Reflections On The Past Thirteen years ago, the late affable Willie "Bill" Johnson assumed the helm of The Charlotte iw. to make "the voice of the black community" a medium for "good news". While much of the nation, the world and even parts of our own city were in chaos-war, street crime, domestic violence and drug abuse, Bill Johnson, in his quiet, unassum ing way, continued as both publisher and edi tor to print only "good news". As Post staff writer Loretta Richardson wrote last week, Mr. Johnson was "often criticised for his re luctance to delve into the negative side of the black community or into more controversial issues..." What was more important to know about Bill is that he was a man of good character, integrity, honesty and strong enough in his personal convictions to not let people sway him from what he thought was right. Surely, Bill Johnson could have bowed to his so called critics and begun to print "bad news" which might have even increased the Post's sales and circulation and created a few mors superficial friends. Instead, Bill Johnson lived on with his own beliefs. As we pause and step back from the fleeting moments of history, we can reflect on the strengths of Bill Johnson's character and; convictions and begin to understand just why The Post has reached a 13th Anniversary un der the Johnson Family. It was in part for this reason that Gerald 0. Johnson, co publisher and president, with his brother Bob , Johnson, said, "It's not a celebration, but a reflection. This is a time when we look back at where we have been while also looking for ward to see where we must go. As we move forward, we will begin celebrating." In look ing back we see the legacy of Bill Johnson's character and sense of conviction. As we look forward we see new and greater chal lenges fbr service as a voice beyond the lim its of the black community in the coming complex world of the 21st Century.. The Oi.flftttj Pnat reflects on its past and celebrptes the challenges of its fixture. School Planning, Where Were We? necent revelations aoout tna Charlotte Mecklenburg School System's physical de velopment planning first and foremost rais es the question: "Where were we when many of these planning decisions, or the laok of them, were taking place"? Too few people have listened to Mayor Gantt's years past warning about unbal anced growth. Even flower people listened when some voioes in the black community raised concerns about the ever-inereaoing dosing of inner-city schools. All the finger pointing does little to respond positively to the situation that our community is in on this vital issue. The bottom line is that all of the aotors involved in public sohool planning appear to have different priorities. Coupled too with the fact that the School Board in mofft*eoen«>eari he* had its difficulties with the County Commissioners about mon ey, has less than fell confidence in the Plan ning Commission's 2006 Plan with regard to the location of schools and the problems with these two make any kind of meaningful un derstanding with private developers nearly hopeless. Furthermore, neither the County Commis sioners, the Planning Commission nor the developers have shown adequate sensitivity to the Charlotte -Mecklenburg School Sys tems's priorities over the past 16 years, par ticularly with regard to a busing plan to ' maintain racially balanced sohools and the closely related effort to continue improving academic performance in all schools. From the standpdint of the human condition, these school priorities should weigh heavily upon decisions in financing, planning and the de velopment of new or expending existing neighborhoods whioh in turn effects the loca tion of schools. In order to offset population shifts, to bal ance busing and to economise in the cost of school construction and programming, some cities have reportedly built three or flour sen ior higdi schools nearly adjaoent to eaoh other in the oenter of the city. Thus, all students are bused about the same distance. Some high quality, high cost academic programs could accommodate students from more than one high school. Furthermore, the public school libraries at such an educational com plex would be far superior to that of scattered high schools. As with the high quality, high cost academic programs, consolidated II- '< brarles would greatly enhance academio per - formance. As we look down the road toward • the year 2020, Charlotte^Mecklenburg might1 better serve its public school needs with fbur dusters of four senior high schools eaoh to balance busing, enhance academio perfor mance and reduoe some of the costly duplica tion of athletic facilities required at scattered site high schools. Elementary and junior high sehool youth could attend more neigh borhood schools and substantially reduce the 0 heed ftr busing. Until we oan get the ohaos out of public yhool planning-long range planning-by getting County government, the Planning Commission and private developers to blend their priorities with that of our school needs, both publie and private finds and other re sources will be lost through inefficiency re sulting finally in a lower quality .of educa tion for all of the country's children •- '■'if'-' v e«f ■mn aj& Histoiy L«_Used In Future American heritage would be forgotten without history buffo. ' Bom* Mato* buffo publide* their hankering to walk through time warp*. But who are these people and what motivates them to at tempt to partake in llfo of other centuries? In a restaurant overlooking the City of Chattanooga, prior to a business dinner, a history buff ones gave me a brief sours* on Civil War history. This chap pointed out a oemetery which con tained th* remains of 4 Union - -apt** who were hung during th* Civil War. He also spoke of a ■lavs dungeon still intact in th* city. History was not on* of my fa vorite subjects, ao I Mt little desire - to visit these historical rites. Nev ertheless, a cabinet salesman, Chuck ldndvig at Ah C Wholesale - Distributor of Cheeter, PA sparked my interest with a picture of him self, dressed in e Union uniform on the cover of a magazine, where he wee in a Civil War reenactment battle. LAndvig spoke of hie role as a Union sergeant during Civil War battles with the seal of a person who really had experienced these events. In th* dog days of summer, I visited replica Civil War (Confederate and Union) camp rites at Th* Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation at Ridley Creek 8tat* Park in Media, PA. The soldiers lived under actual Civil War battle conditions before putting on a couple of battle reenactments. It ‘ was difficult to accept they were wearing wool uniforms in late July and sleeping on straw in th* middle of a cow pasture where I had to dodge dung to reach these camp rites. In chatting with a fow of these soldi ere, I learned foot everything was a detailed replica or original equipment from the period. They were obsessed with reproducing exact Civil War living oonditionc. • I poccecccd the queetion why they put themeelvee through thia die* comfort. * "Lova of hiatory. " "Thia ie our hobby." "We have a common bond that ia Military hiatory." "Go out to have fun." "(Spend) Ufa aa a aol* dier." "We ei\Joy it * it la oar high." "Educate the public," were aome reaeone given for their paadon for hiatory. Al though one ohap admitted that you had to be a aadomaaochiat ! ahared a little of their enthu* •team whilat talking with Mr. M. Wlleon from Now Jersey who was drteeod like President Abraham . Lincoln. Hla rccemblanoe to Pred dont Lincoln waa astonishing. Wilson gave the obvious answer to my why question: "*. look Uko him." I Intentionally foeuaaod on non* oommladoned offieore and front llna eoldlere to get the oommon ' nwn'i view. I found these people came from all walks of lift such aa budneaemen, proftcdonale, and eo on. Another link between aome of thorn hiatory buffo waa member* •Wp in an organisation called, -tana of the Union Veterans." My maternal grandmother Had told am stories of how her grandfather served on burial duty during the Civil War. nMooMaterUno corro borated her • torioo on the role of tho black soldier whilst saptaadng strong interact in gaining block / rMmbtrihlD. Nonethelecc, I did faol discom fort when Andy Waokic of the Pennsylvania Voluntaer Infantry spoke of their plight in preserving the artifacts of the Grand Army of tho Republic. GAP. was a frater nal order founded after the Civil War for Union veterans. Waskie spoke of attempting to gain fund ing from tha State of Pennsylva nia for a museum of Union eiti I posed the museum idee to oth er people and l sensed some em barrassment over O.A.R. mu seum's appearance. Their emo tional gestures disturbed me greatly as I recalled walking pest ' tha first class edifice of the Mu seum of the Confederacy in Rich mond, VA. ■' Although I have not visited the O.A.R. Museum in Philadelphia, I ftel compelled to entourage Penn sylvania Governor Bob Casey to honor the men who died in the Civil War to keep the United States of America free on this the SOOth Anniversary of our Consti tution. Slnoe this O.A.R. museum membership lc open to all people regardless of race, aex, or lineal descendant, I trust that the State of Pennsylvania will turn this mu. f •aum into a significant asset of Psimoyivanla'fl tourist industry. ( Hopefully warehouses have not b seams the museum for other American heroes' artifacts throughout the U.S. Airline Disasters Clouding The Skies Guest Editorial By Michael D. Covington The recent crash of Flight 966 and other such disasters have trig gered speculation about the safety of commercial flight. Auto deaths still out-number air fatalities but the huge gap is slowly but steadily being reduced. And yea^the cause for concern is heightening as air travel has become mere of a neces sity as opposed to a nicety. The mack Box' that we so often hear about after a crash Tepre Not once have 1 read of any lost re marks that realistically describe the final seconds of life. For once, I'd like to hear in the news that a pilot said something in his final transmissions that oould save the lives of other air travelers. In recent years, I have had the opportunity to fly quite often. My approach to flying prompts me to drees very professionally and to project an image of disinterest for the goings on around me. Of course, this facade is In place to disguise my obvious fear associat ed with being 10,000 feet in the air. The first turbulence or air pockets that are experienced trigger recol lections of all the air traffic Inci dences of which Tm familiar. I can always count on one Incident years ego in Dallas to give me sol y... ao*. While attending a convention in th* cummer of 1988, a Delta flight crashed, kilting most of th* plane's passengers. Ons of th* survivors recalled th* experience and I’ve never felt th* same about flying. As she remembers, the cap tain announced that some minor wind and storm activity were present. Shortly, thereafter, th* portion of th* plan* in front of her exploded and flew off into th* dis tance while the tail section fell ■lowly to the ground and rolled to and walked bway.-The only survii vors were in the smoking section at th* time of the explosion. That told me something right awayi Smoking has saved Uveal This incident point* out th* un certainties of air travel and also th* possibilities. My fete would have been obvious in this instance since I don't smoke. I'm sure that my Dallas friend will keep a cigar ette or two handy for good luck and that's sad. As U£ become more affluent and airRravel becomes a way of life, th* possibilities of being in volved in an air disaster are more likely. I won't be comfortable on a plan* again, without some assu rance that the pilots and air traffic controllers are as competent as technology and training will allow. With all of th* furor surrounding 'it . the private plane getting into the came air epaoe with the President and plane* nearly flying into each other, one hoe to wonder if truly competent individual* or* in con trol. I* it my imagination, or art we really noticing more "near mine*" and actual oraches since the PAT CO strike and subsequent firing of all of that union's air traffic con trollers. The number of fktalitde* would indicate that we ave at gMgtar risk qow than before. AlooholWm and other substance abuse* were prevalent among that group's rank* but the fact remains-fswer lives were lost 1 recently took a tour of a time •hare condo at a nearby resort. The guide was among the consol ler* fired by the President. H* woe •till very bitter about losing hi* Job but indicated that he felt great sat isfaction with studies indicating that current controller* were not a* good as the old. If the President want* to admit having made a mistake, this may be a good place to start Meanwhile, IH continue to fly with great concern for my aafoty and for yours. But don't be at all surprised if travel by train be comes a more foshionabls mode of transportation for the frequent fly sr. Rann □ Wanted For Human Relations This editorial is reprinted from the Wins ton-Salem Chroniole, Thursday, August 27, 1987. Emmy L. Hann in la a native Chariot tean living in Raleigh, NC. The city's Human Relations Commission, sftcr extensive searching, researching and Interviewing of prospective candidates, has submitted the name of Emery L. RanriTII si its top choice for executive director of the 9 year-old anti-discrimination law enforce ment agency. Mr. Rann, Qov. James O. Martin's state director of minority affairs, is a well qualified candidste. Tlie Chronicle urges the city to put the good news into effect and hire Rann immediately. Last week, the Chronicle reported that a spe-' cial personnel committee of Human Rela tions Commission board members, on their own time, sifted through 52 prospective candi dates and came up with Rann, -a very top candidate," confirmed one boird member, "that we frit strongly about.” Rann is an excellent choice and his eventu al selection would come not a iftoment too soon. The commission has been without an execu tive director since May, when Herman L. Al* dridga, its first and only ohiaf administra tor, was flrsd by City Manager Bill Stuart si * t ' i c i v $. » i In an information-intense society, some times good news travels as fast as bad news. The Emery Rann recommendation is one ex ample. A lawyer from a prominent Republi can family in Oharlotte, Rann Is known among friends and colleagues aa a stern, competent administrator who is not known fbr keeping his mouth shut in the face of in justice and adversity. Rann studied law at Howard University, the birthplace of oivil rights law.C Thanks to such noted scholars as Charles Houston, Rob ert Carter, George E.C. Hayee and Thurgood Marshall). In the minds of search committee members, there was no question that he could not only understand the law, he oould also ac complish its enforcement. In an age where race, sex, age and ethnic discrimination still often rears its ugly head, the city needs an executive director at the Human Relations Commission's helm yesterday. That is why the commission has recommended such a worthy candidate. This is serious business for the commission and the city administration should treat it as such and hire the commission's first choice, EJn#ryM R*nn- • "feel strongly aboutH '