VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7; FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 9; WWW.QCNERVE.COM
News: A real affordable housing solution pg. 6 Food & DRINK: Bob Peters mixes it up at home pg. 16
HELL0, BROOKLYN! New arts collective keeps the pride of Second Ward alive by Tracy Jones
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
NEWS& OPINION
5 EDITOR’S NOTE BY RYAN PITKIN 6 COME HOME AGAIN BY JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS
Grassroots organization puts affordable housing plan into action
8 THE NEIGHBORHOOD DIRECTORY Dilworth
ARTS
10 BRINGING BROOKLYN BACK BY TRACY JONES
Arts collective picks up the torch for Charlotte’s Black history
12 LIFEWAVE A dose of reality
MUSIC
14 AN EMOTIONAL BEDROCK BY PAT MORAN Power trio draws from the past to forge a hard-rock future
16 RAISING THE BAR BY ALLISON BRADEN Bob Peters’ builds up Garage Bar at home while the industry idles
Out of this world dentistry finally in your neighborhood!
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18 PUZZLES 20 THE SEEKER BY KATIE GRANT 21 HOROSCOPE 22 SAVAGE LOVE
News: A real affordable housing solution pg. 6
THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS: PAT MORAN,
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Food & DRINK: Bob Peters mixes it up at home pg. 16
HELL0, BROOKLYN!
No Insurance? No Problem! Ask about our in-house Dental Savings Plan
New arts collective keeps the pride of Second Ward alive by Tracy Jones
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GRANT BALDWIN, TRACY JONES, ALLISON BRADEN, NICK KING, KATIE GRANT AND DAN SAVAGE.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
DREAMS DEFERRED
The housing and homelessness crises don’t disappear with Tent City BY RYAN PITKIN
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Standing in her rainbow-tie-dyed sweatsuit and pink rain boots, Victoria Boyd was the most colorful person at Tent City as the sun set on Friday, Feb. 19. She was also one of the last people there. An hour after a county-imposed deadline had passed ordering everyone out of the encampments that had popped up along 12th Street during the pandemic, I found Boyd wheeling a laundry cart full of firewood up an I-277 entrance ramp to a tent where she had stayed for the past six months. Most folks had been moving their possessions out of Tent City since the order was handed down on Feb. 16, but Boyd was throwing more wood over the fence into the area where she planned to build a new fire and stay another night.
That is, if nobody forced her out first. Boyd said she could have taken up the county’s offer to transition to a hotel where more than 200 others had already moved to by that point, but she refused for many reasons: fear of COVID-19, concerns she’d be forced to room with someone struggling with addiction, and perhaps most of all, a principled refusal to comply with the shelter’s 9 p.m. curfew. “I don’t drink, I don’t drug, and they’re not fixin’ to put me in a room with somebody I don’t click with — no, no, no,” Boyd said, speaking from the other side of the fence where she had gone to retrieve her firewood. “I graduated from college. I had a goodpaying job. I got peace. I promise you that. I ain’t struggling. I got peace of mind.” Boyd had peace of mind and plenty of positivity to go around. With that positivity she was making plans. During our discussion, Boyd brought up her desire to be an author and motivational speaker. She said she had been keeping a journal throughout her six-month stay at Tent City and would love to turn it into a book that challenged the perceptions of those who have never experienced her life. “I got a book, From The Inside Out: What Is Life Like Living in a Tent?” she said. “You think you could do it? All your essentials in one place? Your bathroom, your cosmetics, your bedroom, your shower, all that
in one place. Could you do it? Tents are for camping, but we gotta make it a habitation so we can sleep. I got mace, a knife and prayer, covered by angels.” I don’t doubt for a minute that Boyd could become a motivational speaker. As she stood there making her case on that Friday night, she began to draw a crowd. Journalists, photographers and advocates began to form a half-circle around her. It got to a point where I felt uncomfortable; Victoria’s juxtaposition behind a fence as multiple people took photos of her made the entire thing feel too much like a zoo. It was a metaphor for how our neighbors living in Tent City have been viewed over the last year, their presence at a busy corridor in and out of Uptown serving as a reminder to those who usually don’t have to consider the question Victoria wants to pose with her book. More importantly, their presence has forced local leaders to consider solutions to an issue that for many years was kept out of sight, out of mind — pushed back into wooded areas where passersby can’t see, making them easier to ignore. For that reason, it’s a great thing to give Victoria an audience, though I’d much rather have seen her on a stage behind a podium than standing in a mud puddle behind a fence. “Everybody’s got a solution to the problem, but
ain’t nobody trying to solve the problem,” Victoria said. “They’re going to put these people in a motel and put them on curfew, that’s incarceration.” On the next page, Justin LaFrancois reports on a solution that can actually help solve the problem: a housing-first model put together by Home Again Foundation and Axhoj Enterprises that aims to put people in respectable homes with affordable rents and do it quickly. The goal is to help residents like Victoria reach a place of self-sufficiency without barriers or restrictions. With a stable home, Victoria could focus on her goals, like opening a new restaurant in Charlotte serving homemade Southern cooking. “I got dreams. I’m 54, it ain’t too late,” she said, pointing out that Colonel Sanders was in his sixties before he franchised the first KFC. “I’m going to have my restaurant one day. I already got my name. I wrote my vision January 1, 2000. The words on that page are fading, but it’s coming to pass. They’re gonna say, ‘That lady was in Tent City.’ I just got to stay focused.” Now with Tent City out of our line of sight, it’s important that the rest of us stay focused as well. RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM
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NEWS & OPINION FEATURE
Breaking down the barriers
The most recent data from the 2020 State of Housing Instability & Homelessness Report shows that nearly 30,000 households in Mecklenburg County live with an income at or below 30% of area median income (AMI), with just over 15,000 affordable housing units available for those Grassroots organization households. According to the report, the county has puts affordable housing plan over 3,000 people experiencing homelessness with into action more than 500 experiencing chronic homelessness, meaning they have either experienced homelessness BY JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS consistently over a 12-month period or had multiple experiences of homelessness over three years. On Cochrane Drive in the Nevin area of north Barriers to housing range from bad credit history Charlotte, a small plot of previously unused land or not enough income to physical or mental health serves as the foundation for what grassroots issues and addiction to not having the required organization Home Again Foundation (HAF) believes documents. The issue of homelessness in our can be the solution to Mecklenburg County’s community is often glossed over, though recently affordable housing crisis. it became front and In partnership center as more than with Kris Axhoj of 200 residents living in Axhoj Enterprises, a tent encampment in HAF has constructed the Uptown area were and signed leases moved to a hotel shelter at eight “true” last week. The solutions affordable housing provided have mostly units on two been temporary and parcels of property emergency-related. that would have HAF offers otherwise been housing with a lowused for one or two barrier approach and single-family homes. maintains that the The homes are just only two things that the beginning point disqualify an applicant in a larger mission from signing a lease for HAF, which aims would be if a potential to find a 30-acre resident is a registered plot of land where sex offender or has a they can build an history of arson, for affordable housing the safety of fellow community housing residents. PHOTO BY JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS 560 residents. COMPONENT-BUILT COTTAGE-STYLE HOMES ON COCHRANE DRIVE. Craighead-Davis The community has a social service plans include 300 homes, an outdoor theater, 24- The construction of these homes make them cost a background and worked as a shelter staff member, hour child-care services, arts and crafts centers, fraction of a regular house, with fundraising for the case manager and director of shelter services at the workforce development programs, fitness centers, new community already begun through a capital Men’s Shelter, and was the director of neighbors a commercial kitchen, community gardens, a chapel campaign called Promise of Tomorrow. services at Urban Ministries, now Roof Above, the and a community center, all of which HAF says it can “We’re making sure that, one, [these people] preeminent local homeless services organization, build for just 17 to 20 million dollars. have something that they can afford, that they can until April 2020, when she joined Home Again The community homes will be built using the sustain and maintain and then, two, we are building Foundation. The organization was founded by Rick same model as the eight that are already constructed hope and commitment through self-sufficiency Gilbert, who founded and led the Room in the Inn and ready to move into on Cochrane Drive, which programs that are wrapped into the residence,” winter shelter program in Mint Hill for 24 years could be considered a pilot program for the planned Craighead-Davis says. before deciding he wanted to do more. community. Of the eight existing houses, two are Craighead-Davis says the goal is to consult with one-bedroom, efficiency-built homes and the rest
COME HOME AGAIN
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have two or three bedrooms. Rents range from $480 to $1,045 a month, with all utilities included. Visiting the newly constructed community of sleek, modern cottages, one would assume these homes were part of a gentrification push into the area, but they are actually quite the opposite. “What we recognize is that housing is housing,” says Vickie Craighead-Davis, chief housing and program officer for HAF. “We’re not going to put anybody in anything that we don’t want to live in, so we want the dishwasher, we want the AC, we want the countertops.” Inside the homes there are countertops that look like granite, German-based air conditioners built for efficency, tankless water heaters and tall windows that nearly reach to the 9-foot ceilings, allowing for plenty of natural light. The framing is built from recycled automobile steel made to withstand the weather and maintain stability well into the future.
each individual tenant one-on-one regarding their housing needs and any issues they are dealing with. “We are not asking people to change their lives. What we’re asking our residents to do is commit to their self-sufficiency. Our self-sufficiency program that we have is an individualized program, and we know that not all people are the same. There is not a ‘one size fits all,’” Craighead-Davis says. “We know that everyone doesn’t have the tenacity to go out and navigate the resources, and it’s really hard to navigate resources here in Mecklenburg County if you’re not aware or you’re not mentally stable enough to do so,” she says. By offering services and using self-sufficiency assessment matrices to connect people to other services, HAF has a goal of making productive citizens no matter how different that looks case-bycase. “We are serving the regular people and when we say regular, we don’t have a cap. We don’t have incarcerated or this income or this AMI, we have individuals that are experiencing homelessness or are at imminent risk of homelessness that only have the capacity to afford what they can afford,” Craighead-Davis continues. “We know that we have people that are suffering in poverty, that are living in poverty, and could possibly maintain on their own with their Bojangles job or their McDonald’s job or their gas station job,” she adds.
Affordable housing in rapid time
Kris Axhoj has been working on affordable housing solutions through logistics on land development and best-practice construction techniques since 2004. While the Home Again Foundation focuses on wrap-around services and individual case management, Axhoj Enterprises focuses on sustainable and cost-effective solutions to constructing modern affordable housing. Axhoj Enterprises and Home Again broke ground on Cochrane Drive in July of last year, with Axhoj paying for many of the costs out of pocket. The most difficult part of construction was clearing and preparing the land to be built on, he says. Tapping into water and sewage alone cost $53,000 at full market price with no assistance from the city. “This project here is our Gen. 1. We are learning an awful lot on this project so we know how to do it faster and better on the next project,” Axhoj tells Queen City Nerve. “We had a problem with this one because, when COVID hit, it took our financing away. I’ve been getting financing from people for years and all of the sudden it tightened up. I had to
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NEWS & OPINION FEATURE
They are currently working to partner with the Who can apply? Diocese of Charlotte to purchase the land. HAF assists people in the 0-60% AMI range, not “There are 28 acres right there,” Axhoj says. “It’s just focusing on the 30% AMI level that most city finance the whole thing, and to figure out how to do a really nice property … That’s a buyable project. planners use to define those in need. Craighead-Davis that was really tough.” If they [Charlotte Diocese] say ‘Yep, we’ll fund you’ says the organization is working to help everyone The property was originally made up of two then we’re on it,” Axhoj says. they possibly can. There are no strict criteria or long lots that Axhoj and wait times for applications. his surveyor were “Those are the individuals that able to break up into with the proper help, with the proper four separate parcels support, they can transition from one by moving property state of life to the next and we want to lines. give them the opportunity,” she says. Each parcel “We want to get the community where consists of a primary it needs to go. We want to move the unit and an accessory Charlotte community forward and not dwelling unit, which keep them in this state of perpetual technically is a depression feeling like they’re not detached apartment worthy because ‘I did this, I have this half the size of the problem or my income is not enough.’” primary unit. HAF plans to offer points and rewards Construction toward rent for residents that choose to time and efficiency work in the community that they live are the goal in in. By volunteering to assist in services affording people the inside the community, a resident will get opportunity to live credit toward their rent. PHOTO BY JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS within their means A FINISHED KITCHEN IN ONE OF THE TWO-BEDROOM HOMES. Issues with supportive housing and Axhoj works hard include long-wait times, sometimes to accomplish both. A majority of the cost burden comes from “These houses are virtually maintenance-free property development. and are high-performance,” he says. “Everything is Axhoj is optimistic at his ability to produce costJOIN US FOR thermally broken up and there is insulation all on effective homes to be erected on ready-to-build SUNDAY BRUNCH ON the outside of the house, so it’s basically like living property in minimal time. OUR HEATED PATIO! in a cooler. Our utility bills should be extremely Their only barrier is money, as neither HAF nor low. We’re taking every aspect of construction and Axhoj Enterprises have received any funding from rethinking it.” local government to produce these properties, Axhoj notes that, through a special component- despite the high priority of affordable housing for built system, the eight original houses were city planners. constructed in just nine days. “We are pure,” he says. “We really haven’t gone At his Monroe factory, Axhoj’s staff pre-panelized out there and solicited funds yet. As a builderthe walls and trusses, which were then shipped by developer, I just want this to get out there. The more flatbed to the location. The framers removed the it gets out there, the better we are.” pieces from the truck and screwed them together. As the city continues to fund and offer tax “You don’t have to snap lines or level anything incentives to developers that promise to make a out because everything is already level,” Axhoj certain percentage of new developments affordable, explains. “Everything is already squared from the they often overlook grassroots organizations that factory so you just take it off the truck and screw it come up with actionable solutions. together.” The city did contribute 30 million dollars in
Not far from the goal line
The search for a 30-acre property isn’t necessarily a county-wide scavenger hunt, as there is a 28-acre property immediately across the street on Cochrane Drive that HAF and Axhoj are already hoping to build on.
2020 to support initiatives in sheltering community members experiencing homelessness, but solutions like the one on Cochrane Drive provide permanent and supportive sustainability in a fraction of the time that other large affordable housing projects take to even get off the ground.
having to wait years to even apply for the limited affordable-housing options available in the city. Oftentimes people may not go to hotels and shelters because losing your homelessness status may take you out of the running for permanent supportive housing. “So many people constantly say ‘No I’m not going to go into housing, no I’m not going to go stay with my friends because if I do I am going to lose my [unsheltered] homelessness status.’ That is literally the criteria,” she explains. Home Again Foundation is creating homes for people to live in forever, with no strings attached. If your income is at a certain level or a fixed rate, there is no end date on your lease. They only ask that you work to be self-sufficient, though there are no set timelines for doing so. “We figured out a solution because we are tired of waiting for people to go through emergency shelter. We’re tired of people waiting to be approved for permanent supportive housing. We’re tired of waiting or trying to find those landlords that are willing to rent to people with risqué backgrounds. We’re tired of all that,” she adds. “We have the solution. We are ready to go. What we need is land,” Craighead-Davis continues. “We need donations so that we can continue to build.”
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ARTS FEATURE
GOING BACK TO BROOKLYN
and with an omnipotent presence. Brooklyn had while giving artists a venue to hone their craft. The killing of Black bodies and the foreign The group is currently incubating nine small perception that some African-Americans have shotgun shacks adjacent to domineering mansions businesses and nonprofits, one artist-in-residence toward the place that they consider home are that occupied the neighborhood streets. The reflection that people saw in each other program, and a creator maker space, Douglas said. themes that run through the exhibit.
Passing the MIC
New collective picks up the torch of Charlotte’s Black history
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BY TRACY JONES
There’s a popular t-shirt geared to Black Americans that displays a quote reading, “I am my ancestors’ wildest dreams.” When The Mecklenburg Investment Company (MIC) was constructed in Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood in 1922, few would have imagined that it would be one of the only buildings to survive the tragic razing of the historically Black neighborhood that would take place during the 1960s. In the late 1800s, the area now known as Second Ward in Uptown was a place where some of the area’s newly emancipated slaves came to do something they had never done before: live life as free men, women, and children. Originally known as Logtown, the neighborhood took on the name Brooklyn sometime around 1917 and became a thriving Black business center. Nearly a century after The Mecklenburg Investment Co.’s founding, amid great racial injustice and a global pandemic, The MIC has been resurrected as the home of The Brooklyn Collective, a potential leader in Charlotte’s emerging art scene and supporter of nonprofits and small businesses. Through partnerships like a recent collaborative effort with SouthEnd ARTS, the collective aims to amplify the voices of history, heritage, science and art through equity art exhibitions featuring a curated group of artists in a variety of mediums. “Our goal is to make sure that we are honoring the history of where we are, that we are the stewards of social consciousness and the programing, and things that we have here are all going towards enriching the community,” said Monique Douglas of The Brooklyn Collective. “We celebrate the arts at The MIC. We provide our location as a space where local musical artists as well as visual artists can feel like they have a home or place where they can be showcased.” The formerly enslaved Americans who founded Brooklyn built schools where teachers taught Black children how to read and write, once an illegal act. A “colored library” served as the local brain trust. Churches served as monuments of great faith
A MURAL DEPICTING THAD TATE, J.T. WILLIAMS, AND W.T. SMITH ON THE WALL OF STUDIO 229 ON BREVARD.
At The Mecklenburg Investment Company, the building’s founders — Thaddeus Tate, Arthur Eugene Spears, J.T. Williams, and Ceasar Robert Blake, Jr. — used the third floor, known as “The Lodge,” to strategize and develop plans. They did this for almost 40 years as their power and money grew. Away from the presence of overseers, they were finally free to flourish, though when that prosperity became too obvious, whites took notice and feared that they were losing control. Under the threat of white violence and segregation, Brooklyn was still hot, and like the immigrant communities spread across America today, the Second Ward supported its own. From the late 1800s through the mid 20th century, the neighborhood was alive and booming. Like Tulsa, Oklahoma, and other Black towns that eventually perished at the hands of white terror or systemic racism, Brooklyn was a branch of America’s Black Wall Street. Money and wealth circulated throughout its community.
PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN. ARTWORK BY ABEL JACKSON.
took precedence over the contrast of rich and poor. Pride resided in their collective existence. Black doctors’ offices and law firms countered the myth that Blacks were less intelligent than whites. Blackowned restaurants, grocery stores, and shops were havens where Black faces were seen, welcomed, and embraced. Since Blacks were excluded from white markets, Black business leaders organized real estate, textile, insurance, and publishing companies. Housing a drug store, restaurants, small businesses, and fraternal social gatherings, the Mecklenburg Investment Co. was a financial force that mobilized Black upward mobility, free enterprise, and civil rights. It’s a relevant cause that Douglas and The Brooklyn Collective want to revisit. “We basically have gone back to that very same model,” she said.
The Brooklyn Collective is born
Jason Wolf, who purchased The MIC, Studio 229 On Brevard, and Grace AME Zion Church in 2016, has partnered with Douglas and her husband Kevin, who became co-owners of Studio 229. Their goal is to honor the legacy of The Mecklenburg Investment Co.’s original mission to foster entrepreneurship
On the second and third floors, numerous offices are occupied and active. There’s a conference room, a sewing machine and embroidery studio, and the owners are currently building a sound studio to produce podcasts. Kevin, who’s a photographer, plans to host photography workshops for children with special needs and students from underserved schools. Through her Grooming Greatness Foundation, Douglas will work to inform and empower specialneeds children. Wolf said the Collective also plans to offer artist grants and other opportunities. He pointed out that, though they’ll always stand in the shadow of the founders, everything they do is inspired and in honor of them. The MIC’s bottom floor hosts TBC’s latest exhibit, The Soul of Brooklyn, which explores the legacy and story of the once-prominent enclave. The exhibit features work from quiltmaker Beverly Smith, former NFL defensive back and sculptor Percy King, and California designer and painter Dr. Dimeji Onafuwa. The artists’ different mediums give multiple dimensions and alternative access to the emergence of discovered history; brown humans contrasting colorful minimalist spaces; and the variation of depth, layers, colors, and shapes through sculpture and portraiture.
introducing
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pictured: Fried Seafood Platter
ARTS FEATURE
proprietor of a high-end barber shop, catered to influential white entrepreneurs and politicians. Spears, a venture capitalist and manager of one Brooklyn was a gleaming sanctuary, known as of the largest African-American companies in the a city within a city, but this Black Mecca wasn’t like South, sold insurance. Williams was one of the first African-American licensed doctors in the state of North Carolina and a U.S. diplomat to Sierra Leone. Blake, a young talented real-estate broker, became president of The Mecklenburg Investment Co. At the entrance of Studio 229, the narrative artist Charles Edward Williams was commissioned to paint portraits of The MIC’s founding members. A mural of the three founders by local artist Abel Jackson also graces the wall of Grace A.M.E., facing drivers on the one-way South Brevard Street in Uptown. Jackson’s mural incorporates an infamous photo of young boys watching the demolition of buildings in Brooklyn in the 1960s.
Artists reinvigorate former spiritual and financial centers
MONIQUE DOUGLAS
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PHOTO BY TRACY JONES
the New York City borough for which it was named. Brooklyn was a Southern enclave of Charlotte’s Uptown. In the late 1960’s, local government planned to remove Blacks from coveted areas like Brooklyn, displacing them under the guise of socalled “urban renewal,” upending their lives and leaving thousands of residents scattered and looking for a place to resettle. Over the next 11 years, 1,480 homes and buildings were bulldozed, leveling the whole beloved neighborhood. Only The Mecklenburg Investment Co. and Grace AME Zion Church remained unscathed. In the 2010s, it seemed efforts to restore Brooklyn’s incredible history were gaining positive ground, but Restorative Justice CLT, a local anti-racist group formed in response to increased scrutiny of the ongoing $683-million dollar plan to redevelop the former site of Brooklyn into Brooklyn Village, have claimed the city and public sector are not doing enough. Members of the group say officials don’t understand the scope and damage that systemic racism and urban renewal has done to Charlotte’s Black community. The MIC, now a historical site, was the first Brooklyn building to be designed, financed, and owned by Blacks. Its four founding members were the Byron Allens of their day. Tate, a successful
I didn’t know about the history of Brooklyn or TBC when I stumbled upon the gallery on the corner of South Brevard and East Third streets. Peaking through the windows of the closed exhibit, I was awestruck to see Smith’s quilts, which have an ethereal presence about them. It was the first time that I’d seen them. Smith is a Charlottean and recently retired art teacher. She taught in the predominantly Black area of Charlotte’s west side for 33 years. “I never really knew about Brooklyn. I had siblings that were much older than myself and I would hear them going back and forth about what high school was the best,” she said. West Charlotte and Second Ward high schools were apparent rivalries, but that was all she knew. While preparing work for The Soul of Brooklyn, she was given a tour of the buildings and heard about the first emancipated slaves that came to Brooklyn from South Carolina. She toured Grace AME, one of the first Zion churches, which is over 100 years old. “Of course, the church was the foundation of the community,” Smith said. The curators suggested that she move her studio to the church’s basement, but by then she was tired from putting up her work and taking the tour. “I became very lightheaded. It became overwhelming for me,” she said. She went home intending to take a nap, but instead looked up Brooklyn’s history. Smith has traced her own family tree back to the 1700s. Since she was a child, she had always heard about her great uncle that died at the pulpit of Grace Church while preaching a sermon.
“As a child, in my mind I’m thinking about, how did he fall? Did he fall on top of the pulpit? What were the people thinking in the church? And it was such a thing with my family, constantly talking about it, like hearing about West Charlotte and Second Ward, it became an imprint in my brain. But I’m not knowing any of this until my work is on exhibit at the intersection of Brevard and East Third Street,” she said. Since the resurgence of The Mecklenburg Investment Company, perhaps there’s other living descendants of Brooklyn that share similar stories of recollecting forgotten memories. Smith considers the space to be sacred.
‘It lives right here in the city’
Four-time Emmy Award winning poet Boris “Bluz” Rogers performed at a small private event held at Studio 229 on Valentine’s Day. The renowned poet has been performing and living in Charlotte for 20 years. For him, working with The Brooklyn Collective is an amazing opportunity. “It’s really cool to see what they’ve been able to do with the property in terms of bringing back the life and the echoes of culture that came from the Brooklyn neighborhood,” he said. With Wolf’s blessing, Bluz will do upcoming live
shows in Grace Church. “That space really gives us a chance to bring in a lot of our Charlotte artists, a lot of our surrounding Charlotte artists who are looking for a space that’s different, that allows them to get expansive and creative and imaginative,” Bluz said. “This is something different. It’s about giving artists that opportunity to grow and be who they need to be inside that space.” But does Charlotte have the talent to fill and invigorate the space? “The National Poetry Slam Team of Charlotte has won the national championship three times, which has never been done in the history of the National Poetry Slam. Those are absolute facts. Some of the greatest poets and writers live here in Mecklenburg County, in Charlotte, NC,” Bluz said. He rattled off notable locals that most people would know, including DaBaby, Fantasia, Anthony Hamilton, Deniro Farrar, and Lute West, who signed to J.Cole’s Dreamville, but then there’s also visual artists like Dammit Wesley and Bree Stallings. “You don’t have to necessarily go all the way to Atlanta to see high-caliber global work. It lives right here in the city, and The Brooklyn Collective is where you can come and see it.” INFO@QCNERVE.COM
Connect with free virtual arts, science, and history experiences for all ages.
CULTURE
BLOCKS
Find upcoming events at ArtsAndScience.org/CultureBlocks
ONGOING
CHARLOTTE FILM SOCIETY’S VIRTUAL SCREENING ROOM
What: You’ve heard of coming-of-age stories, but how about a sumptuous coming-of-death fable? In You Will Die at 20, Sudan’s first Oscar submission, a sheikh prophesies that a newborn son will shuffle off this mortal coil after two decades on earth. Haunted by the prophecy, mother Sakina keeps constant watch on son Mazumil, who knows of his fate. When Mazumil finally frees himself from his understandably overprotective mother, he encounters friends, ideas and challenges that make him question his destiny. More: $10; ongoing; online; charlottefilmsociety.com
‘THE APOLLO’
SAM ON SUNDAY
2/27
THURS02_25
SAT02_27
What: In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s great American novel about the hollowness of the roaring ’20s, the nonstop party at Jay Gatsby’s house is a “kaleidoscopic carnival” where people come and go, drunkenness abounds, and the books in the library have no pages. Director Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation of the book takes this description to heart with a dazzling, ADHD approach in which unreal CGI cities glitter, the camera constantly prowls and hip-hop entwines with ragtime piano. In other words, it’s more faithful in spirit to the novel than previous versions. More: $30 per car, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.; Camp North End; 400 Camp Road; tinyurl.com/SkylineGatsby
What: Sarah Council Dance Projects in partnership with Arts & Science Council’s Culture Blocks Program presents Dancing the Poem, five virtual movement and poetry workshops for kids, teens and adults starting in February. Working with dance educators Sarah Council and Erin Badger-Coffey, movers of all ages will make words come alive to create and perform original movement inspired by a work of poetry. Workshops also include collaborative poetry writing explorations drawn upon participants’ experiences. More: Free; Feb. 27 through April 24; online; sarahcouncildance.com
‘THE GREAT GATSBY’
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2/28
‘YOU WILL DIE AT 20’ (CHARLOTTE FILM SOCIETY’S VIRTUAL SCREENING)
12/31
DANCING THE POEM
SAT02_27
SUN02_28
What: Helmed by Oscar and Emmy-winning director Roger Ross Wiliams, HBO’s documentary The Apollo chronicles the unique history and contemporary legacy of the New York City landmark that launched the careers of anyone who was anybody in music, dance and comedy, including Billie Holiday, The Jackson Five, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Chappelle and Lauryn Hill. The documentary focuses on The Apollo’s inaugural staging of author and journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates’ nonfiction work Between the World and Me. Donations are encouraged with proceeds supporting the arts at West Charlotte High School. More: Free; February 27, 6:30 p.m.; online; blumenthalarts.org
What: Last year, Time Sawyer and frontman Sam Tayloe hosted a variety livestream series, reaching over 100,000 viewers. Now Sam and Time Sawyer are back with a full band show at the Neighborhood Theatre to kick-off a second run of Sam on Sunday. As with last year, the show will feature musical guests, and alternate a solo set from Tayloe’s home on the second Sunday of each month with Time Sawyer shows at music venues on the fourth Sunday of each month. The show has raised funds for The Evening Muse, NAACP Charlotte-Mecklenburg and others. More: Free, Feb. 28, 7:30 p.m.; online.; timesawyer.com/samonsunday
‘THE APOLLO’
SAM ON SUNDAY
DANCING THE POEM
2/27
MON03_01
WED03_03
FRI03_05
What: The Bechtler Ensemble brings string trios from 20th-century Finland, Hungary, and France as well as classical and early romantic composer Franz Schubert to their Arts at the Abbey series. The ensemble, featuring violinist Lenora Cox Leggatt, violist Vasily Gorkovsky, and cellist Tanja Bechtler also interprets compositions by Sibelius, Cras, and Dohnanyi. A limited live audience will be admitted and the concert will also be livestreamed. More: Free; March 1, 8 p.m.; online; Belmont Abbey Basilica, 100 Belmont Mt. Holly Road, Belmont; belmontabbeycollege.edu/artslive/
What: Late Bloomer is an unclassifiable rock trio. Are they hardcore, neo-grunge, alt rock, or post punk? The answer is yes. Their 2018 release Waiting garnered acclaim for its dissonant, syncopated, shape-shifting tunes, but even their cast-offs are gold. Last summer’s Tonight’s No Good For Me, comprised of two songs left over from an abortive album session, earned our thumbs-up as essential quarantine music. The tunes contain moody basslines, syncopated percussion shuffles, Hüsker Dü-infused guitar gallops, and anguished vocals threading through a thicket of chiming guitars. More: $10; March 3, 7 p.m.; online; neighborhoodtheatre.com
What: Darkwave music maven DJ Sider spins remakes and re-imaginings of pop and rock standards by industrial, synthpop and goth bands. There’s more of these remakes than you may think. Off the top of my head, there’s Bauhaus’ thrashing rumbles through T-Rex’s “Telegram Sam” and David Bowie’s “Ziggy Stardust,” The Cure’s moody take on Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady,” and The Sisters of Mercy’s doomy evisceration of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” A lot of people think Soft Cell’s ominous “Tainted Love” is an original and not a cover of Gloria Jones’ 1964 soul standard. More: Free; March 5, 8 p.m.; online; tinyurl.com/DJSpiderTwitch
ARTS AT THE ABBEY: THE BECHTLER ENSEMBLE
LATE BLOOMER
COVERT MISSION 5
W/ALLS
SAT03_06
‘SLOW BURN’
What: The standout in Charlotte Symphony Orchestra’s program of three sprightly pieces for strings is contemporary composer Jessica Meyer’s exhilarating “Slow Burn.” The piece, originally composed to accompany a burlesque dancer, is combination of “all the groovy music I like to listen to,” Meyer writes on her webpage. A central theme to “Slow Burn” is the heartbreak of unrequited love. Mozart’s Divertimento in D and Wirén’s Serenade for Strings round out the program. An excerpt from Mozart’s piece appears in The Beatle’s animated film Yellow Submarine when the Blue Meanies annihilate a string quartet. More: $20; March 6, 7:30 p.m.; online; charlottesymphony.org
JESSICA MEYER (‘SLOW BURN’)
ONGOING
3/6
ONGOING
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W/ALLS
What: The Mint Museum Uptown presents W|ALLS: Defend, Divide, and the Divine. Ranging from the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem to the toppled Berlin Wall, the exhibit examines the historic use and artistic treatment of walls over the centuries. It features more than 130 photographs taken by 67 photographers across five continents. Local photographers spotlighted in the show include Will Jenkins, who photographed Dammit Wesley’s Strange Fruit mural in uptown Charlotte; Uncle Jut, who photographed Darion Fleming’s Pure’ll Gold mural; and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Linda Foard Roberts. More: Free -$15; Feb. 24–July 25; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org
LATE BLOOMER
3/3
DJ SPIDER (COVERT MISSION 5)
3/5
MUSIC FEATURE
EMOTIONAL BEDROCK
Power trio draws from the past to forge a hard-rock future BY PAT MORAN
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“Trigger warning: This video contains depictions of injustice,” reads the title card. As the graphic fades, drummer DJ Buchanan’s hihat hisses and Viky Leone’s bass bubbles like a witch’s cauldron before Matthew Leone’s whiplash guitar riff swoops and circles. As the hard-rock trio ratchets-up the tension, Viky’s jittery line-drawn animation shudders across the screen depicting a horrified finger-pointing woman, a huddled figure spiraling in the void and a cloudburst of accusing eyes. As Matthew’s arching vocals ascend, lyrics appear onscreen: “The closet’s unlocked ‘cause it’s skeleton-free/ And the beast of temptation has choked on the key...” “[It’s] about the hypocrisy of people pointing
fingers at other people when they themselves are horrible,” says Viky, explaining the genesis of the song “Soap Head.” The resulting song and accompanying video, released in July, encapsulates the Leone brothers chiaroscuro approach to rock — a clash between light and dark, cacophony and compassion, brutality and beauty. “Soap Head” is an intense statement, coming from a power trio with perhaps the most un-rock name you’ve ever heard: Wilma. “We joke with people and say that it’s because of The Flintstones,” Matthew says. In fact, the name Wilma originated with alt-metal band Helmet’s composition “Wilma’s Rainbow,” one of the first songs the brothers played together. Matthew says he WILMA (FROM LEFT): MATTHEW LEONE, DJ BUCHANAN AND VIKY LEONE. also wanted a feminine band name to confound expectations. he bought the CD and played the rampaging “Run to “If you hear a name like Rage Against the the Hills,” he was hooked. Iron Maiden made Matthew Machine...” Matthew begins. want to play drums. Later, The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s “...or Cradle of Filth...,” Viky interjects “Purple Haze” inspired him to pick up a guitar, and “...You can guess what you’re in for,” Matthew Soundgarden gave him the impetus to sing. concludes. “With a band called Wilma, you don’t But growing up in Manassas, Virginia, and know what it might sound like.” getting further into the new millennium, the Leone brothers were out of sync. Unlike their peers, they From Iron Maiden to Uncle Tony cherished music from the 1990s — Soundgarden’s “Growing up all I ever wanted to do was be in a slow introspective grooves, Pantera’s pummeling band that rocked the socks off of every person in the aggression and Alice in Chains’ intricate harmonies. world,” Matthew says. “When we were young, we harmonized like The Leone Brothers are earnest and erudite as [Alice in Chains’] Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley,” they tell their band’s story at a corner table at Birdsong Viky remembers. “Harmonies are now a huge part Brewery. Twenty-five-year-old bassist Viky goes by of our sound.” the name Steven in his day job as an art teacher at To battle the boredom of Manassas, Viky started Harding University High School. His nickname comes writing songs with his high school friend Gage Duvall. from his middle name Ludwig, pronounced “Lutvik” as The friends launched the band Faces of Society, it is in Germany, where they often shorten it to Viky. and recruited Matthew on guitar, accompanied by Viky’s younger brother, 22-year-old Matthew, is Viky on keyboards and rudimentary bass. Viky says effusive about working as a barista and a baker at the band was shooting for heavy metal, but often Central Coffee Co. sounded like an homage to Depeche Mode. “It’s my favorite place that I’ve ever worked,” “We made one tour out of pocket,” Viky says. “We Matthew says, calling his bosses and co-workers went completely broke but it was beautiful experience.” lovely. Meanwhile, Matthew was writing and recording Writing poems and lyrics at age 8, Matthew found songs in the basement of the family home. The inspiration in music he loved. As a military family, the demo for his song “Alien,” on which he sang and Leones once lived in Naples, Italy, where Matthew went played all instruments, caught the ear of his uncle into a music store and was drawn to the pulp horror Tony Leone, who at one time sang with Dirtbag cover art of Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast. When Love Affair and currently fronts The Grave Rollers.
PHOTO BY NICK KING
Drawing on his connections, Tony invited Matthew down to the Queen City in 2017 to re-record “Alien” in a professional studio manned by Steve Coleman (Slack Babbath, No Power No Crown). Matthew went down and cut the song. Chalking up the session as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, he went back to Manassas, until in 2019 he returned to Charlotte to record more of his songs with Coleman. In the interim, Coleman had called on The Walbournes’DJ Buchanan to re-record the drum part. When Matthew heard Buchanan’s work, he was blown away. “I decided to launch the band when I met DJ,” Matthew says. He contacted Viky, then living in Palm Beach Springs, Florida, to play bass in the newly formed Wilma. Viky jumped at the offer. “It happened quickly,” Viky says. “It snowballed.” The Leone brothers started practicing regularly with Buchanan, who introduced Matthew and Viky to his bandmates in The Walbournes. “We befriended [The Walbournes] and they took us along for a lot of their shows during the first two months that we lived here,” Viky says. Fortunate to have a support group of friends just as they jumped into the Charlotte music scene, Viky and Matthew frequented Skylark Social Club, The Milestone, and other local music venues. At the same time, Tony Leone did far more than introduce his nephews to his music connections, Viky maintains. After the brothers moved to Charlotte, the elder Leone and his wife housed them for a
MUSIC FEATURE month and helped them find a place to live. “Tony knew people and also gave us the backbone to go be adults,” Viky says. Matthew says moving to Charlotte was one of the best decisions he ever made. “I knew that music was my life from day one,” he says. “I needed to be in a place where music mattered and there were other musicians, likeminded people like me, that I could learn from.” In contrast to Charlotte, Manassas held nothing musically or intellectually stimulating for the Leone brothers. “I could see myself going nowhere if I had stayed there,” Matthew says. Once Viky settled in Charlotte, he resolved to play bass properly. A keyboardist at heart, he was not comfortable with stringed and fretted instruments. Although Viky had taught himself simple bass lines to get Wilma’s songs across, he decided to add a few more notes per measure. Given the bands power trio lineup, Viky’s approach fills spaces left by the absence of a rhythm guitarist. “When the guitar isn’t fully riffing, I’m doing more with my fingers,”Viky offers. “When [Matthew] comes back, I just relax.” With Coleman’s attention shifting to his solo career, Matthew decided to find a new producer for the band. He went on Facebook and typed in “studio.” The first thing that came up was Dead Peasant Studio. Matthew thought the name was awesome and gave them a call.
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Rot ‘n’ Roll with Dead Peasant
Wilma immediately hit it off with studio owner and producer Brandon Hamby. “I asked him what kind of music influenced him,” Matthew says. “He said he loved Alice in Chains, and I said, ‘You’re perfect!’” Viky credits Hamby with technical expertise and an ear for crafting and mixing a song, but he particularly praises the producer for his lack of ego and ability to listen to what his clients want. “Many people with his talent are very opinionated,” Viky offers. “Brandon gives us suggestions, but if we don’t like them, he’s cool.” Wilma’s first session with Hamby in November 2019 yielded a re-recorded version of “Alien,” which was released as the band’s first single on January 10, 2020. The mid-tempo slow-burning rocker ascends to a volley of interlocking incendiary riffs reeled off by Matthew, which enfold and cradle the guitarist’s
introspective lyrics: “Finally, I see it, what I am/I’m an alien in my head...” “I’m telling the world I’m this weird thing,” Matthew says. “It sounds like it’s sad, but I’m discovering something about myself. I’m confessing … letting the world in on a secret that I might not say in a normal conversation.” Viky praises his brother’s deeply personal, yet universal lyrics, saying they are particularly impressive when you consider that Matthew penned them when he was 15 years old. A second Dead Peasant session in February 2020 produced six new songs that became the foundation for Wilma’s first full-length release Will Yell, which was not released until the following October. Among those tunes was Wilma’s second single “Rot.” “It’s got an interesting time signature,” Viky says. “Matthew came up with a riff, got me to follow him on bass and created an entire song in a couple of weeks. It was our most exciting song on the album.” The grooving, thrashing rocker also became the soundtrack for the band’s first music video. Amid a squall of guitar feedback, a roaring decaying chord emerges. A nimble Middle-Eastern sounding bassline coils like a cobra, as thundering drums propel a series of spiraling riffs. The lyrics don’t kick in until well past the twominute mark, and that’s when viewers of the high contrast black and white video may notice that the band members are isolated and never in the frame together. Buchanan pummels the skins in a forest clearing. Matthew wails on his guitar in an abandoned parking garage. Viky, mohawked and face-painted like a warrior, flails his bass in a darkened tunnel. For the “Rot” video, shot in February 2020, the band filmed each member’s performance separately — a prescient vibe that would become more popular in the months of quarantine to come. “We went to Chantilly Park,” Viky says. “At first, we were filming in an open field. Then this big guy came up and said there was a really cool tunnel nearby.” The shots of Viky flailing on his bass and brandishing a torch in the darkened tunnel looked so good, it solidified Wilma’s plan to shoot each band member separately. Matthew and Viky shot footage of each other playing guitar and bass, and Buchanan recruited friend Shelby Bumgarner to film his performance in a tree-lined glade. The video was simple to shoot, but it yielded stark and captivating results. Both the song and accompanying video dropped on April 17. “I’m the proud of [the video] in terms of how much effort I put into it and the actual result,” Viky says.
Yelling & Crying
Another song recorded during the highly productive Dead Peasant session in February became the basis of Wilma’s second video, the edgy and agitated animated presentation for “Soap Head.” “Uncle Tony said, ‘Why don’t you release one more cool song, just to get people excited?’” Viky remembers. Two days before the single’s release, Viky sat down to animate the scrawling line drawings that propel the song’s impressionist narrative. For the band’s first overtly political statement, Viky drew inspiration from the October 2018 Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. Future Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh was credibly accused of sexually assaulting Christine Blasey Ford while they were both in high school. Following a supplemental FBI investigation into the allegations, the Senate voted 50–48 to confirm Kavanaugh’s nomination to the highest court in the land. “No matter what happened, [Kavanaugh] was portraying himself as this biblical character: ‘Just look at me, I’m so precious and sweet with my calendars,’” says Viky. “These are the people who make me the most nervous. They try to tell you that they are squeaky clean.” The “Soap Head” single and video dropped in July. Along with four other songs, “Alien,” “Rot,” and “Soap Head” all appear on May Yell. The title forms the first sentence in a story as brief as a haiku, Matthew offers. “It’s a tiny saga – ‘Wilma may yell,’” he says. “I named [the album] that specifically because most of the songs on it are outwardly directed. There is a lot of anger, frustration and sadness directed at someone or something.” With songs that “yell,” Matthew has recently harnessed anger as a tool, balancing it with the interior examinations and discoveries that fueled earlier songs like “Alien.” “What has happened in the past four years has angered me greatly,” he says. “But it has also caused me and millions of other people to pay attention to what’s going on in the world.” While May Yell, a collection that draws on influences like Rage Against The Machine, is outwardly directed with aggression, one song on the album turns emotion inward to mourn the loss of a fellow artist. “Fix the Sun” is Matthew’s tribute to the late Chris Cornell, front man for two major Wilma inspirations: Soundgarden and Audioslave. The song grapples with the emotional turmoil that led Cornell to take his own life in 2017. It makes several references to Cornell’s lyrics, most notably the sun motif that recurs throughout his work.
“Cornell was a poet,” Matthew says. “He uses … intense linguistic tools to pull you into this thing he’s feeling inside.” Like “Fix the Sun,” Wilma’s second album, slated for a 2022 release, returns to the inward examination of the band’s earliest material. In contrast to the first album’s title May Yell, the new collection will be called May Cry. “Wilma may cry,”Matthew says. It’s the second half of Wilma’s saga, the intuitive yin to May Yell’s assertive yang. While several songs still need to be mixed and mastered and others have yet to be recorded, the Leone brothers reveal that the new album will delve into contemplation and soul-searching. That said, it may be the catchiest batch of tunes Wilma has ever produced. The music is dynamic and energetic, Viky says, but the lyrics deal with existential dread. Moving forward, Wilma will likely continue the balancing act between aggression and introspection, Matthew offers. “They scratch different itches, but I hold the same amount of love for each,” he says. It’s the kind of knife-edge balancing act between militancy and empathy that you’d expect from a blistering rock band with the unlikely name of Wilma. PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM
FOOD & DRINK FEATURE
RAISING THE BAR
Bob Peters’ builds up Garage Bar at home while the industry idles
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BY ALLISON BRADEN
On a cold February evening, renowned Charlotte mixologist Bob Peters turns off the heater in his garage. He casts his iPhone screen to a 55-inch TV mounted on the wall and plugs a ring light into an extension cord. The professional studio light, which Peters scored for $35 on Facebook Marketplace, illuminates Peters’ quarantine venture: The Garage Bar. When restaurants and bars shut down and his consulting business dried up last spring, Peters began to turn his double garage in Plaza Midwood into a — well, not a bar exactly. That wouldn’t be legal. It’s partly a home studio, where Peters can broadcast cocktail classes on Zoom or Instagram, and partly a sanctuary, a place to refine recipes and indulge in a craft that COVID — and at times the state legislature — has done its best to derail. Even though this project began soon after the pandemic struck, Peters only recently began to brand and publicize the space. His new Instagram (@garagebarclt) and logo, which spells out “Garage Bar” in a tool-themed font, are Peters’ latest attempts to connect his homebound community over cocktails and conversation. The group he’s hosting tonight chats about the ingredients they had to purchase in advance, like Jarrito’s grapefruit soda, and cracks jokes about rolling in late to work the next day. Peters reads the virtual room: “It’s fun how much you can extrapolate in just a few minutes.” He can already tell this will be a laid-back crowd; it’s seven minutes past the start time and no one is in a rush to get going. When they do, Peters reassures them that questions are welcome anytime. “This is going to be more of a conversation among friends than a class,” he says. Almost a year ago, lounging inside a cozy bar and indulging in a long evening of public drinking became activities that put the community at risk. But that didn’t diminish demand for alcohol. Last spring, lines stretched down the sidewalk outside local ABC stores. National companies
BOB PETERS CONNECTS WITH THE VIEWERS.
offering home delivery of liquor like Drizly saw business boom. Last fall, Nielsen market data showed that alcohol sales not on bar or restaurant premises went up 24% during the coronavirus crisis. Happy hours didn’t go away, they went virtual. As COVID clamped down on the service industry in spring 2020, many states immediately launched bipartisan efforts to facilitate alcohol sales. Virginia, Texas, California, New York, and Maryland allowed restaurants to sell cocktails to go. “This additional flexibility will allow more restaurants to stay open and more people to remain employed during this challenging time,” Thomas Lisk, a lawyer who lobbied for the Virginia directive on behalf of the restaurant industry, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, “while also benefiting Virginia consumers who may prefer spirits over other beverages.” Peters and other industry professionals supported similar initiatives in North Carolina. To-go beverages wouldn’t necessarily save the industry, but as Peters says, “Every little bit helps.” Sales of just two or three extra drinks per night can help a restaurant stave off closure. In April, Republican state representatives Chuck McGrady of Hendersonville and Jamie Boles of Southern Pines fought for a provision that would allow restaurants to sell a max of two mixed alcoholic beverages per meal in closed containers during the state’s coronavirus emergency. The measure failed. It wasn’t until last December that North Carolina authorized the sale of to-go cocktails. (Even then, the measure wasn’t what many restaurateurs had hoped for: Drinks must be sold in sealed containers,
PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN
and their sale is limited to one per person.) In the meantime, mixologists and bartenders had to design ways to keep their careers — and industry — relevant. Peters, who stepped away from his role as head mixologist at The Punch Room in Uptown in mid-2018, knew he had to act fast to salvage some
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FOOD & DRINK FEATURE
Peters teaches the group how to make three bourbon cocktails, beginning with a unique spin on Mexico’s classic paloma (see recipe at the top right of this page), which typically features tequila. He intersperses his instructions with tips and expertise to help them get the best results not just now but whenever they mix drinks (fresh citrus juice, never artificial — and doublestrain for sexy, smooth texture). By the time everyone finishes shaking the second drink and pours it into their coupe glass — or whatever cup is handy — he’s already winning over converts. One attendee says she usually prefers wine, but she’s impressed with this alternative. Another says he wasn’t a big bourbon fan before, but he loves both of these drinks.
knows not everyone will want to spend the time and energy required to make a whole range of truly great cocktails at home. Instead, those who attend his events will have a deeper understanding of the effort and expertise that goes into his and other mixologists’ work. In more ways than one, the Garage Bar’s toolkit logo is fitting. Out in the garage, among Christmas decorations, cardboard boxes of memorabilia and an enviable DVD collection, Peters is building something. As he crafts cocktails, he also creates homes full of budding connoisseurs — ones that will support the future of cocktail bars and nights out with lovers and friends, no matter what that future looks like.
income and support his wife, Jena, and 10-year-old daughter, Georgia Beth. “The shutdown,” he says, “threw a giant monkey wrench into my career.” He’d started consulting on cocktail programs after leaving the Punch Room — creating the bar menu at Dilworth’s now-shuttered The Queen & Glass — but those prospects looked dim at the outset of the pandemic. As soon as he realized that the stay-at-home order would last much longer than the initial two weeks, he started brainstorming. Life would soon take place mostly in the digital realm, and he needed a place to generate income. “I should make a bar,” he finally decided. “OK, I’ve got the garage. And that’s about it.” He bought some shelves and organized his extensive liquor collection. He set up an iPhone stand and learned how to replicate professional lighting with inexpensive can lights and a sliced-up opaque shower curtain. “What are you doing out there?” he recalls Jena asking. He told her he was building a bar. Her next question, Peters says, was, “What’s PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN WRITER ALLISON BRADEN LOOKS ON AS BOB PETERS HOSTS A VIRTUAL COCKTAIL WORKSHOP. this going to cost us?” Not much, as it turned out. Peters kept It can be exhausting to host these events. With “That makes them enjoy and appreciate the the first stages of the project under $500. everyone’s mics muted, Peters has to generate cocktail because now their knowledge is greater, He wasn’t going for a sleek, overly professional all the energy himself. But those little moments because of everything that they’ve done at home,” look. of revelation keep him going. He lets viewers in Peters says. “So I look at all of these things as a really “If it just looks like a nice bar in a restaurant,” he on the little tweaks that make a good cocktail weird blessing. I honestly think that the culinary says, “that, to me, is not relatable. I wanted it to be a unforgettable. world — and the cocktail world — is going to little rough around the edges.” “Watching people’s epiphany when they see come out of this situation stronger. And I believe He quickly found an audience. Since the the difference — it’s so magical,” he says. “They that our guests and our future guests are only going pandemic began, he’s hosted workshops and start to put things together, and now they’re really to appreciate what we do even more.” events for Amazon, grocery store chain Wegman’s interested in what happened.” INFO@QCNERVE.COM and liquor delivery company Caskers, as well as But he’s not worried about creating a legion dozens of private events, including birthday parties, of future competitors. When the pandemic is over bachelorette bashes and office socials, like the one and people can finally gather at the bar again, he he’s hosting tonight.
BOB PETERS’ BOURBON PALOMA Ingredients: 1.5 oz. 1792 Small Batch bourbon .5 oz. fresh-squeezed lime juice 1 oz. fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice 1 oz. simple syrup Jarrito’s grapefruit soda 1 grapefruit wedge for garnish Peters calls this brand of bourbon an excellent value — and suitable for daily sipping. Typically, simple syrup is made with a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar. Halve the sugar for a more delicate sweetness. Look for Jarrito’s in the international section of the grocery store. If you can’t find it, Squirt — or even Sprite — will do. 1. Fill a Collins glass with ice. 2. Put a handful of ice in a shaker and add bourbon, simple syrup and lime and grapefruit juices. Shake well. Pour into glass through the shaker’s strainer and a fine-mesh strainer for smoother texture. 3. Top with grapefruit soda. 4. Garnish with thin grapefruit wedge.
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1961 E 7th Street Wed - Sat 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday Brunch 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. TheStanleyCLT.com
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LIFESTYLE PUZZLES
LIFESTYLE PUZZLES SUDOKU
BY LINDA THISTLE
PLACE A NUMBER IN THE EMPTY BOXES IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH ROW ACROSS, EACH COLUMN DOWN AND EACH SMALL 9-BOX SQUARE CONTAINS ALL OF THE NUMBERS ONE TO NINE. ©2020 King Feautres Syndicate, Inc. All rights reserved.
TRIVIA TEST BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ
1. GAMES: Which chess piece can only move diagonally? 2. U.S. STATES: What is the capital of Nevada? 3. LANGUAGE: What is a lexicon? 4. HISTORY: What was the first sport played on the moon? 5. LITERATURE: In his will, what gift did Albus Dumbledore give to Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter book series? 6. MOVIES: What was the first Disney song to win an Academy Award for best original movie song? 7. GEOGRAPHY: What is the capital of Bermuda? 8. INVENTIONS: Who first invented a successful vaccine for rabies? 9. ASTRONOMY: Which two planets in our solar system do not have moons? 10. MATH: What is the Arabic equivalent of the Roman numerals MDCCCXII?
CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Stallion, e.g. 6 Saudi, e.g. 10 Floats gently 15 Livens (up) 19 Optic layers 20 Female adult 21 Accustom 22 Roman 951 23 Sweet capsicum variety 25 Bacon piece 26 Give kudos 27 Queen, in Spanish 28 Mickey & Sylvia hit of 1957 31 Don -32 Suddenly become alert 35 Tetley pouch 36 Extremely scarce 41 President pro -43 Brainy bunch 44 Bit of Vail gear 45 The “sum” of “Cogito, ergo sum” 46 Bona -47 Christmas poem opener 49 Sinister powers 54 Wooed with tunes 58 Comic blows 59 Fragrant 60 Best Actress nominee for “Breaking the Waves” 63 Turn aside 64 Category 65 Hit, as a gnat 66 Place 67 Lure for fish 71 Deodorant target 74 Song from “Oklahoma!” 77 How fast a plane is flying
80 Govt. agent 81 Comic Gilda 82 Deep pessimism 84 Installed, as brick 86 Actor Ladd 87 Soft throw 88 Chum 89 Lhasa -- (small dogs) 94 Visibly angry 95 Highly venomous cephalopod 101 Filled the fuel tank, with “up” 103 User of four-letter words 104 “-- Smile Be Your Umbrella” 105 “Guys and Dolls” guy 109 Rockers Clapton and Burdon 111 Fitzgerald of jazz 112 Cliffside nest 113 What you do when you look at the ends of nine long answers in this puzzle 117 Regal Norse name 118 Adorn fussily 119 Morales in movies 120 Haggard of country 121 Where AT&T is “T” 122 Squiggly letters 123 Breeding 1-Across 124 Carne -- (Baja dish) DOWN 1 Central area 2 Make hackneyed 3 Brush up on 4 City near Monterey 5 Fox Sports alternative 6 High, rugged peak 7 Drake’s music 8 University in Nassau County 9 Mechanical way to learn
10 Prudent 11 Part of ABM 12 Animal coats 13 French for “sad” 14 Days of the week, e.g. 15 Campus workstation locale 16 Tending to radiate something 17 Provided juice for? 18 Pro or con 24 Give relief to 29 Composer Carl Maria -- Weber 30 Cheer shout 31 Printer clog 33 Org. in “The Martian” 34 With 53-Down, requests 37 Broken-down 38 Knights, e.g. 39 Tic-toe link 40 Retired professors 42 Defrost 46 Was achy or regretful 48 “Holy cow!” 49 Hoof or paw 50 Totally dominate 51 Good craps roll 52 Keats work 53 See 34-Down 54 Place 55 Novelist Tan 56 Small bite 57 Comedic actor Jackie 58 H.S. junior’s exam 61 It has fluttery leaves 62 Twirl, as one’s thumbs 63 Naturalist Fossey 66 Con game 68 “Anthem” writer Rand 69 Suffix with hero
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PG.18 PUZZLE ANSWERS
SUMMONING JEKYLL AND SEUSS ©2020 King Feautres Syndicate, Inc. All rights reserved.
70 The Raptors, on NBA schedules 72 Engine stat 73 “-- culpa” 74 “I think,” in texts 75 Half of hexa76 Anwar of Egypt 77 Culture base 78 In a criminal way 79 Book full of street maps 80 Desert in Mongolia 83 Palme -84 Sonny boys 85 Balm plant 88 Most cheeky 90 Maintains order over 91 Prisms’ color bands 92 Was a better peddler than 93 Org. issuing nine-digit IDs 95 Youth org. with troops 96 Delaware Valley tribe 97 Cows’ milk deliverers 98 Pvt.’s superior 99 False appearances 100 Street -- (urban acceptance) 102 Cut off stubble 105 An inert gas 106 Certain dwarf planet 107 Clock info 108 Gym lifter’s units 110 Tomato variety 114 Water, in Nantes 115 Give relief to 116 Irish actor Stephen
LIFESTYLE COLUMN
THE SEEKER ME, MYSELF AND I
Practicing self-love through an extrasensory lens
Pg. 20 FEB 24 - MAR 9, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM
BY KATIE GRANT
In the name of Valentine’s Day tradition, this year I committed time and attention to the person I care about most: myself. Before you judge me as vainglorious or narcissistic person, hear me out. After losing myself in — and rediscovering myself after — a series of unhealthy relationships throughout my teens and early twenties, I’ve learned a truth. I must love myself first and foremost before I can fully love another. This truth connects us with the meaningful theme of self-care, a term I will use interchangeably with selflove. But what qualifies as this generous act? According to Psychology Today, “Self-care is a continuous process of proactively considering and tending to your needs and maintaining your wellness.” In short, it’s an appreciation of one’s own worth or virtue; a mindset which can be viewed as healthy and far-removed from selfish. You may argue that self-care is a trendy buzzword, but I will counter-argue that it’s anchored in the zeitgeist. I view it as a refreshing mental shift from the self-doubt of impostor syndrome so many of us are plagued with. Herein lies another truth: Comparison is the thief of joy. To stop comparing myself (to yoga teachers on social media, to community leaders with more advanced college degrees) and discover true joy, I must envelope myself wholly as an act of self-love. While traversing my path of self-love and care, I find an online Valentine’s Day masterclass in how love created from the inside is able to manifest more love on the outside. This Empowered Extrasensory class is the perfect way to pass a love-centric holiday. In fact, the name Valentine is derived from a Latin word “valens,” meaning worthy, strong or powerful — all proclamations of self-love that align perfectly with an hour-long virtual empowerment course. Prerequisites include a willingness to show up as I am with an open heart. Sounds like a life mantra I might adopt for 2021. As I tune into the virtual Valentine’s Day
Empowered Extrasensory class from home, along with a handful of other participants, our guide explains what “extrasensory” means. In simplest terms, since extra means outside or beyond, extrasensory is defined as beyond the senses. According to ancient systems, each chakra is associated with one of the five senses and beyond, hence the extrasensory branding. After verbalizing the masterclass outline, she initiates the core activity of the masterclass — a meditation focusing on and balancing our rainbow of chakras. The root chakra is associated with the sense of smell, so we are instructed to light a scented candle while focusing on warmth it evokes. Moving upwards, toward the sacral chakra, she asks us to savor the taste of something. Since the sacral chakra is associated with the color orange, I sip on immune-strengthening citrus turmeric tea, which also creates a warming sensation, but this time from the inside. Next is the solar plexus, which is connected to our sense of sight. Our guide suggests staring at the flame of the candle, which for some reason pushes me out of my comfort zone. Instead, I recline onto the security of my yoga mat, close my eyes and re-envision my goals for the year. I have to remember this practice is all about me, and since my video is turned off I can take this meditation in any direction. Then comes the heart chakra, which links us to our sense of touch. Our guide proposes we gently rub the soles of our feet as an act of self-care, followed by covering them with a pair of our warmest socks. As we make our way up to the throat chakra, we focus on our breathing and initiate a technique called lion’s breath — a practice thought to help relieve tension, eliminate toxins, and stimulate the area of the throat associated with communication. If you’ve been counting, you’ll see this concludes the five basic senses, all of which send information to the brain to help us better understand the world around us. Stepping beyond the basic five and into the extrasensory, we bring our awareness to sixth chakra — which you may have heard referred to as our third eye, located between our eyebrows. This area is associated with the pineal gland, located in the middle of the brain, and resembles the pine cone for which its name is derived. In ancient symbolism, the pine cone alludes to spiritual illumination for this reason. Here I recall artist Thom Thoune’s pine cone structures that frame the
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North Wendover Road police station and wonder what the connection is. Lastly we reach savasana, or corpse pose. Savasana typically marks the end of a physical yoga practice, allowing our heart rate, breath and body temperature to return to normal before returning to our daily tasks off the mat. Savasana also helps to calm and balance the crown chakra, which allows us to be fully connected spiritually. Notice the crown chakra is not associated with a sense, but is the center of consciousness, which processes the combined input of all the other chakras. As our meditation concludes, I can’t help but wonder if I’m walking away vibrating at a higher frequency of love. While I’m not necessarily able to measure the hertz of my being post-class to confirm, the law of attraction implies that if we want to manifest more love, we must come from a place of love where we express benevolent qualities — compassion, empathy, understanding, respect — all states of consciousness that free us from limiting beliefs and actions that curtail spiritual growth. Sometimes it’s nice just to be reminded of this, even if it means spending Valentine’s Day alone. INFO@QCNERVE.COM
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LIFESTYLE
HOROSCOPE FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 2
MARCH 3 - MARCH 9
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Time is on your side in LIBRA
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Whatever decisions LIBRA
(September 23 to October 22) the early part of the week. But anything left undone Disappointments are never easy to take, but you by midweek will need to be put into rush mode. The have the ability to learn from them and go on to weekend offers choices for you and someone special. success. Meanwhile, continue to build up your contacts. You’ll need them soon.
(September 23 to October 22) you’re faced with this week, rely on your strong Aries Congratulations. Your good intentions are finally instincts, and base them on your honest feelings, recognized, and long-overdue appreciation should not necessarily on what others might expect you to follow. Keep working toward improvements do. wherever you think they’re necessary.
TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Finally getting credit for a contribution is nice for all you idea-generating SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Things Ferdinands and Fernandas. But don’t sit on your might still be going much too slowly to suit you. But laurels under the cork tree. Use it as a first step to a you need the time to make sure they’re going in the right direction. It’s easier to make a course correction bigger opportunity. now rather than later.
TAURUS (April 30 to May 20) Your sensitive Taurean spirit is pained by what you feel is an unwarranted attack by a miffed colleague. But your sensible self should see it as proof that you must be doing something right.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Despite the progress
made, a hint of doubt might set in. That’s OK. You SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) need to stop and consider not only what you’re Showing some temperament at the way things doing but also how you are doing. Make adjustments are going is one way of getting your point across. where needed. Just don’t overdo it, or you risk turning away moremoderate supporters.
CANCER
(June 21 to July 22) The dreamer is dominant in the Moon Child’s aspect, but a dollop CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Things of hardheaded practicality is coming up fast and could change more quickly this week than you like. jockeying for space. The challenge is to make room But don’t fret; you’ll most likely find that you’re up to the challenges. The weekend offers much-needed for both modes. relaxation.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) It’s a good week for Leos
and Leonas to start assessing what they’ve done and AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Big what they plan to do. Moving to a new environment challenge coming up? Uncross those fingers and — home or job-related — is a possibility for some believe that you’re going to do well. And keep in Cats. mind that so many people have faith in your ability to succeed.
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VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) The week
calls for Virgos to make tough decisions, but in a way PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Testing that leaves the door open for changes. Ask for advice the waters is a good way of learning about an from someone who has been in the position you’re opportunity before plunging right in. Ask more in now. questions and be alert to any attempts to avoid giving complete answers.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 2) Try to look at your options without prejudging any of them. Learn the facts, and then make your assessments. Spend the weekend enjoying films, plays and musical events.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) More fine-tuning SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) might be in order before you can be absolutely certain that you’re on the right track. Someone close to you might offer to help. The weekend favors family get-togethers.
Someone might want to take advantage of the Sagittarian’s sense of fair play. But before you ride off to right what you’ve been told is a wrong, be sure of your facts.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The week continues CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You to be a balancing act ‘twixt dreaming and doing. But by week’s end, you should have a much better idea of what you actually plan to do and how you plan to do it.
might be surprised to learn that not everyone agrees with your ideas. But this can prove to be a good thing. Go over them and see where improvements can be made.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Changing your plans AQUARIUS can be risky, but it can also be a necessary move. Recheck your facts before you act. Tense encounters should ease by midweek, and all should be well by the weekend.
(January 20 to February 18) After taking advice on a number of matters in recent months, expect to be called on to return the gesture. And, by the way, you might be surprised at who makes the request.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might PISCES still be trying to adjust to recent changes. But things should improve considerably as you get to see some positive results. An uneasy personal matter calls for more patience.
BORN THIS WEEK: You have a gift for making people — and animals, too — feel special and loved.
(February 19 to March 20) Reassure everyone concerned that a change of mind isn’t necessarily a change of heart. You might still want to pursue a specific goal, but feel a need to change the way you’ll get there.
BORN THIS WEEK: You are able to make room in your heart for others, and that makes you a very special person in their lives.
2020 KING FEATURES SYND., INC.
LIFESTYLE COLUMN
PG.19 PUZZLE ANSWERS
SAVAGE LOVE DE-KINKED Back to being basic BY DAN SAVAGE
I know you and other sexperts say that kinks are ingrained and not something you can get rid of, but mine have all vanished! Ever since I started on antidepressants, my relationship with my body and how it reacts to pain — both physical and mental — has completely changed. I used to love getting bit and spanked and beat black and blue, but now all that just hurts. I used to love getting humiliated and spit on, commanded to do dirty things, but none of that holds much appeal anywhere. So what gives? Were these even kinks in the first place if they could vanish so easily with one little pill? Or were these coping mechanisms for emotional problems I no longer have? I know my libido is suppressed due to the meds. Did my kinks just follow my libido out the door?
Pg. 22 FEB 24 - MAR 9, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM
THE MISSING KINK
Antidepressants showed your kinks the door at the same time they showed your libido the door. Zooming out for a second: While some people find that consensual BDSM helps them cope with trauma and/ or process their emotional problems — or work through the kind of traumas that create emotional problems — many people into BDSM have no significant history of sexual trauma, TMK. Or whatever trauma(s) they did suffer, sexual or otherwise, didn’t create or shape their kinks. And while consensual BDSM can provide therapeutic benefits to a person who 1. has a history of trauma and 2. has an interest in kink — by making them feel in control of their own bodies (even if they’re temporarily ceding that control) — not everyone who’s kinky can point to a traumatic event at the root of their kinks. And kinky people shouldn’t have to cite trauma to justify the pleasure they find in getting bit, spanked, beaten, bruised, bound, etc. “It’s become an oft-repeated narrative of many a wellness think piece that BDSM and freaky fetishes are actually okay because they help people deal with their traumatic past,” as the writer, comedian, and self-described “Leatherdyke Muppet” Chingy Nea wrote in a recent essay about the creeping pathologizing of kink. “What gets you off is not inherently born of trauma or sign of dysfunction, nor does it require suffering to validate it. Being turned on by weird fucked up things you want to do with another
consenting adult is acceptable simply because it’s hot and sexy and fun.” Okay, TMK, back to your question: Antidepressants — one little pill that can relieve mental anguish and disappear a libido at the same time — can’t cure kinks but they can suppress them. I mean, think about it … if you’re not horny right now because of the antidepressants … you’re not going to be horny for the things that get you off when you are horny … because you’re not horny … because the antidepressants. If you miss your libido — and if you miss all TRIVIA ANSWERS: 4. Golf 7. Hamilton the hot and sexy and fun and fucked up things you used 1. The bishop 5. A deluminator, which takes away 8. Louis Pasteur to enjoy with other consenting adults — work with your 2. Carson City or restores light sources 9. Venus and Mercury doctor to find a different med that relieves your depres3. A dictionary 6. “When You Wish Upon a Star” 10. 1812 sion without tanking your libido, TMK, or a different dosage of the med you’re currently on that provides you with Good advice — don’t screw tomorrow what you can fulfilling sex without ever pulling your dick out. emotional benefits without depriving you of your libido Which is not to say you shouldn’t pull your dick out screw today — and I’m glad you didn’t pass on any of the and the kinks that come bundled with it. — you should. But if you’re feeling self-conscious about opportunities that came your way back when you could Follow Chingy Nea on Twitter @TheGayChingy. still “obtain and maintain” a fully erect cock. But I worry your cock, GHOST, seek out guys who aren’t looking for I’m a longtime reader who appreciates the you may be passing on all the sexual opportunities that sexual experiences that require a hard dick and you’ll feel less inhibited about pulling your dick out and getting candor and insight you’ve offered since, well, the are still available to you. yourself off as you get them off. Even if the rock-hard erections of your youth and 1990s! Yeesh. With that in mind, I have a piece You already took your own advice, GHOST, now you early-middle-age are gone forever, GHOST, you can still of advice I’d like to share with your readers. I’m a need to take mine: Stop grieving what you’ve lost and get give and receive pleasure. You can suck a cock, you can 56-year-old gay man. From my 20s though my 40s, out there enjoy what you’ve still got. get your ass fucked, you can fist and be fisted. And not I was as sexually active as often as it was possible every gay dude into daddies wants to be plowed by his for me to be. I loved sex and sought it every chance hot daddy. I got. It made me feel alive! Lots of gay guys wanna be orally serviced by hot Then just as I was about to enter my 50s, I startdaddies and lots of gay guys love having their holes eaten mail@savagelove.net; Follow Dan on Twitter @ ed to have erection problems. I could still come, and stretched with big toys and fists. You can be a good, FakeDanSavage; www.savagelovecast.com but a spongy dick is ego-deflating. Not wanting giving, and game partner and still have tons of hot and to accept what was going on, I talked to my doctor about it. I’ve tried Levitra, Cialis and now Viagra, as well as a host of cock rings. Not much of anything seems to help. I miss my sex life, and I miss the confidence that came with it. I didn’t expect this, nor did I plan for it. It’s a lonely feeling. That’s why I think it’s important for your readers to understand the following: Have all the sex you want and that you can while you can so long as you’re not hurting anyone or putting anyone at risk! Do this as often as you want to. Don’t put those sexual fantasies on the back burner. Don’t stay in a relationship that stifles you sexually! You owe it to yourself to experience what you want to experience today. Don’t take tomorrow for granted as tomorrow might have something else in store for you.
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PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR
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THE OUTBREAK OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) MAY BE STRESSFUL FOR PEOPLE. FEAR AND ANXIETY ABOUT A DISEASE CAN BE OVERWHELMING AND CAUSE STRONG EMOTIONS IN ADULTS AND CHILDREN. COPING WITH STRESS WILL MAKE YOU, THE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT, AND YOUR COMMUNITY STRONGER. EVERYONE REACTS DIFFERENTLY TO STRESSFUL SITUATIONS. HOW YOU RESPOND TO THE OUTBREAK CAN DEPEND ON YOUR BACKGROUND, THE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PEOPLE, AND THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN.
-Fear and worry about your own health and the health of your loved ones -Changes in sleep or eating patterns -Difficulty sleeping or concentrating -Worsening of chronic health problems -Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
-Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting. -Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate. Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs. -Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy. -Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.
ONLINE THERAPY OPTIONS
OPEN PATH COLLECTIVE
A nonprofit that connects people with private practice therapists that choose to participate. Digital therapy is available for a $59 membership tinyurl.com/opcollective Pg. 23 FEB 24 - MAR 9, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM
PSYCHOLOGY TODAY
An interactive website where users can enter their zip code to find a counseling professional near them online with phone and video options available. tinyurl.com/psychtodayonline
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