfer
Station in the midst of their resi
dential community. I( was the fact
that the only black Commissioner,
Robert Walton, had not warned
the community of the County's
proposal, that he also voted to
place the station in a black com
munity and initially displayed dis
1 interest in the westside residents'
westaide citizens summoned Wal
ton to, following the news of the
Waste Transfer Station appearing
in the daily newspaper, westaide
residentJames Fca describes, "It
| 4 J j
ingto stay and hear ™’out!Ureg<>
"He was very rude and essen
tially said ha was not going to
doners’ decision. To this, a woman
said, 'If that's how you feel then I
can't vote for you anymore.' Wal
' ton told her, 'I don't need your
vote.' It was a very upsetting
meeting with Walton," remembers
The Answers
We Have Received
l&veBeen Very
Disappointing.
Westside resident Leroy "Pop"
Miller verifies Pom's description of
how the meeting with Walton
went. He says, "We asked him
why did he allow the decision to
happen? Why did (the Commis
sioners) decide to place this gar
bage station in the black commu
"Wh were not satisfied with the
eaagwjjflllii ■ 'V *n« Miller.
■r, the
uced a
ad the
Coali
imp.
Knott
ore co
. r
»•
rn*J .i-iatalif site Metie ,a>aa iJuar.
UlttmiUiy, tn# group waj giv#n
no alternative but to bring legal
| INSIDE THIS WBElj
EDITORIALS_2 A
WEDDING SPECIAL-IB
LIFESTYLES_1C
CHURCH NEWS if
«NTKRTAINMENT_ ID
SPORTS-5D
classifies-iop
SPECIAL EASTER
ADVERTISEMENT
SECTION PAGE .L
1 -Top-MMer
iii i
Isaac Heard
action against the County Com
missioners and currently the
Westside Coalition has an injunc
tion halting the construction of the
Waste Transfer Station and a
pending discrimination suit
against the County Commission
ers.
While they await the outcome
of the litigation, coalition members
echo the sentiments expressed by
Miller, who says, "We’ve done
some good. At least we've stopped
/(y them for now.” •.'* •
Moreover, according to coali
tion member and McCrorey
Heights Neighborhood Organiza
tion President Isaac Heard Sr., the
organization has also influenced
Commissioner Walton to change
his stance on the issue of the
Waste Station location. Walton,
who admits he voted for the site,
now says he is against it
About that change, Heard
claims, "(Walton) saw what was
happening....when the uproar
came from the black westside citi
Joe Bradshaw
tens, the pressure was put on him
and he changed his vote."
Walton now explains,
"Originally I voted for the (Waste
Transfer Station) site. Subsequent
ly, I voted against it. I'm against
it"
His first vote was a hurried de
cision based upon the recommen
dation of the consultants utilized
by the Commissioners, eaifr Wal
ther* investigation, Fve come to‘the
conclusion that the proposed loca
tion is not the best site for the
Waste Transfer Station," he re
lates.
"I do support the fact that the fa
cility should not be built on this
particular site. The fact that it will
have a negative impact on the
neighborhood is a real issue."
Walton now aides with the coali
tion saying the placement of the
Waste Station on the westside
could possibly depreciate land val
ues in the area and he also sees a
"real danger" in having 260 gar
bage trucks coming through
neighborhood streets daily.
Walton further claims he sees
"some legitimacy" to the Westside
Coalition claim of racial discrimi
nation in the issue concerning the
Waste Station.
"I've tried to persuade the Com
missioners to reverse their deci
sion," Walton reveals. "I've had no
luck."
The County's stance on the loca
tion of the Waste Transfer Station
is best expressed by Assistant
County Manager Joe Bradshaw,
who says, "It's the best site I could
find."
Bradshaw, supervisor of the
County department that located
the Waste Station, admits, "I ap
proved the site.
"We followed the land uee plan
for Mecklenburg County and the
key issue was that this location is
properly zoned for the facility.
In reference to the westside citi
zens' protest and legal action
against the proposed site, Brad
shaw concedes, "It's a good sign to
see neighborhoods get organized
and express an opinion in a public
hearing or in court. But I don't be
lieve the lawsuit will win.
'"Hie contention that the site was
picked because it is in a black
neighborhood is inaccurate," says
Bradshaw, who believes there is
no basis for the coalition's claim of
discrimination.
The Westeide Coalition Against
the Garbage Dump, however, is
not wavering in its claim. And as
the group rallies and holds com
munity events to raise funds to
meet its legal fees, more black citi
zens and black organizations are
becoming involved in the group's
fight with the County.
Pox relates that the Charlotte
Black Political Caucus is com
mitted to the cause and its presi
dent, Robert Davis, has written a
letter to County Commissioner
Carla DuPuy. The Charlotte Chap
has given $100 and
lupport. The Progres
_a£:G*d hoe;donated
. Friendship Baptist
Church his given $100 to the
cause. Furthermore, Rev. Newber
ry of Memorial Presbyterian
Church has allowed the coalition
to hold meetings in the church and
each week Memorial Presbyterian
contributes monetarily to the
struggle.
The mounting opposition has
caused the County to react after al
most a year of silence. On March
27, Cary Saul, deputy director of
engineering, solid waste, sent
Heard a letter requesting a meet
ing on April 15, 6 p.m., at First
Baptist Church-West.
The letter reads in part, "The
purpose of the meeting will be to
discuss your concerns regarding
the proposed Solid Waste Transfer
and Recycling Station..." The letter
further asks that Heard attend this
meeting alone.
"'Hris is just a pitch to try to get
support," says-Hoard about the let
ter. "But that's impossible."
"Also, they're afraid to appear
before an audience of citizens be
cause that will expose what the
County is trying to do to the black
community. But there will be an
audience there!" Heard states.
"(The Commissioners) will nev
er hear the end of this if they place
the Waste 8tation in the black com
munity," Heard emphasized.
"Even if it takes matching in the
street. We're ftirious and will fight
to the bitter end!"
Task Force On Racial Intimidation
Ralaigh • Governor Jim Martin
racantly announced tha mambar
■hip of tha Covornor'a Taak Forca
on Racial, Raligioua, and Ethnic
Violonca and Intimidation, which
will initiate a atatawida effort to
combat hate group diecrimination
In North Caroli
na.
Th* mcmbori
H. Edward
Knox of Char
vimM M.
I ,
Oraana of Salis
bury, Chryatal
Harria 8towa of
Kit# of Oreane*
boro, Kally M. Alexander Jr. of
Charlotte, Sheriff Buck Lyda of
Fail-view, Maurice A. Weinetein of
Charlotte, Carolyn Q. Coleman of
Oreenaboro, and Jean Benoy of
Weigh. All will eerve on the Taek
Force until December 31, 1988.
Eddie Knox will serve M chair
man.
"I am pleased that such a distin
guished group of individuals has ^
agreed to serve our state on this *
Task Force," Governor Martin
said. ‘This group will bring a sys
tematic approach to addressing
the problems posed by racial, re
ligious, and ethnic violence and in
timidation in our state.”
Knox, 50. is an attorney with
Wardlow, Knox, Knox k Freeman
In Charlotte. A former mayor of
Charlotte, Knox has long1 been in
volved in human relations issues.
Sears, 49, chairman of the First
Congressional District Black Cau
cus, is production controller at the
Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
Greene, 43, is president of Liv
["INtonaCeUege «„d Hood Theo
8towt, 80, It director of public
infcrmatibn with the North Csaoll
_
na Department of Crime Control
Public Safety k.
Alexander, 39, te a funeral dim
tor at Alexander funeral Home
and preeidUntof the North Caroli
na NAftCP, National Vice Pre« -
dent of the NAACP, and member
of the National Board of Dimtora
See Taek ea Page TA
ft; W>TS&' V; ii
Julius Chambers (right), director-counsel of the NAACP Legal
Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., recently accepted a
$15,000 contribution for the fund's general operating expenses
from Marshall B. Bass, senior vice president of RJR Nabisco.
The company also made a special $11,000 donation in support
of the fund's special activities.
NAACP Legal Defense |
Fund Receives $26,000
* * ✓
Winston-Salem, NC - RJR
Nabisco, Inc. recently contributed
$26,000 to the NAACP Legal De
fense and Educational Fund, Inc.
i. The corporate gift included a
special $11,000 AMfiBSff!(6 the
fund, primarily to help defray the
cost of students' attendance at the
fund's annual Civil Rights Insti
tute in New York City in May. In
addition, RJR Nabisco made its
annua] $16,000 contribution to the
fund's general operations budget.
"We share the goals of the
NAACP Legal Defense and Edu
cational Fund as it continues to
lead the fight in the courtroom
against prejudice and discrimina
tion based in race and sex," says
M. B. Bass, senior vice president of i
RJR Nfd>is<!b. “The 1'und has
unparalleled record in prevailing
on issues at all levels of the judicial
system, which will afFect the histo
ry of this country and the lives of
many generations of Americans."
RJR Nabisco is the parent com
pany of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco
Company, Nabisco Brands, Inc.,
and Del Monte Corporation.
Jackson At The Crossroads
Special To The Post
By Vernon Robinson
The Rev. Jesse Jackson is ex
pected to formally announce his
candidacy for the 1988 Democrat
ic Presidential Nomination in less
than 30 days. Jackson set up his
exploratory committee headquar
ters in Washington and field office
in Iowa. As the Jackson team pon
ders what lies ahead, they will
consider several opportunities and
challenges. Among these are
Southern Regional primary and
the farm vote.
The Southern Regional Pri
mary scheduled for March 8, 1988
was conceived ns a vehicle for
southern Voters to make an early
and powerful impact on the presi
dential primary process. Specifi
cally, the Democratic leadership
hoped to force the party into se
lecting a more moderate nnd
hence a more electable" candidate.
If the recent Atlanta Constitution
poll of presidential preference is
any indicator, it appears that not
only will the "mega" Tuesdny out
come not result in a Sam Nunn ns
the party's nominee, but Jackson's
prospects have been streng
. thened.
Jackson won 30 congressional
districts in the South during 1984,
half his total victories. The poll re
sults show him running second to
Gary Hart (35% to 21%) across
the South, lending Hart in Missis
sippi (37% to 25%) and Alabama
(33% to 25%). While this poll
measures primarily name recog
nition, Jackson will be a major
player if three or more strong
white candidates are left in the
race come March f.
Much has been said about the
primary rules whereby Jnckson
won a fraction of the delegates
available compared to his priinnry
vote. The Fairness Commission,
set up after the 1984 race by the
Democratic Party to investigate
Jackson’s claims, has lowered the
percentage Of vote that a candi
date must have to qualify for dele
gatee to 16%. Jackson supporters
in North Caroline faced the high
Jackson
eat thresholds in the country in
1984 requiring a candidate to get
30% of the vote before she or he
could get a single delegate. This
time the thresholds may work to
Jackson's advantage by denying'
the Joe Bidsns in the race dele
gates that will go to Jackson and
Hart
The press in the 1984 race con
tinually criticised Jackson's Rain
bow Coalition for being only one
color; black. Jackson's hopes in
1886 ride in large part in his ability
to extend his power base outside of
the black community. He has
made a good deal of progress with
whits, rural farmers who have
been ignored by other candidates
for President.
How far he has come can be
demonstrated by two short stories.
Whils living in Washington, I at
tended a Rainbow Coalition recep
tion. When I arrived at the event, I
thought I was in the wrong place
because all of the people waiting
thera were white farmers from the
South and Midwest complete with
coveralls and John Doers tractor
caps. More recently, Jackson
spoke to over 800 farm family
members in tha cold during ths
Superbowl. If farmers vote their
interests and not along color lines,
the pundits who cannot find a
..