TICKERTAPE

Jet, Sept 18, 2000 by Simeon Booker

CONFIDENTIAL: In one of the most significant shifts in law enforcement, Inspector Cathey L. Ranier, a Black police woman, was assigned the job of cleaning up the most crime-ridden district in the nation's capital. Washington, D.C., Police Chief Charles H. Ramsey picked the talented officer for the command slot in the Fourth District, making her the first Black woman commander of any of the city's seven districts.

The challenge is tremendous as the district's crime increased this year and several officers were arrested on charges from burglary to armed robbery ... When he was elected president of the National Association of Black Mayors after serving as head of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Denver Mayor Wellington Webb immediately began to revamp the little-known group. Hoping to change the image of the 461-mayor organization, he made plans to open an office in Washington and develop an aggressive program ... For the man who became the best-loved host during the annual Black Caucus Weekend in the nation's capital, businessman LeBaron Taylor left an unforgettable record. His parties became the No. 1 events, and guests fought to receive tickets. To honor him, a group of friends led by Ofield Dukes plan a fund-raising musical tribute on Sept. 13, right in the midst of Caucus affairs, featuring stars like vocalists Nancy Wilson and Peabo Bryson. The proceeds will be used to establish the Sigma Phi (Boule) LeBaron Taylor Scholarship Fund ... Melvin Foote, who organized the Constituency for Africa and brought the organization to the forefront of the pro-Africa activities, recently was invited by GOP House Majority Leader Trent Lott to join the exclusive 40-member Republican inner circle to help develop policies for the party's Bush-Cheney slate.