mLL-COCCXK. DON’T MISS THIS ISSUE! JW* Someone You "now1 Is Planning To Be Married see Page IB BLACK. FEMALES FARE BETTER THAN BLACK MALES IN MEDIA MANAGEMENT Set Pag* 5A LENELL GETER TO SPEAK AT FRIENDSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH See Page 3C I E P 1ST 1 -®»‘ .-.•... .. ..'• fsJS > V ):• . •/; • . ■ , M *v _ _ 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