September 22, 2022

United Metropolitan breaks ground at Metropolitan Village

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Today, Thursday, Sept. 22, United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church (UMMBC) will officially break ground on Metropolitan Village, a mixed-use development in the heart of East Winston.

In March church officials announced the redevelopment of the property, which encompasses Third and Fourth streets between Highland Avenue and Woodland Avenue. The $65 million redevelopment project is expected to kick off phase one of the East End Masterplan.

The redeveloped

property is expected to include 325 residential units as well as retail space, common and private workspaces.

Redevelopment efforts were spearheaded by UMMBC’s “Beyond the Sanctuary” initiative which was started in 2019.

According to church officials, the redevelopment is aimed at creating “equitable redevelopment” by minimizing displacement, opening new spaces for economic mobility, and by bringing a new approach to diversity and inclusion.

Development of the site will be handled by Liberty Atlantic, which is based in Charlotte. The

project is expected to be completed in 2024.

When discussing Metropolitan Village, Rev. Alvin T. Armstead, pastor of UMMBC, and Jaron Norman, CEO of Liberty Atlantic, said the redevelopment is more than just putting up new buildings.

“We strongly believe that investing in the

redevelopment of this area is about so much more than just new buildings and living spaces and hoping change will come,” Armstead said. “We have an obligation to use this as an opportunity to tangibly improve the mental, physical, spiritual and financial lives of the people in our community.”

“Our efforts go above

and beyond the traditional redevelopment approach of building units and filling them with residents who can maximize value for the developer. We believe there is an approach that emphasizes and prioritizes the health and well-being of our residents, while also creating value for our partners and investors,” Norman said. “We believe

healthier, more productive workers are a win for everyone.”

The groundbreaking ceremony is open to the public and scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Those planning to attend should park in the parking lot on the corner of Metropolitan Drive and Fourth Street.

Never Walk Alone event educates community on addiction and local resources

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Approximately 20.1 million Americans are addicted to opioids and approximately 180 people die each day from opioid overdose. To show their support to those battling addiction, last weekend local law enforcement, elected officials and other community stakeholders came together for the second annual Never Walk Alone event.

The purpose of Never Walk Alone is to educate the community about the disease of addiction and the numerous resources that are available here in Forsyth County. The

event featured on-site resources and vendors that help individuals and families deal with addiction including Addiction Recovery Care Association; Insight Human Services; Daymark Recovery Services; AA; NA; Al-Anon; Nar-Anon; Novant Health Community Care Cruiser; the DEAC Clinic; the WSSU BeHCU

Mobile Clinic; the Forsyth County Mobile Unit; and many others.

The event also included live entertainment, food trucks and interactive activities. Several local community leaders also spoke during the event including Mayor Allen Joines, Forsyth County Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt, Forsyth

was there to let people know about her non-profit organization, Tealdrops, which was formed in memory of her daughter Toria Stevens, who died from an overdose.

After losing her daughter, Susan was determined to help other people overcome addiction. She went back to school and became

a licensed addiction specialist and in 2018 she started Tealdrops, which provides resources for addiction research and post treatment relapse prevention.

When discussing the Never Walk Alone event, Stevens said it’s the best event held in WinstonSalem.

“Never Walk Alone is the best event held in Winston-Salem because it brings the people in addiction together and the families,” Stevens continued. “This is bringing out vendors in all areas because there’s not one way out of addiction. You can come here and find the kind connection you need, whether it’s emotional support, whether it’s Narcan, whether it’s prevention, whether it’s medicine, whether it’s mental health, whether it’s going into a home, you can find that here, but you can also find non-judgemental love.”

County Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough Jr., WinstonSalem Police Chief Catrina Thompson, Forsyth County Commissioner Fleming El-Amin, Kernersville Police Chief Tim Summers, City Councilwoman Barbara Burke, and Forsyth County Commissioner Don Martin.

Susan Kelly Stevens

File photo

The groundbreaking for Metropolitan Village will be held Thursday, Sept. 22, at 2 p.m.

Photo by Tevin Stinson

The second annual Never Walk Alone event was held last weekend.

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

Becoming an entre preneur is not for the faint of heart due to the risks involved with such a ven ture. Throwing caution to the wind, Bridget Hunter stepped out on faith and started the Bridget Re nee Brand (BRB) to give melanated people another option in the world of skin care.

Hunter, a Goldsboro native and 2009 graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, launched BRB in April of this year, but has had other busi nesses that led her to this

tant to me,” she said about her products. “The natural products embedded in my skin care is very impor tant for me because that’s what we use and that’s just what’s best for our skin.”

Hunter says the big gest difference between her products and what you currently find on the shelves is that her products cater to many different types of skin. Whether you have oily or dry skin, she claims her products will work for you.

Being that BRB is in its infancy, sales have already exceeded her initial ex pectations. Hunter works a full-time job, while also

watching,” she continued.

“They still follow me on social media and I still communicate with some and when they see me do certain things, they’ll tell me that I inspired them to continue on the path they were on. They might not necessarily want to go into entrepreneurship or aca demia but whatever their field is, it can be done be cause they see everything I

have going on.”

Hunter would eventu ally like to see her products in brick and mortar stores like Target, Walgreens and Walmart. Her belief is that when she hears no, that just means not right now and will continue to per severe until she gets a yes.

Becoming a business owner was a dream come true for Hunter. She has always wanted to affect

change in the community by becoming a leader by example.

“I’ve always dreamed of being an entrepreneur,” said Hunter. “I’ve always wanted to create some thing to change the lives of others. I didn’t know what, but I always knew I wanted to make an impact in some kind of way.

“Breaking into the beauty industry, espe

cially post-COVID, made me realize how important self-love and self-care is. I strive to put that back in our community. The big gest benefit of owning my business is being able to have young women look at me as an inspiration to never give up on their dreams.”

You can find Hunter’s products at www.thebri dgetreneebrand.com.

family meals ready when you are

point in her professional journey.

“I started out mak ing A&T paraphernalia and from there I kind of liked being in front of the camera because that was one of the first times get ting my makeup done, so it kind of drew me into it and I decided to start a lipstick line,” said Hunter about how she got the idea to start the Bridget Renee Brand.

“It was February of 2020 when I launched my lipstick line but then, of course, COVID came in March so of course, it didn’t do well because people weren’t going any where and if they did, they had a mask on. As time went by, I noticed that wearing a mask would break out people’s faces where the mask was, so I just put a different spin on it and turned it into a skin care line.”

Hunter says she still has lipstick options that she sells. Her skin care line consists of an oil cleanser, a face moisturizer, a face mask, a face mist, and beard oil for men.

“It all goes together,” she said. “If someone is looking at your popping lips, then they need to be looking at smooth skin, so it all goes together for me.”

Hunter connected with an all-natural distributor for her products. She per sonally tested them for a few months to see how the products worked and re ally enjoyed them.

“Finding the natural products was very impor

taking care of her son, so she can’t dedicate as much time to her company as she would like.

“I’ve honestly been trying to find a balance with my professional life, my business life and my personal life,” she stated.

“I just moved this past weekend, but now I feel like I am on a track to get back into my business like I was in the beginning. I can’t say that business isn’t good, I just haven’t had the time to put into it like I want to.

“I can’t say that I give 100% of myself to every thing because I am always missing something. If I’m at work and I am trying to make a post, I am neglect ing something that I need to do there. After work, I am too tired, I am ne glecting something I need to work on for marketing. The best way that I can juggle it is to prioritize the things that I need to get done in each area.”

As a successful Black woman in the professional as well as in the entrepre neurial world, Hunter is intentional with her moves as she knows other young ladies are watching her and other successful Black women and use them for inspiration in their lives.

“I worked at A&T be fore I relocated here and I was an academic advisor and one thing that really stood out to me was how much my students took to me and how much they looked up to me, so I knew in that moment that people are watching; you might not think so, but people are

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FEMA kicks off Preparedness Month with campaign targeting African American communities

BY STACY M. BROWN

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has again teamed up with the Ad Council for a public service announcement to kick off National Pre paredness Month.

With its new “Ready Campaign,” FEMA specifi cally targets African American communities with mes sages that encourage advanced preparedness for storms and all natural disasters.

“Preparing for disaster is not just about protecting people and property, it’s about safeguarding the lives we’ve built and the legacy we will leave to our children and the generations to come,” FEMA Deputy Adminis trator Erik Hooks told the NNPA’s Let It Be Known live morning news show.

“With this campaign, FEMA reaffirms our commit ment to equity and says loud and clear that every com munity deserves to be protected from hazards.”

Hooks and others kicked off the campaign at How ard University, speaking with students in an ongoing se ries highlighting the urgency of preparedness.

“Black communities are on the frontlines of climate change and related extreme weather events,” Hooks stated.

He referenced a report from the Environmental Pro tection Agency (EPA) which revealed that socially vul nerable populations, including Black and African Amer ican communities, may be more exposed to the highest impacts of climate change.

Specifically, with global warming, Black and Afri can American individuals have a 10% higher risk of liv ing in areas with the highest projected inland flooding damages compared to reference populations, the report concluded.

“Black and African American communities often suffer disproportionate impacts from disasters. This is something that we must work to change and that starts with how we prepare,” said FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell.

“Our 2022 Ready campaign speaks directly to the communities who need our help the most and who de serve equitable access to preparedness resources that protect people and property,” Criswell remarked.

“By continuing to advance accessibility and cultural competency in our preparedness messaging, we can make sure that everyone is ready when disaster strikes.”

According to a news release, the Ready Campaign PSAs, titled “A Lasting Legacy,” will run nationwide in both Spanish and English, and are meant to help miti gate these discrepancies by encouraging Black commu nities to protect the lives they have built and the legacies they will leave behind through preparation and disaster readiness.

“We all want to protect our families, whether that’s our grandparents or our grandchildren,” said Ad Coun cil Chief Campaign Development Officer Michelle Hill man.

“This latest creative work is grounded in the im portance of family and reminds us that preparation can make sure that our loved ones endure whatever disasters life sends our way.”

For more information and tips on preparing an emer gency plan, visit ready.gov/plan or listo.gov/plan.

Stacy M. Brown is the NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent. Reach him at @StacyBrown Media.

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Ben Jealous Guest Columnist

Truth is a threat to au thoritarianism. Reading is a path to truth. That’s why the freedom to read is es sential to the freedom to learn. And that’s why the freedom to learn is often attacked by those who abuse power and those who cling to it.

Every year, the Ameri can Library Association and partner organizations observe Banned Books Week to highlight and push back against these threats. This year’s Banned Books Week runs from Septem ber 18-24 amidst a wave of book bans and other attempts to restrict what people can learn.

These efforts have a long and dishonorable his tory.

Before the Civil War, many slave states made it a crime to teach enslaved people to read. Slavehold ers feared that being able to read might help en slaved people gain their freedom or organize rebel lions. In Virginia, a judge could order that any slave or free person of color caught learning to read or write be whipped.

In our day, attacking the freedom to read is once again a political strategy for those seeking to take and keep power. And once again, Black people are a primary target.

State legislators and governors are making it illegal to teach honestly about the history and real ity of racism in our coun try. Far-right activists are trying to purge schools and libraries of books that feature Black people, LG BTQ people, and others they deem unworthy of students’ attention.

The MAGA move ment’s attacks on teaching about racism and sexuality have led to what the Amer ican Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Free dom has called an “astro nomical” increase in chal lenges to books.

That’s why the annual celebration of the free dom to read that is Banned Books Week is especially meaningful this year. In addition to the librar ians, authors, booksellers, teachers, and other anticensorship activists who lead Banned Book Week activities, all of us have a role to play in ensuring the voices of our communities are not silenced.

Books by and about Black people and other people of color - and by and about LGBTQ people - dominate the ALA’s an nual list of most frequently

challenged books. This year’s honorary chair man, George Johnson, is an award-winning Black author whose “All Boys Aren’t Blue” is high on the list of books most chal lenged last year, along with others dealing with racism, racial identity, and sexuality.

“This is a fight for the truth that has always existed even if it rarely gets told,” Johnson says.

“When the youth are em powered with stories about the experiences of others, they become adults who understand the necessity for equity and equality and have the tools to build a world the likes of which we have never seen.”

But far-right activ ists tell parents that words like “equity” are code for Marxism and something they should fight. Trump Republicans are encour aging MAGA activists to take over their school boards by running propa ganda campaigns about “critical race theory.”

Trumpish state legisla tors are introducing laws to make it illegal to teach anything that might make white students experience “discomfort.”

One Texas lawmaker demanded in formation from schools on 850 books he thought were suspect; his list included works on history and hu man rights. In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin set

up an email hotline for people to report teachers suspected of “divisive” practices.

Books targeted in the current war on truth in clude a memoir by Ruby Bridges, which tells the true story about her walk ing through angry mobs when she was a six-yearold who became the first Black student to attend a New Orleans elementary school that had previously been off-limits to nonwhite students.

This is an important part of our history. We cannot build a future to gether if we are not willing to honestly face the truth about our past and our present.

Banned Books Week is a good time to com mit ourselves to defend ing the freedom to read, teach, and learn about our history - and to opposing those who want to make it illegal to teach about that history or make it impos sible for educators to do so without being smeared and harassed.

Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Profes sor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylva nia. A New York Times best-selling author, his next book, “Never Forget Our People Were Always Free,” will be published by Harper Collins in De cember 2022.

Book bans are an attack on the freedom to read, teach and learn

Jackson, Mississippi, has a water crisis. Is there a permanent fix to it?

we are not without our trials and challenges. For example, if you live on the West Coast, you are prone to forest fires. If you live on the Gulf Coast or in the Midwest, you will be sub jected to hurricanes and tornadoes, respectively.

and its capital, Jackson, was victimized by it. The national news painted a dark and disturbing picture of the City with Soul when describing what was hap pening there. People had to leave their homes with barely the clothes on their backs.

the city had been under a boil water advisory since July 30th. Last Monday, Mississippi governor, Tate Reeves, said, “Today the tanks are full. Water pres sure is solid.”

not forget Flint, Michigan.

differently.

You and I live in the greatest country in the world. That is what we be lieve. It is the land of the free and the home of the brave.

It is my opinion that we take so much for granted in America. Food, clothing and shelter have always been staples of the Ameri can way of life. Some sim ply have it in more abun dance.

Countries around the world struggle mightily to have these everyday ne cessities.

In our United States,

Wherever we live, na ture will find us. These natural events happen to all of us. We adjust our lifestyles to them, and we live our lives accordingly.

I know where we live, we prepare ourselves for hurricane season each year. Please know that I am quite familiar with the terms hurricane warning and hurricane watch.

The state of Missis sippi had a natural weather event recently that affect ed the quality of life in the capital of Mississippi. The Pearl River overflowed

The scene was sad and residents lost a lot. Homes were flooded and valuable possessions were lost. The flooding led to thousands of residents not being able to drink the water. Drink ing water is basic to our existence yet many of the residents in Jackson were denied this fundamental right. Voices at all levels have weighed in on this water problem. All seem to agree that this water is sue needs some immediate attention and an overhaul.

According to reports,

He added, “While there may be more bad days in the future, we have, however, reached a place where people in Jackson can trust that water will come out of their faucet. People in Jackson can trust the toilets can be flushed.”

I am on the outside looking in at the comments made by the governor.

Is it a victory because the toilets will flush and the water will come out of the faucets? I did not see in these comments the words clean and safe. Did you?

It is my thinking that you want your water to be clean and safe. We can

Justice for farmworkers

choice on matters of union representation.

Andrew Moss Guest Columnist

When you buy pro duce, you might assume that it is farmed and har vested with minimal standards of justice or it wouldn’t be legal to sell in grocery stores all across America. But farmwork ers in the most productive valley in the U.S. have a request.

It’s a simple enough ask: that farmworkers in California be allowed to vote by mail as to whether or not they want to be rep resented by a union. Vot ing by mail has become a safe and standard electoral practice for all registered voters in the state, and California’s legislature recently passed a mea sure that would allow farmworkers to use mailin ballots when making a

Currently farmworkers must vote at a site speci fied by the state’s Agricul tural Relations Board, and supporters of the bill argue that mail-in ballots would free the workers, many of whom are undocumented, from intimidation and re taliation by employers.

But California’s Gov ernor Gavin Newsom has yet to sign the bill, and it will die unless he does so by Sept. 30. He vetoed an earlier version of the bill last year, citing “various inconsistencies and proce dural issues related to the collection and review of ballot cards,” and sponsors of the bill made changes that they hoped would secure his signature. But without providing more detail, Newsom again in dicated an inclination not to support the bill.

Some 400,000 agri cultural workers, almost half of whom are undocu mented, labor to provide the fruits, vegetables, and other commodities that feed much of the nation.

Three quarters of the na tion’s fruits and nuts are grown in California; a third of its vegetables come from the state. Dur ing the pandemic, a new awareness arose of these essential workers, toiling to feed the nation despite little protection against the ravages of COVID.

With this increased visibility came remind ers and indicators of past and present injustices: the exclusion, for example, of farmworkers from protec tions under the New Deal’s National Labor Relations Act; the exploitation of workers for decades, man ifesting in poor working conditions, low wages and wage theft; and exposure to pesticides.

A powerful response to these injustices arose in the 1960s and 1970s with the formation of the Unit ed Farm Workers (UFW) under the visionary leader ship of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. By means of boycotts, marches, and other dramatic actions, the UFW as a national union won numerous contracts

and helped lead to the pas sage in 1975 of landmark legislation in California that backed the right of farmworkers to organize collectively. At its height in the early 1970s, the UFW had grown to 80,000 members with broad sup port amongst U.S. citizens across the land.

But subsequent de cades were hard on unions in general, with a politi cal and legal environment increasingly hostile to organized labor, and with U.S. employers expend ing vast sums on highly effective union busting ac tivities. In agriculture, changing employment practices made organizing more difficult, as increas ing numbers of growers relied on contractors to supply workers instead of hiring them directly. And last year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that union or ganizers could no longer organize on growers’ prop erty, overturning a Califor nia law that had been a major achievement of the UFW’s efforts almost a half century earlier.

The FEMA official seems to think so as well. He be lieves it is too soon to say when all Jackson residents will have safe water to drink. FEMA Administra tor Deanne Criswell said, “The focus right now is making sure we can get bottled water out.”

On CNN Gov. Reeves said, “There has been a lot of infrastructure damage that has been present for many years.”

Chokwe Antar Lu mumba, mayor of Jackson, agrees with him. He said, “As I have always warned, even when the pressure is restored, it’s not a matter of if these systems will fail, but when these sys tems will fail.”

Comments made by both elected officials sug gest they see the problem

This problem is go ing to be front and center for a while. The citizens there cannot let it fall off the radar screen. Politics instead of humanity have come into play. The mayor is a Democrat and the gov ernor is a Republican. Put politics aside and give the people what they want. What they want is clean drinking water.

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college ten nis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired col lege administrator. He can be reached at overtimefer gie.2020@yahoo.com.

Oscar H. Blayton Guest Columnist

When President Theo dore Roosevelt invited Booker T. Washington to dine with him at the White House in 1901, the Southern white press con demned President Roos evelt while many African Americans hailed him as a friend of the “Negro.”

But delving into the background of Theodore Roosevelt, it is not dif ficult to find troubling instances of his belief in white supremacy. One such instance involves the most famous narrative about Teddy Roosevelt.

As school children, we were taught that in the Battle of San Juan Hill, the courageous Teddy Roos evelt led his valiant Rough Riders to victory against a larger enemy force dur ing the Spanish-American War.

Nevertheless, despite the declines in member ship, the UFW has con tinued to advocate for farmworkers, working through political and legal channels to help improve protections from heat ex posure and pesticides, and to end the exclusion from overtime pay.

Yet regrowing mem bership remains essential for empowering workers and for strengthening their voice in helping determine the conditions and qual ity of their working lives.

This is one major reason why farmworkers and their allies undertook a 24day, 335-mile march from Delano to Sacramento last month to dramatize the situation and to press the governor into sign ing the enabling legisla tion. Advancing through the intense heat of Cali fornia’s Central Valley in mid-August, the march ers evoked memories of a historic march 56 years earlier that drew national attention to the poor wages and working conditions experienced by agricul

With friends like these …

But that narrative is far from the truth.

Modern-day research has brought to light a dif ferent story where Black troops from the 10th Cav alry (Buffalo Soldiers) and other units, led in much of the fighting of that cam paign and even rescued Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders from an nihilation. According to Jerome Tuccille, author of “The Roughest Rid ers: The Untold Story of the Black Soldiers in the Spanish-American War,” Roosevelt “straggled up there (the top of San Juan Hill) with just a handful of the remaining Rough Rid ers” after Black soldiers had taken the hill and the fighting was over.

Soon after the Battle of San Juan Hill was won, Roosevelt praised the Black soldiers for their val or and steadfastness. But

as time passed, he walked back his praise, and by the time he was running for re-election as president in 1904 and needed Southern votes, he denied that Black soldiers had participated in the battles in any meaning

ful way.

It was bad enough that Roosevelt, through the skillful manipulation of the press, was able to cen ter himself in a narrative of American heroism. But what is worse is that he di minished the sacrifices of Black soldiers and hid the story of their valor from history.

Roosevelt believed himself to be a friend of, and advocate for, people of color. But his advocacy was for the gradual ad justment in the minds of whites, who through their belief in their own racial superiority, would accept the challenge proposed by British writer and poet Ru dyard Kipling to “take up the white man’s burden” and civilize the non-white people of the world.

With friends like The odore Roosevelt, people of color did not need en emies.

Today, there are many self-proclaimed friends of people of color. These friends are quick to point out what is best for us and assure us that the path they want us to take is superior

to any other. This scenario plays out in education and industry, as well as in ev ery other area of American life. But nowhere is this phenomenon more injuri ous to our interests than in the political arena.

Experienced politi cians have cajoled people of color into having faith in a political process that has yielded pitiful gain and still leaves us on a precari ous ledge over the abyss of overzealous policing, electoral disenfranchise ment and a legion of other socio-economic and racial disadvantages in Ameri can society.

While we have al lies, and indeed, friends, people of color should not allow politicians to cre dentialize themselves by vouching for their own au thenticity as racially aware individuals. The struggle ahead of us is too critical to our well-being for us to be hamstrung by people claiming to be our friends while counseling a “go slow” approach to “secur ing the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our pos terity.”

Politicians claiming to be our friends have been attacking junior members of color in the U.S. House of Representatives because those junior members choose to faithfully repre sent the voters who sent them to Washington rather than engage in a compli cated political dance that prioritizes remaining in office over representing the people. Four of these junior members, Reps. Al exandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Ayanna Press ley of Massachusetts and Rashida Tlaib of Michi gan, are known as “The Squad” and they have been attacked by Demo cratic politicians who selfidentify as moderates or liberals.

While it is very easy to identify someone like Donald Trump as a threat to all people of good con science, it takes close scru tiny to recognize the prob lematic characteristics of those who call themselves our friends. But it is for our own sake, and the sake of those who come after us, that we must scrutinize

tural laborers.

Despite all this. New som didn’t budge, and the clock has continued to tick.

Since then President Biden and other national leaders have urged the gov ernor to sign the bill, and it remains unclear as to why a governor who recently signed landmark legisla tion empowering fast food workers will not step up for agricultural laborers. Whatever his political cal culus may be, Newsom’s inaction to date is conso nant with a long history of marginalizing many of America’s most essential – and most vulnerable –workers.

The inaction is unac ceptable. Simply put, the people who feed this na tion deserve full rights and dignity as workers.

Andrew Moss, syndi cated by PeaceVoice, is an emeritus professor (Eng lish, Nonviolence Stud ies) at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

critically anyone who ad vocates against what we know to be in our best in terest.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in his 1963 letter from a Birmingham jail, “I am in Birmingham because injustice is here.” His letter was in response to a statement in friendship from eight white religious leaders of the South who had cautioned him against his nonviolent protests and questioned why he had come to Birmingham.

The members of The Squad are in Washington because there is injustice in America. And we can not allow politicians who think they are our friends to hobble those congres sional representatives who are prepared to fight for our best interests.

With friends like these who attack The Squad, who needs enemies.

Oscar H. Blayton is a former Marine Corps combat pilot and human rights activist who prac tices law in Virginia. His earlier commentaries may be found at https://oblay ton1.medium.com/.

On Saturday

BY BUSTA BROWN FOR THE CHRONICLE

“Black men have worked behind the scenes in corporate America pro ducing multi-million-dol lar products far too long without getting the credit and respect they deserve,” said Donna Montgomery. She’s the CEO of Total Entertainment, Inc., the company that’s sponsor ing the Men That Win Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony. The event will honor men who are un sung heroes for their life achievements, while en joying some smooth jazz and a fashion show.

Unsung heroes will honor men such as Dr. Cal vin Jamal Blocker, who grew up in a single par ent household and saw his dad abuse his mom. Yet, through all of those tri als and tribulations, in his childhood and during high school, Calvin remained resilient and strong. After graduating from Parkland High School in WinstonSalem, he applied to the School of Medicine at UNC- Chapel Hill, where he received a doctorate in medicine. He made history at UNC-Chapel Hill as the first African American to receive an MD/MBA si multaneously. Dr. Blocker has been married to his lovely wife, Jasmine, for over six years, and they

will honor the unsung heroes at the Men That Win event

have two handsome sons, Calvin and Carson. He gives all the glory to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

The vision for Men That Win Fashion and Awards Ceremony came as Donna reflected on the life of her grandfather. “He had a 3rd grade education, but he could sell anything - cars, produce - you name it, he could sell it. My grandfather could do most anything, but he wasn’t given the opportunities that I felt he deserved,” shared the mother of two.

Donna lost her job in 2015, but fortunately land ed a job with Family Ser vices, where the passion to spotlight the unsung men in the community grew even more. “I had to work to develop trust with the men in the programs at Family Services, because I was a woman. And quite naturally, just because you were charged with some thing, doesn’t mean you’re guilty of that particular crime. Also, there are just as many men that are vic tims of domestic violence as women. But when men go to social services, there aren’t many programs for them, because everything is always set up for the women. So where do the men go?” asked Donna.

This is why the show is important. Black men are very underappreciated,

but this Saturday night 12 men will be honored and treated like the kings God has made them to be. Dur ing the fashion show por tion of the event, judges, lawyers, doctors and business owners will be ripping the runway. Sev eral of the Men That Win honorees have overcome some serious mental and physical challenges, such as depression or raising a child with disabilities. Yet, every honoree I’ve met, their faith continues to be unwavering.

“I want people to walk away from the event in spired, empowered, and feeling fantastic,” said

Donna. She added, “Men need more support groups, and this will be a great way to bond with other single fathers and share the strug gle as well.”

The Men That Win

Award and Fashion Show will take place this com ing Saturday, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. at the Hawthorne Inn and Conference Center in Winston-Salem, sponsored by Total Entertainment.

This event will benefit an affordable housing initia

tive, along with eight high school scholarships to Fu ture Men That Win.

Busta Brown’s Event of the Week is Men That Win.

Submitted photo

Donna Montgomery, CEO of Total Entertainment, Inc.

BY HOWARD PEARRE

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people,” said Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, as he dedicated the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The phrase crystalized the basic ideas of our democracy’s two foundational documents - the Declaration of Inde pendence and the United States Constitution - into ten words.

But it’s not just a few “people” Lincoln was re ferring to. As the first three words of the Constitution clarified, it’s “We, the peo ple.” All of us.

Living in a democracy is like listening to public radio. A lot of people who value its news, commen tary, analysis, and variety shows seem to think it’s free. But if you’ve ever tuned in during a funddrive week, you’ve gotten the full pitch about how expensive public radio re

ballot? in-person on Elec tion Day? The next order of business should be to review the sample ballot specific to your address.

Several of the websites listed later in this article enable you to do this.

After that, the next step should be to research candidates that may not be familiar to you. These may be in down-ballot races for school board, county com missioner, or judge posi tions.

Taking a look at can didates’ web pages is a good way to start. While campaign web pages may have the tone of slick ad vertisements, they do of fer important clues about how a candidate’s philoso phies and positions stack up against your values and interests. They also frequently include en dorsements that may yield further important clues, especially if you trust the endorsing individuals and organizations.

Attending or tuning

THE FUTURE IS YEARS OLD

ally is, and how, without generous support from listeners, it could just go away.

While a democracy can empower itself to bring in financial support through taxes, another kind of sup port is equally important - effective participation. Participation certainly in cludes voting, but effec tive participation requires a little more work: study ing candidates to assure you cast your vote for worthy candidates.

Without effective par ticipation, a democracy can fall into the hands of determined individuals who will bend it to their own purposes. The gov ernment then will become the tool of those who are more interested in extract ing personal benefit from it than in using it for the benefit of “We, the Peo ple.” For this reason, “We, the People” must scruti nize those who seek po litical office, and then give our votes only to those who meet a rigid test of integrity. Power given is hard to retrieve.

Prepare to Vote, Re search Candidates

After making sure you are properly registered and have a voting plan in mind - vote early at a one-stop site? by absentee

into candidate forums or debates will always yield important information and allow comparisons among the candidates. If you can’t attend a live event, search ing a candidate’s name on YouTube may produce re corded events.

The following nonpartisan resources also can help you research candi dates and prepare to vote:

*Ballotpedia (ballot pedia.org) provides an easy-to-use search func tion for information about candidates at most levels and frequently includes details about their finan cial support - including names of contributorsand expenditures.

*The League of Wom en Voters (vote411.org) in cludes a voter guide with U.S. Senate and judicial candidates’ position state ments, campaign websites, and links to Facebook and Twitter accounts. The guide includes interview questions and responses about candidates’ experi ence, platforms, and how political party affiliations are likely to influence their performance. The website also provides phone num bers in English or Span ish (1-866-OUR-VOTE

Let’s Make High-Quality Pre-K a Priority in Forsyth County.

As a coalition of organizations committed to affordable, high-quality Pre-K in Forsyth County, The Pre-K Priority continues to build momentum as a diverse collection of local advocates who believe that early childhood education can be a game-changer in our community. With interdisciplinary strengths and missions, all of the organizations below have pledged to support broad, equitable access to Pre-K programs in order to improve the overall success of all children as well as the social mobility, economic strength, and future promise of our community.

JOIN US AT PREKPRIORITY.ORG.

Coalition Supporters

Action4Equity

Boston-Thurmond United

Child Care Resource Center

Church Childcare Plus

Forsyth County Association of Educators

Forsyth County Department of Social Services

Forsyth Futures

Forsyth Technical Community College

Family Services / Head Start

Hispanic League

Imprints Cares

Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust Latino Community Services

Love Out Loud M Creative MDC

North Point Academy & TLC Learning Academy

Novant Health Salem College

Smart Start of Forsyth County

The Centers for Exceptional Children

The Forsyth Promise

United Way of Forsyth County

Wake Forest Baptist Health

Winston-Salem State University

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools & Project Impact

YMCA of Northwest North Carolina

A collaboration of community organizations committed to early childhood education and supported by the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust.

Barclay

The story of Joseph Bologne Featuring violinist Brendon Elliott and

Winston-Salem Symphony

‘The Class That Never Was’ celebrates 50 years

The original class of Atkins High School, class of 1972, recently came together to celebrate 50 years.

Due to changes in structure in 1971, the Ju nior class of Atkins was unable to graduate at our home school, making us the famous “Class That Never Was.’’

The class came togeth er for a meet and greet on Friday, Sept. 9, at the orig inal Atkins High School that began with a tour and reflection of pictures from our last year at Atkins. Many of us had not been in our beloved Atkins since it closed in 1971. Our se nior year would be spent at Reynolds, North Forsyth, East Forsyth, Parkland, and West Forsyth.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, several classmates from

People

or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA) to report election day prob lems as well as a link to the N.C. Board of Elections to check registrations and view personalized sample ballots.

*AARP (https://states. aarp.org/north-carolina/ election-voting-guide) provides information that addresses the following questions: What’s new this year? What races are on the ballot and who’s run ning? How can I request a mail-in absentee ballot on line? How can I track my absentee ballot? Do I need identification to vote?

*NC Voter (ncvoter. org), sponsored by the non partisan Democracy NC,

Atkins High School classmates celebrate 50th anniver sary.

near and as far as Califor nia came together to Win ston Lake for a cookout and a full day of fun, food, and fellowship, where we reminisced with old friends and lit a candle in remembrance of our de ceased.

Our celebration con tinued Sunday, Sept. 11, with a church service at Shiloh Baptist Church and our very own Bishop Wal lace Shields, Jr. delivered

provides links to access personalized sample bal lots and information about requesting an absentee bal lot online. It includes tele phone hotlines in several languages (English:1-888OUR-VOTE) to report voting problems.

*The YouCanVote webpage (youcanvote. org) offers instructions for checking a voter’s regis tration status and how to register including online registration. This non-par tisan organization offers training opportunities for citizens interested in help ing others to register and events to do this.

*Finally, the N.C. Board of Elections web page (ncsbe.gov) is the goto site for comprehensive information in clear lan guage about all aspects of

a powerful message. We concluded our celebration with another cookout and sang our Alma Mater.

Our Atkins High School Camels will for ever be cherished for we are “The Class That Never Was.’’

Officers are: President, Pierre Bur ton

Vice President, Leneva Rainey

Treasurers, David and

voting in North Carolina - from how to register to sample ballots to election dates to voting maps and redistricting to rules for candidates.

“OF the people” and “BY the people” refer to our responsibilities to par ticipate effectively. If we shirk these responsibili ties, our government cer tainly will not be FOR the People.

Howard Pearre retired after a career as a coun selor and manager with N.C. Vocational Rehabili tation and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has led training workshops on voter registration and is a board member with Win ston-Salem Writers.

The Weatherization Assistance Program may be able to help!

We are a government funded program that provides help to elderly, disabled, and families with children. The Weatherization Assistance Program assists income-eligible families and individuals by reducing their heating and cooling costs, as well as addressing health and safety issues in their homes through energy-efficiency measures. Weatherization services reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool homes. You may also qualify for HARRP which is the heating and air repair or replacement program.

How do I find out more about applying for weatherization assistance?

It’s easy to find out if you are eligible and to apply for weatherization. The Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) helps homeowners, and renters depending on location, available funding, and landlord approval, by weatherizing eligible occupied housing. The Program is funded by federal grants. For weatherization assistance through PTRC residents must live in Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Person, Randolph, or Rockingham County. This program is free but, you must meet certain income requirements.

Cynthia Timmons

Recording Secretary, Gladys Wilson Assistant Recording Secretary, Vernon Reid Financial Secretaries, Nioyoka Flippin, Deborah Epps Shivers

Submitted photo

Timothy Ramsey Sports Columnist

Federer set to retire

For the second time this summer, a tennis leg end has announced their retirement. Twenty-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer says he is retir ing from tennis. His final event will be the Laver Cup.

“This is a bittersweet decision, because I will miss everything the tour has given me,” said Fe derer. “But at the same time, there is so much to celebrate. I consider my self one of the most for tunate people on Earth. I was given a special talent to play tennis, and I did it at a level that I never imagined, for much lon ger than I ever thought possible.”

Arguably the greatest player of all time, Federer dominated in an era where there were other dominat ing stars such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Even with such stiff competition, Federer still shines brightest in my opinion.

“As many of you know, the past three years have presented me with challenges in the form of injuries and surgeries,” said Federer in a post on his social media accounts. “I’ve worked hard to re turn to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacities and lim its, and its message to me lately has been clear.

“I am 41 years old. I have played more than 1,500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me more generously than I ever would have dreamt, and now I must recognize when it is time to end my competitive career.”

Federer finishes third on the list when it comes to Grand Slam titles be hind Djokovic (21) and Nadal (22). Even though he isn’t No. 1 on the list, many people feel that Fe derer was the best of the three and I agree.

Federer had a flair about him that didn’t come off as arrogance. He spent 310 weeks as the No. 1 ranked player on the ATP, including a record 237 consecutive weeks. He finished as the year end No. 1 on five differ ent occasions and his 130 ATP singles titles ranks second all time.

When I was a kid, I enjoyed watching players like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Boris Becker and Michael Chang on the men’s side. As those play ers aged out of the sport, Federer stepped right in to fill the void those great players left. His smooth play on the court was an instant draw to fans be cause he made playing the game look effortless most often.

Another fact that made him so well liked was that he was such a gentleman on the court. It was hard not to like Federer, even if you were a fan of his opponent. He even gar nered respect and admira tion from his opponents and others in the world of tennis. The outpour ing of positive messages following his retirement announcement was truly amazing.

“I wish this day would

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

Charlotte Hornets to award second annual Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship

CHARLOTTE – The Char lotte Hornets recently announced that applications have opened on hornets.com for the second annual Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholar ship. The Hornets launched the scholarship last season as part of the team’s efforts to honor the

for mentoring young reporters.

The Charlotte Hornets Founda tion will award $10,000 annually to a journalism student enrolled at a North Carolina college or uni versity. Students can apply online starting today at hornets.com. Ap plications will be accepted until

whose coverage of the Hornets spanned from the franchise’s inau gural 1988-89 season through the 2020-21 campaign, passed away on June 1, 2021, at the age of 63.

Last year’s inaugural Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship recipient, Noah Monroe, is a Con

arship, Monroe described his de sire to follow in his father’s foot steps. His father, David, managed Panthers.com, the official website of the Carolina Panthers, for 17 years and was once an aspiring journalist who shadowed Bon nell. A pediatric cancer survivor,

legacy and impact made on the organization, its fans and the city of Charlotte by former Charlotte Observer Hornets beat writer Rick Bonnell.

The Rick Bonnell Memorial Scholarship is an effort to continue Bonnell’s commitment to journal ism, love of the NBA and passion

October 28. The winner will be selected by a panel consisting of Hornets staff members, former Charlotte Observer colleagues and Bonnell’s children, Jack and Claire.

Bonnell, an award-winning sportswriter for more than 33 years at the Charlotte Observer,

cord native and a junior at the University of North Carolina. Like Bonnell, Monroe began writing in high school, and he currently serves as a senior sportswriter for The Daily Tar Heel. Monroe plans to become a sports journalist after graduating.

In his application for the schol

Monroe shared a mantra that has guided him so far, and that he’ll continue to remember as he works toward his degree and a career in journalism like his father and Bonnell: “Never give up and don’t take anything for granted.”

A night before the varsity teams from E. Forsyth and Reagan faced

off, their JV teams locked horns. While the varsity Eagles team walked away with a 37-3 victory over the Raiders Friday night, the Raiders JV team continued their domination as they steamrolled the Eagles 65-7.

Photos by Alphonso Abbott Jr.

Friday Night Fowler’s Top 15 Teams

Elder Richard Wayne Wood Sunday School Lesson

Faith Inspires Gratitude

Scriptures: Hebrews 12:18-29

By the end of this lesson, we will:

*Know the meaning of God’s forgiveness and promise of eternal life;

*Explore our fears about death and assurances of God’s grace;

*Repent for sometimes rejecting God’s grace.

Background: The writer of Hebrews, having a ma jority Jewish body of believers, expressed the superior ity of Christianity and urged believers to keep their eyes on Jesus. Some of the early believers may have consid ered returning to Judaism to hold on to biblical truths, but the writer expressed the importance of holding on to their faith in Jesus and looking forward to His re turn. The writer pushed readers to undertake a spiritual checkup, warning them to pay attention to their spiri tual condition. Chapter 12 of Hebrews describes what can happen if we neglect our relationship with Christ, who offers stability in an unstable world.

Lesson: The Two Mountains: Sinai and Zion (The Heavenly City) (Hebrews 12:18-21). The writer com pares the Mosaic Covenant with the New Covenant using the two mountains. Verses 18-21 explain what it was like when Israel came to Mt Sinai (read Exodus 19:10-25). God spoke to Israel from Sinai, but warned them in every way possible to stay away - there was “fire … darkness … tempest … (verse 18). The trumpet and the voice in verse 19 reference God speaking and the fear invoked upon the people and even Moses – “…. I exceedingly fear the quake” (verse 21). But all this fear did not succeed in prompting holiness among the people of Israel. However, through the New Covenant, believers’ fear was turned to joy as they approached God through the blood of Jesus on Mt. Zion, which is the heavenly City of God.

The Heavenly City Zion (or Sion) (verses 22-23). “But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and unto an innumerable company of angels (verse 22). The writer says the believers are in a different place. The relation ship with God now is not the one of Israel’s experience on Mt. Sinai. The writer describes God’s other moun tain, Zion, the name of the hill upon which Jerusalem sits. There was no city at Mt. Sinai. Sinai was associat ed with Egypt; Zion is associated with heaven; the Law came to Sinai; the cross was on Zion. “... to the general assembly…” refers to a gathering for a public festival, “and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect” (verse 23). Those gathered included Jesus Christ, believers who are heirs with Christ, and Old Testament saints.

The Heavenly City and Jesus, the Mediator (verse 24). “And to Jesus, the mediator of a New Covenant, …” The Old Covenant of Mt. Sinai was based on earn ing and deserving. Mt. Zion is based on a New Cov enant with Jesus the Mediator, based on believing and receiving. “… and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel” (verse 24). The blood of Abel’s sacrifice only provided temporary covering, it cried justice must be satisfied, bring vengeance, but Christ’s blood sacrifice declared eternal forgiveness, it cried justice has been satisfied, bring mercy.

Christian beliefs less likely targets of hate crimes than other religions

BY BOB TOPPER

As keynote speaker at Notre Dame’s Religious Liberty Summit confer ence in Rome last July, Su preme Court Justice Alito said that “religious liberty is under attack.”

Speaking at an earlier Notre Dame event, Wil liam Barr claimed there is an “assault on religion … not decay: it is organized destruction.” When Barr and Alito, Roman Catho lics, talk about religion, their concern is Christian ity. They, along with evan gelical ministers, regularly claim that their beliefs are under attack, that our mod ern society is decadent, and the cause of our moral decay is a decline in reli giosity.

Were this claim valid, one would see moral de cay paired with increased crime rates. But the data shows something very different. As religious be lief has declined, so too have crime rates. And Denmark, Sweden and other western democracies that are far more secular than the U.S., have much lower crime rates. The cor relation may be coinciden tal, but the statistics imply that crime and religious belief go hand in hand.

Few would think that, but ”Freakonomics” econ omists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner make the compelling case for an indirect relationship. They show that the fall in crime rate is a conse quence of Roe v. Wade, which reduced the number of unwanted children who would have been more likely to go astray. Levitt and Dubner’s conclusion is controversial, but if they are correct, future gen

erations will see a rise in crime, due to the Christian crusade, which overturned Roe.

But an even more compelling question is, who is attacking Chris tianity? Though neither Barr nor Alito provides an answer, hate crime sta tistics offer some insight. Fifty-eight percent of all hate crime victims were targeted because of racial prejudice, 20.1% because of bias against religion and 16.7% because of dis crimination against sexual orientation.

In the religion catego ry, bias against Jews was most significant at 60%, followed by anti-Muslim at 13%. Christian groups including Catholic, Prot estant and other Christian comprise 9%. So, of all hate crimes in America, crimes against Christians represent less than 2%. That is a serious matter, but while Jews are nearly sev en times more likely to be the victims of hate crime, it is the Christians who complain. Shakespeare

would think “Christians doth protest too much.”

Yet as Christians por tray themselves as victims, they have steadily gained power and influence. Six of the nine presiding Su preme Court justices are Christian. There was also a majority of Christian fun damentalists in the Trump administration; Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Attorney General Bill Barr, Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, EPA head Scott Pruitt, and Housing Secretary Ben Carson … the list goes on. Christians have never been more influential than they were in the Trump Admin istration, just two short years ago. And Christians still dominate the Repub lican party. Christianity is certainly not in any imme diate danger.

On the other hand, the number of people who identify as Christian is de clining. Christianity, espe cially fundamentalism, is threatened, not by a group

of elitist liberals or some organized conspiracy. Re ligion is threatened by progress, the advance of civilization and science, especially the advance of Secular Humanism. Each generation in the U.S. is less religious than the previous.

The war of Indepen dence was much more than a rebellion against King George and repressive taxes. It was an embrace of Deism, Secular Human ism, and the rejection of the oppressive collabora tion between theocracy and monarchy that had dominated western culture and denied personal free doms for a thousand years.

Secular Humanism was conceived in the En lightenment philosophy of the 17th century and realized in the creation of America, which rejected both religion and monar chy as a foundation for government. From the Revolution onward, per sonal freedom and human rights have been steadily expanded, ending slavery, securing women’s voting rights, guaranteeing civil rights, permitting interra cial and gay marriage, and securing rights for gay and transgender people. Rather than a moral decline, Sec ular Humanism has gener ated a more just society, one that is inclusive, that recognizes that people are simply what nature’s god wants them to be.

Thinking Christians understand that while Christ’s teaching of love thy neighbor is central to a meaningful life, the fun damentalist world views are no longer relevant. People haven’t lost their

Forsyth County Missionary Union holds 112th anniversary

The Forsyth County Missionary Union

where

12,

Baptist

Our next Forsyth County business meeting will be held on Sunday, Sept. 25, at 3 p.m. Shiloh Baptist Church will be our host and Rev. Dr. Paul A. Lowe, Jr. is the pastor. The first vice president will have a presen tation on "Praying Men in the Family." This will be a virtual service.

RELIGION CALENDAR

Thursdays and Saturdays Free Meals

Christ Rescue Temple Church, 1500 North Dunleith Ave., will serve hot meals as part of the People Helping People Feeding Program. Meals will be served every Thursday and Saturday from noon until 1 p.m. at the church’s location. For more information, call 336-7229841.

Each Sunday Worship services Green Street United Methodist Church, 639 S. Green St., Winston-Salem, invites you to join online worship services on Sundays at 11 a.m., or in-person services at 8:45 a.m. The 11 a.m. service, which is available via Facebook and YouTube, is a celebration of the diversity of the human family, a no-frills service that is thought ful, personal, and deeply spiritual. The 8:45 a.m. service is a quiet, contemplative space including prayer, scrip ture, preaching, and communion; masks and social dis tancing will be in effect in the sanctuary. Join us at www. greenstreetumc.org, on YouTube, or on Facebook.

Each Sunday Sunday service

Transformation Ministries will have service every Sunday at 10 a.m. We are located at 4880 Burnette Drive. Masks are required.

3rd Friday of each month Women’s fellowship

The Antioch Baptist Church (ABC) Women, 5061 Lansing Dr., cordially invites all women to join us the third Friday of each month at 7 p.m. for conversation as we share and embrace each other in these challenging times. Join us via conference call. Dial in: 267-807-9601 Access Code:189545592#. Rev. Frederick L. Barnes, Jr. is the senior pastor. For more information, call 336-9923751.

Sept. 25

First Waughtown Baptist Church (FWBC) Dr. Dennis W. Bishop, Senior Pastor of First Waugh town Baptist Church (FWBC), will continue the series, Characteristics of the Holy Spirit (base scripture 1 John 4), extending the message on Spirit of Truth vs. Spirit of Error (1 Timothy 6). Front doors will open at 9:15 a.m. for screening, devotion, and announcements prior to the 10 a.m. service. Completed waiver forms and masks that cover the nose and mouth are required. The form can be submitted electronically on the FWBC website –www.firstwaughtown.org -- click on RE-ENTRY 2022, and printed copies are available in the lobby. Other inperson protocols and information about 6 p.m. virtual

Sunday School are accessible via the FWBC homep age RE-ENTRY link. Persons who prefer to worship virtually can find the service on YouTube, https://www. youtube.com (First Waughtown); Facebook, https:// www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/; and the First Waughtown website, https://www.firstwaughtown.org.

(NOTE: Services are posted on a one-week delay.)

Oct. 8 Community outreach

The Senior Missionary Auxiliary of the Oak Grove Missionary Baptist Church will have a “Giving is a Part of Living” community outreach on Saturday, October 8, from 9 - 11 a.m. Everything is free! There’ll be clothing, housewares, books, toys, shoes and more! The church is located at 3978 Pine Hall Road, Walkertown, N.C.

How to submit items to the Religion calendar: The deadline is Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to have all cal endar items submitted for that week’s paper. Send your calendar items to news@wschronicle.com. You can also drop them off, Monday through Thursday before 4 p.m., or mail your items to Winston-Salem Chronicle, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101; or send them via our website, www.wschronicle.com.

Submitted photo

Bob Topper

NOW

Volunteers needed

Samaritan Ministries needs volunteers to help with lunch and dinner seven days a week 365 days a year. The lunch shift for volunteers is from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. The dinner shift is from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. every night. For more information about Samaritan Min istries and to sign up to volunteer, please visit samaritan forsyth.org. Samaritan Ministries is located at 414 East Northwest Boulevard near downtown Winston-Salem.

NOW Acting classes

The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem is pleased to of fer a wide array of acting and technical theatre classes for children, teens, and adults during its 2022-23 season. Fall semester courses include Fractured Fairy Tales, The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, Your Presence – Stage & Screen, Costuming a Fairy Tale, and Improv Inten sive. Previous experience is not required and everyone is encouraged to participate. Information and registra tion forms are available online at www.LTofWS.org or by calling (336) 725-4001.

Sept. 22

Caregivers’ lunch registration

On Thursday, September 29, at 11a.m., family care givers are invited to join other caregivers for lunch at Vil lage Tavern at Reynolda Village, followed by a leisurely stroll through the Village. Deadline for registration is September 22. With prior arrangements, in-home care may be available through ComForCare Home Care. For more information about how to register, contact Carol Ann Harris,charris@shepherdscenter.org or 336-7480217. This event is provided by the It’s All About You Caregiver Program, sponsored by The Shepherd’s Cen ter of Greater Winston-Salem, ComForCare Home Care, Trinity Presbyterian Church, and the Family Caregiver Support Program.

Sept. 24 Community festival and job fair

The Southeast Neighborhood Association (SENA) in partnership with S.G. Atkins Community Development Corporation hosts its 9th Annual Community Festival and Job Fair, a lively event which brings businesses, agencies, and residents together to promote cross-cul tural unity; while sharing resources with those looking for food, jobs, home weatherization and home repair products. This is also an opportunity to showcase area businesses and grow diverse relationships that strengthen neighborhoods. The event will take place Saturday, Sep

tember 24, starting at 4 p.m. outside The Enterprise Cen ter at 1922 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Sept. 26

Medicare workshop

The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem is offering a workshop for individuals turning 65 (as well as those who already have Medicare) to learn about the different insurance options available. The session is pro vided at no cost. Because space is limited, reservations are required. Contact the Shepherd’s Center at 336-7480217 or Info@shepherdscenter.org for more information or to reserve a seat.

Sept. 27

Volunteer orientation

The Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem will be hosting its next Volunteer Orientation on Tuesday, September 27, from 11 a.m. to noon at 1700 Ebert Street. Learn more about serving in transportation, minor home repairs, visitation, our Book Center or office assistance opportunities. To RSVP contact Cheryl Lane at clane@ shepherdscenter.org or call 336-748-0217.

Sept. 28

Virtual M/WBE seminar registration

The city’s Office of Business Inclusion & Advance ment is holding a virtual seminar Sept. 29 to help busi nesses understand the guidelines for soliciting participa tion by minority and women-owned businesses when responding to the city’s requests for proposals and re quests for qualifications. The seminar will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 29. The registration deadline is Sept. 28. A link to register is posted at CityofWS.org/ MWBE. The seminar is free and recommended for both general businesses that need to know more about the M/ WBE program and for minority or women-owned busi nesses that want to participate in the M/WBE program.

Oct. 1

Oktoberfest

Historic Körner’s Folly, 413 South Main Street, pres ents the Kernersville Oktoberfest, Saturday, October 1, from 3-6 p.m. This year will be the 12th annual fundrais ing event in the spirit of a German Oktoberfest, featuring tastings of local beers and foodie favorites. Tickets went on sale July 20!

Tickets include self-guided tour of the house, beer, wine, and food samples, as well as a Körner’s Folly sou venir tasting glass. Ticket price will is $40. For more in formation, visit www.kornersfolly.org or call (336) 9967922.

Oct. 5 Annual Fair Food Drive

For the 18th year, the Carolina Classic Fair has part nered with Crisis Control Ministry to hold a community food drive sponsored by Pinnacle Financial Partners. All day on Wednesday, October 5, Crisis Control volunteers will be present at all gates to accept food donations and hand out fair tickets. Fair attendees who donate five nonperishable food items will receive one free ticket to the fair for that day only. Suggested items are canned fruit, rice, dried or canned beans, pasta, and anything else that is shelf stable and not in glass jars. There is no limit on the number of free tickets attendees may receive.

Oct. 15 – Dec. 7

Medicare open enrollment sessions

The Annual Medicare Open Enrollment period will take place from October 15 to December 7, 2022.

Annual enrollment assistance will be provided by volunteer and staff of the Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, the Forsyth County coordinating site for the North Carolina Seniors’ Health Insurance Informa tion Program (SHIIP). One hour appointments will be offered during the period subject to the availability of counselors.

Appointments must be made by calling the Shep herd’s Center at 336-748-0217 during weekdays from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

How to submit items to the community calendar:

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TO: TIANNA “JANEA” CALLOWAY, Mother of the child identified

TAKE NOTICE that a Juvenile Petition has been filed regarding the minor child identified above alleging the child to be a neglected juvenile. The child has been in the custody of the Forsyth County Department of Social Services since on or about July 15, 2022. If the Court finds the allegations in the Juvenile Petition to have been proven true, the Court will complete a Dispositional hearing to achieve the needs of the child and objectives of the State. The child is under the jurisdiction of the District Court of Forsyth County, and as such the Court may: remove custody of the child from you; order you to pay child support; require you to participate in medical, psychiatric, psychological, or other treatment or counseling; and/or order medical, psychiatric, psychological, or other treatment or counseling for the child and require you to pay for the same. Upon completion of service, you are subject to the jurisdiction of the Court, and failure to comply with any orders of the Court may result in a finding of contempt.

YOU ARE REQUIRED to file an Answer with the Clerk of Court of Forsyth County, North Carolina on or before OCTOBER 18, 2022. If you fail to answer in defense by that date or fail to attend the hearing on the date and time noticed below, then the Forsyth County Department of Social Services will seek relief against up to and including your permanent loss of the care, custody, and control of this child, which can include the PERMANENT, IRREVOCABLE TERMINATION OF YOUR PARENTAL RIGHTS in and to the child identified above.

The Court has provisionally appointed Attorney Ursula Walder to represent Tianna Calloway. Attorney Walder can be reached at 301 N. Main Street, #2010 Winston-Salem, NC 27101, Phone: (336) 231-6645. Ms. Calloway should also contact the Forsyth County Clerk of Court, Juvenile Division at (336) 779-6311 regarding appointment of counsel and upcoming hearings.

The trial on this matter will occur on Friday, October 28, 2022 at 10:00am or as soon thereafter as the Court can hear it in Courtroom 4J of Forsyth County Courthouse in Winston-Salem, NC.

SHOULD YOU FAIL TO ANSWER OR APPEAR as directed herein, the Court can enter an order which impacts your parental rights, up to and including the permanent, irrevocable termination of all parental and custodial rights to the minor child.

This the 8th day of September 2022.

By: Melissa Starr Livesay, Assistant County Attorney 741 Higland Avenue Winston-Salem, NC 27101

The Chronicle September 8, 15, 22, 2022

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Kelvin Jermaine Brown (22 E 1659), deceased on May 28, 2022, Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to notify all persons, firms, and corporations having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before December 5, 2022, or this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 1st day of September, 2022.

Carolyn Brown Covington Adminstrator for Kelvin Jermaine Brown, deceased 3836 Wabash Boulevard Winston-Salem, NC 27106

The Chronicle September 1, 8, 15, 22, 2022

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

Having qualifed as Executor of the Estate of Vida Joann Combs Self (22 E 1460), deceased May 22, 2022, Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before December 5, 2022 this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned. This the 1st day of September, 2022.

David Barry Self Executor for Vida Joann Combs Self, deceased

Gloucestershire

NC 27104

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA IN THE GENERAL COURT OF JUSTICE FORSYTH COUNTY DISTRICT COURT DIVISON 22 CVD 2964

Dominque Fortune Plaintiff, V. Victor D. Fortune Defendant

To: Victor D. Fortune

Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above titled action. The nature of the relief being sought is as follows:

ABSOLUTE DIVORCE

You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than October 27, 2022 and upon your fail ure to do so the party seeking against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This is the day of September 15, 2022

The Chronicle September 15, 22, 29, 2022

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE WINSTON-SALEM CITY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to Article 19 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes of North Carolina, that the City Council of the City of Winston-Salem will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber, Room 230 at City Hall, Winston-Salem, North Carolina at 7:00 p.m., on October 3, 2022, to consider the following:

National Register of Historic Places Designation of Downtown Winston-Salem Historic District, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

All parties in interest and citizens are invited to attend said hearings at which time they shall have an opportunity to be heard concerning the foregoing proposed designations.

At the end of each public hearing, the City Council may continue the matter, deny the proposed designation, or grant the proposed designation in whole or in part.

Prior to the hearing, all persons interested may obtain any additional information on these proposals which is in the possession of the City-County Planning Board by inquiring in the office of the City-County Planning Board at the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building on weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m

BY ORDER OF THE WINSTON-SALEM CITY COUNCIL SANDRA KEENEY, CITY CLERK

All requests for appropriate and necessary auxiliary aids and services must be made within a reasonable time prior to the hearing to Angela I. Carmon, the City’s ADA Coordinator at 747-7404 or TDD 727-8319.

The Chronicle September 22, 29, 2022

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

CITY COUNCIL ON PETITIONS FOR ZONING CHANGES

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the requirements of Article 6 of Chapter 160D of the General Statutes of North Carolina, that the City Council of the City of Winston-Salem will hold a public hearing in the Council Chamber at City Hall, Room 230, 101 N. Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC at 7:00 p.m. on October 3, 2022, on the following proposed amendments to the Official Zoning Map of the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina:

1. Site Plan Amendment of City of Winston-Salem for changes to include a proposed MSE wall for a landfill in a GI-S zoning district: property is located at the southwestern terminus of Recycle Way; property consists of ± 231 acres and is PINs 6819-70-0969, 6819-71-7086, 6819-81-3363, 6819-80-4665, 6818-67-4135, and portions of 6818-681376, 6818-79-6621, 6818-78-4213, and 6818-77-4332 as shown on the Forsyth County Tax Maps and on a site plan on file in the office of the City-County Planning Board (Zoning Docket W-3539).

2. Zoning petition of Vestmill Property Owner, LLC, Myra Mize, Fallie Myers Shoaf Family Trust, Elizabeth Burke, and Allan Stewart from RS9 and RM12-S to RM12-S (Adult Day Care Home; Child Day Care, Small Home; Church or Religious Institution, Neighborhood; Family Group Home A; Habilitation Facility A; Habilitation Facility B; Library, Public; Nursing Care Institution; Police or Fire Station; Recreation Facility, Public; Residential Building, Duplex; Residential Building, Single Family; Residential Building, Twin Home; Swimming Pool, Private; Child Day Care, Large Home; Church or Religious Institution, Community; Family Group Home B; Family Group Home C; Life Care Community; Planned Residential Development; Residential Building, Multifamily; Residential Building, Townhouse; School, Private; School, Public; Utilities; Adult Day Care Center; Child Care, Sick Children; Child Day Care Center; Group Care Facility A; Habilitation Facility C; Park and Shuttle Lot; Urban Agriculture; Access Easement, Private Off-Site; and Parking, Off-Site, for Multifamily or Institutional Uses): property is located on the north and south sides of Vest Mill Road at its western terminus; property consists of ± 15.71 acres and is PINs 6814-07-3892, 6804-98-7350, 6814-07-1504, 6814-07-4623, 6804-977578, 6804-97-9911, and 6804-97-8660 as shown on the Forsyth County Tax Maps and on a site plan on file in the office of the City-County Planning Board (Zoning Docket W-3540).

3. Zoning petition of City of Winston-Salem to establish Winston-Salem LI-S (Manufacturing A; Manufacturing B; and Warehousing) zoning on property annexed by the City; property is located on the west side of Millennium Drive, west of Temple School Road; property consists of ± 2.98 acres and is PIN 6864-42-7553 as shown on the Forsyth County Tax Maps and on a site plan on file in the office of the City-County Planning Board (Zoning Docket W-3543).

4. Zoning petition of Hatcher Associates Inc from RS9 to NB-S (Residential Building, Single Family; Offices; and Services A); property is located at north side of Old Hollow Road, west of Germanton Road; property consists of ± 0.977 acre(s) and is PIN 6829-92-5350 as shown on the Forsyth County Tax Maps Maps and on a site plan on file in the office of the City-County Planning Board (Zoning Docket W-3544).

5. Zoning petition of Coe Revocable Living Trust, Betty R Coe, and Steve H Coe from RS9 to HB-S (Academic Biomedical Research Facility; Arts and Craft Studio; Banking and Financial Services; Car Wash; Child Care, Drop-In; Food or Drug Store; Furniture and Home Furnishings Store; Motor Vehicle, Repair and Maintenance; Museum or Art Gallery; Offices; Park and Shuttle Lot; Parking, Commercial; Police or Fire Station; Restaurant (With Drive-Through Service); Restaurant (Without Drive-Through Service); Retail Store; Services A; Services B; Testing and Research Lab; Utilities; and Veterinary Services); property is located at west side of University Parkway, across from Car Fare Drive; property consists of ± 0.57 acre(s) and is PINs 6829-20-7995 and 6829-20-8806 as shown on the Forsyth County Tax Maps Maps and on a site plan on file in the office of the City-County Planning Board (Zoning Docket W-3545).

All parties

During

Prior to the hearing, all persons interested

tional

the above-described

obtain any

BID

Senior Services, Inc., (Winston-Salem/Forsyth County) is seeking bids for ongoing legal services and support from individual attorneys and/or law firms with extensive experience representing and advising non-profit organizations in the areas of liability, risk management, litigation, employment and labor law; contract preparation and review; intellectual property, and bond counsel services including, but not limited to, authorizations/resolutions, disclosures, and financial and legal rule considerations regarding tax-exempt status.

Only attorneys or firms who are currently licensed to practice law in good standing in North Carolina, and who can provide support in the North Carolina Triad area may respond.

To obtain a bid packet or for questions about this notice e‐mail: rfp-response@seniorservicesinc.org by Monday October 24, 2022, at 4:00pm EST.

Completed bid proposals must be submitted by 4:00pm EST on Tuesday, November 1, 2022.

The Chronicle September 22, 2022

REAL ESTATE

Spring/Wachovia Hill Apartments Managed by Community Management Corp.

1 Bedroom Units conveniently located in Win ston-Salem, 62 yrs of age or older Handicapped and/or disabled. Section 8 assistance available. Income restrictions apply. Call 336-251-1060. 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Mon. and Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Wed. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Providence Place Apartments 1492 Gillcrest Drive Winston-Salem, NC 27127 (336)722-5699 Phone (336)722-5691 Fax TDD Relay 711 24-hr on call maintenance, Laundry Center, Community Room, Recreation/Picnic area, Handicap Accessible units available, Section 8 Assistance available, Income Restrictions apply.

Professionally

have never come,” said Rafael Nadal. “It’s a sad day for me personally and for sports people around the world. I said it to you when we spoke and now it’s here. It’s been a plea sure but also an honor and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court. We will have many more mo ments to share together in the future; there are still lots to do together, we know that.

“For now I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and en joy what’s ahead of you. I’ll see you in London at the Laver Cup,” said Nad al.

Announcing her own retirement earlier this summer, Serena Williams wrote this about Federer on her Instagram page: “I wanted to find the perfect way to say this, as you so eloquently put this game to rest – perfectly done, just like your career.

“I have always looked up to you and admired you. Our paths were always so similar, so much the same. You inspired countless

Beliefs

way; they have found bet ter ways to understand and cope with the complexities of modern society. Reason and fact have proven more effective than myth and mysticism. Prayer may of fer hope and comfort, but modern medicine cures.

The success of secular humanism is further re flected in our increased un derstanding of the physical world and the advance of technology. Our grasp of relativity and quantum me

millions and millions of people – including me –and we will never forget.

“I applaud you and look forward to all that you do in the future. Welcome to the retirement club. And thank you for being you.”

Twelve-time major champion Billie Jean King said, “Roger Federer is a champion’s champion. He has the most complete game of his generation & captured the hearts of sports fans around the world with an amazing quickness on the court & powerful tennis mind. He has had a historic career w/memories that will live on and on.”

Federer came around at a time where I was actu ally gravitating away from men’s tennis and watch ing more women’s tennis because of the Williams sisters. In the latter part of the ‘90s, I began watching and rooting for the Wil liams sisters as they were taking the game by storm at the time.

To go along with the Williams sisters, my fa vorite male players were getting a little long in the tooth and were no longer as dominant as they once were. Federer was the player that brought my in terest back to men’s tennis. At that time, I never knew

chanics along with space exploration, the internet and genetic science, attest to the power of human kind’s ability to reason. Whatever one believes God to be, it is certain that humankind has developed, or was given, superior in telligence and the ability to reason, which we appear obligated to use.

Christian fundamental ism may inhibit progress but cannot stop it. Ban ning books, concealing historical facts that make children uncomfortable, or requiring that creationism

that he would go down as arguably the best player to ever pick up a racket, but the talent was obvious.

His dominance in the mid- to late-2000s was something we may never see again in the sport. It was almost Tiger-like how he made it to the finals of nearly every Grand Slam during that time.

I think the best thing for his legacy was the emergence of Nadal and Djokovic. I feel those two brought out the best in Fe derer and kept him on his A game well into his 30s, when many players may have called it quits.

Federer’s legacy is also tied to the fact he never had any issues off the court. In the world of social media, we never heard about any sort of scandal or negative news involving him. That is very hard to do when all eyes are on you at all times. Federer should be thanked for his contribu tions to the sport of tennis and how he brought the ATP into households that otherwise would have nev er watched a tennis match.

It will be interesting to see who takes up the man tle as the next great player as we enter this new era of men’s tennis.

be taught along with evo lution are wrongheaded and futile. As John Ad ams said, “facts are stub born things.” The facts supporting evolution and the facts that led to the civil war will always ex ist. Germany sets the right example. There, teaching of the holocaust is manda tory. Teaching the history of slavery and our treat ment of Native Americans should be required here as well. Americans can rightfully be proud of our heritage and aware of our achievements and our fail

Criteria for Entering the Heavenly City (verses 25-26). “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. (verse 25a.) God speaks to us today through His Word and His providential work ings in the world, but then He spoke through Moses at Sinai. “... for if they did not escape … much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from Heaven (verse 25b.). Christ is the speaker who offers forgiveness through God’s grace and mercy. There were con sequences for rebelling at Mt. Sinai. God shook the whole mountain when He gave the Law. There are and should be greater consequences for resist ing God’s greater work at Mount Zion. The writer is warning against apostasy. “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven” (verse 26). The entire universe will shake when the Son of God re turns.

Preparing for the Heavenly City (verses 27-29). In verse 27 God

ings. Enlightenment philos ophy inspired the found ers, but they did not aban don religion. Many were Christian. And Christianity has impacted our culture in positive ways. Martin Lu ther King, Jr., for example, awakened our collective conscience to the atrocities of Jim Crow. But if Chris tianity is to be a force for good in modern society, it must reconcile itself with reality and our reasoned understanding of the mod ern world.

That may be wish

says “Yet once more” - He promises to shake things again to take away reliance on material things, but the kingdom of God will not be shaken. Verse 28 says “Since we are receiving a kingdom that is incapable of being shaken” (verse 28a.). The Greek interpre tation says “We are con stantly and perpetually receiving a kingdom that is incapable of being shak en.” The world around us is full of instability, but the kingdom of Jesus cannot be shaken - we don’t have it in full because it is yet to come. “… let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear” (verse 28b.). We who are experiencing the bless ings of the New Covenant should serve God with a profound sense of divine holiness and happy rev erence. “For our God is a consuming fire” (verse 29). Since our God is a consuming fire, we should be comforted knowing God’s holiness is the rea son for His being a con suming fire, and it burns up anything unholy. God poured out His consuming

ful thinking. Today white Christian nationals would rather fight, openly op posing humanism. Despite having a secular Consti tution, they falsely claim that America was founded as a Christian nation. They criticize Jefferson’s ideas of separating church and state, say that our laws should conform to Chris tian teaching, and they work to restrict voting rights and personal free doms. But then, freedom, equality, and democracy have never been the goals of Christianity.

fire of judgment on Jesus in our place. The penalty of sin was consumed in Jesus at the cross. (The UMI Annual Commentary 2021-2022, The Modern Life Study Bible, MacAr thur Study Bible, The New Interpreters Study Bible, The Wiersbe Study Bible and The Oxford Bible Commentary).

For Your Consider ation: What do you per ceive as pros and cons when looking at the Old Testament covenant vs. New Testament covenant?

Application: As disci ples of the New Covenant, we are instructed to share the meaning of God’s for giveness and the promise of eternal life. Make a list of persons you want to share with. Challenge yourself, but equip your self first.

FYI: Forsyth County Sunday School Union will meet “virtually” ev ery third Sunday, at 3 p.m. with teaching and pro grams. You may join us ing the following “Zoom” credentials: ID 819 7872 9662, Passcode 787444, Phone: 1-301-715-8592.

By opposing secular humanism, Christian fun damentalists oppose the very thing that inspired the founding fathers and the foundation of America. With their confused and mistaken view of Ameri can history, white Chris tian Nationals attack what they claim to be saving. They are on the wrong side of history and there is no stopping progress.

Bob Topper is a retired engineer and is syndicated by PeaceVoice.