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Raleigh | Durham | Chapel Hill March 9, 2022

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The Eno River State Park could grow by more than 200 acres if an historic land transaction goes through, p. 5.

VOL. 38 NO. 6

PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER

CONTENTS NEWS 3

Following serious and deadly traffic accidents, safety for pedestrians and cyclists is top of mind for Chapel Hill's elected officials.

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The Eno River State Park could soon grow by more than 200 acres in an historic transaction. BY BROOKE DOUGHERTY NC State students petition for changes to the design of a floor in a campus building. BY JANE PORTER Raleigh's new voting district map moves thousands of minorities into majority-white districts. BY JASMINE GALLUP AND JANE PORTER

BY BROOKE DOUGHERTY

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WE M A DE THIS

ARTS & CULTURE 20 The Durham Neighbors program has a simple idea: giving people $50 a month to take care of basic needs can go a long way. BY LENA GELLER 22 Two years into the pandemic, local music venues hope for better days ahead. BY SOPHIA HORST 24 With Carolina Calling, music writer David Menconi makes the pivot to podcasts. BY SPENCER GRIFFITH

CORRECTION: In a review of his new album, last week, we mistakenly printed the musician Django Haskins's last name as "Jenkins." We regret the error.

P U B L I S H E RS

John Hurld

Contributors Madeline Crone, Grant Golden, Spencer Griffith, Lucas Hubbard, Brian Howe, Lewis Kendall, Kyesha Jennings, Glenn McDonald, Gabi Mendick, Anna Mudd, Dan Ruccia, Rachel Simon, Harris Wheless

E D I TO RI A L

C R E AT I V E

Wake County

MaryAnn Kearns Durham/Orange/ Chatham Counties

Editor in Chief Jane Porter Managing Editor Geoff West Arts & Culture Editor Sarah Edwards Senior Writer Leigh Tauss Staff Writers Jasmine Gallup Thomasi McDonald

THE REGULARS

19 Photo Series

25 Culture Calendar

Editorial Assistant Lena Geller Copy Editor Iza Wojciechowska Theater+Dance Critic Byron Woods

COVER Photo and design by Annie Maynard

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Annie Maynard Graphic Designer

Jon Fuller Staff Photographer

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Chapel Hill In 2021, there were 38 vehicle-related accidents involving pedestrians or bikers, 24 of which happened on state roads. MAP BY GEOFF WEST

Key vehicle-related accidents involving pedestrians or bikers on NCDOTmaintained roads vehicle-related accidents involving pedestrians or bikers on CH-maintained roads NCDOT-maintained roads

Safer Streets Chapel Hill discusses short- and long-term crosswalk safety strategies amid the limits imposed by NCDOT-maintained roads.

BY BROOKE DOUGHERTY backtalk@indyweek.com

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n New Year’s Eve, a car crashed into two middle school girls as they were crossing the street on Estes Drive in Chapel Hill, seriously injuring them both. In January, a car door struck a cyclist, Nicholas Watson, on West Franklin Street; he passed away two weeks later.

According to Chapel Hill police, drivers hit 16 people in crosswalks in just over a year; six people walking or riding bikes were struck by cars between New Year’s Eve and February 1 alone. So it’s no wonder that the question of how to address the traffic safety crisis has become a top concern for Chapel Hill’s council members in recent weeks.

“We are literally talking about life and death when we talk about what we are doing with our streets and how we are making them safe for everybody and not just for cars,” Mayor Pro Tem Karen Stegman said during a council work session last month. “We’ve got to prioritize safety above everything else.”

Over the past month, the council and community members have met over Zoom to discuss infrastructure upgrades and policy changes to address road safety. At a February

9 meeting, Bergen Watterson, the town’s transportation planning manager, said that failure to reduce speed and inattention were among the top contributing circumstances to pedestrian and bike crashes, with crosswalks being the main problem area.

Carson Spinarski, a cyclist and decade-long employee at the Bicycle Chain in Chapel Hill, says he has had some bad experiences and close calls while biking around Chapel Hill, including encountering bike lanes hidden by cars or marked poorly, especially on side streets and at intersections, and cars pulling out in front of him unaware that they are crossing over a bike lane.

The biggest safety issues that need to be addressed, Spinarski says, are inadequate lane markings; the absence of separation between pedestrians, cyclists, and cars; and the lack of visibility, especially on Franklin Street.

“The most important thing is … letting people know what areas are designated as cycling lanes and then providing good separation between those cycling lanes and roadways,” says Spinarski, citing the accident that killed Watson.

“He was using that multi-use lane on Franklin Street and because that’s not marked as a bike lane and doesn’t have any separation from the parking, other than the temporary cones, the passenger of the car that opened the door didn’t know that they needed to be careful and be looking out for cyclists. It’s just confusing. People don’t know if that’s an extended sidewalk or bike lane.”

Watson’s death comes as NCDOT seeks public input on how to improve its bike route system. Comments can be submitted online at ncdot.altaplanning.cloud (the state’s “Bike Route System Public Input Map” portal) through March 14.

Input will be used to update NCDOT’s statewide bike and pedestrian plan known as WalkBikeNC, which was last updated in 2013.

“NCDOT is initiating another update to the route system, based on a more current review of existing and planned bicycle facilities throughout the state,“ according to the department. “The public is invited to help identify additional potential changes to the system, based on recent roadway projects, local planning, and local knowledge and understanding of the routes.”

The accidents that killed Watson and injured the middle school girls occurred on roadways owned and maintained by the NC Department of Transportation (NCDOT). That dynamic limits the extent that Chapel Hill can get involved and make specific safety changes, such as altering speed limits, installing vertical barriers, and increasing the visibility of crosswalks in a timely and effective manner.

While NCDOT maintains 44 percent of road miles in Chapel Hill, 78 percent of pedestrian crashes and 93 percent of bike crashes in 2020 occurred on NCDOT roads; 24 of the 38 accidents that involved either a biker or pedestrian last year were also on state-maintained roads, according to town officials.

“The NCDOT roads in Chapel Hill are the widest, fastest, and highest-volume roadways in town. They are also our primary corridors that provide the most direct routes to where people want and need to go,” Watterson said in an email to the INDY. “[These crashes] are probably a combination of the dangerous nature of the road and the need for people to walk and bike on these roadways to get where they’re going efficiently.”

Watterson says NCDOT often requires municipalities to provide a traffic impact analysis to prove safety improvements are needed.

“NCDOT places a lot of importance on the level of service for vehicles, meaning that they’re most concerned with moving vehicles quickly and efficiently,” says Watterson. “When the Town wants to make safety improvements, for example a lane reallocation, installing No Right on Red signs, or any type of traffic calming, we must hire a consultant to do a traffic impact analysis to prove that the proposed changes will not significantly negatively impact the flow of traffic.

“Our experience has been that NCDOT pushes back on any proposed changes that would cause Level of Service to INDYweek.com

March 9, 2022

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drop too far, even if it would improve safety for vulnerable road users.”

Vision Zero Despite these setbacks, at the February 9 meeting Watterson presented the various safety precautions that Chapel Hill can make and the programs that have recently been utilized.

These plans include the continuation of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan and Vision Zero, a global safety strategy that Chapel Hill adopted in October 2021. Chapel Hill’s Vision Zero Commitment is to prioritize the safety of vulnerable road users over transportation decisions and eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2031, according to the town’s website.

The Vision Zero program aims to change the design of Chapel Hill’s community and roads by collecting data about collisions through an online dashboard in order to determine the most effective areas for safety improvements.

“Over the next year we are going to work to update our Pedestrian Safety Action Plan based on the improved data that we have and might be able to drill down a little bit closer for specific location and types of improvements,” Watterson said at the council meeting.

Next steps include coordinating with NCDOT on a speed safety study on Estes Drive, collaborating with the UNC Highway Safety Research Center for additional safety studies, and implementing curb-running bike lanes.

Chapel Hill has also had success making strategic, small-scale pedestrian improvements, such as installing rapid flashing beacons at crosswalks along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Franklin Street. But larger-scale improvements that would make a more significant safety impact are difficult for the town to fund.

“NCDOT will allow the Town to fund and install some safety improvements if approved,” Watterson said in an email.

“However, addressing safety on roads like MLK, Franklin, Fordham, etc., takes more than small-scale one-off safety improvements that the Town has installed.”

In addition to these efforts, local law enforcement is cracking down on driving violations around crosswalks.

Chapel Hill police last month announced that the department had conducted 41 pedestrian safety operations recently, which resulted in drivers being ticketed for speeding, failing to yield at crosswalks, and committing other infractions that threaten pedestrians.

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Police chief Chris Blue told the council last month that the best response to the challenges with bike and pedestrian safety are those that involve meaningful environmental and engineering changes and that “enforcement is only part of the holistic response to creating that safe system in our community.

“We have grown increasingly concerned that while we work on those longer term solutions, we continue to see disturbing driving behaviors in our community with sometimes deadly consequences.”

Blue said that enforcement efforts will continue for the foreseeable future with the hope that they can be scaled back when long-term remedies and engineering and environmental solutions are implemented.

Working with NCDOT Charles Edwards, NCDOT’s Orange County district engineer, says his department has engineers and planners who work collaboratively with town staff to tackle transportation and safety issues, but changes require a process.

“If there is work to be done or changes to be made to the infrastructure that is on NCDOT streets, yes there are NCDOT standards and processes that have to be followed there,” Edwards says. “If work is to be undertaken by the town within a NCDOT road, it can be handled through an [administrative] encroachment agreement process that authorizes that work after the work has been reviewed and approved by NCDOT relative to appropriate engineering standards.”

John Sandor, NCDOT’s Durham County district engineer, says that while he can’t speak directly about Chapel Hill, he’s worked the municipal side for the city of Raleigh and that frustration stems from differing interests and responsibilities.

“It really comes down to, in a lot of cases, what our responsibilities are, and municipalities’ responsibilities are smaller in scale than what DOT’s are,” says Sandor about his experience with similar situations in Durham. “As long as everyone sort of understands everybody’s opinion or responsibility in the overall system, they can come to the table and work through the process.”

Sandor says that there are a variety of things that NCDOT has to look at, dissect, and discuss, and he believes having a detailed approach will help avoid situations like traffic buildup. “[NCDOT] approaches things as very data driven and everything is random unless we can prove otherwise. I think that is a very practical approach because DOT can

get political, and so we have to rely on that data and those metrics to really fall back on,” Sandor says. “If we kneejerk and react to every politician … we will have painted ourselves into a corner where we could never get out of, with traffic everywhere and people can’t get anywhere. It’s not a good look for NC to have that.”

Town moves forward Chapel Hill council members recently voted to approve curb-running bike lanes, a decision that that needed to happen before NCDOT resurfaces and restripes West Franklin Street this summer. Curb-running bike lanes are considered an upgrade, as they separate cyclists from moving vehicles by positioning them between the curb and parked cars.

Several council members voiced concerns about potential conflicts between cyclists and vehicles at driveways and intersections, an issue that could be fixed by placing physical barriers between bikes and traffic to maintain safety. But NCDOT prefers to not have anything on the road that could come in contact with cars or affect traffic.

“You have to look at their mission, which is to get cars to move as fast through a situation as possible. When you have a barrier, there is a likelihood that a car could hit it. And they are concerned about pedestrians being out there and the barriers being hit and not stable enough to protect the pedestrians,” says Chapel Hill mayor Pam Hemminger about NCDOT’s reasoning.

The council has discussed the potential for Chapel Hill to apply to have the maintenance of Franklin Street transferred from NCDOT to the town. A transfer of maintenance could take between three months to a year but would supply Chapel Hill with more authority over safety changes.

Seven of the 38 pedestrian- or biker-involved car accidents last year occurred within the four-minute walk from University United Methodist Church on East Franklin Street to the intersection of North Columbia and Rosemary Streets.

“You have to submit a request and the council would have to vote on that request to NCDOT …. The town would then become responsible for all maintenance on the road,” Hemminger says.

Chapel Hill could be partially reimbursed through the state’s Powell Bill fund for future maintenance.

“We’re seeing other [North Carolina] towns … taking over their main street from DOT so that they could slow things down and really focus on the pedestrian and bike experience,” says Hemminger.

Chapel Hill plans to wait to submit an application until after NCDOT finishes repaving roads this summer, she says.

“We want to be able to put physical barriers in the roads, even in the middle of the crosswalks, to help pedestrians feel safer,” Hemminger says about the changes the town could make on Franklin Street if it took the street over from NCDOT. Other potential changes include installing separators for bike lanes and replacing orange cone barriers with more attractive methods, such as planters.

“We’re not sure that we’re going to end up with a bike lane there, but for now we had to turn in a plan and we felt that was the safer of the two for everyone involved,” she says.

In addition to having more authority over bike lanes, Chapel Hill could also potentially bump out the curb at Columbia and Franklin Streets, something Hemminger has advocated for years. “[It would] make the distance traveled for pedestrians shorter, and that is something that DOT has not allowed,” says Watterson, the town’s planning manager.

“We have the opportunity to do that with physical barriers if we take the street back over and there are a couple other places we would bump out too again that slows cars down and gives pedestrians a shorter distance to cross the road.”

Watterson says Chapel Hill is only in the preliminary stages of exploring what transferring road maintenance from NCDOT would look like, and before taking over the road, the town should have a robust public engagement process to determine what the future vision for Franklin Street would be.

“Staff expects to share a public input plan with [council] later this spring and we hope to have more solid information related to the maintenance transfer process by then,” says Watterson.

For now, Chapel Hill wants to ensure pedestrian and cyclist safety, instigate changes that will focus on the most vulnerable road users, and be proactive about potential issues.

“We’ve got to do a better job. The number of incidents of pedestrians and bicyclists being hit across the county is on the rise and that’s the opposite direction we want to go,” says Hemminger. “We’re trying to figure out how to make it safer and network in our town, too, so people can ride to work and events and activities on their bikes or walk and feel completely safe.

“We have a team on staff that is reviewing every incident and is receiving recommendations that come from the public. We’re really taking these things seriously. We don’t want people to get hurt in our community.” W

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Hillsborough Relaxing on the Eno River PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER

Preservation Purchase The Eno River State Park near downtown Hillsborough could soon add more than 200 acres following a historic land transaction.

BY BROOKE DOUGHERTY backtalk@indyweek.com

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hose who enjoy the rolling waters, winding trails, and conveniently located campsites of the Eno River State Park could soon have more of it to love.

Over the past year and a half, the Eno River Association has worked to buy 226 acres of land near downtown Hillsborough from the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, a nonprofit with the mission to preserve examples of “classic American residential architecture” along with their surrounding landscapes and trails. If the purchase goes through, the NC Division of Parks and Recreation and the nonprofit Archaeological Conservancy would own and conserve the land for generations to come.

servation easements to ensure the preservation of water quality, wildlife, and cultural resources of the Eno River basin in Orange County and northern Durham and to make the outdoors enjoyable and accessible for everyone.

Jessica Sheffield, executive director of the Eno River Association, says that this historic land sale is rare and exciting.

“This [project and property] is completely mission focused for us and is just a perfect match transferring this land to the state and the Archaeological Conservancy,” Sheffield says. “Those two new owners will ensure that the natural history and cultural features of the property remain forever protected and will continue to be open for the public use.”

A top priority for both the association and the trust is to ensure that the property, located around the trust’s Ayr Mount historic site, a Federal-era plantation house just outside of Hillsborough, will continue to be properly managed and remain a community resource.

“Ensuring the long-term stewardship of these unique properties was our primary objective for working with the Eno River Association,” says vice president of the trust Kevin Cherry. “With this transaction, the ecology of the area will be preserved, the speedway will remain accessible for low-impact recreation, and the archaeological sites will be protected and available for research and teaching.”

Funding

The transaction includes the Eno River Bend parcel and more than 200 acres of proposed Eno River State Park land.

Together, the properties contain 2.8 miles of river and tributary frontage; over four miles of walking trails; the Occoneechee Speedway; and downtown Hillsborough locations of the earliest known settlements along the Eno River, historical parcels listed on the National Registry of Historical Places with 14 known rare plant and animal species.

Founded in 1966, the Eno River Association is an accredited land trust and watershed nonprofit. According to its website, its mission is to acquire land and con-

As part of the historic land sale, the preservation trust will donate 23 percent of the $2,028,480 land value.

The Eno River Association’s goal is to raise the remaining funds over the next year through public and private sources and donors.

So far, the nonprofit has received a $100,000 gift from the Harkrader family to jump-start fundraising that it hopes to match by the year’s end.

Kim Livingston, director of conservation and stewardship, who is leading the project, says that the Eno River Association has also applied for funding from the NC Land and Water Fund, a state grant source, and that the NC Division of Parks and Recreation plans to apply for the Federal Land and Conservation Fund in the coming months.

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Livingston says that projects of this scale take a while to accomplish; their grant sources often only have one cycle per year and they are never guaranteed. Still, a decision on the public grant sources could come by the end of 2022.

“If we are not awarded those public grants, we will go after those grants again in 2023 and also increase our private fundraising efforts to support the project,” Livingston says.

Natural, cultural, and historical significance The protected land to be sold functions as a stream buffer and wildlife corridor for over 2.8 miles of river and tributaries and will continue to support wildlife and preserve clean water along the Eno River.

In addition, the property boasts 14 known National Heritage elements, including rare animals such as the Neuse River waterdog, the yellow lampmussel, and the mottled duskywing.

The Eno River Bend, a future archaeological conservancy property, spans 20 acres and is part of historic downtown Hillsborough. The parcel contains remains of four known early settlements that date back to AD 1000, including those that date back to AD 1690 on the Eno River from the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation village.

Kelly Berliner, the eastern regional director for the Archaeological Conservancy, says that the archaeological sites located at this bend in the Eno River signifi-

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“The two new owners will ensure that the natural history and cultural features of the property will remain forever protected.” cantly inform our understanding of Native American life in the Piedmont region from AD 1000 until the early 1700s. “[This was a] time period that was complicated as Native people reacted to and interacted with European trade goods and settlers coming into the area,” Berliner says.

The Archaeological Conservancy is working with the Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation to ensure the sites are protected and guarantee Native American access to all of its preserves.

In addition to the early settlement remains, the 200acre portion of the land transaction proposed for the

Eno River Park expansion contains the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail—the only surviving dirty speedway from the NASCAR inaugural 1949 season—and will include the James M. Johnston State Dedicated Nature Preserve.

The NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail The NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail and the Riverwalk run through the Eno River Bend property, allowing easy access for visitors and accessibility to downtown Hillsborough shops and restaurants.

This section of the parcel is already open for the public to use; the Eno River State Park saw more than a million visitors in both 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic. Officials say the new acres of state park in downtown Hillsborough are expected to attract even more new visitors.

The connection of trails to downtown Hillsborough should boost the town’s revenue and help its plans for walkability, so people can enjoy the river, shops, and restaurants without having to drive. W The Eno River Association will host events later this month for people to learn more, including guided hikes along the Eno at the Historic Occoneechee Speedway Trail on March 26. Visitors can choose from three hikes themed around the speedway, nature, or indigenous history and culture. In addition, the Eno River Association will hold a virtual info session April 5.

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Raleigh NC State College of Design students Sea Tong Veng, Boa Stoneheart, and Kunal Bhardwaj support a petition calling on the university to redesign the Allred Gallery PHOTO BY BRETT VILLENA

Equitable Design NC State students want a Le Corbusier-inspired floor in a busy campus building redesigned as recent scholarship has illuminated the iconic architect’s connections to fascist regimes. BY JANE PORTER jporter@indyweek.com

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he red, blue, and beige terrazzo floor design in the Allred Gallery in Kamphoefner Hall on NC State University’s campus is, in its aspect, a far cry from Silent Sam, the bronze Confederate monument that students toppled on UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus in the summer of 2018.

But the floor, installed in 2012, and its inspiration—Le Corbusier, an icon of modern architecture —are stirring similar feelings among some students on the Raleigh campus that generations of Chapel Hill students felt for decades before they tore down Silent Sam. Le Corbusier was a known misogynist, homophobe, anti-Semite, and, more recent scholarship indicates, an associate of European fascist leaders and an authoritarian sympathizer. It’s problematic, then, some students say, that Le Corbusier’s legacy is effectively honored with a floor pattern inspired by his work, a quote, a drawing, and his signature in a room in one of the College of Design’s busiest buildings.

Last fall, the students launched a petition and website and blanketed the university’s campus with pamphlets calling attention to the Allred Gallery design and its inspiration, an architect who “used his drawing as a way to objectify and terrorize marginalized people,” according to the student petition, which had 112 signatures as of Monday.

“All of this fills the Allred Gallery where students and faculty are supposed to congregate and the floor pattern is an invitation for fascists to find solidarity within the College of Design the same way it has given Nazis validations in the past,” the text of the petition continues. “There is no way to keep Le Corbusier’s work without perpetuating his ideals.”

The group of students behind this effort makes clear that the gallery’s floor and Le Corbusier display needs to be redesigned.

“If you choose not to do anything, then it is more so sending a message to certain people to feel comfortable on this campus expressing [these kinds of] views,” says Boa Stone-

heart, a graduate student in the College of Design. “Whereas, if you take it down, you’re saying we don’t accept that.”

Sea Tong Veng, a fourth-year student studying environmental architecture in the university’s College of Design, is disappointed that the university “has not released any official statement or taken a stance.”

“I think it’s the school’s responsibility to guide us in the right direction,” Veng says.

It’s not clear how the university decided to install the Le Corbusier–inspired floor display in the Allred Gallery a decade ago, following a redesign of the building in 2007, but it doesn’t seem to have been a controversial decision at the time. And it’s curious that it has taken until now to have caused a stir. NCSU professor Hernan Marchant, a Corbusian scholar, was involved with the design and installation process, according to a video on YouTube from David Allen Company, the materials supplier. Marchant did not respond to the INDY’s request for comment.

Students say when they learned about Le Corbusier’s work in many of their classes in the College of Design, the architect’s troubling views were glossed over by professors, at best. At worst, Le Corbusier was “glorified,” they say.

Burak Erdim, an associate professor of architecture in the College of Design and an architectural historian, says since the 1980s a number of essays from scholars have drawn attention to Le Corbusier’s affiliation with authoritarian, technocratic, imperialist, and fascist regimes. Erdim is one of the few professors, students say, who has noted Le Corbusier’s ties to authoritarianism in the classroom and provided space for discussion.

“Most recently and within the last ten years, the field [of architectural history] has also begun a broader project to critically reexamine the historiography of modern architecture and planning,” Erdim wrote in an email to the INDY. “Drawing on this scholarship, students are raising the question of what does an iconic figure like Le Corbusier mean to us in contemporary architectural education and practice.”

Erdim says he is proud of the students’ efforts.

“Students are actually building on what they are learning,” Erdim says. “This is a great conversation to have, theoretically, and especially in relation to a space that we occupy and use on a daily basis. They are putting the kinds of tropes of critical analysis that we look at in the classroom in the way that they are looking at what this figure means to us, to our contemporary architectural education and practice.”

Administrators in the School of Architecture and the College of Design are taking a diplomatic approach to addressing the issue.

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Following meetings in November and December and a third meeting Friday, they and the students have come up with a process designed to educate the campus community—students, staff, and alumni—about the issue through workshops and other events. And it is a problem-solving exercise, the administrators emphasize; they won’t commit to any specific outcome.

“The idea of redesigning [Allred Gallery] is an interesting one because that is what we do, and as part of the design process, there are several stages along the way,” says David Hill, a professor of architecture. “First and foremost, we seek to understand a client, or in this case, to understand how students feel about this particular floor and the messages and symbols that it holds that are offensive … not unlike how we would deal with a client, and user groups, to understand how to design a building more appropriately and to develop empathy.”

“Once you know how people feel, what people want, and their hopes and dreams, then you can set about working through the design process and design iterations,” says Mark Hoversten, a professor of landscape architecture and dean of NCSU’s College of Design. “We take several stabs at something before we know we get it right. So it will be interesting to hear from the students and others in the school’s community about what redesign might mean. There are probably a million different ways we could think about redesigning that floor.”

The students acknowledge that the educational component of the process is a crucial one.

“It is important to teach everyone about this stuff. It’s important to learn and think about what our opinions are,” says Kunal Bhardwaj, a fourth-year student in the College of Design. “Breaking up [the redesign process] is even more beneficial, because then it can be surgical in how you design the space. Sure, you can have an information session, really discuss it, but then get to each conflict that we or anyone else brings up, concerns from the other side, concerns from our side.”

While they’re committed to following the process, some of the students are frustrated with the pace of the administration’s engagement and its circumspect approach, especially at a university that touts equity and inclusion in its mission statement. “[Equity] is not necessarily democratic.

It’s raising people up that haven’t had that support,” says Stoneheart, the graduate student. “It’s not about equality, it’s about equity—about going above and beyond to help people—not about hearing everyone’s opinion equally.” W

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Raleigh

Blurred Lines Raleigh’s redistricted voting map moves minorities into majority-white districts. It could also violate Section 2 of the federal Voting Rights Act.

BY JASMINE GALLUP AND JANE PORTER

backtalk@indyweek.com

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aleigh’s first in-person city council meeting since the COVID pandemic devolved into name-calling last week as angry residents railed against the city’s new district map. Despite residents’ concerns, including whether the city’s redistricting plan complied with the federal Voting Rights Act, council members ultimately approved the map in a 7-1 vote.

Raleigh officials began the redistricting process last year after decennial census data revealed that the populations of Districts A and B were out of balance with Districts C, D, and E. The city is required to redraw its election districts every 10 years to ensure each has a relatively equal population, so everyone’s vote carries the same weight.

The 12 people who spoke against the new district map Tuesday all had similar complaints—that Black and Latinx communities were being split up and their voices and votes would go unheard. Their primary concern was over the Brentwood and Green Road neighborhoods in North Raleigh, which are majority Black and Latino.

Under the new map, those voting precincts are moved from District B, also a majority-minority area, to District A, a majority white area.

Councilman David Cox, the lone opposing vote, said he was worried the new map was not racially equitable.

“We ended up moving about 55,000 people, which is about 12 percent of Raleigh’s population. The majority, nearly 60 percent, are nonwhite. So even though District B still predominantly has a minority population, that minority population is being diluted as a result of [the new map],” Cox said. “It also begs the question of how, in a city that is majority white, do we end up with a plan that moves a majority of nonwhite citizens?”

In an additional statement to the INDY, Cox emphasized that 70 percent of the people in District B who were redistricted were racial minorities and that of the 55,419 people redistricted throughout the city, 55 percent are minority—”an astounding result given that the city overall majority is white,” he said.

Raleigh’s former districts map (l); the city’s new voting districts (r)

The redistricting process Following the delayed release of the census data until last September, city staff was instructed to provide to members of a council-appointed study group redistricting options based on population equality, geographic contiguity, compactness, preservation of communities of interest, protection of incumbents, and consideration of future growth. The study group would then collect public input, analyze, and provide feedback—pros and cons—on the different redistricting options to the city council. The group is the same one appointed to analyze council pay, term lengths, whether to add an additional district, and whether to stagger terms.

City staff did not draw the new districts with public input. Nor were they given the option to draw the maps with a new sixth district, something a majority of respondents to a city survey conducted by the study group said they want and which population growth over the last decade supports. If Raleigh gets a new sixth district, it will come after this year’s elections, so these new districts will only likely be in place for one election cycle.

All three of the staff-drawn options moved minority precincts in minority-majority districts (Districts B and C) into majority-white Districts A, D, and E rather than vice versa, which advocates say dilutes the voting power of Black and Hispanic residents. Residents had opportunities to voice their concerns at two study group meetings in December, plus two additional community meetings, and could also email comments to the study group, but the study group members could not suggest modifications to the three map options or propose a different redistricting scenario.

CITY OF RALEIGH

After the study group gave its feedback to the council, the majority of council members voted in favor of a redistricting proposal that reduced minority populations in District B from 62 percent to 54 percent.

Planning director Ken Bowers said the council chose the redistricting scenario in which population balance across the districts was achieved, with all districts around 2 percent deviation; the boundaries better followed major transportation corridors; future annexation areas were more evenly divided between Districts B and C; the diversity of districts was “largely maintained”; and District B had room to grow through future annexation, Bowers said.

The public hearing Local community members were emotional when they spoke about the redistricting proposal at the public hearing last week before the council vote.

“I’d like you to keep my community of immigrant families together in District B,” said Angeline Echeverria, a longtime Brentwood resident. “We deserve to be part of a district that takes into consideration the common experiences of migration, language barriers, and the racial and ethnic discrimination that unites us with established Black communities in our area.”

Several nonprofit leaders also spoke out against the new map, including some who had previously been invited to give input on the redistricting process. During study group meetings last year, feedback from the groups was mixed. Speakers were optimistic about the approach the INDYweek.com

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city was taking toward redistricting but also noted several potential issues with the proposed maps.

On Tuesday, it was clear these groups ultimately felt left out of the redistricting process they had been invited to participate in.

Byron Laws, of the NC Counts Coalition, said the study group members ignored his group’s feedback. While the city did add an additional listening session at the Green Road Community Center, “many people did not feel welcome,” Laws said.

“We provided you all with information on what our communities need and some of those [comments] were ignored,” he said.

Laws continued to speak even after Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin reminded him that his one minute of time was up.

“This matters,” he said. “The fact that you have this many people here and they’re only allowed to speak for one minute, that’s the issue. I’m representing a group that you all actually reached out to …. You asked us to speak on this matter and that’s why I’m here. Because we did the work, we studied, we looked at the data to provide you all with best practices for a better map.”

Maria Gonzalez, of El Pueblo, had similar comments.

Although the city reached out to members of the Latino community, their voices ultimately went unheard, she said. City officials did not give people ample time to voice their concerns during the listening sessions, she added.

“We even tried to speak one-on-one after the session but were brushed off each time,” Gonzalez said. “This was a chance for community leaders to speak out on an issue that directly impacts their life and they were outright ignored.”

Bowers was put in the hot seat when he summarized input the study group received from nonprofits. In his initial presentation, Bowers said the nonprofits “had many observations but uncovered no significant flaws in the districts that were proposed.”

Later, Bowers acknowledged that several nonprofits raised the same concerns commenters had—that the voting power of minority communities would be diluted—but he said, “They did not consider, at the time, it to be an objectionable change in the racial demographics of the districts.” Bowers specifically cited the Southern Coalition for Social Justice as saying the changes would not have a significant impact.

Despite the criticism leveled at the new map (and the process by which it was drawn), several council members continued to defend it.

“I think the process that’s brought us to this point is a vast improvement over what we’ve done in the past,” said councilman Patrick Buffkin. “It’s involved public comment. It’s been an unprecedented level of transparency in the redistricting process that used to be handled behind closed doors, without public input, with districts drawn by politicians.”

“We deserve to be part of a district that takes into consideration the common experiences of migration, language barriers, and the racial and ethnic discrimination that unites us with established Black communities in our area.”

A look at the facts

study group in December. At that time, Kaiser noted the lower percentage of minorities in District B but said that despite the difference, “[we believe] voters of color will still have the opportunity to elect their candidates of choice.”

Throughout her presentation, however, Kaiser emphasized the importance of community feedback and acknowledged that the coalition’s analysis was not community vetted. At that time, she said the coalition’s presentation may not take into account the concerns of people affected, and the city should continue outreach and consider the input of residents.

“What is essential to this process and might be missing from our presentation is local community knowledge and understanding,” Kaiser said. “Although these changes are slight, they will have an impact on where the community sees themselves, and if they are moved out of their communities of interest, so it’s important to receive that feedback.”

Following Tuesday’s meeting, Kaiser said the coalition supports the community’s concerns about the new map splitting minority communities.

“There’s a false narrative of transparency being provided by the city,” Kaiser said during a phone call Wednesday. “One of the things I said [in December] was that these maps really mean nothing unless there is community input. If community members are not happy with scenarios 1, 2, and 3, the city needs to draw an alternative map ... or make adjustments. Obviously, that didn’t happen here.”

In a letter to the council outlining the nonprofit’s concerns, Kaiser asked the council to call a special meeting to amend or annul the adopted map and adopt a revised map “with additional opportunities for meaningful community input and public comment as part of the process.”

“It is disappointing the City Council did not understand the central takeaway from SCSJ’s presentation: Raleigh should listen to residents’ lived experiences and create a transparent redistricting process trusted by residents,” Kaiser wrote.

Did the Southern Coalition for Social Justice support the new map when it was first presented?

Yes, conditionally.

Katelin Kaiser, counsel for voting rights for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, made a presentation to the

What is Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act? Opponents of the new map argue it was not in compliance with Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Among other things, that section prohibits practices denying minority voters an equal opportunity “to partic-

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ipate in the political process and to elect representatives of their choice.”

“A violation of this type is sometimes called ‘vote dilution,’” stated a report from the Brennan Center for Justice. According to the report, district lines can’t dilute the voting power of minorities if • a minority community can fit reasonably in a geographically compact district; • voting-age minorities would represent a majority of the voters in that district; • the minority population would usually vote for the same candidate; • the white population would usually vote for a different candidate; and • the minority vote is not otherwise protected given the “totality of the circumstances.”

Does Section 2 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act apply to municipalities like Raleigh?

Yes. Section 2 “remains in full force everywhere,” according to Robert Joyce, a lawyer and professor of public law and government at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

“Historically the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had two operative parts,” Joyce wrote in an email. “Section 2 prohibited discrimination on the basis of race in matters related to voting everywhere in the country.”

The other part, Section 5, required states like North Carolina, which had been particularly discriminatory preceding the Voting Rights Act, to obtain a “pre-clearance” for any changes to election law or practice.

“In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court found that the measure used to determine which parts of the country were to be subject to Section 5 had become sufficiently outdated that it could no longer be used,” Joyce wrote. “So Section 5 is no longer enforced and there is no longer a ‘pre-clearance’ requirement anywhere.”

The two sections are easy to mix up, Joyce says, adding that was probably what happened in a question-and-answer exchange between councilman Patrick Buffkin and the city attorney during the Raleigh City Council meeting.

Was the redistricting process transparent?

Yes. Transparency means officials act openly and citizens know what decisions they make. Additionally, people affected by those decisions know about the data and process that leads to them. While the public was not invited to weigh in on the maps the city staff proposed, the study group’s discussions of redistricting and the proposed maps were public. People could view the decision-making process and the data given to city council members.

This year’s redistricting process was much more transparent than the 2010 redistricting process, which happened behind closed doors. Still, the process was not transparent enough to satisfy some voting rights advocates.

Did the city engage the community?

No. The city held two meetings and four listening sessions, conducted surveys, sent emails, provided information on social media, and gathered data and comments from community members but did not seem to make any adjustments to the maps or the redistricting process based on community feedback. W

r e m m Su p m Ca e d i gu

The warmer weather of the past few days has us feeling like summer is in the air, and the kids will be out of school before you know it. Now’s the time to really start thinking about where you want them to spend their time during the balmy days ahead.

We’re here again to give you plenty of indoor and outdoor camp options for you to consider sending your kids to this summer. They’re fun, safe, and are taking COVID-19 precautions into account so you won’t have to worry about your kids while you’re working from home, or maybe are back in the office, during the upcoming summer months.

With COVID-19 metrics on the decline, it’s safer than it has been in a long time for kids and families to get back to doing normal things—and, for kids, learning, playing, and adventuring with other kids at camp is one of the most exciting things they have to look forward to.

Whether your child is fencing, rock climbing, or creating art, exploring local creeks, learning to code, or learning the ropes on a farm, you can be happy to get them out of the house again—for their sake, and your own.

SP E C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MM ER CAM P G UIDE

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ADF Dance Camps

American Dance Festival, Durham 6-17 yrs.

CALL: (919) 797-2871

Art Adventures at the Ackland Art Museum

Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill 6-9 yrs.

EMAIL: ackland@email.unc.edu or VISIT: www.events.ackland.org/events

Drawing for Tweens at the Ackland Art Museum

Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill 10-13 yrs.

EMAIL: ackland@email.unc.edu or VISIT: www.events.ackland.org/events

The ArtsCenter Summer Camp The ArtsCenter, Carrboro K-12th graders VISIT: www.artscenterlive.org/ youth/#artscamp

Blue Skies of Mapleview Summer Horse Camp Hillsborough

8-18 yrs.

EMAIL: dpmblueskies@hotmail.com CALL: (919) 933-1444

Cub Scout Day Camp

Boy Scouts of America, Triangle area 5-10 yrs.

CALL: (910) 948-3258 VISIT: www.ocscouts.org

Summer Service Camps IMPACT Camp, Model United Nations, & Civic Engagement Leadership Institute Just for High School Students! Earn volunteer service hours while becoming an active change-maker in your community!

Camps Run:

June 13th through July 29th Visit thevolunteercenter.org/youth to learn more 12

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Broadreach Summer Adventures

Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Curaçao, the Bahamas 12-18 yrs.

CALL: (919) 256-8200 EMAIL: info@gobroadreach.com

Cow Camp

Bull City Farm, Rougemont (N Durham Co) 5 yrs. and up EMAIL: samantha@bullcityfarm.com

Farm animals camp

Bull City Farm, Rougemont (N Durham Co) 5 yrs. and up EMAIL: samantha@bullcityfarm.com

S PE C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MMER C AMP G U I D E

Story Camp (D&D STYLE)

Bull City Farm, Rougemont (N Durham Co) Rising 2nd grade and up EMAIL: samantha@bullcityfarm.com

Camp Green Cove

Tuxedo 6-17 yrs. (all female) CALL: (828) 692-6355 EMAIL: greencove@greencove.com

Camp High Rocks

Brevard 7-16 yrs. (all male) CALL: (828) 885-2153 EMAIL: office@highrocks.com

Camp Wayfarer

Flat Rock 5-16 yrs.

EMAIL: info@campwayfarer.com CALL: (888) 405-2656

Carolina Creek Club

Carrboro 5-11 yrs.

EMAIL: CarolinaCreekClub@gmail.com

CFS Summer programs

Carolina Friends Schools, Durham 4-18 yrs.

EMAIL: extendedlearning@cfsnc.org

Outdoor Farm to Table Cooking Camp

Circle City Supper Club, Pittsboro 7 yrs. and up REGISTER ONLINE:

www.circlecitysupperclub.com/ collections/upcoming-events

Crafting for Pets Camp Craft Habit, Raleigh 6-13 yrs.

ENROLL: with the Field Day app (https://fieldday.co/#start-exploring)

Craft Sampler Camp Craft Habit, Raleigh 6-13 yrs.

ENROLL: with the Field Day app (https://fieldday.co/#start-exploring)

Sewing Explorations Camp Craft Habit, Raleigh 6-13 yrs.

ENROLL: with the Field Day app (https://fieldday.co/#start-exploring)

Duke Gardens Camps

Doris Duke Center, Duke Gardens K-5th grade VISIT: gardens.duke.edu/learn/camp

Duke School Summer Camp Duke School, Durham 4-15 yrs.

EMAIL: camps@dukeschool.org

4-H Summer Camps

Durham County 4-H, Durham 5-18 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

Durham Academy Summer Durham Academy, Durham 4-18 yrs.

EMAIL: summer@da.org

Summer Arts Camp

Durham Arts Council, Durham Rising K-17 yrs.

CALL: (919) 560-2726 EMAIL: jbell@durhamarts.org

4-H Babysitting Certification Camp

Youth Jazz Camp

4-H Cloverbud Day Camp

Adult Big Band Camp w/Jim Ketch

4-H Coding Camp

Seed & Song: Nature Camp for Kids

Durham County 4-H, Durham 9-14 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

Durham County 4-H, Durham 5-8 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

Durham County 4-H, Virtual 12-16 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

4-H Sewing Camp

Durham County 4-H, Durham 10-16 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

4-H at Betsy Jeff Penn

Durham County 4-H, Reidsville 8-14 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

4-H at Eastern 4-H Center Durham County 4-H, Columbia 12-16 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

4-H Farm to Fork

Durham County 4-H, Durham 12-16 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

4-H Outdoors

Durham County 4-H, Durham 10-16 yrs.

EMAIL: gmhulber@ncsu.edu

Durham Jazz Workshop, Durham Middle and High School Students EMAIL: djazzworkshop@gmail.com

Durham Jazz Workshop, Durham Adult EMAIL: djazzworkshop@gmail.com

The Eco-Institute at Pickards Mountain, Chapel Hill 6-10 yrs.

EMAIL: programs@eco-institute.org

Emerson Waldorf School Summer Camps Chapel Hill 4-18 yrs.

REGISTER ONLINE:

www.emersonwaldorf.org/camps

Eno River Association

Eno River Field Station, Confluence Natural Area, Hillsborough 12-15 yrs.

CALL: (919) 620-9099 ext. 204 EMAIL: camps@enoriver.org

iWalk the Eno Science and Nature Camp

Eno River Association, Eno River State Park 8-12 yrs.

CALL: (919) 620-9099 ext. 204 EMAIL: camps@enoriver.org SP E C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MM ER CAM P G UIDE

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Farm and Wilderness

Plymouth, VT 9-16 yrs.

EMAIL: admissions@farmandwilderness.org VISIT: www.farmandwilderness.org

Fencing and Martial Arts Camps Forge Fencing Academy and Club, Durham 7-17 yrs.

UN-Do a Classical Musical: One Week Standalone Camp

Ceramics Summer Camp

mreilly@thejusticetheaterproject.org

Hillsborough 5-13 yrs.

EMAIL: theguruschoolnc@gmail.com

Coding and 3D Printing Camp Handsmith.org, Durham Rising 6th-8th Grade CALL: (540) 685-3768 EMAIL: lisa@handsmith.org

Immersion Island Spanish Camps St. Thomas More School, Chapel Hill 9-18 yrs.

EMAIL: info@immersionisland.org

Initiative Programs RTP Initiative Programs, Virtual 8-15 yrs.

EMAIL:

initiativeprogramsofficial@gmail.com

JC Raulston Arboretum Summer Garden Camps Raleigh Preschool to rising 8th grade

REGISTER ONLINE CALL: (919) 513-7011 EMAIL: elizabeth_overcash@ncsu.edu

with questions

Camp Shelanu

Jewish for Good at the Levin JCC, Durham 5-15 yrs.

EMAIL: camp@jewishforgood.org

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EMAIL:

mreilly@thejusticetheaterproject.org

The Justice Theater Project, Raleigh Rising 2nd through rising 9th grade

The Guru School

March 9, 2022

The Justice Theater Project, Raleigh & Durham Rising 2nd through rising 9th grade

REGISTER ONLINE CALL: (919) 800-7886 EMAIL: info@forgefencing.com

Glazed Expectations, Carrboro 5-12 yrs.

VISIT: www.glazedexpectations.com

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Mary Poppins, Jr. Camps

S PE C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MMER C AMP G U I D E

EMAIL:

Nature Explorers NC

Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, Chapel Hill 5-12 yrs.

CALL: (984) 322-0190 EMAIL: grant@natureexplorersnc.org

Kidzu Children’s Museum Summer Camp

Chapel Hill 3-5 yrs. & 6-11 yrs.

EMAIL: camp@kidzuchildrensmuseum.org

Technology & Creativity Camps Kramden Institute, Durham 8-18 yrs.

VISIT: kramden.org/camps CALL: (919) 293-1133

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences camps

Camps in Downtown Raleigh & Prairie Ridge Ecostation Rising K-12th grade EMAIL: summercamps@naturalsciences.org CALL: (919) 707-9889

Over the Moon Play Space Cary 5-9 yrs. (rising K-4th grade)

BOOK ONLINE CALL: (919) 238-9229 EMAIL: camps@overthemoonplay.com

Piedmont Wildlife Center

Durham, Orange, Wake Counties 5-12 yrs. (13-17 for CIT’s) EMAIL: camp@piedmontwildlifecenter.org

IMPACT Camp Spend the week visiting different nonprofits, completing onsite volunteer projects, and hearing from community leaders, while engaging in team building and leadership development.

Open to rising 9th-12th graders June 13th – July 15th The Center also offers Model United Nations & Civic Engagement Leadership Institute

visit thevolunteercenter.org/IMPACT to learn more SP E C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MM ER CAM P G UIDE

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Bluegrass Camp for Youth

Schoolhouse of Wonder

PineCone – Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Cary 8-16 yrs. (June 21-24)

Durham, Wake, Orange Counties 5-17 yrs.

EMAIL:

REGISTER ONLINE QUESTIONS, EMAIL: jamie@pinecone.org OR CALL: (919) 664-8333

Bluegrass Jam Camp

PineCone – Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, Raleigh 10-17 yrs

Raleigh Little Theatre Summer Camp

Raleigh Little Theatre, Raleigh 4-18 yrs.

VISIT: raleighlittletheatre.org/education/ EMAIL: education@raleighlittletheatre.org

School of Rock 2022 Summer Camps ENROLL ONLINE CALL: (919) 338-1011 EMAIL: chapelhill@schoolofrock.com

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Carrboro & NC State 7-15 yrs.

EMAIL: camps@triangleultimate.org or shannon@triangleultimate.org

Sisters’ Voices All Things Camp Civic Engagement Binkley Church, Chapel Hill Leadership Institute Rising 4th-6th grade VISIT: sistersvoices.org

REGISTER ONLINE QUESTIONS, EMAIL: jamie@pinecone.org OR CALL: (919) 664-8333

Chapel Hill 10-18 yrs.

schoolhouse@schoolhouseofwonder.org CALL: (919) 477-2116

Triangle Ultimate Frisbee Camps

Sisters’ Voices Music & Theater Workshop Binkley Church, Chapel Hill Rising 6th-9th grade VISIT: sistersvoices.org

Sisters’ Voices Singing & Leadership Camp Binkley Church, Chapel Hill Rising 6th-9th grade VISIT: sistersvoices.org

The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, Durham & Triangle High school students CALL: (919) 321-6943 EMAIL: Becca@thevolunteercenter.org

IMPACT Camp

The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, Durham & Triangle High school students CALL: (919) 321-6943 EMAIL: Becca@thevolunteercenter.org

Model UN Camp

The Triangle Nonprofit & Volunteer Leadership Center, Durham & Triangle High school students CALL: (919) 321-6943 EMAIL: Becca@thevolunteercenter.org

S PE C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MMER C AMP G U I D E

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs

Two Sisters Adventure Company, Downtown Durham 6-9 yrs.

EMAIL: connect@twosistersadventure.com CALL: (919) 717-9337

Art Around Town

Two Sisters Adventure Company, Downtown Durham 8-12 yrs.

EMAIL: connect@twosistersadventure.com CALL: (919) 717-9337

Teen Camp

Two Sisters Adventure Company, Durham 13-18 yrs.

EMAIL: connect@twosistersadventure.com CALL: (919) 717-9337

Nature: All Around Me

Two Sisters Adventure Company, Downtown Durham 9-13 yrs.

EMAIL: connect@twosistersadventure.com CALL: (919) 717-9337

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us Civic Engagement Leadership Institute Learn about the importance of civic engagement, create a capstone project with a team to address current community needs, and discover how to effectively advocate for change.

Open to rising 10th-12th graders July 25th – July 29th The Center also offers Model United Nations Week & IMPACT Camp

visit thevolunteercenter.org/celi to learn more

Love the

?

es s s e n i s u b e h t t r o p . p . . s Su u t r o p that sup

! l a c o l S hop

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Carolina Creek Club Carrboro

Boats, Boats, Boats

Two Sisters Adventure Company, Falls Lake, Durham 8-13 yrs.

EMAIL: connect@twosistersadventure.com CALL: (919) 717-9337

GALS NC

Two Sisters Adventure Company/Science Gals, Catawba College/NC Mountains High school students EMAIL: connect@twosistersadventure.com CALL: (919) 717-9337

Model UN

Play

Sign up for our Model United Nations week and learn how to work with a group to solve complex issues and strengthen your confidence as a leader.

Open to rising 10th-12th graders July 18th – July 22nd

ct

e Conn

LEARN MORE:

The Center also offers IMPACT Camp & Civic Engagement Leadership Institute

Visit thevolunteercenter.org/model-un-week to learn more

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• Lea rn

Ages 511 July 13 -August 26 Groups o f 2 tea 8-14 ki chers & d local t s explore rails creeks and

CarolinaCreekClub@gmail.com

PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER PAPER

S PE C IAL ADVERTI SI N G SE C TI O N : SU MMER C AMP G U I D E

USA Ninja Challenge Durham 6-12 yrs.

REGISTER ONLINE: ninjadurham.com EMAIL: durham@usaninjachallenge.com

Woodcrest Farm & Forge Hillsborough 5-11 yrs.

REGISTER ONLINE:

www.woodcrestfarmnc.com/ summer-camps

YMCA Camp Kanata Wake Forest 6-15 yrs.

REGISTER ONLINE CALL: (919) 556-2661 EMAIL: campkanata@campkanata.org

YMCA Camp Sea Gull & Camp Seafarer

Arapahoe 7-16 yrs.

CALL: (252) 249-1212 EMAIL: registrationoffice@ymcatriangle.org

Artspace Summer Camps Raleigh 1st-12th grade (June-August) VISIT: artspacenc.org

Give Play & Nature Programs

City of Oaks Foundation, Raleigh K-8th grade VISIT: cityofoaksfoundation.org/programs DONATE: https://bit.ly/GivePlay22

Farm Camp

Sunrise Community Farm Center, Chapel Hill Rising K-7th grade VISIT: sunrisecfc.com

PHOTO SERIES Slava Ukraini WORDS BY JANE PORTER + PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENNY WARBURG

As a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine failed almost as soon as it began, and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the United States for more military aid, dozens of Ukrainians living in North Carolina gathered on the grounds of the state capitol on Saturday afternoon. Holding signs, draped in the Ukrainian flag, with children in tow, the group rallied to show support for the sovereign nation that Russia invaded last month. W

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FOOD & DRINK

d a e ne o

Y B T

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PHOTO BY ANNIE MAYNARD

With the grassroots program Durham Neighbors, Ninth Street Bakery owner Ari Berenbaum lays out a vision of universal basic income.

BY LENA GELLER food@indyweek.com

W

hat’s in $50?

This is a question that Ari Berenbaum thinks about often. Berenbaum, the owner of Ninth Street Bakery, also runs the Durham Neighbors Program, a grassroots organization he founded in the February of 2021 that provides a microdonation of $50 a month to 100 Durham residents. Early in the pandemic, he’d begun handing out free lunches at the bakery whenever someone walked in and needed one. (Since then, neighboring restaurant Luna Rotisserie has taken on a version of that initiative, providing 20 free lunches a day.)

“It became clear that yes, folks need food, but they also just need money for basic expenses,” Berenbaum says, 20

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reflecting on those first few months. “I really believe in universal basic income, so I was just like, how can the bakery make this happen?”

Until November, about 90 percent of that monthly $5,000 in donations was funded through bakery revenue, with the remaining 10 percent footed by other local businesses and a handful of individual donors. Relief came around Thanksgiving last year, when Berenbaum connected over social media with two locals who now help increase the program’s visibility. Now, thanks to the work of volunteers Nicole Cranley and Amanda Hicks, community contributions fund almost 50 percent of the microdonations.

“The program is all about narrowing the gap between donors and recipients,” Berenbaum says. Person-to-person giving is the most “impactful, swift, and meaningful” type of assistance, and it makes community members more cognizant of the issues their neighbors are facing.”

“A lot of people say, ‘Oh, 50 bucks, what will that buy you?’ but if your budget for things is very low each month, $50 proportionally is—for you and I, it could be hundreds and hundreds of dollars,” Berenbaum says.

And with more mainstream philanthropic models, he says it can be unclear “how much money actually gets to the frontlines of folks that are in sometimes desperate need for money for basic necessities” after overhead costs are deducted from donations.

Donating time and expertise to the program is also valuable, he says, adding there is a volunteer need for things like signing up to assist members with job hunting, setting up health care, and navigating public services. Folks can also help out by sharing the program’s social media posts, which Cranley says have ambition beyond fundraising.”

“We’re not just trying to raise money, but also educate our followers about what we can do financially to better support our community through person-to-person giving,” Cranley says. “Let’s dispel this idea that it’s just ‘free handouts.’”

Founded by a family of activists, Ninth Street Bakery originally opened on 9th Street in 1981. Durham Neighbors, Berenbaum says, aligns with the deep-rooted social mission of the bakery.

“I think Ninth Street Bakery is kind of a holdover from another era in Durham, before all this burgeoning development happened,” Berenbaum says. “Durham is actually two, in many ways.”

Natasha Adams was one of Durham Neighbors’ first members; she signed up after learning about the program from a local mutual aid group. When all three of her kids came down with COVID-19 at the same time, she was forced to quit her job and didn’t have money to pay for rent and other basic necessities.

“I had no gas, no Pampers, no wipes,” Adams says. “[Durham Neighbors] helped contribute so I could make sure [my children] get what they need. It’s just really been a help because it’s very hard out here, especially being a single parent.”

In addition to the monthly $50, Durham Neighbors has an emergency fund for members experiencing family or health crises. When Adams’s son died last year, she says, the program gave her extra money to help cover funeral costs.

Much of Durham Neighbors’ social media content revolves around the concept of a universal basic income (UBI), sometimes also known as guaranteed income: a consistent, government-guaranteed payment with no strings attached, meant to provide all

Ari Berenbaum PHOTO BY BOB KARP

citizens with a basic standard of living. It’s not a new concept, but due to widespread financial hardship brought on by the pandemic, it is becoming an increasingly salient idea. A recent New York Times article reported that private programs are currently piloting guaranteed income programs in more than 17 states, distributing more than $25 million a year to over 7,000 families, and evidence from previous experiments shows that it’s an effective model.

When the city of Stockton, California, wrapped up a two-year UBI program that provided 125 residents with $500 a month, participants showed improvements in physical and mental health as well as increased employment, counter to critics’ arguments that stipends reduce the incentive to work. In January, the City of Durham joined in on the momentum, launching Excel, a pilot program that will provide $500 a month to 129 formerly incarcerated individuals over the course of the next year.

Modeled after the Stockton program, Excel was organized by local nonprofit StepUp Durham and is primarily funded by a $500,000 grant from national UBI advocate Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.

Participants must have been incarcerated at some point after November 2016 and have income at or below 60 percent of the area median income.

Berenbaum says the Durham Neighbors Program uses an honors system in its intake process; members are asked to

identify the things they’re struggling to pay for but don’t have to submit any financial documents.

Durham Neighbors member Leigh Ann Shore has been working overtime as a cashier and wasn’t available for a phone interview—“I get home and basically fall into bed,” she wrote in a text—but she sent an email detailing her experience with the program.

Even though she has a daughter, Shore wrote, she never received the now-expired federal child tax credit. The monthly microdonations have made a world of difference in providing for her child and paying her rent.

As the program’s visibility has grown, so has its waitlist, which now totals around 60 people.

Berenbaum says Durham Neighbors’ most immediate goal is to move people off the waitlist; the bakery is committed to contributing at least $2,500 a month, so if sustaining monthly donations surpass the remaining $2,500 needed to support the existing 100 members, he can bring more people into the program. Individuals can contribute one-time donations or sign up as monthly sustainers on the Durham Neighbors website.

Berenbaum also encourages other local businesses to collaborate with the program. So far, Luna has contributed money to the fund and several other businesses have offered in-kind donations: last month, The Parlour gifted free pints of ice cream to the program’s first 36 new monthly sustainers. Overall, though, Berenbaum says, the response from fellow business owners hasn’t been as strong as he’d hoped.

“When we first started soliciting donations, I was going to local businesses and saying, ‘Hey, how do you feel about contributing to this?’” Berenbaum says. “Most were like, ‘Well, we sort of like our old philanthropic model,’ meaning they like either giving away food or donating food or time to big events.”

Durham Neighbors isn’t necessarily restricted to the pandemic era, Berenbaum says—he doesn’t have a timeline for the program. Looking forward, his main objective is to promote UBI plans and educate the community on the benefits of person-to-person giving.

Cranley hopes Durham Neighbors will help open people’s eyes to the widening income disparity in Durham. Her work with the program is deeply personal.

“I grew up in a low economic situation,” she says. “Single parent, food stamps, food insecurity, electricity getting shut off, the whole nine yards. Some people don’t understand how much $50 can help.” W

TIME FOR THREE

20212022

SUNDAY, MARCH 20 AT 6 P.M. | CARY ARTS CENTER (919) 4622055 WWW.TOWNOFCARY.ORG WWW.TF3.COM

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March 9, 2022

21

M U SIC

Back to the Stage Two years into the pandemic, local live music venues hope for better times ahead.

BY SOPHIA HORST music@indyweek.com

I

n October, Bill Whittington, owner of Durham’s Blue Note Grill, was eagerly awaiting a performance by singer-songwriter Darrell Scott. The show was slated for Thursday, October 21, and had been promoted on Blue Note’s website and Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Yet a week before the show, hardly any tickets had been sold. In the midst of the Omicron wave, the venue made a joint decision with Scott to cancel the show.

“It was frustrating,” Whittington said.

“Things were picking back up, and we were looking towards normal again. Then September and October came along and numbers went back down like 50 percent.”

Jeremy Roth, founder of Motorco in downtown Durham, agrees.

“Things started to seem normal again, and then Omicron hit,” Roth said. “It was almost like we were starting from scratch.”

The Darrell Scott show has since been rescheduled for April 28 at Blue Note, and Whittington is hoping for a strong turnout.

But the moving puzzle pieces of canceled shows and rescheduled dates are among the many challenges new COVID variants present for Blue Note and other Durham music venues. Although wary of yet another wave, venue owners are hopeful that as COVID cases diminish, Durham residents will feel comfortable going to concerts again.

Pre-pandemic, Motorco expected one in 10 ticket holders not to show up for a concert.

The pandemic brought dramatic changes.

First, the club simply went silent. Large gatherings were not permitted because of government regulations, and customers wanted to stay home anyway. When Bully, an American rock band, took the stage at Motorco on August 23, 2021, it was the first time the venue held a live performance since March 2020. Yet only 64 percent of 22

March 9, 2022

INDYweek.com

ticket holders showed up to the event.

Mdou Moctar, a Tuareg singer and musician, took the stage on September 5, 2021, expecting a full house. His show had practically sold out, yet he was met by applause from only 74 percent of those who had purchased tickets.

Then came the Omicron variant. At Motorco and other venues, many fall shows were canceled because artists feared COVID or ticket sales were too low. Roth, Motorco’s owner, says it’s difficult to put a number on lost profits. “Obviously it’s better for folks to buy tickets and not show up than not buy tickets at all, ” he said.

It’s not just about ticket sales, though.

When ticket holders don’t show up, Motorco loses a significant portion of potential bar sales, the club’s primary source of income from concerts. At Mdou Moctar’s concert, no-shows meant that the club lost a quarter of its potential revenue, Roth said.

“The artists get the money from the tickets,” Roth said. “In order for us to be a business and pay rent, we make money from the bar.”

In addition to its concert showroom, Motorco has a separate restaurant and bar that allows the business to make additional income. Blue Note Grill also has a restaurant. Whittington said his business would not have survived the pandemic without the additional profit.

Tim Walter, director of The Fruit, pointed out that most music venues in Durham are either supported by the city or have a restaurant. For venues that rely solely on live performances for their revenue, the second shutdown due to Omicron prolonged financial troubles.

“Live music in Durham as a stand-alone proposition is a money-losing operation in the best of times,” Walter said.

Customers at Durham’s Blue Note Grill.

As a result of the pandemic, The Fruit is now carrying 50 percent more debt. If 2022 doesn’t pick up, as many business owners hope, the Fruit could face double the debt burden the club carried before COVID. This potential increase in debt would add $3,000 to $4,000 to the club’s monthly overhead, Walter said.

“We’re a social enterprise,” Walter said.

“We’re just trying to break even.”

Now, as Omicron cases slow, music venues are focused on moving forward with pandemic precautions in mind. Tritonal, an American DJ duo, recently performed at The Fruit. The show sold out at the last minute, but Walter was disappointed nonetheless.

“It should have sold out a week in advance,” he said. “When I start to see that happening, then I’ll say we’re back. But I don’t think that will happen in 2022.”

Venues in the Triangle vary in their COVID regulations. Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, one of the Triangle’s venerable music venues, requires that concertgoers show either proof of vaccination or a professionally administered negative test taken within 72 hours of the show date. However, such requirements present an additional burden on venues, said Cat’s Cradle owner Frank Heath.

“It’s very time-consuming and intensive because everyone shows up at the same time,” Heath said. “We’re doing our best to get people through the doors as quickly as possible.”

PHOTO BY MILENA OZERNOVA - 9TH STREET JOURNAL

Motorco has similar precautions in place.

The club requires temperature checks, vaccination checks, and masks. Since its restaurant provides a secondary source of income, Motorco can afford to lose some concert customers who refuse to get vaccinated or choose not to wear a mask, says Roth.

Many venues in Durham are not as strict.

The Fruit does not have these regulations, for instance. Walter said the Fruit cannot afford to lose business from customers who have abstained from getting vaccinated or prefer not to wear a mask.

Early in the pandemic, the venue required proof of vaccination and checked temperatures at the door. They revised these regulations when Omicron came around.

It’s easy for patrons to fake vaccination cards, Walter said. With that in mind, and given the area’s relatively high vaccination rates, the venue decided to let individuals monitor their own risk. Now, the venue leaves it up to concertgoers to determine if they want to mask or social distance.

Coming out of [this most recent wave of] the pandemic, many venue owners are more conservative in how they view revenue sources.

“The money we make off of ticket sales—I now treat that like it’s fake money until we settle the show,” Roth said.

Some venue owners said the demand for live music has diminished coming out of the recent Omicron surge. Durham residents still seem apprehensive about entering crowded indoor spaces, Walter said.

“The money we make off of ticket sales, I now treat that like it’s fake money until we settle the show.”

“Folks are just out of the habit of going out,” he said.

Others noted that public demand for live events mirrors news coverage of COVID. “As soon as the newspapers say there’s a lull in the current wave, a lot of people start going to shows who aren’t worried about spreading the virus,” Heath said.

Venue owners are trying to remain flexible in an ever-evolving situation. Many are finding people are willing to pay higher prices for tickets. Bands have capitalized on pent-up demand and are charging more to perform.

“Shows that were $15 dollars are now $20,” Heath said. He believes it will stay this way until the demand no longer allows for increased ticket prices.

Club owners also face staffing difficulties, in part because many workers can make more money working remotely than working on-site at a venue, Heath said.

Blue Note Grill has had similar staffing shortages and is working on automating its serving and payment processes to supplement the lack of servers.

“We’re rethinking how we serve the customers so one server can handle more tables,” Whittington said.

Venues remain wary of another shutdown. Heath said that if ticket sales pick up for the rest of the academic year, it will be a promising sign that things can return to pre-pandemic levels.

“It’s hard to feel extremely optimistic until we have a month where nothing crazy happened,” he said. “I’m hoping that April will be that month.”

But the threat of another variant shutdown still looms, making many venue owners cautiously optimistic.

“I’m not sure what the next Greek letter is after Omicron,” Roth said. “But personally, I’m thinking about that.” W This story was produced through a partnership between the INDY and 9th Street Journal, which is published by journalism students at Duke University’s DeWitt Wallace Center for Media & Democracy.

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M U SIC

State of Sound Talking with David Menconi about his omnivorous new North Carolina podcast, Carolina Calling.

BY SPENCER GRIFFITH music@indyweek.com

D

avid Menconi is one of the preeminent voices on North Carolina music. Since leaving The News & Observer in 2019 after 28 years as a music critic and arts journalist, Menconi has freelanced, had a tenure as Piedmont Laureate, and penned Step It Up and Go, a primer on the state’s music history published in 2020. He also has another on the way.

Recently, Menconi has also shifted into podcasts as the host of Carolina Calling, a new collaboration with The Bluegrass Situation and Come Hear North Carolina.

The debut season of the series focuses on the music emanating from specific locales in the state, with episodes on Asheville, Greensboro, and Shelby highlighting the likes of Bob Moog, Rhiannon Giddens, and Earl Scruggs and Don Gibson, respectively, with scheduled releases featuring Durham and Wilmington still to come.

Midway through the first season, we caught up with Menconi to discuss his experience navigating this new form of storytelling, how the team chooses which artists to highlight, and what’s next for both him and Carolina Calling.

INDY WEEK: The last time you spoke with the INDY, you had just released Step It Up and Go. Since the podcast covers similar territory in terms of North Carolina music history, how has the experience differed between the two projects?

DAVID MENCONI: It is similar territory, but this is the first podcast I’ve ever worked on and there’s definitely been a learning curve. How much I actually do varies from episode to episode. I’m the host and the voice of the show so I at least write the intro and outro for every show. I do a lot of the interviews and the writing of some of the interstitial stuff too, but there’s a team of about a half dozen people, all of whom have input. I’m not exactly a hired gun but closer to that than a mastermind.

Has there been a lot of crossover between the research you did for the book and what you’ve done for the podcast?

Oh yeah! It’s produced by The Bluegrass Situation, which is a publication that covers bluegrass, obvious24

March 9, 2022

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ly, but they also produce events and do a lot of podcasts. They are out in California and various people on the team have ties here, but I’m kind of the person on the ground.

In a lot of cases, they sort of rely on me to figure out who we should talk to in each city as well as story lines and through lines, things like that. We’ll do these weekly Zooms and they’ll be wondering aloud about something, and I’m usually able to at least point them in the right direction for us to be able to find out something.

Is a similar format planned for the next season?

We’re in the midst of proposals, but at the moment, yes.

As originally envisioned, the first series was going to be full-length episodes—each about a city—and then some shorter mini-episodes about individual artists. We stuck with the cities, kind of learning to walk before we run, but season 2 will probably mix it up with some of those mini-episodes, Nina Simone and Sonny Terry in particular. There’s been talk about one on beach music or one on Merge Records, over and above the Chapel Hill episode, so it’s still taking shape.

But yeah, the last episode [of season 1] runs at the end of March, and we should already be working on season 2 by then. I would expect that’ll probably come out in the fall.

Who is the intended audience for Carolina Calling, and is there anyone else in particular that you hope listens to the podcast?

I would think that the people most interested are the ones who are here and somewhat versed in the music and cultural history of the state but want to know a little bit more. But sort of like with my book—which I think of as kind of a primer to introduce you to North Carolina music no matter where you’re coming from—I would hope it would attract folks from farther afield.

North Carolina has had an important foundational role in a lot of musical styles coming together, but it’s not widely known. That’s what I hoped to do with the book, and the podcast is kind of another iteration of that.

David Menconi

PHOTO BY TERESA MOORE

How do you handle being one of the authoritative voices for and about the state’s music and the stories that get shared? You seem to make a point on this podcast of elevating the stories of marginalized artists.

That’s certainly a priority for us on this podcast—and also the Come Hear North Carolina and North Carolina Arts Council folks—to center those more marginalized voices that haven’t been heard so much, and I do feel like that’s important. Rhiannon Giddens has certainly made much of her career about bringing that to the forefront, and it’s really key to do.

I tried to do that at the paper, too. There are lots of things that go into that, when what to cover, especially in recent years, became so much about online traffic and getting the clicks that serving those other needs of coverage became a real challenge. It’s nice to be working on something where those metrics aren’t as important, at least as communicated to me, and elevating those voices that haven’t been heard is important.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

I’m working with UNC Press on starting up a new music series, similar to what I was doing at the University of Texas Press, which was called the American Music Series. I helped them launch that back in the early 2010s and the Ryan Adams book I did came out on that.

So we’re launching that and we’ve got a few books signed—a book about the Stanley Brothers, a book about the jazz pianist Bill Evans, and my Rounder Records book are the first three books in this series, which is still unnamed. I’ll be the editor, and those books ought to start coming out sometime next year. W

C U LT U R E CA L E NDA R art Guided Tour: Explore the Ackland’s Collection and Peace, Power & Prestige Thurs, Mar. 10, 1:30 p.m. Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill.

Mindful Museum: Art-Inspired Poetry Exploration $13 (members), $15 (nonmembers). Thurs, Mar. 10, 6 p.m.

NCMA, Raleigh.

2nd Friday ArtWalk: Meet a Metalsmith Fri, Mar. 11, 5 p.m.

Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill.

Art Adventures: Aluminum Foil Sculpture Sat, Mar. 12, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill.

Drawing for Tweens $5 (nonmembers).

Sat, Mar. 12, 10:30 a.m. Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill.

Metal in Bloom $50.

Sat, Mar. 12, 4 p.m.

NCMA, Raleigh.

Sound in the Gallery $20. Sat, Mar. 12, 9:30 a.m.

Orange County Arts Commission & Eno Arts Mill, Hillsborough.

Virtual Creative Processing For Families: Uncertainty Sun, Mar. 13, 2 p.m.

NCMA, Raleigh.

Guided Tour: Peace, Power & Prestige: Metal Arts in Africa Fri, Mar. 11, 1:30 p.m.

Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill.

screen MovieDiva Film Series: The Prince Who Was a Thief $8. Mar. 9, 7 p.m.

The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

stage Yoga Play by Dipika Guha $20. Feb. 23-Mar. 13, various times. PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill.

Bert Kreischer: The Berty Boy Relapse Tour $40+. Mar. 9 and Mar. 11, various times. DPAC, Durham.

Ronald K. Brown/ EVIDENCE with Meshell Ndegeocello: Grace and Mercy: A 35th Anniversary Celebration $20+.

Wed, Mar. 9, 7:30.

Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill.

Please check with local venues for their health and safety protocols.

Adele Givens $25+.

Mar. 11-13, various times. Raleigh Improv, Raleigh.

The Wall That Heals Sat, Mar. 12, 2 p.m. North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh.

page Storytelling with Fred Motley Wed, Mar. 9, 2 p.m.

Alamance Arts, Graham.

The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle: Opera Undressed $22+.

Sun, Mar. 13, 3 p.m.

The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

An Evening of Theater Fri, Mar. 11, 6 p.m. Fuquay-Varina Arts Center, FuquayVarina.

The House of Coxx Presents: Saved By the Belle! $15. Sat, Mar. 12, 10 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Iliza: Back in Action $40+. Sat, Mar. 12, 7 p.m. DPAC, Durham.

Mike Birbiglia Live! $40+. Sat, Mar. 12, 7 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

The Monti StorySLAM: Gettin’ Lucky $12. Tues, Mar. 15, 7:30 p.m.

Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Carolina Ballet: Snow White $27+.

Mar. 10-27, various times. Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

FantasticRealm Film Series $10 (individual tickets), $80 (ten passes).

Mar. 11-17, various times. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Stray Local performs at Vecino Brewing Co. in Carrboro on Friday, March 11. PHOTO BY CHRIS FRISINA

Phoebe Zerwick presents Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt Thurs, Mar. 10, 5:30 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill.

Collective History Book Talk with Amanda Boyd Tues, Mar. 15, 12 p.m. Online; presented by The Alliance for Historic Hillsborough.

Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road $15.

Sun, Mar. 13, 8 p.m.

Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

music Gary Numan SOLD OUT. Wed, Mar. 9, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Queer Country Night Wed, Mar. 9, 8 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

The Red Pears $12.

Wed, Mar. 9, 8 p.m.

Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Beethoven “Emperor” with the North Carolina Symphony $46+.

Thurs, Mar. 10, 7:30 p.m. Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill. $20+.

Mar. 11-12, 8 p.m.

Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Del Water Gap SOLD OUT. Thurs, Mar. 10, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Popii Sanchez / Cartie24 $10. Thurs, Mar. 10, 9 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

We Were Promised Jetpacks $16. Thurs, Mar. 10, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Andmoreagain Presents: Gustaf / Truth Club $13. Fri, Mar. 11, 9 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Dream Theater: Top of the World Tour $21+. Fri, Mar. 11, 8 p.m. Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

LP Giobbi: Femme House Tour $15. Fri, Mar. 11, 9 p.m. The Fruit, Durham.

Rachel Despard EP Release Show $10.

Fri, Mar. 11, 8 p.m.

Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Leprous $22. Sat, Mar. 12, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Mallarme Concierto para la Familia: La Flauta Mágica de Luna Sat, Mar. 12, 1:30 in Spanish and 3:15 p.m. in English, The Fruit, Durham.

The Pinkerton Raid / Hank, Pattie & the Current / The Lonesome Dawn Sat, Mar. 12, 3 p.m.

Down Yonder Farm, Hillsborough.

Pink Siifu $17. Sat, Mar. 12, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Reverend Horton Heat $20. Fri, Mar. 11, 7:30 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Queer Agenda Sat, Mar. 12, 11:55 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Stray Local Fri, Mar. 11, 7 p.m.

Vecino Brewing Co., Carrboro.

Sentimental Johnny Sat, Mar. 12, 4 p.m.

Durty Bull Brewing, Durham.

Theory of a Deadman $25. Fri, Mar. 11, 8 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Ben Sollee $17.

Sun, Mar. 13, 8 p.m.

Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Jazmine Sullivan: The Heaux Tales Tour $260+. Sat, Mar. 12, 8 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Marisela $45+. Sun, Mar. 13, 7 p.m. Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Now, It’s My Turn: A Tribute To Betty Carter $15+. Sun, Mar. 13, 6 p.m. Hayti Heritage Center, Durham.

Sights and Sounds Concert Series: Chamber Music Raleigh Presents Mallarmé Chamber Players Sun, Mar. 13, 1 and 3 p.m. NCMA, Raleigh.

Jimmy Eat World & Dashboard Confessional: Surviving the Truth Tour $42. Mon, Mar. 14, 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Graham Nash $50+.

Tues, Mar. 15, 8 p.m.

The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Sam Weber $12.

Tues, Mar. 15, 8 p.m.

Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Yonder Mountain String Band $26.

Tues, Mar. 15, 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

FOR OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITY CALENDAR: INDYWEEK.COM INDYweek.com

March 9, 2022

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© Puzzles by Pappocom

There is really only one rule to Sudoku: Fill in the game board so that the numbers 1 through 9 occur exactly once in each row, column, and 3x3 box.

The numbers can appear in any order and diagonals are not considered.

Your initial game board will consist of several numbers that are already placed. Those numbers cannot be changed. Your goal is to fill in the empty squares following the simple rule above.

If you just can’t wait, check out the current week’s answer key at www.indyweek.com, and click “puzzle pages.”

Best of luck, and have fun! www.sudoku.com solution to last week’s puzzle

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3.09.22 INDY CLASSIFIEDS classy@indyweek.com

C L AS S I F I E D S EMPLOYMENT

E V EN T S

Work Situation Wanted: Seamstress/Tailor Assistant In possession of sewing skills and would like to work part-time for an experienced sewer. Durham-based, but can commute in Triangle. Can provide work samples.

Wage negotiable. Call Kathy at (919) 924-6521.

Senior Programmer I (Durham, N.C.) Senior Programmer I / AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP / Durham, NC (FT M-F). Provide support for aspects of the clinical dvlpmt process, including clinical dvlpmt plans, regulatory submissions, commercialization & scientific utilization of data for company specific products. Reqs: Bach deg or foreign equiv. in Statistics, Biochemistry, Biology or rel + 5 yrs of progressively resp exp in the position offd or rel. Must have 5 yrs of progressively resp exp in each of following: Advanced SAS prgmg; Creating & validating prgmg deliverables including Analysis Datasets as per CDISC standards including ADaM, TFLs, & CRT packages; Define.xml; ISS & ISE Analysis; FDA’s Data Standards Catalog; Reviewing Database setup documents including SDTM specifications & aCRF; & Standards adherence & conformance checking tools, including SDTM & ADaM, to check conformance on clinical data delivery. In the alt, Emp will accept a Master’s deg in a stated field of study + 3 yrs of exp. Emp will accept pre- or post-master’s deg exp.

Any suitable combo of edu, training, or exp is acceptable. Apply: http://www.astrazenecacareers.com. Enter “ R-131861” as the “Keyword,” & click “Search Roles.” No calls please. EOE.

HEALTH & WELL BEING

Sr. Ab Initio Developer (Raleigh, N.C.) Senior Software Engineer sought by LexisNexis USA in Raleigh NC to perform difficult to complex research, design, & software development assignments within specific software functional area or product line. EE reports to LexisNexis USA office in Raleigh, NC but may telecommute from any location in US. Bachelors or equiv in Comp Sci or rltd + 3 yrs exp in job offered or Software Engg rqd. Apply by mail to Toyia Hayward, 1100 Alderman Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30005.

LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE 919-416-0675

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