TCB Nov. 4, 2015 — The Murder, the fire and the hanging by Triad City Beat

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point triad-city-beat.com November 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10, 2015

FREE

PAGE 16

Greensboro election results PAGE 8

Movers move on PAGES 14, 24

Balinese odyssey PAGE 22

October 14 — 20, 2015

Jingle•Jangle•Joy Holiday Gift Show Opening Reception th

Friday, November 13

6-9pm

Art will be showing November 13 – December 4th th

Join us at Irving Park Art & Frame for this festive evening featuring art created by artists with intellectual and developmental disabilties.

2105-A W. Cornwallis Drive • Greensboro

irvingparkartandframe.com (336) 274-6717 Mon.–Fri. 9:30am–5:30pm & Sat. 10am–4pm

One of us

by Brian Clarey

UP FRONT 3 Editor’s Notebook 4 City Life 6 Commentariat 6 The List 7 Barometer 7 Unsolicited Endorsement

NEWS 8 Greensboro election results 10 Advocates for urban schools 12 Reaction to racial revelatons

OPINION 13 Editorial: Our two-fisted governor 13 Citizen Green: Jack Bonney signs off

14 It Just Might Work: Replacing Jules Antiques 14 Fresh Eyes: An inside view of the High Point Furniture Market

COVER 16 The murder, the fire and the hanging

GAMES

29 Jonesin’ Crossword

SHOT IN THE TRIAD 30 Hicone Road, Greensboro

ALL SHE WROTE 31 Pop-up pop art

CULTURE 20 Food: In all seriousness 21 Barstool: Drinking in the library 22 Music: Dancing queens 24 Art: Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet’s next act

GOOD SPORT 26 Mets fan as a costume

QUOTE OF THE WEEK The general opinion is while there will be the necessary delay, in appeal etc., that Peter DeGraff, the murderer of Ellen Smith, is a doomed man and that the best thing for him to do [sic] soften his hard, hard, heart and prepare for the inevitable fate awaiting him. — The Union Republican, August 1893

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St., Greensboro, NC 27406 • Office: 336-256-9320 BUSINESS PUBLISHER Allen Broach

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING INTERN Nicole Zelniker

EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Brian Clarey

jorge@triad-city-beat.com

allen@triad-city-beat.com

brian@triad-city-beat.com

SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Green jordan@triad-city-beat.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Eric Ginsburg eric@triad-city-beat.com

NEST EDITOR Alex Klein

alex@triad-city-beat.com

EDITORIAL INTERNS Daniel Wirtheim intern@triad-city-beat.com

ART ART DIRECTOR Jorge Maturino SALES DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING & SALES Dick Gray dick@triad-city-beat.com

SALES EXECUTIVE Lamar Gibson lamar@triad-city-beat.com

SALES EXECUTIVE Cheryl Green cheryl@triad-city-beat.com

NEST Advertise in NEST, our monthly real estate insert, the final week of every month! nest@triad-city-beat.com

Cover photography courtesy of Old Salem Museums & Gardens

CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn de Berry Nicole Crews Anthony Harrison Matt Jones Amanda Salter Caleb Smallwood

I wouldn’t have seen it unless someone had left it on my desk, because I don’t live in District 3: a simple campaign mailer from the Committee to Elect Kurt Collins that hit the streets last week. It’s boilerplate stuff — a quote, some bullet points, a professional headshot. We see a lot of these come campaign time. But there was something different about this one. This one had a section about Collins’ opponent, Justin Outling. And while it declined to use his name, the Committee to Elect Kurt Collins felt it appropriate to include a thumbnail shot of the man with the word “opponent” above his mug in stencil font. Attack campaigns are nothing new either, and framing an opponent’s picture like a mugshot is old hat. There is something different about Outling, too. He’s the first African-American to hold a district not specifically cut for minority representation in Greensboro’s history. Because he was appointed to his term when Zack Matheny moved over to Downtown Greensboro Inc., he could be the first ever elected to the office on Tuesday. He’s not a shoo-in. Outling, a moderate Democrat, took 60 percent of the vote in the primary, which means that 40 percent voted for a conservative. That Republican Michael Picarelli, who came in third that day, threw his support behind Outling may be of little consequence in what will surely be a low-turnout contest. The results of the election are on page 12, but as of press time, nobody’s really sure who will take it — not enough to gamble on it, anyway. A more cynical man than I might A more cynical man might see the mailer as see the mailer as a desperate a desperate act act by a man on the bubble, by a man on the a final reminder going into bubble, a final reminder going Election Day that there’s a into Election Day black man in this race. that there’s a black guy in this race, and it isn’t Kurt Collins. But that would be despicable, the kind of politics employed by Jesse Helms that brought shame on our state and sowed inequality among our people. The old-timers remember well how Helms’ convinced just a slight bit more than half of North Carolina voters that he was One of Us and Nick Galifianakis was not, thereby winning a Senate seat that he held for the next 30 years. Soft racism used to be a pretty effective tactic in North Carolina politics. How far we’ve come since then.

triad-city-beat.com

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

CONTENTS

October 14 — 20, 2015

WEDNESDAY

CITY LIFE November 4 – 10

by Daniel Wirtheim

Everything is Terrible! @ Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema (GSO) Everything is Terrible is a video-blogging site that edits clips of the most ridiculous VHS tapes from the ’90s. The made headlines when they set out to amass the largest collection of Jerry Maguire VHS tapes the world has ever seen and now they’re showing their latest movie along with a “choose your own destiny” audience-participation component. The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit geeksboro.com for more information. Old South @ A/perture Cinema (W-S) If you’ve missed one of the limited screenings of Old South, here is your chance to get the story. The film shows the struggle of an African-American community trying to conserve their neighborhood as a white fraternity known for promoting Southern heritage encroaches. The film starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit aperturecinema.com for more information.

THURSDAY Ang Li @ High Point Theatre Ang Li has come a long way since learning to play the piano by ear at age 1. She’s played in Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall and along with Texas’ Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Members from the Music Academy of North Carolina will accompany Ang Li’s performance. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Find more information at highpointtheatre.com

Native American Heritage Celebration @ UNCG (GSO) With dances, stories and traditional dress, this event at the Cone Ballroom is all about Native American heritage. An art exhibition precedes a dance performance. The event starts at 5 p.m. Visit uncg.edu for more information.

Jack Becker lecture @ Weatherspoon Art Museum (GSO) Jack Becker has been writing about and working in the field of public art for 30 years. If you’d like to make the Triad a place of great public art, you might want to pay attention to this guy. The reception starts at 5:30 p.m. Visit weatherspoon.uncg.edu for more information. Around the World Wine Dinner @ Marshall Free House (GSO) Chef Jay Pierce at Marshall Free House has spent a lot of time designing the perfect combinations for a culinary-wine trip to Portugal, California, Italy, Argentina and New Zealand. This menu is fresh, with pairings like a glass of Domaine Carneros “Taittinger Brut” with some Harker’s Islands oysters. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. For reservations or more information visit marhsallfreehouse.com

Civicon 2015 @ HQ Greensboro (GSO) A group of technology developers are holding a series of conferences and workshops to conjure up some ways to make a more app-friendly Greensboro. It’s an event for software developers, urban planners and anyone in the community who wants to join the discussion. The kickoff event starts at 6 p.m. Find more information and tickets at codeforgreensboro.org

triad-city-beat.com

FRIDAY

First Friday @ downtown (GSO) It’s First Friday, the day you can’t say nothing ever happens in Greensboro. Put on your walking shoes and hit the streets for this month’s celebration. The happenings begin at 7 p.m. Visit downtowngreensboro.net for more information. DADA Gallery Hop @ Downtown Arts District (W-S) It’s the first Friday of the month and that means the Downtown Arts District has that “new exhibit” smell. Gallery hop starts at 7 p.m. Visit dadaws.org for more information. Fall Book Sale @ Central Public Library (W-S) The Central Public Library is getting rid of thousands of books, magazines, CDs, records, DVDs and a whole lot more — and this stuff is cheap. The sale lasts three days and ends on Sunday with half-off deals. The sales will support the library and their Children’s Reading Program. The sale starts at 3 p.m. Visit forsyth.cc/library for more information.

SATURDAY Susan Starr @ UNCSA (W-S) Susan Starr is about as big as a classical pianist can hope to be. She’s played with every major orchestra in the United States, playing all across the world and at the White House. Now she’s telling sharing her story of a life in the arts with the public. The conversation starts at Watson Hall on the campus of UNC School of the Arts at 7:30 p.m. Visit uncsa.edu/performances for more information.

Black Lunch Tables Community Potluck @ Corner of Bragg and Arlington Street (GSO) “Black Lunch Tables” is artist Heather Hart’s way of connecting black artists with the larger artistic community. This installation of the project invites community members to join in a potluck and a step and spoken word performance. Lunch starts at noon. Find more information at goelsewhere.org

SUNDAY

‘Across the Blue Ridge’ launch party @ Muddy Creek Music Hall (W-S) In the late 1980s a new radio show surfaced on NPR, ‘Across the Blue Ridge,’ exploring Appalachian music and cultural history in the Blue Ridge region of North Carolina. After a decade of introducing the world to Blue Ridge characters and showcasing live music the show disbanded. But now the host of ‘Across the Blue Ridge’ is raising money for a reboot. The party starts at 3 p.m. Visit muddycreekcafeandmusichall. com for more information. Designing a Tiny House @ Deep Roots Market (GSO) If you’re considering the move to a tiny house Audra Volpi might be your lady. She’s an interior designer with Tiny Houses GSO and she’s holding a workshop on making the ultimate floor plan, roofing, framing and all the things you’ll need to know about living tiny. The workshop starts at 3 p.m. Email Zora at REALgreenevent@aol.com for more details.

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

Depression and access to guns

Thank you for courageously sharing Mary’s story and for making these devastating connections with gun availability [“Shattered: Depression, guns and the deadly result; by Liz Seymour; Oct. 28, 2015]. The clarity you bring and connections you shed light on through this story are so important. What a tremendous tribute to your sister and contribution to our community. Valerie Warren, Greensboro If you want to die, you will find a way. It does not matter how but it does matter that we should be able to choose and do so with dignity, mental illness or not. It is my right. I choose to live now but who am I to judge? The mind and heart behind the hand is the responsible and forgivable force behind the action. Time to stop blaming utensils. Come on, Drano is a solution — do we ban it? Brenda Kathleen Boyle, via triad-city-beat.com I don’t think the author is blaming the gun. She feels like it shouldn’t be so easy to get one. Especially when you have a history of depression. Research studies have shown that a suicidal person that has to wait a significant amount of time to get a gun will end up not attempting. My personal struggle with depression bares that out. If I had access to a gun I would most likely be dead. There’s a reason why I don’t keep one in my home. Obviously people can still kill themselves other ways if they are determined. But for most people, that wait can move them to get help. So the gun isn’t to blame. The easy access to firearms just makes it significantly easier. Especially for people acting impulsively. Denise, via triad-city-beat.com

Poets and homecomers mixing it up

Thanks for the story [“Old landscapes with new fellows”; by Daniel Wirtheim; Oct. 28, 2015], Daniel. Shelby Stephenson, fellow writers, A&T homecomers — I couldn’t have asked for a more festive, inspiring mix. Kim Church, via triad-city-beat.com

Gonzo journalism and its discontents

When you grow up I will take you on a personal tour of the High Point Market [“Fresh Eyes: An impostor at Furniture Market”; by Tim Nolan; Oct. 28, 2015]. Andrea Maricich, via triad-city-beat.com That has to be the most ridiculous article I have ever read. You were expecting sex, power, cocaine and opulence? Are you joking? It’s a trade show! Are you misinformed or just that ignorant? I noticed you made several references to “wealth,” so it would seem you are not very happy with your place in life. Is that where your misplaced anger is coming from? Neil Nutz, via triad-city-beat.com Nice work. I assume your next project will be a trip to Las Vegas to cover the Mint 400 and the National District Attorney’s Conference. Mark J. Chiarello, Winston-Salem I am available to provide spiritual support to the satire-challenged, and also the generally dour. Bruce Cole, via triad-city-beat.com

My 7 favorite podcasts by Eric Ginsburg

1. “Gravy”

I admit to being pretty fresh to the world of podcasts, unable to download them on my phone until I recently upgraded to an iPhone 4 (insert your joke here, dear reader). But of all the ones I’ve tried, this sharp podcast from the Southern Foodways Alliance is not only my favorite show about food, but my top choice overall. The subject matter — a behind-the-scenes look at the Kentucky Derby in one episode or the military’s role in food production in another — is fascinating and will reshape your perceptions of Southern cuisine. Host Tina Antolini is the ideal anchor, save for her signoff catchphrase.

2. “Undisclosed: The State vs. Adnan Syed”

I’ve already written about Undisclosed in these pages before so I’ll keep it brief. It goes without saying that “Serial” —the podcast’s precursor — is fantastic storytelling, but until the second season premieres, it’s out of rotation for me. And you don’t need me to tell you to listen to other big-timers like “This American Life,” “99 Percent Invisible” or “Radiolab” (but give them a whirl if you haven’t).

3. “Criminal”

The folks at “Criminal”, which is based in Durham, really know how to set up a story. Each episode somehow focuses on the subject of breaking the law, ranging from people stealing petrified wood to a century-old murder mystery. Episodes are short — maybe 20 minutes — and I’m always left wanting more. Of all the podcasts I listen to, “Criminal” may be the most gripping.

4. “Love + Radio”

I take classes at Duke University’s Center for Documentary Studies, and when my teacher (“Criminal” host Phoebe Judge!) introduced us to “Love + Radio” by way of one of its most famous episodes, “The Wisdom of Jay Thunderbolt,” I jumped all over the show. The use of sound in the episode is fascinating — start with Thunderbolt and

then listen to some of the more recent, bizarre characters this show dug up.

5. “The Sporkful”

I have a deep love-hate relationship with “The Sporkful.” The hate comes from host Dan Pashman’s annoying obsession with boring philosophical debates about things like what qualifies as grilled cheese. Who cares? And the live shows, seemingly all at SXSW, aren’t very gripping. But when this food-based podcast is on, Pashman really nails it. The episode about marijuana-laced snacks, handicap accessibility in restaurants and cab drivers on Ramadan in particular come to mind. I use the “skip” feature most frequently with this show, but the gold in between is worth it.

6. “Feet in Two Worlds”

Maybe this will only be interesting to journalists, but hey, you get what you pay for with a free list, right? I enjoy this New York-based podcast because it brings forward the voices of journalists of color, particularly immigrants. Though it sometimes focuses on industry-insider baseball — such as what it’s like to work at a Jewish newspaper when you’re not Jewish — the show does possess broader appeal. Each episode is completely different; start with the recent one about Shiva Bayat, an important voice in Egypt’s revolutionary movement.

7. “Scene on Radio”

The newest podcast from the bunch, “Scene on Radio” “broadcasts” from the aforementioned Center for Documentary Studies. The show explores the complexities of sports and culture, especially the tensions between sports and systems of power including racism and homophobia. Host John Biewen’s narration sounds at times like he recorded it while laying down at home — it’s a little too unenthusiastic and could be more conversational. But that doesn’t distract much from the nationally sourced and unique stories or the mostly intriguing storytelling.

Prioritizing the discontinuation

30%

Identify badapple officers

11%

No response is needed

Support dept’s plan

13% Other

All She Wrote

37%

Shot in the Triad

Games

Good Sport

Culture

New question: Should the Triad cities decriminalize small amounts of marijuana? Vote at triad-city-beat. com!

Cover Story

Readers: Our readers agreed with Brian Clarey (above), prioritizing the discontinuation or limiting of resisting arrest charges as a standalone offense (37 percent), followed by using the data to identify bad-apple officers (30 percent). Eleven percent of respondents said that no response is needed, and 9 percent supported the department’s plan to study the data further. The remaining 13 percent voted for “other,” and provided varied reasons in the comment section. The Rev. Randall Keeney wrote that the first three listed here are “absolutely necessary,” as well as a “transparent, independent civilian investigative process.” Carolyn Highsmith said the department needs to “formulate a new policy ASAP that would stop the excessive profiling of black motorists” and that the policy itself should weed out “those officers who are aggressively abusing their authority.”

As a disaffected high school student in Kentucky with an abiding interest in punk, a ’zine at my disposal and access to the US Postal system in the early 1990s, a significant part of my education included a growing awareness of the then burgeoning “riot grrrl” movement, which blossomed out of Washington DC and Olympia, Wash. Most of what I knew about riot grrrl was gleaned from personal testimonials and band interviews in ’zines and a 1991 copy of the inaugural Kill Rock Stars compilation album. Riot grrrl bands featured prominently, with Bratmobile’s “Girl Germs” and Bikini Kill’s “Feels Blind” leading each side, while contributions by Nirvana, the Melvins and others rounded out the album. Riot grrrl issued a frontal challenge to the testosterone-fueled boys club that hardcore punk had become, with angry, all- or mostly female bands calling out sexual harassment and rape, while creating space for women to flourish creatively and set their own terms. The bands were unabashedly feminist, while also refusing to countenance homophobia in the scene. They wrote and sang about sexuality from a female perspective instead of as the object of male desire. Bikini Kill and Bratmobile planted the flag. And while Sleater-Kinney came along somewhat later in 1994, they’ve traveled further in the broader culture. Aided in no small part by Carrie Brownstein’s weaponized electric guitar, Sleater-Kinney’s music deepened the musicianship of the genre while slightly de-emphasizing the political provocation of the first wave. Sleater-Kinney has attracted critical acclaim as a rock band leading up to their breakup in 2006, and continuing with their well-received reformation last year. While admittedly I haven’t followed their career all that closely, I’m grateful Sleater-Kinney has maintained relevance for one simple reason. They carried the legacy of uncompromising feminism through the cultural retrenchment of the 2000s, a period when sexist tropes and traditional gender relationships became resurgent in popular culture. Brownstein is even better known as the comedic actor who co-stars with Fred Armisen in “Portlandia,” a show whose gentle mockery of hipster enthusiasms presents a counterpoint to the righteous fury of her work with Sleater-Kinney. Aside from the fact that “Portlandia” is some of the funniest TV around right now, I’m glad the show has raised Brownstein’s profile to give her a platform to publish a memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl, and to trace her own story as a woman and an artist through the riot grrrl rebellion to the present.

Opinion

Jordan Green: I’m going to recuse myself from this one, since I’ve been involved in reporting about the city’s response to the revelations. I think the studies the Greensboro Police Department has undertaken are intriguing, but I’m not sure they’ll be all that conclusive. And based on changes by other police departments — Fayetteville, in particular — it doesn’t seem beyond the pale to stop charging people for resisting arrest as a standalone offense and for minor traffic infractions. I do appreciate Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Michelle Kennedy’s con-

Eric Ginsburg: I’m actually not allowed to write about this until Nov. 8, two weeks after the New York Times article ran, as part of my freelance agreement with the paper. I contributed research to the article in question.

by Jordan Green

News

Brian Clarey: A lot of things need to happen in light of the figures highlighted by the New York Times last month. But first and foremost we have to stop arresting people simply for resisting arrest. Consider the laws of the time/ space continuum: A person can only resist arrest if they are being arrested for something in the first place. If not, then they are just resisting. I get it: Cops have a hard job. And I respect the intended function of law enforcement. But you can’t just grab guys off the street and then cuff them when they don’t like it. Except it turns out in Greensboro, you can.

cern (see the news story on page 10) that inability to afford fines can result in severe consequences for people charged with minor traffic infractions that are grossly disproportionate to their original offenses. That seems counterproductive for both citizens and the court system. And after 30 years, there’s mounting evidence that the drug war is an abject failure. Maybe it’s time to consider decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana as other cities and states are doing.

Up Front

After a front page exposé in a recent Sunday edition of the New York Times about the disparity in traffic searches and charges for black motorists in Greensboro, we wanted to ask residents how they thought the police department should respond. We offered the following choices: “Discontinue/limit resisting arrest charges as standalone offenses,” (something that, by the way, Mayor Nancy Vaughan expressed interest in), “Use data to identify bad-apple officers and take them off the force,” (something that Chief Wayne Scott said the data might show), “Study the data further (GPD’s response),” “Other (explain in comments),” and “No response needed.”

triad-city-beat.com

Carrie Brownstein

How should police respond to the NYT report?

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

NEWS

Incumbents all sail to victory in Greensboro council race by Eric Ginsburg

Across the board, voters returned Greensboro City Council incumbents to office in Tuesday’s general election. Voters also approved doubling council terms to four years, beginning in 2017. This is the first time since 2005 that Greensboro reelected its mayor. Nancy Vaughan, who was elected as mayor in 2013 after several terms on council, will stay in office after crushing challenger Devin King in the general election this week. It’s been a full decade since the last time an incumbent mayor won — Keith Holliday, who showed up at the old Guilford County Courthouse to watch the results with Vaughan and others, had the honor. Vaughan actually received a slightly higher percentage of the votes than she did in the Oct. 6 primary when she still had two challengers, winning on Tuesday with 87.7 percent of the vote, a 0.1 percent improvement from last month. Devin King, a political newcomer backed by fringe group Conservatives for Guilford County, received 2,232 votes to Vaughan’s 17,995. Other candidates backed by the tea party group and other right-wingers lost hard as well. A few other things stand out from the otherwise predictable election results: Justin Outling became the first black person elected to represent a district that isn’t majority-minority, Jamal Fox won with a higher percentage than any other candidate with an opponent and Sharon Hightower dramatically increased the gap between herself and her rematch opponent. Only one race featured a rematch of the candidates from the last city council election; in District 1, former councilwoman Dianne Bellamy-Small returned to challenge Councilwoman Sharon Hightower this year after Hightower won by a dozen votes in 2013. A few voters in the district who voted towards the end of Election Day on Tuesday told Triad City Beat that they admired both candidates. While voting at bellwether precinct Bluford Elementary, Gary Kellogg declined to say who he voted for in the district race but expressed overall satisfaction with the

city’s direction. “It’s good to have competition,” he said of the District 1 race. “It’s good to have qualified candidates. It shows that we are involved in our election process and that our community is taking responsibility for progressing. Some voters, who declined to provide their names, said they actually support Hightower and Bellamy-Small. Tristan Smith, who voted at Trinity AME Zion Church an hour before the polls closed, couldn’t decide. “I closed my eyes and crossed my arms while I was voting, so you’ll have to ask my finger who I voted for,” he said. But that’s not what most ERIC GINSBURG Nancy Vaughan (foreground) celebrates with a supporter after winning a second voters in the district did — a term as mayor. Justin Outling (behind her) also prevailed. large majority of those who Jamal Fox was one of only two counincumbent Jim Kee in 2013. turned out intentionally cil members who didn’t show up to the “This has been a long two years,” voted for incumbent Sharon Hightower, courthouse to participate in the collecFox said. “But I’ll tell you what the next delivering 63.7 percent of the vote to tive rejoicing. Incumbent Tony Wilkins, two years is going to look like for our her, with 2,448 votes to Bellamy-Small’s a conservative and sometimes a loner on community is, it focuses on economic 1,384. council who had no challenger to repdevelopment. Everything that we’ve Watching the results come in at the resent District 5, captured 95.3 percent talked about as far as bringing jobs, courthouse, Bellamy-Small wasn’t of the vote, more than Councilwoman we’re gonna see that happening.” pleased. Nancy Hoffmann (93.9 percent), who Fox’s challenger and some of her sup“This was scary,” she said. “The early also ran unopposed. In the 21 precincts porters criticized him for not being vovoting, we only had 3,236 people for in Hoffmann’s District 4, 4,210 people cal enough about issues raised by Black the whole city. That’s like 1.8 percent. voted for her while 272 wrote in a canLives Matter and other local activists, That’s not good.” didate. That’s significantly more votes but he objected to the characterization Hightower, who initially watched the than Wilkins received — 2,040 while in his speech. returns at a hair salon with friends and 101 people wrote in a candidate out of “I have to address something,” he supporters, arrived last to the court23 total precincts. said. “A lot of people had a lot of house, triumphantly hugging Mayor Fox waited for the results to come in criticism. They said I don’t speak up Vaughan and clearly proud of her from a watch party he hosted at Revenough, I’m not black enough, or you unassailable victory. olution Mill in his District 2. From the know, I’m not radical enough. Well, you “I love the numbers, are you kidding?” jump as early voting results showed on know, I don’t have to be radical to be she said. the screen, he held a commanding lead. a leader in this community, to lead us “How many times can you multiply By the time it ended, Fox held just over to the next generation. Because, guess by 12?” she added, referring to the 88 percent of the votes, beating chalwhat, it takes all of us working together. 1,064 votes separating the two candilenger and first-time candidate Thessa And this community will come together dates. Pickett by a higher percentage than in unity.” When asked by Rhino Times Editor even Mayor Vaughan did in her race. District 3 ended up being the most inJohn Hammer why so many more peoIn a victory speech, Fox called the teresting of the district-level races. After ple voted for her, Hightower responded high percentage “a true testament” receiving 60.2 percent of the vote in the without hesitation “because they didn’t to everything he’s done since beating October primary while running against read the Rhino!”

collectively they received 18.68 percent of the vote, with former police officer Marc Ridgill leading the pack, while Barber walked away with 24.4 percent of the vote. He will spend the upcoming term focusing on raising the city’s level of customer service and working to make sure that projects have urgency behind them rather than languishing indefinitely. “You want these projects to move at a

private sector pace,” he said. And like other council members during the race, Barber emphasized that this council works harmoniously together and is moving Greensboro in a positive, progressive direction. Apparently that sounds good to the residents, at least the 11.33 percent of registered voters who participated. Brian Clarey and Jordan Green contributed reporting to this story.

Up Front News Opinion

Jamal Fox (right) accepts congratulations from NC A&T University student Tyler Swanson after his victory over Thessa Pickett.

JORDAN GREEN

Cover Story

put him above 30 percent, and said he would be back, though maybe in a different contest. “I’ll run for something,” he said. “I don’t know what yet. This won’t be the last you see of me.” Nobody who knows anything about city politics is surprised that Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson roared into first place in the at-large race. With three seats available — all of them filled on Tuesday by incumbents — Johnson still received more than 2,000 votes above Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter and more than 3,000 votes above Councilman Mike Barber. Abuzuaiter, who was elected to her third straight term on council, rose from the bottom of the winner’s pool to best Barber, but he was unconcerned. “You run for the spot,” Barber said, crediting his tough stance towards the International Civil Rights Center & Museum with losing him a chunk of the black electorate. “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to serve Greensboro for two more years.” Barber still walloped the three newcomers who challenged the incumbents;

triad-city-beat.com

two Republicans, Democrat Justin Outling actually improved on his percentage on Tuesday, walking away with 64.8 percent of the vote while challenger Kurt Collins only garnered 34.8 percent of the vote. That could be in part due to the fact that Michael Picarelli, the former head of the Guilford County GOP, threw his support behind Outling after being eliminated in the primary. But Collins, who was supported by Conservatives for Guilford County, said other factors likely played into the contest as well. For starters, Outling out-fundraised and outspent him significantly, receiving a large number of donations from colleagues at Brooks Pierce law firm, where he works. “It’s hard to beat money, right?” Collins said as he watched the results from the corner of the room at the downtown courthouse. Collins said the media provided favorable coverage of Outling and said his opponent also benefited from name recognition from being appointed to council during the summer to fill the remainder of councilman Zack Matheny’s term. Still, he welcomed the results that

Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

New York Times article prompts debate about resisting arrest charge by Jordan Green

Mayor Nancy Vaughan expresses concern about the Greensboro police’s use of resisting arrest as a standalone charge, but Chief Wayne Scott said he wants to study the issue further before he makes departmental changes. Derrick Giles freely admits that he’s not the best at staying on top of things like vehicle registration, and that he has been known to speed on occasion. He has no problem with being pulled over by the Greensboro police for those infractions. “The question is what happens after that,” said the 50-year-old Greensboro native, who is black. “I’ve been pulled out of my car and patted down while I had a baby in the back in the car seat. I’ve had my car searched without my permission for reasons that were not explained. When I refused to consent to a search, they said, ‘We’re gonna search your car anyway, and we’re gonna tow it.’ So it was punitive.” A study released by UNC Chapel Hill researcher Frank Baumgartner in March revealed that black motorists in Greensboro like Giles are twice as likely to be searched during police traffic stops as whites. Baumgartner’s findings were replicated and amplified in a New York Times investigation published on Oct. 25 that found “wide racial differences in measure after measure of police conduct.” (Triad City Beat Associate Editor Eric Ginsburg contributed research to the project as a freelancer.) The article’s publication prompted expressions of concern from members of the Greensboro City Council and a pledge by Chief Wayne Scott to work with his staff to understand what drives the disparities and to make any necessary changes to improve police interactions with the black community. The findings came as no surprise to many black residents, including Giles, who owns Enpulse Energy Conservation, an engineering firm with four employees. Giles said he has had multiple experiences with police officers acting discourteously during traffic stops. “I’ve had many officers approach me respectfully,” Giles said. “I thank them for the ticket. I’m not really thankful for the ticket; I’m actually thankful for the respectful and civil interaction. But when

Mayor Nancy Vaughan says the Greensboro Police Department should refrain from charging people with resisting arrest as a stand-alone offense, but Chief Wayne Scott is taking a more cautious stance on reforms.

I ask an officer why they’re stopping me and they don’t tell me, my head is going to spin around and now we have an adversarial relationship.” As a testament to just how commonplace the experience of racial profiling is among black men in Greensboro, Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson said she once had to call the police department to get them to stop harassing her eldest son. “My son was stopped three times,” said Johnson, who is black. “He never got a ticket, never got a citation. He asked, ‘Why do you keep doing this?’ Finally, I called the department and it stopped. He wasn’t speeding, and nothing was wrong with the vehicle. It was depressing. I didn’t get any answer that made any sense.” Mayor Nancy Vaughan said the statistic that bothered her the most from the New York Times investigative report is that blacks are more than four times as likely as

whites to be arrested for solely resisting, obstructing and delaying an officer. “That is the type of charge that has the potential to go the most wrong,” she said. “If you’re having the resist-arrest charge, there should be something else that goes along with it.” Responding in an interview, Scott argued that in some instances the standalone charge plays a legitimate role, emphasizing the police’s right to detain citizens for investigative purposes. He cited the 1968 US Supreme Court ruling in Terry v. Ohio, which has been used to justify controversial “stop and frisk” practices in New York City and Chicago. The chief said he’s asked Lee Hunt, his director of information services, to bring back an analysis of the circumstances surrounding the department’s use of resisting arrest as a sole charge. “There are different reasons for the

FILE PHOTO

charge: It could be physically resisting or giving false information,” Scott said. “If someone physically resists a lawful detention then I think it’s an appropriate charge. If it’s only related to information, maybe there are other ways we can approach it. I’ve always felt if we encounter a young person, even if they lie to me, I didn’t make that charge because I felt we had a chance to build a better relationship with them.” Vaughan said she plans to speak with Chief Scott and has asked him to prepare a report on the police’s use of resisting arrest as a sole charge, along with a range of other minor offenses that disproportionately affect blacks in Greensboro for the next city council meeting on Nov. 10. Vaughan cited a phrase used by Michelle Kennedy, executive director of the Interactive Resource Center — “the criminalization of poverty” — as capturing

Frank Slate Brooks Broker/Realtor®

336.708.0479 cell 336.274.1717 office frankslate.brooks@trm.info 1401 Sunset Dr., Suite 100 Greensboro, NC 27408 trm.info

Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad

Send resume to brian@triad-city-beat.com. No Calls accepted.

Selling Unique Architecturally Interesting Homes

Opinion

College degree and prior successful sales experience preferred but not required. Local travel and light lifting included in sales responsibilities. Occasional evening and weekend work. Must be a team player.

the police chief in Fayetteville discourages officers from making stops for minor infractions was when he read it in the Times story. He said he’s intrigued by the approach and has put a call into Chief Harold Medlock to hear his perspective. Giles said he’s glad racial profiling is getting attention, but it’s nothing new. “Everything you’re seeing has been going on all along,” he said. “The only thing that’s new is recording. Now you get to see it. This didn’t just start. This has been the reality of black men all along.”

News

Triad City Beat is hiring motivated full and part-time sales people for commission based advertising sales.

back against the notion that high numbers of traffic stops might undermine efforts to reduce crime by eroding trust in the police, citing a strategy known as Data-Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety, or DDAC. “DDAC tells you the opposite,” Scott said. “If you put traffic units in the area, then crime will fall in that area.” He hastened to say that the Greensboro Police Department has experimented with DDAC but has not adopted it as guiding strategy, adding, “I’m not sure it’s a fix-all.” Scott said the first he had heard that

Up Front

our organization.” Scott said he accepts the veracity of the data about racial disparities in traffic stops and searches, but wants to understand whether the numbers are affected by outside factors such as law-enforcement resources being directed to address spikes in crime or requests for enhanced presence by residents of particular neighborhoods. In July, the department enlisted two researchers at UNCG and NC A&T University to analyze the data and bring back reports in January. “The numbers are alarming,” Scott said. “What I’m asking is, what can we do to determine what’s causing it?” Although Chief Scott expressed an interest in reviewing traffic stop data in an interview with Triad City Beat in April, it wasn’t until July, when Baumgartner and his colleagues at UNC-Chapel Hill released a slate of new research highlighting Greensboro, that the department moved into action. During a recent interview, the chief stood by his comment in the New York Times that traffic stops are a valuable policing tool that allows officers to maintain contact with citizens. He pushed

triad-city-beat.com

the insidious way minor charges can throw poor people’s lives into disarray if they don’t have adequate resources to navigate the legal system. “She talks about when you give somebody a ticket for a broken taillight, then they don’t have the money to pay the ticket and they don’t go to court and they get ticketed and go to jail, and how something like that can be extremely life changing,” Vaughan said. “I think we should have more flexibility with something like that.” Giles, whose car was towed after he objected to a police search, echoed that sentiment, noting that economic inequality only deepens the frustration of people who feel like they’ve been singled out by the police because of race. “If you look at situations like Ferguson, I want you to understand that this type of policing aggravates things like Ferguson; it makes them more possible,” he said. “Economic disparities make them more possible.” Since 2002, the Greensboro Police Department has maintained a written policy against bias-based policing, and Chief Scott said if any signs of racial profiling are found, “that’s not going to be tolerated in

All She Wrote

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

Community leaders push proposed 2016 school bond and urban investment by Jordan Green

A coalition of Winston-Salem community leaders makes proactive recommendations to shore up urban schools in anticipation of a proposed 2016 school bond. It took Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Beverly Emory and members of the school board a moment to mentally process the request from a coalition of urban community and educational leaders. They asked the board to open an elementary school on the site of Hanes-Lowrance Middle School, which was closed by the district in February due to environmental concerns. Closing urban schools “affects economic growth and decreases community integrity and stability as families with children move out of those communities,” said Chenita Barber, a member of the Community School Bond Coalition who represents the North Winston Neighborhood Association. “After the loss of such a major neighborhood school, this can be very devastating.” Emory had to ask for clarification to determine whether Barber meant opening a new school on the exact location of the shuttered Hanes-Lowrance Middle School. “We understand that there is no [environmental] issue,” Barber said. “So if that is possible, that is what we’re looking for. That is our preference.” David Singletary, one of only two school board members who voted against closing Hanes-Lowrance, sounded like someone who had been stung by a bee. “Is there enough support in the neighborhood — considering that we know from the study we received that the school is clean — is there enough support from the local neighborhood that they would want to see that school re-utilized?” he asked. “Yes,” Barber replied. The coalition came together in August when Robert Leak III, president of the Easton Neighborhood Association in southeast Winston-Salem, called Malishai Woodbury, a former candidate for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School, to talk about a proposed school bond referendum for 2016. The two decided it was important to take a proactive stance to make sure the needs of urban schools

Community leaders Ike Howard (left) and Chenita Barber spoke to Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools Superintendent Beverly Emory (right) and school board member David Singletary last week.

were met, and quickly reached out to their respective networks. Leak recruited Carolyn Highsmith, president of the Konnoak Hills Community Association on the south side, and Woodbury started working her contacts on the east side. Along with the North Winston Neighborhood Association, the coalition also includes the Winston-Salem NAACP, the New South Community Coalition and the Big 4 Alumni Association. The coalition presented 10 detailed recommendations for school-building needs to the school board during a community meeting held at Ambassador Cathedral on Oct. 29. The recommendations ranged from consolidating high schools to opening new middle schools, but shoring up the viability of urban schools emerged as a theme of the coalition’s overall agenda. The administration wholeheartedly endorsed one the recommendations — to

close Ashley Elementary and move the school to a new location. “We’re working on a redevelopment plan that the city is looking at as part of putting a new Ashley into that, that would also include daycare, pre-K, K-5 and a health center,” Assistant Superintendent Darrell Walker said. Considering that the district is in negotiations for the property, Walker said he couldn’t get into specifics, but disclosed that the location “would be visible to” Wake Forest Innovation Quarter. “That’s what we saw in your recommendations that we were like, ‘Yay,’” Emory said. “That’s where our minds are at, and it was nice to be validated by the community and neighborhood.” Ike Howard, president of the Winston-Salem NAACP, said the coalition views the current location of the school — on a one-way traffic circle off Jack-

JORDAN GREEN

son Avenue “as a really bad location for attracting the kind of growth needed to make such a new school truly successful.” The coalition recommended that Winston-Salem Prep be merged into Carver High School — both are predominantly black schools on the east side — and then be made into a magnet school. Woodbury, who works for neighboring Guilford County Schools, cited the addition of a magnet program at Dudley High School in Greensboro almost 10 years ago as a model for how Winston-Salem Prep’s college preparatory program could flourish as part of Carver High School. “Combining Winston-Salem Prep into Carver High School would of course increase the strength of attracting students to a Carver High School magnet school, and it’s critical that urban high schools remain viable and sustainable,” Woodbury said.

Up Front News Opinion

ary’s Gourmet Diner

Cover Story

can’t make that claim,” Martin said. “For certain kids, they have neighborhood schools, but for other kids they don’t have neighborhood schools.” Emory said district officials plan to finalize a bond proposal by the end of the year, and then hold a series of public input meetings. Getting the bond proposal on the 2016 election ballot would require approval by the Forsyth County Commission, which is expected to consider the request in May. The meeting concluded with a formal question from coalition members about what they could do to support and promote a final school bond proposal. “If we make some tough decisions, you can help us with how we communicate that,” Emory replied. “How’s the best way to do that? Because that is part of the dilemma; it’s not making people feel like we’re taking away something that’s really important to them. How do we do that in a way that makes them feel like what’s coming is a better opportunity for their child?”

triad-city-beat.com

Superintendent Emory said she would anticipate resistance from Winston-Salem Prep parents, and asked for advice on selling the plan to them. Eric Martin, who retired three years ago as the district’s textbook coordinator, said he favors the merger for reasons of efficiency. “I think we need to fill up some schools,” he said. “And it’s gonna — excuse the expression — it’s gonna piss some people off.” While the coalition wants to consolidate high schools on the east side, they want the district to build two new middle schools, one on the east side and one in the southeast. Martin asked district officials if there were any middle schools on the east side, and the only one Chief of Staff Theo Helm could name was Winston-Salem Prep, which serves students in grades 6 to 12. Martin said the coalition supports building new middle schools so that urban students on the east side won’t have to be bused to Kernersville. “When the school system claims that they have neighborhood schools, they

(336) 723-7239

breakfastofcourse.com

Culture

Take charge of your mind, body and spirit

destination for

Games

Test pH balance, allergies, hormones Balance diet, lifestyle and emotions Create a personalized health and nutrition plan

southern-insPired

sPecial events

Shot in the Triad

dining, hosPitality &

All She Wrote

(336) 456-4743

jillclarey3@gmail.com www.thenaturalpathwithjillclarey.com

Good Sport

Progressive,

450 North Spring Street, Winston-Salem | (336) 293-4797 | info @ Spring House NC . com | www. Spring House NC . com

SHR.12838.10 PCI_5.25x5.125.indd 1

10/8/14 11:47 AM

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

OPINION EDITORIAL

Our two-fisted governor Gov. Pat McCrory is sick of the second-guessing and pushback. He’s grown tired of the far-right zealots calling him a RINO. And he most definitely does not want to talk about the growing scandal in his administration. That one involves an old friend from his days as mayor of Charlotte, Graeme Keith Sr., for whom our governor put in a good word with state prison officials in October 2014. Keith, who says he is retired, secured an extension of his contract to maintain our corrections facilities as a result of this intervention. McCrory took a hard stance against the media outlets that reported on this issue — tough guy! — but the FBI is already questioning Keith and his associates about the deal. Our governor needed to reassert himself as a take-charge guy, and what better way to establish dominance than set himself up at a desk in the sheriff’s office in the state’s third-largest city, and one of its most diverse, to sign a law banning sanctuary cities in North Carolina? Sanctuary sounds like a good thing, but not in McCrory’s myopic view. It means that these cities don’t use their police to enforce federal immigration laws, which is the purview of the federal government. We only have three of them: Chapel Hill, Durham and Carrboro, which voted to adopt sanctuary resolutions. With the stroke of his pen in Greensboro, he nullified the ID cards issued by these cities to people who have none, something that developed here with full support of the Greensboro Police Department. The bill also limits access to food stamps for people without kids. Take that, hippies! The theme here is not simply one of crony capitalism and heavy-handed governance of the cities that voted against him. What McCrory and his handlers are doing here is the same thing they’ve been doing since the country-club governor was elected in 2012: coddling the powerful and well connected while taking great whacks at poor people, immigrants and other groups that cannot fight back. If this were happening on the playground, we would call McCrory a bully. But in North Carolina, we call him governor.

CITIZEN GREEN

Jack Bonney (mostly) signs off from Triad music scene The house on Tate Street where Jack Bonney has lived for 11 years echoes with the absence of thousands of records and other belongings — crated up and moved to his new place in Durham. There’s not much left, just some hardbound art books, drawings and by Jordan Green assorted tchotchkes on this rainy Sunday evening. His girlfriend, the artist Beka Butts, will give the house one last cleaning, the key will be returned tomorrow and this chapter of Bonney’s life in Greensboro will be finished. With his thick, red lumberjack beard and flannel shirt, Bonney has been a ubiquitous presence on the music scene in Greensboro for the past 17 years, typically giving a quiet appraisal from the side of the stage. It would be hard to imagine what the scene would have been without him, and what it will become as his new chapter picks up in Durham. He’s managed radio stations, sold records, DJed parties and booked shows, first as general manager of the campus station at UNCG, and then in a variety of entrepreneurial modes after the university cut his position in 2011. “It’s always been a struggle to get venues,” he muses. “I’ve worked with all kinds of spaces, including some that weren’t legal. I’ve worked with Artistika, Green Street and the Flying Anvil.” During his run with the UNCG campus station, the “WUAG Presents” tag that announced free shows at Square One, Artistika and other venues became a seal of good housekeeping for the Greensboro scene. Later, when he started booking shows and selling vinyl out of CFBG Records, “CFBG Presents” developed the same reputation for quality and thoughtful curation. Likewise with the monthly Dance From Above parties at the Crown that launched last year. Bonney’s stewardship of the scene and the varied activities that have allowed him to patch together a livelihood have flowed out of his love of music, starting with his involvement with WUAG when he arrived in Greensboro from Baltimore as a freshman at UNCG. After earning a bachelor’s degree in 2002, he landed the job of general manager at the station. “A motivating force behind booking all these acts is that I want to see these acts,” Bonney says. “At WUAG I would get a CD, and I would say, ‘Whoa, this is fantastic! I want to see them.’” He booked the Magnolia Electric Co., led by the late Jason Molina, on the lawn behind the Stone Building on the campus of UNCG in 2005, and showcased Beach House for 40 people at Square One in 2008 shortly before they started selling out arenas. Sometimes his tastes were a step ahead of the crowd in Greensboro, but other times, as with his booking of Akron/ Family, Tobacco, the Budos Band and Dam-Funk, Bonney’s instincts dovetailed brilliantly with the enthusiasm of the local audience.

He admits to being ready for a change of scene, but ultimately it’s a job that’s pulling Bonney away from Greensboro. When Jason Perlmutter, the founder of the Carolina Soul website, mentioned in April that he wanted to open a record store in Durham by the same name, Bonney found himself unable to resist the offer of a position as general manager. He’ll continue to host “Jazz On Wax” every Friday at WSNC FM in Winston-Salem and will commute back to Greensboro once a month to help produce Dance From Above. But for the past couple years he’s paid attention to what’s happening in other North Carolina cities, and says he can’t help feeling that Greensboro and even Winston-Salem are a little behind. “One of my biggest frustrations is that I would put on a show and there would be fewer people than I expected, or than I had hoped to see,” Bonney says. “I feel like there’s all these great things happening here, but it’s taken for granted. People talk about how great it is to have five colleges in Greensboro, but what are you doing with it? What is the city doing to connect with the colleges, and what are the colleges doing to connect with the city?” With Carolina Soul projected to open on Dec. 1, the crew already has plans to set in motion next year. They’ve got agreements to DJ parties at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in April and to host in-store performances during the Art of Cool jazz festival in May, and they’re in early discussions with Moogfest about the potential for a similar partnership. So now it’s time to pass the torch in Greensboro. Whoever picks it up will need to carry the flame within. “The music is my passion,” Bonney says. “Experiencing a vibe is a passion, too. My advice is to make sure you’re passionate enough to know you’re going to have to work very, very hard with minimal rewards. Put a good team in place because you’ll burn out on your own; believe me, I’ve been there. Start small, and build from there.”

Jack Bonney finishes packing.

JORDAN GREEN

Replacing Jules Antiques

Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

Editor’s note: The piece in question was written by a guest columnist and not a member of Triad City Beat’s reporting staff. Senior Editor Jordan Green did cover other aspects of furniture market.

Cover Story

Lauren Thomas is a semi-recent graduate of UNCG and lives and works in Greensboro. She enjoys gin, rock climbing and meeting new dogs.

Opinion

of poor and homeless folks who are employed (and paid fairly, from what I witnessed) twice a year to assist with load-in, setup, and load-out each Market. He could have talked to the custodial and maintenance workers, who work incredibly hard to make sure that the market runs smoothly. He could have talked to any of the International Market Centers employees, many of whom have been working for the company for decades. He could have talked to the “three police officers [who] stood with a woman with a scanning gun.” I did. I brought these people coffee every day. Not because they asked for it, but because they had to stand on their feet for 12 hours at a time to let in badge holders and market employees and did so with a smile on their face, no matter how exhausted they were. Perhaps the best way to explore the exploitative nature of the wealth and capitalistic hedonism on display would be to talk to the people who are affected most by the inequality inherent to capitalistic societies. Next market, I would love to bring your reporter along for a day so he can meet some folks and hopefully have a better understanding of what the Furniture Market is like. I’ll introduce him to Bobby (or BJ, as his friends call him), the tireless custodian who made the rounds of the Market Square building for 12 hours a day, making sure that everyone’s needs were taken care of. He could meet the ladies who have worked in the Exhibitors’ Services office for decades to ensure the market runs smoothly and help everybody with any problems they encounter. We could talk to the maintenance guys, many of whom are on call 24/7, and learn about some of the difficult issues they encountered the night before, or perhaps one of the electricians that volunteered to help us figure out what had gone wrong with one of our machines. I’ll even take him to meet some of the exhibitors, if he would like. There are two Belgian gentlemen who sell rugs who are kind and funny and have a particular taste for Earl Grey tea. There are the people who make full-body massage chairs and are more than happy to let you try them out. My uncle has one and it has done wonders for his Parkinson’s symptoms. Perhaps the next time your publication attempts to get the inside scoop on something, the reporter could spend more than a couple hours wandering the aisles and drinking free booze. Maybe, just maybe, he could explore all aspects of the story before offering his definitive opinion on the furniture market.

News

I have been a fan of your newspaper since its very first issue; I have multiple friends who work on the paper and I’m proud of all the good work you’ve done for the Triad with Triad City Beat. I read a piece you posted to your website by Lauren Thomas yesterday, “Fresh Eyes: An impostor at Furniture Market [by Tim Nolan; Oct. 27, 2015],” and wanted to write to you in the hopes of clarifying a few points your reporter made. I worked at this most recent furniture market in the Market Square building and I recognized many of the, er, landmarks that your reporter described. I worked at the market for 11 days in a foodservice capacity, so while I was certainly considered (and sometimes treated as) “the help,” I feel it necessary to point out that I have never encountered more kind or interesting people in my whole life. Yes, the market is quite a surreal and eye-opening exploration of some of the most frivolous aspects of capitalism. There are certainly booths and showrooms full of ostentatious items that plebeians like us could never hope to afford, should we desire to, but they were also full of people who were thoughtful and caring and never forgot a name or neglected to thank the custodial or maintenance staff for all their hard work. I imagine it must have been distressing for your reporter not to receive the amount of free alcohol he felt he was due. As for myself, even though non-badge-holders were technically not allowed any of the free alcohol offered in the evenings, I never had a problem getting a beer or two after I finished an average 12-hour day of work. Perhaps it was because I made the effort to be kind to every person I encountered, especially the bartenders and other service workers, because the market is a stressful time for everybody, including the exhibitors, designers and buyers. Sure, fake books were popular at the market this year, but so were local family-owned businesses, small-scale manufacturers, and many artists and creators using repurposed and recycled materials with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of the furniture industry. The “$30,000 bedroom sets made to look like airplane cockpits or spaceships” cost nowhere near your reporter’s estimated price. From the very first day of setup to load-out on Friday, the people that ran that particular booth were kind, funny, and were always happy to talk about their creative and unique furniture. After all, what kid wouldn’t want a bed shaped like a pirate ship? I appreciate that your reporter is attempting to critique the blatant and exorbitant displays of the most superficial side of capitalism, but perhaps when the writer asked, “What is the story of the furniture market?” he could have made more of an effort to actually find out what that story is. He could have talked to the hundreds (if not thousands)

Up Front

Downtown Greensboro Inc. Board Chair Gary Brame announced on Monday that his long-running downtown business, Jules Antiques & Fine Art, will be closing by by Brian Clarey the end of the year. It was a hell of a good run — nine years downtown in a tough business, opening back when that stretch of South Elm Street was being marketed as the Arts & Antiques District. The neighborhood, now known as South End, has changed since then. Elsewhere came in, and then the Mellow Mushroom. The Railyard happened, and West Lewis Street is viable block that now boasts a brewery, makerspace, co-working space, planned distillery and, maybe soon, a grocery store. The peanut-butter-and-jelly place opened this year. And Eric Robert picked up a space on the east side of the intersection that will undoubtedly be something cool. So the question now is: What comes next for the space formerly known as Jules Antiques? It’s a spot meant for the public, of course, with a welcoming doorway and street frontage that would be inviting if you pried those bars off the windows. A fine courtyard at the interior adds value to the spot. Here’s the run: We’ve got bars, and we’ve got restaurants, and we’ve got clubs. That’s not to say the space at 530 S. Elm St. shouldn’t serve alcohol or food — but it needs to be more than a bar and grill, something with cultural cachet that will have people coming and going all day or night. The first thing that jumps to mind is another It Just Might Work written last year by then-intern Kelly Fahey: the barcade. It’s a bar/coffeeshop with arcade games, pinball, air hockey, maybe one of those long shuffleboard tables, and they’re killing it in cities like New Orleans, Raleigh, New York and other places. And dammit, I want one here. Not saying I’ll go that much, but surely I’ll stop by more often than I do antique stores.

An inside view of the High Point Furniture Market

triad-city-beat.com

IT JUST MIGHT WORK

FRESH EYES

Nov. 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 10, 2015 Cover Story

by Brian Clarey

They came out with chairs and picnic lunches to watch the Hotel ZInzendorf burn to the ground on Thanksgiving Day 1892, in much the same way they came out to witness the hanging of P

Ellen Smith was a child when she came to Winston from Forbush, where she was born. She was as green as an early-spring shoot, with no family in town and the sort of social status generally bestowed on teenage women of color at the time. She’s described in contemporary newspaper accounts as “mulatto,” a catchall term for anyone whose skin tone didn’t strictly ascribe to whiteness,

FORSYTH LIBRARY

Sheriff RM McArthur

DIGITAL FORSYTH

but was not dark enough to merit the descriptor of “colored,” another term thrown around by the newspapers of the day. Later, at the trial, a “colored” man named Mike Davis would testify that he had let Ellen Smith live at his house while she was pregnant, and that Peter DeGraff had admitted to killing her. After his testimony, two white men took the stand to confirm his “good character.” But before all that, Ellen had taken a job as a domestic at the home of Kenny Rose, who worked as a clerk at DD Schouler’s Racket Store on Third Street, a sort of general store that was one of the most prominent businesses in town in 1891. Rose would later describe her as “not bright.” Maybe Rose’s characterization was a product of the times, when women in general, and certainly those of color, got little respect from most men. Still, she showed a remarkable lack of judgment when she threw in with Degraff, who had already begun to earn a reputation as a shady character in Winston’s streets and saloons. When Ellen turned up pregnant with DeGraff’s child in 1891, Rose sent her away. In her shame, she returned to Yadkin County, where the child was stillborn. Upon her return to Winston, Rose rehired her, and she again took up with DeGraff, who in the meantime had racked up some robbery and gun charges in Winston, such as they were in the 1890s, and may have been involved in a gunfight at Henry Goins’ saloon. Perhaps sensing disapproval from Rose, or maybe just looking for some extra money, in the spring of 1892 Ellen took a job at the newly constructed Hotel Zinzendorf, the pride of the city.

triad-city-beat.com

Peter DeGraff.

The year 1891 looked to be a good one for the town of Winston. The railroad had come through a few decades earlier, and the first tobacco warehouse went up around the same time. By 1891, the ravages of war had been replaced by the fires of industry, and Winston housed the largest tobacco market in the country. Pleasant Hanes and RJ Reynolds were actively grabbing as much of it as they could, buying up property and leaf to corner the market, a contest that would end 10 years later with Reynolds emerging as the winner while Hanes tried his hand at the second-largest industry in the region: textiles. It worked out pretty well for both of them. In 1890 the population had hit 14,000, double the 1880 Census number. And by 1891, the flow of tobacco money had lifted Winston to international renown. It would be years before it merged with the bordering Moravian town of Salem, but the two had already entered into an alliance of geographical convenience. The lure of fortune attracted thousands to the city to work in the tobacco warehouses and manufacturing plants and the fields in the countryside surrounding the city — by 1920, the merged city of Winston-Salem was the largest in the state. More came to fill the needs of this boomtown: Saloons, rooming houses, livery stables and, eventually, a grand hotel, billed as the finest in the South.

Some of the best money in Winston came together to form the West End Hotel and Land Co. Even Reynolds and Hanes called an uneasy truce

Sheriff Milton Teague

DIGITAL FORSYTH

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Cover Story

The Hotel Zinzendorf was billed as the finest in the South.

DIGITAL FORSYTH

to contribute to the $300,000 fund, which endeavored to build the Hotel Zinzendorf at the top of West Fourth Street, named for the European count who designed Moravian communities like the one in nearby Salem. Boston architects Wheelwright & Haven designed a grand structure centered on an 85-foot tower, one of 10, that afforded views of the woods surrounding the city. Wings of three and four stories grew from the central tower, holding 103 rooms. A large porch accommodated hundreds. Running hot and cold water, elevators, electric lights, steam heating and streetcar access made it the most modern structure in Winston. The Western Sentinel of April 18, 1892 quips: “It is impossible in the space to which this article must be confined to go into a minute description but suffice it to say that appointments throughout are perfect in every detail, and a tour of inspection through the building is all that is required to convince one of this.” That same edition clocked the arrival of the hotel manager ES Boswell by train from New York with a crew of “eight or ten white girls.” “The management of the hotel proposes to employ white help principally in every department,” the item noted. One more thing: From the cedar shingles to the North Carolina pine finishings to the furniture and hardwood frame itself, the Hotel Zinzendorf was constructed almost entirely of wood.

Ellen Smith was 19 in 1891 when she began her job at the Zinzendorf. DeGraff was about 21, and though he had worked in and around the city as a laborer, by then he spent most of his time drinking at Pitt’s Store a couple of miles outside of town. He was a bantam rooster of a man, with striking blue eyes and a wispy mustache, who at 16 had escaped from jail with absolutely no consequences save for a paper trail, and had at least one former girlfriend who had died under mysterious circumstances. He was known to carry guns, with an eye towards using them. And though he was never fingered for the shootout at Goins’ saloon in May 1891, word on the street was that he was the first one to pull his

After a year of construction it opened in 1891.

DIGITAL FORSYTH

piece. In the weeks after the shootout, DeGraff was spotted around town with Ellen Smith. This was also the time, according to testimony at his trial, that he began to openly speak about killing her.

Maybe she was pregnant again, and was pressuring DeGraff to marry her. Maybe she had fallen for another man and wanted to leave him. Maybe DeGraff had just tired of the whole scene and figured murder would be the most expedient solution. Either way, he sent a handwritten note to Ellen Smith instructing her to meet him at the creek after work by the beautiful western woods adjacent to the Hotel Zinzendorf. And that’s where they found her.

“Found Dead in the Woods; Ellen Smith Was Discovered This Morning With a Bullet in Her Breast.” The Twin-City Sentinel was first on the scene, with reporting going out in its July 21, 1892 edition. Hattie Pratt, who worked in the hotel laundry and is denoted as “colored” in the story, said she came upon the woods and saw a young man in a brown suit and black hat walking away from the stream. She noted a white apron hanging from a tree, later used to cover the body, and then spied the girl lying on the ground. “She was lying in a patch of thick brushy undergrowth, about ten steps from the path which divided the woods where she lay from an open field on the left,” the story reads. “There was no evidence of any struggle.” A single bullet had passed through her left breast and out her right, indicating she had been shot from the side, the story said, and there was one other detail buried at the end of the column. “A young man in town yesterday wrote a letter at Ellen Smith’s dictation to another young man named Peter DeGraff who has been visiting her, and in which it said she stated that she never wanted to see him again….” In that same issue, in an adjacent column, the Sentinel announced the sale of residential lots adjacent to the

The hotel was built with the first big DIGITAL FORSYTH flush of tobacco money in Winston.

Zinzendorf, on Fourth and Fifth streets. “Handsome cottages are going up on it now,” the story advises. By the time they caught DeGraff, it was more than a year later, and the Hotel Zinzendorf had burned to the ground.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1892, staff at the Hotel Zinzendorf was preparing for a grand dinner. Though DeGraff had yet to be captured, the stain of Ellen Smith’s murder had not dimmed the reputation of the hotel. A Leap Year dance earlier in the year brought debutantes into the ballroom, and a quartet had taken to playing in one of the parlors in the evenings. Hunters had been dispatched to the woods where Ellen’s body was found to bring back wild turkeys and quail for the feast. Cooks in the basement kitchens prepared elaborate sides and desserts for the guests. At 11 a.m. on Nov. 24, the Farmer’s Warehouse bell began to toll, rousing everyone in the city to seek the source of the smoke. The fire had begun in the laundry, the Daily Sentinel reported, and that both the Winston and Salem fire departments had responded to the call, “but for want of water they could do nothing to save the building.” Within two hours the grand hotel had burned to the ground. Meanwhile, DeGraff remained at large.

For two years, intermittent news of DeGraff showed up in Winston newspapers. Some had him drinking in barrooms in Winston and Salem. A formal challenge to a duel was issued in the Aug. 4, 1892 Western Sentinel, by JH Vaughn and LS Matlock. “[I]n order to find out if Mr. DeGraff is in the corporate limits of Winston we do hereby challenge him to mortal combat at any time or place he may select. One of his friends may accompany him with shot guns.” That same issue took strong shots against Sheriff Milton Teague for his inability to capture the killer. One

In June 1893, two years after the murder of Ellen Smith, DeGraff was spotted at Pitt’s, his old hangout. In the interim, a new sheriff, RM McArthur, had been elected to supplant Teague. He ran on a platform of law and order, promising that “no DeGraff could run loose in the county” on his watch. Sheriff McArthur received a telegram informing him that DeGraff had been seen stepping off a train in Rural Hall. They found him at the home of Gideon Russell outside of town, hiding under a feather mattress. Before they took him in, DeGraff showed the officers three of his guns, each bigger than anything the cops carried. He maintained his innocence during a jailcell interview by a Western Sentinel reporter, and said he had stayed in town for a month after the killing, but then walked to Virginia, where after a couple months he hopped a freight train that took him to New Mexico. Before the end of the year, he rode the rails back to Mt. Airy, where he had been working almost a year at a sawmill. The Western Sentinel reported: “DeGraff, it is said, does not tell the same story to everybody that goes to see him. He asks nearly every visitor what their opinion is as to his future destiny — whether he would be hung or come clear. When he questioned the chief-of-police the latter replied that he (DeGraff) was too little to be hung, that an electric chair would be brought here, by which means the prisoner would go to the other world so quick that he would never know it.” In the end, he hanged.

Held without bail in the city jail, DeGraff was found guilty in August 1893, the Union Republican reported, with four front-page columns devoted to the trial under multiple headlines laden with exclamation points. A JURY OF GOOD CITIZENS SAY HE FIRED THE FATAL SHOT THAT KILLED POOR ELLEN SMITH MURDER WILL OUT! THE FEARFUL PENALTY! The coverage concluded: “The general opinion is while there will be the necessary delay, in appeal etc., that Peter DeGraff, the murderer of Ellen Smith, is a doomed man and that the best thing for him to do [sic] soften his

hard, hard, heart and prepare for the inevitable fate awaiting him.” A telling bit of evidence was testimony that DeGraff had revisited the site of the murder and swore an oath: “Ellen, if you are in heaven arise; if in hell stay there.” He said that he had heard old people say that a murderer could rouse the spirit of the deceased in that way.

In the end, he confessed. DeGraff took the gallows in a new black suit and hat, a Bible in his hands. After some words by Sheriff McArthur and a prayer from the Rev. Mr. Brown, the condemned man spoke. “That thing you call corn liquor, cards, dice and other games of chance, pistols and bad women, are the things which have brought me to this place,” the Western Sentinel duly reported DeGraff as saying. “Yes I shot that woman. I was drunk at the time. I put the pistol to her breast and fired it. The only words she said after I shot were ‘Lord have mercy on me.’” Some 6,000 people had gathered to watch the sheriff spring the trigger. “The road from town to the scene was lined with wagons, buggies and carts,” the Western Sentinel reported. “Hundreds also traveled afoot. With many the event was no more than a circus. They were laughing and jesting all the time.” DeGraff’s heart kept beating for seven minutes after the rope went taut.

After the fire, the Hotel Zinzendorf was never rebuilt. Investors, unable to recoup their losses in cash, moved onto the acreage, which by 1913 became known as the West End. As a result of the Thanksgiving Day fire, it became illegal to build hotels from wood in the city. Ironically, DeGraff was buried just yards away from Ellen Smith, in a grave that now rests beneath the Forsyth County Ground Maintenance facility on Chestnut Street. It was the last public hanging in Winston-Salem. A traditional folk song, “Poor Ellen Smith,” immortalized the tale. Poor Ellen Smith how she was found Shot through the heart lying cold on the ground. Her clothes were all scattered and thrown on the ground And blood marks the spot where poor Ellen was found.

triad-city-beat.com

third-hand report had DeGraff toasting the inept sheriff’s health in a Salem saloon.

Electricity, plumbing and streetcar access were just some of the modern conveniences at the Zinzendorf.

DIGITAL FORSYTH

The entire structure, paneling, shingles and even the furniture were made almost entirely of wood.

DIGITAL FORSYTH

Within two hours on Thanksgiving Day 1892, the Hotel Zinzendorf burned to the ground.

DIGITAL FORSYTH

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

CULTURE From farm to factory: The often ignored aspects of food by Eric Ginsburg

here are times, not too infrequently, that turning in a story on my dining exploits feels self-indulgent. In my pursuit of breaking news about new restaurants or breweries opening, there are moments the whole thing feels frivolous. I’m well aware that most people can’t afford the luxury of eating out with any sort of regularity. More likely they’re pulling something out of the freezer and heating it up, or eating fast food in the car between places they need to be. Most of the time, that’s what my dining habits look like, too. With this in mind, I intentionally pick places to write about that, for the most part, are on the more affordable end of the spectrum. Because if it’s at all possible, I want for you to be able to enjoy these small pleasures along with me. During these moments of self-doubt, I convince myself that restaurant-based news and reviews have their place, and I believe that. Sometimes I salt in stories about the people in the kitchen, the ones who made your coffee or dreamed up your cocktail. That human element adds some much-needed texture, variety and life to the mix. But I also, once in a while, want to stop and shift gears to address other less sexy and more forgotten aspects of our food systems. Likely the most important thing to keep in mind is that the Greensboro-High Point metro area is consistently rated as one of the worst — right now it’s at No. 1 — for food insecurity in the nation. It’s a statistic that everyone should already be aware of, but also a horrific figure that we must relentlessly commit ourselves to fixing. We try to keep the issue at the forefront, frequently highlighting positive efforts to alleviate the problem in all three Triad cities in our news section, soliciting ideas for additional solutions in a cover story earlier this year and we plan to write about food deserts for the cover before the end of 2015. We too, can do more, and it’s about time the crisis graced our food section as well. But there are other, less sensational or widely recognized components of the local food system and people that remain invisible who deserve recognition. Foodservice is precarious work. I’ve barely worked in the industry – a summer of making smoothies at a local shop, a few shifts unpacking boxes at a local grocery store and a brief stint working under the table at a local café – but I did long enough to run for the door, and I’m glad I found one. Though they deserve much more, let’s take a brief moment to acknowledge the labor of immigrant farmers, poultry processors, truck drivers, warehouse workers, cleaning crews, restaurant servers and hosts, line cooks, third-shift supermarket stockers and countless others who bring food to us. Think of the strained backs from lifting boxes, the exhaustion from standing on your feet all day, the sunstroke from working in the fields and tendinitis from repetitive labor. Not to

Crystal Price poses with her kids at a protest against her firing from Wendy’s in Greensboro earlier this year. She said the firing was in retaliation for organizing.

mention feeling overwhelmed by ungrateful customers, unforgiving bosses, unlikely workers comp and benefits, and unreliable schedules. And remember, if you can’t afford to tip at least 20 percent when you go out to eat, you actually can’t afford to go out at all. I spend a lot of time thinking about what people eat and where they do it. In considering who my audience is, I inevitably consider who it isn’t. Are you that woman working at the Guilford County Courthouse I overheard asking her coworker if there is anywhere to eat on High Point Road besides Carrabba’s or Chili’s? I’m trying to reach you. Are you a local Ralph Lauren employee with enough income to eat out but who dines at the company’s cafeteria? Please, keep reading. Aramark — the food-service business that provides dining services at many colleges, and recently posted an opening for a grill cook at Ralph Lauren — also supplies the Guilford and Forsyth counties. I’m guessing the menu is pretty different than the collegiate and corporate campuses it services. It’s a good reminder of how food connects all of us. And it’s worth thinking about the people sitting in our jails who are buying snacks from the commissary and creatively assembling their own burritos, cakes and other meals tastier than what’s provided. Some of them, like a friend of mine who was confined to the jail in downtown Winston-Salem for almost a year, will be released when their charges are dropped. Maybe then they’ll pick up a copy of this paper and

FILE PHOTO

decide where to go on date-night based on a profile I’ve written. But more likely, I’m guessing, they might thumb through a copy from the other side of the counter while running a mid-afternoon register. Next week I’ll return to your regularly scheduled program, but it’s important for all of us to pause once in a while and think about the bigger picture. In food we find family and community, history and heritage, culture and connection. We also find deep pain, hardship and struggle. Let’s keep both realities of this connective tissue present in our minds as we take our next bite. The money that would’ve been spent on a food article this week will go towards buying lunch for someone experiencing homelessness instead.

Pick of the Week Global gobbles Around the World Wine Dinner @ Marshall Free House (GSO) Try mango jalapeño Carolina shrimp with a Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc or the Heritage Pork Cheek with a glass of Alta Vista Malbec. Chef Jay Pierce of the Marshall Free House is taking diners on a tour of New Zealand, California, Argentina, Italy and Portugal with wine and food parings. Dinner starts at 6 p.m. For reservations and more information visit marhsallfreehouse.com.

triad-city-beat.com

by Eric Ginsburg

Drinking in the library at Gia

Up Front News Opinion

ERIC GINSBURG

Good Sport

Three friends passionate about exceptional food and entertainment.

(336)210–5094 catering@capers.biz 5000 Heathridge Terrace Greensboro, NC 27410-8419

All She Wrote

Mary Lacklen Allen Broach Bob Weston

Shot in the Triad

Check us out on Facebook or give us a call to find out more about us.

Games

and you end up with Gia. a little out of sync with the sophisticatMy description might not be exactly ed vibe. Etta James, Billie Holiday and what Gia is going for, but I can’t be too Sinatra played as small, racially diverse far off. After all, the three side rooms groups chatted, mostly over wine, on are named the Library, Parlor and a recent weeknight. High ceilings and Lounge. long, red drapes add to the ambiance. You can actually call ahead and make Gia offers an array of “designer cocka reservation, an employee told me, tails,” which are $3 cheaper on Monfor a specific room. Maybe the Parlor day nights. Several are marked as Gia — with its private bar, huge chandelier, originals — try something new. Some fireplace and what looks like a cabinet will feel familiar, like a mojito improved full of Maker’s Mark — is more your with lemons and lemonade, while speed. others less so, like one with plum wine, The main room boasts a view of the 2 Gingers Irish whiskey, Regan’s orange wood-fired oven and a copious amount bitters and prosecco and another drink of comfortable with pickled seating at the watermelon rind unusually long Check out Gia’s cocktail class on and sriracha. marble-top bar, Check out the bitters Nov. 22 or champagne and it too has Ginger PomeDec. 6, or sooner at 1941 New distinct areas granate MarGarden Road, Suite 208 (GSO) along the edges garita, another including two original, with or drinkeatlisten.com lovers’ nooks on Sauza blue teeither side of the quila, Cointreau, library-esque entryway. ginger root, lime, pomegranate and — The Lounge towards the front hosts instead of a salted rim — sea salt lime the restaurant/bar’s events, such as its foam bubbling on top of the rocks. wine society nights, whiskey events and But more importantly than what you cocktail classes. order if you go, please show up dressed It’s the sort of place that can get as a character from Clue. We can away with not having any TVs, though squeeze one more week out of there are two showing things like Halloween. football behind the main bar that feel

Culture

I have to admit, I’ve only been to Gia once, but I can already tell I like this place. I’ve yet to try anything on the chef’s menu, though the brown-sugar brisket sliders, $5 roasted stuffed red pepper and the prosciutto-wrapped monkfish sound appetizing. And though I’ve tried three of the original cocktails at Gia, that’s not the main lure for me either. It’s the setting. Picture the home library in a mansion that might be featured on “MTV Cribs,” but the kind of place you could also imagine Teddy Roosevelt sitting in a great chair by a crackling fire. There’s a seemingly private room, behind a curtain in the back left corner separate from the rest of the bar and restaurant, that fits the bill. In fact there are three side rooms, each with a complementing but distinct atmospheres that make Gia far more complex than it appears on first blush. I heard Colonel Mustard hangs out in the library with the candlestick on Friday nights. (No, not literally, but it conjures the appropriate mental image.) I once ogled a whiskey and cigar room in the former Ohio governor’s mansion — at least so I was told. Add a dash of that, or any other elite yet intimate home suite dedicated to libations, to the Cribs/Roosevelt/Clue imagery transposed onto a restaurant setting,

Cover Story

The main bar at Gia is just one of four rooms where patrons can enjoy each other’s company.

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

CULTURE Peace which passeth understanding by Anthony Harrison

Madé Lasmawan, a stocky Balinese man dressed in black and gold, lit two sticks of incense and planted them in a pot next to delicate red flowers. Lasmawan chanted solemnly as the creamy, spicy aroma unexpectedly filled the room, and he tapped a small prayer bowl before ending with the mantra, Om, shanti, shanti, shanti. Be calm. The impressive ritual, in all its reverence, was not necessarily a religious rite, but instead the naming ceremony of Wake Forest University’s gamelan ensemble, which had its inaugural performance in the Scales Fine Art Center in Winston Salem last week. For the uninitiated, gamelan is an Indonesian form of classical music, played largely by a percussion ensemble including gongs, cymbals and xylophone-like instruments. Elizabeth Clendinning, an ethnomusicologist and the Wake Forest gamelan’s director, told Triad City Beat that she first learned about gamelan while studying for her doctorate at Florida State University. “It’s been following me for a while,” Clendinning said. Clendinning heard of Lasmawan, a preeminent gamelan teacher at Colorado College, while studying language in Indonesia. “We met in eastern Bali,” Clendinning said. “I got on a motorcycle [and] drove all the way into the mountains to his family compound.” Lasmawan and a small group of Balinese musicians teach gamelan to others outside of Indonesia, Clendenning said. “I became a part of their community, and they have implanted themselves in the history and community here,” she said. Lasmawan served as the conductor in the gamelan’s debut performance at Wake Forest University, leading Clendinning’s world music class and interested area musicians, some still in elementary school, from behind the kendang: a medium-sized, conga-looking drum typically used to set the tempo. All performers dressed in traditional Balinese garb — men in gold shirts and black pants with golden caps; women adorned in gowns of gold and green,

with flowers pinned to the side of their heads. After the orchestra bowed with hands together and sat before their lavishly ornate, painted-wood instruments commissioned by the university, Lasmawan delivered a single pop of the kendang and the concert began. Gamelan music lulls listeners into a trancelike state. The form is simultaneously intense and soothing. There’s a lot going on at all times, and the volume produced by all the pounded brass is rather impressive. But the instruments, struck by wooden mallets resembling either claw hammers or lint rollers, create bell-like tones that chime out unless dampened by the player’s left hand. The overtones meld together ethereally. While the sound seems chaotic at first, the structure comes together when given a closer listen. Each beat is subdivided symmetrically, with the largest, deepest gong droning for the longest durations, smaller gongs playing a few beats quicker, the xylophone-type instruments chiming along at a trot and the crackling clatter of cymbals chopping the beat into the tiniest pieces. Only Lasmawan’s kendang strayed from the even tempo, syncopating and accenting odd beats and holes in the timing, accelerating the corps into a gallop or slowing them down to a stroll. For some pieces, dancers accompanied the music, bringing a brilliant visual element into synthesis with the spiritual aural experience. Guest performer Ni Ketut Marni from Colorado College danced during the first number, “Pendet,” a welcome dance, joined by Clendinning. Both women were draped in robes dyed pistachio, saffron, gold and rose, with flashy crowns offset in the buns of their black hair. They danced with the posture of Hindu goddesses, with quirky head tilts, lightly fluttering fingers and angular arm and hip placements, occasionally flinging flower petals lightly from fringed bowls in their right hands. Ryan Sutherland, another dancer, performed “Baris Tunggal,” a warrior dance, in severe makeup, a crown shaped like a silver spade and a coat of tapestry armor which splayed like wings with Sutherland’s wild twirls and stuttering,

Ni Ketut Marni from Colorado College performed an opening dance to gamelan sounds.

ANTHONY HARRISON

Pick of the Week Virtuous sounds Ang Li @ High Point Theatre, Thursday Ang Li is widely regarded as a piano virtuoso and a young star in classical music. She’s played all over the world including Beijing’s Forbidden City Concert Hall and alongside the Fort Worth and Montréal symphony orchestras. Members from the Music Academy of North Carolina will accompany her performance in High Point. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Find more information at highpointtheatre.com.

Board Game

Night Fridays 7pm — 2am

Graphic • Web • Illustration Custom Leather Tooling

News

leather guitar strap 2134 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro geeksboro.com •

336-355-7180

Culture Good Sport

219 S Elm Street Greensboro, NC

336 274 4810

Games

WE ! DELIVER

Shot in the Triad

14 beers on tap

GreysTavern.com

On iTunes, Stitcher, and at BradandBritt.com

336.617.5341

(336)310-6920

deoducedesign.com

All She Wrote

Wednesday Night Trivia 9pm 343 S. Elm St. • Greensboro

Cover Story

for you today!

L’ITALIANO 602-A S Elm St • Greensboro

Opinion

Let us customize a

PIZZERIA

altervapes.com (336) 938-0070

Up Front

a human gamelan under Lasmawan’s participatory guidance, all sections taking different phrases in the same even tempos and note values, Lasmawan a vocal kendang. This combination of rhythmic intensity and simplicity makes gamelan delightful. With the involvement of luminaries like Lasmawan, Clendinning hopes to continue the gamelan ensemble in the future, with concerts once a semester. “[Gamelan] is infinitely fascinating and beautiful,” Clendinning said. “In 30 minutes, anyone can make good sounds, but it takes a whole lifetime to master.” Her previous point was proven true, as everyone from toddlers to middle-aged attendees tapped the brass plates of the gamelan, forming a freestyle symphony.

triad-city-beat.com

wide-kneed steps. After Sutherland’s dance, Lasmawan addressed the audience. “I named the gamelan ‘Giri Murti,’ which means ‘Magical Forest,’” Lasmawan said, relating his sense of surprise when he arrived at Wake, expecting a university and instead being plunged into the lush, literal forest on campus. Lasmawan certainly had a sense of humor. After one of Clendinning’s students demonstrated dampening technique, Lasmawan asked, “How long did you play gamelan?” The student whispered. “Just this semester?” he repeated with affected incredulity. “Very good.” The concert ended with Lasmawan’s arrangement of the traditional, “Kecak Rama Sita,” a ballet depicting a story from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Choreographer Marni, Clendinning, Sutherland and Sammy Moorin featured as characters in the tale of kidnapping and the triumph of good over evil, accompanied by the Wake Forest University Concert Choir instead of the brassy ensemble. But the choir transformed itself into

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

CULTURE A muralist leaves the arts district by Daniel Wirtheim

ack in 1999, when Winston-Salem mural painter Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet co-founded Studios@625 on Trade Street, the arts district was a far cry from what it is today. DiNapoli-Mylet describes rats scurrying down the street and empty beer cans crammed into gutters. There were no gallery hops and nowhere to find a decent meal. Not many people wanted to go to Trade Street but DiNapoli-Mylet and her fellow artists didn’t mind, and in fact thrived there. And the Trade Street art galleries flourished along with the city’s growth, making some artists feel nostalgic for the gritty street that had inspired them. So DiNapoli-Mylet decided that at the end of 2015 she is leaving Trade Street. “I went to go do a mural the other day and couldn’t find a parking place because there were beer trucks there,” DiNapoli-Mylet said. “The rents have been slowly creeping up and that’s another factor.” Studios@625 is a working studio where artists can rent spaces to work. Before Trade Street’s renovation, no one sold much art. For galleries that was a bad thing, but for Mylet and her fellow artists, Trade Street was a safe haven for the city’s offbeat residents. “There were less of us and we all hung out together,” DiNapoli-Mylet. “It was a lot easier for me to get in and out of the space. The rents were lower and there was just this cool bohemian atmosphere.” DiNapoli-Mylet is known for her murals illustrating the history of spaces in Winston-Salem. She’s captured the history of the black press, featuring the image of Frederick Douglass on the side of the Chronicle offices, DANIEL WIRTHEIM At the end of the year Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet will leave her Trade Street studio, Winston-Salem’s black-owned weekly newspaper. Her where she’s worked since 1999. first mural, “History of Tobacco,” documented the Tobacco Market, a carnival-like auction once held in last month on Trade Street. DiNapoli-Mylet has seen lucrative. She’s had a positive experience partnering the city. Her mural “Miller’s Department Store” shows gentrification happen in Philadelphia, and feels that with fellow artists on Trade Street, but without the what the Trade Street department store looked like in she knows how these things go. rats and empty beer cans, it’s not the kind of street for 1939. Another mural, “Now and Then on Trade,” shows “The galleries do well while studio artists suffer,” she a mural painter. the evolution of craftspeople and businesses on the said. “I think that just happens in cities. I don’t think “I’m really going to miss the people I’ve become commercial hub. there’s anything we can do to close to,” DiNapoli-Mylet said. “It’s more that I think “[Now] there’s too much prevent it.” it’s time to sort of focus on my own work.” traffic; this studio has beDiNapoli-Mylet also has Marianne DiNapoli-Mylet’s new come a retail space,” DiNappersonal reasons for her exhibit opens at Hubris Boutique, oli-Mylet said. “Since the arts move; she’s tired of being Pick of the Week located at 631 N. Trade St. in Windistrict has been the place to an administrator. It’s not A terribly fun experience go there’s been a lot of peoston-Salem, on Friday at 7 p.m. her personality type, she Everything is Terrible! @ Geeksboro Coffeehouse ple who come down here and says. Ed Koos, a member of Cinema (GSO), Wednesday close down the street. People Studio@625, will be moving It was a YouTube video demonstrating the proper from Krispy Kreme came down and did an event. The into the role of manager. With her husband recently way to please a cat, “So Your Cat Wants a Masother day I tried to do some work and the Texas Pete retired, DiNapoli-Mylet said this seems like an opporsage?” that thrust Everything is Terrible! into the Festival was downtown. I couldn’t get in a two-block tune moment to spend some time at their cabin in the national spotlight. They found their niche someradius.” mountains. where between nostalgia and nightmare by re-edIn the last five years DiNapoli-Mylet has sold more “There are still lots of artists [on Trade Street],” Diiting the most absurd instructional videos of the art than she has in her entire tenure on Trade Street. Napoli-Mylet said. “Plenty of people have spaces that nineties. You can watch all of the classics and play But it’s a double-edged sword, she says, making it a work well down there.” along in a “choose your own destiny” styled game. less practical place to execute her trade. And the street DiNapoli-Mylet has been an active member of the The fun starts at 7:30 p.m. Visit geeksboro.com for has lost its more bohemian, edgy charm. Downtown Arts District Association and thinks that more information. The first chain restaurant, Famous Toastery, opened the gallery hops are only going to get bigger and more

triad-city-beat.com Up Front

News

Opinion

Cover Story Culture

Good Sport

Games

Shot in the Triad

All She Wrote

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Good Sport Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

GOOD SPORT Mets fan as a costume T

here isn’t a Mets bar in Greensboro. Or a Royals bar, for that

matter. There are a few Red Sox bars. Fat Dog’s is a Cubs bar. One of my late dad’s favorite haunts, Fisher’s Grille, loudly by Anthony Harrison and proudly roots for the Detroit Tigers, of all teams. But a lot of Triad bars don’t claim a house baseball team at all, and I wanted to find a Mets bar, just in case they could stun the country with a win on Halloween night. Suds & Duds on Walker Avenue is unlike any other establishment I know of in the area, though. For one, the concept is novel around here: A laundromat where you can buy a beer while you wait isn’t typical outside of larger metropolitan areas. And secondly, I was told a lot of Mets fans showed up to watch the World Series. It makes sense. There isn’t much baseball memorabilia anywhere — a sticker on a cooler recalled the failed campaign to bring MLB to the Triad — though gear for the New York Rangers hockey team is hung up on the wood paneling along the bar. With no real Mets support in the area, New York fans must flock to any familiar-looking port. Owner Eric Flick, a burly, bearded man in red-andblack flannel, originally hails from New York, too. “We aren’t affiliated with any team, but we have all these Mets fans come in,” Flick said. “We just keep it going.” After Flick ejected a drunken patron, the bar was practically empty. He settled into preliminary duties before sitting with a water to watch the trio of TVs broadcasting highlights, football and eventually Game 4 of the series, Royals at Mets. A regular walked to one of the side bar spaces. “You got anything going on tonight?” he asked Flick. “Nope, just gonna hang around here, watch the game,” Flick said. “If you dressed up as Paul Bunyan, you pulled it off,” the customer said. “Where’s Babe?”

Correction A story in the Oct. 28 Good Sport column of Triad City Beat incorrectly stated the final score of the NC A&T homecoming game against Howard University. The score was 65-14.

Owner and customer shared a laugh. The crowd was light, and the game began slowly. Steven Matz started on the mound for the Mets. He had previously only started six games, making him the pitcher with the fewest starts to kick off a World Series game. He was also the first New York-born pitcher to start a postseason game for the Mets, which struck me passing strange. He looked strong, too, throwing intimidating inside curves and striking out Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer. Then, 36-year-old Royals veteran pitcher Chris Young took the mound. A cowboy named Jake sitting at the bar scoffed. “I can’t believe they’re starting him,” he said. “Well, Game 1 was a 14-inning opera,” I said. “The Mets even had Bartolo Colón come out to finish. Made him the oldest pitcher to ever lose a World Series game. Then Johnny Cueto pitched for the Royals and completed Game 2, while [Mets pitcher Jacob] deGrom got assaulted by the Royals batters.” “What about Game 3?” he asked. “Didn’t see it.” Young pitched very well, aided by an impossible catch by outfielder Alex Ríos to end the first inning without a hit, and then the second. But he soon fell apart. Mets left fielder Michael Conforto slammed a solo home run past the back wall of Citi Field on the opening pitch of the third inning, and it destroyed Young’s confidence. A contested RBI put the Mets on the board with two runs. At the same time, the bar began slowly blowing up. And some Mets fans finally showed. An apparent New Yorker named Tim, decked out in a solid orange shirt, approached me at the bar in the bottom of the fourth. “You writing on the game?” he fired out. “What are you thinking? Right now. How many games?” “Well, way it is, both bullpens seem pretty exhausted,” I stammered. “And it’s been really evenly matched.” I shrugged. “I don’t see why it can’t go to seven.”

Tim shook his head solemnly. “Royals got this,” he said. “In five.” Sports fans love two things: self-deprecation and predicting the future. Tim wound up being right. On Sunday, I watched from home as the Mets poised to force Game 6, with a shutout performance by right-handed pitcher and Chapel Hill alum Matt Harvey. But closer Jeurys Familia, who’d shone so brightly during the regular season, replaced him midway through the ninth, subsequently allowing two Royals to send the game into extra innings. All Harvey could do was watch despondent from the dugout as the new reigning champs of baseball scored five runs in the top of the 12th. But that came later. Despite the rising Mets tide in Game 4, including another Conforto homer, Kansas City took the reins in the final third of the game. The eighth inning was a wash. Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy committed a fatal error, then just missed a bouncing grounder. The Royals ended up 5-3, eventually the final score. The crowd followed the game. Suds & Duds began emptying out, as if the bar was the Citi Field stands. Flick didn’t seem too upset about it. He’s a Yankees fan, anyway.

Pick of the Week Deacons are gonna go all the way this year ACC men’s soccer quarterfinal game @ Wake Forest University (W-S), Nov. 8 The Demon Deacons clinched the top of the ACC regular season with a road win against Louisville, and they’re also ranked first in the nation. The Deacs get a bye in the first round as the clear No. 1 seed, and will face either Duke or stage a Louisville rematch at Spry Stadium, depending on who wins the game between those latter teams on Wednesday’s deciding match. For tickets and more information, visit wakeforestsports.com.

Fresh food & natural ingredients from Margarita’s garden Breakfast Lunch • Dessert • Juice bar

Wine Packaged goods • Catering services

•

Patio area available for gatherings & meetings

mannysuniversalcafe.com

321 Martin Luther King Jr Dr. • Greensboro

(336) 638-7788

triad-city-beat.com

GAMES

‘Turn it Down’ but not all the way. by Matt Jones Across

Down

Sunday service @ 10:30am Coffee and snacks at 10:00am

Join one of our Life Groups today!

Develop speaking, thinking and listening skills in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment. Mondays 6:30 – 8 pm

Cover Story Culture

This 6 session parenting program, designed by the Love and Logic Institute offers practical skills that can be used immediately!. Mondays, Oct.26 – Nov.30 6:30 – 8:30pm

Gate City Youth (7th–12th grade)

We hang out, play games, eat, worship, have a Bible Study, and just talk about life. Wednesdays 7 – 9 pm

gatecityvineyard.com

336.323.1288 204 S. Westgate Dr., Greensboro

All She Wrote

Visit gatecityvineyard.com/events-2 for more Life Groups and Events.

Shot in the Triad

Women’s Bible Study Every Tuesday 7 – 9 pm Men’s Bible Study Tuesday, Nov 10th 7 – 9 pm

Games

Join us in a walk through each book of the Bible!

Good Sport

Love And Logic Parenting Class

Answers from previous publication.

Opinion

1 Film with the segment “Pork Is a Nice Sweet Meat” 2 English prep school 3 Dot on a state map 4 High score 5 Hall of Leno’s “The Tonight Show” 6 1982 Disney film with a 2010 sequel 7 Anarchy 8 “And that’s ___ grow on” 9 Not quite 10 Vanna’s cohost 11 Make embarrassed 12 Give a quick welcome 13 Hard to climb 18 Kids’ song refrain that’s all vowels 22 PayPal cofounder Musk 25 Cleveland NBAers 27 Erroneous

28 “Begin the Beguine” clarinetist Artie 29 Late baseballer Berra 30 Like one leg of a triathlon 32 Former House speaker Gingrich 35 Boutonniere setting 36 Kareem’s original name 37 “Man, that hurts!” 39 “Well, we just lost” sound 40 Retailer with a snaky floor plan 41 Wine cellar options 44 Eugene Ionesco production 47 Stitches up 49 Outcast 51 Controversial Nabokov novel 54 Connect with 55 New ___ (Yale locale) 56 Zooey’s big sister in acting 57 Basic learning techniques 58 Dropperfuls, say 60 “___ to the people!” 63 Sheet of postage stamps 65 ___Vista (onetime search engine) 66 “Stop that!” 67 Go after, as a fly 69 “Superman” villain Luthor 71 “All the news that’s fit to print” initials

News

62 Marina craft 64 Washer/dryer units? 68 Downright rotten 70 “You’ve really outdone yourself at sucking,” or this puzzle’s theme? 72 TV component? 73 Microscopic 74 Active Sicilian volcano 75 Dark form of quartz 76 Desirable quality 77 “Round and Round” band

Up Front

1 B as in baklava 5 Belief system 10 “Family Feud” option 14 On the summit of 15 Pipe cleaner brand? 16 “Like ___ out of Hell” 17 Amazed 19 Diggs of “Private Practice” 20 Blase (or just blah) feeling 21 Night, in Italy 23 “___ Walks in Beauty” (Byron poem) 24 Short short time? 26 Topping in a tub 28 Part of TBS, for short 31 Author Fleming 33 Tit-tat filler 34 “That’s so sweet” 38 Emphatic turndown 42 Glassful at a cantina, perhaps 43 Win all the games 45 Oregon Ducks uniform designer since 1999 46 “Lunch is for ___” (“Wall Street” quote) 48 Like Goofy but not Pluto 50 Long meal in Japan? 52 LPs, to DJs 53 Possesses 54 Showtime series of the 2000s 59 Little dog’s bark 61 “___ the Walrus”

28 All She Wrote

Shot in the Triad Games

Good Sport

Culture

Cover Story

Opinion

News

Up Front

Nov. 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; 10, 2015

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

Hicone Road, Greensboro

Welcome Great Pumpkin. PHOTO BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

ATTORNEY

C r im inal • Traffic • DW I

33 6.5 01 .2001 P.O. Box 10602 Greensboro, NC 27404

3 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath, 2,400sf $299,900

uce d e R

g ree nsboroattorneyg ra ha mholt .c om

Op Presented by

Golden Gate Shopping Center

2270 Golden Gate Dr. Greensboro, NC

Broker/Realtor®

meltkitchenandbar.com

336.708.0479 frankslate.brooks@trm.info

Cover Story

Frank Slate Brooks

2pm-

Opinion

ou H n e 4

patio daily specials

News

paninis salads small plates craft beer & wine

Up Front

g h o ltpllc @ gmail.c om

6 Highgate Court

triad-city-beat.com

Graham Ho l t

Culture Good Sport

(336)618-PITS

All She Wrote

www.themeritpitbullfoundation.com

Shot in the Triad

Photography by Sara Lyn

Games

The Merit Pit Bull Foundation strives for a compassionate world where pit bull type dogs live in responsible homes and where owner education, training and anti-cruelty legislation support all pet owners regardless of breed.

Nov. 4 — 10, 2015 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story

other: What are you wearing to that Christmas party? Me: A loincloth and a crown of thorns. What says Christmas more than Jesus? Mother: Sigh. Why do you always have to make such a statement? Me: Because somebody has to.

by Nicole Crews

I remembered this quote when my dear friend in Charlotte told me that she was collaborating with the Mint Museum to bring a chunk of her mother’s collection of Moschino from 1983 to 1994 in from Chicago for an exhibit. She knew she had my attention because Moschino was not only my favorite designer of that era, but also represented my fashion coming of age. Franco Moschino, the celebrated Italian designer and rabble-rouser, melded the worlds of fashion, art, music and political statement in an era of opulence. He was the surrealist of the street who used language — “a waist of money” emblazoned on the midsection of a Chanel-inspired suit — and imagery, such as plastic, fried eggs embellishing the hem of a miniskirt, to parody the fashion industry as well as bring humor to the times. This was slated to be a particularly amazing event because it meant the first retrospective of his work (at Mint Museum Uptown through April 3, 2016) — ever. It also coincided with the revamping of the label via its new creative director, designer Jeremy Scott, whose own irreverence and playfulness was a Cinderella fit for the label. A documentary of his career just came out this year

Pop-up pop art

and the Midwestern misfit made his mark at Moschino by raising its profile exponentially in 2015. Katy Perry performed in Moschino during the latest Super Bowl. Madonna and cast were clad in Moschino for the video, “B****, I’m Madonna” which debuted in June. And Scott’s Moschino label graffiti-tagged evening gowns, McDonald’s French fry phone cases, Barbie-pink sweatshirt dresses and the like have shown up everywhere from Cannes to Kalamazoo. The collection at the Mint — drawn largely from two private collections, loans and the museum’s own bits — made its debut at a private soiree last week and the exhibit and party did not disappoint. Champagne flowed like tap water while a big band echoed in the entryway. A Ferrari festooned with loaners from Moschino HQ welcomed partygoers, and the exhibit itself was an epic display of the designer’s oeuvre. Meanwhile, closer to home, another pop art extravaganza was in the works for the following night. The Weatherspoon Art Museum’s Masquerade Ball — a party that brings together students, artists, musicians and supporters from all walks of life to celebrate the UNCG museum — was kicking off another membership drive. The event highlighted cult animation, old Disney, Warhol and pop art, and pop culture from all periods. A costume contest, a mask-making station, food, beer and wine, an Artist Alley of living creations and the exhibit itself kicked off All Hallow’s Eve in style. Moschino was famed for leaving both tomatoes and flowers in the seats of editors during his private presentations so they could commentate accordingly. Had either event followed his example, tomatoes would’ve definitely remained in the seats for both.

Nicole and Greensboro bon vivant Christina Calabria get catty at this year’s WAM at UNCG.

The Moschino lipstick bag worn by Andrea McGuire.

All She Wrote

Shot in the Triad

Games

Good Sport

Culture

ALL SHE WROTE

COURTESY PHOTOS

Birds of a feather

Hillary Cooper, director of Moschino’s work pulled from advancement and communication pop culture and the art world. for the Mint, showcases some of the Superhero Series.

The iconic Less Is More vest.

Calabria with Warhol Liz.

triad-city-beat.com

Illustration by Jorge Maturino