TCB Aug. 10, 2017 — Payday by Triad City Beat

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point triad-city-beat.com August 10 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 16, 2016

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What city employees earn in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point PAGE 16

August 10 — 16, 2016

SERVING UP THE BEST OF SUMMER

AND THERE’S PLENTY TO GO AROUND

WINSTON-SALEM OPEN

Winston-Salem, NC • August 20 –27, 2016 WINSTONSALEMOPEN.COM • 336.758.6409

A vantage point on LeBauer Park

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

by Brian Clarey

NEWS 8 P rotest, compromises on early voting 10 ‘Deplorable’ conditions at Rolling Hills 12 HPJ: No decision on Rich Fork Preserve

OPINION 14 Editorial: Broken-windows policing 14 Citizen Green: Trump vs the neocons 15 It Just Might Work: Forseca Fitness 15 Fresh Eyes: Jailhouse wisdom for cops

COVER

16 Payday

CULTURE 20 Food: It is hot, hot, hot! 21 Barstool: A three-hour tour (of booze) 22 Music: Local takes ‘Blind Idol’ competition 24 Art: Theatrical fashion finds

FUN & GAMES

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

26 It’s a Madhouse

28 Westbrook St, Greensboro

GAMES

ALL SHE WROTE

27 Jonesin’ Crossword

30 Meat and real estate

QUOTE OF THE WEEK We’ve got folks that work for us that work two or three jobs. We want to be a family-friendly organization. We want people to be able to put food on the table, to provide clothes and put a roof over their heads. This is a holistic perspective so that parents are able to spend more time in the home with their children. Then you get to the education piece [that addresses generational poverty]. – Greensboro City Council member Jamal Fox in the Cover, page 18 1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 • Office: 336-256-9320 BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brian Clarey

ART ART DIRECTOR Jorge Maturino

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Allen Broach

SALES DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Dick Gray

brian@triad-city-beat.com allen@triad-city-beat.com

jorge@triad-city-beat.com

dick@triad-city-beat.com

EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Eric Ginsburg

SALES EXECUTIVE Stephen Cuccio

SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Green

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eric@triad-city-beat.com

jordan@triad-city-beat.com

EDITORIAL INTERNS Naari Honor Jesse Morales intern@triad-city-beat.com

CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn de Berry Nicole Crews Anthony Harrison Matt Jones Alex Klein Amanda Salter

Cover illustration by Jorge Maturino. What a guy!

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

I waited until after the ribbon had been cut and the mayor made her proclamation, waited until after the boosters had told everyone how to feel about LeBauer Park, the newest addition to downtown Greensboro and the first in a domino chain that will transform the north end of the district. I wanted to see it for myself. It had been hours since the applause died down by the time I eased my beat-up wagon down the final stretch of Davie Street, still closed to traffic but now wearing a fresh layer of solid-black asphalt leading up to the new grounds. And still, in the midafternoon, the park was full of kids — kids wrangling the outdoor foosball and ping-pong tables, kids bouncing along the spongy surface of the Children’s Garden and scrambling on the equipment, digging in the sandbox, climbing on the concrete letters that spell out the park’s name. The space serves a better function than it did when it was a collection of disparate lots joined by proximity and little else. Now the playground gives way to a maze of trails that links the park with the library and children’s museum, an element of connectivity that, though it always existed, was never really activated. The stage and lawn took on a serious upgrade in appearance and function, pointed now towards the westward caverns and slopes of downtown instead of directly into the back door of Café Europa. Jakub Pucilowski, who bought Café Europa from the esteemed John Rudy shortly before the street closed down and the fences went up outside his patio 19 months ago, took it in with a Camel Light from a wrought-iron table by the fountain. He knows that more people will come through the park, certainly in the next few days, and muses that if the programming for the grandstand is on the level of Bailey Park in Winston-Salem, he will certainly But he doesn’t see a surge in business. And he knows that the performing-arts trust it. Not yet. center, on its way up right across Davie Street, could supercharge a renaissance in this northern stretch of downtown Greensboro. But he doesn’t trust it. Not yet. Not enough to bank on it, anyway. Still, he’s getting new awnings, tuning up the patio, maybe running a little Drano through the pipes of the fountain and putting in some new lights. “You should see the sculpture at night, when it’s lit up,” he said, pulling up pictures on his phone that show the Janet Echelman piece like a glowing sunset suspended in the air. Things are looking up around here, at long last.

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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

CONTENTS

August 10 — 16, 2016

CITY LIFE August 10 – 16 WEDNESDAY D&D Adventures League: Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition @ House of Cards Winston (W-S), 6 p.m. An exciting Dungeons & Dragons adventure chosen by the Dungeon Master awaits the fearless within the walls of the House of Cards. There is no telling what fabled beings, unique individuals or peculiar creatures lie in wait for the warriors who chose to brave the tables reserved for the world of D&D. Quest information can be found on the House of Cards Facebook event page.

THURSDAY

Revolutionary Mothering book talk @ Scuppernong Books (GSO), 7 p.m. The concept of “revolutionary mothering” involves the belief that the fight of queer feminists is the same many mothers encounter, and that marginalized mothers of color are the force for change that the world needs to positively transform from its current destructive state. Co-author Alexis Pauline Gumbs and members of QPOCC will hold a discussion at Scuppernong Books to discuss the anthology Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines. Detailed information can be found on the Facebook event page.

FRIDAY

Labyrinth @ Reynolda House Museum of American Art (W-S), 7:30 p.m. “Dance magic, dance… Jump magic, jump!” Sound familiar? No? Well Reynolda House will school you with their showing of the enchanted film Labyrinth featuring the notorious goblin king Jareth, played by the iconic David Bowie. Puppy dog tails, floating orbs, and lost babysitters are optional. More information can be located on Reynolda’s Facebook page. J. Breed & the Permanent Press/Izzy True @ Urban Grinders (GSO), 8 p.m. A clash of tech sound that includes synthesizer and talk-box components, are combined with vocal jungle-soul to help form the band known as J. Breed & the Permanent Press. The edgy group, said to be powered by “love”, will be appearing live once again at Urban Grinders. For detailed information see the Urban Grinders event page on Facebook.

SATURDAY

Penman Sip: Freedom of Speech @ Be Natural Fitness (GSO), 3 p.m. Artistic beings come together to share their gift for one common purpose: the freedom of expression. DJ Damu performs spiritual drumming that will touch the soul. Alternative R&B artist Irie Child croons away with his distinctive island sound and Jonathan Santos will also be in the house performing his lyrical acoustic works. For more information, check out the event page for Penman Sip on Facebook.

SUNDAY GSO Roller Derby @ the Greensboro Coliseum Complex (GSO), 2 p.m. It’s Double header time! The ladies of the Greensboro Roller Derby face the Beckley Area Derby Dames. Star Wars attire strongly encouraged but not required, but who doesn’t want to be a Star Wars character? Check out full details on the Star Wars Double Header with BADD Facebook page. KnockerBall @ LeBauer Park – South Lawn (GSO), 4 p.m. What happens when soccer and plastic bubbles combine? You find yourself entrapped in a huge freaking bubble tumbling around! As part of LeBaurer Park’s grand opening week of celebratory events, KnockerBall will be a part of the festivities. Put on your game face and visit LeBauer’s Facebook page for more information.

by Naari Honor

Dom Flemons @ GTCC High Point campus, 6 p.m. Dubbed the “American Songster”, Dom Flemons graces the stage of the GTCC Amphitheater with his smooth, old-time folk music-inspired tunes. The Grammy award-winning artist, formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, is sure to play at least a few of the multiple instruments he has mastered. More information at the High Point Arts Council event page.

MONDAY

Sweeney Todd audition @ High Point Community Theater, 7 p.m. 1800s London. Blood lust. Fatal attractions. Meat pies. Carnage. Barbering shears. These components and more set the stage for the infamous, Sweeney Todd, about a madman who created peculiar delicacies for his all-too-eager customers. High Point Community Theater holds casting calls for their production of the dark musical. More information at their Facebook page.

TUESDAY

Adult Kickball @ the Oakview Recreation Center (HP), 7:30 p.m. Admit it. You miss those days of playing kickball. Well here’s your chance get back into the game. The Oakview Recreation calls it exercise, but what it really is, is a chance to finally score against that punk who kicked you in the stomach with that heinous red ball in middle school. For more information on how to relive your childhood, visit the organization’s Facebook page.

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EVENTS

Wednesday, August 10 @ 8pm

Sam Fribush & the Honky Tonk Band Thursday, August 11 @ 8pm

Open Mic Night

Friday, August 12 @ 8pm

Crystal Bright

Saturday, August 13

John Stubblefield Book Signing 1-3pm DV Demoni Art Show Reception 6-8pm Jacob Vaughn 8pm Monday, August 15 @ 7pm

Mystery Movie Monday

602 S Elam Ave • Greensboro

(336) 698-3888

Playing August 12 – 18 SUMMER TIME BREW N’ VIEW PRESENTS

Studio Ghibli’s “My Neighbor Totoro” Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 Masterpiece! 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 12 $6 ticket includes FREE BEVERAGE

--OTHER EVENTS & SCREENINGS--

Star Trek Countdown Featuring the TOP 50 EPISODES of Star Trek 7 p.m. Wednesday, August 17. FREE ADMISSION

TV Club Presents MR. ROBOT (SEASON PREMIERE!) Based on the hit comic book series! 10 p.m. Wednesday, August 17. Free Admission With Drink Purchase!

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Totally Rad Trivia

8:30 p.m. Thursday, August 18 $3 Buy In! Up to Six Player Teams! Winners get CASH PRIZE!

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August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

High Point and Greensboro at the back of the pack A couple of years ago, we participated in a terrific conference about building strong North Carolina cities and towns that embraced immigrants and refugees at which Al Heggins presided [“Audio illuminates Heggins firing, incidents in High Point”; by Jordan Green; Aug. 3, 2016]. I did not know who she was but I was mightily impressed by her friendly manner and professional expertise. Each of our teams presented progress in our communities but the work encapsulated in the comprehensive Building Integrated Communities report from the High Point team led by Ms. Heggins was a real eye-opener. I think the general consensus of the room was, “Wow, High Point is really out in front. They’re really getting it right.” My Nepali human-rights lawyer colleague who worked closely with Ms. Heggins confirmed our impressions and the hard work of Ms. Heggins. While we in Greensboro were hitting bureaucratic resistance, there was High Point surging ahead! So it’s too bad High Point leadership decided to can Ms. Heggins. Since that conference, local incidents like the Vo shooting and the blow-ups all across the nation after Ferguson, no community can do wrong by being willing to examine race relations, especially its policing and law enforcement practices. Evading adult conversations that communities need to have in order to support officers and build safe, thriving neighborhoods seems to be the default mode of both High Point and Greensboro elected officials, so I guess the two cities are back of the pack, dead even again. Andrew J. Young, Greensboro Legal redundancy “How can there be public exposure?” an incredulous Judge Schroeder asked [“State lawyers: Court should block HB 2 because it’s not a real law”; by Jordan Green; Aug. 1, 2016]. “There are no urinals in a women’s bathroom.” Bingo. Someone going into a women’s bathroom to see something or show something off is already an illegal pervert under indecent exposure (or Peeping Tom laws). This does nothing to change any of that. Impykins, via triad-city-beat.com

6 things Brian Clarey doesn’t know, 3 he does by Eric Ginsburg

1. Netflix & Chill

Last week my boss Brian Clarey decided to make fun of me in this newspaper, pointing to cultural references from decades prior to my birth. Quick to defend my millennial generation, I’m clapping back this week (a term that Brian surely doesn’t know), but it’s actually harder than it sounds. The man spends a lot of time on Facebook, and he’s worked in newspapers since around the time I was playing with Stretch Armstrong. But he had no idea that “Netflix & Chill” meant anything beyond the obvious. [Editor’s note: I know what clapback is.]

2. Tom Hiddleston

This is cheating a little bit, because I’d never heard of this English actor until he started allegedly dating Taylor Swift. But since then, Hiddleston’s name is everywhere, and unlike me, Brian did watch the man star as Loki in The Avengers, so no excuses.

3. Code-switching

Defined as “the practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in conversation” by Google, code-switching is probably used more frequently to refer to the skill people develop to pass in upper-crust white culture, especially if they’re black or poor whites who need to be fluent in both modes to get by. That may not be the best explanation, but it’s better than the clueless look on Brian’s face when I asked him.

4. A/S/L

Brian is up on a surprising amount of shorthand for a 46-year old, including things like SMH. But this outdated reference from the dawn of AIM and chat rooms meaning “age/sex/location” didn’t make it into his lexicon.

5. Old Gregg

“No idea,” he said. I made him watch the idiotic YouTube video though, and I think he liked it. [Editor’s note: I didn’t.]

6. Sandra Bland

“Yeah,” he claimed at first. “Why do I know who she is? Of course I know who Sandra Bland is. Why do I know who Sandra Bland is? She’s in the news because she uh… she’s not the main GOP senator who…” At this point, Senior Editor Jordan Green cracked up, and Brian knew he’d botched it. Pretty terribly, I might add.

7. Meek Mill

“Isn’t he in that big thing with the Drake right now? I don’t know what any of those words mean, but I know that. Some beef?” I’ve got to give him credit for getting that far, though his use of “the Drake” as if we were discussing a noble duck instead of one of today’s biggest music stars is adorably embarrassing.

8. Icing

I’m a little disappointed that Brian knows what “icing” is, or was. “This was a big deal among my friends in New York City who were wayyy too old to be doing it,” Brian explained. A friend asked him at the time, “Dude is everybody in your office icing?”

7. Anyone in NSYNC

I would’ve been surprised if Brian couldn’t recall JT’s name when I asked if he knew anyone who’d been in the seminal boy band. But he did one better. Two, actually. “Yeah,” he said. “Justin Timberlake. Lance Bass. Wasn’t Fatone in that one? I like calling guys like that by their last name.”

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Eric Ginsburg: Nope. I can’t say Kaine adds anything to my absent enthusiasm for Clinton, but we live under a two-party system and there’s a veritable fascist and con man running against the less-than-savory Democratic ticket. That said, I’m not “with her,” and it would’ve been challenging for Clinton’s pick to make me more reluctant to vote for her. Hold Your Nose & Do The Right Thing 2016.

Cover Story Culture

New question: It’s back to school time. What’s the best college in the Triad? Vote at triad-city-beat.com!

Opinion

Readers: A slim majority of our readers said Kaine positively affects their views on the Democrats’ ticket (52 percent) while a negligible 7 percent said he has a negative impact. The remaining 41 percent sided with our editors, citing no change in perspective. One of them was our sports columnist Anthony Harrison. “Transparency: I was gonna vote Democrat in the fall [even] if Clinton chose Cicada Brood VI as her running mate,” he wrote.

by Brian Clarey We took no fewer than four separate Pokémon hunts this weekend, based on rumors of spawning grounds and sightings of rare creatures documented on social media. We started at Bicentennial Garden, the lovely floral enclave near the center of the Greensboro, where with perhaps 100 other folk — families, young couples, groups of teens and single nerdlings — we gathered magikarps along the creek bed as easily as picking peaches from a bin. We stocked up on psyducks and slowpokes there, too. To our knowledge — which includes the collective wisdom of an entire squad of teenage boys — Bicentennial is the best Pokémon park in Greensboro. The stops in the game are laid upon a map created for a previous game called Ingress: a crowdsourced tour of churches, public art and other landmarks, and public parks are notoriously fertile territory. We’d hit the stops on Elm Street and caught a bunch at Center City Park, making the cemetery run along the road that borders Green Hill — nothing brings people to a graveyard, apparently, like a concentration of Pokémon stops. The arboretum is solid as well. On Sunday we nabbed seels and golducks near country park, and took advantage of a machop spawn we had heard about. Over at Battleground Park, we saw and captured our first onnix. Later that day we hiked a short stretch of greenway and then went back to Bicentennial Garden to fill our bags. We’re hoping to hit Tanglewood Park, where rumor has it that there are charmanders nesting. That same grapevine says that Tanglewood is in the process of removing all of its pokéstops. That would be a shame — Pokémon Go is the best thing that’s happened to parks since Teddy Roosevelt.

News

Brian Clarey: I was a fan of former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine the first time around, when his name was floated as a possible VP pick for eventual President Barack Obama. He’s a smart progressive, and I believe he understands the unique needs and responsibilities of Southern states and, as a former mayor of Richmond, their cities. On the other hand, I felt this was a great opportunity for Hillary Clinton to pick someone a little further to her own left, someone like… I don’t know… Sen. Bernie Sanders? I would have been down with Oprah, too. Either way, Kaine is a wash for me.

Jordan Green: Nope. I’ve been in the Anybody But Trump camp since February.

Up Front

The addition of Tim Kaine to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s ticket is heralded as a great move by some and as pandering to the center-right by others who wish Clinton had opted for a VP pick from Bernie Sanders’ camp. And that’s just two of the myriad opinions held on the ticket. Kaine spoke in Greensboro last week so we asked our readers and editors if his presence on the ticket will change their support (or lack thereof) for Clinton, either positively or negatively.

Pokémon parks

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Does Kaine change Clinton support?

Fun & Games

90 80 70 60

Games

50 40

20 10

Frank Slate Brooks Broker/Realtor®

52%

Positively affected

Negative impact

41%

No change in persepective

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Shot in the Triad

August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

NEWS

Tumultous emergency meeting births an early voting plan by Eric Ginsburg and Jesse Morales

The overflow crowd at the Old County Courthouse in Greensboro didn’t hear the results of the county elections board’s decision until after the meeting technically adjourned — uproar in the hall that normally houses county commission meetings made it impossible to hear what the huddled board was discussing. The emergency meeting Monday — called to discuss the county’s early voting plan in light of a Fourth Circuit Court decision striking down North Carolina’s restrictive voting law — drew massive crowds concerned that the board would reduce the number of early voting sites and seek to limit turnout among students and people of color in particular. Dozens protested outside of the building prior to the meeting, and at one point the entire room stood to chant in opposition to a regressive proposal. What started with the Rev. Julie Peeples, the Rev. Anthony Spearman and Rabbi Fred Guttman standing and interrupting the meeting turned into the overflow crowd chanting, “Stop suppressing the vote” followed by, “Let the public speak.” The three board members — Republicans Kathryn Lindley and Don Wendelken, along with Democrat Jim Kimel— huddled with county elections staff and continued discussing proposals to comply with the new early voting requirements. As voting rights activists, clergy, members of the NAACP and League of Women Voters and countless others continued calling for public comment, expanded hours and additional polling sites, the board unanimously passed a resolution and adjourned the meeting. It wasn’t until the room quieted down, in part thanks to the urging of the Rev. Nelson Johnson, that Republican Chair Kathryn Lindley informed observers of the board’s decision. The board expanded early voting days from 10 — as previously mandated by the state — to 17, which is the new requirement after the Fourth Circuit returned the standards to 2012 levels. For the latter 10 days, early voting sites will

be open at UNCG, NC A&T University and more than 20 other sites, Lindley said, adding that it will include one day of Sunday voting, while early voting the first seven days will only be at the county elections office. The board’s decision drew applause from the audience, assuaging the fears many present felt that the Republican-controlled board would drastically reduce the number of voting sites, especially in left-leaning minority areas of town, or eliminate Sunday early voting. And the decision “really doesn’t deviate” from what Democratic board member and former Guilford County District Attorney Jim Kimel was pushing for, he said after the meeting. But the new early voting plan isn’t exactly a progressive victory either, as much as it is a significant departure from the proposal raised by Lindley and discussed at a previous elections board meeting. A letter from the state outlined the local board’s options — expand the previous 10-day plan to 17 days, which would include 25 sites; keep existing hours in place and open the county elections board office for the additional seven days; or come up with a new schedule entirely. Prior to Monday’s emergency meeting, the board appeared to be headed towards the third option, scrapping its original plan for 10 days of early voting at 25 sites and including early voting and on-campus locations. There had only been discussion of doing so at a previous meeting, Republican board member Don Wendelken stressed in an interview following the meeting, saying that the board never voted on a 12-site, 17-day plan. “When you have discussion, you work it out and you find the best resolution,” he said. Wendelken drew boos from the audience early in the meeting as he argued that the state’s old 10-day limitation wasn’t so bad because it maintained the total number of hours. And shortly after he outlined a proposal to take the middle option provided by the state, the

ERIC GINSBURG Opponents of proposed changes to early voting in Guilford County pack the elections meeting demanding greater access. They were partially successful.

audience erupted in opposition. But it is Wendelken’s moderate compromise that ultimately passed, adding seven days of early voting at the county board’s office but otherwise leaving the early voting schedule the same, according to Elections Director Charlie Collicutt. Linda Sutton, a field organizer with advocacy group Democracy NC, told TCB after the meeting that she was “partially satisfied” with the results. “They chose to limit hours, and locations during the first week,” Sutton said. “That will put a burden on this office and restrict voting by the more than half of African-American voters who vote early.” A&T instructor Derick Smith, who’s been active in the statewide battle for voting rights, said in an interview that “most of the public thinks they got what they wanted — more locations and more time,” while he sees the decision as loss for African Americans because it “limits young African-American voters, like the students at A&T, from having the early voting access they need.” While the early voting sites at A&T and UNCG were maintained, the fact

that there will only be one early voting site open for the additional seven days means that the board’s decision is more of a compromise than a progressive win. Wendelken doesn’t see it as a compromise, stating in an interview that the crowd gathered Monday didn’t affect him. “I’m fixed in,” he said. “I’m fair. I’m just doing what the law requires.” The decision not to allow public comment at the meeting despite repeated calls from the audience frustrated Guilford County Commissioner Ray Trapp, a Democrat who attended the meeting. But he said in an interview that, “the board stepped up” by deciding not to reduce early voting sites on campuses as it had discussed. But Catherine Magid, a member of the League of Women Voters, said she was “very dissatisfied and discouraged” with the outcome of the meeting because she wanted to see greater access than the board provided, particularly for students. “We registered 3,200 high school and college students, with 1,500 registrations at UNCG alone,” Magid said. “Voting is a right, not a privilege.”

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Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

City attempts to address ‘deplorable’ conditions at Rolling Hills by Jordan Green

Residents at the Rolling Hills apartment complex continue to live in “deplorable” conditions as the city of Winston-Salem leverages its authority over a bond issuance to try to get a prospective buyer to increase investments in rehabbing unfit units. Veronica Campbell describes her family’s experience at Rolling Hills, a 110-unit apartment complex comprised of seven two-story brick apartment buildings off New Walkertown Road in Winston-Salem, as a “disaster” since they moved in five months ago. They found mold under their carpet. Only one burner on their stove is functioning; the others catch on fire. A wall socket sizzles when they try to plug something into it. An asthmatic, Campbell said she spent four days in intensive care because of the mold. Her husband suffered a brain aneurism. Her grandson has broken out with sores on his back and feet that resemble shingles. Campbell’s neighbor, Shonta Miller, described a similar scenario — an apartment literally breaking down and becoming contaminated. Her air conditioning unit leaks and a window does too when it rains. Black mold and mildew infested her closet. “I had to take all the clothes out of the closet,” she said. “I lost sheets and blankets. That’s all stuff I have to pay for.” While he was fixing a hole in her wall, a workman tapped on her pipes and they crumbled. Carlice Roberts-Braddy, who has lived at Rolling Hills for five years, discovered a leak in her kitchen faucet pipe when it started dripping on her ankle. When workmen removed it last week they found that it was coated on the inside with black gunk. Due to their water being turned off, Roberts-Braddy and her family are currently using a vacant unit — shared with other deprived families — to access water for bathing and washing dishes. On top of that, their oven has been out of commission for three months. “We’re spending a lot of money that we don’t have on fried food that is not healthy every day for four grandchildren that are under the age of 6,”

Roberts-Braddy said. “We’re losing food because the seal on the refrigerator doesn’t work.” US Rep. Alma Adams visited the apartment complex on July 21 with Councilman Derwin Montgomery and met a resident whose sewage had backed up. Her office said in a statement that Adams found the living conditions at the apartment complex to be “deplorable.” Campbell, Miller and Roberts-Braddy’s ordeal is hardly unique among the residents. “I can’t tell you there’s a code violation for every unit in the complex,” said Evan Raleigh, deputy director of community and business development for the city of Winston-Salem, “but certainly the overwhelming majority of units in the complex have had recent code enforcement action.” Other residents have dealt with electrical failures that have forced residents to seek relief outside in the shade on days when the temperature has exceeded 100 degrees because their apartments were without air conditioning. Among other violations, the city has cited the units for missing smoke detectors, holes in the walls and ceilings, and infestations of roaches and bedbugs. Donations of food, water and children’s clothing have come to Rolling Hills through a patchwork of community volunteer efforts as the out-of-state owners appear to have all but abandoned the property. The city of Winston-Salem is trying to facilitate the sale of the apartment complex to new owners and pushing for repairs before the property changes hands. While most of the residents have had to make do with unacceptable conditions, Councilman Montgomery, who represents the East Ward where Rolling Hills is located, said the city has temporarily placed about 10 families affected by sewage backups and electrical failures in hotels. Roberts-Braddy said a representative of the current owners visited the apartment complex a couple weeks ago. “He stayed a day and a half,” she said. “He did not get involved with the residents. We never got a chance

Herman Wanshiya and Cedric Duke handed out pre-packaged meals to children at Rolling Hills on a recent Friday.

to speak with him. He was busy doing payroll to employees that hadn’t been paid for months. These are the people that are faithful in trying to get some of these issues resolved. He owes them thousands of dollars.” The Aspen Companies, the New Jersey-based owner of Rolling Hills, said in a prepared statement that it has “taken significant measures to immediately improve the onsite management” of the apartment complex, including hiring a new property manager in mid-July and increasing maintenance staff from two to seven people. The city is using its power to endorse the issuance of state low-income housing bonds as leverage to force the prospective buyer, Steele Rolling Hills LLC, to escalate its commitment to invest in rehabbing the units. Denver-based Steele Properties, the parent company, specializes in the acquisition, rehabilitation and new construction of multifamily housing for residents who receive federal Section 8 subsidized housing vouchers. The Rolling Hills apartment complex currently holds a Section 8 project-based voucher. Rep. Adams said she plans to follow up with the US Department of Housing & Urban Development to express support for a request by the city to have the project-based voucher switched to individual tenant-based vouchers.

JORDAN GREEN

Montgomery said that based on the volume of code violations, city staff determined that Steele Properties’ initial investment commitment — about $12,000 per unit — would not be adequate. A resolution rescinding the city’s support for bond financing was on the finance committee’s agenda on Monday. The committee voted to continue the resolution until next month to give staff the opportunity to evaluate a proposal by Steele Properties to increase its investment dramatically to $47,000 per unit. As the city has churned through code violations, residents complain that the repairs needed to clear the cases are barely meaningful. Since June 13, the city has opened 120 cases on 110 units, Raleigh said. As of Aug. 4, the city had held 80 hearings, meaning that they were closed out presumably because the violations had been cleared, Raleigh said. Ninety cases remained open. The Aspen Companies said it “has been entirely committed to working in partnership with the city and has been rapidly addressing all violations at Rolling Hills to the city’s satisfaction.” The company said 43 cases have been cleared. The more serious violations for unfit housing trigger a repair or vacate notice, which gives the property owner 15 to 30 days to correct deficiencies, Raleigh

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referring to code violations at another apartment complex. “When you repair it to the minimum, it’s very hard to maintain it to a standard condition and over a period of time it quickly falls back into disrepair, and it’s just a vicious cycle.” Campbell, who is employed at Winston-Salem State University, said she plans to move as soon as possible. Other residents don’t have that option. Roberts-Braddy said her daughter is the only one who is able to contribute income to their seven-member household. “I’m an older female; I’m having a hard time finding employment,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s my age or I need to update my skills. I’m trying to get into school so I can update my skills. I need someone to open their heart and give me an opportunity. I’m great at customer service. I’ve been a library clerk in the public library system. I’ve tutored sixth, seventh and eighth graders. That was years ago, but I could still do it; I just may need some updating.” Miller is likewise forced to put up with a lousy situation. “I don’t have the funds to move,” she said. “So I’m just stuck.”

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said. Once the order expires, the city can begin assessing fines. None of the cases has led to the city condemning units or declaring them uninhabitable, he said. Veronica Campbell said the city issued 13 violations on her unit, 12 of which were categorized as unfit. “They did a Band-Aid fix,” Campbell said. “The city inspector came in and signed off on it. I said, ‘Why would you sign off?’ The most serious violation they didn’t do anything about — the mold coming up from underneath my carpet.” Miller’s complaint against the city sounded the same theme. “They’re not doing anything about it,” she said. “They bandage it up so it can pass. Then it goes back to being the same way.” Ritchie Brooks, the city’s community and business development director, corroborated the pattern during the finance committee on Monday. “I think it would be fair for me to say in this case, as with many others, we have a minimum housing code that only requires the minimum,” Brooks said,

Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad

September 22-25, Downtown Greensboro GreensboroFashionWeek.com

All She Wrote

IS COMING

August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

HIGH POINT JOURNAL

Guilford commission inches toward decision on Rich Fork Preserve by Jordan Green

The Republican majority on the Guilford County Commission votes to approve biking and hiking as part of a concept for Rich Fork Preserve, while insisting that a final decision on mountain biking — something ardently opposed by preservationists — remains to be determined. It’s likely that not many people run for county commission on a pro-mountain biking agenda, or for that matter a pro-conservation agenda. For elected officials, the toughest fights are often the ones that land in their laps, not the ones they choose. So it is with the battle over whether to allow mountain biking in Rich Fork Preserve, a 116-acre tract along the west side of High Point. For much of the 2000s and into the current decade, a knowledgeable group of citizen volunteers organized as the Guilford County Open Space Committee worked with a dedicated staff liaison named Alex Ashton to purchase and create stewardship plans for open space properties. Their work attracted little interest or oversight from the Democrat-controlled county commission. When Republicans took control of the county commission in 2012, the new majority became suspicious of the program. Ashton left the county’s employment, and the open space committee was unceremoniously disbanded by then-Chairman Bill Bencini in late 2014. Meanwhile, at the suggestion of members of the open space committee, a local group in High Point formed to discuss how to preserve the historic Hedgecock farmstead, a part of the Rich Fork Preserve. The new Rich Fork Preserve, Hedgecock Farm and Conner Trail Committee drew on the expertise of their friends in the open space group, raised money to stabilize the Hedgecock house and alerted neighbors with property adjacent to the preserve. They chose as their chairperson Dot Kearns, a former Democratic chair of the Guilford County Commission and former member of the Guilford County School Board. In the years before the county purchased the properties for the preserve,

mountain bikers had trespassed on the land and created a network of trails. As plans for the preserve took shape after the county assembled the properties in 2012, the mountain bikers saw an opportunity to legitimize their use of the land, and lobbied staff and members of the new Republican majority on the county commission. The members of the Rich Fork Preserve Committee, meanwhile, came to a consensus that mountain biking was an inappropriate use of the land. Their allies from the county-wide open space group, motivated by the conviction that mountain biking is antithetical to the purpose of the 2004 bond under which the property was purchased, joined forces. Just as the Rich Fork Preserve Committee was gaining steam, the county began withdrawing its support, opting to no longer send staff to the committee’s meetings. A clash of personalities was inevitable. On one side: The High Point citizen-volunteers led by Kearns, a veteran Democratic politico with a feisty disposition who is backed up by expertise, privately raised funds and a constituency. On the other side: Younger Republican commissioners like High Pointer Hank Henning, Alan Branson and Jeff Phillips, who feel they have the prerogative to shape the county’s parks and recreation program in the way they see fit as the duly elected representatives of the county’s voters. While a consulting group developed a master plan that the preservationists felt ignored their input, the Republican commissioners tried to nudge the process forward without confirming the suspicions of the preservationists that they’ve been in the tank for the mountain bikers all along. The commissioners bounced the issue to the parks and recreation commission, and then took it back. What was new last week as the county commission inched towards a plan for the preserve is that the Democratic minority members on the board, previously somewhat disengaged, solidified their alignment with the preservationists. “We’re looking to make a decision

Rich Fork Preserve Committee chair Dot Kearns speaks to Facilities Director Robert McNiece (center) after a county commission briefing.

without hearing what the volunteers of this county have to say about it, and that disturbs me,” Commissioner Ray Trapp, a Democrat who represents District 8 in Greensboro, said during an Aug. 4 briefing at the Old County Courthouse. “It disturbs me because we have a conservative board, and this stinks of Big Brother. Little brother can’t make the decision, so now we’re gonna step in and make the decision. It’s very disturbing when we have volunteers and we don’t take things that they say into consideration, but we tell them that we are. “If it’s the will of this board not to have an advisory group and not to allow the citizens of this county to have input, then just man up and woman up and say that,” Trapp added. “Don’t keep wasting people’s time and putting on these charades.” Phillips defended the process, saying, “There has been a litany of opportunity for the public to weigh in.” At Phillips’ instigation, Facilities, Parks & Property Management Director Robert McNiece ran down a list of public input efforts, beginning in October 2014. Preservationists jeered when McNiece mentioned an electronic survey sent out in February 2015, which they contend was released without their knowledge while the mountain bikers were alerted. Two motions made by Commissioner Justin

JORDAN GREEN

Conrad, a Republican whose represents District 3 in Greensboro and northwestern portions of the county, ran into opposition from Democrats. When Conrad moved to direct staff to solicit proposals for options to preserve the Hedgecock farmstead, shore up the foundation of the house and ascertain the cost of long-term maintenance, Democrat Carolyn Coleman called Kearns to the podium to answer questions. Kearns told the commissioners that the Rich Fork Preservation Committee had obtained a $15,000 grant from the Marion Stedman Covington Foundation and hired a structural engineer to assess the costs of preservation. When Penn Wood, a past president of the High Point Historical Society, held up a white binder with the report by Greensboro architect Jerry Leimenstoll, Phillips told him he was not authorized to speak. Eventually, Phillips instructed Wood to pass the information on to McNiece. The board approved the motion to solicit bids to determine costs associated with preserving the farmstead on a 7-2 vote, with Trapp and Coleman dissenting. Conrad’s second motion to approve hiking and biking as a part of the overall concept of the preserve and to direct staff to engage a firm to design specific proposals for the trails passed by a narrower majority, with the board’s five Republicans in support and the four Democrats opposed.

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OPINION EDITORIAL

Broken-windows policing The opens on a man dressed in white whipping a long stick like a baseball bat to a window of a building in downtown Greensboro owned by developer Eric Robert. A camera mounted to the corner of the building catches everything. The man smashes the first window, steps towards the top of the frame, then returns to vigorously administer four more heavy thwacks to the window before couple more pokes at another on that side of the building. The man is very clear of purpose, moving on after these specific windows had been bashed. The footage, which is all over social media including the Triad City Beat Facebook page, is amazing. But not as amazing as the timing. Robert put the cameras up on Friday after three vandalism incidents at his recently renovated property on the corner of Lewis and South Elm streets this summer. They proved their worth in hours. More troubling is the time stamp on the footage: about 10:30 p.m. Here is where Robert, who has been a critic of the various organizations and individuals who influence downtown Greensboro’s growth, has a beef that should finally get everyone’s attention. Because it looks like this guy was able to walk to one of the city’s busiest nighttime corners with a giant stick in his hand, this during prime nightlife hours and with the remnants of a First Friday gallery hop still threading the streets. He was able to take eight whacks at two picture windows in three separate at-bats, and then disappear down Lewis Street with the only evidence being Robert’s footage and the shattered glass on the sidewalk. Noteworthy, too, is that the neighborhood has been subject to street crime since June, with a couple of reported auto break-ins, two larcenies and three separate reports of vandalism committed on this very building. Robert sometimes gets criticized for seeing conspiracies in downtown politics and pointing out when services and benefits are unequally applied. His controversial relationships with Downtown Greensboro Inc. and city council have pushed him to outsider status even as he has refurbished two derelict properties in the district — three, if you include the former Lotus Lounge. But he’s right to feel persecuted when his building seems to be a target, in a part of town where nobody should be able to walk around with a big stick smashing windows, especially that early on a First Friday. And it’s impossible to criticize him for putting boards on his windows. Because if this can happen at 10:30 on a Friday night in downtown Greensboro, appearances are the least of our problems.

CITIZEN GREEN

The house Trump is burning down It’s hard to not take a small measure of joy in the letter from 50 former national security officials, many of whom served in the administration of President George W. Bush, who declared on Monday by Jordan Green that Donald Trump “would be the most reckless president in American history.” That’s saying a lot, considering that Bush was the president who launched an illegal, pre-emptive invasion of Iraq based on false claims about weapons of mass destruction in the possession of Saddam Hussein, plunging the country into sectarian strife and civil war and creating a vacuum for ISIS’ homicidal extremism to take hold. I wonder whether any of the signatories are even vaguely aware of their monumental hypocrisy. It pains me to say so, but Trump is right about the foreign policy establishment — particularly the neocons whose influence crested during the Bush administration. They have been consistently wrong about virtually everything since 9/11. And their denunciation didn’t seem to cause much aggravation for Trump, who responded, “They are nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold onto their power, and it’s time they are held accountable for their actions.” To right-size this development, most of the signatories are fairly junior league, with the exception of Michael Hayden, the former director of the CIA and National Security Agency. Signatories like Michael Chertoff, the former secretary of Homeland Security and Dov S. Zakheim, an undersecretary of defense, were either not involved in planning the invasion of Iraq or played a minor role. In contrast, two of the war’s major architects — former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney — have said they plan to vote for Trump. If you wonder whether the intervening years have bestowed any wisdom on Rumsfeld, consider his explanation to Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren in June: “On the Democratic side we have a known known; on the Republican side we have a recent entry who’s a known unknown.” And true to form, Cheney indicated to a CNN correspondent in the spring that he plans to vote for Trump, while giving no explanation, even after the candidate said during a primary debate: “I will tell you they lied. They said there were weapons of mass destruction. There were none. They knew there were none.” Judgement on the wisdom of invading Iraq aside, Hayden is also walking on swampy ground when it

comes to the kinds of tactics Trump says he would employ against foreign enemies. During an appearance on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” in February, Maher expressed horror at Trump’s campaign-trail pledge to kill the family members of terrorists — a practice barred by the Geneva Conventions. “Let me give you a punchline: If he were to order that once in government, the American armed forces would refuse to act,” Hayden said. “You are not required to follow an unlawful order,” Hayden added. “That would be a violation of all the international laws of armed conflict.” Around the same time, Trump said he would reinstate waterboarding, while adding other interrogation methods that are “so much worse” and “much stronger.” He told a retirement community in South Carolina: “Don’t tell me it doesn’t work — torture works. Okay, folks? Torture — you know half of these guys [say]: ‘Torture doesn’t work.’ Believe me, it works. Okay?” As to Hayden’s admonition to Trump to “bring your own damn bucket” if he wants to reinstate waterboarding, the former CIA director has made it abundantly clear that his opposition grows out of interrogators feeling burned by years of investigations and President Obama’s change of policy, not because of any disagreement with the tactic per se. The national security establishment under President George W. Bush created an elaborate fabric of legal justifications, state secrecy and rhetorical obtuseness to maintain a regime of torture that, to borrow from the title of Hayden’s recent book, played right up to the edge. Under close scrutiny, Hayden’s self-righteousness looks a lot more like the hedging of a sophisticated con artist who doesn’t want his loudmouth sidekick to blow his cover. Hypocrisy aside, Donald Trump really “would be the most reckless president in American history.” Trump’s invitation to Russia to conduct espionage against an American political party — serious or in jest — should set aside any doubts about that. And whatever Hillary Clinton’s faults — including her support for the invasion of Iraq and proclivity towards military intervention — no one should be under any illusion that the choice in this election is in any way relative. We can build a movement to rein in Clinton’s reckless and misguided impulses, while pushing her towards the light. But first we have to save our republic. As a local Communist Party official in France once told the Guardian: “When the house is on fire, you don’t care too much if the the water you put it out with is dirty.” We must save the house that is on fire while simultaneously building a new one.

A local Forseca Fitness

Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games

Jorge Cornell is the former leader of the North Carolina Almighty Latin King & Queen Nation who previously lived in Greensboro. He is currently serving a 28year sentence in FCI Petersburg, a medium-security prison in Virginia.

Opinion Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

HEY LOUDMOUTH!

Write a guest piece for TCB and see it run here. Send 800 words or less to eric@triad-city-beat.com; no ads or self promotion, just well reasoned arguments, opinions or good stories.

It was very hard for me to sit back and watch the news about more black people being shot down by police officers. But as the days went on, it felt good to see that demonstrations against it were organized and peaceful across the country. Then, seeing the police officers get massacred and injured in Dallas brought me to this point where I am compelled to speak out. by Jorge Cornell Greensboro as a city must take heed to what’s going on across the country. We as the people need to come together and be the example that needs to be set nationwide. We need to be the role models to the country and show the world that we’re going to make all police officers honest and accountable for their actions, and we’re going to do it the right way. We’re going to give the city what the people have been asking for for years. This includes asking for a citizens police review board with subpoena power because we cannot continue to allow our police departments to police themselves. We are not getting justice within the police department and we are not getting justice from the system itself. I’m saying this because I don’t want to see any more brothers and sisters die over something so minute as police officers lacking proper training, being overly aggressive and using excessive force. But I feel that if that power was given to the community we’d have a safer community and a better police department, one we can love and respect. I say this to people who read this in my city and across the country: We cannot take physical action against the police! This is a war that will have to be won through marching and talking. We have to have a peaceful solution. Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been falsely arrested and harassed by the Greensboro Police Department. Yet I still believe to this day that we stand up in peaceful protest and make our community and police departments better. We cannot do that if we are harming the officers! People may say “All officers aren’t bad.” If they aren’t, though, why aren’t they too standing up to injustice? Honoring the oath they took? Several I’ve known have, though. Their names are AJ Blake, Charles Cherry, Robert Reyes and Joseph Pryor. These are your good officers — 99 percent aren’t officers anymore because they stood up for justice. I urge people across the country to march in peace. Open dialogues. I urge my city even more to be the model. We can do this. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Let’s start the path to justice here in Greensboro.

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pain. But would they get to me in time? And quite honestly I still feel embarrassment when I have an “episode” in public. Additionally, because I look “normal” most people forget how truly sick I am and take forever to notice that anything is even happening. A while ago I came across a company on Facebook that is based in Charlotte that truly spoke to me because I felt could be the answer to my dilemma, Forseca Fitness. Forseca Fitness is owned and by a transgender male by the name of Ilya Parker. Parker is hellbent on providing personal training for those who are transgendered, disabled or have a chronic illness. In addition to an extensive program for transgender individuals that includes supplement management support, there are other features that make the program inviting, including packages tailored to age, body type and needs. Macronutrient coaching focuses on the amount of fats, carbs, protein and cardio needed for an individual on a weekly basis. The restorative programs help participants improve function and mobility and help maintain a healthy fitness level. Forseca also offers group and online training in addition to individual coaching. Sounds amazing right? The only catch is that there isn’t a Forseca Fitness in Greensboro and while they have an online component, there’s nothing like hands-on support. Having a place like Forseca in Greensboro would mean not feeling out of place even when it was time for me and Trish to work out, or those individuals who are in the midst of transitioning and don’t want to have to go through the awkward conversation of explaining their process. I say Forseca Fitness for Greensboro. What say you?

Up Front

I have a friend Trish who is confined to a wheelchair due to a horrible crime in which a cruel man abducted her and by Naari Honor left her for dead on a beach. Because of this heinous act, one side of her body is paralyzed. Trish has not let this stop her from functioning normally in everyday society. She holds a regular job as a receptionist. However, the world does not see her as “normal” sometimes and tends to coddle her, which angers her on a regular basis. Once I decided to try my hand at belly dancing and I told her how awesome it would be if she were to join me. While her eyes lit up she reminded me that she doubted we could her get her chair into the studio. But I showed her a commercial from the studio that featured a young lady just like her taking the class. I will never forget that moment. Years later, when I had the distinct pleasure of enduring a chronic illness, I found myself in a similar place as Trish. Believe it or not, I was once a gym rat and I still have the clothes to prove it. Now I am afraid to walk through the hallowed doors of a gym because the effects of my chronic migraines or my epilepsy could rear their ugly heads at any moment, and it’s not a pretty sight. I suppose I could put my conditions on one of those emergency cards or wear my bracelets so people would know what is going on if I suddenly began to shake uncontrollably, become dazed, begin to slur my speech or fall to my knees in excruciating

Jailhouse wisdom for cops

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FRESH EYES

IT JUST MIGHT WORK

August 10 — 16, 2016

What city employees earn in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point

Cover Story

by Jordan Green • Illustrations by Jorge Maturino

Whether the compensation of our cities’ executives and department heads is exorbitant or competitive is a matter of perspective, but there’s no question that the salaries of these top earners have always commanded our fascination. What’s different from past years is that elected officials have started talking about pay at the bottom rungs of local government as a matter of social justice instead of just cost containment.

Crime scene (police) 1. High Point (crime scene technician) — 34,844 2. Winston-Salem (crime scene technician) — $34,030 3. Greensboro (crime scene investigator) — $33,253 Custodian 1. Winston-Salem — $22,880 2. Greensboro — $21,233 3. High Point — $20,372

Firefighter 1. Greensboro — $33,483 2. High Point — $33,184 3. Winston-Salem — $32,091

Minimum pay for a custodian in Greensboro is the equivalent of $10.21 per hour — less than the new $12 per hour minimum wage. Communications Manager Jake Keys said that in practice the city pays more than the minimum, and the human resources department runs reports each pay period to ensure that no benefited employee is paid less than $12 per hour.

Winston-Salem has partially closed the gap in starting pay for firefighters — up from $31,345 — with Greensboro and High Point, although it still ranks last.

Laborer 1. Winston-Salem — $22,880 2. High Point — $22,460

Police officer 1. High Point (police officer I) — $36,585 2. Greensboro (police officer I) — $35,556 3. Winston-Salem (police officer trainee) — $33,856

Casual laborers and fair laborers in Winston-Salem earn an hourly wage of $10.10, equivalent to $21,008 per year, despite the new $11 minimum wage mandated in the current budget.

The city of Winston-Salem’s lowest category for sworn officers is for police officer trainees with a high school diploma. But once the six-month training phase is completed, police officers with a high school diploma earn $35,549

Sanitation operator (garbage truck driver) 1. High Point (sanitation equipment operator) — $28,664 2. Winston-Salem (sanitation equipment operator) — $27,248

Starting Salaries

— practically the same amount as their counterparts in Greensboro. And pay for Winston-Salem police officers increases with their level of education, with an officer holding a bachelor’s degree who has completed training earning a minimum of $39,193.

3. Greensboro (solid waste operator) — $27,144 All three cities have increased pay, and Winston-Salem garbage truck drivers have overtaken their counterparts in Greensboro since last year. Sanitation laborer 1. High Point (sanitation worker) — $24,762 2. W inston-Salem (sanitation laborer) — $22,880 (equivalent to $11 per hour) Winston-Salem sanitation laborers have modestly closed the gap with their counterparts in High Point thanks to the new $11 per hour minimum wage approved by city council. Landfill 1. High Point (landfill equipment operator) — $31,604 2. Winston-Salem (landfill mechanic) — $30,613 3. Greensboro (landfill tech) — $27,144 Meter reader 1. Winston-Salem — $27,248 2. Greensboro — $25,368 3. High Point — $23,583 Parking attendant 1. Greensboro — $23,858 2. Winston-Salem — $22,880 3. High Point — $22,460 Rec Center director/supervisor 1. High Point (recreation center director) — $40,335 2. W inston-Salem (recreation center supervisor) — $36,492 3. Greensboro (recreation center supervisor) — $35,580 Grillroom attendant 1. High Point — $20,372

Planner 1. Greensboro — $41,117 2. Winston-Salem — $40,620 3. High Point — $40,335 Code enforcement officer 1. High Point — $36,585 2. Winston-Salem (zoning code enforcement supervisor) — $36,099 3. Greensboro — $35,580 Zamboni driver 1. Winston-Salem — $21,008 (equivalent) Groundskeeper 1. High Point — $23,583 Library 1. Greensboro (library associate) — $27,144 2. High Point (library assistant) — $24,762

Top earners Entertainment facilities 1. Coliseum Director Matt Brown, Greensboro — $288,445 2. Deputy Coliseum Director Scott Johnson, Greensboro — $131,217 3. Theatre Director David Briggs, High Point — $100,044 4. Fair Director David L. Sparks, Winston-Salem — $96,673

Executive 1. City Manager Lee Garrity, Winston-Salem — $190,685 2. City Manager Jim Westmoreland, Greensboro — $188,324 3. Assistant City Manager Greg Turner, Winston-Salem — $186,856 4. Assistant City Manager Derwick Paige, Winston-Salem — $185,642 5. City Manager Greg Demko, High Point — $175,134 6. Deputy City Manager Randy McCaslin, High Point — $167,989 7. Assistant City Manager Randy Hemann, High Point — $144,271 8. Assistant City Manager David Parrish, Greensboro — $143,133 9. Assistant City Manager Christian Wilson, Greensboro — $137,144 10. Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe, Winston-Salem — $131,103 Legal 1. City Attorney Angela Carmon, Winston-Salem — $169,164 2. City Attorney Tom Carruthers, Greensboro — $158,000 3. City Attorney Joanne Carlyle, High Point — $154,532 4. Chief Deputy City Attorney Becky Peterson-Buie, Greensboro — $146,586 5. Deputy City Attorney Al Andrew, Winston-Salem — $120,924 6. Police Attorney Brian Beasley, High Point — $105,443 7. Public Safety Attorney Lori Sykes, Winston-Salem — $102,374 8. Assistant City Attorney Terri Jones, Greensboro — $99,575

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9. A ssistant City Attorney Jerry Kontos, Winston-Salem — $95,413 10. Assistant City Attorney Polly Sizemore, Greensboro — $94,000 11. Assistant City Attorney James A. Dickens Jr., Greensboro — $91,752 12. Police Attorney Jim Clark, Greensboro — $90,937 13. A ssistant City Attorney John P. Roseboro, Greensboro — $90,418 14. Assistant City Attorney Andrea D. Harrell, Greensboro — $88,000 15. Assistant City Attorney Maria E. Guthold, Winston-Salem — $85,241 16. Assistant City Attorney Brent Cole, High Point — $82,139 17. Assistant City Attorney John R. Lawson, Winston-Salem — $71,886 18. Assistant City Attorney Takeisha R. Redd, Winston-Salem — $71,695 Community development 1. Community & Business Development Director Ritchie Brooks, Winston-Salem — $168,754 2. N eighborhood Development Director Barbara Harris, Greensboro — $114,616 3. Director Michael McNair, High Point — $113,160 4. S enior Project Supervisor Mellin L. Parker, Winston-Salem — $107,289 5. D eputy Director Evan Raleigh, Winston-Salem — $83,947 Planning 1. Planning & Development Services Director Paul Norby, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County — $161,999 2. Director Lee Burnette, High Point — $133,736 3. Director Sue Schwartz, Greensboro — $117,191 Police 1. Chief Barry Rountree, Winston-Salem — $158,038 2. Chief Wayne Scott, Greensboro — $149,212 3. Chief Kenneth Shultz, High Point — $138,713 4. A ssistant Chief Wilson Weaver, Winston-Salem — $107,072 5. A ssistant Chief Lawrence Casterline Jr., High Point — $104,004 6. Deputy Chief James Hinson, Greensboro — $101,725 7. Deputy Chief Brian Cheek, Greensboro — $101,563 8. Assistant Chief Ken Steele, High Point — $100,375 9. A ssistant Chief Scott G. Bricker, Winston-Salem — $100,225 10. Deputy Chief Brian James, Greensboro — $99,252 11. Deputy Chief Richard B. Whisenant, Greensboro — $99,252 12. Assistant Chief Jonathan Stroud, High Point — $95,484 13. A ssistant Chief Catrina Thompson, Winston-Salem — $93,701 Fire 1. Chief Trey Mayo, Winston-Salem — $149,380 2. Chief Marion Reid, High Point — $139,697

August 10 — 16, 2016 Cover Story

Inching towards a $15 per hour minimum wage As Democratic candidates for national office held a spirited primary debate over raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour during the recent primary, elected officials in Democratic-controlled city councils in the Triad wrestled with the same question at the local level, taking modest action while pledging to do more in the future. Greensboro City Council went first, approving a resolution in August 2015 to raise the minimum wage to $12 per hour (equivalent to $24,960 per year) for all benefited employees, excluding people who work at Greensboro Coliseum Complex, with the goal of raising the the wage to $15 (equivalent to $31,200) by 2020. By Sept. 1, the city plans to step up the minimum wage to $12.50, Communications Director Jake Keys said. And with the current fiscal year budget approved on June 20, Winston-Salem City Council increased its minimum wage from $10.10 to $11 per hour while directing staff “to develop a strategy to implement a $15 minimum wage over five years,” as Assistant City Manager Ben Rowe put it. City council approved a 2-cent tax increase while still boasting the lowest-cost among the state’s five largest cities to finance the pay raises. The emphasis on fair compensation for the lowest paid city employees by local officials constitutes a remarkable evolution for local governing councils once preoccupied with cost containment and low taxes. The push for $15 per hour began with fast-food workers in New York City earlier in the decade, caught fire as part of the progressive coalition that came together through the Moral Monday movement in Raleigh and then became a defining feature of the Democratic primary fight between presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Sanders rallied voters with simple call for a $15 minimum wage, forcing Clinton to more or less co-opt his position. In April, as she faced the New York primary, she adopted a position of supporting a phased-in $15 minimum wage, with some variations for different labor markets. Josh Brannon, the Democratic nominee for the 5th Congressional District, favors a $15 minimum wage phased in over five years, with Bruce Davis, his counterpart in the new 13th District, taking a similar position. Last month, the Democratic Party adopted a platform of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and indexing it to inflation. The fact that nearly one in five Greensboro residents lives in poverty makes it incumbent that the city pay its employees a living wage, said Councilman Jamal Fox, an African-American Democrat who represents District 2 in northeast Greensboro. “We’ve got folks that work for us that work two or three jobs,” he said. “We want to be a family-friendly organization. We want people to be able to put food on the table, to provide clothes and put a roof over their heads. This is a holistic perspective so that parents are able to spend more time in the home with their children. Then you get to the education piece [that addresses generational

poverty].” Councilman Derwin Montgomery, an African-American Democrat who represents the East Ward on Winston-Salem City Council, riffed on a similar theme in remarks before the vote to approve the 2016-17 budget in June. “I think if you’re gonna talk about it, then you’ve got to be about it, and be an example to others in the community to do that,” he said. “I think we have a long way to go to continue to move in that direction, but the strategy that is in this budget to look at examining how we can move to $15 an hour I think is something we need to continue to look at.” Mayor Allen Joines, a white Democrat who convened a so-called “thought force” earlier this year to come up with ideas to address poverty, echoed Montgomery’s charge. “I’m very excited about moving our minimum wage to $11 an hour, and we’re setting a good example for the other businesses and organizations in our city as we continue to work on our poverty initiative,” he said. While both cities are focused on raising wages for their lowest-paid workers — custodians, sanitation workers and other laborers — Winston-Salem is playing catchup to maintain competitive pay for police officers and firefighters. With police and fire comprising two of the largest departments in the city that provide the critical function of public safety, city leaders have become frustrated as they invest in training new recruits only to see them depart for neighboring cities to take advantage of higher pay. Last December, a study by the Winston-Salem Human Resources Department found that pay for Winston-Salem firefighters increases on average by 16 percent over their first five years on the job, while pay for their counterparts in High Point rises 28 percent through a program called “Career Ladder” that incentivizes them to get new certifications. Similarly, the “Step Pay Plan” in Greensboro results in an average pay increase of 21 percent over the same period. The study found that police officers in Winston-Salem are similarly disadvantaged. To address lagging pay, the new budget adopted by Winston-Salem City Council on June 20 includes a 2-percent pay adjustment for police officers and firefighters to take effect on Jan. 1, 2017, and a pay increase designed to improve retention among officers and corporals with five to 10 years of experience. The budget also includes merit raises and market adjustments for other employees ranging from 1.5 to 3 percent. “We’re continuing our efforts to bring our police officers and firefighters up to competitive levels,” said Councilman Dan Besse, a white Democrat who represents the Southwest Ward. “It’s not just the right thing to do for those who protect our community, it’s also a smart policy for getting the best public-safety service for our citizens. We cannot afford to keep training good officers just to lose them to other cities who pay them a little closer to what they deserve.”

3. Chief Bobby Nugent, Greensboro — $139,000 4. D eputy Chief Clarence M. Hunter, Greensboro — $109,549 5. Deputy Chief Richard T. Wright, High Point — $108,742 6. A ssistant Chief Robert S. Owens, Winston-Salem — $101,720 7. Assistant Chief Michael Levins, High Point — $100,944 8. Deputy Fire Chief Ronald M. Swails, Greensboro — $99,947 9. D eputy Fire Chief Graham J. Robinson III, Greensboro — $99,947 10. Assistant Chief Harry J. Brown Jr., Winston-Salem — $96,226 11. Assistant Chief Brian A. Evans, High Point — $93,344 12. Assistant Chief Michael L. Rogers, Greensboro — $90,418 13. Assistant Chief Bryant K. Staples, Greensboro — $90,418 14. Assistant Chief William H. Lentz III, Greensboro — $90,418 15. Assistant Chief Dwayne S. Church, Greensboro — $86,580 16. Assistant Chief Franklin L. Stowe, Winston-Salem — $84,538 17. Assistant Chief Anthony T. Byrum, Winston-Salem — $84,375 18. Assistant Chief Patrick A. Henley, Greensboro — $83,3014 Information technology 1. Chief Information Officer Thomas L. Kureczka, Winston-Salem — $148,526 2. C ommunications & Information Services Director Steven Lingerfelt, High Point — $130,067 3. S ystems Project Administrator Thomas Spencer, High Point — $122,554 4. C hief Information Officer Jane Nickles, Greensboro — $121,407 5. Senior Systems Analyst James R. Gheen, High Point — $120,128 6. S enior Information Technology Manager Christine Hofer, Greensboro — $117,581 7. IS Project Coordinator Terry Nichols, Winston-Salem — $110,489 8. Infrastructure Services Coordinator Todd A. Porter, Winston-Salem — $104,039 9. S ystems Analyst David L. Britton, High Point — $103,788 10. Public Safety IS Manager Julia B. Conley, Winston-Salem — $100,228 Economic development (High Point) 1. Director Loren Hill — $146,842 Finance 1. Chief Financial Officer Lisa M. Saunders, Winston-Salem — $142,827 2. Director Rick Lusk, Greensboro — $139,133 3. F inancial Services Director Jeffrey Moore, High

Public works 1. Field Operations Director Dale Wyrick, Greensboro — $137,758 2. Water Resources Director Steven Drew, Greensboro — $137,604 3. P ublic Services Director Terry Houk, High Point — $137,257 4. E ngineering & Inspections Director Herman K. McDowell III, Greensboro — $131,802 5. City Engineer Robert Prestwood, Winston-Salem — $128,218 6. Engineering Services Director Brian K. Pugh, High Point — $124,580 7. Property & Facilities Management Director James T. Mitchell, Winston-Salem — $120,045 8. City-County Utilities Director Courtney L. Driver, Winston-Salem — $119,571 9. F acility Services Director Timothy McKinney, High Point — $115,376 10. Sanitation Director Johnnie F. Taylor, Winston-Salem — $111,938 11. Public Services Assistant Director Robby Stone, High Point — $109,616 12. Senior Water Resources Manager Michael Borchers, Greensboro — $108,070 13. Senior Administrator Services Manager Christopher Payne, Greensboro — $107,966 14. Solid Waste Administrator Janis D. McHargue, Winston-Salem — $107,749 15. Electrical Engineering Manager DA Averill, High Point — $107,692 16. Senior Water Resources Manager Kristine W. Williams, Greensboro — $105,000 17. Senior Solid Waste Manager Christopher R. Marriott, Greensboro — $104,645 18. Stormwater Director Keith D. Huff, Winston-Salem — $101,648 19. Facilities Manager Darrell Shumate, Greensboro — $100,879 20. Wastewater Plant Superintendent James F. Crump, Winston-Salem — $100,377 Electric utilities (High Point) 1. Director Garey Edwards — $134,599 Human resources 1. Director Connie Hammond, Greensboro — $132,861 2. Director Angela Kirkwood, High Point — $130,320 3. Director Carmen Caruth, Winston-Salem — $118,912 4. S enior Human Resources Manager Joseph Marro, Greensboro — $118,643 5. Senior Human Resources Manager Jamiah Waterman, Greensboro — $116,881 6. Total Compensation Manager Ida Blackburn, Greensboro — $102,959 7. Credit Union Manager Gerald Wise, Greensboro — $100,971 Transportation 1. Director Mark McDonald, High Point — $129,599 2. Director Adam Fischer, Greensboro — $118,918 3. D irector Toneq’ McCullough, Winston-Salem — $112,654 4. D eputy Director Connie James, Winston-Salem — $104,095

Parks & recreation 1. Director Tim Grant, Winston-Salem — $124,349 2. Director Wade Walcutt, Greensboro — $113,963 3. Director Phillip Tillery, High Point — $113,686 Workforce development (Greensboro/High Point/Guilford County) 1. Director Lillian Plummer — $123,416 Budget 1. Director Larry Davis, Greensboro — $121,455 2. Budget & Administrative Director Eric Olmedo, High Point — $118,810 Libraries 1. Director Brigitte Blanton, Greensboro — $116,754 2. Director Mary Sizemore, High Point — $110,113 Emergency services 1. Guilford Metro Communications Director Melanie Neal, Greensboro — $113,963 Human relations 1. Director Wanda Allen-Abraha, Winston-Salem — $113,868 2. Director Love Crossling, Greensboro — $102,596 3. Manager Fanta Dorley, High Point — $60,900 Marketing/public affairs 1. Communications Director Carla Banks, Greensboro — $109,310 2. Community & Public Engagement Director Jeron Hollis — $105,845 3. Marketing & Communications Director Ed McNeal, Winston-Salem — $104,163 Fleet services (High Point) 1. Director Gary L. Smith — $107,010 Customer service (High Point) 1. Director Troy R. Martin Jr. — $110,113 City clerk/secretary 1. City Clerk Betsey Richardson, Greensboro — $101,661 2. City Clerk Lisa Vierling, High Point — $81,808 3. City Secretary Melanie M. Johnson, Winston-Salem — $65,161 Museums 1. Greensboro Historical Museum Manager Carol Hart — $72,667 2. High Point Museum Director Edith Brady — $54,011

Significant moves at the top of the pay scale Along with death and taxes, there’s one certainty in Triad government from one year to the next: Coliseum Director Matt Brown will take home the biggest paycheck of any public servant. It’s easy to understand why. The facility he runs is a linchpin of Greensboro’s amateur-sports tourism economy, which spins off revenue to hotels and restaurants in the city. Accordingly, Brown’s pay rose from $269,575 to $288,445. City managers in the Triad’s three largest cities earn roughly two thirds of what Brown takes home. The biggest change in the executive category since last year is that Winston-Salem City Manager Lee Garrity, who has held the top job the longest, leapfrogged over Jim Westmoreland, his counterpart in Greensboro. Garrity’s pay increased from $183,475 to $190,685. Within the executive ranks, Mary Vigue left a position as an assistant city manager in Greensboro to join the Say Yes campaign, while Randy Hemann came to High Point from Salisbury to work as an assistant city position. Kenneth Schultz took the job of police chief in High Point following the retirement of his predecessor, Marty Sumner. Likewise, Bobby Nugent replaced Greg Grayson as fire chief in Greensboro. Notably, the city of High Point fired the director of its human relations department, replacing a department head who earned a salary of $97,400 with a manager, Fanta Dorley, who takes home less than two-thirds that amount. Like Vigue, Donnie Turlington left the city of Greensboro to work for Say Yes. Turlington earned $101,500 as the city’s communications & marketing director, while his replacement, Carla Banks, earns $109,310. In High Point, Jeron Hollis was promoted from communications officer to community & public engagement director, with a hefty pay increase from $84,342 to $105,845. In Winston-Salem, Melanie Johnson succeeded Renee Phillips as city secretary. Johnson earns $65,161 — $16,575 less than her predecessor.

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Point — $133,212 4. S enior Financial Services Manager Marlene Druga, Greensboro — $121,554

August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

CULTURE Habanero heat comes full circle after 25 years by Eric Ginsburg

he unofficial Belizean Embassy is located on inducted into the Hot Sauce Hall of Winston-Salem’s stately Runnymede Road, Fame this year alongside Huy Fong just west of Hanes Park and RJ Reynolds High Foods’ Sriracha Sauce founder, the School. That’s where Michael Touby, the self-described founder of Frank’s Red Hot, the man “ambassador of heat” lives, and it’s where he stratebehind the world’s hottest known gizes about the growth of a hot pepper sauce import as Death Sauce and none other than business he first linked up with almost 30 years ago. Sam Garner of Winston-Salem’s Touby’s analogy to an embassy might sound a little own Texas Pete. overblown or self important — and he says it partially Talk about good company. in jest — but considering that Touby says his business Since reconnecting with Sharp, partner Marie Sharp is responsible for Belize’s No. 2 exTouby has been back down to Belize, port behind lobsters headed for the Red Lobster chain, and almost cried when he saw it may not be that much of an exaggeration. how his former partner’s business I couldn’t confirm Touby’s claim — bananas and has grown in the 25 years since sugar might actually be the Central American nation’s he changed tracks. Now they’ve leading exports — but the Belize-based pepper sauce teamed up again, with Touby planpurveyor is producing 600,000 cases of the sauce ning to help her launch a tweaked annually, according to Touby. Marie Sharp will soon be and redesigned line, likely in early able to ramp up dramatically to 1.8 million cases, with 2017. 12 bottles to a case, thanks to a production-side investHe’s not the one importing her ment last month, with the lion’s share going to Japan. sauces; to try them, you need to go Touby’s relationship to Sharp dates back to the late online, request it at restaurants or ’80s. He’d gone to Loyola in New Orleans with plans reach out to Hot Shots Distributing to be a journalist, but after school followed a friend in Charlotte, Touby said. But he is from Belize who wanted to export US goods back to the brand ambassador for the Marie ERIC GINSBURG Michael Touby’s kitchen is overflowing with sauces. his home country. On a trip to the small former British Sharp’s sauce brand, and a damn colony facing the Caribbean the friends encountered good one, too. Sharp’s sauces everywhere and switched course, Touby set out a small bowl of rice, ly dangerous if consumed straight. But add the mild forming a relationship with the woman behind the hot another with his garlicy lentils, two others with cream or hot to some food like Touby’s lentils, or even the sauce and bringing it north. cheese and a plate with smoked corn on the cob. As matzah he provided, and you’re on safer ground. The But in 1991 with a baby on the way, Touby split. He he prepared, he described the fresh ingredients Sharp grapefruit and smoked varieties are serious stars, and needed to make real money, and went into the medical uses including carrot and onion, her commitment to highlight the dexterity of Sharp’s operation. communications field. being pesticide-free, her creative use of grapefruit Touby is doing everything from research and devel“From a passion perspective,” he said, standing in his pulp, prickly pear and orange pulp. She makes non-feropment to modifying these recipes for Sharp’s forthspacious Winston-Salem kitchen with a pot of lentils mented pepper sauces relying on habanero, a move coming line — really every element beyond production. on the stove, “I lost my food-industry passion.” that distinguishes her from regular hot sauces, several It feels good to be rekindling his passion, which he said That’s why the army of sauce bottles that stood on of which utilize cayenne. never fully dissipated. Touby may have thought in 1991 his kitchen island in front of him were so significant. In Belize, people put her prickly pear sauce on fish that his interest in hot sauces would be in a sort of perAfter 25 years away from the industry, now retired and or avocado. He puts it or the fruit-forward one with manent hibernation, almost like an athlete turned into working on various passion projects, Touby’s life has grapefruit on sushi, Touby said, joking about hot sauce a spectator. But it turns out it just took 25 years for the come full circle. in his bag, swag. One is almost like a steak sauce, chance to step back into the arena to return. He reconnected with Sharp at the New York Fancy making use of tamarind, green mango and raisin, and Food Show earlier this year. a sweet habanero pepper sauce She’d had an ugly split with his doesn’t contain much heat and Pick of the Week former business partners long pairs with the cream cheese. Read more at mariesharps-bz. ago, almost as soon as he left, Touby grabbed a colossal A sampling party of life’s nectar com or contact Michael Touby he said. His old friends had taken hunk of Amish butter from his Ice cream, Coffee, and Wine @ West End Coffeehouse at mtouby@gmail.com. Sharp’s brand Melinda’s with refrigerator to coat the corn (W-S), Thursday, 5:30 p.m. them, but she’d continued prohe’d grabbed out of his backyard West End Coffee House is pulling out all the ducing and put her own name on smoker, then suggested adding stops with samplings of wine, coffee and gelato. As the labels. And she’d done quite well for herself. the green nopal habanero sauce to the cob. Despite if that wasn’t enough, there will also be a chance Sharp is a celebrity in Belize, he said, creating popinitial trepidation, the pairing is remarkably satisfying to party with the big mouse in the sunshine state ular food items far beyond heat-laden pepper sauces and worth making a tradition. through a Disney ticket raffle. Not just peeps, but and posing for pictures with fans on the street. She The standard lineup of Marie Sharp’s pepper sauces pups will be welcomed at the coffee house as well. was the first to popularize a sauce relying on habanero are hot, and pretty incredibly so even at the mild I know, right?! All this fun and it’s not even the peppers in the United States — originally thought to benchmark. From there, several including No Wimps weekend. More information can be found on West be too hot for the market in this country — and was Allowed and Beware reach a threshold that feels mildEnd Coffee House’s Facebook page.

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Bistro and former GM at Natty Greene’s, is launching the company with his long-time friend Patrick Sanecki, an assistant professor at GTCC who teaches culinary and hospitality courses. And while the nucleus of their business is in Greensboro, they’re already talking about plans to extend their tours throughout the Triad or for specialty trips out of the region. The tour will include samples and a half pint per stop — though not for Fainting Goat Spirits — and will kick off at World of Beer, a craft-beer chain that’s agreed to give participants a discount on food for tour days. The tour bus is outfitted with coolers at each set of bus seats, bolted down, allowing riders to buy booze Niels Larsen (front) and Patrick Sanecki ERIC GINSBURG at the various stops to take home. And you’ll actually (background) on their bus. See our site for more photos. be allowed to bring unfinished samples on board too, Larsen and Sanecki said, just not outside alcohol. on a vacation to Jacksonville, Fla., and decided to add The guys want to be flexible — they know their the coolers as well as water and snacks for riders. success relies on keeping their partner Greensboro and the Triad may be the businesses and customers happy, and last major metro in the state without they’re quick to offer that they’ll do something like Tap Hopper Tours, but Find more info at private tours, say for a bachelor party, this area has an advantage compared taphoppertours.com. give discounts to designated drivers or to places like Raleigh; the density of work out alternate pick-up or dropGreensboro’s breweries and distillery off sites such as a hotel. They’ve done in or around downtown will mean less their research, checking out comparable models in time on the bus and more time in the city’s taprooms. other North Carolina cities after being inspired initially

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The Triad is the last urban region in the state without some sort of brewery tour bus, but in a few weeks, we’ll join the ranks of North Carolina’s other beer hotspots. This week, Tap Hopper Tours and its 14-passenger by Eric Ginsburg bus will test its operation in Greensboro for family and friends before launching publicly in September. The concept is simple — hop on the spacious bus for a three-stop ride taking about 3½ hours, spending the afternoon sampling beers or liquor and touring facilities. The Gate City’s breweries (save for Gibb’s Hundred), its lone distillery and one of its bottle shops are on board, and will rotate through Tap Hopper’s tour schedule. Whether you’re visiting Greensboro or haven’t found the time to catch up to the city’s rapidly growing booze manufacturing, Tap Hopper Tours will be an opportunity to see behind the scenes and let someone else take the wheel. The best part about the company though is arguably that it’s operated by two locals already steeped in this industry. Niels Larsen, the bar manager at Print Works

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August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

CULTURE Local triumphs in six-state ‘Blind Idol’ competition by Jesse Morales

rom a stage adorned with an elaborate tanand-maroon woven rug, competitors serenaded a rapt audience with intricate melodies at the “Blind Idol” finals night on Aug. 6. Hushed within the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art’s main auditorium, Winston-Salem residents and visitors from faraway states like New Jersey and West Virginia cast an awestruck tenor over the well-filled room. Into that silence, five unique voices split the evening’s air with equally sublime yet recognizably different styles and tones. To the sound of keyboard accompanist Daniel Seriff’s lively strains, each of the finalists reached the culmination of a dream that began earlier this year. After submitting an audio or video song entry by February, judges selected 20 semifinalists to compete in May and narrowed the field to five positions that night. Winston-Salem Industries of the Blind employee Anastasia Powell, who is blind herself, conceived of the competition as a way to draw public attention to the rich talent and that runs within the South’s blind community. To that end, the semifinals featured blind contestants from a six-state area surrounding Winston-Salem. “We believe that all people have the right to succeed in every area of life, but it’s all about the opportunities,” Powell said in an interview. After six months of preparation, Aug. 6 offered a CASSIDY MILLER Blind Idol 2016 winner Charity Hampton beams as she receives her prize. high-profile opportunity for Charity Hampton, Howard Patterson, Kimberly Taylor, Claire Culbreath, and actively engages with efforts to lift up others within robust prize awarded to the winner, Hampton received Taffany Bolger to show off their vocal stylings. Many of her local community. a boost toward continuing her musical studies and the finalists, each remarkable musicians and resilient For more than two years, Hampton has honed her career. Besides $1,000, Blind Idol awarded Hamppeople in their own right, also took the opportunity to talent as a member of the multi-racial W. Gene Malloy ton eight paid hours in a recording studio — a hot draw attention to the importance of caring for others. Scholarship Benefit Choir based in Rural Hall. The commodity among aspiring vocal musicians — and a 20-year-old vocalist and avid YouTuber Charity scholarship fund, partially supported by the choir’s professional headshot. Hampton thrilled the audience with her expressive fundraising efforts, benefits “African-American males Attired in a floor-length purple printed dress and operatic singing voice, and won the competition to seeking to pursue secondary education, or skilled emaccessoried with a black sequined fan, Hampton thunderous applause. Her tender age and flowing ployment training,” according to its Facebook page. already looked the part of professional operatic diva as blond hair concealed a vocal power — and four-octave Fellow Blind Idol finalist Howard Patterson shares she accepted her award to vibrant audience applause. range — that nestle beneath her youthful exterior. a similar outlook when it comes to his reasons for If attendees’ waves of cheers indicated anything, Triad While other “Blind Idol” competitors hail from as singing. area native Hampton has a dynamic career ahead. far away as Charleston, SC, Hampton — a Rural Hall, “When I sing a song, I feel better,” he said. “It helps NC native — had the opportunity to serenade her own to encourage me, and it helps me friends and family at the finale to encourage others.” competition. Hampton’s versatile Pick of the Week Several attendees voiced a comvoice rolled effortlessly through For more information, visit mon sense of encouragement Beat ya feet DMV style “Poor Wandering One” from The Winston-Salem Industries buoyed by the competition’s Slay!!!! The Diva Takeover @ 101 Bar & Lounge (GSO), Pirates of Penzance in the first of the Blind on Facebook existence. Powell, the imagination Saturday, 9 p.m. round of competition, and offered behind the concept, said that the and blindidol.org. Four ladies with a sexy hard-core edge use funky a poignant rendition of “I Dreamed event “has been successful so far,” instrumentals to create a unique go-go sound that a Dream” from Les Miserables in and calls of “encore!” from the keeps your heart pumping and body jumping. They the second round. audience put Blind Idol in a good position to continue call themselves the Alter Egos Band and will be While Hampton does manage her own chronic its work. playing at the 101 Bar & Lounge for the aptly name, health issues, including legal blindness and albinism, While Hampton plans to continue using her singing “Slay!!!! The Diva Takeover” event. Get ready to she has also spent several years performing in musical gift to benefit others, that night beneath the lights get crankin and check out the Alter Egos Facebook theater and singing with the Winston Salem Girls’ at SECCA was all about her own swansong. With the band page for detailed information. Chorus. Now, in addition to studying music, Hampton

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CULTURE Touring the dream closet for finds, and keeping them by Naari Honor

win City Stage, used as a fallout shelter during the Cold War, according to Marketing Director Kristina Ebbink, is also the home of a very large costume closet, complete with an extensive costume shop that rents and sales attire to the public. From a litany of gear to hats and belts that appeared to have no supporting structure in sight to racks of apparel that would make Joan Crawford scream regardless of whether wire hangers were in use or not crowd the entrance to the costume closet. And that’s what brought the group of employees and volunteers to the stage early on a recent Saturday morning: a surplus of costumes with no more room left at the inn. Triad City Stage was having a sale, and everything on the sale racks was priced to go. “We get a lot of donations from estates and things like that, and that is why we do the sales,” Ebbink said. “Plus, for us, we have to consider what can actually be used on stage. We have to consider what we can use in shows and what we can rent.” Twin City Stage also rents HalDozens of people pick through the colloection at Twin City Stage on Aug. 6. loween costumes from the rack of 50 military jackets and 1940s era said. “They are hard to find and expensive when you vintage dresses in their costume are trying to do a show. For example, I did a show closest. Unfortunately, not everything is for rent or Stomping at the Savoy a year and a half ago, and if only sale, like the Cinderella dress from Into the Woods, this had happened then.” to which exiting Costume Designer & Costume Shop He turned to look at one of the glimmering dresses, Manager Justin Hall hand-attached more than 6,000 and added, “I needed all sparkle, and people needed to sequins. look grand and wonderful.” Despite the certain treasures that were hidden away The sale seemed to call out to several photografrom those upstairs rummaging through the racks, phers looking for vintage clothing. Even though Brent patrons found some valuable takeaways of their own. LaFever wanted to find Victorian garb, he was content Katie Klein, a fashion-forward diva with a vintage with the items that he discovered for both his business flair, held tight to her cart billowing with great finds, and his wife. including a 1920s swimsuit. “This is my first time here,” LaFever said. “I found a “I’m a local photographer and like anything vintage,” vintage ’50s hat, an old-style swimming dressing worn Klein said. “I love styling clothing for myself and others in the ’20s and this jacket. My wife is actually interestfor photoshoots. This is my heaven!” ed in that.” Ron Stacker Thompson, artistic director for the WillHall could be seen mingling with the shopping ingham Theater in Yadkinville, showed up with his crew crowd, assisting with their purchasing decisions. Even in tow, telling one of his colleagues to grab everything as their precious items were going out the door, they that sparkled. For Thompson, this was his first time ensured that the new characters wearing them were attending one of the stage’s sales, but not the theater prepared for the world’s stage. itself. He’s even done a show there. The sale at Triad City Stage wasn’t limited to “You can always use a sparkling outfit,” Thompson

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clothing; the props that help to create the scenes that appear on the stage were up for grabs, too. Technical Director TJ Scott ran the scene sale. His space did not appear to be as bombarded with items as much as the costume closet in the building across from him. “The people that these types of events attract I know will give them a good home,” Scott said. “They are usually using the pieces for decorating or refurbishing them. The people that come through are usually theater or creative people and aren’t looking to toss the items. That makes me happy.”

Pick of the Week Painting Greensboro alive No Blank Walls hangout @ Joymongers (GSO), Aug. 15, 8 p.m. Taylor White, an artist from Raleigh, visits Greensboro as part of the No Blank Walls project. More information at the Joymongers Facebook page.

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August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games Games Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

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ngines squalled throatily. The black car out front, No. 44, had a healthy lead of a dozen lengths on its closest competitor and while the driver eased up on the urgent tightness of the turns, the middle of the by Anthony Harrison pack scrambled for placement. The leader, still No. 44, maintained its lead through the end, a celebratory fist thrusted out the side of the cockpit as the checkered flag fluttered. The top flapped up and open. A kid, Josh Kossek of Tobaccoville, hopped out of the Bandolero mini stock car, both arms raised in a V, and stepped onto the winner’s circle in the early evening of Aug. 5. “How old are you?” the emcee asked Kossek. “Twelve,” he replied with the subdued aloofness of one on the verge of puberty. “Only 12 years old, and you’re a winner at Bowman Gray Stadium. How does it feel?” “Great.” Racing fans call Winston-Salem’s Bowman Gray Stadium the “Madhouse.” That nickname might initially strike an observer as a bit hyperbolic or unfitting for the tiny oval — at a quarter-mile, a minuscule circuit when compared to the legendary Indianapolis Brickyard. But it’s a nickname that’s stuck with the short track for over 50 years. Bowman Gray Stadium may not inspire awe in the way its big siblings do in Charlotte or Daytona, but despite its outward humility and appearance, the Madhouse boasts just as many historic moments and legacies. For one, Bowman Gray poses a strong argument for the title of longest-running weekly race track in NASCAR history. The stadium hosted its first NASCAR event on May 18, 1949; on Aug. 15, 2015, the Madhouse held its 1,000th officially sanctioned race. Richard Petty — the King, the winningest stock-car racer of all — took his 100th victory at Bowman Gray on Aug. 22, 1969, driving a Ford instead of the Plymouths

It’s a Madhouse associated with his reign. That was just his halfway point. Many other NASCAR legends took checkered flags in Winston-Salem during the Madhouse’s Grand National Cup glory days. Junior Johnson matched the King’s tally of four before he went into the crappy knockoff moonshine business. The record for most Cup wins goes to Taylorsville’s Rex White with six. Strangely enough, the Madhouse holds a double legacy: football field. The Wake Forest University Demon Deacons competed in Bowman Gray from 1956 until 1967. Running back Brian Piccolo of Brian’s Song fame, who led the nation in rushing yards and scoring in 1964, played all his home games there. The Winston-Salem State University Rams shared the stadium during the same time and continue to play ball there. Efforts by the university to purchase Bowman Gray have been contentious and controversial — another story for another time. Since the Madhouse dropped off as a premier venue in the ’70s, the NASCAR tradition at the stadium lives on under the auspices of the Whelen All-American Series, often featuring a certain type of stock car classified as, perhaps oxymoronically, “modified.” Also in recent decades, the makings of another dynasty aside from the Pettys has taken over Bowman Gray: the Myers family. Burt Myers of Walnut Cove is a modified stock-car champion and one of Bowman Gray’s newest heroes. His grandfather, Billy Myers, lost his life in the Madhouse, but Burt has reigned as track champion six times, contending for the title of king with 10-time champion Tim Brown. Both raced in the main event on that muggy August night last week. After the Bandoleros left the track, Myers occupied the second starting position for the Racing Electronics 100. While the little Bandoleros made a surprisingly big growl from their 30-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engines, their larger cousins overwhelmed the senses. My late father always told me the appeal of stockcar racing was in being there, and it’s true. The yowling of a dozen high-spec engines speeding by — the leaders

An Eclectic Exhibit

with the nasal snarls of pissed-off cougars, the rest roaring past like a flock of P-51 Mustangs — shakes you from your inner ear to the soles of your feet, rumbling in your torso. The odors of burnt rubber, tangy gasoline and bittersweet tobacco meld with the thrilling sound and vibration to spell out “NASCAR” in the mind. Myers took the lead taking the inside of the first curve during lap 19, held onto it and widened it into a straightaway-long gap until Jonathan Brown’s car ate it in the first turn of lap 39, his front end scraping off in a flash of sparks. Myers must’ve felt burnt, but he held his advantage until another caution flagged on lap 64. Quickly after the restart, none other than Tim Brown overtook Myers from the outside on the third turn of lap 71. And then the rain came. Four laps later, with the cars in single-file, the caution turned into a called race. Tim Brown added another checkered flag to his rivalry against Myers. Many ran for their cars, but some huddled into the press box to wait out what soon became a monsoon. “The bottom done fell out!” one fan yelled. “I don’t see why they called it,” another joked. “Yeah, this is lawnmowing weather,” I quipped. “Y’all are kiddin’, but you know somebody’s gonna go on Facebook an’ say, ‘Why’d they call the race?’” a woman drawled. We laughed, but figured she was halfway serious. It is the Madhouse, after all.

Pick of the Week Olympics on a big ol’ screen ‘Float-in’ Olympic Viewing Party @ Greensboro Aquatic Center (GSO), Friday, 7:30 p.m. What better place to watch Olympic swimming than at an Olympic-sized pool? The GAC will air NBC’s telecast of men’s and women’s Olympic swimming on its 12-by-24 full-color scoreboard. Games, contests and prizes accompany the viewing party. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; the events begin at 9 p.m. Admission is free, but the GAC will accept donations to its Learn to Swim program.

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11 Get visibly startled 12 “Bearing gifts, we traverse ___” 13 Psychobilly rocker ___ Nixon 21 Albanian currency 23 Put to rest, as a rumor 25 Hyatt alternative 26 Igneous rock’s source 27 Lascivious looker 29 Kay, if you do the math? 30 “Is that so?” 31 Birth-related 33 Ethereal author of “Honor Thy Father”? 34 Piercing look 35 Mary-Kate or Ashley 37 On a cruise liner, e.g. 48 Hulk Hogan’s ‘80s-’90s org. 51 “Fanfare for the Common Man” composer Copland 53 Places that are all abuzz 54 GM’s Swedish subsidiary 55 ___ Cooler (“Ghostbusters”-themed Hi-C flavor) 56 ___ : 2003 :: Dory : 2016 57 Annapolis inst., e.g. 58 Part of the theater industry? 59 ___ off (annoyed) 60 Friend, in Fremantle 61 Poetry competition 64 157.5 degrees from N

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50 Risque 52 “Huh??” 54 “Where the Wild Things Are” author Maurice 57 Highbrow highlights of some festivals 62 One of four of 52 63 Orman who played Gordon on “Sesame Street” for over 40 years 65 Osso buco meat 66 Dispenser that might have a headphone jack for the blind 67 Priced to move 68 “Como ___ usted?” 69 Jeer from the crowd 70 Had to have 71 Appear (to be)

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1 Change cities, in realty-speak 5 Some Volkswagens 11 Blackberry byproduct, maybe 14 “Pictures ___ didn’t happen!” 15 Patton of the “Comedians of Comedy” tour 16 Disc in a tabloid photo 17 Like a piccolo’s range 18 17-mission space program 19 Min.’s opposite 20 Levels of command 22 Rookie’s teacher 24 Quattro minus uno 25 Setting for many movies, for short 26 Rapper/actor ___ Def 28 Adjusted letter spacing, in printing 32 Bubble tea thickener 36 Rio Grande stuff 38 Auto dealership offer 39 Dosage unit 40 Flippant 41 Pumpkin spiced beverage, usually 42 Noteworthy times 43 “Take ___ Church” (Hozier song) 44 “___ Witch” (2016 horror sequel) 45 Muse’s instrument 46 Geometry class calculation 47 Never-before-seen 49 Striped blue ball

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Barbecue is made here.

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Shot in the Triad All She Wrote

August 10 — 16, 2016 Up Front News Opinion Cover Story Culture Fun & Games

All She Wrote

omeless guy in Tomkins Square: Girl I like your scent. What is it? Me: Pastrami.

by Nicole Crews

New York — it really is all about meat and real estate. I’ve written before about my family’s long and dubious history of bad real estate decisions. I’ve shared how they begin brilliantly with the acquisition of an underpriced and up-and-coming slice only to be sold when there’s a downturn of mad-cow proportions. My mother’s cooperatively-owned, two-bedroom apartment off Central Park is a case in point. An airy, rent-controlled, parquet-floored pre-War pie de terre optioned by my mother’s cousin for decades went condo, and with it so did my mother and two of her furniture-industry colleagues. “It’s an investment,” she told my father, sitting cozily in the den of our Davidson County, North Carolina home. “I can write it off.” This announcement didn’t seem to evoke any marital discord. Mother was a sought-after furniture and interior designer with much business in Manhattan that brought her to the city on a monthly basis. Where she hung her hat didn’t seem to be an issue. Dad was happy to “fly his little airplanes,” live in his renovated ancestral home, raise his quirky daughter and have Miss Ruby Mae Wilson run the house with an iron fist and iron pan full of cornbread.

None of this arrangement struck me as odd until I introduced an elementary-school friend to mother and she whispered in my ear, “I thought your mother was that black lady.” To a degree she was right, but this story is about my other mother, Joann. So from then on, mother eschewed the big luggage (she had a closet in the city now) and packed her luscious suede carryon and headed to Manhattan every three weeks. Often, under the guise of culture and “exposure” to my elementary and junior high teachers, she dragged me along. Yes, she took me to MoMA, the theater, galleries and exhibits, but more often it was restaurants, cocktail bars, nightclubs and boozy business meetings where I spent my time obnoxiously fanning away the cigarette smoke and surreptitiously sipping cocktails. The first time I was ever passed a joint I was in line for the ladies room at a now defunct cowboy bar — it was the era of Urban Cowboy and that sort of thing was in vogue — that claimed itself to be “the biggest honky tonk this side of Abilene.” I behaved like any sophisticated 11-year-old would: I took a puff and kept on passing. Mother: Well it looks like you had fun tonight in your new Stetson. Me: Yeah, I like that place. Mother: Why are your eyes so glassy? Did you sneak some of my wine? Me: I have better taste in wine than that. Mother: I think it’s time to get you back to North Carolina young lady. Yes, I was a brat — and an idiot. Had I played my cards right I could have had a high school and collegiate crash pad

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in Manhattan that would crush the living daylights out of any Myrtle Beach getaway my contemporaries bragged about. She held on for a few more years, but about the time that Billy Idol was rumored to be buying in the building, mother sold her share in that glorious flat and went back to hoteling it. I could feel the leash tightening around my neck and it wasn’t the Madonna choker I had bought in SoHo. Probably a good parenting move, but it changed the course of my destiny. Last winter I brought a thimble full of my freshly dead mother’s ashes to New York, to drop a piece of her in a city that has informed both of our lives. Once again, she was “going to be a part of it.” New York, New York. Now I find myself — a little over a year since my mother’s passing — back in Manhattan with an offer for my ancestral home back in North Carolina ticking across my text screen and a platter from Katz’s Deli across my distended belly. Meat and real estate. Meat and

real estate. The offer is low — almost insulting considering the loving restoration my mother bestowed upon this antebellum home — but I will probably take it. After all, it’s a family tradition.

Photo courtesy of Marianne Veto’s Lower East Side apartment.

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Another exciting season at the High Point Theatre! Jon Reep with MollyAnn Wymer September 23

Alina Kiryayeva with High Point Community Concert Association October 6 An Evening with George Winston November 11 The Nutcracker performed by High Point Ballet December 21-23

John Reep with MollyAnn Wymer

Artrageous!!! January 14 Conversation & Song with Peter Yarrow January 21

Robin Spielberg January 26 Ken Lavigne: The Road to Carnegie Hall February 14 The Summit: Manhattan Transfer and Take 6 February 25 The Blackpack: All Laughs Matter March 25

Ken Lavigne: the Road to Carnegie Hall

The Hillbenders: The Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tommy, A Bluegrass Opry March 31 Will Downing April 1 3 Redneck Tenors Down Home Laughs, Big City Music April 29 Dr. Elliot Engel presents The Brilliance of Sir Walter Raleigh May 16 Acts and dates subject to change. For the latest news, go to HighPointTheatre.com

Will Downing: Prince of Sophisticated Soul

FOR TICKETS, call 336-887-3001 or visit HighPointTheatre.com For Tickets, call 336-887-3001 or visit HighPointTheatre.com

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Illustration by Jorge Maturino