scuttlebutt
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, theinca of the North carolina latin kings and at-large candidate forGreensboro city council, appeared in city council chambers on monday toexpress concerns about his arrest. cornell was arrested at an outdoorsam Bush concert near the Natty Greene’s brew pub on Aug. 1, andcharged 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, headof the Greensboro Police Department’s gang unit, in the News &Record that the incident arose from members of the latin kings flashinggang signs and hollering at members of the Bloods gang. Ginsburg saidhe was with cornell, and waved at a group of latin kings on the otherside of the crowd to let them know the two were there. “Thereare three points,” Ginsburg said. “They were specifically waving at me,and I initiated it. second, they’re not a gang. Third, officersizemore, the way the News & Record quoted him, suggested that thelatin kings and the Bloods have a problem with each other. That’sincorrect. The latin kings called for a peace treaty, and theBloods are part of it.” The latin kings have a handful of complaintsagainst the gang unit pending with the city’s complaint reviewcommittee. “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 awrongful death in 1985. The police have committed wrongful deaths. Andit looks like they are on a path to do so again. I implore you, as acity council, to do something. This gang unit has to be censured,dismantled or held accountable, or this will result in another wrongfuldeath.”
Complaint review committee will not get subpoena power
TheGreensboro city council approved a proposal to revamp the complaintreview committee, which hears citizen complaints about interactionswith police officers. The council voted 8-1, with District 3 Councilman Zack Matheny indissent, to expand the committee from five to seven members, addingtraining and allow members of the committee to initiate investigationsbased on information brought by staff or review video evidence postedon the internet. The proposal voted on by council removed twosignificant components. Complaint review committee Chairman Wayne Abraham saidthe human relations commission had voluntarily withdrawn a request tobe able to subpoena uncooperative civilian witnesses. And councilremoved a provision that would have allowed the complaint reviewcommittee to look officers’ personnel files to review their record ofcomplaints, at the request of police Chief Tim Bellamy. Thechief indicated the police department was happy with the compromiseproposal. “It’s going to build more trust in the community,” he said,“and more trust within the department.”
7 students ruled ineligible
FollowingGuilford County Schools’ completion of an investigation into athleticeligibility issues at Northern High School late last month, the schoolsystem announced that the NC High School
AthleticAssociation has declared seven student athletes ineligible to play. Theathletes had participated in junior varsity football, varsity men’sswimming, varsity and junior varsity baseball and men’s track. “Ourathletics programs must be above reproach, especially if we want sportsto 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
