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York/^Efje Cfjarlotte ^osft/Rowan
REGIONAL
THURSDAY, May 29, 1997
Annexation stirs passion in 2 Rowan towns
By Brian Powe
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
An annexation dispute
between East Spencer and
Spencer has become an “unfor
tunate situation,” says East
Spencer Mayor Ronnie
Rollings.
Rollings’ town was on the los
ing end of a court decision that
ROWAN
EVENTS
May 29-June 1
• 5-11 p.m. - Carnival, J.C.
Price American Legion Post
107, 1433 Old Wilkinson Road,
Salisbury. Ride all day
Thursday for $7. Regular price
Friday-Sunday. For more infor
mation, call 638-0160.
May 29
• 7:30 p.m. — Play, “Sweeney
Tbdd,” Meroney Theatre, 213 S.
Main St., Salisbury. Musical
cousin of classics such as “Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Jack
the Ripper” and “Count
Dracula.” Performance dates
are May 29-31, June 4-7 at 7:30
p.m. with a matinee June 1 at
2:30 p.m. For more information
and reservations, call 633-
5471.
May 30
• 7 p.m. - Bible study,
Jerusalem Baptist Church,
North Long Street, Spencer
• 7 p.m. - Crusade, Brock
Recreation Center, Mocksvile.
Sponsored by Love Christian
Center, Salisbury.
May 31
^ • 7 p.m. - Appreciation ser
vice for Bishop and Mrs. Cecil
Bishop, Moore’s Chapel AME
Zion Church, 500 Partee St.
Salisbury.
June 1
3 p.m. — Appreciation service,
Locke Street Church of God,
1004 Locke St., Salisbury.
• 6 p.m. - Evening service,
Jerusalem Baptist Church, N.
Long St., East Spencer. Pastor
Rev. Eric Henley; guest speak
er Rev. Johnny Brown, pastor
of Anchored in Christ Ministry,
Charlotte.
• 7 p.m. - Spiritual growth
and development class.
Soldiers Memorial AME Zion
Church, 306 N. Church St.,
Salisbury.
• 7:30 p.m. - Mprriage work
shop, Gethsemane Baptist
Church, 719 S. Caldwell St.,
Salisbury. Singles and couples
are invited. Certificates will be
issued upon completion. Free.
June 3
• 4 .p.m. - Salisbury City
Council meeting. City Hall, 132
See ROWAN on page 96
temporarily halted plans for
the further industrial develop
ment of East Spencer.
“The main thing from the
beginning was that there was
no communication,” he said.
“We just decided we should not
allow another town to box us in
from further expansion.”
East Spencer officials adopt
ed a resolution last June to
East Spencer, Spencer at odds
annex about 151 acres of land
on the north and east side of
town, but Spencer officials say
the plan was flawed because it
sought to seize land already
committed to their town.
Spencer officials filed a suit
against its neighbor and has
been granted a preliminary
injunction of East Spencer’s
annexation.
Rollings says he thinks East
Spencer, which is 90 percent
African American, will file suit
with the N.C. Court of Appeals.
“Tm hoping that the appellate
Pioneer’s day in the sun
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO/LOU KRASKY
Larry Doby and his wife Helyn listen as he Is honored with a ceremony In his hometown of
Camden, S.C. last Thursday for his accomplishments In professional baseball. Doby was
the first black to play In the American League and the second In the majors behind Jackie
Robinson.
Juneteenth celebration gears up for another year
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Rowan County’s African
American community is gearing
up for the celebration of black
emancipation next month.
’The Rowan Area Minority
Business Association will sponsor
its third annual Juneteenth cele
bration June 14 at Kelsey-Scott
Park in Salisbury. Events start at
10 a.m. and end at 9 p.m.
Juneteenth is an African
American hohday that originated
in Tfexas in 1865 and is most pop
ular in the southwestern U.S.
'The holiday came about as the
result of Tbxas slaves not receiv
ing word of the signing of the
Emancipation Proclamation until
two years after it became law.
Although the legislation freed “all
slaves in areas still in rebellion,”
slow communications caused by
the ferocity of the Civil War, kept
Tfexas slaves from going free imtil
June 17, 1865. The day was set
aside as a Tfexas state holiday and
has been celebrated by black citi
zens every year since.
Although Juneteenth has more
of a following in the southwest, it
is becoming more popular in the
east.
Area small businesses will dis
play their goods and services.
Entertaiimient will also be pro
vided at the celebration, which
has ery'oyed steady growth since
its start.
“We are very excited about this
project and would like for all of
our members to participate as
vendors or volunteers to super
vise some of the many activities
being planned,” said Louis
Jefferies, president of Rowan
Area Minority Business
Association.
Registration fee for vendors is
$40 before June 5 and $45 after.
For more information, call Rowan
Area Minority Business
Association at 638-0260 or fax
638-0270.
court will make a judgement
according to the law,” Rollings
said.
Spencer Town Manager Jeff
Causey was satisfied with
Judge William Helms’ decision.
He said Spencer is planning to
annex the disputed area and
move toward its own expan
sion. Spencer’s expansion,
which would widen its bound
aries to the Interstate 85, will
annex approximately 90 acres
of land.
East Spencer officials feel the
town’s plan should not have
been ruled invalid, especially
when Spencer is filing ah
annexation case for the same
land. Some officials feel that ^
the land belonged to Spencer,
See ANNEXATION on page 9B
Liquor sales not
as easy as ABC
in Cleveland
By Brian Powe
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
CLEVELAND, N.C. — This Rowan County town is trying to
block plans by the Alcoholic Beverage Control board to build a
liquor store here. ,
The store, which would be constructed next to Cleveland’s sole
shopping center, has some residents outraged. In 1994, ABC offi
cials suggested starting a liquor store, but the plan was quickly
killed after town officials banned alcoholic sales.
Some residents feel it is petty for locals to oppose the new pro
posal when there’s a liquor store just 15 miles away in Salisbury.
And, furthermore, some Cleveland officials say that very little of
the proceeds from the store will come back to the small city.
ABC officials say all of the proceeds go back to Rowan County.
Statistics have shown that Rowan receives 50 percent of ABC
earnings and Salisbury gets 30 percent of the profit. The remains
der is divided among other cities in the county including,
Cleveland, Mt. Ulla and Spencer.
In 1996, ABC establishments earned $203,980, but Cleveland
officials say the town only received about $1,000 of the proceeds^
Several Cleveland ministers have come together in an attempt
to keep the ABC out. They started a petition recently and collect
ed 83 names of residents who are opposed to the liquor store. ^
The ministers say that the petition will be sent to ABC boards
in Raleigh and Salisbury.
Russ Williams, chaplain of the Salisbury Police Department;
encouraged town citizens as well as the Mayor Jim Brown to fight
the proposal to build a ABC store in the town.
Brown said that the meeting will be set up for the disgruntled
Cleveland citizens to meet with the Rowan County Board of
Commissioners about the issue. “This is more than just a town of
Cleveland issue,” he said. “
Klan building :
sold to black
S.C. minister
I
1
A
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAURENS, S.C. - As little as few months ago, Mike Burden was
a Ku Klux Klan member prepared to take the life of a local black
minister who threatened to close the KKK museum Burden
helped start.
Now, Burden says he has turned over a new leaf and also has
turned over ownership of the building that houses the museum to
the Rev. David Kennedy and his predominantly black church.
Burden said he met John Howard in 1989. Burden said he was
19, homeless and hungry and Howard offered him a job in
exchange for room and board.
During the next few years, Howard introduced Burden to the
Klan, The (Columbia) State reported Saturday.
“I was led to believe that was my family. That was my life. That
was my destiny,” Burden said. “And I done the best I could to livfe
up to it.”
In June 1994, Howard sold the old Echo Theater Building to
Burden. Under the terms of the sale, Howard retained a “life
estate” that lets him use the building until his death.
“At that time,” Burden said, “I pretty much thought I was gonna
be untouchable.”
As head of the local lodge, he was an Exalted Cyclops. As state
organizer for the Keystone Klan, he was a Grand Dragon. And as
See KKK MUSEUM on page 96
Rock Hill rapper’s lyrics tell a grim reality tale of urban life
By Sharyn Lucas-Parker
tfis ASSOCIATED PRESS
I RCXIK HILL, S.C. - Rock Hill
is a far cry from the brutal, gang-
plagued communities often seen
on TV, but 22-year-old Anthony
Robinson says he’s seen it all
anyway.
I “Everything,” he said. “The
drugs, the shootings, the blood.”
' About two years ago, he
fecalled, a woman who hved in
his apartment building stabbed
her husband and left his body in
the parking lot Tlie story made
front-page news, and elements of
He’s looking for major record deal
the macabre tale found their way
into Robinson’s rap music.
“I take a lot of that kind of stuff
and fuse it with creativity and
just write,” he said. “It’s like a
poet putting his feelings on paper
and people listeniirg to what he’s
saying.”
Since he began writing and pro
ducing his own material nearly
three years ago, Robinson — who
records under the name L.O.C. -
has sold more than 800 cassette
singles.
Robinson’s third single, "Talk
About ’Em” was released recently,
and like his previous recordings,
it is being sold on consigmnent at
local record stores.
Drake Hill, assistant manager
at Disc Jockey, says he expects
the single to do as well as
Robinson’s other releases - or bet
ter.
"The people who come in look
ing for his stuff are already famil
iar with his music,” Hill said.
“He’s done a good job marketing
himself.”
Robinson’s lyrics are similar in
soimd to hard-core rappers Tfela
and Eight Ball and M.J.G.
“It’s reality rap,” Hill said. “It’s
definitely a different clique.”
Meaning, unlike so-called
gangsta rappers who claim to
participate in killings and rob
bings, Robinson raps about what
he has observed.
“I don’t belong in a gang. I have
never robbed a bank or another
person,” Robinson said. “But
there are a lot of things that I
have seen.”
There’s one story that is too per
sonal and painful for Robinson to
write abouL though. When he
was 10, his father was shot and
killed, leaving his mother to raise
Robinson and his four siblings.
One day, he said, when he’s
“made it big,” he’ll try his hand at
setting the story to music. “I want
it to be perfect,” he said.
Robinson says his struggle to
land a recording contract has
been difficult.
Shortly after graduating from
Northwestern High School,
Robinson, who has been featured
in several local talent shows,
went shopping for a recording
contract His search has taken
See RAPPER on page 96