CITY LIFE
THURSDAY
Inedible: Making Marks That Cannot Be Easily Removed @ GreenHill Center for NC Art (GSO) 5:30 p.m.
Inedible highlights the artwork of four NC artists: Elliana Esquivel, Aimée Garcia, Isabel Lu and Abir Mohsen, that “reflect the role of inherited cultural practices in imagining stories that reflect individual investigations of identity. Preview the exhibition at greenhillnc.org/indelible2024
Community
Conversations: A Tour of the Forsyth County Board of Elections (W-S) 6 p.m.
This part of Bookmarks’ Book with Purpose Community Conversation Series includes a tour of the Forsyth County Board of Elections. Learn how the voting process
JULY 25 - 27
works and how elections are kept fair in Forsyth County. Free. Register at bookmarksnc.org.
FRIDAY
Urinetown
@ HanesBrands Theatre (W-S) 7 p.m.
Spring Theatre is excited to announce Urinetown, a musical comedy bordering on socio-political satire that shows what happens when a 20-year drought sparks class warfare between the rebelling poor and corporate elite. Purchase tickets at springtheatre.org
Sunset
Paddles @ Oak Hollow Lake (HP) 7:30 p.m.
High Point Parks & Recreation invites you to enjoy a guided sunset tour of Oak Hollow Lake by kayak. Visit the event page on Facebook to register.
Cinderella
Scan the QR code to find more events at triad-citybeat.com/local-events
@ Stained Glass Playhouse (W-S) 8 p.m.
Stained Glass Playhouse presents the Broadway adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the story of a young woman who is forced into a life of servitude by her stepmother and stepsisters. With the help of her Fairy Godmother, she escapes to a ball for one night, where she meets her Prince Charming. Purchase tickets at stainedglassplayhouse.org
SATURDAY
Back 2 School Parent Resource Fair @ First Baptist Church—- West Friendly Ave. (GSO) 9 a.m.
Operation Xcel, a nonprofit academic enrichment
JULY
28 - AUG. 2
organization is hosting a back to school resource fair for parents and students to participate in workshops, activities and backpack giveaways before the upcoming school year. Find more information at operationxcel.org
Arts for EveryBody @ United Health Centers (W-S) 10 a.m.
Arts for EveryBody is a national initiative designed to “bring together artists, civic leaders and community health providers to foster healthier communities.” The event will include traditional West African dance and djembe drumming, interactive, family-friendly creative spaces, food trucks, live performance and more. There will also be free health screenings. Find more information at artsforeverybody. org
Small Press Pony Express @ Acme Comics - Lawndale (GSO) 12 p.m.
The Small Press Pony Express highlights original comic books from three artists who have a personal relationship with Acme Comics. Meet Audra Stang (“The Audra Show,” “Tunnel Vision), Barrett Stanley (“Heartbreak Quadrant,” “The Devil’s Guide to Filmland”) and Andrew Neal (“Meeting Comics,” “Clocking In and Selling Out”) and learn more about their comics before purchasing.
28
SUNDAY
The Kettle Cigar Club @ The Brewer’s
Kettle (HP) 12 p.m.
The Kettle Cigar Club is hosting another smoke session with cigar specials and a vast collection of beer and wine. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.
Greensboro
Zine Fest @ Carolina Theatre (GSO) 12 p.m.
Greensboro Zine Fest is a free gettogether that celebrates all things DIY publishing, indie comics, illustration and more. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.
29
MONDAY
International Black Theatre Festival (W-S) All week
The IBTF, known as the “Black theatre holy ground” transforms Winston-Salem into a mega-performing arts center for a week-long celebration of Black cinema. Visit workshops, enjoy film festivals, shop with vendors and more. Buy tickets at ncblackrep.org
1
THURSDAY
Basement Legends @
Stock + Grain (HP) 7 p.m.
Triad-based rock band Basement Legends will provide live music for you to enjoy as you visit a variety of merchants inside the food hall.
Night Paddles @ Lake
Brandt Marina (GSO) 8 p.m.
Greensboro Parks & Recreation is hosting Night Paddles for you to enjoy the lake by the moonlight. Register at bit. ly/4bQ61rw
2
FRIDAY
Molten Makerspace
Grand Opening @ 3805
Tinsley Drive (HP) 4 p.m.
Head to the grand opening of Molten Makerspace. There will be a ribboncutting ceremony, raffle ticket sales and event announcement. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.
Tiffany Thompson @ Rosenbacher House (W-S) 6:30 p.m.
Boutique Wines is hosting “Fridays with Tiffany” for you to bask in the soulful artistry of Thompson in an intimate setting. Thompson’s music is recognized for blending acoustic folk with pop elements to “explore the full spectrum of human experience.” Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.
Redbone + Zoe & Cloyd JUly 27
OPINION
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
We need to thank Black women
SALES
KEY ACCOUNTS
Chris Rudd chris@triad-city-beat.com
AD MANAGER
Heather Schutz
allen@triad-city-beat.com
OF COUNSEL
Jonathan Jones
EDITORIAL
MANAGING EDITOR
Sayaka Matsuoka
sayaka@triad-city-beat.com
CITYBEAT REPORTER
Gale Melcher
gale@triad-city-beat.com
heather@triad-city-beat.com
TCBTIX
Nathaniel Thomas nathaniel@triad-city-beat.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Carolyn de Berry, John Cole, Owens Daniels, James Douglas, Michelle Everette, Luis H. Garay, Destiniee Jaram, Kaitlynn Havens, Jordan Howse, Matt Jones, Autumn Karen, Michaela Ratliff, Jen Sorensen, Todd Turner
WEBMASTER
Sam LeBlanc
ART
ART DIRECTOR
Aiden Siobhan aiden@triad-city-beat.com
COVER:
Instructors with Blossom Pole Fitness pose for a photo.
In this same space a few weeks ago, I urged Democrats to gather their support for President Joe Biden, even if we didn’t want to vote for him. Now, the tides have turned.
With Vice President Kamala Harris slated to be the Democratic nominee it’s time to focus our attention and gratitude to arguably the most important voting bloc in this country: Black women.
It’s no secret that Black women and women of color turned out the vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. In 2020, 90 percent of Black women voted for Joe Biden and Harris to secure their win.
And they’re doing it again.
In just three hours, Black women around the country coalesced around Kamala Harris to raise $1.5 million for the new candidate. You read that right: $1.5 million in three hours. This was after a historic Zoom call that brought forth an estimated 90,000 attendees on Sunday night. According to ActBlue, a left-leaning PAC that is supporting Harris, more than $46 million had been raised as of Sunday
night after Harris was tapped to be Biden’s replacement. That’s about a fifth of what Biden’s campaign had raised at the end of June. In just one day. That’s the power of Black women’s vote in this country. But of course, this is nothing new. While history books may not always reflect this, Black women have always been at the forefront of change in this country. Often next to giants like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were female activists and scholars like Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer and so many more who not only worked alongside King and X, but also sustained the movements they worked to create. They’ve long been the backbone of this country, whether it was working in the fields, serving in people’s homes, voting in booths, marching in the streets, teaching in classrooms, working on the frontlines or, now, running for president.
Malcolm X once was quoted as saying, “The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman.” I’d like to add to that sentence: The most underappreciated and underestimated person in America is the Black woman. But not anymore. It’s time we recognize the power and strength Black women have in this country and help uplift their efforts in any way we can.
by Sayaka Matsuoka
Design by Aiden Siobhan
Photo by Maaroupi Sani
Here are the candidates vying for Rep. Ashton Clemmons’s House District
57 seat in Guilford County
by Sayaka Matsuoka | sayaka@triad-city-beat.com
Less than a week before President Biden announced that he was stepping out from the presidential race, a NC Democrat stunned voters by announcing her resignation from a State House seat.
On July 15, Rep. Ashton Clemmons of House District 57 in Guilford County announced that she was resigning from the seat she first took in 2018 to take a position within the University of North Carolina System.
“It has truly been a great honor to serve the people of Guilford county and the State of North Carolina as a State Representative since 2019,” Clemmons wrote in a press release posted on X, formerly Twitter, on July 15.
House District 57 currently includes northern parts of Greensboro and Summerfield. A new map, which was drawn in 2023, will be used for the upcoming November election.
Clemmons, who has served three terms, said via the release that she would be assuming a position as associate vice president of P-12 strategy and policy within the university system. Prior to joining political office, Clemmons worked in education and championed many education-related initiatives during her tenure
In the wake of the news of Clemmons’s soon-to-be departure, the local Democratic party has been working to ensure a new candidate serves out the rest of Clemmons’s term which ends this year. Clemmons had filed to run for another term and had no primary opposition.
Now, according to state law, members of the Guilford County Democratic Party are responsible for filling both the immediate vacancy of Clemmons’s seat as well as choosing a new candidate for the fall election. The Democratic candidate will face off against Republican Janice Davis in November.
On Monday, TCB spoke to Kathy Kirkpatrick, the chair of the Guilford County Democratic Party to talk about the next steps and timelines for filling the seat. We also spoke to the seven candidates who are currently in the running for House District 57.
What is the process and timeline for filling the seat?
According to Kirkpatrick, the people who decide which candidate will fill the remainder of the term and be on the ballot in November come from two buckets.
The first — which will decide who serves out the rest of the term — includes precinct chairs, vice chairs and elected officials from the 2022 district plan, which had District 57 covering north Greensboro and Summerfield. The second group — which will decide who will be on the ballot — includes precinct chairs, vice chairs and
elected officials from the new 2023 map which excludes Summerfield from District 57, spanning from Fleming Road to the west through northern Greensboro to Hines Chapel Road in the east.
Precinct chairs, vice chairs and elected officials were organized earlier this year in the spring. This means that average voters will not be able to choose the replacement but will be able to cast their vote for the Democratic candidate in November.
To choose who will immediately fill the seat, members from the first group will convene via a Zoom call on Aug. 3 at 9 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. that same day, members of the new district will meet via Zoom to appoint the person who will replace Clemmons on the ballot in November.
As far as the candidates go, Kirkpatrick said there are currently seven people who have expressed interest. Six of them live in the overlapping area from the old and new map and are thus qualified to both immediately replace Clemmons and serve a new term. One candidate, Irving Allen, resides only in the new district and is not eligible to fill the seat immediately, but is able to serve as Clemmons’s replacement for the November election.
While there are seven candidates vying for the position as of July 22, Kirkpatrick said that there could be more people who throw their hat into the ring before Aug. 3.
After precinct officials cast their votes, the decision is sent to the County Board of Elections, which will send the information on to the state lawmakers who then file the paperwork to swear in the interim representative.
Clemmons’s last day in office is Aug. 4.
Who are the candidates vying for House District 57?
As soon as Clemmons announced her resignation on July 12, several politicl entities made moves to tap potential candidates for the seat. Several of the candidates include familiar faces who have run for political office in the past while a few newcomers have also joined the mix. As always, TCB offered every candidate the opportunity for an interview and asked the same questions for this piece. Candidates are listed by last name.
There are seven candidates vying for the open District 57 seat left by Rep. Ashton Clemmons in Guilford County.
Irving Allen, 37
An activist with a lineage of civil rights advocacy
Irving Allen has been a well-known entity among social justice and activist circles in Greensboro. Coming from a line of civil rights activists like his father, Steve Allen, who was a civil rights attorney and the first Black Superior Court judge in Guilford County and his uncle, David Richmond, one of the A&T Four, Allen carries on the tradition of fighting for social justice.
While this isn’t Allen’s first foray into politics, it has been a while since he ran for office. In 2017, Allen ran for the at-large seat on Greensboro City Council as a write-in candidate. That year, he garnered 56 votes. Now, seven years later, Allen looks back on that grassroots campaign with a seasoned view.
“I was very green as far as politics,” Allen said. “It was a great learning experience.”
Since then, Allen has made himself known in the community, most notably working on Black Lives Matter campaigns, organizing with Rev. Nelson Johnson and Joyce Johnson of the Beloved Community Center, rallying opposition to the White Street landfill and more.
“I’ve got a lot of skin in the game,” Allen told TCB
Despite being one of the youngest candidates in the mix, Allen said that he has as much political experience as anyone in the race as an organizer. Calling himself a “footsoldier,” Allen said that at both the national and state level, what the Democratic party needs now is someone who can energize voters.
“I think people are ready and hungry for something new,” Allen said.
On his platform, Allen says there are issues that have always been important to him and his community: education, the environment, voting rights and worker’s rights.
He’s even touted his experience with bipartisanship, noting his time working with Rep. Mark Walker on prison reform and recidivism. Allen also helped form the city’s first criminal justice advisory commission, which works to monitor and review police practices.
“I think that District 57 is going to be very important, not just locally but statewide and nationally,” Allen said. “I think it deserves a representative who can speak to the acute issues facing the district but also use that messaging to inspire people locally, statewide and nationally. I’m grateful for the opportunity to run and to the party for letting in newcomers.”
Tracy Boyer Clark, 39 A politically engaged
marketing professional
Tracy Boyer Clark declined an interview with TCB, stating that she was “keeping [her] focus on personal outreach to the 65 executive committee and precinct chairs who will be voting on Ashton’s replacement on 8/3.”
However, Clark sent TCB her campaign website which includes platform ideas such as public education, gun-violence prevention and reproductive freedom.
According to the website and Clark’s LinkedIn page, she previously worked as the director of marketing for a wealth management firm and helped facilitate the sale of the company to Modera Wealth Management last year. She has 15 years of marketing experience and has adhered to $1 million-plus financial budgets.
Clark, who is running for political office for the first time, was born in NC and has three degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill — a bachelors in visual journalism, a Master of Science in Information Systems in human-computer interaction and an MBA in general management from the Kenan-Flagler Business School.
Clark formerly worked for IBM, Pace Communications and Parsec Financial.
She currently serves on the steering committee for Steve Luking’s NC Senate campaign and for Women for Stein, a committee supporting Attorney General Josh Stein’s race for governor.
If appointed, Clark said she would focus on increasing teacher pay, protecting institutions against book bans, investing in safe gun storage, implementing red-flag laws, increasing abortion timelines back to 20 weeks and pushing back against anti-
abortion measures such as mandatory waiting periods and in-person counseling.
Preston Edwards, 33
An anti-Trump millennial with legal experience
Preston Edwards told TCB that he first came to Guilford County in 2017 to attend law school at Elon University School of Law. Now, Edwards works as a criminal defense attorney; this is his first time running for political office.
Edwards told TCB that he had planned on making his foray into politics during the next election cycle and said that he wanted to do “whatever [he could]” to prevent Donald Trump and extreme right-wing politicians from “continuing to destroy our state and the nation at large.”
As an attorney, Edwards said that he understands state politics and the limits of state power.
“I’m a constitutional scholar,” Edwards said. “I’m aware of what a state can and can’t do.”
Top of his list if he’s elected includes pushing legislation that would make the Leandro ruling — which affirms every child’s state constitutional right to a sound, basic education — effective. He also said he would push for providing “adequate pay for teachers,” bringing teaching fellowships back and legalizing marijuana.
Edwards also noted that as a child, he lived in, at times, trailer parks, something that he said gives him deeper understanding of economic issues.
“I believe it gives me a special understanding of how to move forward,” he said.
In terms of bipartisanship, Edwards said that he is a “big believer in consensus building,” but fears that Republicans are in a position — due to the supermajority — of not having to compromise.
“I don’t know if I will have the opportunity to compromise,” he said.
When asked about age and politics, Edwards said that he was “reading, willing and able” to support President Joe Biden before he pulled out of the race.
“As far as age, I don’t necessarily believe that age is an end-all-be-all characteristic, but in democracy, authority and power has to change to the new generation eventually,” Edwards said.
And for him, Edwards said that he believes that he can be that change.
“We should be prepared as young people when the time is right,” he said. “And I believe that for me, I believe that the time is right.”
Tracy Furman, 56
A third-time candidate passionate about environment
and housing
For Tracy Furman, ideally, the third time is the charm. Furman, who works as a financial controller for a local window-restoration company, has run for elected office twice before. In 2018, she ran for Guilford County Commission and lost by 216 votes; in 2022, she ran for the at-large seat on Greensboro’s City Council and came in fifth out of eight candidates. This time, Furman has her eyes set on the state legislature, which Furman said was always “an end goal” for her.
“I wanted to get to the NC House,” Furman told TCB. “That’s where a lot of decisions get made.”
Previously Furman said she lived in Rep. Pricey Harrison’s district but recently moved to District 57. That’s when she thought she had an opportunity.
As a third-time candidate, Furman said that her values and policies haven’t changed from past campaigns; she’s still a strong supporter of the environment, fair housing and, at the national level, single-payer healthcare.
“I really believe that we need people who are dedicated to good governance and democracy,” Furman said. “I never thought that I would see in my lifetime the things that I’m seeing in government right now; it frightens me. I’m dedicated, I’m ready to do the job. I’m ready to make sure our democracy stays strong.”
As far as bipartisanship, Furman said that the key is compromising. But that doesn’t mean she’ll vote for what she calls “a bad law.”
“It is important to keep an open mind when you’re in there, to try to work with people,” Furman said. “I think a lot of people will work together to try to come to the middle with solutions; that’s the best way to make laws. But I’m not going to compromise on the fact that the environment is on fire and we need to fix it.”
In terms of past political experience, Furman has served on the city’s minimum housing standards commission for six years and currently serves as the vice president.
When asked about age and politics, Furman said that it’s less about the number itself and more about how long people stay in office that concerns her.
“I do think that a lot of people have stayed in office way too long,” she said. “Our government works well because we have new people coming in with new ideas.”
Blake E. Odum, 34
An education advocate looking for long-term change
Candidate Blake E. Odum told TCB that he sees a parallel between what’s happening at the national level with Joe Biden stepping out of the presidential race and the vacancy left by Ashton Clemmons in North Carolina.
“We want to see some changes,” Odum said. “Especially as we’re looking to alter the political landscape for 10 to 15 years, we have to put people in place to do that.”
This isn’t Odum’s first time running for political office. In 2020, he ran against Republican Pat Tillman for Guilford County School Board and lost by just 80 votes. It’s a campaign that Odum looks back on with pride, most notably for how civil he and Tillman were throughout the campaigning process.
“We ran a very civil race,” Odum said. “I told him, ‘I’m not running against you, I’m running for the seat.”
He recalls even getting coffee with Tillman at one point to talk about platforms. If elected, that’s the kind of cooperation that Odum said he would bring to the state level.
“I stood on the business that I mean, I was just civil in doing so,” Odum said. “It proved that I can work with someone on the other side of the aisle, which is so important right now.”
Odum, who has worked in public schools in the past, said that education is a big passion for him that would follow him into the state legislature if picked. He’s also a big supporter of historically Black universities and colleges, also known as HBCUs. He sees the economic development coming down the pipeline to Greensboro and said that one of the things he wants to ensure is that students who grow up here or graduate from local schools stay in the area.
“We have not consistently engaged our young people in politics to really make an impact in Guilford County,” Odum said.
And just as he wants to impact the next generation of students and young leaders, Odum said that he hopes those making this decision to appoint the candidate will do the same for Guilford County.
“I hope they are making the long-term decision to make changes down the line,” Odum said. “We have consistently worked to give the next generation a better life than what I had; that is really what I’m looking for.”
Dianne Welsh, 67
A decorated business educator with time to spare
As a soon-to-be retiree, Dianne Welsh told TCB that she’s the best candidate for the job because she’ll have the time and experience to commit to the position.
“I’m ready to go out of the gate from day one,” she said.
Welsh, who has worked in education for more than 30 years, will soon be retiring from her position at UNCG’s Bryan School of Business as the founding director of the entrepreneurship program.
“I’ve always wanted to make a difference and have a voice that can actually carry the district forward,” Welsh said.
As an educator herself, Welsh said her priorities include increasing teacher pay, supporting small and medium businesses and helping public servants like police and firefighters get low-interest loans to buy homes. She would also push for legislation that allows retirees to reenter the workforce without losing their benefits.
During her career, Welsh said that she’s earned four lifetime achievement awards including from the US Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. She’s also been a registered parliamentarian since 1995 and served on faculty senates and served as the Presidential Appointee to the US Air Force Academy Board of Visitors under President Bill Clinton.
“I’ve always been known to make a difference,” Welsh said. “I’m a very hard worker; I’m known never to give up.”
She said that she has years of experience working on compromises and said that bipartisanship is about being realistic and reasonable.
“Part of this job, in terms of compromising, is not giving up our values as a Democrat but to be open minded,” she said. “To listen.”
Still, she said she won’t back down on issues that she’s passionate about, like abortion and voting rights. She expressed concerns about the fading divide between church and state and said that the state of NC is “under siege.”
Welsh also noted that age isn’t a number but a matter of competency.
“If I didn’t feel competent to do this, I wouldn’t be in the race,” she said.
And as someone who will soon be retired, she said that she’ll have the most time to study the issues and be fully engaged.
“I think if there ever was a time, this is my calling,” she said. This is what I should be doing.”
Linda Wilson, 70
A healthcare advocate with notable endorsements Retiree Linda Wilson comes with notable endorsements from the community including Guilford County Register of Deeds Jeff Thigpen. Wilson even noted that Sen. Gladys Robinson, Rep. Amos Quick and Guilford County Commissioner Skip Alston all called her to tell her to put her name in the ring for the seat as soon as Clemmons announced her resignation. TCB confirmed with Alston that he and others have endorsed Wilson for the seat.
“I’m putting my name out there because I have the skills, the capability of making a difference,” Wilson said. “I will go to Raleigh every day to support issues that are critical to Guilford County.”
In the past, Wilson helped create the student wellness center at NC A&T State University, where she was the director for many years. During that time and before, she worked with several local agencies including the county, Piedmont Health Services and the American Health Association to further health initiatives in Greensboro. She’s also been the regional director for the Delta Sigma sorority and has held a fundraiser for Bennett College in the past.
Wilson also ran for office in 2022, for Greensboro city council at-large, landing in sixth place out of eight candidates.
If elected, Wilson said that would focus on adequate teacher pay, healthcare, reproductive health and affordable housing. She would also work towards bipartisanship through education.
“We can’t get anything done unless we are singing the same song,” she said. “In order to do that, we have to have the education, the background on the issues so we can all come to an agreement.”
As the oldest candidate in the running, Wilson said that “being old is in the mind; it’s a mindset.”
She said that “there’s a season for everyone” and that she hopes the delegates “pick the best person to take the position.”
For her, she said her endorsements and her achievements speak for themselves.
“I believe in serving and making a better life,” she said. “That’s why I accepted this challenge to go forward and accept this position.”
GSO city council postpones funding for downtown homeless center, putting the struggling organization in jeopardy as need grows
by Gale Melcher | gale@triad-city-beat.com
In an effort to serve the growing homeless population in Greensboro, the Interactive Resource Center, previously a day center that has served the community since 2008, began offering their services 24/7 in January thanks to a $297,000 bump in city funding.
Immediately, the number of people seeking services increased to record numbers; this correlated with increased 911 calls to the area as well.
Located on the eastern outskirts of downtown, the center is one of the only resources for the area’s homeless population, but after complaints from nearby business owners about the center made their way to the ears of city leaders, the city stepped in to demand changes as previously reported by TCB
“What we need to see collectively is a plan,” Assistant City Manager Trey Davis told IRC Executive Director Kristina Singleton in a conversation outside the shelter on June 27. Davis told Singleton that the “calls have got to decrease, and the calls from neighboring businesses have got to decrease.” Davis told TCB that the city will be making “action requests” of the IRC in the coming months to “identify a solution” to make the location safer.
On July 16, the IRC was slated to receive $300,000 in additional funding from the city, which would have been used to continue offering those 24/7 drop-in services. The IRC originally requested more than $588,000 for drop-in services in May as part of a $1.2 million request to fund a variety of services. But that night, city council chose to delay their vote on the $300,000 in funding.
The IRC’s board met on July 18 evening to reevaluate the center’s financial future and ultimately voted to maintain 24/7 operations as a short-term plan until city councilmembers vote on funding Aug. 5, according to a press release sent on July 18. City leaders will be discussing IRC funding during a work session on July 25.
According to the press release, the future of the IRC’s ability to remain a 24/7 drop-in center “remains uncertain” without “robust city funding.” Still, the IRC, the city and partner organizations have multiple meetings scheduled during the period leading up to the work session to “collaborate on solutions to the concerns raised at council meetings.”
In response, concerned advocates have raised their voices in support for the center. An online petition was also started on July 17 and has garnered more than 1,900 signatures as of July 22.
Since going 24/7 earlier this year, the IRC has been facing criticism from city leaders and business owners while advocates and unhoused members continue to advocate for resources.
PHOTO BY GALE MELCHER
meeting but that the “information was not submitted.” In a July 22 text from Singleton to TCB, Singleton stated that a plan had been submitted that morning.
How did we get here?
During the July 16 city council meeting, councilmembers verbally sparred with Jim King, IRC board chair, who told the city that if they didn’t get the funding, they may have to close their doors on Monday morning.
After granting millions of dollars to the IRC over the years, city leaders expressed dismay that such an ultimatum was being posed to them.
For the 2023 fiscal year, the IRC received nearly $1.65 million in contributions — up from the $1.42 million received in 2022 — according to tax records. Most of the revenue comes from government grants.
King said that previously, they would spend money on services and then the city would reimburse them. But financial strains have changed things.
A quick look at the organization’s tax records shows that it operated in the red during both the 2022 and 2023 fiscal year. A bulk of the IRC’s expenses — $1.05 million in 2023 — is employee salaries. The second highest expense is listed as “program service expenses.”
There are two upcoming city council sessions, one on July 25 and one on Aug. 5, during which a public comment period will take place. To sign up to speak, visit the city’s website. Those interested can watch the meetings online via the city’s website or YouTube channel, or attend in person.
On July 17, the city released a statement that explained that in response to “operational concerns,” city council had previously requested that the IRC submit a “plan of action” to address those concerns “prior to awarding any additional funding.” The IRC was asked to “provide the requested plan at other meetings” prior to the July 16
The IRC has historically been presented as a low-barrier organization for access to essential services, meaning that requirements for entry are limited or minimal. When the center changed from limited daytime operations to a 24/7 entity, the number of clients they served skyrocketed.
According to data from the IRC, in April 2023, the center served 533 clients. This April, that number jumped up to 979. That trend has continued for the last two months: The IRC saw 633 clients in May 2023 and 839 this May, they served 632 in June 2023 and 804 this June. During the 2023-24 fiscal year, they served 8,520 people. During the prior fiscal year, they served 5,677.
Councilmember Tammi Thurm quipped during the meeting that Greensboro has become a “really easy place to be homeless,” and part of that “easiness” is the IRC “not enforcing rules.”
“I know that the IRC is overwhelmed, but it also feels like the IRC has given up,” Thurm added.
What are business owners saying?
Abulk of the criticism towards the IRC has been levied by local business owners who own properties around the center.
On July 2, city leaders, staff and police officers met with local business owners Phillip Marsh, Kim Grimsley-Ritchy and her husband Alex Ritchy to discuss the situation at the IRC and how it is affecting their businesses.
Between Jan. 1, 2023 and Jan. 16 this year, there were 590 events that required emergency services or police presence at the IRC. But between Jan. 17 — the day the IRC went 24/7 — and May 22 of this year, 642 events occurred
And Marsh blames the city.
“If the IRC wasn’t there and their clients weren’t in the community that they attract here with the money that they get from the city to provide the services, then that wouldn’t be an issue,” Marsh said.
During the July 9 city council meeting, Marsh, real estate developer Andy Zimmerman, dentist Dr. Sharon Long-Stokes and Grimsley-Ritchy laid out their experiences on the dais.
Grimsley-Ritchy told TCB that she is concerned for the IRC’s clients and has been helping them fill out forms and look for housing when the IRC’s staff is overwhelmed. In addition to defacement of her husband Alex Ritchy’s warehouse near the IRC, GrimsleyRitchy said they have had to deal with piles of trash being left on their property. She and others also have concerns about safety — for IRC residents and themselves.
“We don’t want the IRC to close,” Zimmerman said, “What we want is for the IRC to be a good neighbor.”
Zimmerman added that “ideally the IRC would move to a larger location that could handle the additional services that they’re offering and can handle a lot more people that are coming to the IRC.”
“It is obvious that we are having a bigger issue, socially in Greensboro and all other cities, that we just can’t handle the amount of people that are going through the IRC,” Zimmerman said.
How are unhoused residents reacting?
Two unhoused residents, Thomas and Randy, told TCB in July that they are concerned about how the IRC is being run.
While sitting outside the IRC, Randy and Thomas explained that members of the IRC’s community have to seek solace in the shade every day from 3-6:30 p.m. while they wait for it to be cleaned. And frankly, that’s doing harm to their community.
“That’s one of the hottest periods of the day,” Thomas said.
Another resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, leaned in and said, “I’ve been here for four months. I’m legally blind… and they ain’t helping me with shit. They don’t care.”
“They get all this money and don’t have nothing to feed us,” the anonymous resident said, who noted that food donated to the homeless sometimes isn’t nutritious, and in some cases, damaging to their health.
“I’m a Type 1 diabetic with kidney disease,” the anonymous resident said. “I’m legally blind from it and they’re still feeding me sugar.”
One of the main growing pains the center has grappled with in the last few months is its transition from a day center into a 24/7 entity that allows people to sleep there overnight. While Marsh has stated multiple times that he believes the IRC has got to go, Grimsley-Ritchy doesn’t want it to move. One thing they both agree on is that the problem is “at the top,” Grimsley-Ritchy said. It’s supposed to be a resource center, but it’s becoming a shelter, she said. And homeless residents agree.
“Now that they opened the 24-hour shelter, it’s been hard,” resident Malique Hough told TCB. “[I]t’s not a shelter, it’s supposed to be just a drop-in.”
Hough doesn’t want the IRC to move, but hopes that it will expand so that residents can be close to downtown services such as the bus station and easy access to food.
But others said they wouldn’t mind if the IRC moved to a different part of town.
“They need to,” Randy said.
“As long as it’s better, I wouldn’t care,” said Thomas.
And something needs to change from within, they said.
“It doesn’t matter where you move it to. If you don’t run it better, it’s gonna be the same shit,” Thomas said.
Randy noted that if they did move the IRC, the current management shouldn’t move
with it.
“Because they ain’t running it right,” Thomas quipped.
Homeless residents such as Thomas wish more people were aware of the struggles he and so many others in Greensboro are going through.
“Sometimes, you gotta put it in their face,” he said.
What are local advocates saying?
In response to mounting criticism from local business owners, the IRC has recently found support from the Working-Class and Houseless Organizing Alliance, or WHOA, a grassroots homeless advocacy group.
Del Stone, a spokesperson for WHOA, pushed back against business owners’ criticism, saying that the city puts “so much investment” into developing businesses and “trying to get investment opportunities.”
“They pay so much attention to the concerns of business owners and property developers,” Stone said, adding that it’s “really frustrating” to see so many business owners’ perspectives being elevated at city council meetings about how to “basically just disappear a problem instead of solve it.”
And moving the IRC out of downtown would do exactly that: Push the “problem somewhere else instead of actually addressing those problems,” Stone said.
During the July 16 city council meeting, Luis Medina, an organizer with WHOA, shared that he’s run into old roommates and coworkers living on the street.
“I have seen y’all do nothing, provide no shelters, no funding, to developing successful affordable housing to alleviate this struggle, period,” Medina said. “In fact, I have seen y’all do worse than nothing by putting more strict conditions on the houseless, forcing the IRC to have to take on the brute weight of this epidemic.”
The city “should be building shelters,” Medina said, adding that the city knows “damn well the IRC is not a shelter, it is a resource center dedicated to networking people to resources.”
Jen Sorensen jensorensen.com
by Brian Clarey
Holy shit.
Some thoughts on Kamala Harris’ candidacy
• With this action, the Democrats take over the news cycle from the aftermath of the Republican National Convention, the ascendancy of Sen. JD Vance to vice-presidential nominee, the assassination attempt and even Hulk Hogan.
• The GOP is scrambling after gearing their whole playbook for a race against Joe Biden.
• In Harris v. Trump, we see a seasoned prosecutor against a convicted felon. Who is the party of law and order now?
• More: Prosecutors show open disdain for felons, and they think quickly on their feet. This is going to be one hell of a debate.
• Trump is the old guy running for president now.
mate. This is interesting because NC is barely registering as a swing state in some media and polling analyses, and Cooper won his last election by more than 4 points the same year that Republicans Trump and Sen. Thom Tillis carried the state — by slimmer margins.
• Biden and Harris have been visiting NC regularly this year. Trump has a rally in Charlotte this week.
• Is it possible that the party with the most exciting narrative wins the whole thing?
Is it possible that the party with the most exciting narrative wins the whole thing?
• Kamala’s mother, born in India, was part of the largest demographic of Southeast Asian people in the United States. Right now they number about 4.9 million, and though this is generally a conservative lot, Harris has a good chance to sweep this segment of the electorate.
• Vance’s wife, Usha Chilukuri, is also from India! But that doesn’t seem to be a big selling point among the GOP faithful
• OMG what happens now?
• Current NC lame-duck governor Roy Cooper is on the short list as a running
• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has already indicated that his party will be suing to keep Harris off the ballot in several states, calling the swap-out “wrong, and I think unlawful.”
• There is nothing in the US Constitution about how political parties choose their candidates. Nothing about political parties at all, actually.
• There are rules, though. A Democrat must win 1,986 delegates out of almost 4,000. Before he pulled out, Biden had accumulated 3,934 of them, all pledged to nominate him at the Democratic National Convention. Those pledges are now void. As of Sunday evening, Harris had gathered 531 of them, including 168 from NC If she does not hit the magic number by Aug. 19, there will be a contested convention for the first time since 1968, in Chicago, also from the Dems. It did not go well
John Cole
Courtesy of NC Policy Watch
flexibility of the shoulders.
“When you don’t struggle with something it goes over your head as an instructor. Once I had different bodies in my class, I started to see what limitations may exist and I planned accordingly,” Morrison says. “I can tailor [the classes] and become a better teacher because of that.”
At least half of those who attend Morrison’s classes are considered plus size.
Rachelle Morton weighs 275 pounds and teaches a props class at the studio, along with others. Using props to tell a story is a signature part in many of her routines. She would pole everyday if she could, but she reassured her two sons she wouldn’t quit her day job.
“I like feeling sexy; I like being sensual and why hide it?,” Morton says. “This is my space to be free and pass that along to whoever doesn’t feel as sexy. Just love you; put it out there. We are going to accept you and love you. Just love yourself.”
Pole dancing helps Morton prioritize self care which includes staying healthy. Along with the other Blossom instructors, Morton encourages students to drink ample amounts of water, stretch, rest and eat an intentional diet at the end of each class.
Morton first joined the pole community when she signed up for a class at Pole Fitness Studio in Burlington in April 2021 where studio Morrison was teaching at the time. The goal, at first, was to surprise her boyfriend for his birthday with a private dance.
“Things didn’t work with him, which is okay, but this is now me,” she says. “I love me; I’m proud of myself. I’m happy with myself, and I love seeing my students blossom.”
Similar to Morrison’s experience, it didn’t take long for Morton to become dedicated to the craft. Her first showcase at the studio that following fall led directly to her competing in
her first competition in early 2022. From then on, she was a performer. Earlier this year, both Morton and Morrison attended PoleCon, an international pole convention that was held in Maryland.
While approximately 35 students have found their way to Blossom, their reasons for doing so vary. Some individuals are looking for a fun way to exercise or a sense of community, and then there are those who long for a form of self expression.
No matter what brings them into her studio, Morrison loves watching newcomers walk into their first day stiff, reserved and close-minded to their capabilities. As the class progresses, students inevitably surprise themselves and find the motivation to push their limits.
“It’s always, ‘I loved your vibe.’ ‘I love how you talk to us.’ ‘I love how encouraging you are.’ People don’t get that on a consistent basis, or even a weekly basis, but when you come here you get that every time,” Morrison says.
Blossom Fitness co-owner Eunika Morrison opened the studio in Greensboro after becoming inspired to be a stripper as a child.
PHOTO BY MAAROUPI SANI
Co-owner Erica Horne began her fitness journey more than 30 years ago after becoming a fitness instructor in the US Army according to Instagram.
PHOTO BY MAAROUPI SANI
CULTURE
Learn more about Chandler’s on their Instagram at @chandlersdtgreensboro
Same location, different name
Chandler’s opens in old Green Bean spot in downtown Greensboro
by Sayaka Matsuoka | sayaka@triad-city-beat.com
Three years ago, Alexis Chandler and her now-husband Joshua sat on the picnic tables in front of the old Green Bean coffeeshop in downtown Greensboro and wrote their wedding vows. There was a slight chance of rain, and they kept stealing glances at each other while they penned the words.
“I was asking him if we were doing serious or funny,” Chandler explains. “His turned out much better than mine.”
Now, the tables are still there but the sign on the front of the shop is different. Instead of Green Bean, it reflects the name she took that day: Chandler’s.
Since July 3, the spot at 341 S. Elm St. in the downtown landmark has been owned and operated by Chandler and her husband, who works full time as a manager at REI. If someone had told Chandler that she would be owning and running a business out of the storied location back in 2021 when she and Joshua got married, she says she would have laughed in their face.
“If you would have told me that this would have been the location, I would have said, ‘No way,’” Chandler says as she sits at one of the tables near the front window. “The fact that I get the opportunity to hold this space is so unreal; like, Pinch me, is this
happening?”
The business came together quickly. When the Green Bean initially closed in September 2023 after the entire staff walked out, new owners — the son of previous owner Amy Foresman — came in to run the business. But it didn’t last long. By April of this year, there were rumors that the shop would close again and that’s when Chandler took the leap.
“I always wanted to own my own bar/restaurant,” she says. “I just didn’t think I could afford this.”
Just three months later, on July 3, Chandler’s opened as a coffee shop, cocktail bar and kitchen. They also offer breakfast sandwiches — one of Chandler’s personal favorite foods — throughout the day. They’ve got vegan options like vegan cheese and vegan egg, gluten-free bagels (all of their bagels are from Greenfield’s) and non-alcoholic options. They also get local baked goods from area bakeries like Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie, Spring Garden Bakery, Sweet Temptations, Bald Guy Bakes and Holland Haus Kitchen. They’re open six days out of the week — taking a “much-needed break” on Mondays, says Chandler — and want the business to be a hub for everyone.
“My vision was to have people of all ages, families, younger people, teenagers, older
The Chandlers, Alexis and Joshua, brought a new vibe to a downtoown institution.
PHOTO BY GLASBEAR
people who have been coming here for years,” Chandler says. “I think we’re already doing that, of creating that space.”
For those who live in Greensboro, the Green Bean was an institution that was 20-years strong. It served as one of the downtown anchors, along with Natty Greene’s, before the boom that emerged in the last decade. But in recent years, staff expressed frustration and concern with how Amy Foresman, the shop’s owner as of August 2020, had been running the business. They cited lack of pay, mismanagement and lack of care to TCB, which resulted in the staff walkout last fall. After the fallout, Foresman’s son, Caleb, and his wife Lilou came in to manage the shop, but business didn’t last long. By April, hours were spotty and the business appeared to be struggling.
Learning from the past and her own experience working in the service industry, Chandler says that she wants to ensure that her employees get paid a living wage — right now they all get paid $14 per hour plus tips.
“July is the slowest time in the service industry and the fact that we’re doing so well, we should be able to do that,” Chandler says. Her goal is to have all employees making at least $16 or $17 per hour plus tips.
Chandler, who moved to Greensboro when she was 17 and became a single mother at 20, says she has worked at several businesses in the city including Borough Market and Craft City Sip-In. That’s where she learned the trade of managing people, making drinks and service. It’s all qualities she brings as the new owner of Chandler’s downtown. She wants to provide good service, good pay and a comfortable environment for everyone who comes through the doors.
During an interview on Monday, Chandler frequently walked outside as passersby peered in through the front window to see if the shop was open.
“Sorry, we’re closed today!” she quipped with a smile as women tried to open the door. “But we’ll be open tomorrow.”
Since opening three weeks ago, Chandler says the community has been nothing but supportive. She understands that given the long history of the Green Bean, that some may have been upset about the change in business. But instead, everyone she’s talked to or heard from says they’re excited to see a new entity in the space.
“It’s been super busy,” she says. “We’ve had lots of people come back and say it feels like it used to.”
The interior is slightly different, too. They’ve painted the walls a lighter color, brought in new furniture and local art covers the main wall that extends towards the back of the shop. Eventually, Chandler says she wants to bring in more live music. On July 18, the shop will be hosting a “family day” and will have music by J. Timber and baked goods by Sweet Temptations Bakery.
As the daughter of a single dad, Chandler says that she’s used to working hard and being independent. Still, she’s gotten help running the business from her family, friends and other business owners in the community like Christopher Pierce of Loom Coffee and Josh King of the Flat Iron
“It was a true communal effort to make this happen,” she says.
And that’s what she wants the business to continue to be, even if the sign on the window is different.
“I just want this to be a place where everyone feels welcome,” Chandler says. “I think I’ve always felt like I’ve had a wide range of friends who are all so different. So for our wedding, I thought, ‘Is it going to be weird to have all of our friends in one space?’ And it wasn’t because it was just us.”
Chandler’s is a coffeeshop, cocktail bar and kitchen that offers breakfast all day.
PHOTO BY GLASBEAR
“It was a true coommunal effort to make this happen,” says Alexis Chandler.
PHOTO BY GLASBEAR
SHOT IN THE TRIAD
BY CAROLYN DE BERRY
Lincoln Street, Greensboro
Vice President Kamala Harris greeets supporters at a campaign event at Dudley High School on July 11, 2024.
CROSSWORD
by Matt Jones
SUDOKU
by Matt Jones
PUZZLES & GAMES YOUR AD GOES HERE
Across
1. Playbill roster
5. “Pardon me”
9. Call partner?
13. Classic New Yorker cartoonist
Peter
14. Confusion
16. Shakespeare’s river
17. Her latest album is 2020’s “Fetch the Bolt Cutters”
19. Zeus’s wife
20. Actor Wheaton
21. Rent-___ (airport-adjacent service)
23. Sat ___ (GPS system)
24. Binge
26. Unofficial title for Stuart Sutcliffe or Pete Best
30. Frequent site for athletic injuries
31. CIO’s partner
32. Word before Faithful or school
33. Word on a gift card
35. Remarked
38. Picture in a dream
42. Underground signal carrier, maybe
45. Her “Hello” is used in the new “Weird” Al polka medley
Down
1. Half-___ latte
2. Shapiro who hosted the latest season of “The Mole”
3. Paperweight that gets shaken
4. “Beloved” novelist Morrison
5. Reddit Q&A feature, for short
6. Trending
7. Person living abroad, informally
8. Garden ground cover
9. “A Christmas Carol” outburst
10. Big do
11. Reef component
12. Rapscallion
15. Singer Bryson who duetted on “A Whole New World” (the version that hit #1)
18. ___ Romeo (sports car)
22. Memento of the past
24. Mediterranean port city
25. Pungent
27. “In that case ...”
28. Moves, as wings
29. Madison Ave. exec, stereotypically
34. Peach dessert name
36. Give ___ chance
37. 7, but not 77
© 2023 Matt Jones © 2022 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)
46. Herb used in some ritual burnings
47. Element #10
48. Sheep sound
50. Category
52. Monopoly quad, for short
53. Culmination of a hero-versus-villain arc
58. Pinstriped baseball team, on scoreboards
59. Indignation
60. Pasture mom
61. Seoul-based automaker
63. Medicine bottle
65. Completely healthy, with “in”
70. “Cómo ___ usted?”
71. Brightly colored aquarium fish
72. Enjoy some jerky
73. Display
74. Basketballer O’Neal who cohosts “Lucky 13”
75. Park in London
39. Civil rights activist and King mentor Ralph
40. High praise
41. Minuscule, cutely
43. Territory
44. Honeycomb compartment
49. To the rear, nautically
51. Actress Palmer
53. Till bills
54. Like James Joyce
55. “That’s swell”
56. Spring sign
57. Tithing amount
62. Pruritus
64. It’s practiced as an occupation
66. Time of history
67. Answer section?
68. Light bulb variety
69. Source of milk for pecorino cheese
Thu 7/25
AAU Junior Olympic Games
@ 8am / $20
Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro
Fri 7/26
Manic Third Planet
@ 7pm
D.O.S.E Artist Collective, 606 Trade St NW, WinstonSalem
@souljammusic: Souljam @ Wise Man
@ 8pm
Wise Man Brewing, 826 Angelo Bros Ave, WinstonSalem
Sat 7/27
Operation Xcel's
Back 2 School Parent
Resource Fair & Backpack Giveaway
@ 9am / Free
Operation Xcel invites you to our Back 2 School Parent Re‐source Fair on July 27th from 9 AM to 2 PM. This exciting event includes work‐shops, vendors, fun activities, and a backpack giveaway. First Baptist Church, 1000 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro. lwalton@operationx cel.org, 336-223-4595
Piedmont Museum Professionals Meetup
@ 6pm
Meet fellow museum professionals and enjoy retro
gaming, eats, and drinks in downtown Greensboro at North Carolina Museum Council's summer meetup. Boxcar Bar + Arcade, 120 West Lewis Street, Greensboro. communications@ncmuseums.org
Sun 7/28
Sunday Yoga @ SouthEnd Brewing Co.
@ 10am / $5
SouthEnd Brewing Co, 117b West Lewis Street, Greensboro
Tony Andrews @ 1pm Little Brother Brewing, 221 N Main St, Kernersville
Mon 7/29
AAU Junior Olympic Games @ 8am / $20 Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro
Tue 7/30
Cashavelly Morrison: Songbird Supper Club @ 6pm West Salem Public House, 400 S Green St, Win‐ston-Salem
Jamey Johnson What A View Tour at White Oak Amphitheatre @ 7pm White Oak Amphitheatre, 1921 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro
Daniel Anderson and Heroic Dose at The Flat Iron @ 8pm Flat Iron, 221 Summit Ave, Greensboro
Wed 7/31
Anna La Mare @ Lawn Service Wine Wednesdays @ 6pm
Lawn Service by Little Brother Brewing, 210 N Davie St, Greensboro
Thu 8/01
Tony Andrews @ 5pm
Smokin' Harley-Davidson, 3441 Myer Lee Dr, Win‐ston-Salem
Steven Malcolm @ 6:15pm
Over�ow Church, 8115 Old Lexington Rd, WinstonSalem
Fri 8/02
Grace Graber: AXIOS 2024 @ 7pm
Over�ow Church, 8115 Old Lexington Rd, WinstonSalem
Fuerza Regida @ 8pm
Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro
Sat 8/03
Brent Cobb: Natty-Versary Block Party @ 5:30pm
Natty Greene's Downtown, 345 S Elm St, Greensboro
Yarn: Natty Greene's 20th Anniversary Party @ 8pm
Natty Greene's Down‐town, 345 S Elm St, Greensboro
powered by
Sun 8/04
Sunday Yoga @ SouthEnd Brewing Co. @ 10am / $5
SouthEnd Brewing Co, 117b West Lewis Street, Greensboro
Triad Moms on Main Back to School Bash @ 12:30pm
Triad Moms on Main is excited to host our �rst an‐nual Back to School Bash at Paul J. Ciener Botanical Gardens in Kernersville, NC on August 4, 2024 from 12:30-3:30pm. Paul J Ciener Botanical Garden, 215 South Main Street, Kernersville. triadmomsonmain@ gmail.com
The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs @ 3pm
Foothills Brewing Tasting Room, 3800 Kimwell Dr, Winston-Salem
Into The Fog at Natty Greene's @ 5pm
Natty Greene's Downtown, 345 S Elm St, Greensboro
Andrew Finn Magill @ 7pm
Flatiron, Greensboro
Levi Turner @ 7pm
Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 W Gate City Blvd, Greensboro
Mon 8/05
Juventus Academy Camp 2024Winston-Salem, North Carolina @ 9am Clemmons
European Vacation Camp @ 9am / $100-$400 Aug 5th - Aug 9th
Junior Chef students will spend 5 days learning basic kitchen skills and demeanor, how to cook French, Italian, Swiss, Greek, and German cuisine, and the links between food; culture; and sustainability. Chef Reto Biaggi not only teaches students to cook- he and his team empower... St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 2105 West Market Street, Greensboro
Wed 8/07
Oxymorrons @ 7pm
Hangar 1819, 1819 Spring Garden St, Greensboro
Noidea @ 8pm
The Ramkat & Gas Hill Drinking Room, 170 W 9th St, Winston-Salem
Calendar information is provided by event organiz‐ers. All events are subject to change or cancellation. This publication is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained in this calendar.
