TCB April 14, 2022 — Taco Time

APRIL 14-20, 2022 TRIAD-CITY-BEAT.COM

Taco Time!

El Sabor Tabasqueño goes from residential to roadside with new food truck

by Luis H. Garay | pg. 10

ELECTION 2022

THIS Forsyth County State House District 74 Race District Attorney Race ISSUE: & Guilford County PGS 4-6

UP FRONT | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

The hate-game quote machine Written by Paul Slade Smith

April 22-May 8 Sunset Theatre 234 Sunset Ave Tickets at rhinoleap.com

Two Cops. Three Crooks. Eight Doors.

Go!

Coronavirus in the Triad

(as of Wednesday, April 13 ) Ed. Note: We are no longer publishing the coronavirus numbers for our counties and state. The NCDHHS has begun issuing updates just once a week; there have been no new deaths in our counties in the last week; there are too few COVID-19 hospital patients to count in Guilford and Forsyth, if any at all. This is not to say that the pandemic is over.

But, for now, The Numbers is.

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com

OF COUNSEL

Jonathan Jones

ART ART DIRECTOR

Charlie Marion charlie@triad-city-beat.com

SALES KEY ACCOUNTS

Chris Rudd chris@triad-city-beat.com

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1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.681.0704 EDITORIAL WEBMASTER Sam LeBlanc MANAGING EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka PHOTOGRAPHY INTERN sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS

Stan Sussina

Michaela Ratliff michaela@triad-city-beat.com

COVER:

James Douglas james@triad-city-beat.com

The El Sabor Tabasqueño food truck is here!

CONTRIBUTORS

Carolyn de Berry, John Cole, Owens Daniels, Suzy Fielders, Luis H. Garay, Kaitlynn Havens, Jordan Howse, Matt Jones, Autumn Karen, Jen Sorensen, Todd Turner

TCB IN A FLASH @ triad-city-beat.com First copy is free, all additional copies are $1. ©2022 Beat Media Inc.

Photo by Stan Sussina Design by Charlie Marion

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t takes at you love is mediocre at best; that least 10 expensive project is something noyears to body asked for and nobody wants; become that new development will cause a an overnight senlot of poor and powerless people sation, I reminded to suffer. The new play sucks. The her, just after she creek’s been polluted. That guy’s a

by Brian Clarey got the big job, crook. the sweet payLike that. check and all the rest after a long, George Orwell said: “Journalism long time in the trenches working, is printing what someone else does sometimes literally, for table scraps. not want published; everything else I knew she had made it, I told her, by is public relations.” Here’s another all the haters she was attracting. one: People love bullshit and hate “I know!” she said, barely able to the truth. contain her glee.

Hate is the price Because she we pay in the news Hate is how we knows what I know: business. Hate is the know we’re doing sacrifice we make for Nobody hates you for nothing. our job because the public good. Hate And in our busihow we know we’re we’ve made all the isdoing ness, putting aside our job, because right enemies. the virulent racism we’ve made all the right and misogyny that enemies. can run rampant For a journalist, if among the people who engage with someone doesn’t hate you for reporters on the internet, they really something you wrote, then you are only hate you for one of three reanot properly doing your job. sons. One of them is success, which Like my friend, I’ve been doing this my friend just recently experienced. long enough that I love the hate. I That will get you hate from peers collect it, take it out to examine it, and readers alike. break it down into categories like I Another is journalistic malpracused to do with my baseball cards tice. I hate that shit, though I am when I was a kid. mostly evolved enough not to hate And when I die, let them not say, those who partake in it, because I “He didn’t have an enemy in the myself have been guilty of it more world,” because that would just be times than I care to mention. more bullshit.

But what they really hate is when A better epitaph is this: “They hatyou tell the truth: That restaurant ed me! And I loved them for it!”

THURSDAY April 14

FRIDAY April 15

My Gender. My Rights. Transgender Rights and the Law @ Zoom (Online) 6 p.m.

Curating Hope Through COVID @ Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts (W-S) 9 a.m.

As part of the “Let’s Talk Law” series, Greensboro’s Human Rights Commission is hosting several sessions of online discussions about Greensboro’s ordinance, local laws and other factors that impact transgender people. Register on Zoom and contact Finn Skrypnyk (they/them/ theirs) at 336.373.3282 for more information.

In this art exhibition organized by Forsyth County Department of Public Health and Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, local artists showcase their vision of COVID-19 through visual art and film. The exhibition will be on display until April 30. For more information, contact Katie Hall at khall@intothearts.org.

Jazz Appreciation Month @ Centennial Station Arts Center (HP) 7 p.m.

Food Truck Friday @ Bailey Park (W-S) 11 a.m.

Titus Gant has performed traditional jazz music combined with unique elements for President Barack Obama, actress Phylicia Rashad and more. Now, he’s bringing his talents to the Triad as High Point Arts Council celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with a live jazz concert. Visit the event page on Facebook to purchase tickets.

Megan Jean’s Secret Family @ Flat Iron (GSO) 9 p.m.

The Food Truck Friday season at Bailey Park returns this Friday and lasts until October 14. Try a variety of meals from a rotating selection of food trucks. Local entertainment will be provided by the Ramkat. Find more info on the Facebook event page.

Strange Fruit @ Van Dyke Performance Space (GSO) 6 p.m.

This event named after the hit song by Billie Holiday highlights Black culture through music, dance and comedy performances. Find more information and purchase tickets at numainstream.com/ events.

SATURDAY April 16

Full Moon Night Walk @ Piedmont Environmental Center (HP) 8 p.m.

Join Piedmont Environmental Center for a night of exploration. Participants will learn about the nocturnal habits of animals that live in the woods surrounding the PEC before ending the night with a telescope view of the full moon. Free registration is required by April 15 and can be done at highpointnc.gov/pr or contact Carrie Council at 336.883.8531.

UP FRONT | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

CITY LIFE APRIL 14-17

by Michaela Ratliff

SUNDAY April 17 Sip & Slay Yoga @ Oden Brewing Company (GSO) 11 a.m.

Join Oden every Sunday morning for yoga with Ashley. Sessions are $10 and include a post-yoga drink of your choice. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

Lemonade on the Lawn @ Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church (HP) 12 p.m.

The members and pastors of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church invite you to join them for free refreshments following the 11 a.m. service.

Send your events to calendar@triad-city-beat.com for consideration in City Life and the Weekender.

DOGA: Dog-Friendly Yoga Class @ Doggos Dog Park & Pub (GSO) 12 p.m.

Hailing from the Appalachian region, Megan Jean’s Secret Family is bringing their unique blend of Americana, rock and folk sounds to Greensboro for the first time at the Flat Iron.

Purchase tickets and learn more at meganjean. net/tour.

Yoga isn’t just for humans! Relax and unwind with your furry friend during this dog-friendly session hosted by Berg Balanced Health. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

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NEWS | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

Incumbent Avery Crump takes on political newcomer Brenton Boyce in race for Guilford County District Attorney

by Sayaka Matsuoka

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hile much of the attention in Guilford County has been focused on the Greensboro City Council races — particularly the mayoral race — this year, the contest for district attorney is one that will have lasting consequences and should be on voters’ radar as well.

As outlined on the county’s website, the “primary responsibility of the district attorney, with his or her assistants, is to prosecute all criminal cases filed in the Superior and District Courts. District attorneys also advise local law enforcement and prepare the criminal trial docket.”

A DA decides whether or not to charge officers who have killed civilians or to hand cases over to a Grand Jury. The county DA is also the one who decides which evidence gets presented to the Grand Jury for them to decide whether or not to indict officers.

In the instance of current District Attorney Avery Crump, the murder of Fred Cox Jr. by Davidson County Sheriff’s deputy Michael Shane Hill in November 2020 has colored the last two years of her tenure. As reported by Triad City Beat in the past, Crump chose the Grand Jury route rather than pressing charges and in June 2021, a Grand Jury was presented with two bills of indictment for Hill for voluntary manslaughter and felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. After hearing witness interviews and viewing the evidence investigated in this case, the Grand Jury returned two no true bills of indictment, finding insufficient evidence to support criminal charges.

Attorneys representing the Cox family filed a civil lawsuit against Hill as well as the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in August 2021. The suit is ongoing.

In the midst of ongoing calls for Crump’s resignation by activists familiar with the case, Democrat Brenton Boyce has emerged to take the incumbent on in this year’s primary election. Because there are no Republican challengers, the Democratic primary on May 17 will decide who wins the district attorney race for Guilford County.

In addition to the Fred Cox case, TCB asked Crump and Boyce about relevant experience, their relationship to the police, as well as how they might work to reform the justice system. The answers of the candidates are listed alphabetically by last name starting with the incumbent.

Avery Crump (D, i)

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An incumbent with a strong relationship with local law enforcement n her responses to TCB’s questions, incumbent Avery Crump highlighted the work she has completed in the last four years during her first term as district attorney.

Crump was initially voted into office in 2018 after beating Stephanie Reese in the primary election by about 7 percentage points. She ran unopposed in the general election. Prior to becoming district attorney, Crump worked as a district court judge in Guilford County for a decade.

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NEWS

“There are still things I can do to help the citizens of Guilford County,” Crump said. “I ran to bring positive change to Guilford County. I wanted to help our community by being tough on violent crime while also providing second chances to those in need by utilizing restorative justice programs such as the driver’s license restoration program, more accessible alternatives to prosecution programs, and expungement clinics. I have accomplished much of this, but I am not finished and there is still much more to do.”

Since being sworn in on Jan. 1, 2019, Crump asserts that she has helped more than 12,000 Guilford County residents get their driving privileges restored. Previous reporting by TCB has shown that unpaid fines disproportionately result in people of color having their licenses revoked or suspended in North Carolina. A 2020 study by the Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law School found that Guilford County has the most instances of failure-to-comply cases in the state, resulting from unpaid fees and fines from criminal cases. These FTCs have led Guilford County to rank second amongst counties with the most driver’s license suspensions in the state while Forsyth County ranks fourth.

“Thousands of Guilford County residents will be able to get back on the road because of this program to forgive court debt on minor traffic offenses,” Crump said.

In addition to her work with license reinstatements, she said she established a free alternative to prosecution that let young offenders who were charged with minor nonviolent offenses perform community service to have their charges dismissed.

Additionally, her office has started to review cases under the Second Chance Act, which was passed in June 2020 and allows district attorney’s offices to purge non-violent offenses on North Carolinians’ criminal records if those charges landed when they were under the age of 18, even if they have accrued additional felony charges in the interim. According to Crump, there are currently 18,600 individuals in Greensboro and 8,800 in High Point eligible under the program.

The Fred Cox case and her relationship with police

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hen it comes to the Fred Cox case, Crump echoed responses she has given to TCB before.

“I did do the right thing,” she said. “I did what my job required me to do. Following an SBI investigation, I submitted two indictments to the Grand Jury to have the detective charged and the Grand Jury declined to indict the detective. The Grand Jury found that there was not enough evidence to charge the detective. Any time someone is accused of committing a crime, probable cause must be found…. In North Carolina, the Grand Jury determines whether probable cause exists to charge a person with a felony, not the district attorney.”

When asked why she didn’t choose to charge Hill first like Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill did in the case of John Neville, Crump responded that the circumstances of the cases were different. Recently, a Grand Jury chose to indict the nurse involved in the case but not the detention officers. O’Neill had charged all six of those involved.

“He had video in his case, I did not,” she said. “And he thought that there was enough evidence to prosecute the five detention officers. The grand jury in Forsyth

Brenton Boyce (D)

Political newcomer focused on justice reform and transparency his is Brenton Boyce’s first time running for political office. Boyce, who is the only candidate running against incumbent Avery Crump, graduated from NCA&T State University in 2003 with an economics degree and eventually went to NC Central University to study law. He has been practicing law since 2007 and worked as an assistant public defender in Guilford County from 2008-12. He has had his own practice since 2013.

He has also taught at NC A&T as an adjunct professor since 2012.

In his run for district attorney, Boyce puts criminal-justice reform at the top of his platform.

“We need to end the myth that you can’t have criminal justice reform and safe communities,” he said. “The reality is that you can’t have one without the other.”

In his opinion, the biggest issues facing the county is the historic backlog of cases due to the pandemic and the erosion of public trust in the criminal justice system.

To remedy these issues, Boyce said he would make sure the district attorney’s office is “more involved with partnering in the community because no one has a monopoly on good ideas.”

While he may have less work experience compared to Crump, Boyce said that his diverse background makes him he better candidate to lead the office.

“Due to my more diverse background of practicing both civil law and criminal defense, particularly with cases involving low-income defendants, I have listened

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to so many members of the community who have shaped my understanding of the diverse set of circumstances that can lead to a person ending up with being charged with a crime,” he told TCB. “Furthermore, I am confident that I will have a better relationship with staff, other members of the courthouse and stakeholders in the community to build partnerships and confidence in my ability to lead.”

When it comes to the backlog of cases, Boyce’s response was similar to his opponent’s.

He mentioned prioritizing homicides, violent crimes, sex crimes and domestic cases and taking a more restorative approach to petty, non-violent offenses.

“This could include, where appropriate, the increased use of deferred prosecutions, mediation and mental-health and drug specialty courts,” he explained.

The erosion of public trust is a greater problem, Boyce said.

“The elected DA has to have an open-door policy with the community and be willing to hear suggestions and criticisms to craft solutions to complex problems,” he said. “Victims deserve to know that they have a chance to be heard.”

NEWS | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

NEWS

County did not agree and did not indict. So, they were charged but not indicted.

The DA cannot prosecute without an indictment.”

Crump then pointed to cases in Wake County and in Texas in which district attorneys turned over cases to the Grand Jury first.

“It is not unusual to go to the Grand Jury first in these types of cases,” she said.

When asked about her relationship with law enforcement and her confidence relying on police reports to make her decisions, Crump was firm.

“I am confident in using police officers’ reports because before trying a case, my prosecutors have a duty to speak with the officers and any other witnesses involved,” she said. “If they have reason to believe that reports are not accurate, then we have a duty to disclose that information and not use it.”

In just the past few years, reports by law enforcement officers and agencies have produced false information and narratives that have colored the way cases were handled. One of the most egregious examples of this was when the initial police report and subsequent press release failed to mention that Marcus Deon Smith was hogtied in 2018 — a glaring omission of the act that caused his death.

Still, Crump noted her active relationship with local officers and said that they have worked to create positive change in the county including concentrating “efforts on violent crime and serious drug offenses and less on simple possession of marijuana.” She also said she has “heard the calls for police reform” and believes in more extensive training for officers.

During her tenure, Crump said she established quarterly meetings with the heads of the law enforcement offices to discuss key objectives. One of the results of that was a decrease in total traffic stops in Greensboro.

“That was a positive change,” Crump said. “I will continue to work with law enforcement to continue these positive changes.”

One of the biggest issues facing the county, according to Crump, is the backlog in cases exacerbated by the pandemic. The hiring of more staff, increasing the number of defendants on the calendars and prioritizing homicide trials will help to alleviate this problem, she said.

When asked what sets her apart from her opponent, Crump highlighted her years of experience and her efforts during the pandemic.

“Experience matters,” she said. “I am the only candidate who has experience trying serious felony cases. Leadership matters. I have successfully led my office through this pandemic and advocated for more staff to help alleviate the backlog.”

On police reform

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hen it comes to police reform, Boyce took a slightly different approach compared to his opponent.

“Calls for police reform should not be controversial for several reasons,” he said. “First, there is no profession that wouldn’t benefit from external checks and balances…. Second, prosecutors benefit from having the public trust the work of law enforcement officers, and the best way to do that is to make it clear that officers who break the law or violate policy will be held accountable.”

Part of that process, Boyce said, is to take a “proactive approach by reporting misconduct, refusing to prosecute offenses involving gross civil rights violations and fairly presenting witnesses to a Grand Jury in cases of police misconduct.”

To improve the office overall, Boyce said he would partner with community members, including local law enforcement, to improve standards.

Unlike Crump, Boyce told TCB that he is concerned about the inaccuracy of some police reports.

“This shouldn’t be controversial,” Boyce said. “It also isn’t just about intentional misrepresentations in a police report. Even well-intentioned officers can make a mistake when trying to recall all of the details of a tense situation.”

To remedy this, he said that body-worn camera footage should always be reviewed.

If elected, Boyce said he would clearly establish policies to promote transparency, host regular opportunities for dialogue with the press and community members, modernize discovery practices to get evidence more quickly and consistently review where inequality exists in the system such as reconsidering policies on cash bail and plea negotiations.

“People deserve to have a system that is open to change when there are better ideas that come along,” Boyce said. “I can promise that I have a deep respect… for how much power a district attorney has…. I plan to earn the public trust in wielding that power by showing that I am accountable to the citizens who put me in that office.”

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NEWS | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

Two Democrats compete in the primary for Forsyth County’s District 74 State House seat

NEWS NEWS

by Suzy Fielders

Sean Lew

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wo candidates, Carla Catalán Day and Sean Lew, will compete in the Democratic primary for the District 74 State House seat on May 17.

Republican Jeff Zenger currently holds the seat and is running unopposed. The winner between Day and Lew will face Zenger in the general election this November.

District 74 covers southwestern Forsyth County and includes the towns of Lewisville and Clemmons.

The candidates are listed alphabetically by last name.

Carla Catalán Day

A health specialist focused on Medicaid, funding public education arla Catalán Day moved to Forsyth County with her family in the 1990’s, attending Meadowlark Middle School and graduating from West Forsyth High School. Day is a registered Environmental Health Specialist and owns her a consulting agency in Winston-Salem.

As a working-class mother, Day said she’s running for office because she understands the struggle of working parents.

“I know the awful feeling of having to cancel my child’s medical appointment because I couldn’t afford to pay the entire amount at the time of service,” she said. “My child deserves better. People deserve better. We deserve better - regardless of class and racial background.”

As a health specialist, Day is focused on expanding Medicaid as one of her top priorities.

“We are one of three states in the country that has not expanded Medicaid” she said. “This leaves many working-class and middle-class people in situations where they don’t qualify for Medicaid but can’t afford health care.”

Her stance on police reform includes a focus on increasing support for social services.

“We’re all safer when we invest our resources in things that really keep us safe like healthcare, education, and good jobs,” she said.

In addition to supporting the expansion of Medicaid, Day’s expressed her passion for funding public schools.

“We have got to do better for our children,” she said. “Defunding public school, like the Republican legislature has been doing, should be a mortal sin. Public education is being micromanaged now by people who have not spent time in classrooms. People who have no experience are ignoring the voices of those who are experts in the field of education.”

As a representative, she said she would support teachers when they say they

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need reduced classroom sizes and school supplies.

“The power of a strong and inclusive public education can transform the world,” Day said. “It is necessary to defend the institution of public education in order to support and empower our children, educational staff and communities to build a more equitable society that affirms the identities and dignity of our Black and African-American students, Native-American and Indigenous students, working class students, Hispanic/Latinx students and LGBTQ+ students.”

Day said she fully supports the Leandro plan and increasing NC educators’ salaries to the national average of $63,645.

A local attorney focused on supporting local businesses ean (pronounced “seen”) Lew has lived in Forsyth County for more than 20 years. He is currently an attorney with his own practice in Winston-Salem. He received his Juris Doctor from the UNC School of Law. Lew served as a Citizen Commissioner for the city of Winston-Salem on two community boards from 2003 to 06.

As a practicing attorney, Lew told TCB that he has an excellent working relationship with members of both sides of the political aisle.

Using his experience, he said he wants to be a “citizen lawyer for the citizen legislature.”

He also said his priorities include supporting family businesses, strengthening schools, expanding health care coverage, and preserving our natural resources and green spaces.

“Family businesses are the heart and soul of our district and they have been devastated economically from the pandemic,” Lew said. “Small business recovery from COVID is a top priority issue and very personal to me as I’m a small business owner.”

Like his opponent, Lew also believes in expanding healthcare in the district. “I believe all North Carolinians deserve access to quality care they can afford, especially those with mental illness and substance use disorders,” he said.

On the issue of policing, Lew pointed to his experience working with local law enforcement in a balanced response.

“As an attorney that appears regularly at the Forsyth County Hall of Justice, I have great respect for the men and women who serve in our county and local police force,” he said. “I believe we should fund our police while also funding new methods for our frontline staff that deal with specific crises and mental health episodes where traditional policing may not be the best first response to the situation.

I do not believe all public safety situations should be addressed with a single type of tool.”

In education, Lew said he supports increasing access to early childhood education, raising teacher pay, and investing in increasing staff size to support the needs of students. He said he supports the Leandro decision to add $1.7 billion to schools in the state budget.

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Correction: In our article, “District 3 and 5 Greensboro city

council members talk policing, development and the city’s future,” published last week, we incorrectly stated that candiate Tony Wilkins is the executive director of the Guilford County Republican Party. In fact, Wilkins is the former executive director.

NEWS | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

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OPINION | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

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OPINION

EDITORIAL Turning kids into Republicans: Good luck with that

Jen Sorensen jensorensen.com

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epublican policy is think that’s what schools do when a tough sell these they teach students that Black folks days. Starving public get a raw deal in this country, or schools, elevating that Taylor has two mommies. corporations beyond mere “perBut anyone who’s ever tried to sonhood” into unregulated entities get a kid to brush their own teeth that operate without the burden of knows that kids don’t do things just paying taxes, demonizing LGBTQ+ because adults say it’s good for Americans and their families and them. recasting violent insurrectionists as And there’s this other thing: Elect“patriots” and “tourists,” well… these ed officials in general, and Republiare not popular positions with most cans in particular, don’t know what’s Americans. happening on the ground until after This is why Republicans must it’s happened. gerrymander to keep their seats at It’s unlikely that any right-wing the table, why they must convert extremists Republicans running for their voters into zealots, why they school board — here and elsewhere must subvert the Constitutional — understand the characteristics of system of checks and balances: beAmerican youth they so dearly want cause they can’t get the votes. And to affect. you can’t gerrymander The 2020 Census a whole country — a recorded sweeping A Republican Republican presidenchanges in the popupresidential tial candidate has not lace since the last one candidate has not in 2010, particularly won the popular vote won the popular in this century, which as it pertains to race. we’re nearly a quarter vote in this century, The “white alone” popof the way through. ulation, for example, which we’re And this is why, has decreased overall nearly a quarter of by 8.6 percent. And this election cycle in the way through. people who classify particular, people of the far-right persuathemselves as “multision are attempting to racial” has increased infiltrate our school boards. A North by 276 percent, from 9 million in Carolina Proud Boy named John 2010 to 33.8 million in 2020.

Wesley Fisher is running for school Among the under-18 set, that board in Johnston County this number goes up to 15.1 percent, year. There are other, more local while white kids are barely half — 53 examples of reactionary candidates percent, down more than 10 points. across the state, perhaps hundreds And 25.3 percent of these kids are across the nation. It’s part of an Hispanic or Latinx. overall strategy to tear this mother We’re not saying that all Republidown. cans are white, but I mean… c’mon.

For one, they’re having a hard Republicans, generally, are born, time getting elected to seats they not made. And before they bring don’t already hold. And for another, all these multi-racial students into they think they can use these posithe fold, they’ll have to explain why tions of limited power to indoctrithey’re starving the schools for nate American public-school stufunding and making it harder for dents into their tribe. Because they their parents to vote.

John Cole

Courtesy of NC Policy Watch

ICYMI: Pride, prejudice and the myth of objectivity at UNCG

surprised and dismayed at the sheer number of those attending, as well as the diversity of the crowd. It’s true that there were some dissenters who made their way into the sea of Shapiro supporters during the event. But listening to the crowd, it became obvious that most of

by Sayaka Matsuoka those in attendance — young and old, POC and white — were there because they believed the words coming he view from nowhere. That’s what out of Shapiro’s mouth. generations of journalists have aspired And as I sat in the back of the room, taking in Shapto in this profession. It’s the idea that iro’s hateful rhetoric, I became increasingly concerned we as reporters, those of us tasked with with how I would cover the event. “getting the record straight,” are completely objective Should I quote what he’s saying and then back it beings who must simply observe, document and move up with the science and data that proves him wrong? on. It’s how news reporting and news gathering was Should I interview people to ask why they’re there and taught — or so they tell me; I didn’t go to journo school then push back against their arguments in print?

— for decades.

Maybe a few years ago I would likely have done just But I’m here to tell you that it’s a fallacy. that. I would have turned in a news story that counted As human beings with distinct backgrounds, upbringthe number in the audience, outlined a play-by-play of ings, identities and experiences, the idea that we are the event including what Shapiro said, interviewed a completely dissociated robots capable of only reportfew of those in attendance and been on my way. ing the “objective truth” is mere fiction. And not only is it But as I exited the building and walked across the impossible, it’s dangerously irresponsible. lawn to a counter-event that the universiThat’s why, when the administration at ty hosted at the same time as Shapiro’s UNCG this week allowed Ben Shapiro to I was reminded why appearance, my path became clear. speak on campus, it struck me so deeply.

I entered this proIn front of the fountain at the entrance The argument that the university made of the campus’ food hall, hundreds of stufession in the first — that they have to allow Shapiro onto dents gathered in front of live DJ. On the place. It’s not to campus because of “free speech” — is the outskirts of the gathering a small circle same kind of thinking that predominantmaintain the status had formed where students took turns ly white, male, cisgender, heterosexual quo. It’s to uplift, dancing. They slid, they stomped, they newsrooms have used to ignore, quiet center, empower spun. It was a picture of love, a picture of and turn a blind eye to the oppressions resilience. those who have against BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities And I was reminded why I entered this for centuries. And that in and of itself a been cast aside profession in the first place. It’s not to conscious decision, isn’t it? Not one of from the center maintain the status quo. It’s to uplift, cenobjectivity. spotlight for far too ter, empower those who have been cast Freedom of speech is protected in this aside from the center spotlight for far too long. country, yes. But a free platform to spew long. abhorrent views is not. As an alumna, I Every time we put pen to paper, every understand that UNCG rejecting Shapiro would likely time we give a dollar, every time we approve the use have had dire and complicated consequences for the of a facility, we make a conscious decision of who to university, which is part of the larger UNC school syscenter. tem and funded by the state. Some would say it was So, like the students who cared not about what impossible for UNCG to reject Shapiro because of exShapiro might have been saying less than a mile away, isting laws. But what are laws if not made my humans?

I decided to center you, me, us. And so too did Andrew If they allow this kind of behavior, should we not work Mails-Saine, the Methodist and Lutheran campus to change them? minister at UNCG and the director of the campus’ food Like newspapers, universities — which take money pantry. from young, impressionable students who are often “I am convinced that hate is really, really loud,” he just working to find their place in the world — are instisaid at the event. “And love is really soft. It’s when a tutions of power that have a responsibility to cast aside mother whispers to their child. But that doesn’t mean the notion of “objectivity” or a blanket policy of “free it’s not powerful. It’s all the moments that will go on speech” all for the appearance of “fairness.” after Shapiro has left.”

In his book, The View from Somewhere, Lewis Raven And watching the smiling faces of students dancing Wallace quotes radio producer Ramona Martinez. in front of the fountain, those draped in pink and blue “Objectivity is the ideology of the status quo.” flags to those lightly tapping their feet on overhanging On Monday evening, as I watched close to 2,000 patios up above, I was again overcome with emotion. people fill Fleming Gym on UNCG’s campus, I was But this time, it was joy.

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SIGMA NU 7TH ANNUAL CAR SHOW! Presented By: Bentley High Point & Porsche Greensboro

OPINION | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

OPINION

Taking Place: April 23rd, 2022 11AM-3PM Located At: Oak Hollow Mall 921 Eastchester Dr, High Point, NC 27262 Contact: Sam Siegel-Horne (612) 704 9797

Our event will have a wide variety of vehicles, ranging from off-road cars, to luxury vehicles, to muscle cars, sport cars, even two wheel vehicles, and more!

$10 TO GO $20 TO SHOW!

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CULTURE | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

CULTURE

Viral-hit El Sabor Tabasqueño tacos go from residential to road-ready with new food truck

by Luis H. Garay STAN SUSSINA

When El Sabor Tabasqueño opened their food truck last month, the line snaked around the parking lot.

“D

on’t forget to bring cash,” Nikki reminds me. My two 10-dollar bills sit neatly folded in my wallet waiting to exchange themselves for a round of tacos. And not just any tacos.

On March 25, 2021, Nikki Miller-Ka wrote about the underground taqueria El Sabor Tabasqueño for this very paper. Miller-Ka’s piece was the first to highlight the local food spot; later many would come to know about its beautiful bounty of bright birria tacos, mouth-watering ramen and sweet-tooth-approved candies. The piece quickly went viral, shining a spotlight on one of Winston-Salem’s best-kept food secrets. The spotlight, however, shone a little too brightly.

The story sent droves to the home El Sabor Tabasqueño operated out of.

Many eagerly waited for hours outside to taste the city’s most-buzzed-about place. Word spread quickly and owner Leydi Lopez was told to cease operations by the city of Winston-Salem. Upon hearing the news, some responded with ire directed at Miller-Ka and drew swords of blame.

In the following weeks, friends, fans and families came together to help Lopez and El Sabor Tabasqueño . Eventually, Lizbeth Raymundo organized community support to help Lopez purchase a food truck via GoFundMe. Four days after the first story was published, Miller-Ka wrote a second piece sharing the fundraiser and the story of Lopez and her family.

“It was an outpouring of the community to fuel and fund the dream,” Miller-Ka says, remembering all that transpired.

A year later, the underground taqueria is fully in the light with its brandnew food truck.

I arrive at the address posted by El Sabor Tabasqueño on their Instagram at around 10 a.m. on a recent Thursday morning; I’m here early at Nikki’s suggestion. She attended the opening day of the food truck, which took

place on April 2, when the line snaked through the parking lot.

As I’m parking in front of a towering Colfax Furniture store, I begin to wonder if I’m in the right place. The food truck is nowhere to be seen. A few minutes later, out of my rearview mirror, I see a bright-red food truck pull in with a small, black car in tow — I’m in the right place.

With big yellow block letters boldly displaying the name of the business, the food truck is a sunny respite despite the rainy weather. Slowly but surely, as the hands of time inch closer to 11 a.m. cars start arriving, nestling close to each other in parking spots near the truck. In a blink, people leave the comfort of their cars to stand in line.

“See that right there? That’s my picture,” Miller-Ka excitedly points.

Her image is a part of a photo collage on the menu.

I follow the stream of people and ready myself in line. The person in front of me says I can go ahead of them because they have a big order.

“I heard about it from my friend,” Tiffany Curtis says with a smile of anticipation. “I heard that their lines get really long, and you might have to wait.

But I guess it must be that good because everyone lines up.”

The menu boasts familiar food items to long-time friends and fans. They sell birria tacos, birria tortas, small and large birria pizzas, birria quesadillas, birria ramen, birria nachos, vegetarian tacos, chicken tacos, an assortment of fresh drinks and banana pudding. Though not on the menu on the order window, a secret menu offers candy trays and watermelon candy rings.

As I walk back to my car with a small birria pizza, birria torta and a horchata, I see Tiffany. She places two plastic bags of neatly stacked Styrofoam containers inside a cardboard box in the back of her car and is walking

A year later, the underground taqueria is fully in the light with its brand-new food truck.

10

CULTURE | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

STAN SUSSINA

STAN SUSSINA

Top: Precious Muniz passes an order to Belinda Cox at El Sabor Tabasqueño in Winston-Salem on April 9.

Bottom: The birria pizza comes filled with birria meat, cheese, onions and cilantro.

back with a third plastic bag of containers. She explains that she’s trying the tacos and picking up food for her coworkers.

The birria pizza is the first item I tackle.

Removing the pizza box from its plastic bag confines, I’m surprised by how heavy it is. As I peek inside, I am greeted by eight lightly tanned slices, each boasting a healthy amount of birria meat while cheese, onions and cilantro complete the medley. The crust, which is ever so slightly crunchy, is made of corn tortillas while circle-cut radishes and lemon wedges sit in the center of the pie ready to be utilized to add a sharp tang to one’s slices.

Two small containers of green salsa round out the landscape. The pizza also comes with consommé which has become a staple of birria lovers and food videographers. As I dip my slices, I wonder if birria taco dunks could become the new cheese pulls.

After more than a year, Miller-Ka excitedly talks about how covering El Sabor Tabasqueño is the story that has had the most impact in her career.

“Any serious journalist wants to better the community in some way,” Miller-Ka says. “This was an instance of uplifting the good guys.”

Follow El Sabor Tabasqueño on Facebook and Instagram at @elsabortabasqueno.

11

CULTURE | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

12

IN THE WEEDS

T

‘Yes, we’d like to cash out’

he pepped-up modern jazz runs on a loop, a quick, reassuring little bop that doesn’t allow me to dwell too long on the reason I’m calling.

The intro and the hook run for about a minute before an equally reassuring voice reminds me that my call will be answered in the order it was received. Then it

by James Douglas starts again.

I’ve been on hold for an over an hour. *** The reason I’m sitting here today, hypnotized by this mocking tune, is that I received a letter from the state’s unemployment division, the NC Department of Employment Security. “DETERMINATION OF OVERPAYMENT,” it threatens. It states that I was overpaid during the shutdown. No other details are provided besides the amount owed — to them, by me— aside from how to pay it off. It provides a cutoff date for when I can appeal, and options on how to do so, including one for “Fax.” I haven’t seen a fax machine since Myspace existed. The last time I utilized one was before 9/11.

It does include the choice to call the customer-service number “if you have any questions.” So, here we are. Sanitized jazz eats at my soul.

I haven’t been on unemployment since September of 2020. When the world shut down two years ago, many of us in the service and hospitality industry were left in a precarious situation. Luckily, most of us out of work through no fault of our own were able to pay our bills, thanks to the emergency unemployment provided through the CARES Act. *** The service industry caters to employees with multiple jobs. I’m no different. In March of 2020, I worked at a brewery and a dive bar, moonlighting as local help for concerts across the Carolinas. I look after an ailing parent.

I help take care of the family farm. Everyone had things that needed doing.

The emergency fund provided that.

I can name more than a hundred service-industry workers who rely on multiple sources of income just get by. These jobs, by and large, have no benefits or 401ks, no paid vacation nor health insurance. I’ve had service jobs that told us that we were expendable. We were. With NC being a “FireAt-Will” state, doubly so. But not to worry! $600 a week staved off ruination for thousands of people.

Like many, I utilized the COVID funding. Many of us did, industry to industry, from bankers to part-time dishwashers. For many it was the only option they had. Not that it wasn’t difficult. Many of our readers remember what the system looked like. The long wait times, the website errors, the absolute surge into a system that was barely prepared to accommodate a quarter of those applying. We also remember that this was by design. The unemployment system, especially in NC, was supposed to be unwieldy, repetitive and prone to mistakes. Call it the “Bootstrap Repercussion.” They intentionally made it a nightmare to deal with, even before COVID. A recent audit from the Office of the State Auditor found that from Jan. 1-March 31 of 2020, the NCDES were not timely in the release of first payments to those on unemployment.

But that glorious day when you were approved? There aren’t too many feelings like that, that euphoria and sheer relief.

I danced. I never expected a letter to arrive almost two years to the day afterwards. *** Approximately 1 hour and 28 minutes later, someone picks up and rouses me from my fever dream of risqué elevator music. Strangely enough, I was calm (a word of advice, please be nice to customer-service reps, this isn’t their fault, you should know this). The angel on the other end of the

line was a professional and told me exactly how to appeal via email. I did so, and thanked them profusely.

Then I started to reach out to other bartenders and servers, and as it turns out, this is widespread, especially in the service industry and incomes based around cash.

I put out inquiries to colleagues to find that many have received similar demands to the letter I received. One bartender, a single parent of a disabled child, had a bill for $10,000. Another had two letters that totaled to $6,500. This issue is so widespread that a local bar owner even offered a template letter that was passed around like a chain letter, used by recipients to appeal and request a waiving of the amount due. To add to the frustration, the letters state that one can appeal on the NCDES website and gives explicit instructions on how to do so. If appeals aren’t sent by the designated date, the NCDES assumes that the balance is valid and will expect payment. The website option to file an appeal is nonexistent. There is no option to appeal on the NCDES website, despite the letter stating so.

So, I contacted the NCDES. Kerry McComber is the Chief Deputy for Performance and Policy at the Division of Employment Security. She assured me that there is an option to appeal on the NCDES website (there wasn’t, at least in my case) and that issues like mine were not widespread.

“Claimants may file their appeal through their online account, by fax, by email or by mail,” she said. Pryor Gibson, the Assistant Secretary of the NCDES, said in a speech to state lawmakers in January of 2021 that of the $70 million of overpayments, 88 percent were due to the company who handles the service, ID.me. Figures.

An already difficult system to navigate gets hit with a catastrophe and attempts to recoup losses up to two years down the line. Of the people I spoke to who had similar issues, four ignored it, four fought it and two received a letter saying that it was a clerical error. For those where a paycheck-to-paycheck existence is the only thing they know, it’s not surprising that they would receive demands for something they were told at the time: “It’s okay, you qualify, you’re gonna be alright.”

But we know that those who needed unemployment at the time are less likely to fight back. It’s a fishing expedition, and the pond is an inch deep and a mile wide.

Information on how to appeal a “Determination of Overpayment” claim can be found at des.nc.gov.

ARTWORK—STEPHANIE BAILEY

CULTURE | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

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SHOT IN THE TRIAD | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

BY CAROLYN DE BERRY

Cypress Street, Greensboro

Archaeological dig site at Swann Middle School’s 100th Anniversary Celebration. As part of Swann’s 100th year anniversary archaeologists from New South Associates worked with students, teaching techniques to excavate four locations on the school property.

14

“Intro To Puzzles”--the three digits you’d see in college courses.

by Matt Jones

Across 1. Equilateral figure 8. Crow’s call 11. “Milk” director Van Sant 14. Amalfi Coast’s gulf 15. “Without any further ___” 16. CN Tower prov.

17. Label for some TV jacks 18. Litigator’s field 19. Barracks VIP 20. Bulbed vegetable 21. Omelet bar option 22. A neighbor of Minn.

23. Carbon-14 or strontium-90, as used in dating 27. Paris 2024 org.

30. Some bridge seats 31. Record-setting Ripken 32. Carson of “The Voice” 34. Word often seen after “shalt” 35. Billiard ball feature, maybe 38. 2004 Hawthorne Heights single considered an “emo anthem” 41. Luck, in León 42. “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar ___” 43. The “E” in QED 44. Cage of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent”, familiarly 45. Actress Arterton 47. Late Pink Floyd member Barrett 48. Hippie-inspired perfume ingredient 52. Smashing fellow?

53. Coldplay’s “Death and All ___ Friends” 54. Wishes it weren’t so 57. Actress Nicole ___ Parker 58. “___ in the Kitchen” (2022 TBS cooking show featuring sabotage) 59. Artificial tissue materials for 3-D printing 62. Pump output 63. Notable time period 64. Secret group in “The Da Vinci Code” 65. Suffix after fast or slow 66. “As ___ my last email ...”

67. “You busy?”

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

PUZZLES | APRIL 14 - 20, 2022

CROSSWORD

© 2022 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

SUDOKU

12. Open, as a toothpaste tube 13. Add fuel to 21. Post-shave amenities 22. What they say to do to a fever, versus a cold (or is it the other way around?)

24. Like coffee cake, often 25. “Time ___ the essence!”

26. Bi x bi x bi 27. Promising exchanges 28. “Hawaii Five-O” setting 29. Salesperson’s leads, generally 33. “Alas, poor ___!” (line from “Hamlet”) 35. Sports replay speed 36. Religious hit for MC Hammer 37. Abbr. before a founding year 39. Bite result, perhaps 40. Actor Malek 45. Fender offering © 2022 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) 46. Freshen, as linens 48. Suffix meaning “eater” 49. Charismatic glows LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: 50. Midwest airline hub 51. Opera star Tetrazzini (she of the chicken Down dish) 55. Comes to a halt 1. Pretoria’s home (abbr.)

56. ___-ball (arcade rolling game) 2. Lug along 58. Salesperson, briefly 3. Ye ___ Shoppe 59. Peaty place 4. Video game designer behind the “Civiliza- 60. 2008 event for Visa tion” series 61. Clarifying word in brackets 5. NBC Nightly News anchor for over 20 years 6. Prefix with cycle or verse 7. Sean, to Yoko 8. City near one end of the Chunnel 9. Washington’s successor 10. “Amazing!”

11. Venetian boatmen

15

JOSH TURNER

GREENSKY BLUEGRASS

OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW

EMMYLOU HARRIS

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES

THE WOOD BROTHERS

COLIN HAY

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND

DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS

WE BANJO 3

SAM BUSH

JERRY DOUGLAS

THE EARLS OF LEICESTER

PETER ROWAN BLUEGRASS BAND

STEEP CANYON RANGERS