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VOLUME 21 NO. 29
APRIL 4,1996
75 CENTS
Wider Beatties Ford Road will bring changes
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The widening of Beatties
Ford Road will drastically
change the appearance of its
intersection with Oaklawn
Avenue.
At least three commercial
buildings on the north side of
Beatties Ford will either have
to be torn down or “altered,”
according to Dick Williams,
Charlotte’s senior project
manager. Williams said exact
ly what will be required won’t
be known for another year, as
the road project is designed,
based on citizen input at a
Commerce
Secretary
feared dead
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Commerce Secretary Ron
Brown was presumed dead
Wednesday after the Air Force
plane he and his party were
flying in went down in
Croatia.
The plane, an Air Force ver
sion of the Boeing 737, appar
ently crashed into a hillside in
inclement weather. There
were 30 people aboard, includ
ing Brown and his Commerce
Department staffers, several
U.S. business executives and
the military crew. Brown was
on a mission to develop eco
nomic ties with the feuding
former Yugoslav republics,
now separated by American
ard other U.N. troops.
President Bill Clinton
praised Brown, who chaired
the Democratic National
Committee from 1989-92,
including Clinton’s election
campaign. He said Brown was
excited about the opportunity
to help use the American
economy to foster peace in the
Balkans.
After visiting Brown’s wife,
Alma, Clinton said, “He was
one of the best advisors and
ablest people I ever knew and
he was very, very good and
everything he ever did,
whether he was commerce sec
retary or civil rights leader or
something else.”
A wave of sympathy and
praise for Brown flowed from
various political and business
leaders who have worked with
him over the years.
U.S. Rep. Mel Watt of
Charlotte called Brown a
friend whose death is shock
ing and saddening.
“The tragic deaths of
Secretary of Commerce Ron
Brown and others represent a
shocking and saddening loss
for our country,” Watt said.
Watt credited Brown with
rebuilding the Democratic
Party.
“Ron Brown was the archi
tect of the plan which revived
the Democratic Party and
See BROWN page 3A
meeting last week at West
Charlotte High.School.
Ike Heard Jr., who pushes
northwest Charlotte develop
ment as head of Northwest
Corridor Community
Development Commission,
thinks the new plan is best.
“I think it will benefit the
corridor, in light of the recent
and projected economic
growth there,” Heard said.
“With careful attention to
design and streetscape detail,
I believe that the widening
can be accomplished with a
minimum of disruptions to
existing businesses, and with
out destroying those sections
which retain their basically
residential character.”
Actual construction won’t
begin until 1998 at the earli
est, Williams said. The origi
nal plan was budgeted at
about $1.5 million, but the
new proposal will cost more
since additional right-of-way
will be required, the buildings
may have to torn down, and
landscaping added.
Williams said the widened
stretch of Beatties Ford Road,
between Oaklawn and Russell
Avenue, would include trees
along the roadway and'under
ground utility lines.
Community residents indi
cated at a meeting last week
that a wider, more attractive
widening was preferred over
an earlier, less ambitious pro
posal. The earlier proposal
would have required taking
about four feet from each side
of the current roadbed. The
new proposal would require 16
feet, 8 feet from each side.
“We got what we think is a
good consensus of what the
people wanted,” Williams
said.
J.C. Cousar, who owns one of
the buildings that will be
directly affected by the widen
ing said he favors the new
plan. Cousar owns Ceasar
Corporation at 1120 Beatties
See ROAD page 2A
Rocky Top of The World
. , , PHOTO/WADE NASH
Charlotte native Tiffani Johnson waves her cap to the crowd after helping Tennessee to an 83-
65 win over Georgia in the NCAA women’s basketbali championship Sunday at Charlotte
Coliseum. Johnson, who starred at Garinger High Schooi, scored 16 points in the Lady
Voiunteers’ victory. More in Sports on page 8B. ‘
PHOTO/ CALVIN FERGUSON
This intersection of Beatties Ford Road and Oaklawn Avenue
will be drastically different after Beatties Ford is widened about
16 feet. Three buildings on right will be razed or “altered.”
South Africa’s future
relies on racial unity,
young Mandela says-
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
B lacks and whites are trying to get along, after a period in
which whites - legally and economically - dominated
blacks.
In a radically different government, the majority is trying
to roll back some of the gains made by the minority.
America today? No. That's South Africa.
But, Makaziwe Mandela, the daughter of the leader of that new
majority government, says she's confident the post-apartheid
South Africa will be successful, if whites are willing to accept
required changes in the economic system.
Speaking Sunday at Johnson C. Smith University’s Founders’
Day celebration, Mandela said: “Ending apartheid requires more
than the institution of participatory democracy. Participatory
democracy is necessary, but it is not the sole conation required.”
Mandela, a Fulbright 50th Anniversary Distinguished Fellow, is
nearing the end of a tour of historically hlack colleges. The tour is
hosted by the United Negro College Fund and sponsored by the
U.S. Information Agency, which funds the Fulbright program.
Mandela has a doctorate and a masters degree in anthropology
from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and a degree
in social work fom the University of Fort Hare. She has an hon
ors degree from the University of Natal.
In South Africa, she is affirmative action and equal opportunity
advisor at the University of Witwatersrand, where black student
registration has increased from 4.3 percent in 1976 to 40 percent
in 1995.
Mandela said she has no interest in following her father, Nobel
laureate Nelson Mandela, into the political leadership of South
Africa, saying there are other strategic roles to be played in the
new South Africa.
In a lecture which lasted less than 30 minutes, Mandela chal-
See MANDELA page 8A
ON
Genesis Park opens doors for would-be homeowners
Makaziwe Mandela challenged Johnson C. Smith University’s
1996 graduating class to use their degrees for good of the com
munity. She said peace in South Africa wiil require economic
justice for the nation’s African majority.
PHOTO/PAUL WILLIAMS III
Rehabilitated homes Genesis Park are attracting famiiies like
Mariene Jackson’s, the first to move in after redeveiopment.
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Matthew Jackson had to be
talked into buying a house in
Genesis Park, the redeveloped
community off Oaklawn
Avenue once a haven for drug
dealers and violence.
“I was aware of the history,”
Jackson said. “I was sort of
skeptical at first about moving
over here, but my wife said
everything was going to be
OK. She talked me into it.
“I haven’t been displeased,”
he said. “It has been real nice
over here.”
The Jacksons were the first
family to move into the rede
velopment spearheaded by the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Housing Partnership, which is
renovating duplexesinto sin
gle-family homes for owner
ship in an area which once
included notorious Kenney
and 'Wayt streets.
In April 192, they moved
into a renovated duplex on
what was once Gibbs Street,
but has been renamed Genesis
Park Place
“The Mustang Gang (con
victed drug dealers) was living
down the street when we
moved in,” said Marlene
Jackson, now president of the
Genesis Park neighborhood
association. “I knew it was a
challenge. The neighborhood
was not renovated, but I
thought it was possible.”
More than 50 families live in
Genesis Park now. Another 42
homes should be ready for
occupancy by this summer,
according to Kathy Williams
of the N.C. Housing
Partnership.
The Jacksons have four chil
dren, ranging in age from 12
to 2,
“I think the neighborhood is
great,” Matthew Jackson said.
“It’s coming along fine, with
all the new renovations that
are going on. This is a great
neighborhood. It’s one of the
top neighborhoods people
will want to come live in.”
Williams and others
involved in the intense neigh
borhood re-creation project
hope so. Construction is
underway on projects that will
add more than three dozen
See HOME page 3A
Inside
Editorials 4A-5A
Strictly Business 7A
Lifestyles 9A
Religion 11A
Arts/Entertainment 1B
What's Up 4B
Regional News 6B
Sports 8B
Classified 13B
Auto Showcase 14B
To subscribe, call (704) 376-
0496 or FAX (704) 342-2160.
© 1996 The Charlotte Post
Publishing Company.
E-mail:
charpost @ clt.mindspring.com