August 31, 2001

Names in the News

NCCBI lauds Winston-Salem leaders
Eighty community leaders gathered at the Piedmont Club in Winston-Salem on Aug. 21 for the official release of the Winston-Salem Community Profile in the August issue of North Carolina magazine (cover picture shown at right). NCCBI President Phil Kirk complimented the community for supporting the 40-page profile, which he said is the largest community profile in the magazine’s history. “We publicize communities which have a positive vision for the future . . . communities which don’t let job losses and economic downturns get them down and into a negative mood,” Kirk said. He praised Winston-Salem for “your commitment to providing quality education at all levels for all citizens.” He urged the business leaders not to underestimate the value of its education system in moving the area forward.

Kirk credited the effective Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and Winston-Salem Business Inc. for leading the community forward. He urged the audience to support candidates for office who share their vision and commitment for moving Winston-Salem and Forsyth County forward.

In closing, Kirk said, “Winston-Salem is a city which is on the move. You are resilient. You are confident, and you are caring.” Also appearing on the program were Drew Hancock, chairman of the Winston-Salem chamber; Dr. Julianne Still Thrift, president of Salem Academy and College; Dr. Howard Martin, chancellor of Winston-Salem State University; and Bob Leak Jr., president of Winston-Salem Business Inc.

Appointed as North Carolina’s representatives to the Virginia-North Carolina High-Speed Rail Commission were Reps. Jim Crawford (D-Granville), Nelson Cole (D-Rockingham) and Pete Cunningham (D-Mecklenburg) and Sens. Wib Gulley (D-Durham), Kay Hagan (D-Guilford) and Bob Rucho (R-Mecklenburg). They will serve with six members of the Virginia legislature on a task force charged with encouraging the development of high-speed rail service from Washington, D.C., to Charlotte. The U.S. Department of Transportation designated five national high-speed rail corridors across the country in 1992. The Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor - extending from Washington, D.C. through Richmond and Raleigh to Charlotte – has been identified as the most economically viable high-speed rail corridor in the country.

Superior Court Judge Ray Warren, the former conservative Republican House member who switched to the Democratic Party, won election to the bench and then announced that he is gay, said he's considering running for Jesse Helms’ Senate seat. Warren, 44, said he plans to create an exploratory committee and probably will resign from the bench in early October. The announcement by Warren, who once worked on Sen. Helms’ staff, raises to eight the number of candidates who have announced or said they are strongly considering entering the race.

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