THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 4, 1994 TAG: 9410040425
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PERRY PARKS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ELIZABETH CITY LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
Discussion of a city neighborhood's drug problem moved, once again, to the City Council Monday, but only Councilman Jimi Sutton saw fit to openly address it.
Nothing was resolved in a heated and sometimes painful discussion between Sutton and black community leaders from the Shepard-Martin-Cale area, but at least one participant left hopeful.
``They came out tonight,'' said River City Community Development Corp. President Lenora Jarvis-Mackey, pleased that more than two dozen residents attended after agreeing to push for action in an earlier meeting.
Jarvis-Mackey gave council members a list of ideas that called for more drug-free zones, more police foot patrols and city resources for a community clean-up day that was proclaimed by the council for Oct. 15.
She was joined by activists such as Michael Brooks, who heads a group called Gideon's Forces, and Inner-City Forum President Paul Bryant.
``I've seen a lot of meetings,'' Brooks said, telling stories of violence, drugs and prostitution spreading through the area. ``A lot of talk but no action. ... It's not a problem so big that we as a unit can't handle.''
Mayor H. Rick Gardner assured Brooks that his comments were ``not falling on deaf ears,'' but no council member directly responded except Sutton.
Sutton took the awkward position of agreeing with the speakers while defending the council.
``Everyone wants the City Council to solve all the city's problems,but we don't have your support,'' Sutton said.
``You're taking on a fight that's bigger than you,'' he told Brooks. ``It's everyone's fight.''
``I know all these people,'' Sutton said, gesturing toward an assembly that spilled into the hallway. ``I cannot sit here and accept the fact that people would think that we don't care.''
Sutton followed the residents from the third-floor chambers to the first-floor lobby, where he and a dozen others continued the discussion.
Also addressed Monday were proclamations designating October as National Colonial Heritage Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Alpha Delta Kappa Month. The last item recognizes an international honorary sorority for women educators.
Oct. 2-8 was proclaimed Public Power Week, which is being celebrated with customer-subsidized popcorn and refreshments in the municipal building's lobby. Oct. 30 through Nov. 4 will be 89-Nine ECSU Week, honoring Elizabeth City State University's radio station.
Gardner said the number of proclamations ``speaks very well for our city.'' by CNB