Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point Dec. 24-30, 2020 triad-city-beat.com
WINSTON-SALEM EDITION
FREE
Meat your makers Charcuterie boards PAGE 11 hit the Triad
Bars of Joy PAGE 13
’80s enough PAGE12
College and COVID PAGE 8
Dec. 24-30, 2020
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
Coronavirus vaccines, and the truth
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he coronavithere are 87 million of us in these tranches. rus vaccines And while I’m not sure that I myself rate are here! A this spot in the line, I’m glad to know my few of them, reporters will be able to get shots when anyway. And they come in. they’re making Before all this, the vaccine was made their way through available to every member of the US our ranks, bringHouse and Senate, whether or not they by Brian Clarey ing with them a “believed” in the coronavirus — Sen. wave of truth and reckoning powered by Marco Rubio and Rep. Alexandra Ocasioscience and math. Cortez took it; Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. The goal is to have enough Americans Ilhan Omar did not, though in fairness, vaccinated to create herd Paul was one of the first immunity — 70 percent is members of the Senate to the figure being bandied test positive for coronavirus, We’ll need 200 about, combining vaccinated back in March. million doses, Americans with those who I predict that the ranks of which could have survived coronavirus. coronavirus-deniers will start We’ll need about 200 million to thin as the vaccines start happen by the doses in the US, which could circulating, as their mouthend of March. happen by the end of March. pieces get in line to take their Right now, social media shots. It’s one thing to bring feeds are full of ER nurses a fake doctor’s note to the and ICU doctors tearfully accepting their supermarket so you don’t have to wear a needlesful of chemical immunity. Per the mask, quite another to give up your place CDC, other “essential” jobs: first respondin the line. ers (cops, firemen and EMTs), old people But today we’re still getting more than and others in immediate danger of dying a million new cases a week in the US, still from the virus. Then come teachers, inlosing more than a thousand a day, still mates, homeless-shelter guests and workgrappling with the losses that coronavirus ers “essential to the functioning of society continues to deal out. and substantially higher risk of exposure.” The long winter starts now. There’s Journalists fall under this category, too — something better on the other side.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Frankly, we learned that 13- to 17-year-olds are extremely well-behaved. They taught us that we can come back.
— Susan Henking, the interim president of Salem Academy and College
BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com
PUBLISHER EMERITUS Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com
EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Green jordan@triad-city-beat.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka sayaka@triad-city-beat.com
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1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.256.9320 COVER: SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR Nikki Miller-Ka GREENSBORO: Joyland niksnacksblog@gmail.com Provisions [photo by Sayaka EDITORIAL INTERN Michaela Ratliff Matsuoka] ART ART DIRECTOR Robert Paquette robert@triad-city-beat.com SALES
KEY ACCOUNTS Drew Dix
drew@triad-city-beat.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Carolyn de Berry, Matt Jones
TCB IN A FLASH @ triad-city-beat.com First copy is free, all additional copies are $1. ©2018 Beat Media Inc.
WINSTON-SALEM: Boxed charcuterie from Wanderlust Boards [courtesy photo]
Dec. 24-30, 2020
CITY LIFE Dec. 24-28 by Michaela Ratliff
Tinsel Town @ LeBauer Park (GSO) 9 a.m.
McLaurin Farms Christmas Festival @ McLaurin Farms (GSO) 6 p.m.
Until Sunday, stop by LeBauer Park and view 50 uniquely decorated Christmas trees that are perfect for family photos. Then, visit downtown GSO’s website to vote for your favorite tree.
Celebrate the holidays at McLaurin Farms. Ride through the lights on a hayride or enjoy the show from the comfort of your car. To purchase tickets, visit McLaurin Farms’ website.
Pop Culture Trivia Night @ the Speakeasy Tavern (GSO) 7:30 p.m.
MONDAY Dec. 28
Engineer It Day Camp @ Kaleideum North (W-S) 9 a.m. Up Front
THURSDAY Dec. 24
SUNDAY Dec. 27
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Star of Bethlehem and Snow Foolin’ @ RiverRun Virtual Theater (W-S) Online
Winter Wonderland @ the Katharine Brasserie & Bar (W-S) 5 p.m.
Antique Glass Ornament Display @ Reynolda House Museum of American Art (W-S) 10 a.m. Until Dec. 31, stop by Reynolda House to view a historic collection of Christmas ornaments featuring candy, Santa and animals. Visit Reynolda’s website to purchase tickets.
Opinion
The Nutcracker on-demand @ UNC School of the Arts (W-S) Online Celebrate Christmas by enjoying UNCSA’s production of the timeless tale of The Nutcracker free on-demand. View online at UNCSA.edu/Nutcracker, YouTube and Facebook.
News
FRIDAY Dec. 25
Culture
Do you think you’re pretty well-versed in pop culture? Prove it at trivia night at Speakeasy Tavern. There will be multiple categories of trivia — including music and movies — giving you a chance to show your stuff. Come ready to compete as there are prizes for the winners!
Kaleideum is excited to announce a series of day camps taking place during winter break! To register for this camp or to view others, visit Kaleideum’s website.
Shot in the Triad
Until Saturday, RiverRun presents Holiday Shorts, three short films available for free, on-demand viewing thanks to sponsorship from American National Bank. To view, visit RiverRun’s website. Puzzles
SATURDAY Dec. 26
Holiday Gift Market @ Cooks Flea Market (W-S) 9 a.m. Stop by Cooks Flea Market and get some late holiday shopping done while supporting small, local businesses.
Bring in the holiday season at the Katharine with cocktails, hors d’oeurvres and winter-themed dining globes. Reserve your space on ExploreTock.
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Dec. 24-30, 2020
Coronavirus in the Triad:
(As of Wednesday, Dec. 23, compared to last week)
NC
488,905 (+37,031)
Forsyth
18,770 (+1,546)
Guilford County
20,495 (adjustment)
COVID-19 deaths NC
6,297 (+318)
Forsyth
207 (+18)
Guilford
289 (+7)
Opinion
News
Up Front
Documented COVID-19 diagnoses
Culture
Documented recoveries NC
403,488 (+38,215)
Forsyth
15,425 (+1,831)
Guilford
16,667 (+1,167)
Shot in the Triad
Current cases NC
79,120 (+31,231)
Forsyth
3,138 (-114)
Guilford
3,537 (+1,006)
Puzzles
Hospitalizations (right now)
4
NC
3,001 (+190)
Forsyth
56 (+12)
Guilford
202 (+6)
Dec. 24-30, 2020 Up Front News
Opinion
Culture
Shot in the Triad
Puzzles
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Puzzles
Shot in the Triad
Culture
Opinion
News
Up Front
Dec. 24-30, 2020
NEWS
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Guilford gives $5 million for housing; Forsyth rebuffs eviction relief by Jordan Green
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he new Democratic majority on the Guilford County Commission approved $5 million in assistance for rent, utilities, childcare and food on Dec. 18, while their counterparts on the Republican-controlled Forsyth County Commission brushed aside demands for rental assistance and local action to halt evictions. With an eviction moratorium imposed by the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention expiring on Dec. 31, local officials are staring down a looming eviction crisis. James Upchurch, a Democrat who flipped the District 6 seat on the Guilford County Commission in the recent election, said he was surprised that none of the CARES Act funding received by Guilford County government earlier this year went to address housing, childcare or food assistance needs. The housing funds will be available for both rent and mortgage assistance, he said. “I’m worried that in the beginning of the year there’s going to be hundreds, maybe thousands of people facing eviction,” Upchurch said. “It’s really shocking. We’ve spent tens of millions of dollars over the past several months. None of that has gone towards these important needs. Right now, everybody’s struggling, and we have to do what’s right by our citizens.” Democrats now hold a 6-3 majority on the Guilford County Commission, compared to the 5-4 majority held by Republicans before the election. (Democrats could pick up a seventh seat in District 4, where challenger Mary Beth Murphy was certified as the winner, but Republican Alan Branson is holding on to the seat pending an unresolved protest that he filed.) Upchurch said he expected “100 percent” that the proposed relief package would be approved with majority support on the commission. In the next county to the west, about 30 people gathered outside the Forsyth County Government Center at 2 p.m. as the county commission met. They demanded that the county reallocate funds from expensive bond projects, including a new courthouse and children’s museum, to provide financial relief to renters and to impose a local moratorium on evictions as “public health hazard.” In spite of the CDC moratorium, magistrates in Forsyth County have continued
Sara Hines leads protesters in a chant of “Housing is a human right, not a privilege” outside the Forsyth County Government Center on Dec. 18.
to sign eviction orders and deputies have continued to enforce them. Led by Sara Hines, protesters outside the Forsyth County Government Center on Dec. 18 chanted, “Housing is a human right, not a privilege.” “If you’ve never been homeless, find someone who has and ask them what it feels like to be evicted,” Hines said. “To have the one thing you have left stabilizing you — your shelter — taken away from you at 7, 8 o’clock in the morning, given 15 minutes to grab your things and go. “Your children ask you: ‘Mommy, why are we still at the bus station? Why can’t we go home?’” Hines continued. “And you don’t know what it feels like when your children ask you: ‘Mommy, can’t we go in the house, so you can cook dinner?’ If you don’t know what it’s like to put your children to bed in a tent in a park, find someone who has and ask them.” Hines’ experience with eviction took place several years ago, but she said it kept her displaced for five years. In Forsyth County, three Republican incumbents — Chairman Dave Plyler, Gloria Whisenhunt and Richard Linville — handily won reelection to the county commission. “We are the only antidote to the pandemic that is our government not giving
a damn about us are the very people in that building ignoring an eviction crisis,” Hines said. “The very people that we have entrusted with the care of our city and our county are ignoring our plight as we beg for assistance.” Dan Rose with Housing Justice Now said members of the group have met with Commissioners Ted Kaplan and Tonya McDaniel, both Democrats, and with County Manager Dudley Watts. Reached before the meeting, Plyler declined to address either the demand for a local eviction moratorium or financial relief, saying that he first wanted an opportunity to speak directly with the activists. He also declined to comment on the eviction crisis as a phenomenon affecting communities across the nation with the CDC moratorium set to expire. “There’s nothing I can do about it,” Plyler said. “They’ve never told me what they want. How can I make a decision unless I’ve read the book? If they want to sit down and talk, I’ll do that. “I want to deal with these people eyeball to eyeball,” he added. “You don’t have to protest things.” Housing Justice Now and allied group Forsyth Court Support say they have documented 2,000 eviction hearings in Forsyth County since courts reopened on
JORDAN GREEN
June 22. Housing Justice Now is calling on the Forsyth County Commission to issue a local moratorium declaring evictions “a public health hazard.” Nikitta Long successfully fought an eviction when her landlord attempted to break the lease so they could sell the house where she and her children live in Winston-Salem. A magistrate dismissed the case with prejudice. Long said a lot of a families will not be as fortunate as hers, adding that they might be deciding to forego Christmas presents because they don’t know if they’ll have a place to put them after Dec. 31. Appealing for solidarity, Long said, “We are all neighbors, all of us. You may never be my color. But you may be disabled. You may be unemployed. You may find yourself homeless. And so, we have to look at each other, and think, ‘That could be me.’” Long said she never expected to experience an eviction. “I was doing everything I was supposed to do,” she said. “I had a master’s degree…. I’m not making great money, but I’m not making a little money. But I found myself in court begging to keep the home that I’ve been living in for five
cont. on pg. 9
Dec. 24-30, 2020 Up Front
News
Opinion
Culture
Shot in the Triad
Puzzles
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Dec. 24-30, 2020 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
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Triad universities and colleges plan for the future amidst pandemic by Sayaka Matsuoka
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s the year comes to a close, university and college administrators are looking back on the past year to help inform them on how to tackle the coronavirus pandemic in the the spring. With a diverse group of institutions in the Triad — from community colleges to public four-year universities to smaller private schools — the area is a unique microcosm of what higher education may look like across the nation next year. “We’re asking students to do a soft quarantine before they return,” said Jermaine Thomas, the director of public safety and the chair of the health and safety task force at Guilford College. “Students will be online for the first week of classes and that may be pushed out to the first two weeks. We’re paying attention to the state and what the governor might do and looking for any type of stay-at-home order.” Guilford College is a private school with a population of about 1,900, including faculty and staff. According to the school’s year-to-date coronavirus dashboard, there have been 36 positive cases of COVID-19 among the school’s community, which amounts to only 1.9 percent of the population. Earlier this year, Thomas said they shut athletics down and adjusted the dining hall for togo orders. They also moved 80 percent of classes online and opened a residence hall for high-risk students to live alone. In the fall, all students coming back to campus had to get tested. Thomas said randomized testing and proactive communication with students helped keep their case counts low. “Every 10 days, we would have randomized testing of 250 community members,” Thomas said. “We never saw a cluster.” Thomas also said student athletes were tested three times throughout the semester and the school used public-health student interns to reach out to their fellow classmates for contact tracing. “I think the buy-in with the campus helped a lot,” Thomas said. Other larger universities around the state and nationwide struggled with containing the virus during the fall semester, leading to reversals of policy and the closure of campuses. Appalachian State University, East Carolina University, NC State University, UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC-Charlotte all had more than 1,000 positive cases this year. All
A graphic of the number of positive coronavirus cases logged by local universities and colleges this year
except for Appalachian State University ended in-person instruction and sent students home in the fall. One student — Chad Dorrill, a sophomore at App State — died from complications from COVID-19 on Sept. 28. Administrators at Salem Academy and College in Winston-Salem decided early on to remain fully remote for all students this past year. “Our decision for the fall was made in August,” said Susan Henking, the interim president of Salem Academy and College. “We decided we would not do residential education; we went virtual for everything with the exception of some social events. For the most part, our buildings were shut; the employees didn’t come to campus.” Because of that, Salem College doesn’t have a cumulative dashboard for keeping track of COVID-19 cases like many neighboring higher education institutions. Without students and staff on campus, it’s impossible to know how many people associated with the institution have been infected. “Our numbers look like zero,” Henking said. “But we know that that’s a reflection of the fact that we’re not on campus, but we know anecdotally that we have had a few positive cases.” Henking said students with the college
will continue to learn remotely while academy students — grades 9-12 — will return in a hybrid model where students come to campus to learn but do not stay in dorms. “Frankly, we learned that 13- to 17-year-olds are extremely well-behaved,” Henking said. “They taught us that we can come back.” Henking hopes that monitoring how the split model works for the 71 students at the academy this coming spring will inform whether or not the college — which has about 900 students on average — can move to a hybrid model as well. According to Erin Adams, the assistant vice president at Salem Academy and College, all students returning are required to sign a community contract and are being asked to do a two-week quarantine prior to returning to campus. They have to complete an online virtual training about safety protocols as well as undergo daily symptom monitoring through a health screening app. Temperature checks will be administered as students come back to campus. “People are tired, but they are committed to the health of each other and to me,” Henking said. “That’s what makes me think I made the right decision.” In March, all 17 public institutions with the UNC School System moved to
an all-online model in spring of this year. However, by the fall, many institutions were bringing students back to campus. According to the College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College, about 37 percent of four-year schools across the country taught fully or primarily online this past fall while 34 percent taught fully or primarily in person. The rest relied on a hybrid teaching model. That’s exactly what NC A&T University did for its fall semester, according to Todd Simmons, associate vice-chancellor for university relations. He said 70 percent of students chose to take at least one online class and 25 percent chose to do exclusively online learning. “The lion’s share of students was taking some mixture of in-person and online,” Simmons said. According to the school’s COVID-19 dashboard, NC A&T had 576 cumulative positive cases this past year, making it one of the schools with the largest number of infections in the Triad. Wake Forest University had 661 cases while UNCG had 345. By percent of population, that amounts to about 3.6 percent for NC A&T, 7 percent for Wake Forest, and 1.5 percent for UNCG. Greensboro College, one of the smallest higher education institutions in the Triad, had 47 positive cases, or about 4.7 percent of
cont. from pg. 6
News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
years with my kids.” The activists singled out Commissioner Gloria Whisenhunt as a landlord who has carried out evictions during the pandemic, questioning how she can be expected to make fair decisions on matters affecting tenants. In the past, Housing Justice Now has highlighted evictions carried out at properties owned by the Rev. James Linville, the husband of former Forsyth County Clerk of Court Renita Thompkins-Linville. Rose said Forest Winds Apartments in Kernersville, which is owned by Gloria Whisenhunt, and her husband Curtis, has “evicted dozens of people during the pandemic.” “We do own some property,” Whisenhunt told Triad City Beat. “We have a management company that does that. They don’t notify me when they’re going to evict someone. Right now, it’s in a stalemate until January. If any business is not receiving payment, then they have to take action.” Contradicting Whisenhunt’s assertion that evictions are currently on hold, a Forsyth County court document shows that a magistrate signed an eviction order against a Forest Winds Apartments tenant on Nov. 19. Another complaint for summary ejectment filed against a tenant in August lists Curtis Whisenhunt as the “plaintiff’s attorney or agent.” Rose expressed skepticism towards Gloria Whisenhunt’s claim that she isn’t directly involved in the evictions. “These aren’t the Trumps,” he said in a text to TCB. “They are mid-level landlords with good knowledge of what’s going on at their properties.” The record on file for Forest Winds Apartments on the Forsyth County Tax Department website indicates that Whisenhunts have owned the property since 1985. The 46-unit complex is valued at $1.1 million, and after deductions and expenses, the record lists the potential net income as $108,300. The tax bill due on the property is $10,218. Whisenhunt said she would not support either demand — for a local moratorium on evictions or financial relief for renters. “These folks who have rental property, that’s their livelihood,” she said. “How people choose to make their living is their choice, and nobody’s offering any of us relief because of people not paying rent.” When asked whether she and her husband still have to make mortgage payments on the property, Whisenhunt
replied, “That is none of your business.” (Once the mortgage is paid off, owners may retain a greater share of rental income as profit.) When it comes to the hardship on tenants facing homelessness because they’re unable to afford rent, Whisenhunt said people are only considering one side of the story, adding that property owners are still on the hook for insurance. Whisenhunt said the National Association of Counties, on whose board of directors she serves, has requested assistance from Congress. “We have reached out to Congress to give relief for the owners of rental properties — that’s on the table for Congress,” she said. “Whether they will listen, I have no idea.” While Forsyth County magistrates have continued to sign eviction orders, deputies under Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough have likewise continued to enforce them. “As much as I would like to halt evictions, I have no legal standing to do so,” Kimbrough said in a statement on Thursday. He added that if NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley were to issue an order to stop serving writs of possession, he would comply immediately. “I truly have compassion for and sympathize with those experiencing this hardship,” Kimbrough said. “But we are a law-abiding law enforcement agency and we are obligated by general statute to serve any writs of possession issued by clerk of courts.” In contrast, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is not currently executing evictions if tenants have completed and signed a CDC declaration and the basis for the eviction is failure to pay rent and fees. Asked about the agency’s policy, Sheriff’s Attorney James Secor cited an Oct. 28 executive order issued by Gov. Roy Cooper entitled “Assisting North Carolinians at Risk of Eviction.” The executive order states: “The protections of the CDC order shall apply to all residential tenants in North Carolina who qualify for protection under the terms of that order.”
Up Front
NC A&T took place in October and November when the university saw clusters erupt on campus. “There may have well been some students who were getting COVID fatigue and going to a party off campus,” Simmons said about the possible reasons behind the clusters. “We don’t rule that out at all. There were definite instances of that happening, but we made it clear to those students that that would not be tolerated. We would not let them bring infection onto campus.” Simmons said that none of the outbreaks were that severe and only amounted to about a dozen infected students each time. When a cluster did occur, Simmons said that the university deployed mobile testing clinics where staff would go to specific residence halls and administer rapid response tests on students. If any tested positive, the students would be removed from the dorm and would quarantine until they could produce a negative test. Because of the university’s quick response to the clusters, Simmons said none of clusters ballooned into the kind of outbreaks seen at other large institutions like UNCChapel Hill. For the coming spring, Simmons said the university has canceled all public events, with the exception of sports. For now, he’s hoping the vaccine and attention to prevention will keep students and faculty safe moving forward. The university will also be getting five ultracold refrigerators to receive and store doses of the vaccine. University officials hope to vaccinate students and staff sometime during the spring term. “We’re taking it one week at a time,” he said. Henking of Salem Academy and College echoed Simmons’ sentiments. She said that deciding to stay remote was a difficult decision that wasn’t uniformly accepted by the school’s population. However, she said she stands by her decision and that administrators have to do what they think is the best for their schools. “I think the tough part about this was there was no win-win decision here,” she said. “It was, ‘Let’s do the best we can in shocking circumstances.’ I think everybody made the best decisions they could. I really, really hope that 2021 is going to be a brighter year for Salem College, Salem academy and for all of us.”
Dec. 24-30, 2020
its population. Brett Eaton, the senior associate vice president and director of communications at Wake Forest University, said it’s hard to compare positivity rates between schools because institutions may be counting cases differently. “Our dashboard includes every positive case known to the Student Health Service, including tests taken off-campus by third-party providers, tests taken in the Student Health Service and tests collected as part of our random testing program,” Eaton said in an email. Most universities and colleges keeping track of COVID-19 cases make a note on their dashboards explaining that the numbers reflect positive cases where the infected individual was on campus while they were contagious. Eaton said testing standards at Wake Forest helped inform the university to change the campus’s operating status from “yellow” to “orange” when positive cases rose in October. “The change was meant to discourage students from leaving campus for anything other than necessary activities,” Eaton said. Like many other large schools, Wake Forest moved all classes online in March but invited students back to campus in the fall for a blend of in-person and online courses. For spring 2021, Eaton referenced a recent letter by Penny Rue, the vice president for campus life, that was posted on the university’s website. In the letter, Rue states that students will return to campus in the spring but will be expected to be tested for COVID-19 and should self-quarantine for two weeks before returning to campus. On-campus students will also have to log daily symptoms in an app used by the university. At Forsyth Tech, only 15 individuals tested positive this year, despite the school’s large population of 23,000 individuals, including faculty and staff. President Janet Spriggs said that their school moved strictly to online in the spring but eased into a hybrid model for the fall. But because Forsyth Tech a commuter campus and they don’t have residence halls, the community college’s numbers remained low, Spriggs said. “I think the biggest thing is that we didn’t have 23,000 people on our campus like we normally would,” she said. “Community colleges also don’t have dorms…. We don’t do foodservice. All those things are so much different. That environment can be problematic.” Simmons attributes the cases at NC A&T to off-campus activity by students. He said that most of the positive cases at
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Dec. 24-30, 2020 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
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OPINION EDITORIAL
The perfect gift
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n Monday night, the winter That was shortly after the Mayflower solstice, a planetary alignlanded at Plymouth Rock, just before ment pierced the night sky: they started work on the Taj Mahal, a Jupiter and Saturn, close few years before the trial of Galileo. It enough for the naked eye to meld them ushered in the end of the Reformation into a single celestial entity for the first and the unification of Europe. time in 400 years. Our own convergence happens durIt was quite something. ing a deep rift in ideologies, a polarizaWe’re amid a cluster of rare events tion soaked in fear. The virus wreaked these days as other cycles converge — a havoc on everything: our jobs, our famihundred-year panlies, our health, our demic that exposed plans for the future. myriad weaknesses Most of us have never in the societies we’ve been so unsure of built, a generational anything in our lives, When things get bad demand for civil and we still don’t quite rights, a once-in-aknow what tomorrow on the ground, it’s lifetime assault on our looks like. tempting to look to the democratic republic. But the planets reWhen things get mind us that we are at heavens for answers. bad on the ground, the end of one thing it’s tempting to look and the beginning of to the heavens for ananother. In the United swers. As a harbinger, States, we’ve finally this one bodes well. got an actionable plan Aside from the sun which makes it all for the disease that has affected milpossible, Jupiter and Saturn are the two lions of us, new leadership on the way largest bodies in our solar system — gas and, on a macro level, a demographic giants with 161 moons between them. and political shift that will shape future They’ve got cycles of their own. It takes generations. 12 Earth years for Jupiter to complete its We drift apart, and then we come loop around the sun, 30 for Saturn, and together. The pendulum swings. The so they sync every 20 years or so. But wheel turns. It has ever been thus. they haven’t been this close since 1623.
L
Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
et’s get one thing straight: rie boards for gatherings with Charcuterie is meat. There friends and just realized there is no such thing as a hot was a real market for it. In one chocolate, candy, vegweekend I set up my Instagram etable or pancake charcuterie and website and announced it to board. Anything else is either the world (aka social media). crudité, a platter, a plain ol’ From where do you source board or a lie. by Nikki Miller-Ka your ideas for boards? Charcuterie, pronounced sharLH: I have a background in koo-tuh-ree, is an arrangement of prepared or cured design and business and have meats and cheeses, as well as other foods that complealways been a creative person. ment them, artfully arranged on a flat surface, often a I love colors and making things literal board. Charcuterie is also the term that describes pretty so creating a board for the way in which meat is prepared. This includes anyme is like having a white canvas thing from bacon and salami to pâtés and sausages. to paint or an empty room to Interestingly enough, charcuterie spawned from a 15th decorate. Century French culinary movement of preserving meat, ML: I get a lot of ideas from according to the culinary reference book Food Lover’s other businesses on Instagram. Companion. You would not believe how many “It refers to the products, particularly (but not limare out there around the country! ited to) pork specialties such as, rillettes, galantines, I also love just playing around sausages, etc., which are made and sold in a delicateswith new ingredients and figuring sen-style shops, also called a charcuterie,” the guide out the best combos and layouts. explains. It’s an art for me. When refrigeration was nonexistent and the need to preserve meats was at the forefront of food culture, What does a typical day necessity was the mother of invention. Thus, things look like for you? such as smoke, salt and dry-aging were used to alter the LH: My days are always differtexture of the meat and give it stable shelf life. This day ent and running a small business and age, the focus of charcuterie is less on the preparanever stops. It never ends, you tion of meat and more on the variety of accompaninever turn off, you never go “ofments and the artistry of the display. fline” but the feeling at the end Char-cutie, shark coochie, jarcuterie — all fun ways of the day is so gratifying to be to butcher and maim the pronunciation of the trendy COURTESY PHOTO building something that is mine. A charcuterie board by Jam-Packed Boards. food display — has made its way to the Triad. Two Triad ML: The afternoons and businesses, Jam-Packed Boards in Winston-Salem and evenings I spend shopping for What do you see for yourself and your busiWanderlust Boards in Greensboro, have capitalized on boards, assembling boards, and delivering. Sometimes ness in the future? Are boards just a fad or will the growing board and platter trend. Maddie Landers I wake up really early to assemble boards for early pick this trend continue? of Jam-Packed is a Winston-Salem native who creates up. On days that I don’t have LH: I am so passionate about this new business that boards that are offered for local any orders or shopping to do, it makes all the long hours so worth it. Although chardelivery and pick-up. Luiza HolI love to go on walks with my cuterie has definitely seen its trend in 2020, I think the land of Wanderlust Boards is Learn more about Jam-Packed rescue poodle and cook dinner. love for cheese, meats and chocolate will always be on originally from Brazil and partBoards at jampackedboards.com trend. At Wanderlust Boards, we grow and adapt with ners with local businesses for How do you feel about our customers and trust that with excellent product and Wanderlust Boards on their board-making workshops, popboards that are not and customer service, there will definitely be a longups as well as virtual events. Facebook at facebook.com/ meat-and-cheese centric? lasting future for charcuterie boards and beyond. Candy, breakfast, hot wanderlustboardsgso. ML: I think that the demand for charcuterie boards What made you decide chocolate.... Are you into will continue to grow. There are several businesses I to take the leap into the those? know of in the Triad, and I believe there is plenty of charcuterie board busiLH: LOVE IT! I call them spebusiness to go around. These days, a lot of people order ness? cialty and dessert boards. I have done many off menu a board just for themselves or their family as a fun way Luiza Holland: My day job involves design, sales and boards like deconstructed salad boards, taco boards, of treating themselves. As things with the pandemic marketing in the furniture industry. I’m used to travelMediterranean boards and etc. When creating a name start to improve, I think there will be continued deing all over the world and I am not traveling much, for the business, this is actually the reason I didn’t want mand for charcuterie at gatherings and events. because of the pandemic. I miss the travel, hence the to call it “charcuterie” as there is SO MUCH more to it. name of my business, Wanderlust Boards. I did market ML: I am here for it. I love how creative people can be research and saw the void here in the Triad. with board assembly. I actually just started offering a dessert board, and it’s been highly popular. Maddie Landers: I work in marketing for the Interior Design Society. Jam-Packed is definitely a wonderful creative outlet for me. I had been making charcute-
Dec. 24-30, 2020
Nik Snacks Global charcuterie trend goes above board in the Triad
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Dec. 24-30, 2020 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
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CULTURE A bitchin’ good time: 22-year-old vinyl collector loves the oldies by Michaela Ratliff
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he new wave sounds of Duran Fulp adores. Duran blast through Logitech “He’s just one of those speakers connected to an Audioguys I would like to have a Technica LP-60 record player. conversation with to pick his R.E.M. posters are plastered on the walls brain and see how he thinks,” and doors, the white wall color barely they say. peeking through the spaces between They continue, “His voice is them. The smell of the hairspray used to also just really unique. I feel create those large, ‘80s hairstyles wafts like he’s got one of the more through the air. A 12-inch vinyl of Teena unique voices of the 20th Century.” Marie’s Starchild is the first to be seen on Calliope turns to REM a record rack. A VCR rests in the cubby when they’re in a low mood, of an entertainment center. Crystal Fulp, opting for acoustic, slow aka Calliope, has a bedroom like a time songs. capsule, and it’s, like, totally gnarly. “Their album Automatic Fulp is a product of their environment. for the People is probably They sort of attended their first concert the album I turn to the most on November 8, 1997 at 6 months in the when I need to just wallow in womb when their mom attended her my emotions,” they say. favorite artist Prince’s Jam of the Year At the opposite end of concert in Greensboro. As a child, car Fulp’s mood spectrum lies rides with Fulp’s mom were defined by Duran Duran, The Police and ’70s and ’80s tunes coming from the anything disco or funk. They radio. listen to songs with promi“We basically listened to oldies radio nent bass and drum when more than anything,” Fulp says. “’Cause they’re feeling upbeat. she didn’t want me and my sister hearThe ’80s also inspire Fulp’s ing all the bad words in popular music at fashion sense. For almost the time, like the early 2000s.” every vinyl they own, there’s Eventually, Fulp realized they wanted a corresponding T-shirt. In physical copies of the music they addition to the records that enjoyed as a child. On their 19th birthday, they purchased a 12-inch vinyl of don’t fit in the open bedroom Prince’s self-titled album, which remains space, in the closet lies a vast their most prized possession. It was collection of high-waisted, then that their throwback knickknacks acid-wash pants, color-block collection began: vinyl, cassettes and coordinates, plaid and metalvideotapes. Hall & Oates is prominent lic pieces. Multiple pairs of in Fulp’s collection as they own every glasses — some with clear H&O record up to 1990 and then some. lenses, some with black A few cassettes they own include Bobby lenses like Ozzy Osbourne Brown’s Don’t Be Cruel, Ziggy Marley used to wear — sit in different and the Melody Makers’ One Bright Day locations around the bedCOURTESY PHOTO Crystal Fulp, aka Calliope, fuels their fascination with the ’80s through music and Paula Abdul’s Forever Your Girl. They room. Fulp even wears their and merchandise. attended a George Clinton and Parliacurly, blonde hair in frizzy, ment-Funkadelic concert in 2018 and voluminous styles reminisa year. A Culture Club concert they attended a few years ago kept the ticket. cent of the time. They proudly rocked a mullet in 2018. stuck with them for one reason. Fulp listens to various genres, leaning Fulp visits Earshot Music in Winston-Salem on the weekends “There were so many people cosplaying as Boy George and it heavily towards new wave and alternafor most of their vinyl. Singles are a favorite, as Fulp tends to was very strange!” Fulp says while laughing. tive rock. Each Wednesbe more familiar with them. At just 22 years old, Fulp tends to be one of the youngest day on Instagram, Fulp “For a long time I didn’t listen to albums a members in the audience at the concerts they attend, like Bon participates in #Newlot, so I know more singles than albums,” they Jovi or Guns N Roses. They’re constantly quizzed on the artist To connect with WaveWednesday where say. or their music. Despite that being a recurring thing for most of Crystal, follow vinyl collectors post new They estimate owning about 500 albums their life, Fulp doesn’t let underestimation faze them, remainthem on Instagram wave music they own. and 600 7-inch singles, and while such a large ing confident in their knowledge of the time period. Fulp’s shown off their collection may seem expensive, Calliope keeps @CrystalCalliope. “It’s just what I know,” they say. 7-inch singles of Mira tight budget unless the record is rare or they Until Fulp can attend concerts again, they plan to chill in ror Man by the Human just really want the record. their bedroom with their over-ear headphones and enjoy what League and What You “I try to keep my collecting really cheap,” they call their “quarantine band” Duran Duran. Sounds like a Need by INXS. Michael Stipe, the lead they say. “I rarely spend more than $10 on a record.” bitchin’ good time. singer of rock band REM, is someone Before COVID-19, Fulp would try to attend 20-30 concerts
by Sayaka Matsuoka
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Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
he unbroken line weaves in and hobby that got way out of out of itself, crossing paths with control.” its body to create a looping hypJoyland Provisions got notic pattern on the bright yellow its start back in 2017 after paper. The kolam is a form of drawing Robert began talking with a that is often found in front of homes in friend about making chocoSouthern India and is delicately crelate. He read some books ated from rice flour or chalk as part of and started making chocoa morning meditation. The patterns are late in his free time. Three intricate and differ regionally based on years later, the Wallace’s the area of the country. It’s thought to kitchen looks like a tiny bring harmony to the home as well as chocolate-making factory celebrate coexistence with nature. Rathcomplete with all of the er than marking the outside of a home gadgets needed to crank however, the kolam on the bright yellow out high-quality bars of background decorates the exterior of chocolate like a roaster and one of Joyland Provision’s signature bars a tempering machine. Right of chocolate. now, the two make all of “When I was growing up, people their chocolate out of their would draw this in front of their house certified home kitchen with with rice flour,” says Viny Wallace, cothe help of Viny’s father owner of Joyland Provisions. “It was for Harry Joseph. They even decoration but also for really connecting wrap and package each bar with the earth. Now it’s an auspicious by hand. They do most of thing to do.” the selling too. Because Wallace moved to the United States both Robert and Viny work from India with her husband, Robert, full-time jobs they spend a eight years ago. A few years later, after lot of time moving product settling in Greensboro, the two started on the weekends at local Joyland Provisions, a small-batch food farmer’s markets like the company specializing in single-origin Curb Market on Yanceyville dark chocolate. One of their signature and the Corner Market on bars — the single-origin from India — Walker Ave. These days, SAYAKA MATSUOKA The Wallace family sources chocolate for Joyland Provisions from across the bears the kolam as a way to infuse some because of the pandemic, globe. of the culture into the product. they have stepped up their “I’ve had experiences that not evonline business as well and local products has developed and helped their business. eryone has been blessed to have and I have been shipping chocolate and trying to increase aware“The appetite for local really increased during this time,” know it’s not easy to understand how ness through marketing. Viny says. “We were already conscious about supporting local, things are done differently in some “We’re trying to elevate it and communicate the worth but there’s so much more now.” places,” says Robert, who has traveled behind it,” Robert says about the chocolate. “Our vision is to The two also find ways to collaborate with other local all over the world. “Chocolate is a way to always keep chocolate at the center of what we do and the makers to create their product. For one chocolate bar, they connect those differpeople behind the chocolate at the center of used coffee by Fireweed Coffee, another vendor at the Corner ent things and other what we do.” Farmer’s Market, to create a coffee chocolate bar. They’ve also people.” Eventually, the couple hopes to expand Learn more about sold macarons made by Easy Cuisine using their chocolate and Both Robert and out of their home and rent a space to make Little Brother Brewing used their cocoa nibs for an awardJoyland Provisions at Viny say they want their product. “I would like to get the factowinning beer. For the next few weeks, the two are advertising to use chocolate to ry out of my house,” Viny says. “I’d like to do joylandprovisions. holiday flavors like pistachio cranberry and gingerbread spice. not only spread joy this on a bigger scale. I feel good about what And like the name suggests, Robert says the main goal with com and on Facebook through exquisite we’re doing. It is a heartwarming thing. I do Joyland is to make customers smile, but he finds joy in the and Instagram. flavors, but to share want to do more of it.” process, too. He says his favorite part of the making process is knowledge of the Most of the couple’s customers are local the roasting because of the way it makes the house smell. people and cultures and they think it’s because there isn’t really “It smells really good,” he says. “It’s tactile; it engages all of behind the individual anyone else doing specialty chocolate in the your senses. And it’s cool to get to see something transform in bars. In addition to their bar from India, city. real time in the course of an hour.” they sell bars made with cacao from “I think there was a space in Greensboro where no one was Viny’s is the final step before the bars go out into the world. Tanzania, Bolivia and the Dominican making chocolate,” Viny says. “We’re so close to the product,” she says. “We’re tending Republic. “Plus, there’s something delicious about it,” Rob adds. “It’s to it. It makes it feel like we’re pouring our love into it right “It’s a great way for us to connect just fun.” before we give it to our customers.” with other cultures,” Viny says. “It’s reOther area chocolatiers include Black Mountain Chocolate ally interesting seeing all of the differin Winston-Salem and Videri Chocolate in Raleigh. And beences with a single thing like cacao. It’s a cause of the pandemic, they say that an interest in supporting
Dec. 24-30, 2020
CULTURE Joyland Provisions infuses culture into every chocolate bar
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Chestnut Street, Greensboro
Dec. 24-30, 2020 Shot in the Triad
Culture
Opinion
News
Up Front
SHOT IN THE TRIAD
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In honor of neighbors who have worked hard to make spirits bright this year.
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CAROLYN DE BERRY
‘I’m Gonna Have Some Words’—themeless time again! by Matt Jones
Across
Up Front
©2020 Jonesin’ Crosswords
(editor@jonesincrosswords.com)
News
Answers from previous publication.
Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles
1 Underscores? 6 Belt holders near belts? 15 Establish by law 16 Subject of a constitutional clause 17 Culminated in 18 Porcelain, when around electricity 19 “Must have been ___ news day” 20 Fall apart 21 Expand 22 Semiconductor classification whose first letter stands for “negative” 23 “Remove plastic,” e.g. 25 Wagering venue, for short 26 ___ Webster (Twain’s “celebrated jumping frog”) © 2020 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) 27 BBC’s Italian counterpart 29 Like some hours 30 Salty snack from an air fryer, maybe 36 Popeye, as the theme song goes 37 Passive-aggressive message header implying you should’ve read 42 Projectile at some bars 43 Formula One racer Vettel, to fans 44 Aberdeen resident 46 Spinning stat 47 Spoil, with “on” 50 Search engine input Answers from last issue 51 Slacker’s sin 28 Mosque leader 54 Edge 31 “The cow ___ [mooooo]” 55 Store-hours word (pull-string toy output) 56 Restoration site of 2019 32 Like some bathrooms 58 Stops on ___ 33 Full of detail 59 Kind of phenomenon that explains why 34 “øPor quÈ no los ___?” Ouija board planchettes move 35 When Easter falls 60 1996 presidential candidate Alexander 37 It’s “like a carrot doused in perfume,” 61 Edge according to cookscountry.com 62 Powers portrayer 38 Go boom Down 39 More out-of-the-way 40 Hockey player’s concern 1 College founder Stanford 41 Producers of “Dallas,” “Falcon Crest,” 2 It’s the least you can rate and “Knots Landing” 3 Phrase said with a downcast look 45 1840s First Family 4 “Ghostbusters” stuff 48 East ___ (nation since 2002) 5 Author Harriet Beecher ___ 49 Nail file material 6 Beneficiaries of some trust funds 50 Feeling of uneasiness 7 “___ telling anyone” 52 Enterprise counselor Deanna 8 Medium that was often psychedelic 53 Natural rope fiber in the 1960s 57 Exclamation often prompted 9 Reason for a winter shot by Bart Simpson 10 Former Brazilian president ___ da Silva 11 “Diary of ___ Black Woman” (2005 film) 12 Put in writing 13 Tangled 14 Rave flashers 24 ___ d’Or (prize at Cannes)
SUDOKU
Dec. 24-30, 2020
CROSSWORD
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