TCB April 15, 2021 — Ebony and the ivory coat

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point April 15-21, 2021 triad-city-beat.com

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Ebony

& the

Ivory Coat

Ebony Warfield, 6th and Vine’s new executive chef, talks representation, hard work and the importance of creativity.

STORY BY NIKKI MILLER-KA | PAGE 12

Which elected officials have gotten the vaccine?

PAGE 4

More cops, less violent crime?

PAGE 9

Abigail Dowd’s album of resilience

PAGE 13

April 15-21, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

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•Why Rhiannon Giddens does what she does •Which city could have the largest city council soon •What a “wandering cop” is Triad City Beat — If you know, you know

t’s gotta be navigating the crosswalks and glancing at 10 years everything. They looked like tourists. that I’ve I used to see it when I worked in the been going bar all the time: Every five to seven years, to Common the crowd turns over. People get married, Grounds, my move away, die or find another bar. Most friend Dusty’s often they just age out, which is what’s coffeeshop off happening here.

by Brian Clarey Walker Avenue — Most adults with something to lose at least once a week to write my column, have been locked down for a year, canceloften more than that, sometimes more ing travel plans, eating at home, avoiding than once a day. crowds. We’ve been baking bread, digging It was one of my places, the way the bar into Netflix deep cuts, fixing up our used to be one of my places, the way the kitchens. office used to be one of my places.

While we’ve been hunkered down like It had been about a year since my hibernating cartoon bears, the young regular patronage had people have been out there subsided when I stopped making a scene, keeping in on a Monday, after my cultural life going, taking up first vaccine shot but before the seats in the coffeeshop.

A city my second, during those I noted back in July 2020 belongs to prime afternoon hours when, that the teenagers had taken the people pre-panorama, it might have to staying up all night. Since been difficult to find a seat. then, some of them have who are out It was still difficult on gotten their drivers licenses, there in it. this day, because the seats, come back to college, been tables, easy chairs and vaccinated, turned 21. And booths were fully occupied they’re all out there, some by… people I had never seen in there of them for the first time as young adults. before: young people — younger than me, They’ve been out here the whole time, anyway, which I realize is a demographic everyone spitting in each others’ mouths that grows literally every day. But still. no doubt; it’s almost the whole point of I saw something similar on Saturday the thing. afternoon in downtown Greensboro: It doesn’t matter if I approve or not. A newly-minted twentysomethings moving city belongs to the people who are out along the sidewalks, filling the café tables, there in it, its culture defined by the ones zipping around on electric scooters, which who show up. are blue now. What the hell?

Call it the analog revolt: After the panI saw some olds too, folks my own age jandrum, our digital youth have acquired a or within shouting distance, cautiously taste for life in person.

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.256.9320 BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

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COVER

GSO: Illustration by Robert Paquette W-S: Executive Chef Ebony Warfield of 6th and Vine. [Photo by Jerry Cooper]

April 15-21, 2021

CITY LIFE April 15-19

by Michaela Ratliff

Coronavirus in the Triad: (As of Wednesday, April 14)

Documented COVID-19 diagnoses

THURSDAY April 15

Trumpet Ensemble Outdoor Concert @ UNCG Recital Hall (GSO) 11 a.m.

FRIDAY April 16

The Shoppery @ Trade Street (W-S) 5 p.m.

NC 938,784 (+13,974) Forsyth 34,201 (+556) Guilford County

43,219 (+888) Downtown Winston-Salem on Trade Street will be transformed into an outdoor dining, shopping and drinking experience, with musicians and other street performers enhancing the evening. For more information, visit downtownws.com.

COVID-19 deaths

NC

12,325 (+113)

Forsyth

367 (+4)

Guilford

584 (+6)

Documented recoveries NC

900,174 (+12,450)

Forsyth

32,385 (as of 4/3)

Guilford

41,020 (+774)

Current cases NC

26,285 (+1,411)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

1,614 (+108)

The UNCG Trumpet Studio encourages you to pull up a chair to their outdoor trumpet concert. The event will be outside Tew Recital Hall, under the Organ Hall.

No need to panic if you can’t make it. The concert will be livestreamed from the Trumpet Studio’s Facebook page.

Boards, Blooms and Brews @ Joymongers Brewing Co. (GSO) 5 p.m.

Enjoy a beer from Joymongers while shopping with Gracie’s Garden Flower Truck and Wanderlust Boards for floral arrangements and charcuterie boxes.

SATURDAY April 17

Community Gnome Hunt @ Distractions Art Studio (HP) 9 a.m.

Distractions Art Studio is hosting a community gnome hunt. Keep your eyes peeled in Triad Park, the Bog Garden, Haw River and Northeast Park for your chance to find a gnome and paint it at the studio for free. For more info, visit the event page on Facebook.

Hatha Fusion @ High Point Yoga School (HP) 3 p.m.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] @ Guilford Technical Community College (HP) 8 p.m.

Hospitalizations (right now) NC

1,045 (+20)

Forsyth

*no data*

This yoga class is designed to open your body and center your mind, focusing on posture, breath control and meditation. Visit High Point Yoga School’s website to register.

Guilford

53 (-3)

SUNDAY April 18

Downtown Karaoke @ Center City Park (GSO) 3 p.m.

Whether you’re a professional or amateur, Greensboro Downtown Parks is encouraging all singers to perform karaoke for free this weekend. To learn how to take up the mic, check GDPI’s website.

Vaccinations NC First Dose

2,804,483 (+172,792)

Fully vaccinated

2,220,211 (21.2%, +322,771)

Forsyth First Dose

102,573 (+5,066)

Fully vaccinated

89,243 (23.3%, +15,259)

Guilford First dose

163,197 (+10,449)

Fully vaccinated

124,907 (23.3%, +24,085)

GTCC’s theatre program presents a fun twist on Shakespeare, combing more than 30 works into one show, with characters from the Avengers. The show is recommended for mature audiences only. There is no admission charge. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis and can be made by emailing jmmirro@gtcc.edu or calling 336.334.4822, ext.

50299.

MONDAY April 19

Virtual Piedmont Earth Day Fair @ Piedmont Environmental Alliance (W-S) 12:30 p.m.

PEA is hosting a week-long series of free virtual events such as educational videos, kids activities and more in celebration of Earth Day. View the full festival schedule at http://peanc.org/winston-salem-earthday-fair.

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Up Front

April 15-21, 2021

NEWS

Which public officials have gotten the COVID-19 vaccine?

By Sayaka Matsuoka

A

s of this week, more than 2.3 million people have been vaccinated in the state of North Carolina, amounting to about 24 percent of the state’s population. Data from the Department of Health and Human Services shows 67 percent of those aged 65 and up have been fully vaccinated. And while a recent survey by Kaiser Health News found that Republicans and white evangelical Christians were most likely to say they wouldn’t get vaccinated, it appears that most elected officials in the Triad, regardless of political affiliation, have stated that they have either gotten a vaccine or plan on getting vaccinated soon. Triad City Beat was only able to identify two elected officials — one Congressman and one school board member — who said they were not planning on getting vaccinated.

Key: Green = vaccinated; Red = chose not to get vaccinated; Orange = planning on getting vaccinated; Grey = no response

Sen. Thom Tillis (R): According to a News & Observer report, Thom Tillis has received the vaccine. Tillis tested positive for coronavirus in Oct. 2020.

CONGRESS

News

Sen. Richard Burr (R): According to a News & Observer report, Richard Burr has received the vaccine.

Opinion

Rep. Ted Budd (R) — 13th District: According to a News & Observer report, Ted Budd has not received the vaccine. He tested positive for coronavirus in Dec. 2020.

Rep. Kathy Manning (D) — 6th District: Manning has received both doses of the vaccine and is encouraging all members of the NC—06 district to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R) — 10th District: According to McHenry’s Twitter account, he received his first vaccine on Dec. 21. “I am thankful to all the men and women who have worked so hard to develop this safe and effective vaccine,” he wrote.

Culture

Rep. Kathy Manning received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

COURTESY PHOTO

GUILFORD COUNTY

Shot in the Triad

State Representatives

Cecil Brockman (D) — House, D60: TCB was not able to reach Brockman for comment.

David Craven Jr. (R) — Senate, D26: TCB was not able to reach Craven Jr. for comment.

Ashton Clemmons (D) — House, D57: Clemmons told TCB that she has been fully vaccinated.

Amy Galey (R) — Senate, D24: Galey told TCB that she has gotten her first dose and is scheduled to get her second dose soon. “I don’t like to miss work for any reason, including due to being sick,” she said.

John Faircloth (R) — House, D62: Faircloth told TCB that he has received a vaccine and that he has urged his friends and family to do the same. “I believe the vaccine is a major part of the overall efforts to get our citizens back to good health,” he said.

Puzzles

Jon Hardister (R) — House, D59: Hardister for comment told TCB that he has not received a COVID-19 vaccine but that he plans to. He said that he tested positive for coronavirus in June so he still has antibodies.

4

Pricey Harrison (D) — House, D61: Harrison told TCB that she has received both doses of the Moderna vaccine.

Amos Quick III (D) — House, D58: Quick told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. He said he has also sponsored HB 214 which would provide grant awards up to $10,000 for agencies/organizations that serve primarily minority populations to address vaccine hesitancy among these groups. The bill is currently in committee.

Michael Garrett (D) — Senate, D27: Garrett told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “For me, getting vaccinated was a no-brainer,” he said. “I believe getting vaccinated is the most impactful thing an eligible person can do to help end this pandemic.”

Gladys Robinson (D) — Senate, D28: A spokesperson for Robinson’s office confirmed that she has been vaccinated.

Guilford County Commission

Carlvena Foster (D): Foster said she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“I definitely received the vaccine because I believe it is the only way we can help decrease the spread of this disease,” she said. “As an elected official I cannot advocate for others to be vaccinated without leading by example.”

Carolyn Coleman (D): TCB was not able to reach Coleman for comment.

Mary Beth Murphy (D): Murphy has received her vaccines. “I chose to get vaccinated for my family, my students, my community and my own health,” she said. “It’s something small and easy I could do to help protect the people I care most about. I am grateful to all the scientists who dedicated countless hours to producing highly effective vaccines that make it safe for me to see my family, return students to my classroom and hopefully to resume travel soon!”

Up Front

Kay Cashion (D): Cashion has received both doses of the Moderna vaccine. “It was a smart thing to do,” she said. “I did it to protect myself, my family and all those I come in contact with.”

Carly Cooke (D): Cooke has received both shots of the Pfizer vaccine. “First and foremost, I did so because I want to do my part to limit the spread of COVID in every way possible in order to keep people safe,” she said. “Additionally, vaccines offer the only path forward that leads us back to school and work full time, to economic recovery and to doing things together that we all love and miss.”

April 15-21, 2021

Board Chair Skip Alston (D): Alston confirmed that he has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

Alan Perdue (R): TCB could not reach Perdue for comment.

Justin Conrad (R): Conrad told TCB via email that he has had both shots.

James Upchurch (D): TCB could not reach Upchurch for comment.

News

Guilford County School Board

Board Chair Deena Hayes-Green (D): Hayes—Green told TCB that she has not gotten vaccinated. “Right now, I’m not planning to get vaccinated but am in full support of all those that are getting vaccinated and support modern medicine very much,” she said. “For myself, I’m still weighing a lot of the information. I have alternative medical advisors and trust and believe them too. I’m still vetting and weighing what’s best for me personally but I am fully in support of people making their own decisions like my parents, for whom I set up appointments for their vaccinations.”

Linda Welborn (R): TCB could not reach Welborn for comment.

Deborah Napper (D): Napper told TCB that she has not gotten vaccinated yet because she is pregnant but plans to after she has her baby. She said she’s also been participating in antibody testing through Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for several months and that she is antibody positive.

Khem Irby (D): Irby, reached by phone, declined to comment on whether or not she has been vaccinated.

Anita Sharpe (R): TCB could not reach Sharpe for comment.

Bettye Jenkins (D): Jenkins told TCB that she has received both doses of the vaccine.

Pat Tillman (R): Tillman said that he hasn’t gotten the vaccine yet but plans to as part of a program for military veterans soon. “I’m definitely going to do mine,” he said. “My family just got theirs last week…. I think it’s an important opportunity to keep our community safe, but I also understand people that may be reluctant.”

Winston McGregor (D): McGregor hold TCB that she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Culture

Guilford County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff Danny Rogers (D): According to a department spokesperson, Rogers has received his COVID-19 vaccine. All deputies were also offered the opportunity to get vaccinated, but the vaccines were not required.

Opinion

Dianne Bellamy-Small (D): Told TCB that she has gotten vaccinated.

GREENSBORO City Council

Shot in the Triad

Mayor Nancy Vaughan (D): Vaughan confirmed to TCB that she has received both of her COVID-19 shots.

Sharon Hightower (D): Hightower told TCB that she has gotten both of her vaccines. “African Americans have been disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 and as a Black female with underlying health issues, taking the vaccine was a life-saving decision,” she said. “I implore my Black people, young and old to vaccinate to protect themselves and family.”

Tammi Thurm (D): Thurm told TCB that she has received both of the Pfizer vaccines.

Michelle Kennedy (D): Kennedy told TCB that she has gotten both Pfizer shots.

“Vaccination is critical,” she said. “I want Greensboro to thrive. In order to protect public health and allow our economy to fully reopen, we need to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The most effective way to protect myself and others around me to achieve those goals, is by getting vaccinated.”

Puzzles

Justin Outling (D): Outling told TCB that he has gotten both shots.

Greensboro city councilperson Justin Outling has gotten both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine.

COURTESY PHOTO

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April 15-21, 2021 Up Front

Marikay Abuzuaiter (D): Abuzuaiter has gotten both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“I was grateful I could become vaccinated to help protect my family, my friends, neighbors and community,” she said. “While I am still following the protocol of wearing a mask, social distancing and washing my hands, I believe that getting the vaccine can help get us all to the point where we can gather without fear of contracting COVID-19.”

Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson (D): Johnson, who said she remembers getting the Polio vaccine, told TCB that she has gotten both of her COVID-19 shots. “I don’t want to catch the stuff and if I do get it, I want it to be as noninvasive as possible,” she said.

Goldie Wells (D): TCB could not reach Wells for comment.

Nancy Hoffmann (D): Hoffmann confirmed that she has gotten both of her shots.

“Not only is it the responsible thing to do for our personal protection, but it is for the protection of our family, friends, and fellow citizens,” she said. “We cannot return to what we considered a ‘normal’ lifestyle until a majority of our population is vaccinated.”

Greensboro Police Department

Police Chief Brian James (D): TCB could not reach James for comment.

FORSYTH COUNTY News

State Representatives

Amber Baker (D) — House, D72: Baker did not tell TCB whether or not she has been vaccinated. Instead, she responded by stating that “the decision to take the vaccine or not is a personal one. Understanding that the vaccine is one component to curving the impact of the spread, along with continuing to social distance, wearing of mask and using precautionary judgement when interacting with others are equally important.”

Opinion

Donny Lambeth (R) — House, D75: Lambeth told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Evelyn Terry (D) — House, D71: TCB could not reach Terry for comment.

Lee Zachary (R) — House, D73: Zachary told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “The vaccine is fairly old science in a new book,” he said.

“It’s like an old wire connected phone compared to a cordless phone. I don’t feel it is dangerous. This crazy COVID-19 and the potential side effects are much, much more dangerous.”

Culture

Jeff Zenger (R) — House, D74: TCB could not reach Zenger for comment.

Joyce Krawiec (R) — Senate, D31: Krawiec told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Paul Lowe Jr. (D) — Senate, D32: Lowe Jr. told TCB that he has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Rep. Paul Lowe receiving a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

COURTESY PHOTO

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Forsyth County Commission Board Chair David Plyer (R): Plyler told TCB that he has received both shots of a COVID-19 vaccine. “I got it primarily because I am 82 years old,” he said. “I don’t want to get sick…. We’ve got a lot of citizens in this county who really need to be vaccinated…. The fact is, we have the FDA and if it wasn’t the right thing, they wouldn’t allow it to happen.”

Ted Kaplan (D): Kaplan told TCB that he’s gotten both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

“It’s the healthy, smart thing to do to affect the virus and try to stop it in its tracks,” he said. “We need the herd immunity to come in; I hope everybody gets it.”

Don Martin (R): Martin told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Tonya McDaniel (D): According to a video posted by the city of Winston-Salem on Feb. 11, McDaniel has received her COVID-19 vaccine. “

Fleming El-Amin (D): El-Amin told TCB that he has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Gloria Whisenhunt (R): Whisenhunt told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. “I was happy to receive the vaccine in order to help stop the spread of COVID,” she said.

Richard Linville (R): TCB could not reach Linville for comment.

Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office

6

Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough (D): TCB did not receive a response from the department about whether or not Sheriff Kimbrough has received the COVID-19 vaccine.

Forsyth County School Board Dana Caudill Jones (R): TCB could not reach Jones for comment.

Lida Calvert—Hayes (R): Calvert-Hayes told TCB that she has gotten both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. “I feel like a different person knowing I have some protection,” she said. “Thank goodness for the shot.”

Leah Crowley (R): Crowley told TCB that she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Alex Bohannon (D): TCB could not reach Bohannon for comment.

Deanna Kaplan (D): Kaplan’s husband, Ted, who serves as county commissioner, told TCB that Deanna has also been vaccinated.

Elisabeth Motsinger (D): Motsinger told TCB that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Up Front

Andrea Bramer (D): Bramer said that she has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “This year I lost my aunt to COVID-19 and I almost lost my mother,” she said. “I have two children in my home and elderly in-laws and my mom. It is worth every bit of effort to prevent spread and try to get this illness under our belts prior to it mutating to a possibly far more dangerous variant than we have seen so far.”

April 15-21, 2021

Board Chair Malishai Woodbury (D): TCB could not reach Woodbury for comment.

Marilyn Parker (R): Parker said that she has received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

City Council

News

WINSTON-SALEM Mayor Allen Joines (D): A spokesperson for Joines’ office told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Mayor Pro Tem DD Adams (D): According to a Facebook post by the city of Winston—Salem, Adams received her COVID-19 vaccine in February.

Opinion

Annette Scippio (D): According to WXII 12, Scippio received her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in February. Scippio tested positive for COVID-19 in June 2020.

Culture

Barbara Burke (D): According to a video posted by the city of Winston-Salem on April 13, Burke has received her vaccine. “Don’t be nervous,” she said to those who are nervous about getting the vaccine. “Think about what we do know about COVID-19. Think about the fact that over a half million people have died from COVID-19. We do know that. And we do know that many who have had who have survived have been left with debilitating side effects…. I think that when we weigh the deaths and when we weigh these debilitating side effects to the vaccine, I think it’s very clear what we need to do.”

Jeff MacIntosh (D): MacIntosh told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

John Larson (D): Larson told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Shot in the Triad

James Taylor Jr. (D): Taylor declined to comment on whether or not he has been vaccinated.

Robert Clark (R): Clark told TCB that he has received both shots of the Moderna vaccine.

Puzzles

Kevin Mundy (D): Mundy told TCB that he has received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine. “I’m a firm believer in science and the scientific method,” he said. “Even though these vaccines moved quickly through the approval process, I believe them to be as safe as those that take much longer to work through the system. I care about my own health, and I don’t want to contract COVID-19 or any other preventable illness.... I care about and respect the health of others. If I’m unvaccinated, I can put others at risk. I’m ready to get back to a safe normal, where we can interact with each other, hug friends and family, gather in crowds, freely eat in restaurants and drink in bars, worship in churches, attend live theatre and music performances, and do all the other things that we’ve missed over the last year.”

Winston-Salem Mayor Allen Joines received both doses of the Pfizer COURTESY PHOTO vaccine.

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April 15-21, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture

If you read

then you know...

Shot in the Triad

• Why Rhiannon Giddens does what she does • Which city could have the largest city council soon • What a “wandering cop” is

Puzzles

Triad City Beat — If you know, you know

Get in front of the best readers in the triad, contact Chris or Drew.

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April 15-21, 2021

GPD wants to hire more police officers to curb violent crime

by Sayaka Matsuoka

D

Up Front News

The GPD’s strategic plan includes techniques such as increasing traffic enforcement to curb violent crime but critics say that will disproportionately affect people of color.

Shot in the Triad Puzzles

disparities continued to exist in who was being stopped in 2019. Over the last decade, the number of traffic stops had fallen for all races, but the rate of stops for Black drivers only decreased 15 percent between 2009 and 2019, while the rate of stops for white drivers fell by 28 percent and other races decreased 30 percent during the same period. In 2019, the rate of stops for Black drivers was more than twice that of white drivers and almost 1.5 times that of other races, the report found. The data also found that Black drivers were stopped more for vehicle equipment violations rather than speed violations.

A recent report by Triad City Beat noted that these types of traffic stops disproportionately affect drivers of color and lower income individuals because of the number of fines and fees associated with the infractions. Kami Chavis, a law professor and director of the criminal justice program at Wake Forest University, said she is skeptical about the premise that increased policing curbs violent crime.

“We’ve learned a lot over the years about policing these low-level offenses and the detriment that that can have on the community and the trust that can erode when you have people who feel they are harassed unfairly,” Chavis said.

“And we know Greensboro doesn’t have a great track record of that.”

Culture

break-ins in a particular area, we may actually do traffic assignments in those areas. When we do those assignments, we will detect someone as a suspect in the break ins or sometimes they just go away…. Often times it’s because of the visibility in the area that can deter a particular crime, so we try to model our traffic enforcement around crime issues as well as traffic issues.”

Later in the work session, James explained that in general, traffic enforceHow will the officers be used? ment is decided through statistical crash The plan describes wanting officers data, speed and traffic data and comin or around “hot spots,” or munity complaints. However, areas where crime tends to historical data shows that traf‘[W]e’re in happen the most, including fic stops in Greensboro have about the public housing communidisproportionately affected worst shape ties. The plan also calls for people of color. A 2015 New that we’ve creating a new crime analyst York Times article found that in been in position and a monthly goal Greensboro, “officers pulled of 25 percent “available time” several years.’ over African-American drivers – GPD Chief Brian for all officers, in which they for traffic violations at a rate James would be doing self-initiated far out of proportion with work and vehicle stops to curb their share of the local driving violent crime. One of the most notable population. They used their discretion to parts of the new plan is the strategy to search Black drivers or their cars more reduce violent crime by increasing traffic than twice as often as white motorists, enforcement throughout the city. During even though they found drugs and weapthe March 23 work session, Chief James ons significantly more often when the explained this rationale. driver is white.”

“Often times, this is the strategy we’ve More recent data published by the used for a number of years,” James said.

Criminal Justice Analysis Center found “For instance, if we’re having a lot of that in the state of North Carolina, the

Sharon Hightower of District 1 said that she’s concerned about the homicides but says that the city should keep other employees in mind too.

“I’m concerned that we’ve had homicides for the last five or six years but when it happened across town, now everything must stop and we must address it immediately,” she said. “I just want us to be fair and equitable in what we do for all our employees.”

STOCK IMAGE

Opinion

o more cops mean less violent crime?

That’s the idea posited

by Greensboro police Chief Brian James and Greensboro City Council. During city council meetings in late March and early April, James discussed the police department’s new strategic plan, which outlines goals for the next three years. One of its main goals is to reduce violent crime in the city.

According to data collected by the Greensboro Police Department, there has been a steady increase in the number of homicides since 2018, when there were 40 recorded homicides. There were 45 in 2019, and 60 in 2020. There have been 12 homicides to date this year, compared to eight for the same period last year. Overall, crime is down by 8 percent.

“The homicides, obviously we have more now than we did a year ago,” James said during a city council work session on March 23.

City officials have promoted the idea that hiking officers’ pay and increasing staffing will curb the violence.

“Unfortunately, right now, as far as staffing, we’re in about the worst shape that we’ve been in several years,” James said during the work session.

The department is currently authorized to have 683 officers but only has 611 positions filled by fully trained officers, along with about 30 who are still in training, James said. He wants to hire more officers.

During the April 6 city council meeting, council unanimously voted to approve the next steps needed to add 16 additional officers to raise the department’s staffing level to 699. Several council members expressed outright support for increasing staffing, including at-large member Marikay Abuzuaiter, a longtime supporter of the police, and District 3 representative Justin Outling, who is running for mayor.

“It has to be approved by the council for it to constitute action that could help the chief and hopefully reduce the likelihood of violent crime in our community,” said Outling, who pushed for council to vote on action during the work session.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan responded: “We all have agreed that we needed more officers…. We have all made it pretty clear that public safety is a top priority.”

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April 15-21, 2021 Up Front News Opinion

The issue of racial disparities in traffic enforcement was vividly highlighted in the public consciousness with the death of Daunte Wright, who was killed by an officer during a traffic stop on Sunday in Minnesota.

“These stops can turn dangerous,” Chavis said. “If you’re going to have that kind of strategy, you better make sure those officers are trained and that they don’t have implicit biases, and I just question that as a strategy.”

To reduce the use of force by officers and raise racial awareness, part of the department’s strategic plan calls for increasing training for all officers.

The plan mentions ICAT, or “integrating communications, assessment, and tactics” training which would focus on deescalating situations with individuals having mental episodes and more CIT, or crisis-intervention training as well.

For the racial-equity portion, James said that he wants to take all new recruits through the International Civil Rights Center for tours and send more officers to the Racial Equity Institute. However, a study cited by NPR that looked at the New York Police Department found that while officers expressed more awareness of implicit bias, their behavior when it came to arrests and interactions with the public remained largely unchanged.

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More cops, less crime?

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Chavis said she also wonders about the correlation between an increase in police officers with curbing violent crime. Studies that attempt to decipher the correlation between the two are varied and often contradictory. A 2007 report stated that the Clinton-era policy of adding a total of 100,000 police of-

ficers to departments across the country “had little to no effect on crime” and that crime was already decreasing when the COPS policy was put in place by Bill Clinton. Still, another study by Stephen Mello of Princeton University from 2018 found that municipalities with that hired more officers saw a decrease in crime rates. But even Mello added more context to his research on Twitter, where he stated that “reducing police may increase crime but may also reduce other undesirable outcomes such as police violence” and that “police manpower is not the only police lever for crime reduction, and funding could be diverted to other policies with significant effects on public safety.”

One model in Baltimore suggests that less prosecutions for low-level offenses could lead to less violent crime. In March 2020, Baltimore’s State Attorney Marilyn Mosby halted prosecutions for drug possession, prostitution, minor traffic violations and other low-level offenses to keep from incarcerating more people in the midst of a pandemic. One year later, Mosby announced that she would make the pandemic experiment permanent as the city saw drastic reductions in violent crime, as well as property crime.

Homicide rates also declined. The rationale behind Mosby’s decision is reflected in research conducted in Suffolk County, Ma. The study, which analyzed more than 67,000 misdemeanor cases from 2004 to 2018, found that people who were arrested but not prosecuted for low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors were 58 percent less likely to commit another crime in the following two years.

Where critics say they want the money to go instead

Many activists who have been pushing for police reform and defunding law enforcement since the killing of George Floyd last summer say that money should be invested back into the community, rather than in police departments.

Casey Thomas, an activist with Guilford For All, advocates for infusing more money into social programs that will address the root causes of violence.

“I would encourage the city to really look at the Cure Violence program,” said Thomas. “You do need to target your response. It can’t just be that we change these policies broadly over the next 15 or 20 years, but the genius with that program is that it targets it directly.”

Founded in 2000 by Gary Slutkin, the Cure Violence program made its way to Greensboro in 2019 after the city contracted with One Step Further, a nonprofit run by Mayor Pro Tem Yvonne Johnson, to administer the program. According to the program’s website, Cure Violence attempts to prevent shootings by deploying workers to de-escalate tension in the aftermath of a shooting and to mediate conflicts. They also work to identity high-risk individuals and change their behaviors. And while the program is new and can only cover a few areas in the city, during a July 2020 press conference, James stated that that none of the homicides that had taken place in the city up until July had been in locations covered by Cure Violence.

Chavis said she understands that fixing systemic problems like poverty that lead to violence take time and that hiring more police officers seems like a quick fix. But she and Thomas both say that programs like Cure Violence could be an alternative to expanded law enforcement.

In November 2020, Greensboro City Council approved a new contract with One Step Further to continue Cure Violence in the city, but Thomas said that the program is still underfunded. She said she wants to see a shift from funding the police to the city making efforts to get at the root causes of crime.

“I think the strategic plan shows the gaps of some of these conversations,” Thomas said. “Until we create and can really understand violence that’s happening in the community and really expand that outside of people who are organizers or activists, until we can build more community support for this, you will have city council take that political bet that backing the police will do more.”

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lot of people are getting for the coronavirus that dropped in vaccinated in the United 2019. We’re not even sure how effecStates, millions a day, which tive they will be against these hot new is good because we’ll need 2021 coronaviruses that increase their to have about 230 million of us immuchances against our vaccinations with nized through vaccination or infected every transmission. by the coronavirus itself before we can And we’re not even taking into effectively halt transmissions in this consideration other countries who are country. having real struggles with the pandemic That’s what “herd immunity” means. as well, and without the same access we Make no mistake: There is no other have to immunization shots. plan. Herd immunity is the best we We won’t deny that there are some can hope for, for for whom this shot now, in our quest to could be deadly — a retain some sort of very small few, not Make no mistake: normalcy in the era enough to jeopardize There is no other of the coronavirus, our quest for herd plan. Herd immunity immunity: people which has killed more than half a with allergies, some is the best we can million Americans autoimmune disorders, hope for. in just one year. pregnant women. Even And even if we hit the Johnson & Johnit — which depends son vaccine, which has entirely on a few factors — we will avoid caused blood clots in six of the 7 million shaking hands and keep wearing masks or so who have received it, is safer than in the airport for years to come. most prescription birth control.

The hard numbers: As of Tuesday, 74 Everyone else needs to get the shot, million Americans had been fully vacciand they need to talk about getting nated; that’s 22.5 percent and climbing. the shot, extoll the virtues of getting Another 30 million or so have survived the shot, talk their reluctant friends and COVID-19 and have some immunity, family members into getting the shot. though we don’t know how long it lasts.

To say that vaccines don’t work is to That leaves another 126 million who create a self-fulfilling prophecy. And need to get it. And we need to do it those who abstain are putting much fast, because these vaccines were made more at risk than their own hides.

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April 15-21, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

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Nik Snacks At 6th and Vine, Chef Ebony Warfield makes history and change

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bony Warfield follows each plate with her eyes, nodding slowly with approval as the servers pass. She’s off the clock for the night, so she leans back in her chair as she unbuttons her chef’s coat, embroidered with her name in

by Nikki Miller-Ka curlicued script and the words “Executive Chef” printed underneath.

There are very few, if any, women in back-of-thehouse kitchen positions, let alone Black female head chefs. According to a 2019 US Census Bureau report, women chefs only make up a small ratio— about 24 percent. Another study by Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a nonprofit advocacy group for restaurant workers’ rights, released in July indicated that racial and gender biases make it hard for Black women to attain leadership roles in the industry. The study detailed several factors — openly discriminatory hiring and training, implicit bias among employers and customers and a lack of networking and training opportunities — as prompting many Black women to leave the culinary arts field.

In Winston-Salem, barring the illustrious chef-owner combo, there were no Black female executive chefs in the upscale or fine dining echelon — until now.

“I didn’t know that was on my shoulders at all, until people started to tell me,” says Warfield, who became executive chef at 6th and Vine in Winston-Salem in March. “But now it makes me feel like I have so much more to prove and so many more people are looking at JERRY COOPER Chef Ebony Warfield is one of very few Black, female executive chefs in Winston-Salem. me and looking up to me now.”.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, at 18 Warfield entered the military, where she was trained in the culinary she rises to hand them menus. Dave Matthews, Barnes’ ahi tuna appetizer. The rosy flesh of the tuna winks at arts. For eight years she traveled around the world, father and a familiar fixture at the arts district bistro, the grated carrots and purple cabbage in the accompaeventually meeting her husband, Sean, who is also a strolls up to the verandah and greets his daughter and nying Thai chili slaw. Carefully placed dollops of sauce veteran and the new sous chef at Sophie’s Cork & Ale in Warfield with a socially distant wave. Servers swing by and a sprinkle of tuxedo sesame seeds finish off the Lexington. The couple and their two children moved to on their way to the patio carrying plates of food and plate.

Winston-Salem two and a half years ago to be close to glasses of wine.

Barnes says she was excited for Warfield to infuse her her husband’s family. Since then, she’s worked at Sweet “I just like to cook fresh food,” Warfield says as she style into 6th and Vine.

Potatoes, Famous Toastery, the Katharine Brassiere, Sir “This is what I’ve always wanted,” says Barnes of takes it all in. “Fresh, pretty, food. People eat with their Winston Wine Loft and, most recently, at Rooster’s: A Warfield’s plans for the 6th and Vine kitchen. “Partially, eyes first. I want to make everybody’s food look good, Noble Grille during the pandemic. because we have a small kitchen and because we were look sexy when it’s coming out.”

On a recent Saturday night, 6th and Vine owner so busy, it was difficult to achieve that style in a mean6th and Vine is considered a legacy restaurant in Kathleen Barnes sits with Warfield out in front of the Winston-Salem. It was the second restaurant to open ingful way. I didn’t have the chef to do it. But now I do.” restaurant, casually greeting passersby and potential in the historic Arts District — after Sweet Potatoes The two women look at each other and smile like new customers who peer in through in 2005 and before Finnigan’s friends excited about their budding relationship. Their the windows, wondering if the Wake in 2007. natural chemistry is palpable. The stars are now aligned place is open. Barnes shut the For now, the previous menu for both women to embark on a new path in the Triad’s 16-year-old restaurant down Visit 6th and Vine at 209 W. 6th from before COVID is still in culinary scene and inspire others while doing so. in November in order to cut place. On her first day in mid“Just knowing that I’m motivating other people to St. in Winston-Salem. To learn costs and mourn the temporary March, Warfield tweaked it just cook, it’s amazing,” Warfield says. “I never thought more, visit 6thandvine.com. loss of patio seating during the enough to put her signature on I’d be a motivation to anybody. I’m just like, a regular cold winter months. The last it. Staples like the goat cheese person. But just knowing that I motivate people, that’s Saturday in March was the first salad and baked brie stay big. That’s really big.”

Saturday night service since 2020 and was set to start untouched. The ahi tuna appetizer is also staying, but with a fresh, clean slate.

Warfield’s revamped it, to make it fresher, and a little “I’m playing the role of restaurant owner and host bit lighter, she says. tonight,” Barnes tells a group visiting from Kentucky as Barnes shares a photo on her phone of the revamped

by Michaela Ratliff

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Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

bigail Dowd’s newlywed bliss says. “He would hear places that he could add was suddenly washed away by something fuller.” turbulent weather.

For Beautiful Day, Duff stuck to bass guitar “We had literally planned our while Austin McCall handled drums and perparty for the day Hurricane Florence cussion. Scott Sawyer provided the thrilling swept through,” she says. sounds of electric guitar, and Alex McKinney In September 2018, Dowd and her dominated the dobro, a resonator acoustic now-husband Jason Duff intended to guitar that produces sound through the guihost a gathering at their Greensboro tar’s bridge using metal cones rather than the home for family and friends after being guitar’s sounding board. Joe McPhail played wed on the Capitoline Hill, one of the the keys of both the Wurlitzer electric piano seven hills of Rome, a place where Dowd and organ. Together, the instruments provide says she would always witness beautiful bluesy but stimulating backup to Dowd’s brides when she visited. acoustic guitar and soft, yet powerful, raspy “That’s the only place I’ve ever been vocals. that made me want to be a bride and The entire album was produced in February wear the big dress,” she says. of last year in just five days. The task wasn’t As the murky waters of Florence easy, according to Dowd. sat still in the yard, Hurricane Michael “They were long days,” she says while struck in October causing further damlaughing, “but they were good days.” age to the couple’s home, forcing them The group recorded at the legendary Fidelito move in with Duff’s parents. Their torium Recordings in Kernersville, a location house barely flaunted its renovations Dowd describes as “otherworldly,” due to the before flooding a third time nine months positive energy she says she felt there while later. While Duff stayed behind to make recording. repairs, Dowd navigated the spare “It felt like I left some sort of sacred cerbedrooms of friends in New York, Florida emonial ground when I walked away from the and Colorado throughout 2019. During studio,” she says. that time, she used her experiences of The Fidelitorium has been behind the reisolation and the unknown to compose cordings of REM, the dB’s and rock-indie band 12 songs that would become her third Rainbow Kitten Surprise among countless album, Beautiful Day. other notable acts.

The album was produced by GrammySeveral months earlier, Dowd found herself nominated mixer and engineer Jason sitting on a rock next to St. Vrain Creek outRichmond, who Dowd had no relationside of Boulder, Co. with her iPhone perched ship with prior to the collaboration. on her knee. As she listened to the sounds of Abigail Dowd is releasing a new album on April 23 titled TODD TURNER “I’m not sure how he found me,” she the rushing water nearby, Dowd unintention- Beautiful Day. says. “He reached out through Facebook ally created an instrumental track for the here?/ If you don’t live your truth, Hell will come find you.” and said, ‘I’d love to meet and talk next album.

Looking back, Dowd believes the floods were gifts of time, a time you’re working on a new album.’”

“I just started picking my guitar, and the song, “St. Vrain,” chance to use the solitude to focus on her artistry.

She obliged, meeting Richmond in Memost of that instrumental just sort of fell out of me,” she says.

“There were so many things in daily life that were just gone bane to discuss his offer over coffee. She Single notes played on an acoustic guitar exude a somber for me that opened up this huge swath of time to just sit with gravitated towards his versatility, with emotion at the beginning of the piece. About one minute into my guitar,” she says. a résumé boasting the names of gospel the song, the mood suddenly lifts and is intensified by accomJust before the pandemic, Dowd and Duff settled into a new singer Shirley Caesar and Triad-based panying guitars, possibly signifying Dowd’s desire for better home in Greensboro. Lately she’s been devoting more time to folk-rock band the days in the midst of being away from home. preparing for the release of the album and doing livestreamed Avett Brothers.

The song ends with a final strum of chords, performances for fans. And even though the album was writ“I just knew this the same chords that flow into the next Beautiful Day will be ten years before the onset of Covid-19, Dowd says its message was somebody that song on the album, “River,” named after its of resilience is evergreen.

I’d like to work with,” co-writer, according to Dowd. released on April 23.

“I have seen the darkness,” Dowd sings in the title track, she says.

“The river helped write the song and I was Learn more about Abigail “Beautiful Day.” “I’ve got shadows inside, but I hold on for the Richmond asjust there to put it on tape,” she says.

Dowd on her website at light. I have never known a sorrow that didn’t make me stronsembled a team of Dowd recalls thinking of her great-grandAbigailDowd.com. ger. There’s never been a day that the sun don’t rise.” musicians to play mother while writing the song, creating a Dowd describes how the song ties together the album’s the album’s instrustory with themes of resilience and rejuveunderlying theme, to keep going despite how uncertain the ments live, including nation. circumstances may be.

Duff, who doubles as “Free your heart and follow your soul,” “It’s really just a matter of getting up and living one day at Dowd’s bandmate and plays the bass she sings. “Heaven ain’t up, hell ain’t below.” a time,” she says, referencing another song on the album. “It’s guitar and percussion to amplify her The thumping percussion creates a sense of motivation, become a mantra of mine.” sound during live performances. strengthened by the song’s lyrics.

“It just evolved organically,” Dowd “What if Heaven ain’t waiting up above?/ What if it’s right

April 15-21, 2021

CULTURE Beautiful Day by GSO’s Abigail Dowd is a soundtrack of resilience

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Peonies at the UNCG Community Gardens.

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CROSSWORD ‘Well, Sorta’—partway there. SUDOKU

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Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

1 “We’re calling with an urgent message about your car’s warranty,” e.g.

5 Creator of Pudd’nhead Wilson 10 “Right now” 13 Care Bear ___ 14 “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” band 15 Debtor’s letters 16 Hotel heiress who popularized “That’s hot” 18 Hurricane heading, sometimes 19 Affirmative vote 20 It may be doffed 21 Bad movie rating 23 Actress Seehorn of “Better Call Saul” 25 Torn ___ (athlete’s knee injury) 27 Crafty 28 Gear seen frequently in 1980s court matches © 2021 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) 33 Districts 34 Organization 35 Australian outlaw Kelly 36 Satirical “Prize” given by the Annals of Improb able Research 39 Patty Hearst’s kidnappers, for short 42 Californie et Colorado 43 Septet plus one 45 He plays Thor 49 French islands 50 Truth, in Chinese philosophy 51 39-Down, for one 52 Roommate of Frylock and Master Shake on Answers from last issue “Aqua Teen Hunger Force” 56 John’s “The Office” character 22 Bartering result 58 “Groove Is in the Heart” DJ/producer Towa ___ 24 “SNL” alum Gasteyer 59 Bud 26 Millennium Falcon in 7,500 pieces, e.g.

60 Title for the Pope or the Dalai Lama 29 “Lord, ___?” (Last Supper question) 63 Rhinitis-treating M.D. 30 NYSE trader 64 “Damn Yankees” composer Richard 31 Anonymous Jane 65 Big name in thesauruses 32 Claus von ___ 66 Suffix meaning “sorta” (“Reversal of Fortune” character) (found in the theme answers) 37 Station’s supply 67 Conditions’ partner 38 To the ___ degree 68 English horn’s cousin 39 It’s played on a 10x10 board 40 “Hmmm ...”

Down 41 One beyond belief?

42 Lead-in to “while” 1 “Don’t move” 44 Gear component 2 Lurched and swerved 45 Disinfects 3 Former White House press secretary Fleischer 46 Wellness 4 Fit snugly 47 University focuses 5 Ninja’s platform 48 Garden store supply 6 Actor/blogger Wheaton 49 Louvre Pyramid architect 7 Choral voice range 53 “Beg pardon?”

8 Graphic representation 54 Delegation member 9 Not a bit 55 High-end camera type 10 Cobbler’s container 57 Artist Joan 11 Scrooge’s nephew 61 Bottom of a pant leg 12 Search engine input 62 San Francisco’s ___ Hill 13 Austere 17 “Witness” actor Lukas

April 15-21, 2021

Across

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