Triangle Tribune

WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Southside continues to make a comeback By Caroline Hudson THE URHAM VOICE DURHAM – Marie Hunter has lived in the Southside neighborhood for RIBUNE more than 60 years. TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE She said remembers when it was called St. Teresa and was full of family homes with children playing in the yard. But that’s no longer the case. “I just get tired of people saying bad VOLUME 17 NO. 2 WEEK OF MARCH 15, 2015 $1.00 things,” she said. “They put a bad mark on the community.” The area is now mostly known for its descent into disinvestment, its abandoned houses and its high crime rate. Hunter’s son was killed in a drive-by shooting in 1997 while standing on the front lawn of Happy Rock 7 HBCU teams Unity Holy Church. make NCAA Southside is an area of about 100 acres south of the Durham Freeway and northwest of North Carolina Central University. To the right of South- Division II side across Roxboro Street is a 20-acre site formerly known as Rolling Hills. Several of the brand new homes are located off South Street. The city of playoffs. Durham is hoping to create a stable community for its residents. Both are within the Hayti district, a historically black neighborhood that experi- enced crippling demolition in the 1960s due to the construction of the Durham Freeway. Hunter, who serves as the president of the Southside Neighborhood As- sociation, said the Southside name began to catch on in the late 1980s, and Please seeSOUTHSIDE/2A Suspensions decrease across the Triangle By Latisha Catchatoorian [email protected] Statewide trends show that school dropout rates and suspensions are declining, and both Durham and Wake county public schools are falling in line. According to a news release, WCPSS suspended students at nearly half the statewide rate during the 2013- 14 school year. Overall, the district reduced the number of suspensions by 45 percent since the 2009-10 school year. Its rate of short-term suspensions for grades nine to 13 was about half the state average and the lowest of North Carolina’s five largest school districts, includ- ing Charlotte-Mecklenburg. Overall WCPSS saw a 29 percent reduction in out-of-school suspension between the 2012-13 and 2013-14 school years. “Wake County schools made a concerted effort during the past five years to reduce suspensions by find- Loretta Lynch’s father (center) stands in support of his daughter with female supporters. ing alternative means of discipline that allow students to keep up with their studies,” the press release stated. Some of those alternative means include prevention and intervention strategies. More than 100 schools use the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support frame- work, which helps demonstrate to students what good and bad behaviors look like and rewards those who per- Women come together in form well. If problems do arise, some schools have been making better use of Alternative Learning Cen- ters. These centers are employed for students who need to work outside of a regular classroom. ALC teach- ers are trained to help students stay on track academ- By Latisha Catchatoorian senators who represent North Car- and raised in Durham, went on to be- ically while simultaneously addressing any behavioral support ofolina Lynchin their announcement to reject forcome the U.S. AG attorney for the eastern [email protected] issues. North Carolina native Loretta Lynch’s district of New York, where she has “We understand that if kids aren’t in school, their ac- DURHAM – The pending decision for the nomination as the next attorney gen- been a valiant fighter and protector of ademic achievement is negatively impacted,” said nomination of Loretta Lynch for U.S. attor- eral,” said Michelle Laws, executive di- civil rights. Brenda Elliot, WCPSS assistant superintendent for stu- ney general is the longest delayed deci- rector of the N.C. state conference of “(Lynch) is a North Carolinian; she dent support services. “However, if their behavior is sion for the position in three decades. the NAACP. “Our problem is that we grew up right here in Durham, and I’m disruptive to the school environment, then we have to Though President Barack Obama per- have senators representing women here to ask the citizens of North Car- sonally suggested Lynch last November here in North Carolina who are simply olina to call Senator Tillis’ office, to call Please see SUSPENSIONS/2A and the Senate Judiciary Committee en- not standing up and doing the will of Senator Burr and ask them what is the dorsed her in a 12-8 vote, the Republican North Carolinians and women.” problem,” N.C. Central School of Law majority is delaying its final decision. Laws said Lynch was nominated Professor Frances Bynum said. Those against her nomination include over 117 days ago, which makes her President Obama noted in his nomi- North Carolina senators Thom Tillis and the longest pending nominee to leave nation remarks that “U.S. attorney Richard Burr. the justice department in three Lynch has battled monsters and drug A coalition of women from across the decades. Lynch testified before the lords and terrorists.” Countless groups state defended the importance of Lynch’s committee for nearly eight hours and have endorsed her across the nation, nomination in a press conference hosted responded to nearly 900 written ques- as have members of the judiciary com- by the N.C. NAACP. tions, which is unprecedented, Laws mittee from both parities and 25 other “We come today because we are quite said. U.S. attorneys. concerned and disturbed. We’re con- Lynch, who was born in Greensboro cerned about the recent actions of our Please see WOMEN/2A LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN Resident Kathy Atwater Chapel Hill’s Northside to receive $3M loan By Latisha Catchatoorian [email protected] CHAPEL HILL – Northside Elementary students vocal- ized their dreams for their neighborhood. Some ex- LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN pressed a desire for lower housing taxes, while others Supporters of home care workers earning livable wages hold candlelight vigil. want a coming together of people in the community, and another said he wanted a neighborhood store where he could “get snacks for lunch.” The town of Chapel Hill and UNC-Chapel Hill an- nounced their support of these dreams and others through the launch of the Northside Neighborhood Ini- tiative. The university, along with funding from the By Latisha Catchatoorian and/or those with disabilities at their the average salary of a home care town, will provide a $3 million no-interest, 10-year loan Home care workershomes with everyday tasks suchfight as worker wasfor $18,598 compared15 to the [email protected] to help foster a “vibrant, diverse, mixed-income com- eating, bathing, dressing and using the $46,440 average salary of a typical em- munity.” RALEIGH – The Fight for 15 movement bathroom. Many workers even be- ployee. The Bureau Labor of Statistics Northside is a historically African-American neighbor- continues to spread like wildfire. What come like family to those they serve, projects the country will need 1 mil- hood just north of Rosemary Street in Chapel Hill. It has once was a rallying cry by fast-food work- going above and beyond the call of lion new home care workers by 2022. been home to university and town employees for more ers has become a nationwide movement duty. “If ya’ll were to go on strike for one than a century. Resident Kathy Atwater said it’s been a as home care workers join the battle for Though the home care sector is one week, you would shut down the whole “long, long, long fight” for this initiative. livable wages. of the fastest growing fields in the na- system,” the Rev. Earl C. Johnson, pas- “It’s my pleasure today to announce this morning that The home care field encompasses those tion’s workforce, wages remain well tor of Martin Street Baptist Church, many of the dreams that we just heard articulated so working as home health aides and per- below the average annual earnings for told workers gathered in his church beautifully from the children of Northside Elementary, sonal care aides. Each assists the elderly all wage and salary workers. In 2013 Please see HOME/2A Please see LOAN/2A Index Follow The To subscribe: 919-688-9408 or Tribune on Editorial 4A Sports 1B Email: [email protected] Focus 6A Classifieds 4B Arts & Life 5B Religion 6B © 2015 The Triangle Tribune 2A NEWS/The Triangle Tribune Sunday, March 15, 2015 Chapel Hill’s Women come together in Northside to receive Continued from page 1A She said Lynch is the exemplary appearance toward the end of the support ofmodel Lynch of what it is to be from North forpress conference AG to thank all of his $3Continued million from page 1A toloan meet some of the commu- All of her opponents in the Senate Judi- Carolina. their dreams, the dreams of nity needs,” said Dan Levine, ciary Committee are Republican. Many daughter’s supporters and advo- “I, like Loretta, am a daughter of their parents and grandpar- Self-Help director of business voiced their objections based on her be- cates who have urged Lynch’s con- Durham Public Schools. We graduated ents may now have an oppor- development and project lief in the legality of Obama’s executive firmation. He is hopeful that her in the same year,” she said. “But what tunity to become a reality management in real estate. action on immigration.

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