Town of Wendell

Public Comment for Meeting on January 24, 2022

I am a US citizen. I am a resident of Wake County since April 2001. I am a resident of Wendell, North Carolina since 2004. I am disabled. I am Hispanic. I purchased my home in 2004.

Wendell has changed since 2004. Carlie “C”s is gone, and then we had the Tropicana and InterFood. But, the most notable, is now there are food and “Taco Trucks” everywhere. Someone is eating all those Tacos.

The schools changed too. I remember as if it happened yesterday. Years ago, my son came home from the first day of school at CES, he gasped as he excitedly said, “DAD, my class has a whole lot of Mexicans, and they don’t speak English”. That was years ago, about 4 to 5 years ago, and, the dynamic keeps changing.

The houses changed, the neighborhood changed. I saw all the new houses being built, that was nice and dandy, but, the unexpected surprise was when I saw whom moved into the homes, it was mostly Hispanics with a few blacks, and a handful of whites. I did not expect that, but, when combined with the school trends, I would argue the Census figures are wrong. All the public schools my children attend are some sort of Title something for the poor.

Race and Hispanic Origin

White alone, percent

59.5%

Black or African American alone, percent(a)

27.9%

Hispanic or Latino, percent(b)

14.2%

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/wendelltownnorthcarolina

Wake County Public Schools Records indicate that at Carver Elementary School alone (The latest Report from WCPSS for 2020-2021) 38%.1 percent of the student body is Hispanic, and I would argue then that we are not alone here, and the children have parents and siblings and I would think our Wendell Population is now over 40% Hispanic

I viewed a lot of the meetings of this board. I did not see ever an interpreter for the hearing impaired ever on the recorded videos, live streamed videos, and present for the few meetings I attended in the meeting hall.

I viewed a lot of the meetings of this board. I did not see translators for persons of Hispanic origin. My father was a US Citizen. He lived in this country in the states for over 40 years, and, guess what, he never “spoke a lick of English”. That was old school, they had their retailers, corner bodegas, and bilingual people everywhere in NYC, no need.

It is time to end the discriminatory practice of not having interpreters and translators. It is time to include excluded populations from Wendell governing board and departments. I am asking that you end this discriminatory practice.

As a person with a disability, I am in shock and awe that Sheetz is not accessible and buildings were approved without mandating accessibility. Please include the disabled too. . Just outside this building, you have inaccessibility (curbcuts?), just try the doors to get in “no grand fathering excuses please.”

Sincerely,

Reinaldo Olavarria