Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 August 1999 — Page 27

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6,1999 ■ PAGE D1

INSIDE*D*SECTION*CLASSIFIED*REAL ESTATE

The Coffee Pot: Perkin’ once again

By YOLANDA BEAVER Recorder Correspondent Ask almost anyone native to Indianapolis who is SO years old and older about the old “Coffee Pot Lounge,” and you’re sure to get a distant gaze and twinkle in the eyes of the respondent, along with, “That was the only place to be on a Sunday afternoon.” For local Blacks during the 1940s and 50s, The Coffee Pot Lounge was a famous, highly regarded restaurant located in the Madame Walker Theater Center, 617 Indiana Ave., and one of the few places accessible to Blacks for fine dining and socializing. “That was our place to go!,” recalls Lucille Holloway-Jorman as she sites an incident of being refused service at another local restaurant. “The Black waitress there told us “We don’t serve coloreds here, but you can go over to the Coffee Pot Lounge. They serve good food there.” After integration began to take shape across the country, it had its effect on the Black communities in a host of different ways - not all of them being positive. With Blacks now having access to other establishments, Black businesses suf-

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Pot Lounge came'tb a'stari and the once thriving and popular “place to be,” closed its doors. Enter Sheriee Shanklin and Tracy Jones. These two young trailblazing women have burned a new path in the course of history here in Indianapolis with the grand

fered from loss of regular custom-

ers. The “hay-day” ofirthe,

re-opening of the Coffee Pot Lounge. Sheriee Shanklin continues a mission In July 1971, a new full service supermarket opened on Indiana Ave. It’s name was “Our Market.” It was the first and only Black owned and operated supermarket in the state of Indiana. It’s manager, Carlton J. Ladd, now deceased, had a daughter Sheriee Ladd, who worked at “Our Market” as a cashier. Since that time, Sheriee has been blessed to have worked in leadership at Methodist Hospital, served a£ State of Indiana Personal Director, Gubernatorial Appointment of former Governor, Evan Bayh, served as the President of Central Indiana Managed Care Organization, and most recently is employed at Cummins Engine Co. A long time has passed and a number of things have changed in our city, specifically as it relates to Indiana Ave., yet, the passion of operating a quality establishment on the Avenue remains alive in Carlton’s daughter’s Sheriee (Ladd) Shanklin. Sheriee, along with her partner Tracy Jones, have opened the new Coffee Pot Lounge, where “special friends meet again,” in the now historic Madume Walker Center 1

Vincennes, Ind., relocating to Indy in the late 70s. Tracy is married to Eugene Jones and is the mother of three; twin daughters Brittany and Courtney, 17 years old, and son, Nicholas, 10 years old. “With the twins leaving for col-

thecoff<je id created rls,” sa$s

lege this fall, I’ stiqpwill by the absei

Tracy.

The new owners intend to create an ambiance of nostalgia blended with the current needs of the community. The new establishment features coffee, juices, especially prepared cakes, pastries, books.

cards, gifts, and most importantly, a gathering spot where “special friends meet” to relax read and renew. Tracy adds,” We plan to be a link to community leaders; a place in our community for people to learn, to listen, to engage.” “Local artists are also invited to showcase their work with us.”

Lilly to provide services for neighborhood revitalization

Special to the Recorder Last week, Eli Lilly joined forces with the MartindaleBrightwood neighborhood to assist with efforts to revitalize the • near Eastside area. The effort is ; part of the Adopt-A-Neighborhood Program of Community Organizations Legal Assistance Project, Inc. (COLAP). As part of the Adopt-A-Neigh- - borhood program, Lilly attorneys have pledged to provide more than 100 hours of pro bono legal assistance in the next 12 months to the Martindale-Brightwood Commu- , nity Development Corpotation ; (MBCDC) and its affiliated effort ^ todevelop affordable housing, cre- ' ate jobs, provide social services, and promote economic develop- ■ - ment and neighborhood beautification and safety.

“Most people don’t understand • general corporate matters (prothe tremendous importance legal viding advice and assistance reissues play in the revitalization of garding corporate status, tax-ex-our city’s neighborhoods,” said empt status, other tax issues, re-

Robert Hawthorn, executive director of MBCDC. “Successful neighborhood revitalization often means reviewing complicated land acquisitions, developing purchase agreements and creating neighborhood bylaws - all matters that require an extensive legal background. In most cases, we do not have the expertise on staff or in the neighborhood to assist us in completing such transactions. As a result, dollars that could be invested in bricks and mortar to improve’the neighborhood are often used to pay legal

fees.”

Over the next several months, Lilly’s legal department will assist the neighborhood in several ways, including:

view of contracts, etc.) • assistance with affordable housing real estate transaction (review/revise purchase agreements, financing documents, closing documents, leasing, etc.) and • legal auditing of both the MBCDC and the neighborhood as-

sociation..

“As a group, we were looking for additional avenues to contribute in a grassroots way to making our community a better place to live," said Rebecca O. Goss, senior vice president and general counsel for Eli Lilly. “Because of the diverse skills of our attorneys, COLAPexplained that we can provide a valuable asset to the neighborhood revitalization effort. Af-

ter meeting with representative of the neighborhood, we realized there is a tremendous amount of redevelopment activities taking place in Martindale-Brightwood over the next year and saw an opportunity to contribute to this growth and prosperity.” “This is another example of Lilly’s impressive commitment to the Indianapolis community,” said Kirk Kavanaugh, executive director of COLAP. “By joining the effort of Lilly’s legal staff in joining our city’s effort to reinvigorate the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood.” MBCDC was started by three neighborhood organizations in 1992. Since that time, MBCDC has completed more than $l 2 million in neighborhood redevelopment activities. Current undertakings of the organization include

Record number of minority firms in largest corporate brand transition ever

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bank of America announced last week that it has signed contracts totaling more than $30 million with 29 minority and woman-owned firms to date to help it implement its national brand change out — the largest corporate brand change in history. The new Bank of America, created by the merger of NationsBank and BankAmerica last fall, in April began converting to its new brand. All in all mote than 45,000 signs across the nation will be changed to the company’s expanded name and new logo. The process, which will be completed sometime in 2000, will ultimately involve replacing more than 6,000 form masters, excluding printing and distribution and over 100,000 merchandising elements, in addition to exterior and interior signage. Although the total cost of the brand change out is not being disclosed, by the time the entire rebranding process is -completed. Bank of America estimates it will have reached a company-wide level of 15 percent minority participation in the process. The vendor contracts already represent services being provided at the national, regional and local -levels. j “Minority and women-owned businesses and their survival are critical to the success of the U.S. economy, and they are equally as important-to us as we build.our company,” said Dorothy Brothers, nationaldirectorof the Bank of America Minority Business Development Group. “Establishing relationships with these minority suppliers is only a|tnali part of the commitment we have made to be the

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leader in providing MBEs every opportunity to share in the success of our national franchise.” Seventeen vendors have corporate contracts with Bank of America exclusively for the manufacturing and installation of the new signs nationwide. Four of those companies are minority vendors; they include Lugo Construction in Seattle; Southern State in Tulsa, OK; Blye Associates in Charlotte, and the Samel Group in Dallas. Lugo Construction, an Hispanic minority business enterprise, has received the entire Northwest U.S. contract for installation of the Bank of America exterior signs and ATM surrounds. The total cost of the contract is expected to exceed $6 million. Lugo Construction also will be partnering with other minority and woman-owned firms in the Northwest to accomplish their part of the brand change out project. “Being selected to participate in the bank’s branding process in the Northwest is a dream come true,” said Adrian Lugo, president of LugoConstruction. “Bank of America’s commitment to involving minority businesses in their procurement process company-wide is obvious, and it should be commended.” Collectively, the 32 minority vendors involved in the Bank of America brand transition have all increased or have immediate plans to increase their employment as a direct result of their new contracts with the bank. ^ Last February Bank of America’s management committee madman unprecedented commitment to spend 15 per- . 4.., I

Tracy Jones (left) and Sheriee Shanklin are proud to play a role in rejuvenating the community & preserving Indy’s Black History.

The Coffee Pot Lounge is opened Monday through Thursday from 6:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m., Friday from 6:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Soothing contemporary jazz is the music of choice here. Just what one needs to start or end your work day right.

the Keystone Industrial Park, Genesis Plaza, Blackburn Terrace Chi Ideate Center and New Ralston Estates. COLAP is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to empowering lowincome people by facilitating the delivery of needed pro bono legal assistance and other technical assistance to nonprofit community organization serving low-income neighborhoods. Since its inception in late 1992, COLAP’s staff and network of more than 100 volunteer attorneys have provided pro bono legal services valued at well over $1.75 million to community groups serving Central Indiana’s most distressed neighborhoods. For more information about the Adopt-A-Neighborhood Program or COLAP, contact the COLAP office at 267-8997.

cent of its total procurement budget with woman and minority-owned businesses. The bank also has mandated that all bidders for bank business source 15 percent of their product from minority and woman-owned firms. In 1998 without such a commitment in place, the new company’s combined spending with minority, disabled and woman-owned businesses totaled more than $258 million. Each of the companies involved in the process is responsible for different aspects of the brand transition, but their collective efforts will contribute substantially to the bottom line. “They are the backbone, in ifiany ways,-of the brand change process,” said Brothers. “The unsung heroes of the new Bank of America branding process.” The firms are overseeing branding functions ranging from producing rubber stamps with the new Bank of America logo, to managing the printing of bank forms and other necessary print materials. “Our goal is to make banking work for our customers and our communities in ways it never has before,” said Brothers. “Since our franchise is compromised of a broad crosssection of demographic and ethnic groups, we see it as imperative that we involve minority businesses in this process as thoroughly and efficiently as possible.” Bank of America, with $614 billion in assets, is the largest bank in the United States. The company serves more than 30 million households and 2 million businesses across the country, offering customers the largest and most conveM See BANK, Page D2 , • • •)

What’s happening to PC prices? It was March 1998 and in one of my first articles, Top Ten Tips for 1998, the number one tip was “Replace your computer system.” That tip stated that it was a good time to replace your existing computer system and/or purchase your first system. The price of standard business desktops had dropped to less than $1,000 for the basic system . which included a monitor, a multiGB hard drive, a CD-ROM drive, * and a sound system. Well, if you have been watching the market, you will note that the price of the PCs have roughly remained the same and have recently dropped to about $600 or less for a complete - system. So why are PCs so reasonable? In 1998, we saw PCs prices stay below the $1,000 level and continually fall. The reasons for the price fall are varied. The weak ; Asian market, South Korean chipmakers, and the PC glut. Bot- - tom-line, no one would have expected or predicted a plain old PC . price war. And now in 1999, we have PCs selling for $600 or less _ for your basic beginner models. Now you can get your PCs for free -. or a good model for less than $200. Unbelievable but true. We are talking about real com- ' plete PC systems. How is this so? Major National Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as America OnLine (AOL), CompuServe, Microsoft Network (MSN), and . Prodigy are offering $400 rebates if you sign up with their service for 3 years. First time buyers are at- . tracted to these offers because it is a simple package, in which they get everything needed for almost nothing. About two weeks ago, I had a call from a friend who asked me to help her setup an Internet email ' account. Her system, to my sutr prise, had it all: a speedy 333 Mhz computer with 32 Mb of RAM and 4.3 Gb hard drive, a 15-inch monitor, 32X CD Rom drive, 56 Kbps modem, and color printer. A good system for less than $200 after rebate. These rebates are from most major retailers: Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA, and Staples. Rebates are good on minor brands and name brands computers such as IBM, Compaq, Micron Electronics and Hewlett-Packard. Within the last month, it was estimated that PCs were in over half of American households. These rebates are aimed at increasing the penetration of PCs into American households and to bring the Internet to those new buyers. The Internet is the hidden agenda. It is predicted that Internet access will equal the telephone and television penetration into our everyday lives. Today’s PC rebate reminds me of the cell phone rebate. However, the stakes in the Internet market are so much bigger and lucrative. The major ISPs will recover about $800 from the user over the next three years. Also, those major . ISPs are betting on making more dollars from the advertisers and •. from direct sale of their merchandise. But the way I see it, the value of the PC is realized by the use of the Internet. That is, if you buy a computer and do not use it to ac-;. cess the Internet, you are not get-

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