Christmas With The Children
What To Look For In
Toys & Safety
UMyWP((*t)A
A Plea For Charlotte's Homeless People
__ _ Business/ Page 3A
Blair Underwood Shines In Lawyer Role
^_Entertainment/ Page 2B
Hawkins
Hawkins Convicted Of Fraud
Lawyer Plans Appeal Of Sentence
By Herb White
__ Post Staff Writer
! The defense lawyer for former
dentist and gubemertorial can
didate Reginald Hawkins says
part of his client’s court fight
was won last week, but the battle
Is far from over.
Mecklenburg Superior Court
Judge Terry Sherrill Monday
gave Hawkins a two-year sus
pended sentence and ordered
him to pay the state $1,079 in
restitution for three lower den
tures that weren’t delivered to
patients.
James Ferguson, Hawkins's at
torney, said this week that he
has filed a notice of appeal to
overturn Hawkins's conviction
of Medicaid fraud. The appeal
process may take from six
months to a year to be resolved.
Ferguson allowed.
Hawkins originally faced 86
counts of Medicaid fraud, which
could have netted a maximum of
430 years, but a Mecklenburg
Jury found him guilty on only
three.
Ferguson said Hawkins, the
first black to run for governor In
North Carolina in 1968. got
about as fair a hearing as he
could have hoped for, but added
that his client should not have
gone through the embarrass
ment and publicity of a trial.
"I think the Judge did all he
could, but I think the prosecu
tion was inherently unfair."
Ferguson said.
Hawkins was charged with
billing Medicaid for dental work
he didn't perform, but Ferguson
said his client didn't willfully
defraud the government. Once
the government detected irregu
larlties in Hawkins's billing
practices. Ferguson stated, thev
could have contacted him to ex
plain the situation but chose not
to.
"The government could have
contacted him of any discrepen
cies in the Medicaid law so he
could address them," he in
formed. "They never gave Dr.
Hawkins the opportunity to
come in and clear up the discre
peneies.”
Ferguson said the suit may
have been racially motivated,
noting that Hawkins has been
an outspoken promoter of civil
rights. He said the time and
money the government used to
prosecute Hawkins instead of
trying to reach a settlement
could suggest that.
"It's shocking that the state
would spend the time and money
to bring this trial to court." Fer
guson said. “It could've been" a
racist campaign to convict Haw
kins. he added. "As far as 1
know, there's never been a pros
ecution of a dentist over den
tures that didn't get to patients.
It s highly unusual to say the
least."
Hawkins was acquitted of all
but three charges, but his con
viction is wrong and will be
challenged. Ferguson said.
"Even the Jury rejected virtual
ly all the state's evidence. In a
way the verdict was a victory for
Dr. Hawkins." Ferguson said.
'They did find that ne was guilty
of technical violations" for not
reporting his failure to deliver
dentures patients although the
work was done.
Former Girl Scout
Executive Files Suit Against
Old Employer
By Loretta Richardson
Boat Staff Writer
' In 1970 Argie S. Blackmore, a
former math teacher began a
•econd career when she went to
work for the Girl Scout* Council
In^MemphU. Tennessee as a
It wasn't until 1986 when *
similar executive director's po
sition became vacant In Char
lotte that Ms. Blackmore. a na
tive of Waxhaw. NC decided to
become an applicant.
She applied, was Interviewed
and 19 months after having
served In the executive director's
position, the same board that
had unanimously decided to ap
prove the hiring of Mrs. Black
more, minus a two-third majori
ty. had voted to release her from
her oosltion.
By October 20. Ms. Blackmore
was no longer executive director
of the Hornet's Nest Girl Scout
Council. \
Action towards her dismissal
was brought up at the end of the
year meeting, when, according
to Ms. Blackmore no discussion
on fcer employment had been
. Berryhlll who was contacted.
tmiBcd anv comment citing that
SnS^eW^aperaoonel mat- 1
ter that neither he. nor any
present bocud members, was at
liberty to discuss.
The meeting, rather routine.
Included the president's evalua
tion of Ms. Blackmore.
An excerpt from Ms. Black
more's evaluation read: “...The
executive director is a strong
and experienced manager who
knows the Girl Scout program
and ways of working together.
Her management style contrast
sharply with that of previous ex
ecutive directors in the Council
and some staff members and
volunteers have been uncom
fortable with and critical of it I
have found her to be easy to
work with and I have enjoyed
working with her. She has pro
vided invaluable assistance to
me as a new president. 1 re
spect her commitment to ‘get
the job done'-and her courage to
do wt*at_i»he ’
rated competent on
. trformance management
report.
"Any time before the evalua
tion was written up, members of
the board of directors had been
informed that they could voice
their criticism of my perfor
mance, but none did,” she says.
Blackmore stated that those
who voted to dismiss her, did so
on the basis of a loophole in the
bylaws that read ’the executive
director who is an officer serves
to the pleasure of the board of
directors.’ Mrs. Blackmore In
terpreted that to mean the
board could dismiss her at any
time. -
’If they (her opponents) had
read further they would have
read that It takes a two-thirds
. BUckmore
majority vote for dismissal." cit
ed Ms. Blackmore.
Becujse of the recent action
—---: - —g—WpB
C harlotta Otywwtaw labor In the ahadow of Charlotte* borgaonhg afcyitna. ThayVa tirrohrod In tha
M annual choro of draining and rfaaning thalakain MarohaO Park on McDowell St.
Myrick Announces Plan For Homeless
Charlotte has a possible an
swer to the city's need to find
shelter for the ho metes#. and it
wouKiti ooii wxptypr* a dime.
Mayor Sue Myrtck announced
last week at a press conference
plans to convert the present Na
val Reserve Center on Fifth 1
Street Into a permanent home
less Ohelter once control of the
building Is turned over to the
Myrtok sold the land on which
the center alts belongs to the city
but the building Itself is Navy
property. The Navy plans to
move out of Its present location
in June to a new office in the
northeast section of the city.
Once the Navy moves, the Oener
al Services Administration, a
federal agency, will take control
of the building. Myrlck said the
OSA has informed her that it
would turn the site over to the
city at that time.
The proposed shelter has an
area of 39.000 feet and could
house as many as 400 people
when converted. Myrlck sold
jWrr. 'F»* ' ;'m . i ' •
that after the coat of converting
the building Is determined, ren
ovation should begin so the fa
cility can be ready by next win
ter.
The Navy building site was the
subject of a letter former Mayor
Harvey Oantt sent to Rep. Alex
McMillan before leaving office
asking that the Navy turn the
bhttdtng over for conversion.
The Navy went along with the
proposal and sent a letter to My
tlck last announcing Its plans to
ftss Homeless On Pegs SA
taken against her. Ms. Black
more has filed suit In U.S. Dis
trict Court In Charlotte and has
sued the council, along with 13
of Its directors.
What Ms. Blackmore wants is
her job. She Is also seeking pu
nitive damages amounting to
- 1
See Former On Page 2A
By Herb White
Host Staff Writer
A report published last week
by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Urban League warns that Char
lotte blacks can't depend on the
local school system to provide
all their children’s educational
needs and the community needs
to mobilize to Insure their suc
cess.
Madlne Hester Falls, president
of the local chapter, said the re
port shows that there Is much
the school system can do to Im
prove the education black stu
dents get but parents can gel the
ball rolling by taking an active
role In the learning process.
'The committee was charged
with identifying problems In the
schools and come up with an ac
tion plan." Falls Informed. "I’d
be the first to admit that there
are a lot of good things going on
In Improving the achievements
of black children, especially In
the black community."
The task force whose findings
formed the report was chaired
by Barbara Davis and was con
vened last March to determine
the system's ability to educate
black children. The findings, re
leased during a Dec. 8 press con
ference, weren't overwhelming.
Falls admitted.
"It's bad and It's going to gel
worse If you don't do anything'
she Informed. Debate has been
rampant in recent months over
the quality of education In
Mecklenburg. Parents and varl
oua groups representing differ
ent Interests have criticized the
system for giving students a less
than firat-class education. Some
white parents have blasted the
schools for paying too much at
tention to classes for slow lear
ners at the expense of programs
for gifted and advanced stu
dents. Black parents have taken
the system to task for not chal
lenging their children, often by
passing (hem In class because of
their social or economic back
ground.
Falls said what many people
don't understand Is that Improv
ing the scores of black students
can Improve the system's over
all achievement scores.
"If we lift the level of the black
child, you're lifting the level of
the whole district," she said.
Debating the merits of the edu
cation system has been good for
bringing all groups' concerns
Into the open, especially the
black communtly. Falls main
tained. With everyone pulling
together, the system Is bound to
show Improvement.
"If we can work in a concen
trated manner, then we will
probably see better results," she
said. "I think It's an Idea time
for this dialogue because what
ever comes out of It will shape
policy for the next several
years."
The task force's findings sug
gest that blacks can pull togeth
er now to promote better educa
tion by working with educators
and organizations to suppport
the system.
"We have a detailed plan and
It's Just a matter of getting peo
ple excited," Falls asserted. "It's
not going to be easy, but It's do
able. As a black community, we
can't expect Ihe school board to
look after all our needs We have
to do some for ourselves."
Black Colleges Convene
CHEYNEY. Pa. (AP) —The old
eat black public college founded
for the training of black teach
ers, Cheyney University will
host Us first National Black
College Convention next year.
Cheyney spokesman Joseph
Devane said all 105 historically
black colleges In the nation are
planning to attend the event.
The theme win be "Motivation
Through Education —The Key to
Black Achievement."
The conference will be held
Peb. 25 2S.
"The conference will seek to
determine strengths and Im
prove upon the weaknesses of
these Institutions." said Steven
Edwards, president of the Stu
dent Government Cooperative
Association of Cheyney
"We are trying to lift the steel
curtain of alienation between
the educational excellences of
both black and white Institu
tions," he said.
| INSIDE THIS WEEK '
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