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THE BETTER WE KNOW US
• •
WINSTON-SALEM—1 he way was
rough in the early l90u’s for Mr. Carl
Russell, a Wmston-Saiem tuneraihome
durector, but hard worK ana smart
thinking has made him the successful
businessman he is toaay. Mr. Russeil
is a native ot Winston-salem where he
attended public schools.
Although Mr. Kusseli comes from a
financially poor family, he managed
to attend J. C. Smith University, of
which he is a graduate with a B.S. de
gree. He later attended the University
of Minnesota where he finished
embalming school in 1939. He was
planning to go on to medical school
but found that he was financially
unaole. Directly following his com
pletion ot emoalming school, he open
ed his own funeral home.
You’re prooabiy wondering how a
man just completing embalming school
could open his own business. This is
Where the hard work and smart thinK-
Ing really paid off.
After completing J. v. Smith Uni
versity, Mr. Russell worked as a
teacher, a life insurance salesman and
moomighted, using his car in funerals,
which is where he got his interest in
the tunerai home business. Realizing
there was no real future for him in
teaching or as an insurance salesman,
he became deeper involved in the
funeral business through Brown’s Fu
neral Home of Winston-Salem.
by Miller Carter, Jr.,
Before attending embalming school,
Mr. Kusseli had completed an apprent
iceship at Brown’s. Mr. Russell says he
got his practical experience first because
it made it easier for him to pass the
examination to get his embalmer’s
license. He explains that it is easier
this way because "‘the information on
the test came directly from school and
by going through apprenticesnip last,
you could forget everything you learn
ed in school. But, when you get the
schooling last then when test time
comes, everything is still fresh in your
mind.”
While in t ails Church, Virginia, Mr.
Kusseli bought all of his funeral equip
ment from a funeral home that was
going out of business which made him
“ready for business” alter he complet
ed emoalming school.
Mr. Russell started his first business
on Seventh Street in Winston-salem,
and was torced to move to Nineth
Street. He has been at the Nineth St.
address tor ten years, but has had his
own business since 19a9.
Along with his successful luneral
home business, Mr. Kusseli is very
active in politics. He is on the Board
ot Aldermen and has been on the
Board for lo years. He has also served
as Mayor Pro Tem for eight years -- he
was the first black to hold that office.
Further, Mr. Kusseli belongs to the
Continued on Page 4
r
THE TRIBUNAL AID
A VIABLE, VALID REQUIREMENT
RESPONDING TO
BLACK NORTH. CAROLINA
VOLUME in. NO. 16
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10,1975
$5.00 PER YEAR
PRESS RUN 6,400
MEMBER: North Carolina Black Publishers Associatioi- — Ncrth Carolina Press Association, Inc.
F.T.C. Accusations Purely Unfounded
New Electrical
Rates Proposed
Recent charges by the charges as “bait-and-switch”
F.T.C. (Federal Trade fcom- selling tactics, “body snatch-
mission) have sparked an ing”, ai\d “little price” com-
abundance of negative re- petition are the results of a
sponses from funeral directors tviro-year investigation,
all over the state. Such Comments on these accusa-
intervievir by the past president
of the Funeral Directors and
Morticians Association of
North Carolina, Inc., Mr.
Jerry C. Gilmore,III. The
GREENSBOKO —In a
speech to the Greensboro Civ-
itan Club, August 29, 1975,
Senator McNeill Smith urged
that the price of electricity
vary with the time of day, like
the telephone. The Senator
stated that it costs much more
to make electricity at the
peak hours (5 to 8 p.m.), and
whoever uses it then should
pay wat it costs. The reason
behind this, as explained by
Senator Smith, is that when
a power company meets the
peak demand each day, it has
to bring into service its high
est cost generators, like the
gas turbines, or its oldest and
least efficient plants which
have been on stand-by. This
means electricity produced
during peak hours is a more
costly product.
Senator Smith told the
group that the power compan
ies use these “peak hour fig
ures” as the basis for rate in
creases, when actually, the
total sales of both Duke
Power and CP&L dropped
2 - 5% vrithin the past three
years.
The Senator feels that a
rate structure for electricity
based on time-of-day usage
would provide incentive for
consumers to cut off their
appliances during peak hours,
thus preventing rising elec
tricity costs.
United Hikes Trade With Minority Firms
United Airlines spent $1.3 A second program - Minor-
million for goods and services ity Construction Program -
from minority business firms established late in 1974 seeks
in the first half of 1975, out minority firms which can
compared to $377,000 during provide building and 'engin-
the same period last year. eerihg services to United on a
Warren E. Alberts, vice competitive basis,
president, system operating
services, said United’s minor
ity purchases weis made from
some 185 firrtis of more than
400 contacted by the com-
tions were given in a recent following comments are the embalming corpses without
opinions of Mr. Gilmore, the family’s permission,
only. To this charge Mr. Gilmore
*The first charge discussed says that body snatching is
was “body snatching”, which “virtually impossible”. He
is defined as picking up or goes on to comment that
today is not like it was 20
years ago, when a funeral
director would check the
hospitals for dead people.
Today, in order to get a
body, a funeral director must
Ralph L. Staller, Jr., second half, the 1975 goal have signed documents from
director, facilities engineer- could be exceeded by a the hospital and family before
ing, heads up the construction significant margin,” Stadler jhe body ever leaves the
program which reached 91 said. “And we’re working hospital. He also stresses the
per cent of its $500,000 1975 hard to see that this happens.” tact that a funeral director
goal before mid-year. Alberts explained it has could get sued for this type
“If we’re successful in the Continued on Page 3 (body snatching) action.
*The second charge was
that it a customer showed
concern for price, this indi
cates a lack of concern or
respect for the deceased. This
charge also points out that
there is very little price
competition.
In response, Mr. Gilmore
says that families that come
in for service are not shoppers.
They are not looking for the
cheapest thing they can get.
Gilmore further states that he
only takes the customer into
the showroom and lets him
make his own decision. He
doesn’t throw a ' sales pitch”
Conttnued cn Page 2
CARE - LINE For Nursing Home Complaints
RALEIGH—WSHA ENTERTAINS CITY-WSHA-FM,
Shaw University’s educational radio is currently broadcasting
news, music, and information 18 hours a day to the Raleigh
community. WSHA will increase its transmitting power to
12,600 watts during September. The increase vsill enable
the station to broadcast over a 50 mile radius. Carl Sanders,
(standing), instructs student announcer Walter Armstrong
on proper log maintenance.
Family Reunion Held
SALISBURY - The An
nual Walker, Hemphill, and
Barber Family Reunion was
held at First Calvary Baptist
Church, Sunday, August 31
at 2:30 p.m., at Salisbury,
N. C. The Rev. Theodore
Walker is pastor of the
church.
Approximately 125 mem
bers of the Reunion were in
attendance from the states
of North Carolina, South
Carolina, District of Columbia,
Maryland, and New Jersey.
Most families of the reunion
are natives of North and
South Carolina.
Activities consisted of pic-
nicing, a talent program, and
worship service. There being
three minister brothers in the
family circle (Reverends T.
M. Walker of Gastonia, N.C.;
Theodore Walker of Salisbury,
N. C.; and Thomas F. Walker
of Hampton, Va.) the reunion
Continued on Page 3
pany and, mounted to 87
percent of the airline’s full
year goal of $1.5 million.
“The increased amount of
business with minority firms
results from expanded efforts
to identify minority suppliers
capable of providing goods
and services at competitive
prices,” Alberts said. We are
hopeful of reaching $2 mil
lion in purchases from minor
ity companies by the end of
the yfear.”
The airline’s effort to
increase the amount of busi
ness with minority groups is
conducted through the Mi
nority Vendor Purchasing
Program and the Minority
Construction Program.
The purchasing^ program
was established in early 1974
to help the airline meet its
obligations for affirmative
action in minoirty affairs by
increasing its businesses with
inlnorit)-ov/ned firms.
Martin E. Innes, vice pres
ident, purchasing, defined
such minority-owned com
panies as having at least 50
per cent ownership by minor
ity groups, including Black
American, American Indains,
Spanish Americans, Oriental
Americans, Eskimos antf
Aleuts.
“The program began as a
corporate efforf including
United’s food services division
and maintenance operations
division and was recently
expanded to the airline’s
three geographic operating
^divisions,” Innes said. '
Goods and services include
food and dairy products,
maintenance supplies, repair
and operating supplies, car
peting and installation, and
moving and storage.
RALEIGH-Often in
dividuals confined to nursing
homes feel powerless when it
comes to voicing complaints.
Relatives of the elderly fear
that accusations toward these
institutions will result in
mistreatment.
Many of the problems of
the nursing home resident are
not brought forth until after
the death of the person.
Now, these older citizens
and their families have an
advocate who is easy to
contact and will confidentially
help thenx
The advocate is the new
nursing home ombudsman in
the Office for Aging (formerly
Governor’s Coordinating
Council on Aging) of the
Department of Human Re
sources.
By callingl-800-662-7030,
anyone in North Carolina can
be referred to the ombuds
man, through the Depart
ment’s CARE-LINE;.
The nursing home om.buds-
man is part of a nationwide
pilot program started by the
Department of Health, Educa
tion and Welfare to give
nursing home residents and
their families a way to be
I’earc.
“This is the first time that
a person has been named who
can go to the nursing homes,
talk to the patients and ask
then, their problems, ” said
Vince LoMonte, the state’s
first nursing home ombuds-
n.an.
LoMcnte’s chief responsi
bility is to resolve complaints
of residents of these homes.
He helps patients with
concerns such as accounting
for funds and other personal
property, protection against
involuntary- transfers from
one nursing home to another
or to a mental hospital,
and problems with physical
and psychological abuse.
After receiving a com
plaint, LoMonte can go to the
community in which the
nursing home is located and
of the patient, visit the
institution and contact local
social service and health de
partments when necessary.
A report is made to state
nursing home care, such as
the Division of Facility
Services, which licenses the
over 159 nursing homes in
the state.
whatever action necessary to
correct the situation. He may
choose to talk to civic groups
and churches to stimulate
interest in starting volunteer
personally talk to the relatives level agencies involved with The ombudsman takes programs, which will help
Southern Railway Appoints
Black Superintendant
“The trick to cooking is
satisfying the eye; if it looks
good, you’ve satisfied the
taste,” firmly asserts D. A.
Williamson, newly-appointed
Superintendent of Dining and
Sleeping Cars for Southern
Railway.
Indeed, Mr. Williamson
might be considered quite an
expert on the art of cooking,
in general, and railway cooking,
in particular. Employed by
Southern, a basic passenger
railway from Washington,
D.C. to New Orleans, in a
food-related capacity for 24
of his b'j years, D. A. began
his career with the railway
as-what else-a cook, 4th
class. “At the time, anyone
hired by the railroad always
started as a 4th cook,” stated
D. A. The 4th cook position
consisted mainly of preparing
vegetables and washing dishes.
However, D. A. advanced
more rapidly than the normal
120 days work requirement
one must fulfill before being
considered for a promotion.
Bypassing the 3rd cook classi
fication he was promoted to
2nd cook and in a short time
was promoted to Chef Cook.
For 18 years, D. A.
worked as Chef Cook, and in
this capacity he perfected his
skill of preparing and arrang
ing dishes tempting to the
eye, which he considers “the
key to good food.”
Steadily advancing within
the system, D. A. was request
ed by Southern to assist in
the development and imple
mentation of a grill car
service. As a grill car attend
ant, he assumed the dual
responsibility of part-waiter,
part-cook. Serving in this
position for three years, he
“covered the whole scope
of railway dining service.”
Describing the duties of a
steward as a person who is
“in charge of dining car
service in route and supervising
the crew and serving the
passenger,” D. A. took over
the position with ease. As in
the past, he held the position
for only a short period of
time before he was appointed
Superintendent of Dining and
Sleeping Cars.
As Superintendent ot Din
ing and Sleeping Cars, D. A.
confesses that there are no
“set rules” as to the range of
his duties or responsibilities.
“Basically I am in charge
of supplying nine official cars
and I do the bulk buying of
necessities for Southern’s
sleeping and dining cars,”
explained D. A. Working very
closely with the Manager of
the Dining and Sleeping Cars
within D. C., D. A. is instru
mental in the management
and arrangement of the work
ing crew.
Generally, D. A. was expos
ed to the art of cooking at a
very early age. His mother
‘oOoCi'
'CoS« I
oCea ‘
t*
was paralyzed from the waist
down the greater part of her
life. “I had to be my mother’s
hands and legs,” remembered
D. A., the oldest and only
survivor of four Williamson
children.
Before coming to Southern
Railway, D. A. worked at
numerous odd jobs, although
most of them were directly or
indirectly related to cooking.
A native of Birmingham,
Alabama, he attended Lincoln
Elementary School, Industrial
High School, and Morehouse
University for two years. “I
was a shiftless youngster,”
laughed D. A. when reflecting
on his younger years.
The father of four, D. A.
readily admits that 90 percent
of his success is due to his
wife, who is a supervisor of
nurses in anesthesia. His fam
ily is still living in Atlanta,
Georgia, and soon will be
moving to Washington, D. C.
Continued on Page 2
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