YES! Weekly - August 7, 2024 by YES! Weekly

EAST GREENSBORO

East Greensboro NOW celebrated its 25th anniversary and some of the city’s all-stars at its dinner and awards presentation on Wednesday evening, July 31, at the Barber Park Event Center in East Greensboro.

4 Owners Kip Crawley and Autumn Holmes opened LOCKWOOD TAVERN in February... Lockwood Tavern got off to a good start, earning 2nd place in this year’s YES! Weekly Triad’s Best competition for Best Margarita.

5 The Little Theatre of WinstonSalem’s second production of its 90th season is a true scream perfectly in tune with the Halloween season: The smash off-Broadway musical “ LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS,” which will be presented October 18-20, 24-27, and November 1 -3.

7 This year’s Mrs. North Carolina American is High Point native MADELINE STEWART, an interior designer and dance instructor who now lives in Blowing Rock with her husband Ian. I caught up with Madeline recently to talk about her

background, her legacy connection to pageants, and her support for a special organization.

8 The first 30 minutes of RUNNING ON EMPTY don’t necessarily augur well for the remainder of the film, which marks the feature debut of writer/producer/director Daniel André.

12 Wakita Doriety’s wrongful death lawsuit against Greensboro Police Officer Matthew Sletten, who fatally shot her 17-year-old son NASANTO CRENSHAW, will proceed.

14 KILL THE BUDDHA, the peaceful polyrhythmic “Indie Folk/Buddha Blues” outfit led by Lenwood Edwards Jr. is coming to the Flat Iron for a show with Owen Fitzgerald and Creekbed on August 11.

Mr. Monopoly was in Greensboro Friday, looking for the hottest property and businesses to be featured on the new MONOPOLY: Greensboro Edition board that will debut in Spring 2025. Top Trumps USA, the American division of Winning Moves International and creators of classic games and puzzles, is seeking well-established Greensboro businesses and nonprofits to be part of this historic way to honor communities across the city.

MONOPOLY: Greensboro Edition will replace the perennial board game’s famous Atlantic City squares, from “Boardwalk” to “Park Place,” with Greensboro businesses, nonprofits and landmarks. This special edition MONOPOLY board will include customized Community Chest and Chance playing cards, as well as MONOPOLY money, ensuring that every detail of the game pays homage to the Greensboro community.

“Greensboro is such a dynamic community with a vibrant arts scene, charming neighborhoods, and rich history,”

said Lindsay Wallace, a representative at Top Trumps. “We aim to ensure that MONOPOLY: Greensboro Edition accurately portrays what Greensboro locals and tourists love about this charming city.”

From iconic landmarks — such as the International Civil Rights Center & Museum, Blandwood Mansion, Greensboro Arboretum, and LaBauer Park — and diverse neighborhoods to local businesses and nonprofits, there is a lot to highlight in the Greensboro community. Now is the time for everyone to get on board and submit their recommendations for their favorite organizations and landmarks around town. To ensure the board captures the most essential elements of Greensboro, Top Trumps is seeking recommendations from the public about which locations should be featured as squares on the board. All nominations can be emailed to Greensboro@toptrumps.com or submitted online at us.toptrumps.com via the “Monopoly Nominations” menu. !

Chow Down with John Batchelor at Lockwood Tavern

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

Owners Kip Crawley and Autumn Holmes opened Lockwood Tavern in February. They bought Danny’s, the former occupant of this space, and operated it for about a year before implementing their own concept. They describe the menu as “Southern-style bar food.” She is manager and runs the front of the house. She learned cooking and food from her family. He still works as an electronics engineer, but he puts in time at the restaurant sometimes in the evenings, and he cooks o -menu specials on weekends. His interest in cooking grew out of experiences he enjoyed in restaurants.

Lockwood Tavern got o to a good start, earning 2nd place in this year’s YES! Weekly Triad’s Best competition for Best Margarita. My wife tried the watermelon variation and found it commendable. The wine list is short, as you would expect in a place like this, but the selections we tried were good and reasonably priced. There is a chalkboard list of artisan beers, in addition to the usual suspects.

When I was growing up in Greensboro, my mother taught me that Neese’s sausage was luxury, gourmet meat. She only cooked it on special occasional weekends. I therefore enjoyed Lockwood’s Cheesy Sausage Dip, studded with fried Neese’s sausage and tomato chunks, hosted in blended cheeses. This earns special praise for pita wedges, fried brown and crispy. Corn Dip combines corn, ﬁnely diced jalapeño peppers, and bacon, in blended cheeses, for a lush result. You can choose

corn chips or pita wedges with either of these. In spite of my enamoration with the pita wedges, I felt obligated to get corn chips with corn dip and found them pleasantly crisp and ﬂavorful.

I would suggest a bit of caution if you order Pimiento Cheese Balls. They are really rich, and unless you have signiﬁcant capacity, one out of a serving of four might be enough. I think this should be shared, and I predict happy guests in that case. Hasselback Smoked Sausage is partially sliced and cut into smaller sections — maybe two bites per, and grilled, served with barbecue sauce. It’s a robust beginning, equally valid as a main course, I think.

One section of the menu is devoted to burgers and sandwiches, including a build-your-own list of ingredients, served on a choice of brioche, Texas toast, or wheat bread.

From the set sandwich selections, we chose two. The Club is noteworthy for the thickness of the primary meat slicesturkey and ham, augmented with bacon, American cheese, lettuce and tomato, on Texas toast. The thick bread is cut into quarters, which looks nice and facilitates bites. The Carolina Cuban is a southern variation on this classic, presenting pulled pork and smoked ham joined by Swiss cheese and lettuce on Texas toast. Pickles and mustard are the condiments. The presentation is flanked by “Carolina Gold” sauce. Sandwiches come with one side. We ordered homemade potato chips and were pleased to find plenty of real potato flavor.

Entrées are served with two sides.

Chicken gets a Southern-style treatment, a crusty fried breast ladled with milk gravy, a good rendition of a regional classic. Meatloaf is a thick, robust construction, coated with catsup. It yields solid depth of beef ﬂavor.

The Apple Honey Bourbon Grilled Pork Chop gets some of its taste from the named ingredients, also yielding good pork ﬂavor from a rather dark-seared exterior. A special one Saturday night was Shrimp Basket. Six large shrimp bore a pleasant, crisp crust. This came with French fries — unusually crisp, with a moderate level of potato ﬂavor.

Vegetables are available in a combination of three as an entrée, in addition to side servings. I definitely liked the blackeye peas, a good pairing with collards, flavored with ham hock. Asparagus is fresh, grilled just slightly firm — as it should be. Zucchini is cut into strips, French fry style, and fried to a pleasant crust. Fried okra is a winner, too. Fried green beans constitute a bit of a novelty, their crisp crust giving way to real green bean flavor. Don’t pass these up!

I did not try one of the dessert drink menu selections, but they look good. Maybe next time.

The restaurant is named after Lockwood Folly River in Brunswick County, a favorite vacation spot for the owners. Glad I don’t have to drive that far to share their food. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

Hours: 12-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Friday & Saturday, 12-10 p.m. Sunday Starters: $4.75-$14

Salads: $8.50-$12.50

Burgers and Sandwiches: $9.50-$14.50

Entrées: $11.25-$14.50

Shrimp Basket

Pimento Cheese Balls

Fried Chicken, Collards, Blackeye Peas

Cheesy Sausage Dip

Club Sandwich

Little Theatre of Winston-Salem holds “Little Shop” auditions

The Little Theatre of WinstonSalem’s second production of its 90th season is a true scream perfectly in tune with the Halloween season: The smash o -Broadway musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” which will be presented October 18-20, 24-27, and November 1 -3 at Hanesbrands Theatre, under the direction of Little Theatre veteran Chad Edwards, with music direction by Dan Dodson and choreography by Thao Nguyen.

First, however, a cast needs to be assembled, and auditions will be held 6-8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at the LTOWS o ces, 419 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem. There are multiple roles for men and women ages 18 and under. No appointment is necessary, and the auditions are open to one and all.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is the heartwarmingly horriﬁc story of Seymour, a bumbling young ﬂorist’s assistant whose life is turned upside down when he raises a plant that subsists entirely on human blood. As the bodies pile up, the plant (“Audrey II”) grows bigger, meaner, and hungrier — and Seymour begins to suspect he may be next on the menu!

The o -Broadway show, which remains one of the longest-running in history, was based on the 1960 film The Little Shop of Horrors, a “two-day wonder” — reportedly filmed in 48 hours! — was the brainchild of screenwriter Charles B. Gri th and producer/director Roger Corman, the much-beloved independent filmmaker who died in May at age 98 and was fondly known as “The King of the Bs,” and featured a memorable early appearance by Jack Nicholson as a masochistic dental patient.

For people of a certain age (ahem), the ﬁlm was a mainstay of syndicated television airings, having fallen into the public domain despite its cult status. It provided the inspiration for the duo of Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman (book and lyrics), who magniﬁed the

campy, kitschy, low-rent ambiance with a Grammy-nominated soundtrack. The musical “Little Shop of Horrors” opened in 1982 and was an immediate sensation, winning the Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Musical and Outstanding Lyrics. The subsequent 1986 ﬁlm version, which cost considerably more than Corman’s original ﬁlm, launched the careers of future Oscar winners Menken and Ashman, who later collaborated on such classic animated features as The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), and Aladdin (1992), although their partnership was tragically cut short by Ashman’s death from AIDS in 1991.

For the Little Theatre auditions, actors

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should prepare 16-32 measures of a song that properly showcases their vocal abilities and bring sheet music in the correct key. Musical accompaniment will be provided. The auditions include dance choreography, so actors are encouraged to dress comfortably and bring their jazz shoes (if they have them).

The ﬁrst read-through of the show is tentatively scheduled for August 19, and rehearsals are generally held Monday - Friday evenings, subject to the cast’s availability.

“Little Shop of Horrors” will be presented October 18-20, 24-27, and November 1-3. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturday (November 2), and Sundays. Tickets start at $14.50 and single tickets go on sale August 16.

For its 2024-’25 season, the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem is o ering an

“Anytime Pass” that includes five flexible tickets good for any mainstage production. In addition, it o ers a “Premier Anytime Pass” including five flexible tickets plus first access to premier aisle seats in Rows A-G for $150 (plus taxes and fees). Season pass holders also receive a $25 discount on tickets to December’s production of “A Christmas Carol” and the Spotlight Series presentations for $135 (plus taxes and fees). Discounts are also available for senior citizens (65 and over) and full-time students (with valid ID). For more information, call 336-725-4001 or visit https://www.ltofws.org/.

The o cial Little Theatre of WinstonSalem website is https://www.ltofws. org/. !

Mark Burger Contributor

ARTS ROUNDUP

The Delta Arts Center is delighted to announce its Annual Community Day, an all-day celebration of art, culture, and community spirit, set to take place on August 10th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This highly anticipated event promises to be an unforgettable experience, featuring a diverse lineup of talented performers, engaging activities, and vibrant local vendors. We invite everyone in the community to join us for this special occasion.

Headlining the event is the sensational Cynamon and the Spice Rack, renowned for their dynamic performances and captivating sound. Their music is sure to enthrall audiences of all ages and set the tone for a day ﬁlled with joyous festivities. Attendees will also be treated to the soulful melodies of singer Alphonse Williams, whose powerful voice and stage presence will leave a lasting impression. Additionally, poet Ciltona Cawthorne, aka “Deeply Black the Griot,” will share her profound and thought-provoking poetry, providing moments of reﬂection and inspiration.

The entertainment lineup continues with mesmerizing dance performances by Daliana Dance, showcasing their captivating routines, and the Greater Vision Dance Company, renowned for their energetic and beautifully choreographed acts. The event will also feature the soulful sounds of Fernando Jones and his band, whose bluesy tunes will keep the crowd engaged and entertained throughout the day. DJ Josh Perez, aka “DJ Smooth,” will be spinning tracks across various genres, ensuring that the energy remains high and the lawn is alive with excitement.

In addition to the stellar entertainment, Community Day will o er a variety of activities designed to engage attendees of all ages. Discover and purchase unique creations from talented local artists and makers, providing an opportunity to support the arts and take home oneof-a-kind pieces. A diverse array of local vendors will be on hand, o ering everything from handmade crafts to delicious treats, creating a bustling marketplace atmosphere. Food enthusiasts can look

forward to savoring delectable eats from some of the best food trucks in the area, ensuring there is something to satisfy every palate.

For our younger guests, Community Day promises a host of exciting activities. Kids will have a blast meeting Bolt, the beloved mascot from Winston-Salem Dash, who will be making a special appearance throughout the day. The bounce house will provide endless fun and entertainment, while face painting stations will allow children to transform into their favorite characters. To support students as they prepare for the upcoming school year, we will be giving away 150 backpacks ﬁlled with school supplies, helping to ensure they have the tools they need for success.

Join us for line dancing between our headliners’ sets and celebrate with your community at this end-of-summer party. Bring your friends and family for a day of fun, art, and connection. We encourage you to bring a chair, tent, and stay for the whole day to fully enjoy the festivities. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with neighbors, support local artists and vendors, and create lasting memories.

Triad Native to Compete for National Title

Growing up in the 1950’s we had one television set in the house, and most of the time Dad and I had it tuned to westerns. But once a year Mom made us watch the Miss America pageant, and that was OK with Dad because he got to see women in swimsuits. Mostly though we all watched to see if Miss North Carolina would win the title. Later this month Triad viewers can watch as one of our own competes in the sister pageant to Miss America.

Though it didn’t receive national attention until much later, the “Mrs.” America system of pageants has been around in one form or another since 1938, and it was created to celebrate married women and their families. One of its spin-o programs is the “Mrs. American” pageant in which our state’s representative for 2024 hopes to win the national title and go on to compete in the Mrs. World pageant. This year’s Mrs. North Carolina American is High Point native Madeline Stewart, an interior designer and dance instructor who now lives in Blowing Rock with her husband Ian. I caught up with Madeline recently to talk about her background, her legacy connection to pageants, and her support for a special organization.

Jim: Where were you born?

Madeline: I was born in Chicago in 1993, but we moved to High Point when I was really young so this is where I grew up and spent most of my life.

Jim: What do your parents do for a living?

Madeline: My mom is a doctor but most importantly, she’s one of my best friends. My dad is an independent sales rep for the Sherrill Furniture brands. I actually started my career in the furniture industry traveling with him during the summer months while I was in college. It was a great opportunity for me to learn sales and marketing ﬁrsthand.

Jim: Did you watch the Miss America pageant on TV when you were a little girl, and, if so, what was your impression?

Madeline: Absolutely! I remember seeing the women on stage and thinking what an honor it would be to represent

my state at a national level. I remember thinking those women were so beautiful and elegant, and as a young girl, those are the women that I looked up to. But most importantly, I remember looking at my mom‘s headshot on my nightstand from when she was ﬁrst runner-up for the Mrs. Illinois America title in 1991 and realizing how incredible it was that she could have been walking on a state-level stage.

Jim: You are a very accomplished dancer, so when did you ﬁrst show an interest in competitive dancing?

Madeline: I started when I was young, but didn’t really appreciate dance until I grew into my teenage years. When I was younger, it was more about just having a fun atmosphere to learn and grow. But as I got older, I started to make friendships that were critical for me during that stage of my life. Dance became a way for me to express myself emotionally and just get lost in the music. It also was an opportunity for me to spend some time with my mom. She was in medical school while I was growing up, so for me to have one-on-one time with her doing something that involved hair, makeup, rhinestones, long car rides, and costumes was really special as a young girl. I also think the competitive aspect of dance really helped me with my self-esteem. I developed conﬁdence every time I walked out on a stage to perform in front of hundreds of people. That’s the mindset that I’ll be taking with me to Las Vegas this month. I truly feel I am a storyteller and performer at heart, and I have a strong mission and purpose for competing in pageantry just like I did when I competed in dance. I’m hoping that fun and genuine side of me continues to come through on stage to the judges.

Jim: You are an ambassador for Project HEAL. Tell me about that organization and why it has a special place in your heart in terms of your personal experience.

Madeline: I struggled with an eating disorder for years during my time in college. For some reason, I never felt good enough or accepted, and started to lose weight to combat those feelings. Once I saw my body with less weight, I couldn’t stop the mental battle of continuing to lose weight. I disguised this struggle as a health journey and became obsessed with size and numbers. My body started shutting down and I developed terrible anxiety and isolation. One of the main things I struggled with was accepting that I needed help and how to start the healing journey. Project HEAL is an eating disorder nonproﬁt that gives individuals hope and healing options

when struggling with an eating disorder. It was founded in 2008 and o ers treatment placement, cash assistance, meal support, and insurance navigation. It’s a safe environment and opportunity for people who are struggling with an eating disorder to ﬁnd hope and healing.

Jim: Many girls and young women are obsessed with being skinny. Does that concern you?

Madeline: Absolutely, I had one of the young girls in my dance class open up to me recently about struggling with her body weight and comparison, and she’s only nine years old. I believe young women are growing up in an age where social media places additional pressure on girls to have the perfect image and the perfect body. Because of this, we’re starting to see eating disorders show through at younger ages. It’s important for us as mature women to be confident in ourselves and watch what we say about our bodies around the younger generation. The best gift we can give them is to be comfortable and content in our own skin. That’s why it’s really important for me to share my story and show young women that I’m not competing in this pageant as a woman who’s obsessed with her weight and image, but instead, as a woman who can relate to that struggle and is an overcomer. I’ve spent so many years hating my body. It’s only when I finally dropped the stress of focusing on weight and body image and started to focus instead on health and wholeness, that I was able to stand tall as the woman God created me to be. My body isn’t bad, it never has been, I just had to have the strength to see it in a positive light and choose to give myself grace and be present. That’s why I wanted to compete in pageants, to share my story, stand with confidence, and show other women they can do the same.

Jim: Let’s circle back to your mom, Dr. Sherry Ryter-Brown who competed in the Mrs. Illinois America pageant. What life lessons have you learned from her?

Madeline: I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve been able to learn from my mom is empathy and authenticity. She is 100% her fun and upbeat self at all times, whether it’s as a mom, physician, or a friend. She has a goofy side and a fun personality that she’s not scared to show people, and I think this gives her an amazing sense of relatability to her patients and friends. For me, there are times where I have to balance being professional with my fun and upbeat personality, so ﬁnding that balance is something I’ve deﬁnitely learned from her! I also want women of all ages to feel comfortable talking to me, especially about body image and disordered eating. I think my vulnerability about sharing my struggles and my journey is something that will encourage and inspire women. I learned the importance of talking about my story and testimony from my mom.

Jim: Why is having pageants for married women important, and what would it mean to you to win the national title?

Madeline: I didn’t grow up competing in pageants, so for me to have the opportunity to compete later in life now that I’m married is incredible. The Mrs. America system is one of the longest-running pageants for married women, so it’s an honor to be able to represent North Carolina for the national Mrs. American title. Winning would mean the world to me, especially to have the chance to represent women who have struggled with their bodies. I think having someone who’s strong, healthy, outgoing, and comfortable in their own skin would have a huge impact. I’ve had such a positive experience with the Mrs. America system, I would love to travel to other states and encourage women who may be interested in pageantry to compete and start chasing their dreams regardless of their age.

Madeline will compete for the national Mrs. American title on August 27 in Las Vegas where she will be judged on her beauty, costume, evening gown, swimsuit, interview, and how well she photographs. Anyone who has ever met Madeline knows she will excel in all six categories, but if my dad was still alive, he would only care about the swimsuit. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15) and streaming on WFMY+.

Jim Longworth

Longworth at Large

Madeline Stewart

Dating on deadline in Running on Empty

The first 30 minutes of Running on Empty don’t necessarily augur well for the remainder of the film, which marks the feature debut of writer/producer/director Daniel André. By that time, sad-sack protagonist Mortimer Mortensen (Kyle Gilchrist) has learned that he will die in a year’s time — medical technology having advanced to the point where a specific “death date” can be ascertained — and summarily dumped by bimbo fiancée Nicole (Francesca Eastwood), before signing up with “Til Death Do Us Part,” a shady online dating service for those with similarly imminent demises. Then, by chance at a local bar, he

meets Rita (gorgeous Leslie Stratton), an attractive young escort who in only a handful of scenes manages to establish a surprisingly layered character and, more importantly, adds a much-needed jolt to the proceedings. Following Stratton’s appearance, Running on Empty doesn’t do a complete turnaround and become great — or even entirely successful — but there’s a deﬁnite upswing that the ﬁlm sustains, more or less, until the end.

As a black comedy, the ﬁlm could have been darker and sharper, and as a romantic comedy, it adheres too much to convention. It’s no surprise that Mortimer forms a relationship with Kate (Lucy Hale), the videographer who shot his proﬁle for the service, and there’s the obligatory “get-to-know-each” montage that includes bowling, karaoke, going to the movies, and dining with Mortimer’s family, which all seem to have occurred during the same evening!

Appropriately, Mortimer is a mortician, although he prefers the term “postmortem artist,” and there’s an obvious

comic irony that he’s been around death all his life yet is completely unprepared for his own. Gilchrist manages to bring a genuine sense of pathos in his portrayal of this lovable loser and has an easy chemistry with his co-stars. Hale’s Kate is a stock character but she and Gilchrist make an agreeable duo, Eastwood brings

some saucy sex appeal to the bubbleheaded Nicole, and Rhys Coiro is amusing as Simon, Rita’s hair-trigger pimp, who blackmails Mortimer after his assignation with Rita goes wrong.

The film, which has no connection to Sidney Lumet’s acclaimed 1988 drama and doesn’t employ the popular Jackson Browne tune on its (bland) soundtrack, was originally titled Mort in Sherman Oaks Running on Empty may be more generic but it’s also catchier. The film also benefits from a friendly cast that includes Jim Ga gan, Monica Potter, Jay Pharoah, and Dylan Flashner, and the underlying message that life is to be lived and savored, even on its own terms, is a nice one. This is a mere diversion but not an unpleasant one, and one looks forward to the hopefully bigger and better things that await André in his burgeoning career. — Running on Empty opens Friday in theaters and will be released on VOD nationwide on August 27. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies.

Mark Burger

Contributor

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East Greensboro NOW celebrates 25 years

The nonproﬁt held the event to “recognize our organization’s sustained e orts to enhance the quality of life in East Greensboro” and “ highlight our successes in economic development, a ordable housing, community development, and minority entrepreneurship while inspiring action for greater positive impact in the years to come.” The event was sponsored by Bank of America as well as the support of additional sponsors including the Greensboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, AZ Development, Skyla Credit Union, Duke Energy, WellSpring, MyASLTeacherRO, The Greensboro Chamber of Commerce, Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, and First Bank.

“This is a night of celebration. This is a night to give ﬂowers while we can, ac-

knowledge some past achievements, and get rejuvenated before we move forward because tomorrow we go back to work,” said Phil Barnhill, executive vice president of East Greensboro Now, to a room of more than 100 attendees. “We want to keep the momentum going but tonight is about taking a moment and acknowledging some positive things. I’m excited about where we are and I’m excited about where we are going as we move forward. Just remember that we are in this work together.”

East Greensboro NOW was designated by the City of Greensboro to lead the revitalization of the East Market Street Corridor, expanding e orts to focus on economic development in all of East Greensboro. Collaborating with various organizations, they implemented initiatives to enhance appearance and overall revitalization, beneﬁting the economy and community. The organization’s pillars include economic development, community development, a ordable housing, and minority entrepreneurship, contributing over $750 million to East Greensboro and surrounding areas since conception. The keynote speaker for the evening was Majora Carter, an author, TED Talk speaker, and urban revitalization strategist. Carter spoke about her book, “Reclaiming Your Community: You Don’t Have to Move Out of Your Neighborhood to Live in a Better One,” and how she re-

vitalized the community she grew up in.

“We believe that talent retention strategies like those used to grow successful companies can also be used to build great companies for the people born and raised in them,” she explained.

A theory that she has put into practice in her hometown of the South Bronx, transforming a crack house into a hip-hop co eehouse.

“I wanted to create real projects to help people see their environments and communities di erently.”

The milestone community event also honored key members and organizations in the community. Soﬁa Crisp, of the Housing Consultants Group, and Councilmember Sharon Hightower, District 1 Representative were honored as Outstanding A ordable Housing Advocates. Hightower has lived in East Greensboro for at least 30 years.

“I really don’t need an award for something that I believe in. For something that I do every day, not only as a representative but also as a resident. I believe in better

Chanel R. Davis

Editor

housing and I believe in better economics,” Hightower said. “We deserve all of the best things and parts of life that we are supposed to be living. My heart is pure about what needs to happen around here and in East Greensboro. I became a councilperson so that I could be a voice and so that people could no longer plan for us, without us.”

Jasmine Beard, of AJoy Consulting LLC, received the Outstanding Minority Entrepreneurship Advocate Award, and Chase Clark, of Chase’s Chance, received the Young Entrepreneur Trailblazer Award. “I do this work nowadays to let the youth know that they can do whatever they set their mind to but that’s only one part of a very crucial equation,” she said. “All of the young people I talk to on a daily basis, they all tell me that one of the biggest things that makes a di erence in their lives is being seen and being heard. I urge you to continue showing up in the lives of your young people because I can only imagine how many more young entrepreneurs are out there waiting for their remarkable support.”

Ja’Net Adams, of EMACK Consulting, received the award for Outstanding Economic Development Advocacy, and The Greensboro Kwanzaa Collective received the Outstanding Community Development Organizations.

Closing out the program was East Greensboro NOW President Mac Sims who told the crowd, “We are on the verge of a mega site.”

“The next mega site is East Greensboro. All great things are happening,” he said. “We have all these great things and interests coming to East Greensboro. We are going to make a di erence. This is a time to invest. It’s about the future now. It’s about what we believe in collectively. Get energized and get ready to become a part of it.”

For more information about East Greensboro NOW and its plans, visit EastGreensboroNOW.com. !

CHANEL R. DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region. WE’RE NOT CHEAP, WE’RE FREE ! LOCAL & FREE SINCE 2005

Councilwoman Sharon Hightower receives award

Appeals court revives lawsuit against o cer who killed teenager

Wakita Doriety’s wrongful death lawsuit against Greensboro Police O cer Matthew Sletten, who fatally shot her 17-year-old son Nasanto Crenshaw, will proceed.

That was the July 29 ﬁnding of the Fourth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in which judges Barbara Keenan, James Wynn, and DeAndrea Benjamin partially reversed U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles’ July 2023 ruling that granted motions by Sletten and the City of Greensboro to dismiss the case.

In that earlier proceeding, Eagles upheld Sletten’s use of deadly force as justiﬁed, due to what she called “an immediate and obvious threat of physical harm,” as the teenager “drove straight at him.” Sletten had contended that Crenshaw, while attempting to avoid arrest for driving a reportedly stolen car, deliberately accelerated the vehicle at the o cer. Eagles also granted governmental immunity to the City of Greensboro.

While the three Court of Appeals judges upheld Eagles’ dismissal of the lawsuit against the city, they unanimously ruled she was wrong to dismiss the excessive force and wrongful death claims against Sletten. While Doriety’s attorneys, Harry Daniels and Chimeaka White, are no closer to winning their case, the new ruling allows their claims against Sletten to

move forward in District Court.

The shooting occurred on Sunday, August 22, 2022, at FantaCity International Shopping Center at 4925 W. Market Street. The following can be seen on the o cer’s body-worn and dashcam video.

After observing a white Nissan with its high beams on, Sletten follows it into FantaCity. Dispatch informs him that the Nissan is reported stolen. Details of where and how the alleged theft occurred remain unclear. Crenshaw’s sister would later state that several juveniles pulled up to her mother’s house in the Fayetteville area in the Nissan and her brother rode away with them.

Crenshaw turns the Nissan into the culde-sac between the now-closed Babylon Restaurant and Market Street. As Sletten blocks his exit, three juveniles exit the Nissan and ﬂee on foot. According to both GPD and the Crenshaw family, a 14-yearold remains in the front passenger’s seat beside Crenshaw.

Crenshaw attempts a three-point turn, scraping the front of the patrol car, then backing away from it down the dead-end.

Exiting his patrol car, Sletten yells “Get on the ground, do it now!”

Crenshaw accelerates. Whether he is driving at Sletten or attempting to swerve past him remains in contention. Neither the o cer nor his car is struck as Sletten ﬁres three shots.

The ﬁrst is almost simultaneous with Crenshaw appearing to swerve past him. The second, as the Nissan passes. Sletten then turns and ﬁres the third shot after it. The Nissan hops the curb and stops on the grassy berm beside Market Street.

The medical examiner’s report does not give the sequence of wounds, but states one round struck Crenshaw on the right

side of his neck, penetrating vertebra and severing the spinal cord; one entered the right side of his chest, penetrating the right ventricle and lung; and one lodged in the ﬂeshy part of his right forearm. The report describes the throat and chest wounds as “from right to left.” When Crenshaw drove past Sletten, the teen and the o cer would have been at each other’s right.

After the Nissan stops, the minor in the front passenger seat tumbles out. “Get on the ground!” yells Sletten, pointing his gun.

According to GPD, Crenshaw was declared dead by on-scene EMS.

The three appellate judges opined that body and dash-camera footage of the shooting made it unclear whether the car was traveling “directly” at the o cer at the time he ﬁred several shots, striking the car’s front windshield once and the car’s passenger side window multiple times.

“We a rm the district court’s dismissal

Ian McDowell

Contributor

Appeals Court Judge Benjamin

Appeals Court Judge Wynn

District Judge Eagles Senior Appeals Court Judge Keenan

Nasanto Crenshaw

of the claims against the City,” wrote senior judge Keenan in the appellate ruling. “However, we conclude that the district court erred in granting O cer Sletten’s motion to dismiss, because the video recording did not ‘blatantly contradict’ the allegations of the amended complaint.”

In her 2023 dismissal of all plainti claims, Eagles cited the precedent of the 2005 case of Waterman v. Batton, in which the court concluded that the Maryland Transport Authority o cers who fatally shot Michael Batton had not initially used excessive force, as “facts and circumstances caused the o cers reasonably to conclude that the car was going to hit them.”

However, the court “also concluded that the same o cers did use [italic emphasis in original] excessive force by continuing to ﬁre their weapons after the car had passed and it was no longer reasonable to think that the car could hit them.”

This precedent, opined Keenan, established that “law enforcement o cers may — under certain conditions — be justiﬁed in using deadly force against the driver of a car when they are in the car’s trajectory and have reason to believe that the driver will imminently and intentionally run over them, but the same o cers violate the Fourth Amendment if they employ deadly force against the driver once they are no longer in the car’s trajectory.”

In their reversal of the dismissal, the appellate judges called it “di cult to discern many critical details from the video,” including O cer Sletten’s location or the distance between where he stood and the vehicle driven by Crenshaw, and that the video “does not demonstrate the entire direction in which the stolen car was moving in relation to where the o cer stood.”

Given these uncertainties, they ruled that the district court was “not permitted to ﬁnd contrary to the allegations and reasonable inferences” in Doriety’s Complaint.

“Based on the plainti ’s allegations,

a reasonable o cer in O cer Sletten’s position would not think that the stolen car, which was moving away from the o cer, posed a signiﬁcant and immediate threat of death or serious physical injury to the o cer that would justify his conduct of ﬁring one shot through the car’s windshield and additional shots through the car’s passenger window. We therefore reverse the district court’s ruling on the excessive force claim.”

Those claims against the o cer are now remanded to district court for further proceedings.

According to GPD Departmental Directives, o cers should only shoot at a moving vehicle when:

• An occupant of the vehicle is using or threatening to use lethal force by means other than the vehicle.

• The vehicle is being operated in a manner deliberately intended to strike a person.

• All other reasonable means of defense or escape (including taking cover or moving out of the path of the vehicle or other evasive action) have been exhausted, are not practical, or are not present.

• Use of deadly force must cease after the vehicle no longer presents an immediate threat.

“Shooting at vehicles has been an issue for decades,” said Geo rey Alpert, a Criminology professor at the University of South Carolina who is an expert on police use of force, to YES! Weekly in 2022. “It’s prohibited in many agencies, with a minor loophole that if the o cer is trapped or unable to get out of the way of a vehicle coming at them — in a narrow alley with no escape, or if they fell down and the car is backing up towards them. Otherwise, as this video shows, it is likely that the ﬂeeing suspect is trying to get away and not attempting to run over the o cer.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 2024

DOORS @ 6:30PM // SHOW @ 7:30PM

It’s time to experience Lee Greenwood’s performance of heartfelt lyrics that have captured the hearts of Americans for the past 40 years. “God Bless the USA” went far beyond what Greenwood expected when he wrote it in the back of his tour bus in 1983. It was also #1 on the pop charts after 9/11. In addition, CBS News voted “God Bless The USA” the most recognizable patriotic song in America. This is an event for families and friends to join and sing along to favorite patriotic and country tunes. Get ready for this special opportunity to enjoy a live event that celebrates the unity and pride in America. heartfelt

Sletten Bodycam Screenshot

Kill The Buddha at the Flat Iron

Kill The Buddha, the peaceful polyrhythmic “indie folk/Buddha blues” outﬁt led by Lenwood Edwards Jr. is coming to the Flat Iron for a show with Owen Fitzgerald and Creekbed on August 11. Clinging to melodies while inviting listeners to get lost in drones and delay, Edwards’ musical o ering is hardly murderous — “It has nothing to do with violence,” he insisted. Inspired by Shunryu Suzuki’s, “Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind,” the phrase instead speaks to the practice he attempts to embody in music and life.

As Edwards explained, “For those not familiar with the teaching, my basic understanding translates to: if you want to fully experience something, you need to let go of your ideas about that which you seek.” In practice, “it’s a challenge to myself to remember, what am I really doing when I’m playing music? It’s a call to be present, to have my own experience with those I play with, to let go of what I think the music should be/should sound like. To accept what is — good and bad. It’s about impermanence, it acknowledges that I cannot see or capture the divine.”

“Basically, if I see Buddha — or think I’ve got ‘it,’ I’m stuck on an idea, frozen,” he continued, digging as metaphorically deeply into his description as his song exchange time signatures. “Buddha nature isn’t ‘separate’ from me, it is within, non-dualistic. I can get lofty in my explanation, it just means to ﬁnd yourself by coming back to the present moment. That probably makes no sense. I struggle with it every day, but that’s the point!”

Snapping back to the succinct, Edwards winds both existential and down to earth. Born and raised in Greensboro, he’s also the bassist in the apocalypse-rock group, Nightblooms; and has been known to strum around a jam band or two since starting to play music as a sophomore in college.

“As with most projects, it’s a labor of love,” he said, musing KTB’s musical history as well as his own. “The project has grown organically, which always takes time, sweat, sacriﬁce, working through doubt, and resilience. I’m really pleased with where it’s at. Di erent things happen at each rehearsal, it’s really exciting for me.”

“At its heart, it’s progressive Indie music,” he continued. “In my heavy Robbie Basho and John Fahey phase, I grabbed the ‘Buddha blues’ term. Many of my early ideas were almost raga-esque, in open tunings, and very long. I still love to write and play that style, but for the band, we sit pretty well into the ‘indie’ category if that means anything anymore.”

Looking back, “I owe a lot of my love for music to my good friend, Ben. He ignited the spark, hands down. It became the thing,” Edwards explained, recalling the summer before his junior year he spent jamming to Phish, The Grateful Dead, and John Coltrane records; and praising the inﬂuence of another friend, Keith, with whom he’d “nerd out searching for ways to sound like Radiohead.”

PHOTO BY JORDAN MCFADDEN

The three went on to form Mr. Goodtimes, a band wherein Edwards developed a tendency toward odd-time signatures.

“That trend lives on in KTB,” Edwards was pleased to report before describing his current exploratory leanings. “I want it to keep changing,” he emphasized. “I like that KTB never plays each song exactly the same each time — that’s probably my jam-band roots — I like songs, but I really enjoy playing around within their structures. Sort of how jazz charts invite the player to ﬁnd di erent lines between chord changes — except with styles that aren’t jazz.”

“As a musician, I’ve always enjoyed when I get to make a song ‘mine,’” he continued, turning toward the group e ort his bandmates bring to the table. “I have an outline and ideas, but there are so many things I simply won’t hear that someone else will — and that’s the magic to me. I’m just not that good on my own.”

Exuding gratitude for the band itself, “the time, energy, and love they put into learning the songs really means a lot to me,” he insisted, admitting his own “nontraditional” songwriting style; and praising drummer Daniel Shefﬁeld, bassist Nick Van Buskirk, guitarist Gabi Walden, and vocalist Greer Gehrken (who also plays the Shruti Box).

“We’ve really been growing as a unit lately. I love it.”

Describing She eld as a “wild free jazz nerd, at heart,” the pair also comprised the rhythm section for Velvet Arrows, along with Van Buskirk. “Nick still amazes me how fast he can digest new music and make them his own,” Edwards noted, adding the ways he’s “ﬂoored by how easily Gabi seems to ﬂoat up and down the fretboard.” Gehrken rounds out Edwards’ musical quintet and life in general. “Greer’s my partner,” he beamed. “She plays a Shruti Box we ordered from India — it’s such a cool drone instrument on its own, with the band it’s perfect.”

“She’s added some great lyrics, too,” Edwards continued. “I love how her mind works. And our voices go really well together, so I asked her to join me in singing a couple

slow songs together–thankfully she bravely agreed.”

Professing preferences for honesty and vulnerability in both his voice and song, Edwards is candid about his darker days — the death of his father, and the paths that led to celebrating six years of sobriety — all intrinsic to his music.

“Subconsciously, I’m still channeling that loss, just in a healthy way today,” he explained. “I nod to addiction quite a bit in my writing. I’ve lost a lot of friends to the disease of addiction, it doesn’t discriminate. The majority of my songs are pretty melancholy and tragic at their core, but they’re honest. It’s very cathartic. Before getting sober, music had died for me. I hadn’t really played in a couple of years prior, and I did not think that the spark to create would ever come back. I’m so glad I was wrong. I am 100% where I am today because of this lifestyle change. It’s been the best decision in my life.”

“There is so much hope out there,” he continued. “For folks struggling with addiction — or those who love them — there are resources. There are ways out. The impossible can happen, I’m a walking example of that — if fair was fair, I wouldn’t be here. Recovery is possible. I’m here on borrowed time and it’s a privilege to be able to write and create music, I’m grateful.”

Exploring that gratitude through a 12-string Gibson Heritage guitar, Edwards channels his experiences and inﬂuences from an array of artists: from The Books to Broken Social Scene, Timber Timbre to Big Thief and Nina Simone; Deerhoof and Grizzly Bear; Edwards could go on — but he ultimately credits his current musical direction to the “life-changing experience” of seeing Daniel Rossen in Asheville in 2022.

“That was one of the heaviest shows I’ve been a part of,” Edwards explained. “It was spiritual, the way his hands moved — holy cow — it was like watching someone paint and read you poetry while walking back and forth between the seasons. I was so moved. The way his 12-string sang and carried these overtones, I was hooked.”

From being moved to laying grooves, KTB will hit the studio this September to record an LP with Brian Haran at Hypogeum in Greensboro. “I’m overwhelmed, nervous, and incredibly excited,” Edwards said, mirroring his excitement to play the Flat Iron with Owen Fitzgerald and Creekbed on August 11.

Describing the venue itself as a “gift,” Edwards is looking forward to sharing a few surprises with the band — and the stage with Fitzgerald, who he considers ‘one of the most creative artists I know. He’s writing a Myrtle Beach Rock Opera that I will be the ﬁrst to purchase when he releases it out into the world. It’s honestly one of the coolest things I’ve heard, and he’s still writing it.”

Come September Edwards will take KTB to WinstonSalem for a show at D.O.S.E Collective on September 28; but not before heading to Raleigh to play the Hopscotch Music Festival as part of Nightblooms. “This will be my ﬁrst Hopscotch. It’s an honor, truly — to be alongside so many other talented artists this year–what a gift.” !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

Katei Cranford

Contributor

[SALOME’S STARS]

Week of August 12, 2024

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Avoid adding to the tension around you. Even a well-meant reaction against something you perceive as unfair could be misunderstood. Let things calm down, then talk about it.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s a good time for romance for unattached Bovines — and for reinforcing the bonds between existing partners. Children’s needs are important during the latter part of the week.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A compliment from a surprising source sends you wafting way up into the clouds, where — sorry to say — your view of what’s going on is obscured. Come on down and face reality.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Even a family-loving person like you can sometimes feel you’re at the end of the line with contentious kinfolk. But things can work out. Remember that it’s better to talk than walk.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) A jobrelated move might hold more positive surprises than you’d expected. Go into it with conﬁdence and look for all the advantages it o ers. Then decide what you’ll do with what you ﬁnd.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Driving yourself too hard to get something done on a deadline that you set up can backﬁre. Ease into a more realistic ﬁnish date and add more breaks to your work schedule.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your sense of humor can brighten any dark period, and your laughter can dispel

[CROSSWORD] crossword on page 9

those gray clouds swirling around you. The weekend presents a surprising but welcome change.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Be careful about the words you use, especially in touchy situations. The old saying that “speech is silver, but silence is golden” could apply well here.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Some facts could emerge that shed light on unresolved past problems. What you learn might also help explain why a once-warm relationship suddenly cooled down.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Don’t let your pride get in the way of checking into what could be a great new opportunity. Get the facts ﬁrst, then worry about procedure and protocol later.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A health problem in the family might have other relatives assuming that, as before, you’ll take over the health care duties. Surprise them and insist they share in the caretaking.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A series of changes can be unsettling, but in the long run, it can pay o with new perspectives on what you plan to do. Keep your mind open to the possibilities that might lie ahead.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You might be under a “royal” sign, but you have a wonderful way of embracing everyone as an equal.

sudoku on page 9