European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 05, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. January 5. 1990 the stars and stripes pages Blacks launch Boycott of Selma schools Selma. Ala. A Black leaders angered by the termination of the City s first Black superintendent launched a Boycott of Selma s Public schools wednesday calling their fight the unfinished civil rights  Boycott leaders and demonstrating parents said the absence from classrooms of one Quarter of the City s 6,000 Public school students was at least a moral Vic tory in their fight to keep school chief Norward Roussell but mayor Joe Smitherman a White who has been in and out of office since Selma became a voting rights landmark in the 1960s, called the Boycott a failure based on the number of students show ing up for classes the school Board citing an unfavourable Job evaluation voted dec. 21 not to renew Roussell s contract when it expires june 30. The five Blacks on inc i i Mcm Ber Board then resigned in protest. The evaluation described Roussell As dictatorial and said he had allowed teacher morale to drop. He disputed the findings calling them unsubstantiated. Roussell 55, opposed the Boycott. He said having Young people in class was More important than his $80,000-a-Ycar Post. About a do in pickets including some children gathered in the morning chill outside Selma High school. Others pro tested at several of the City s 10 other schools and at several businesses. Atlantic City mayor three others indicted on influence peddling Trenton . A a grand jury wednesday indicted Atlantic City mayor James l. Usry and three other people on charges of influence peddling making him the fourth of the gaming resort s last seven mayors to be indicted. Usry 67, president of the National conference of Black mayors was charged in two indictments with conspiracy official misconduct bribery gifts to Public servants and violating the stat Campaign contribution Law. If convicted of All charges Usry faces up to 36 years in prison and $315.000 in  indicted were businessmen Ernest English and Clarence Gillard and Robert Harrison a former official with the new Jersey housing and mortgage finance  Norrill Nancy an aide to the Republican mayor said Usry will absolutely not leave office. The mayor has no intention of re signing Norrill Nance said. City councilman sch Grossman said the indictments hit a City inured to Cor  d say that the people of Atlantic City Are numb already said Grossman who is considering running for mayor. All we want is a Resolution to find out what exactly  Usry was elected in 1984, on a Reform platform after a recall election for Michael Matthews who had Defeated Usry in 1982. Matthews who was subsequently indicted and convicted is serving a 15-year sentence for  s attorney Donald g. Targan. Did not immediately return a phone Mes Sage seeking comment. A woman who inside Strines i icum i la Doss wore a Man Reading How Long will Selma do wrong1" is she Sang hymns and waved at passing cars near a gasoline station owned by the family of one of the White school Hoard members. God is in charge and Selma s arms Are too Short to Box with  said Doss who kept her son Home from school. Hut other Black parents heeded Roux sell s request to ignore the Boycott. I sent my children to  said Sheila Mitchell. She said she was Dis pleased with Roussell s treatment hut added. Children should be in  Rose Sanders a Black attorney who answered the phone at Usry s Home and identified herself As his housekeeper Barbara Jones said the mayor was not there. English maintained his innocence an said the state brought the charges to pro vide groundwork for taking Over the City which has a history1 of corruption. Harrison and Gillard could not be reached for comment. Home listings could not be obtained. No hearing dates have been set for the four men said Chris Florentz. A spokes Man for the state attorney general s of fice. The indictment alleges that Usry solicited bribes from English and business Man Ronald Bizzell in Exchange for sup porting their plan to launch a motorized cart business on Atlantic City s Board walk. According to the indictment. I jury accepted $6.000 in Cash from informant Albert Black in Exchange for his support of an ordinance change that would allow the motorized car business. Authorities said $6,000 in Cash was found in Usry s Home when he was arrested july 27. The mayor s attorney later said the Money was a contribution from a local businessman that Usry was to relay to a children s Charity. English. 32, and Gillard arc charged with agreeing to pay Usry $300.000 to support the ordinance change. Harrison former manager of human resources and minority affairs at the stale housing and mortgage finance Agency was charged with using his office and directing stall members to work on a testimonial dinner to Usry during work ing hours. Spearheaded the protest estimated that As Many As 40 percent of the City s Black students did not go to class. That is a  she said. This is the unfinished civil Nihls movement of the unfinished civil  Smitherman said plainclothes police officers used video cameras at the schools to record those participating in protests. Sanders said officials had scared Macks from joining the protest by threatening arrests on grounds of Violat ing compulsory education Laws. The mayor denied the charge and said Boycott leaders wanted to be arrested. They wanted us to arrest but we re not we Learned that lesson in the 60s." Smitherman said. In the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Jan. 5, 1950 Britain proposed a  partnership to Monitor the production of atomic weapons. 30 years ago today. Jan. 5, 1960 Albert Camus one of the youngest men Ever to be awarded the Nobel prize for literature was killed in a traffic Accident in Sens. France at the age of 46. 20 years ago today. Jan. 5, 1970 Mississippi gov. John Bell Williams called for a statewide private school system and urged restraint during the state s impending school desegregation crisis. 10 years ago today. Jan. 5, 1980 state department officials said president Carter was considering culling Back on diplomatic and economic relations with the soviet Union As Retalia Tion for its invasion of Afghanistan. Small talk president Bush listens As 7-year-old Lindsay Tharp of Wilmington del., describes her Christmas. Lindsay who was born with Spina Bilda. Is the 1990 National ambassador of the March of dimes birth defects foundation. Dinkins in first major action freezes . Police hiring new York not in his first in his first term. Major act As mayor of new York City David n. Dinkins said wednesday that he would indefinitely delay hiring 1,848 police officers who were to have gone on the payroll Jan. 16 As recruits at the police Academy. He said he might also have to delay another class that was scheduled to Start in june. Dinkins decision Means that the City s police department will almost certainly fall below its current strength of 25,971 officers during the year. It would also make it harder for the mayor to keep his Campaign Promise to double the number of Community patrol officers who walk neighbourhood beats i t Lerm. Dinkins vowed repeatedly during the mayoral Campaign and in his inaugural address on monday to be the toughest mayor on crime this City has Ever  one of his specific promises was that he would beef up the transit police putting an officer in every subway car by the end of his first term. I realize that this represents a hard ship both for the recruits awaiting Induc Tion and for the people of the City who expect and deserve the Protection that these new officers would afford Din Kins said. His announcement came unexpectedly in the Middle of a news conference called to discuss gov. Mario m. Cuomo s state of the slate message