Chatham News & Record Vol. 147, Issue 9

C HATHAM NEWS & R E C O R D

Parks and Rec releases Summer Program guide

Chatham County has released its annual summer program guide highlighting events and activities available in the county this summer.

New programs include visual arts programs for youths and adults, adaptive basket ball, youth volleyball, open play adult soccer and more.

The guide can be picked up from the Parks and Rec o ce at 964 East Street in Pittsboro or online at chathamcountync.gov/ parks-rec

VinFast signs

12 new dealers

Vietnamese EV startup

VinFast, which is building a large facility in Chatham County, has signed up 12 new dealers to sell its vehicles. This brings the company’s total US dealer network up to 18 outlets across seven states.

In addition to Leith VinFast in Raleigh, previously announced, Greensboro gains its own dealership in Triad VinFast.

The company’s other new dealers are scattered across Florida, Texas, New York, Connecticut, Kentucky and Kansas.

NCDOT distributing free bicycle helmets for kids

This spring, NCDOT is set to distribute approximately 12,500 bicycle helmets to organizations across the state, bolstering safety for young cyclists. Launched in 2007, the Bicycle Helmet Initiative focuses on educating children about the importance of helmet usage to prevent severe brain injuries.

“Wearing a helmet signi cantly reduces the risk of head injuries,” said Brennon Fuqua, interim director of NCDOT’s Integrated Mobility Division.

Funded by federal grants and “Share the Road” specialty license plates, the helmets are provided during public safety events by participating community groups and schools. Applications will open next year in January.

In Chatham County, the Pittsboro Kiwanis Club was awarded 100 helmets in small, medium and large to distribute in the community.

Love. Lowriders. Latinos.

For more on lowriders and what they mean to North Carolina’s Latino community, turn to page A10

The annual tour includes ve private gardens plus the N.C. Botanical Garden

By Robert Owens For Chatham News & Record

THE CHAPEL HILL Garden Club is hosting its 14th biennial garden tour this weekend, on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s theme is “Tucked Away Treasures” and will show-

Operation North State is hosting a daylong shing festival on May 2

By Bob Wachs For Chatham News & Record

A DAY on the lake shing for the big ones needs a lot of parts to pull it o — shermen, tackle, shing holes and boats. Especially boats. And that’s where there’s a need for a Chatham County event coming up in early May at Jordan Lake that bene ts wounded and disabled military vets.

Operation North State (ONS) is an entirely volunteer organization dedicated to helping wounded and disabled veterans overcome their challenges and rejoin society — full disclosure, I volunteer with the organization.

On Thursday, May 2, ONS will host a daylong shing festival for 50 vets on Jordan Lake, but only 27 host boats are con rmed so far and they need more.

“We’re behind where we need to be for these folks,” says ONS founder Terry Snyder, a retired Winson-Salem businessman. “We’re getting into the homestretch.”

The day is free to the wounded warriors, with no registration fee for host boaters. Fishing licenses are waived for the day and all needed equipment — life vests, tackle, bait and daylong snacks — are provided by ONS. At the end of the day, a dinner sponsored by area churches and organizations, is held at nearby Mt. Carmel Baptist Church.

The event kicks o at the Farrington Point boat ramp at 6:15 a.m. and runs through the

SoCo Pittsboro won an award for Best Outdoor Space improvement

By Robert Owens For Chatham

News & Record

DOWNTOWN Pittsboro has been reaccredited as a NC Main Street community, one of only 50 other communities across the state to receive the designation. It’s especially signi cant as Pittsboro moved up from the Small-Town Main Street program in 2022 and is competing against larger downtowns. The accreditation examines six Main Street America performance standards for a downtown business district including community commitment to revitalization, inclusive leadership and organizational capacity, diversi ed funding and sustainable program operations, strategy-driven programming, preservation-based economic development, and demonstrated impact and results.

The Pittsboro Main Street program achieved high-level performance across all six metrics. “Achieving accreditation is very rewarding to our community and downtown business owners,” stated Theresa Thompson, Assistant Planning and Downtown Direc-

case ve private gardens, each with its own unique charm and character, as well as the North Carolina Botanical Garden (NCBG).

The tour o ers a diverse range of gardens for exploration.

The Carnahan garden is a certied wildlife habitat, showcasing the beauty of native trees and pollinator plants, and the Conger garden demonstrates how deer-resistant plants can create a lush, verdant space.

The Eberts garden is a zen,

tor for the Town of Pittsboro. “This shows that our downtown program is progressing well relative to Main Street America standards, and our volunteer Board members are working diligently to improve Downtown Pittsboro.”

The Pittsboro Downtown Advisory Board currently has three openings, with applications due by Friday at noon. There are a number of di erent categories eligible including Pittsboro or downtown area restaurant, bar or business owners and managers, local landowners, contractors, architects, landscapers or real estate attorneys. Visit pittsboronc.gov for more or to put in an application.

In addition, SoCo Pittsboro won an Award of Merit for Best Outdoor Space improvement at the 2024 NC Main Street conference last month. The project was recognized for creating a new and popular gathering space for residents and visitors.

Daniel Castañeda, president of the City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville, and his son Daniel stand in front of their 1967 Chevy Impala at the Lowrider Show on Saturday in Pittsboro.

day, rain or shine. ONS was created about 15 years ago when Snyder and some friends were lamenting how little is done for America’s wounded. “As we sat around talking,” he told me. “It was like a light bulb came on and we said why don’t we do something?”

From that came a series of nine shing festivals across the state, a day on a head boat from Morehead City, golf outings and trips to professional ball games in the state.

ONS also provides Christmas packages and other gifts to active duty deployed troops. “We couldn’t do all this without dedicated volunteers,” Snyder says. “There’s no overhead, no salaries, no nothing. About all we spend money on may be a roll of stamps.”

Visit the organization’s Facebook page — search for Operation North State — for more information, and, if you have a boat you can contribute to the e ort, email mailbox@operationnorthstate.com. You can also call Terry Snyder directly at 336-764-5967. “Please help us get this done for these folks,” Snyder pleaded. “Many of whom still struggle with the e ects of what they saw and did in the military.”

CCCC car show supports automotive programs

The show is free, but donations are accepted

By Robert Owens For Chatham News & Record

Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) will host its 7th annual Car and Motorcycle Show on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the school’s Main Campus in Sanford.

The show is the school’s platform to showcase its automotive programs, with free admission and no registration fee. Donations are encouraged with all proceeds supporting CCCC’s automotive restoration and motorcycle mechanics programs. All vehicle makes and models can compete, with awards and door prizes available for registered vehicles. Food trucks will be on hand, with countless opportunities to meet other motorcycle and auto enthusiasts while supporting an essential community program.

Funds raised by the show will help support the CCCC automotive restoration education and motorcycle mechanics programs. The programs provide comprehensive training for aspiring restoration technicians and motorcycle mechanics. The restoration program includes training on metalworking, fabrication, painting, upholstery, electrical systems, engines, woodworking and welding. Students gain useful practical knowledge for a growing and lucrative eld, learning methods and techniques for the restoration of antique and classic cars. The motorcycle mechanics program trains students in the diagnosis, adjustment, inspection and repair techniques of motorcycles and ATVs.

Both diplomas and certicates are o ered, and you can get more information at cccc. edu or by stopping by the car show.

Basics class or have prior basic experience with Word. Held at the Chatham Community Library (197 NC Hwy 87 N in Pittsboro). For more information, email reference@ chathamlibraries.org or call 919-545-8086.

Chatham Chamber of Commerce Development Brie ng

8:30 – 10:30 a.m.

Come meet our new CEO, hear from the experts and learn the latest in development news for Chatham County at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center (1192 US64 BUS, Pittsboro). Network with 200 to 300 attendees from a diverse group of business leaders.

A full breakfast will be provided.

Schedule: 8:30 a.m.

— full breakfast and networking; 9 a.m. — development brie ng begins; 10:30 a.m.

— brie ng ends.

Interested in promoting your business through this event? Reach

JORDAN LAKE , from page A1

COURTESY CCCC

Cars are lined up at a prior year’s CCCC car show.

No charges after investigation into harassment of bear cubs in Asheville

The North Carolina Wildlife Commission said people pulled the animals from a tree

The Associated Press

ASHEVILLE — A video of people pulling two bear cubs from a tree in North Carolina as one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals prompted an investigation, but a state wildlife o cial said Friday that no charges will be led.

When North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission sta responded to a report of people harassing bear cubs at an Asheville apartment complex Tuesday, they were told the two cubs escaped after one bit a person, according to a commission news release. One cub was found later in a retention pond, o cials said.

In the video posted online by the commission, people are not only seen pulling cubs from a tree, but one person poses for a photo. Then, after a loud screech, they drop the cub, who runs for a nearby fence.

It is illegal to capture and keep black bears in North Carolina, but these cubs were immediately released and commission o cers determined no charges should be led, commission spokesperson Anna Gurney said in an email on Friday.

“O cers with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission have investigated this incident, and, while dangerous and unfortunate, it appears to be an isolated event,” Gurney said. O cers and biologists spoke with the people involved about the importance of leaving bear cubs alone, she said.

Ashley Hobbs, the commission’s coordinator for BearWise, a program aimed at helping people “live responsibly with black bears,” captured the cub, who was in poor condition. The cub was taken to a rehabilitation facility with the goal of releasing it back into the wild later this year, the commission said.

“The cub appeared to be lethargic and frightened. It looked to be favoring one of its front paws and was wet and shivering,” Hobbs said in a news release.

Sta searched unsuccessfully for the second cub.

April 15

• Christopher Lee Davis, 29, of Elkview, WV, was arrested for mortgage fraud. He was issued a written promise to appear in Chatham County District Court.

April 17

A bear cub was captured after people pulled two cubs from a tree in Asheville and one person posed for a photo with one of the wild animals, prompting an investigation. No charges will be led.

“Our hope is it was able to reunite with the mother because it would not survive on its own at this young age,” Mountain Operations Supervisor James Tomberlin said.

At this time of year, mother bears are emerging from dens with cubs, who are dependent on their mother to feed and protect them, Game Mammals and Surveys Supervisor Colleen Olfenbuttel said in the release. By the time they are ready to emerge into spring, cubs, under 1 year old, typically weigh around 5 pounds, according to the National Park Service.

“People who try to capture or handle a cub are not only risking the cub’s safety but their own if the mother bear is nearby, as she may try to defend her cubs,” Olfenbuttel said.

One resident told The Asheville Citizen-Times that she was walking around her apartment complex Tuesday afternoon when she saw what was hap -

pening, recorded it and alerted maintenance for the complex. Rachel Staudt said she has seen bears near the complex before but that people usually leave them alone.

“I tried telling them to stop, but they wouldn’t listen so I thought recording it might help get justice for the sweet bear cub,” Staudt said. “I’m not sure how long it went on for, but far too long.”

Hobbs told WLOS-TV that she felt frustrated after watching the video because she often preaches about the need to coexist with animals and to give them the space they need.

“We did follow up with the people who pulled the bear out of the tree,” Hobbs said. “We did confront them on site that day and let them know how irresponsible and potentially deadly it could be for that cub to be separated from its mom, especially ripped out of a tree like that.”

April 18

• Bryant Douglas Jones, 61 of Pittsboro, was arrested for three counts of failure to appear. He was issued a $1,000 secured bond.

• Brent Coleman Matthews, 48, of Durham, was arrested for possession of stolen motor vehicle, possession of stolen firearms, and possession of firearm by a felon. He was held without bond.

• Terrance Maurice Gordon, 31, of Siler City, was arrested for fleeing/eluding arrest with motor vehicle, aggressive driving, speeding, no motorcycle endorsement, reckless driving to endanger, fail to heed light or siren, and expired registration card/tag. He was issued a written promise to appear.

THE CONVERSATION

Neal Robbins, publisher | Frank Hill, senior opinion editor

Communists

The blessing of connection

When I ponder the idea of blessing, I think of the reciprocal aspect of giving and receiving.

THERE WERE MANY celebrations of Earth Day over the weekend, including at the church where I serve as pastor. We held a blessing of animals that was open to the wider community. All sacred occasions should include food, and we offered (per theme) animal cookies, goldfish crackers and cheddar bunnies. As far as the living, breathing animals, a number of cats declined the invitation to the blessing, their responses ranging from mild annoyance to outright hostility. But we had a pack of tongue-hanging, tail-wagging dogs, all happy to be there: Maggie, Millie, Augie, Georgia Bell, Oatmeal, to name a few. We did not have any chickens or ducklings, which proved happily fortuitous because there was a rambunctious dog named Rooster.

Anne Lamott claims that in substance abuse recovery programs, healing is not only sobriety but connection — connection to a higher power and also to community. Disease and dis-ease both isolate. The blessing of healing entails wholeness and community. While the environmental crises are enormous, I believe that a higher power is in us and the world, working through all things to restore peace, harmony and wholeness.

Like the theory of quantum entanglement, in which the tiniest building blocks of life are connected across vast space, we effect change far beyond ourselves. You might call this the blessing of connection.

When I ponder the idea of blessing, I think of the reciprocal

EDITORIAL | BOB WACHS

Comforting that life’s signposts reappear in each generation

Let the little people be little people. Give them the basics and then don’t fuss at them.

ALL ALONG LIFE’S journey are signposts and mileposts that mark important points on that journey. While some are unique to an individual, many others are ones we have in common with most every other person in the world… or at least those in our immediate world.

Among them are the beginning of school, graduation, college or the military or a job, marriage, a promotion, the birth of children, retirement to name a few. We’ve all had some of them. Included for me was my four-year college career crammed into seven years, a couple of children along the way and a good long time still with my better half. I missed out on Uncle Sam and got only a promotion or two before changing careers. But of all the events that tell me about mileposts, I suppose my clearest one is the presence of the young folks who are part of the next generation of my family and who make me a grandfather. There are eight of them, ranging from 18 years to almost two years old — two guys on the youngest side and another on the other — and then five little princesses in between. I’m not going to show you any pictures because if you’ve got some grands of your own then I’m pretty sure you think yours are the greatest, although you would, of course, be mistaken.

There are lots of reasons this is all a milestone for me, especially as I interact with them at their different ages. The oldest one is a teenager who’s good company; I enjoy messing with him and he’s a lot of help with chores my parents — Mother Nature and Father Time — make it hard for me to do. His youngest counterpart on the other end has learned not only to stand alone but to move rapidly through the house and yard, just as his slightly older brother did when he was the caboose. And for the moment, he likes to sit in my lap for up to three seconds as he hangs onto my finger and stares right through me with those big beautiful eyes as I wonder what he’s thinking.

The stairstep crew in the middle, the gaggle of girls, are all unique but still, so far, mostly think I hung the moon and I intend to ride that train as long as it will leave the station. We once watched Paw Patrol and Masha and the Bear and read stories. Now we still have stories but they usually read them to me. A lot of what we do now is softball — they play and their grandmother and I drive all over Chatham County to take in as many of their games as the calendar and our pooped bodies will allow. They still ride bikes and eat ice cream and act silly but as I watch them – and try to be with them when I’m with them — I’ve noticed something about them and me and life in general.

And that is that some signposts and mileposts are timeless and each generation takes them up. I’m speaking here of softball and T-ball and of how all the little ladies and next to the youngest boy are on overdrive in those pursuits. They’re on four different age-

aspect of giving and receiving. To be blessed is less about reward or gain as much as an awareness of forces beyond our ken. Dogs understand the blessing by tail-wagging. I wonder if our lack of enthused receptivity to the beauty around us is why we lost our tails. Watching the chaotic scene of dogs in the church parking lot, I recalled the lines from Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai about “the precision of pain and the blurriness of joy.” What hurts is specific; suffering is personal. I know of friends, including parishioners, who have recently lost their beloved pets. But they told me that they still experienced joy at the blessing of animals. Joy is “blurry” in that it opens us to something vast that might not come into focus. But we feel it, and joy connects us to others. That is also part of the blessing.

My son blessed a snail, whom he christened Bob. He and his brother also blessed several lizards, but only from afar — not even the lizard-loving youngsters were quick enough to catch them. When my boys grew frustrated by this futile pursuit, I led them to the snack table, where we found it much easier to grab hold of an animal cookie. We blessed the food and ate together.

Andrew Taylor-Troutman is pastor of Chapel in the Pines Presbyterian Church as well as a writer, pizza maker, coffee drinker and student of joy.

appropriate teams in different communities, which can make scheduling a bit of an issue. other. A while back, two of them played against each other and I still remember one asking me about her cousin, “Do you think they’ll let us talk to each other after the game?”

After that game, as they ate their hot dogs — another signpost: hot dogs at ball games — and frolicked on the playground, I think they figured it out.

Now as I have more candles on my birthday cake, it does me good to see these mileposts still alive and well. While I didn’t make the Little League Hall of Fame — it was a much cruder version when dinosaurs roamed the earth — my hope today is that some parents and, heaven forbid, grandparents, will tone down some of the fussing and let the little folks enjoy life. Like the behavior I experienced when, as a young father, my offspring were playing.

On one of those days, I was in the field with some young players while the other team was at bat. A little fellow whose full name I won’t disclose — because he and his family are still around and he’s a fine young man today with a responsible position and I don’t wish to embarrass him — did something that was timeless, something I see happen at most every game, at least with the really littlest folks.

As he went to his position somewhere around where the second base dirt met the outfield grass, he took off his glove, sat down and began to play in the dirt. Through some miracle of physics, an equally little person hit a ball near me and my player. He looked up from doodling in the sand, watched the ball stop about a foot away and then went back to his play.

“Adam,” I said. “Whut?” without looking up.

“Don’t you want to get the ball?”

“No.” And that was the end of that.

Soon, a convoy of his teammates came rushing over, half of them falling down in a mad dash to get the ball and not knowing what to do with it afterwards, sort of like we see today with the littlest ones. But when the game was over, they all said they had fun and made off to the concession stand. Same as today.

Let the little people be little people. Give them the basics and then don’t fuss at them. No college athletic scholarships are going to be given out this summer. And say “thank you” to the men and women who help these little folks put up mileposts of their own.

Mark those signposts well. Someday they’ll be priceless.

Bob Wachs is a native of Chatham County and emeritus editor at Chatham News & Record. He serves as pastor of Bear Creek Baptist Church.

COLUMN | ANDREW TAYLOR-TROUTMAN

Wrigley, stop! Wrigley, no!

Put together beautiful spring weather, an absolutely overthe-top golden retriever puppy, and golfers smitten by this neighborhood moment, and what do you get?

OUT WALKING in this beautiful spring weather and ran into some neighbors I’d not seen in what felt like forever. They had a beautiful, bouncing up-and-down (and new to me) golden retriever puppy with them in their yard. The aforementioned Wrigley. Wrigley spots me in the street and, despite his owners’ commands, heads right for me. This is not a dog who will be stopped! He sits down, head tilted up, ardently looking me in the eyes. (Let’s face it, I’m totally charmed, even if it is the middle of the street.) The commands keep coming, but apparently only I hear them. Wrigley then lays down completely, belly up, on the street in front of me — all 70plus pounds of “I adore you, Jan.” Did I say I was charmed? Wrigley!!!! Right at this juncture, a large SUV pulls up, coming to a dead stop. These are clearly golfers heading to the local nine-hole course, on old farmland, adjacent to our long-established neighborhood. Players coming to the golf course often forget they are speeding through a residential neighborhood. (Tee time! Tee

| DENNIS PRAGER

Communists everyone

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

THE COMMUNIST Party of the Soviet Union — like most communist parties — came to power as the great defender of workers.

In reality, the Soviet Communist Party didn’t give a hoot about Russian workers. The party was nothing more than a totalitarian organization that used workers to gain power — and then suppressed the proletariat, just as it suppressed every other group. One of the rst things the Communist Party did after attaining power was disband independent labor unions and prohibit workers’ strikes. Yes, the “workers’ party” banned strikes.

The one major exception was the Chinese Communist Party, which came to power as the great defender of peasants. And the CCP slaughtered about 60 million of them.

This has been the modus operandi of every left-wing group everywhere: Claim concern for some group, and use that group to fool people — speci cally, naive liberals, who share few values with the Left but have frequently served as useful idiots for the Left. Liberals do so to this day.

Teachers unions are nothing more than left-wing groups that use alleged concern for students to attain and retain power. The reality, however, is while they care about teachers, they harm students far more than they help them.

One example is teachers unions’ opposition to school choice. Those who actually care about students support the right of parents to choose their children’s schools — just as many teachers do when they send their own children to schools of their choice.

A second example is teachers unions’ making it nearly impossible to re incompetent teachers.

A third example was teachers unions’ demands that schools lock down for nearly two years during the COVID-19 era. The unions did so despite there being no scienti c evidence in support of school lockdowns and despite ample warnings that many children would su er intellectually, scholastically, emotionally and psychologically.

The last point brings us to a fourth example: Teachers rob young students of their sexual innocence with premature talk of, and books that deal with, overt sexual activity, and the infamous use of drag queens to perform in front of children as young as 6 years old.

Just how left-wing teachers organizations are was made clear by the sympathetic left-wing magazine The Nation in January:

“A rank-and- le campaign inside the National Education Association is demanding the president stop ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’ ... But the rank-and- le campaign goes beyond (that). ... Members want the NEA (National Education Association) to revoke its endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential race until the president ... stops ‘sending military funding, equipment, and intelligence to Israel.’”

That was only two months after Oct. 7.

Most civil rights organizations are also

On your mark…

CHATHAM COUNTY has a great community of active residents who love to run and walk for exercise. However, due to the lack of proper facilities, some residents are forced to run on high-tra c roads, or bumpy trails that seem ready to twist your ankle at any moment. An athletics track at or near Briar Chapel Park would o er a safer, more accessible, and higher quality running area for residents. An athletics track will promote a healthy and physically active lifestyle for residents young and old. Its padded surface would help reduce injuries that would be much worse on rougher

time!) Trust me, words and indelicate gestures between speeding golfers and neighborhood walkers are not infrequent. Returning to our supine Wrigley in the middle of the street, his owner running to him, the stopped and impatient golfers in the SUV, and, oh yes, me standing there wondering what’s going to happen next, but loving it all! Wrigley’s owner entices him back into his yard. The golfers are now laughing at the neighborhood antics, wildly waving goodbye, mainly to Wrigley, for a good show. Me? I’m having a ball!

Put together beautiful spring weather, an absolutely over-the-top golden retriever puppy, and golfers smitten by this neighborhood moment, and what do you get? A bit of magic for everybody. Here’s to consciously celebrating the many small magical moments in our lives (although I don’t think Wrigley is up for hire.)

Jan Hutton, a resident of Chatham County and retired hospice social worker, lives life with heart and humor.

essentially left-wing groups. They use alleged concern for blacks to attain and retain power, but they harm blacks considerably more than they help them.

A glaring example is the near-universal opposition of civil rights groups to school choice despite the fact that black Americans overwhelmingly support it. According to a 2023 RealClear Opinion Research poll, 73% of blacks support school choice — two points more than whites. They do so because large majorities of black students in public schools perform far below grade-level standards.

The reason the largest civil rights organization, the NAACP, opposes school choice has nothing to do with concern for blacks. It is that the left-wing position — again, the NAACP is a left-wing organization — on school choice is dictated by teachers unions.

Feminist organizations are additional examples of essentially left-wing organizations. The group they use to attain and retain power is women. Just as other left-wing interest groups, they harm the group on whose behalf they allegedly ght — in this case, women — far more than they help them.

The most obvious example is the support of major feminist organizations for men who say they are women participating in women’s sports.

From the website of the National Women’s Law Center:

“The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) unequivocally supports the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports. And if you call yourself a feminist, you should too.”

From the website of The Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF):

“The Women’s Sports Foundation supports the right of all athletes, including transgender athletes, to participate in athletic competition.”

In 2022, the WSF wrote a letter to the NCAA protesting any diminution of the right of biological males who say they are females to participate in women’s athletics. The letter was cosigned, as expected, by LGBTQIA+ organizations but also by two major feminist organizations in addition to the Women’s Sports Federation: the National Organization for Women and the National Women’s Political Caucus.

Damaging women has been the primary legacy of organized feminism for the last halfcentury. That there are more depressed women, especially young women, today than at any other time in modern American history is directly attributable to left-wing in uence generally (no religion, no country, no future) and to feminist doctrines speci cally: Career is more important than marriage and family, and women can do just ne without a man to love and be loved by.

Perhaps the ultimate example of left-wing contempt for the groups they claim to represent is “Queers for Palestine.” Palestinian queers have no rights; they face persecution and even death if they expose themselves to their society. Israeli queers are by far the safest, happiest and freest in the Middle East. But hating Israel is the leftwing position. At any cost.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist.

surfaces, making it the perfect place for people who love running but are worried about hurting themselves. A track would also tremendously bene t the track and eld programs at nearby schools that do not have such facilities.

Pollard Middle and Woods Charter School are just two of the schools that would put the track to good use.

One student, Ben Valentine, expressed his frustration with shin splints from practicing on hard, uneven surfaces. He believes a track would alleviate these issues and improve his performance. “If we had a track, I wouldn’t have shin splints,” he stated. Another student, Idris

POLITICS WAS TO BLAME , in the form of racism and sexism. His lawyers put the LAPD on trial for racism, even though Simpson himself was not a victim of the police department’s racism. That was Rodney King, who was brutally beaten by LAPD o cers who were acquitted by a white jury in Simi Valley. Simpson was a member of the special class of celebrities that in Los Angeles transcended race, and it was ironic that he of all people exploited the injuries of real racism. And of the sexism that applied a double standard when it came to domestic violence, still treating it as if it is not real violence, as if it were something that beloved celebrities were not capable of.

What was perhaps most stunning about the Simpson trial was the depth of the racial divide in the reaction to it. There were two di erent realities. Pictures captured the reactions of whites and Blacks, and they could not have been more di erent. How could what was so obviously wrong to whites be a cause for celebration for Blacks? Did we see the world so di erently? We did.

It would be nice to assume that everything has changed since then. Has it?

Certainly, there have been changes in our outlook on domestic violence. New laws have been passed. Police department policies have changed. Federal funding of domestic violence initiatives, now on the chopping block according to advocates, grew, the Violence Against Women Act was passed, and state and local departments trained o cers and prosecutors to deal with domestic violence. But women continue to be murdered by their intimate partners — between a third and a half of women homicide victims are killed by ex-partners, a percentage that has remained constant for the past three decades even as the number of homicides has dropped from 23,000 in 1994 to 18,000 in 2023.

And the progress that has been made is in jeopardy. California is facing a 43% cut in funding for domestic violence programs. “It’s about to fall apart. All that we built since O.J. can go away,” says Patti Giggans, executive director of Peace over Violence, previously the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women.

Shelters are overcrowded. Domestic violence is one of the leading causes of homelessness: According to a study last summer by the Urban Institute, almost half of all unhoused women in Los Angeles have experienced domestic violence, and roughly 25% left their last residence because of it. Most domestic violence cases are still prosecuted as misdemeanors, if they are prosecuted at all.

Meanwhile, race and racism continue to infect the criminal justice system, where Black men crowd prisons and unanswered questions shape attitudes of why that is so. Do Blacks commit disproportionate numbers of violent crimes, or does the system disproportionately target them? Or both?

We give lip service to prohibitions on racial pro ling, but it is a reality of policing, even as forces have themselves become more diverse. And when we see white o cers who have targeted Black men, we remain divided about what we see and how we react. A system that is racist, or is perceived by parts of the community to be so, is ripe for jury nulli cation — refusing to convict even when the facts establish guilt.

Abdullah, attributed his knee issues to the lack of proper running facilities. He wanted to join the track team, but didn’t want to have to worry about getting injured the whole time. This track would greatly bene t the community in Chatham County. To make sure that everyone gets a chance to use the track, practice and meet times can be designated for schools, while the general public will be able to use it at all other times. Even though the track might have a high upfront cost that is taken from the parks and recreation budget for the county, it will be of great help to people in the area and will de nitely be worth it in the long run.

Holton Mody is a sophomore at Woods Charter School.

In Chatham County Schools, there was a survey in 2017 that recorded 34% of those students feeling “hopeless” almost every day, and 11% of those students attempted to end their lives. As residents of Chatham County, we need to understand the value of students’ mental health and possible risk factors if we do not act to create a healthier and stronger environment to learn in.

Mental health has a massive impact on the vast majority of people’s lives and can in uence students at a very young age. After the COVID-19 pandemic, it became harder for students to adjust from online learning to in-person learning. Schools have only become a more stressful and unsafe place for students as there is more and more pressure for them to succeed academically or athletically. If more counselors were accessible at schools, it would allow students to open up to a trusted adult about their mental health, which would allow students to feel supported in our district’s schools. Together, we can strive to reshape our district by gaining the support of our local decision-makers in Chatham County, North Carolina, and partnering with local support groups to employ more counseling at our schools.

COLUMN

Grady Ray Coble

Dec. 18, 1942 –April 13, 2024

Grady Ray Coble of Bear Creek went home to be with Jesus on Saturday, April 13, 2024. He died peacefully at his home surrounded by his family. He was 81 yrs. of age.

Ray was born December 18, 1942, in Randolph County, to Denson Coble and Myrtle Brown Coble. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 55 yrs. Genie Russell Coble and one sister, Clara Mae Hammer.

He is survived by his daughter, Annette Willett and her husband, Ryan of Bear Creek, his son, Steven Coble of Bear Creek and his grandchildren, Hayden, Carter, Aaron, Nicholas and Emory; Two sisters, Betty Lou Jones of Bennett, Mildred Tally (Larry) of Bennett and one brother, David Coble (Sandra) of Bennett and many nieces and nephews.

Ray was a lifelong member of Pleasant Grove Christian Church and served in the National Guard. He, along with his wife and son, owned and operated Coble Furniture Manufacturing for 30 years. Ray truly loved his family and his life. His children and grandchildren were his pride and joy, the glitter in his smile. He was always quick with a joke, always wore a smile and thoroughly enjoyed making others happy. He was quite the prankster and loved to laugh. He never owned up to being the one guilty of letting the air out of Genie’s tires at work when he was trying to court her. He was always there to rescue her with a pump in hand to x the tire, and eventually he won her heart. He was quite the wheeler and dealer. He used to laugh and tell how he bought and sold the same bull three times in one month and made a pro t with every turn of the bull. He never met a stranger. He will be so missed by those he has left behind, but there is comfort and peace in knowing he is now with Jesus, his wife and his family that have gone before him. Graveside service will be held Thursday, April 18, 2024, at 2pm, at Pleasant Grove Christian Church in Bennett. Services will be o ciated by Reverend Don Edwards and Reverend Darrell Williams. Visitation will be from 12-2pm on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at the church. Ray will lie in repose at Smith and Buckner Funeral Home Wednesday, April 17, 2024, from 1 to 5pm. The family will also be receiving visitors at the home of Ray’s daughter,

IN MEMORY

ELVA LOU GARNER MANESS

Aug. 2, 1944 – April 18, 2024

Elva Lou Garner Maness, 79, of Bennett, passed away on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at FirstHealth Hospice surrounded by her loving family. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am-12:00 pm on Monday, April 22, 2024, at Beulah Baptist Church. The graveside service will follow in the church cemetery with Dr. Neal Jackson presiding. The viewing room at Joyce-Brady Chapel will be open from 1:00 pm-5:00 pm on Sunday, April 21, 2024, for friends to sign the register. Elva Lou was born in Randolph County on August 2, 1944, to Elvin Pete Garner and Madar Brady Garner. She was a member of Beulah Baptist Church and self-employed as a beautician. She was known for her chicken and dumplings and enjoyed cooking for her family. Elva Lou enjoyed working in the church nursery, sports, and the beach. She especially adored her grandchildren. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Earl Maness and her brother, Don Garner.

She is survived by her sons, Greg Maness and wife, Tammy, of Eagle Springs and Chris Maness and wife, Karla, of Bennett; grandchildren, Corey Maness, Travis Maness, Alli Maness, Hunter Maness and wife, Pia, Cassi Maness, and Logan Maness; 2 greatgrandchildren and a host of family and friends.

IHRIE HILL POWELL

AUG. 13, 1943 – Nov. 15, 2023

Irhie Hill Powell, 80, died on November 15, 2023. The son of Woodson Lea Powell III and Evelyn O’Brien Powell and is survived by his brother The Rev. Woodson Lea Powell IV and sister Anne Hunter Powell Ward (Bennie). He attended Pittsboro High, Thomasville High and North Carolina State University. He spent most of his adult life in Raleigh, NC and enjoyed working on cars. A graveside service will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

Terry Anderson, reporter held captive for years, dead at 76

Chief Middle East correspondent for the AP, Anderson was kidnapped by Hezbollah in Lebanon

By Andrew Meldrum and Christopher Weber The Associated Press

NEW YORK — Terry Anderson, the globe-trotting Associated Press correspondent who became one of America’s longest-held hostages after he was snatched from a street in war-torn Lebanon in 1985 and held for nearly seven years, has died at 76 of complications from recent heart surgery, his daughter Sulome Anderson said.

“Terry was deeply committed to on-the-ground eyewitness reporting and demonstrated great bravery and resolve, both in his journalism and during his years held hostage. We are so appreciative of the sacri ces he and his family made as the result of his work,” said Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the AP.

“He never liked to be called a hero, but that’s what everyone persisted in calling him,” said Sulome Anderson. “I saw him a week ago and my partner asked him if he had anything on his bucket list, anything that he wanted to do. He said, ‘I’ve lived so much and I’ve done so much. I’m content.’”

In 1985, Anderson became

one of several Westerners abducted by members of the Shiite Muslim group Hezbollah during a time of war that had plunged Lebanon into chaos.

After his release, he returned to a hero’s welcome at AP’s New York headquarters.

On March 16, 1985, a day o , he had taken a break to play tennis with former AP photographer Don Mell and was dropping Mell o at his home when gun-toting kidnappers dragged him from his car.

He was likely targeted, he said, because he was one of the few Westerners still in Lebanon and because his role as a journalist aroused suspicion among members of Hezbollah.

“Because in their terms,

people who go around asking questions in awkward and dangerous places have to be spies,“ he told the Virginia newspaper The Review of Orange County in 2018. What followed was nearly seven years of brutality during which he was beaten, chained to a wall, threatened with death, often had guns held to his head and was kept in solitary con nement for long periods of time.

Anderson was the longest held of several Western hostages Hezbollah abducted over the years, including Terry Waite, the former envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had arrived to try to negotiate Anderson’s release.

By Anderson’s and other hostages’ accounts, he was also their most hostile prisoner, constantly demanding better food and treatment, arguing religion and politics with his captors, and teaching other hostages sign language and where to hide messages so they could communicate privately.

At the time of his abduction, Anderson was engaged to be married and his future wife was six months pregnant with their daughter, Sulome, from whom he was estranged for years.

Father and daughter reconciled after the publication of her critically acclaimed 2017 book, “The Hostage’s Daughter,” in which she told of traveling to Lebanon to confront and eventually forgive one of her father’s kidnappers.

Terry Alan Anderson was born Oct. 27, 1947. He spent his early childhood years in the small Lake Erie town of Vermilion, Ohio. He turned down a scholarship to the University of Michigan in favor of enlisting in the Marines, where he rose to the rank of sta sergeant while seeing combat during the Vietnam War.

After returning home, he enrolled at Iowa State University where he graduated with a double major in journalism and political science and soon after went to work for the AP. He reported from Kentucky, Japan and South Africa before arriving in Lebanon in 1982, just as the country was descending into chaos.

ED BAILEY / AP PHOTO

Former hostage Terry Anderson, center, carries his daughter Sulome, 6, through a crowd upon arrival in New York in December 1991. Anderson died Sunday at age 76.

Columbia cancels in-person classes amid Israeli War protests

Demonstrations have been sprouting up at college campuses across the U.S.

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By Nick Perry and Dave Collins The Associated Press

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY canceled in-person classes Monday and new demonstrations broke out on other U.S. college campuses as tensions continue to grow over Israel’s war in Gaza. Protesters rallied throughout the weekend at the Ivy League school’s New York City campus, where police last week arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had set up an encampment. Since those arrests, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have set up encampments on other campuses around the country, including at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, where several dozen protesters were arrested Monday morning after o cials said they de ed warnings to leave.

The developments came hours before the Monday evening start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Columbia President Minouche Sha k said in a message to the school community Monday that she was “deeply saddened” by what was happening on campus. “To deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps, I am announcing that all classes will be held virtually on Monday,” Sha k wrote. She said faculty and sta should work remotely, when possible, and that students who don’t live on campus should stay away.

Protests have roiled many college campuses since Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, when militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. In response, Israel has targeted Hamas during the sixmonth war, with Israel claiming more than 10,000 Hamas militants have been killed while the local health ministry claims more than 34,000 have died, not distinguishing between combatants and noncombatants. The demonstrations on U.S. campuses have tested the line between free speech and inclusivity. They’ve also stoked friction, with some Muslim students and their allies calling for schools to condemn the Israeli assault on Gaza and some Jewish students saying they no longer feel supported or safe on

NC

campus, with antisemitic sentiment running high.

Prahlad Iyengar, an MIT graduate student studying electrical engineering, was among about two dozen students who set up an encampment of more than a dozen tents on campus Sunday evening to call for a cease re and to protest what they describe as MIT’s “complicity in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.”

“MIT has not even called for a cease re, and that’s a demand we have for sure,” he said.

Iyengar also said the Cambridge, Massachusetts, school has been sending out confusing rules about protests.

“We’re out here to demonstrate that we reserve the right to protest. It’s an essential part of living on a college campus,” he said, adding that they have received support from both graduate and undergraduate students.

On Sunday, Elie Buechler, a rabbi for the Orthodox Union’s Jewish Learning Initiative at Columbia, sent a WhatsApp message to nearly 300 Jewish students recommending they go home until it’s safer for them on campus.

Nicholas Baum, a 19-yearold Jewish freshman who lives in a Jewish theological seminary building two blocks from Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus, said protesters over the weekend were “calling for Hamas to blow away Tel Aviv and Israel.” He said some of the protesters shouting antisemitic slurs were not students.

“Jews are scared at Columbia. It’s as simple as that. There’s been so much vili cation of Zionism, and it has spilled over into the vili cation of Judaism,” he said.

The protest encampment sprung up at Columbia last Wednesday, the same day Sha k faced bruising criticism at a congressional hearing from Republicans who said she hadn’t done enough to ght antisemitism. Two other Ivy League presidents resigned months ago following widely criticized testimony they gave to the same committee.

In her statement Monday, Sha k said the Middle East conict is terrible and that she understands that many are experiencing deep moral distress.

“But we cannot have one group dictate terms and attempt to disrupt important milestones like graduation to advance their point of view,” Sha k wrote.

Over the coming days, a working group of deans, school administrators and faculty will try to nd a resolution to the university crisis, noted Sha k, who didn’t say when in-person classes would resume.

Pro-Israel demonstrators chant “Shame” in support of Columbia University assistant professor Shai Davidai. STEFAN JEREMIAH / AP PHOTO

GARDEN, from page A1

o ering a tranquil space for contemplation, while the Loovis Garden’s forested preserve features a series of garden rooms that invite visitors to immerse themselves in the soothing quality of the forest.

Finally, the Yost’s vibrant hillside home is a testament to the joy of gardening in sunny spaces. In addition to these ve private gardens, the NCBG’s Wonder Garden will be open for children to engage in hands-on activities, while the habitat gardens display native spring blooms from various regions of the North State. “I moved to Chapel Hill in 2016 from the Northeast. I had many gardens in

aspects of the club, emphasizing how it brings together members, sponsors, town employees, and, of course, gardeners who have spent years creating their “tucked away treasures.” For more on the tour, including maps, directions, and a preview of the gardens, visit the Chapel Hill Garden Club’s website at chapelhillgardenclub.net or email chgc1931@ gmail.com with questions.

Tickets purchased online are $30, while tickets on bought on site are $40. Gardeners under 16 are free when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

Proceeds from the tour will be used to support the NC Botanical Garden’s Children’s Garden, other NCBG programs and the Chapel Hill Garden Club’s service projects.

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By Ena Sellers Chatham News & Record

PITTSBORO — Crowds dropped in on Saturday for the Lowrider Show at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center. The event, now in its fourth year, is the brainchild of Manuel Araiza, who along with his brothers Francisco, and Jose, and their dad, also Francisco, bring it to life to highlight the Latino culture. The event attracts lowriders — a moniker that applies to both the cars and their owners — from Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia and all parts of North Carolina to share the love for these meticulously customized vehicles.

City Knights Lowriders Car Club in Fayetteville was one of the clubs that came to support the event. Daniel Castañeda, president of the club, is a Special Forces veteran and says the

club was started to help unite Latinos in the military serving in and around Fort Bragg. Through that, he met Manuel and comes to Chatham County to support him every year.

“The common denominator for us was the love for the lowrider car, which is embedded in our culture, for the Latinos, the Chicanos,” said Castañeda in an interview. “You know, we started building low riders as a resemblance of our culture here in North Carolina. … Regardless of background, race or creed, this event unites us by the love for the lowrider car.”

Castañeda’s pride and joy is a true classic: the ‘67 Impala. “When you look at this car, you see a 1967 Chevy Impala Super Sport, but it is much more than that, you see La Raza in this car. You see my Mexican culture in this car,” he said.

Lowriders come in many varieties, from iconic 1960s Impalas with hydraulics, to older clas-

sics from the 40s and 50s called Bombitas. Newer rides are welcomed too, of course.

“It doesn’t really depend so much on the type, but the style and how you present the vehicle that matters the most,” Castañeda told Chatham News & Record. “That you pour your love, and you can represent yourself, represent your family, represent your club, represent your background through your vehicle.”

He emphasized the importance of shedding old stereotypes and focusing on building a larger community.

“This culture is about respect. It’s about love for the community. We’ve had such a bad stigma or reputation for the lowrider being associated with gangbangers and thugs, and at some point, that might have been the truth,” he admitted. “But today, when we look at cars like this, we see pride. We see love. We see culture and that’s what we share. We spread it out across the community. Everyone we encounter, we respect, and we pour our love into it to show them that we are men of honor.”

“We are lowriders.”

Various lowriders were on display at the Lowrider Show at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center on Saturday in Pittsboro.

CHATHAM SPORTS

Chatham Central softball, Seaforth baseball get big conference wins, remain atop conference standings

The Bears and Hawks are looking to stay strong near the regular season’s end

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THREE CHATHAM County baseball and softball teams played in important games for Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference positioning last week. Here’s a quick look at the action as the teams battled to claim or maintain the top conference spot:

Jordan-Matthews 4, Chatham Central 1 (Softball)

After Jordan-Matthews’ softball team snatched the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference’s top spot from Chatham Central on April 16, the Bears reclaimed the throne the very next night, beating the Jets, 4-1, in the rematch. Riddled with plenty of youts and pop ups, the game was decided in the bottom of the rst inning. With two outs and bases loaded, Chatham Central sophomore Sallie Oldham tripled a deep shot to left eld, sending in

the Bears’ rst three runs. Trying to get the ball back to the in eld, the Jets made a throwing error, sending Oldham home for the fourth run.

“I knew (Jordan-Matthews pitcher Marcy Clark) was down 3-1, so I was like, ‘she’s going to throw me a ball,’’’ Oldham said. “Bases were loaded, so I knew she wasn’t going to walk me and walk a run in. So, I was like, ‘I got this.

I’m going to (bring) my teammates in,’ and I did just that.”

From that point, score remained 4-0 for multiple innings. Chatham Central pitcher Maddie Kaczmarczyk didn’t throw many strikeouts, but she gave batters strikes to hit so that her teammates could make plays in the eld.

Junior Emma Burke made many of those plays from third base and hustled for any out she could to stop any Jordan-Matthews’ momentum, including a clean scoop and throw to rst base to end the top of the third inning and a popup catch to end the top of the fth right after the Jets scored their only run. Shortstop Katherine Gaines and catcher Carleigh Warf also contributed

to the Bears’ dominant defensive performance.

“The girls in the eld did their job (and) made sure to back up their pitcher and keep her in check, which allowed her to keep smiling and not get down on herself or anyone else,” Chatham Central head coach John Warf said.

Seaforth 5, North Moore 1 (Baseball)

Trying to hold on to rst place in the Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference, Seaforth completed the season sweep over North Moore Saturday, 5-1.

In another low-scoring a air with the Mustangs, the Hawks’ defense, from the pitchers to the out elders, stepped up. They set the tone early in the opening inning as freshman second baseman Anthony Landano turned an out at second base into a double play after throwing down to catcher Colin Dorney for the tag at home.

“That’s the staple of our program,” Seaforth head coach

Seaforth beats Woods Charter for rst time in girls’ soccer, 4-0

The Hawks took down a county foe in dominating fashion

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News &

Record

IN A CHATHAM County girls’ soccer showdown between Seaforth and Woods Charter, the Hawks made a statement while also making history.

Seaforth, ranked No. 5 in the 2A East RPI standings at the time of play, beat Woods Charter, the No. 1 team in the 1A East RPI standings, 4-0, on April 16 at home. That was the rst time Seaforth won a game against Woods Charter in program history, losing to the Wolves, 3-2, in 2022 and having the opposite in 2024 with a 4-0 loss. “Last year we were actually a very good team,” head coach Giovanni Viana said. “We were

just young. We started eight freshman last year, and we saw how physical the game was. We just couldn’t match Woods Charter physically. This year we knew we would be able to match physically but more so technically.”

Coming into this year’s game, Viana wanted his team to combat the Wolves’ physical play with speed and movement.

“I told my players to two touch soccer as much as possible,” Viana said. “They’re a big team, so we make those big bodies run by moving the ball quickly, making them turn from side to side.”

To start the game, both teams defended each other well, keeping play at or near mid eld for most of the rst half. Seaforth did a good job running back and limiting Woods Charter’s

Northwood hires

alum Dalton Brown as head football coach

Brown, a former college o ensive lineman, graduated from Northwood in 2011

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

WALKING THROUGH Northwood 13 years after graduating, former multi-sport athlete Dalton Brown noticed the walls didn’t change much over the years. Those walls have never stopped guiding kids from being freshmen to seniors in high school, but for the Northwood community, it wishes it could say the same for another mark-

er of its identity — the Chargers’ head football coach. The title has gotten a new paint job each of the last four years with Brown being the newest coat for the upcoming 2024 season. Northwood announced on April 16 that Brown will replace Mitch Johnson, who left in late March for the head coach position at South Brunswick High School in Southport, North Carolina. This is Brown’s rst head coaching job. Brown graduated from Northwood in 2011, and he played football, basketball and baseball for the Chargers. Af-

GENE GALIN

Seaforth junior Caitlyn Erman (2) races to the ball during the Hawks’ 4-0 win over Woods Charter. Erman had a goal and an assist in the victory.

PJ WARD-BROWN/NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Seaforth’s Anthony Landano tags out North Moore’s Dalton Massey on a stolen base attempt. Seaforth won 5-1 to maintain its lead in the conference.

Three Seaforth athletes sign to play college sports

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

THREE SEAFORTH student-athletes signed to play their respective sports at the collegiate level Friday.

Payne Swenson from Seaforth’s boys’ lacrosse team signed to Greensboro College, Hannah Ajayi from the girls’ basketball team signed to Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Massachusetts and Sam Tucker from the girls’ soccer team signed to Newberry College in Newberry, South Carolina.

Swenson will stay in the state of North Carolina after playing lacrosse with Seaforth since the program’s inaugural season in 2022. As of Sunday, Swenson, an attack, has accumulated 88 goals and averaged 1.7 goals per game in his career at Seaforth. This season, Swenson has scored the thirdmost goals on the team (30 goals), and he has scored four goals in two games this season — once against Eastern Alamance on March 20 and again against Southern Alamance on April 16.

Ajayi will head north after three seasons with the Hawks. In those three years, she averaged 8.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, playing the role of a versatile wing that can defend and shoot. This past winter, Ajayi joined sophomore Katie Leonard in leading the team with a three-point eld goal percentage of 39%, and Ajayi was second on the team in eld goal percentage, shooting at a 47% clip. Her best game in the 2023-24 season came against Jordan-Matthews on Jan. 12 in which she scored 17 points while shooting 89% from the oor. Against Northwood in the most recent 2A state playo s, Ajayi made all ve of her shot attempts for 12 points.

Tucker, a fullback, has played in 35 games for Seaforth as of Sunday, recording a total of 89 steals in that time. She produced 67 steals in 2023. Tucker recorded a season-high ve steals in a 1-1 tie with East Chapel Hill on April 10, and she has tallied at least ve steals in six career games with Seaforth.

Drake Powell scores 13 points in Jordan Brand Classic

Former Northwood star Drake Powell, known for his defensive prowess, put his o ensive skills front and center in the Jordan Brand Classic Sunday. The future Tar Heel made six of his seven shot attempts for 13 points, and he grabbed three rebounds for Team Flight. Team Flight beat Team Air, 119-113. Powell got his buckets in numerous ways, nding cutting lanes for wide-open dunks, running the oor for a transition layup, creating his own shot on a turn-around jumper and showing the ability to hit a catch-and-shoot three.

SOCCER from page B1

scoring opportunities, but the Wolves’ on-ball pressure and defensive rotations on the other end made it hard for the Hawks to get much going.

But as Seaforth continued to pass the ball around and move Woods Charter’s defenders, opportunities at the goal began to open up later in the rst half. Junior Caitlin Erman got behind the Wolves and scored at the 24 minute mark, but she was o sides and the goal was called back. Although it wasn’t the result Seaforth wanted, it was a sign of more to come.

The Hawks controlled most of the possession in the nal minutes of the rst half, and at the 11:38 mark, sophomore Sydney Nezos put in a shot from way beyond the penalty arc to give Seaforth a 1-0 lead.

“I just wanted to get the rst one on there,” Nezos said. “I really just (thought) getting one would help more get across and maybe we’d get up and boost the team morale up.”

Woods Charter came close to evening the score before halftime, but a chance for a close shot by senior Leyla Noronha was stopped right in front of the goal as Seaforth’s Carsyn Ward ran down and poked the ball away from behind with under a minute left.

Coming out of halftime, though, the game was all Seaforth.

Just 31 seconds into the second half, Erman once again ran out behind Woods Charter’s defense and collected a pass way beyond mideld near the sideline. Erman gathered herself and found sophomore Regan Willauer running down the eld, who

then passed to a cutting Soa Viana who scored to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

From there, Seaforth kept the Wolves on their heels as they tried to get back into the game, but the Hawks kept most of the possession. Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Leonard only made two saves the whole game, a testament of how in control the Hawks were.

At the 28:09 mark, Viana got fouled, and on a free kick, she gave Seaforth a 3-0 advantage with her 28th goal of the year. She turned to hype the Seaforth crowd as her teammates swarmed her to celebrate, and she secured her seventh multi-goal game this season.

“I was kind of nervous to be honest,” Viana said. “I just talked myself through it, and I was like, ‘I’ve been practicing these for so long just like any other shot.’ I just focused on my technique and tuned everything else out.”

Seaforth slowed down the pace a bit and held o any last e orts by the Wolves to come back. With just a minute left in the game, Erman, with the ball, outraced a Woods Charter defender down the eld and scored from close range to put the icing on the cake.

The Hawks came away with their 10th win of the season and more proof that the young team made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores is a force to be reckoned with this year. “It shows we’ve gotten so much better,” Viana said. “To go from the loss we had last year to beating (Woods Charter) by four this year, it shows how much better we are as a team. It’s really going to pay o in the long run and in the playo s this year. We really think we can go all the way.”

Financial Literacy: It’s Important for Everyone

PHOTO COURTESY SEAFORTH SOCCER TWITTER/X ACCOUNT Sam Tucker signs a letter of intent to play soccer for Newberry College.

Northwood makes jump in

Seaforth girls’ soccer’s win streak continues

By Asheebo Rojas Chatham News & Record

Here are results from the area’s recent girls’ soccer games: April 15: Seaforth 15, Southern Lee 5; April 16: Jordan-Matthews 3, Seaforth 0; Northwood 2, Chatham Central 1 (nine innings); Chatham Charter 10, Southern Wake Academy 0; April 17: Northwood 18, Graham 0; Southwestern Randolph 10, Jordan-Matthews 4; April 18: Bartlett Yancey 7, Chatham Central 3; Chatham Charter 11, Clover Garden School 3; April 19: Seaforth 5, Jordan-Matthews 4; Northwood 12, Chatham Central 2; Chatham Charter 17- Triangle Math and Science 0; April 20: Seaforth 5, North Moore 1; Southern Lee 8, Northwood 1

Week of April 15 Baseball

Power Rankings:

Seaforth Northwood Chatham Charter Chatham Central Jordan-Matthews

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Seaforth (15-4, 10-2); 2. Bartlett Yancey (10-4, 8-2); 3. Northwood (9-9, 9-4); 4. North Moore (11-6, 7-5); 5. Chatham Central (10-8, 6-6); 6. Jordan-Matthews (6-10, 4-6); 7. Southeast Alamance (6-14, 2-11); 8. Graham (0-11, 0-10) Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Chatham Charter (15-4, 13-1); 2. Clover Garden School (10-5, 10-2); 3. River Mill (7-8, 7-5); 4. Triangle Math and Science (4-8, 4-8); 5. Southern Wake Academy (2-11, 2-10); 6. Ascend Leadership (2-12, 2-12)

Softball

April 15: Chatham Charter wins both games against Ascend Leadership by forfeit.; April 16: Seaforth 6, North Moore 5; Northwood 19, Graham 2; Jordan-Matthews 5, Chatham Central 4; April 17: Southeast Alamance 3, Northwood 1; Chatham Central 4, Jordan-Matthews 1; Clover Garden School 13, Chatham Charter 12; April 18: Cedar Ridge 11, Northwood 4; Southwestern Randolph 7, Chatham Charter 0; April 19: Seaforth 9, Southeast Alamance 8; North Moore 14, Chatham Central 8 (eight innings); Bartlett Yancey 4, Jordan-Matthews 3

Week of April 15 Softball Power Rankings

Chatham Central Jordan-Matthews

Chatham Charter Northwood Seaforth

Mid-Carolina 1A/2A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Chatham Central (13-3, 10-2); 2. Jordan-Matthews (11-4, 9-2); 3. North Moore (10-5, 9-3); 4. Bartlett Yancey (7-7, 7-6); 5. Seaforth (6-10, 5-7); 6. Southeast Alamance (4-10, 4-8); 7. Northwood (7-10, 4-8); 8. Graham (0-14, 0-12)

Central Tar Heel 1A conference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Chatham Charter (10-3, 6-1); 2. Clover Garden School (8-4, 5-1); 3. River Mill (2-10, 2-4); 4. Ascend Leadership (0-10, 0-7)

Girls’ soccer

April 15: Seaforth 9, Graham 0; Northwood 9, North Moore 0; Southern Lee 4, Jordan-Matthews 1; Ascend Leadership 2, Chatham Charter 1; Woods Charter 9, Southern Wake Academy 0; April 16: Seaforth 4, Woods Charter 0; April 17: Northwood 8, Jordan-Matthews 0; Woods Charter 10, River Mill 1; April 18: Seaforth 11, Cummings 0 Mid-Carolina 1A/2A con-

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

ference standings (as of Sunday): 1. Seaforth (11-1-1, 7-0); 2. Southeast Alamance (6-5, 6-1); 3. Northwood (8-6, 7-2); 4. Bartlett Yancey (3-6-1, 2-4); 5. Jordan-Matthews (3-9-1, 2-5-1); 6. North Moore (1-6-2, 1-3-1); 7. Graham (2-7, 2-6); 8. Cummings (0-6, 0-6)

Boys’ lacrosse

April 15: Northwood 7, Cedar Ridge 3; April 16: Seaforth 16, Southern Alamance 5; Western Alamance 6, Northwood 5; April 17: Jordan 17, Seaforth 4; April 19: Seaforth 13, Northwood 3; April 20: Northwood 10, Cedar Ridge 4

Girls’ lacrosse

April 15: Cary Academy 6, Seaforth 5; Chapel Hill 18, Northwood 2; April 17: East Chapel Hill 17, Seaforth 1; Northwood 22, Riverside-Durham 2; April 19: Seaforth 8, Jordan 7; Northwood 23, Riverside-Durham 2

Boys’ Tennis

April 15: Seaforth 9, Jordan-Matthews 0; Triangle Math and Science 9, Chatham Charter 0; April 16: Seaforth 6, Northwood 3; North Moore 6, Jordan-Matthews 2; Chatham Charter 6, Clover Garden School 0; Chatham Charter 5, Clover Garden School 1; April 17: Carrboro 9, Northwood 0; Chatham

Cali O’Neill

Seaforth, girls’ soccer

Soccer player Cali O’Neill, a sophomore at Seaforth High School, earns athlete of the week honors for the week of April 15.

O’Neill and the U-16 U.S. Women’s National Team won the UEFA Friendship Tournament in Riva, Turkey, last week. The U.S. beat Paraguay 4-2 by penalty kicks in the championship game on April 18. Before that, the U.S. beat Turkey 2-0, Vietnam 8-0 and Botswana 15-0.

O’Neill was called up to the team as a defender earlier this month, and she was the only player selected from North Carolina.

Since 2022, this is the fourth time O’Neill has been called up for activities with U.S. Soccer.

Central 6, North Moore 3; April 18: Seaforth wins over North Moore by forfeit

Track and eld

Chatham County’s rst place

nishers from last week’s track meets: Seaforth, Bartlett Yancey, Graham, Southeast Alamance, Cummings (April 10)

Boys: 3200 meter run (Jack Anstrom, Seaforth, 11 minutes, 15.9 seconds); 110 meter hurdles (mo, Seaforth, 15.94); 4x200 meter relay (Seaforth, 1:37.5); 4x800 meter relay (Seaforth, 9:25.8); Triple jump (Matthew Washington, Seaforth, 38-04); Discus (Dylan Watkins, Seaforth, 118-08); Girls: 800 meter run (Sasha Helmer, Seaforth, 2:36.5); 1600 meter run (Reagan Collier, Seaforth, 6:29.1); 3200 meter run (Claire Morgan, Seaforth, 13:00.1); 4x800 meter relay (Seaforth, 11:07.8); North Moore Home Meet 3

Boys: 100 meter dash (Tristan Evans, Northwood, 11.24); 200 meter dash (Gabriel Brewer, Jordan-Matthews, 24.14); 400 meter dash (Yadiel Zayas, Jordan-Matthews, 57.64); 800 meter run (Jordan Wiley. Northwood, 2:11); 1600 meter run (Christian Garcia Torres, Jordan-Matthews, 4:47);

SEAFORTH from page B1

Landon Jones said. “That’s what we do. That’s who we are. We pitch, (and) we play good defense. We try to pride ourselves on that.”

Seaforth opened their rst at-bat with four straight singles.

Dane O’Neill batted in lead-o hitter Daniel White for the rst run, and two others, Jaedyn Rader and Cade Elmore, made it home o of dropped pitches.

The Hawks scored once more on a dropped pitch in the bottom of the third inning, and their nal

run came in the bottom of the sixth. Rader had himself a day both as a pitcher and a batter, going 3-3 from the plate while keeping the Mustangs scoreless for ve innings with the help of the defense behind him. Dorney also made a few elding assists from behind the plate, staying aware of what North Moore’s runners were doing.

In the top of the sixth inning, North Moore, down 4 -1 with bases loaded and one out, sent Aidan Cor os to the plate. Rader struck

him out, allowing Seaforth to just make the easy out in the next atbat to keep the Mustangs at bay. “I was just red up,” Rader said. “I just wanted to pump gas. I knew as long as I threw strikes, my teammates would have my back, (and) they’d get the out anyways.”

As of Sunday, Seaforth boasts a 10-2 conference record. The Hawks will have to battle it out with second-place Bartlett Yancey (8-2 in conference play) this week to determine the regular season conference champion.

Reddick steals win at Talladega for co-owner Michael Jordan

The race

crashed with the nish line in sight

By Paul Newberry The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Tyler Reddick stole a NASCAR Cup victory at Talladega Superspeedway when front-runner Michael McDowell, swerving up and down the track trying to block Brad Keselowski, wound up crashing with the nish line in sight Sunday. It was another wild Talladega nish — and set o a raucous celebration on pit road with one of Reddick’s team owners, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan.

“This is like an NBA playo game,” Jordan said in Victory Lane. “I’m so ecstatic.”

fence like Spider-Man. “That was crazy, fans,” he screamed. “Chaos. Typical Talladega.”

Keselowski settled for the runner-up spot, failing again to pick up his rst win since 2021 at this 2.66-mile trioval in east Alabama.

“We went to make a move and Michael covered it,” Keselowski said. “We went the other way and had nowhere to go when Michael came back down. It’s just the way this stu goes.”

Reddick’s victory redeemed a botched strategy that knocked out a bunch of Toyota contenders, including his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin.

blistering, single- le pace and chasing down the lead pack, John Hunter Nemechek appeared to get into the bumper of Bubba Wallace’s No. 23 machine, which clipped Erik Jones and sent him smashing hard into the outside wall. Nemechek then slid down the track and took out Hamlin, as well.

“We had a plan,” Wallace said. “We just didn’t execute it as well as we should have. I hate it. It doesn’t make us look good at all.”

Jones took the brunt of the blow, a crash that would’ve been much worse without the sturdy cars and foamy barriers.

“I’m a little sore, but I’m all right,” Jones said after exiting the in eld care center. “If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve got to be tough.”

Reddick was at the front of the pack and avoided the crash. In the end, he was able to celebrate an improbable win.

CLEAN RACING

McDowell, the pole-sitter, dominated the closing laps and was in position to give Ford its much-needed rst victory of the year. But his topsy-turvy e orts to block Keselowski — another Ford driver — wound up costing them both. McDowell spun out, Keselowski had to check up and Reddick sped by to claim his sixth career Cup victory by 0.208 seconds.

ter high school, Brown played on the o ensive line at Campbell for four years, and he went on to coach as a graduate assistant with South Carolina and Appalachian State. He then made stops at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina and most recently Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, where he helped the Pride to a 9-3 overall record and a second-round playo appearance in 2023.

“First, I would like to say that I am home, and I can’t wait to get to work,” Brown said in a press release sent out by Northwood Tuesday. “This is a very unique opportunity where I get to be the head coach of my alma mater and I do not take that lightly. This comes with an extra sense of pride of giving back to the community, school, and program that gave me so much and helped to shape me into the man I am today.”

Living on the Chatham County land where his grandfather built his house in the 1970s, giving back to his alma mater seems to be a multi-year plan for Brown.

A pile of cars behind them

was taken out, as well. Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 machine slid across the nish line on its side, pinned against the wall in front the massive grandstands. Reddick climbed out of his No. 45 car and scurried up the

Brown applied to the position the same day Johnson announced his plans to leave, for being the head coach at Northwood had always been in his mind as something that would be “cool” to do. A lack of consistency at the

football head coaching position hasn’t helped Northwood with building sustained success the past few years. The issue has raised concerns amongst community members and even former Northwood football coach-

All three Toyota teams pitted in tandem with 37 laps to go, going with a strategy that would’ve allowed them to push the pace on the rest of the fuel-saving eld — with an idea of drafting all the way to the front for the checkered ag.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t keep their cars straight.

Just four laps later, with the Toyota train running at a

ing legend, and Brown’s high school coach, Bill Hall, who led the program for 28 seasons.

Under Hall, the Chargers won three conference championships and made it to the third round of the state playo s ve seasons in a row from 2006-10. In a Facebook post uploaded after Johnson announced his departure, Hall expressed that “(those) kids deserve so much more,” and he called for an increase in supplement pay for coaches in Chatham County to help keep coaches around longer.

When Brown was asked in an interview with the Chatham News & Record if he saw himself building with the Northwood program for years to come, he responded with, “I do.”

“I bought a house in the county,” Brown said. “I’m here. This is home to me. I’m Pittsboro through and through.”

Although the team will have to once again get familiar with a new way of doing things — this time without star tight end and defensive lineman Gus Ritchey, who announced his move to Cary High School earlier this month, Brown has plenty of optimism about the Chargers’ fate

Unlike the wacky nish, the rst two stages were caution-free — the rst time that’s happened at Talladega since the stage system was instituted in 2017. Finally, on lap 132, with the cars three-wide and tightly bunched in the middle of a huge train, the rst occurred.

next season.

“I see a lot of athletes,” Brown said. “With athletes, we can win. We can put them in di erent places, and we can line up with anybody and make a run at it.”

The team also has some positive momentum to build o of after going 7-4 and making the state playo s in 2023.

“They’ve got a foundation of an expectation to win, and all the credit to coach Johnson for getting that going last year,” Brown said.

Brown said his time at App State gave him the blueprint to winning football games and championships. Hall was the rst coach to instill in him discipline and attention to detail, values Brown still holds onto in his coaching and teaching.

When it comes to a team identity and approach to the game, Brown wants to hone in on two essential facets of football.

“We’re going to be fast, and we’re going to be physical,” Brown said. “That’s the way I played. That’s the way I was brought up to play. That’s the way I coach. So, that’s the way we’re going to rock and roll.”

PHOTO COURTESY NORTHWOOD FOOTBALL

Former Northwood player Dalton Brown accepted his rst head coaching job back at his alma mater.

BROWN from page B1

leader

MIKE STEWART / AP PHOTO

Tyler Reddick celebrates his win in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway for his sixth career victory and third with 23XI Racing.

Dunleavy, Warriors look to regroup after lost season

Golden State missed the playo s despite having all its stars available

By Janie McCauley

Associated Press

The

SAN FRANCISCO— General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the rest of Golden State’s front o ce sta had a feeling this season would wind up short of the ultimate goal for a franchise that has won four NBA championships over the past decade.

That’s the way the season went for Stephen Curry and Co. — losing big leads, making costly mistakes, repeatedly unable to deliver the big defensive stop when it mattered most.

The 10th-seeded Warriors were eliminated in the play-in round prior to the NBA Playo s. “I think the overarching emotion right now is disappointment. We’re still sort of settling in on what happened,” Dunleavy said. “But on the whole, we knew this season no matter how long it went along, was going to end at some point probably disappointing us and so not a shocking surprise. But I think as far as what we need to do, it’s pretty straightforward. It’s to get better. I think that presents a really good challenge for everybody.”

Now, they regroup and evaluate how much of the roster to keep intact.

Working to bring back Klay Thompson — at the right price — will be a priority going into the summer.

The 34-year-old Thompson becomes a free agent in July when his ve-year contract worth nearly $190 million expires.

“Certainly we want Klay back rst and foremost. I expressed that to him yesterday,” Dunleavy said. “I think our players have expressed that, our coach, front o ce, ownership, look, everybody wants Klay back. He’s still a really good player and I think we have enough good players in our system, we have enough assets to acquire good players and we have the ability to keep getting better.”

value in ending with dignity.” Dunleavy said of Green, “fully expect him to be back.”

The question for Dunleavy is whether the Warriors can make another title run while led by the core trio of Thompson, the 36-year-old Curry and Draymond Green, who is 34. “There’s a lot of value in our three guys being Warriors for life,” Kerr said. “There’s a lot of

A GING S ERVICES

“We won 46 games in a loaded conference. It’s usually enough. It’s not enough,” said Kerr, who will shift gears to coaching rsttime Olympian Curry and the U.S. team at the Paris Games. “It’s way harder now than it was nine years ago to succeed in this conference. This summer will be a lot of self-re ection.”

This marked a tough nish

to Dunleavy’s rst season since taking over for Bob Myers, but it was also a year that saw rookies Trayce Jackson-Davis and Brandin Podziemski make sizeable contributions and Jonathan Kuminga emerge as a reliable rising star. “We know clearly what this team was. It wasn’t good enough,” Dunleavy said. “There’s no doubt about that, there’s no what-ifs.” Dunleavy expressed his dis-

appointment that the veterans — and the young players — aren’t playing deep into the postseason.

“That’s what everybody wants to see not only here in the Bay Area but frankly around the world, to see those compete at the highest level, so for them not to be able to do that is really disappointing,” Dunleavy said. “I feel for them. But it is what it is, it’s our own undoing. We’ve got to live with it.”

ere are only four kinds of people in the world. ose who have been caregivers, those who are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers - Rosalynn Carter

No matter where you are on life’s journey, it is unavoidable. All of us, at some point in our lives, will either require caregiving or will be charged with providing caregiving to a loved one in their time of need. is responsibility crosses all racial and ethnic boundaries and can be rewarding. However, it is o en overwhelming.

According to a report by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving, caregiver stress a ects 36% of the 53 million unpaid family caregivers in the U.S.

As Chatham County continues to grow, it is also aging. In 2023, nearly 3 in 10 Chatham residents were over 65 years of age.

The Caregiver Support Group schedule is as follows:

• 1st Monday – Pittsboro Center for Active Living (365 Highway 87 North), 3 p.m.

• 2nd Monday – Siler City Center for Active Living (112 Village Lake Road), 3 p.m.

• 3rd Monday – Pittsboro Center for Active Living, 3 p.m.

• 4th Monday – Virtual Meeting via Zoom, 6 p.m.

We also recognize that it is important for caregivers to practice needed self-care during this time. Caregivers should not feel inadequate or worried about leaving their loved one alone as they yearn for a break to focus on themselves and recharge. at’s why Chatham County Aging Services also o ers caregiver respite support so that an errand can be performed without worry.

our Caregiver

GODOFREDO A. VÁSQUEZ / AP PHOTO Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry sits on the court during the second half of the team’s NBA basketball play-in tournament loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Kevin Bacon dances back to ‘Footloose’ high school

Actor Kevin Bacon, visits the Utah high school where cult classic "Footloose," was lmed.

students ended Saturday with a “Footloose”-themed prom, just as the movie ended.

“It’s

commitment

kind

I also

it’s amazing to see the power that this movie has had to bring people together.” Bacon starred in “Footloose” as a Chicago teen who moved to a small town and fought its ban on dancing. Payson High School

About 21,000 people live in Payson, which is about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City.

Principal Jesse Sorenson said students for years have tried to persuade Bacon to visit. What started as lighthearted appeals on social media turned into a community-wide campaign to partner with Bacon’s

charity, Sorenson said. Students agreed to help put together 5,000 care packages for the charity, SixDegrees, to convince Bacon to visit.

Students for weeks wrote hopeful messages for the eventual owners of each of the care packages and worked with the Utah Film Commission and SixDegrees to raise money and donations of toiletries, clothing and other items to go in the backpacks, Sorenson said.

On Saturday, Bacon helped ll the bags alongside what Sorenson estimated was about 700 students and 300 community members.

Sorenson, who graduated from Payson High School in 1995, said DJs always play the song “Footloose” at proms, and students recreate the lm’s iconic dance. Older residents tell stories of being an extra in the lm and delight in pointing out spots in Payson shown in the movie, he said.

“It’s something they can be proud of, and it’s fun for them,” the principal said.

JESSE SORENSON VIA AP

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this week in history

The shot heard round the world

Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place in 1865

The Associated Press

APRIL 18

1775: Paul Revere began his famous ride from Charlestown to Lexington, Massachusetts, warning colonists that British Regular troops were approaching.

1865: Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman at Bennett House near Durham Station in North Carolina, bringing further closure to the Civil War, which had formally ended.

1906: A devastating earthquake struck San Francisco, followed by raging res; estimates of the nal death toll range between 3,000 and 6,000.

1923: The rst game was played at the original Yankee Stadium in New York; the Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-1. 1978: The Senate approved

the Panama Canal Treaty, providing for the complete turnover of control of the waterway to Panama on the last day of 1999.

APRIL 19

1775: The American Revolutionary War began with the battles of Lexington and Concord in what became known as “the shot heard round the world.”

1897: The rst Boston Marathon was held; winner John J. McDermott ran the course in

two hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds.

1993: The 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended as re destroyed the structure after federal agents began smashing their way in. About 80 people, including two dozen children and sect leader David Koresh, were killed. On the same date in 1995, Timothy McVeigh, seeking to strike at the government he blamed for the Waco deaths, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Okla-

Blockbuster ‘Anyone But You’ hits Net ix

A new documentary on Bon Jovi hits the highs and lows of the great American rock band

The Associated Press

THIS WEEK the Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” hits Net ix and a Bon Jovi documentary premieres on Hulu. Here’s a look at the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you.

MOVIES TO STREAM

The Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell romantic comedy “Anyone But You” is nally on Net ix starting Tuesday. The movie is about two young singles, whose magical one-night stand ends in miscommunication and hurt feelings, nding themselves both in a small family wedding party and staying in the same house. It’s loosely based on Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing.” Reviews were mixed and the box o ce started out tame, but it became a slow burn sleeper hit in theaters, earning more than $218 million worldwide. If you’ve been holding out to see what the fuss was about, now is your low stakes chance (it’s also not a bad plane option, which

maniacal head tilt, ungodly hip swivel, and murder-by-gardening-tool calibrated for screams that end not with a gasp but a giggle. M3GAN came to play, and possibly reboot her motherboard for a sequel. Are you not entertained?”

is where this lm critic nally watched it). And afterward, if you need a rom-com palate cleanser, “You’ve Got Mail” is also currently on Net ix.

Another stealth box o ce hit, everyone’s favorite dancing demon doll “M3GAN” is coming back to Peacock starting Wednesday. Is it great cinema? Probably not, but everyone who watches it seems to have a fun time (in spite of themselves).

Entertainment Weekly’s Leah Greenblatt wrote in her review: “This is not the morose, carnage-soaked horror of dank basements and clammy night terrors; most of the movie happens in bright daylight, every

solutions

Finally, if you’ve exhausted all your “Tortured Poets” analysis, you can pivot to watching a Joe Alwyn movie instead. He stars in Claire Denis’ 2022 romantic thriller “Stars at Noon,” which comes to Hulu on Sunday. Based on the 1986 Denis Johnson novel, Margaret Qualley plays an American journalist in Nicaragua during COVID-19 who starts an a air with a mysterious British guy, played by Alwyn.

MUSIC TO STREAM

Shot through the heart, and they’re to blame: Forty years after a bunch of kids from New Jersey got together and formed a great American rock band, a documentary detailing their early days, rise to fame, and — best of all — breakups and breakdowns, has arrived. The only Bon Jovi documentary series to feature all members past and present, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” premieres on Hulu Friday in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in

all other territories. Binge all four-parts one after the other or dole them out slowly. However you do it, expect to have “Livin’ On A Prayer” stuck in your head for the next week.

SHOWS TO STREAM

“The Big Door Prize,” a sweet, silly dramedy about the residents of a small town turned upside down by the arrival of a machine that reveals a person’s true calling, returns for a second season on Apple TV+. Starring Chris O’Dowd as a local high school teacher, “The Big Door Prize” is based on a book by M.O. Walsh and was one of The Associated Press’ TV shows worth watching in 2023. Season two of “The Big Door Prize” debuts Wednesday. Season one is also still available on the streamer. Two teen ghost detectives who appear in DC comic books star in their own series called “Dead Boy Detectives.” The story follows Edwin and Charles, two long-dead teens who spend their afterlife still on Earth and investigating paranormal cases. They’re assisted by a living teen named Crystal Palace who is a clairvoyant. “Dead Boy Detectives” also features Lukas Gage in an over-the-top, comedic role of the Cat King. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” actor

homa City, killing 168 people. (McVeigh was convicted of federal murder charges and executed in 2001.)

APRIL 20

1861: Col. Robert E. Lee resigned his commission in the United States Army. (Lee went on to command the Army of Northern Virginia in the Civil War and eventually became general-in-chief of the Confederate forces.)

1999: The Columbine High School massacre took place in Colorado as two students shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.

APRIL 21

1649: The Maryland Toleration Act, providing for freedom of worship for all Christians, was passed by the Maryland assembly.

1836: An army of Texans led by Sam Houston defeated the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas independence.

1926: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was born in Mayfair, London; she was the rst child of The Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and the Queen Mother.

David Iacono plays a demon. The ghostly investigations begin Thursday on Net ix. Idris Elba and Adam Pally reprise their “Sonic the Hedgehog” characters for the new animated series “Knuckles” on Paramount+. Elba plays Knuckles, an Echidna with super strength, who is adjusting after moving to Earth at the end of “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Pally is Wade Whipple, a not-sobright deputy sheri . “Knuckles” is part of Paramount’s e orts to expand the popular “Sonic” brand. Ben Schwartz and Tika Sumpter also reprise roles from the lms. All six episodes of “Knuckles” stream Friday.

VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY

Sony’s Stellar Blade takes place on an Earth that’s been mostly abandoned after an invasion by hordes of mysterious monsters called the Naytiba. Enter Eve, a sword- and gun-wielding warrior who has returned to her home planet to help out the few people left, including a scavenger named Adam. The Biblical references pile up — for example, the last city standing is Xion — but the real in uence is the popular hack-and-slash epic Bayonetta. If you’ve been craving another amboyant adventure with a beautiful woman battling hideous beasts, Korean studio Shift Up hopes it’s got you covered. Start swinging Friday on PlayStation 5.

ILDAR SAGDEJEV / CC BY-SA 4.0

Left, Bennett Place, pictured in 2008, was the site of the largest Confederate surrender during the Civil War. Right, news media gather near Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, on April 21, 1999.

NDZ / STAR MAX / IPX

Glen Powel and Sydney Sweeney pose at the premiere of “Anyone But You” on Dec. 11, 2023 in New York City.

famous birthdays this week

The Associated Press

April 21

Singer Iggy Pop is 77. Actor Tony Danza is 73. Actress Andie MacDowell is 66. Comedian Rob Riggle is 54. Actor James McAvoy (“Atonement”) is 45.

April 23

Actor Lee Majors (“Six Million Dollar Man”) is 85. Director Michael Moore is 70. Actress Valerie Bertinelli is 64. Wrestler-turned-actor John Cena is 47. Actor Kal Penn (“House M.D.,” “Harold and Kumar”) is 47. Model Gigi Hadid is 29.

April 25

Actor Al Pacino is 84. Actor Hank Azaria (“The Simpsons”) is 60. Bassist Eric Avery (Jane’s Addiction) is 59. Actress Renee Zellweger is 55. Actor Jason Lee (“My Name Is Earl,” ″Almost Famous”) is 54.

April 26

Actress-comedian Carol Burnett is 91. Singer Maurice Williams of Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs is 86. Actor Giancarlo Esposito (″Breaking Bad” and “The Mandalorian”) is 66. Actor-comedian Kevin James (″The King of Queens”) is 59. Actor Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike”) is 44.

April 27

Singer Sheena Easton is 65. Guitarist John Osborne of Brothers Osborne is 42. Singer Lizzo is 36.

AP PHOTO

Jack Nicholson pictured arriving at the 1974 Academy Awards, turned 87 Monday.

REED SAXON / AP PHOTO

Famed actress and comedian Carol Burnett, pictured at Los Angeles’ Pantages Theatre in 2000, turns 91 Friday.

RICHARD DREW / AP PHOTO

Shirley MacLaine waits backstage at the Palace Theater where she was performing in a solo revue in 1976.