Councilwoman found responsible for repaying creditor
A Guilford County jury returned a verdict against Greensboro Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Anderson Groat on July 28, holding her responsible for paying back a creditor. The elected official was the president of Sandra Anderson Builders, a company that was forced to close its doors last year in the wake of the collapse of the residential mortgage lending industry. The jury concluded that Pegram-West, a building supply company, and Groat did not mutually assent to cancel a personal guaranty.
The building supply company had claimed that Groat signed a personal guaranty in the amount of $250,000 for credit extended in materials purchases. A June 2 consent order signed by Superior Court Judge Catherine C. Eagles indicates Groat consented that she owes Pegram-West a total of $362,039. Groat is running for reelection in a crowded field of atlarge candidates.
Supporters protest Latin King’s arrest supporters of Jorge Cornell, the
inca of the North carolina latin kings and at-large candidate for
Greensboro city council, appeared in city council chambers on monday to
express concerns about his arrest. cornell was arrested at an outdoor
sam Bush concert near the Natty Greene’s brew pub on Aug. 1, and
charged with misdemeanor resisting a public officer.
Eric Ginsburg, a Guilford college student who is cornell’s campaign manager, disputed an assertion made by sgt. Ron Sizemore, head
of the Greensboro Police Department’s gang unit, in the News &
Record that the incident arose from members of the latin kings flashing
gang signs and hollering at members of the Bloods gang. Ginsburg said
he was with cornell, and waved at a group of latin kings on the other
side of the crowd to let them know the two were there.
“There
are three points,” Ginsburg said. “They were specifically waving at me,
and I initiated it. second, they’re not a gang. Third, officer
sizemore, the way the News & Record quoted him, suggested that the
latin kings and the Bloods have a problem with each other. That’s
incorrect.
The latin kings called for a peace treaty, and the
Bloods are part of it.” The latin kings have a handful of complaints
against the gang unit pending with the city’s complaint review
committee. “I’m really concerned about where this is going to end,”
said Signe Waller, a survivor of the 1979 klan-Nazi shooting,
told council. “The police were found liable, along with the klan, for a
wrongful death in 1985. The police have committed wrongful deaths. And
it looks like they are on a path to do so again. I implore you, as a
city council, to do something. This gang unit has to be censured,
dismantled or held accountable, or this will result in another wrongful
death.”
Complaint review committee will not get subpoena power
The Greensboro city council approved a proposal to revamp the complaint review committee, which hears citizen complaints about interactions with police officers. The council voted 8-1, with District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny in dissent, to expand the committee from five to seven members, adding training and allow members of the committee to initiate investigations based on information brought by staff or review video evidence posted on the internet. The proposal voted on by council removed two significant components. Complaint review committee Chairman Wayne Abraham said the human relations commission had voluntarily withdrawn a request to be able to subpoena uncooperative civilian witnesses. And council removed a provision that would have allowed the complaint review committee to look officers’ personnel files to review their record of complaints, at the request of police Chief Tim Bellamy. The chief indicated the police department was happy with the compromise proposal. “It’s going to build more trust in the community,” he said, “and more trust within the department.”
7 students ruled ineligible
Following Guilford County Schools’ completion of an investigation into athletic eligibility issues at Northern High School late last month, the school system announced that the NC High School
Athletic
Association has declared seven student athletes ineligible to play. The
athletes had participated in junior varsity football, varsity men’s
swimming, varsity and junior varsity baseball and men’s track. “Our
athletics programs must be above reproach, especially if we want sports
to serve as character-building experiences for our students,”
Superintendent Mo Green said in a prepared statement.
“Students need to learn that demonstrating good character and sportsmanship are just as important as winning, if not more so.” — JG
