A s the new academic school year settles in for public school students throughout the Triad, the life-changing program Punch4PoundsKids takes on another school year of tutoring, training, and empowering future generations.
5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407
O ce 336-316-1231
Fax 336-316-1930
Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com
Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com
YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL
MARK BURGER
KATEI CRANFORD
JIM LONGWORTH NAIMA SAID
DALIA RAZO
LYNN FELDER
Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com
Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com
Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com
4 Seven-year-old Charlie is trapped in a body that won’t let her walk or talk. According to Charlie’s mother Josie ClarkTrippodo, new developments in GENE THERAPY may change that.
6 When renovations were planned for the PENNYBYRN independent living community on Penny Road in High Point, they included a new gallery to display high-quality artwork for residents and their guests. On Sept. 15 the first exhibit opened to the delight of those gathered to view the paintings, pottery and a handcrafted wooden clock.
8 In honor of our Centennial Celebration, The UNC Greensboro School of Theatre is pleased to present A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
10 It’s that scary, spooky time again: With Halloween around the corner, the ninth annual WREAK HAVOC HORROR Film Festival (WHFFF) is ready to pack audiences in — and keep them on the edge of their seats — when it opens Friday at
Marketplace Cinemas, 2095 Peters Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem.
11 Anyone who is a student of history, or has ever been on a high school debating team knows that today’s televised candidate DEBATES are not really debates.
12 SEE HOW THEY RUN , which marks the feature directorial debut of television veteran Tom George, is a sheer delight from beginning to end.
18 On June 4, anti-abortion activist Danny Bracken STRUCK Kirstin Cassell with his car outside Greensboro’s only remaining abortion provider, where Cassell volunteers as an escort. “You don’t have a right of way here, ma’am,” said Bracken. “When a car’s approaching, you need to move.”
20 Californian rockers Lit and Hoobastank keep things tried and true for their fans with the “TRIED-N-TRUE” tour, coming to Ziggy’s.Space in High Point on October 15.
TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com
Promotion NATALIE GARCIA
DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK
We at YES! Weekly realize
beyond
of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore
dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth
and international scope,
grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2022 Womack Newspapers, Inc.
Sevenyear-old Charlie is trapped in a body that won’t let her walk or talk. According to Charlie’s mother Josie Clark-Trippodo, new developments in gene therapy may change that.
“We went to New York to see her specialists,” said Josie when I interviewed her and her husband Joe Trippodo in their Greensboro home last week. “It ended up falling on her birthday, so she got a New York trip as a present. Along with lots of fun stu , we saw a neurologist, speech pathologist, cardiologist, and orthopedist. We also got some really good tips on Tobii.”
That last reference was to the Tobii Dynavox, a speech-generating computer software and hardware system that used eye-based technology to assist persons with language and learning challenges, and which Charlie controls by directing her gaze at symbols on her screen. While more sophisticated, it’s similar to the device used by the late Stephen Hawking.
As reported last year in the article “I need her to be an old lady with me,” Charlie has Rett Syndrome, a rare genetic neurological disorder that occurs primarily in girls, who develop normally for the first 18-24 months of life, in which they learn to walk and talk and use their hands, but then lose those skills.
Typically, that regression happens between the ages of three and four. Within a year afterward, 70% of Rett patients
develop seizures. Charlie’s first was on her fifth birthday. When I interviewed her parents last year, their daughter was averaging 22 seizures a day, and some days, as many as 55. This experience was exhausting for the parents, but far more so for their child.
“Now she’s seven, and we’re down to an average of two a day,” said Josie. “It was so horrible last year, especially when we had to call an ambulance, but much better now. So, we’re definitely on the right track, and I think it’s all linked to her gastrointestinal stu . That’s why we talked to a GI specialist when we were in New York.”
The three most common gastrointestinal problems a ecting girls and women with Rett syndrome are constipation, Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease, and Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease. Seizures are believed to be linked to these symptoms and manifestations.
“I do clinical documentation on everything she eats, everything she does,” said Josie. “We’ve found that when she’s at the beach, she has less seizures. When we recently went for four days, she only had one the whole time. But, again, it’s all connected to GI stu .”
Josie and her husband Joe were eager to talk about some encouraging news.
“There are two companies that are working on gene therapy,” said Joe. “One is supposed to be starting their first clinical trials in Vancouver by the end of the year. The other company should be close to starting theirs by then or soon after. I believe the first trials are in Canada due to FDA approval sometimes being a little easier there. They’re pretty hopeful about both of them.”
I asked Joe to describe his daughter’s condition to readers.
“Rett syndrome is when you have a deletion to or mutation of the MECP2 gene, which is in the X chromosome. That produces a specific protein that she’s missing, so the gene therapy supplies that protein, and they have di erent ways of getting it into the brain.”
Which can have its own risks.
“Too much of that protein is worse than Rett syndrome, so it’s very tricky. One of the companies thinking about introducing the protein in smaller doses and the other will be done in a di erent way, but our doctor is on top of all that and working hard to inform us. Dr. Djukic has seen over 200 kids with Rett syndrome from all around the world, and she seems very hopeful.”
Joe was referring to Aleksandra Djukic,
“Not that we want to have false hope. We want to be measured. But they’ve learned a lot from gene therapies for other diseases, and they’re working hard on this. I hope that, by next year, we’ll know how these trials are going.”
At this point, Josie asked Joe to distract Charlie.
“I don’t want her to hear this because I don’t want to give her false promises, but they’re hoping to do the gene therapy when she’s around ten, and they say that, if it works, she may be able to walk and talk. Which is amazing to consider.”
“That’s why she’s training like an Olympian every week, so after she undergoes gene therapy, she’ll have the muscle memory. That’s why it’s important. But I think the therapy is supposed to show results pretty quickly.”
“I think it’s sort of instantaneous,” said Joe, “once her brain is more able to communicate with her body. But then mastering the new ability will be a lot of work. The talking will be hardest, as that requires more muscles than anything. It would be amazing, but we don’t want to get her hopes up or ours.”
“I cried like a baby when told this was possible,” said Josie. “As kids, we get to explore the world and touch things, and she’s missing that experience. So, she’ll have to catch up, but they said
of the Tri-State Rett Syndrome Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Ian McDowell
Contributor
Charlie using Tobii, a speech generating computer system to communicate.
she’ll have a lot of skills that are pretty typical. That would be amazing, and she’s definitely up for it!”
On the home front, there’s been several promising signs. Charlie can use a straw and briefly hold a fork, and has regained the ability to say a few words, including mama, dad, and Kiki. The latter is what she calls her grandmother Danielle Clark. The one Charlie says most may be hamburger, which is her favorite food.
“After she asked for it,” said Joe, “I think we maybe had burgers for a week.”
I told them that, if Charlie ever starts asking for ribs, her grandfather will smile approvingly from the afterlife. Josie’s father was the late Jim Clark, my longtime friend and neighbor who was the director of the UNCG MFA Writing program, and famous in College Hill for his slow-cooked ribs.
“And she’s been standing independently at the pool,” said Josie. “Only for a few seconds, but it’s happening. She does things in the pool first.”
On Sunday, October 9, Josie, Joe and Charlie are hosting a fundraiser for Rett Research at Double Oaks Bed & Breakfast, 204 N. Mendenhall Street in Greensboro.
“There are going to be llamas and balloon things and I get to talk on the microphone,” said Charlie’s younger sister Lucy.
There will also be sweet and savory baked treats from Veneé Pawlowski, co-owner and baker at Black Magnolia Southern Patisserie.
“And we’ve got Disney characters,” said Josie, “and stilt walkers, and Lucy mentioned the llamas but not that they will be wearing top hats. And then there’s our big auction. One prize will be an overnight stay at Double Oaks. Machete is giving gift cards, as are a lot of other restaurants and the Science Center. There will be local artists and bands. It’s 20 dollars for adults and kids are free. Any special needs family can also come in free. Everything’s going to Rett Research.”
Lucy said she is excited about it. Her sister is, too.
“Charlie loves being around a vibrant crowd,” said Josie. !
IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.
For more info, check out Charlie’s Angels 5th Annual Rett Syndrome Charity Fundraiser on Facebook.
Clockwise from bottom right, Charlie, Josie, Joe, and Lucy
When renovations were planned for the Pennybyrn independent living community on Penny Road in High Point, they included a new gallery to display high-quality artwork for residents and their guests. On Sept. 15 the first exhibit opened to the delight of those gathered to view the paintings, pottery and a
handcrafted wooden clock.
If the reaction of those visiting the gallery is any indication, it should continue to be a success.
“I especially like the painting of the baby elephant,” Louise Squires said. “I might not want to hang it in my home, but it is so well done.”
A rabbit beside a wooden wall was so realistic it resembled a photograph. “But the colors are much warmer,” Eddie Bass
said, as he also noted how the light source created interesting shadows and depth to the painting.
Many were intrigued by a painting created by Victor Huggins called Blue Ridge Mountains. The fields and trees beneath the mountains were highlighted by indentations that set the artwork apart from others in the collection, which included a variety of styles.
Pennybyrn owns two of the paintings by nationally and internationally known artists Marcy Dunn Ramsey and Matthew Hillier. Before the o cial gallery opening, Ramsey came to share her inspiration and motivation behind her artwork “Circle Dance.” On occasion, others whose art is displayed in the gallery also will be invited to discuss their work.
Moving forward, the Art Gallery Committee, chaired by Pennybyrn resident Kitty Montgomery, plans to add to the facility’s permanent collection and supplement the gallery with borrowed pieces.
The inaugural exhibit included artwork from the vast collections of residents Peg and Dar Ferry and Eloy Doolan and his late wife Connie.
“I wanted to share some of the pictures my wife and I had collected so others would be able to enjoy them,” Doolan said.
Je Horney, executive director of Theater Art Gallery (TAG), will serve as the gallerist and curator. Exhibits will be changed every three months, with the next showing a photography display.
“We want to keep the displays interesting and explore di erent opportunities to grow and expand the gallery, Sarah Barker, director of Development & Community Relations, said. “We will be looking for a
PHOTOS BY NORMA B. DENNISThis exhibition examines the lives of the Black women and men who helped shape Reynolda as it evolved from a Jim Crow era working estate into an American art museum. Through art, letters, photographs, and audiovisual recordings, Still I Rise: The Black Experience at Reynolda examines Reynolda’s complicated past in a space designed for reflection and healing.
variety of mediums to showcase.”
Sister Lucy Hennessey, mission leader and chair of Pennybyrn’s Board of Directors, shared her passion for the new art gallery in a written statement:
“We are thankful for those who are blessed with the talents of painting and drawing, which inspire us all and provide a glimpse of God’s beauty,” she said.
It appears art will continue to be part of the culture and beauty of life at Pennybyrn in many ways. Besides the new fine art gallery, the facility has two other galleries — one for visiting artists and one for work completed by residents. !
Kitty Montgomery, chair of the Art Gallery Committee, stands in front of “Peacock in Flight,” a painting by Matthew Hillier that is part of Pennybyrn’s permanent collection. The opening of the new fine art gallery at Pennybyrn featured a variety of paintings from the collections of residents Peg and Dar Ferry and Eloy Doolan and his late wife Connie. Pictured left to right are Peg, Dar and Eloy as they discuss the artwork they have acquired through the years.
In honor of our Centennial Celebration, The UNC Greensboro School of Theatre is pleased to present A Midsummer Night’s Dream A Midsummer Night’s Dream will run on September 30-October 1, and October 12-15 at 7:30 p.m., as well as October 2 at 2 p.m. This adaptation of a classic Shakespearean comedy follows the events surrounding the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. Four quarreling Athenian lovers escape into an enchanted forest where fairies await to play tricks on them, as well as a group of Athenian citizens preparing for the wedding festivities.
When asked what excites her about the play, Director, Mya Brown, commented, “This is my sixth time doing the show. First time directing it though, which is really exciting. But it was chosen very specifically by the season selection committee as our 100thanniversary piece, and we really wanted to bring a new take on an old classic, and that’s exactly what we are doing. Infusing it with Japanese-anime type aesthetic, Yoruban God aesthetic, and contemporary L.A. So, we are definitely bringing a newer look to an old story that everyone knows.”
When asked what she hopes audiences will take away from the production, Brown stated, “I definitely hope they have fun. I hope they’re able to engage in the escapism of it all, and really see that regardless of all the bodies that this story is placed on, we can tell truth to that story. I very intentionally cast a Black actor as Lysander to tell the story of how, even with the privilege that comes along with wealth, because of racism he su ers not being accepted completely in society. He’s educated, he’s wealthy, and still, he is not enough for Hermia. Why is that exactly? I wanted to play around with that story. In the end, when we see that Theseus overbears Egeus’ will, I think that is confirmation that we all just need to see people for who they actually are, not how they present.” !
Tickets are available online at www.uncgtheatre. com, by phone at 336-334-4392, or in-person at the UNCG Theatre Box O ce located at 406 Tate Street., Greensboro, NC 27412. UNCG Theatre Box O ce’s hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 1-5 p.m. Face coverings are not required, but they are recommended for in-person performances.
United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is celebrating its centennial campaign kicko during the entire month of September with a series of concerts, that include local acts, and hip-hop legend KRSOne, Sept. 30 at the Carolina Theatre in Downtown Greensboro. In addition, UWGG introduced its specially crafted beer, The Centennial Collab.
The events will highlight UWGG’s 100 years of transforming compassion into community change, and proceeds will benefit organizational e orts to end local poverty.
UWGG’s 100 Years of Good Vibes Concert Series featured free performances with the final free concert this Friday, September 23. Their concert series will culminate with a ticketed concert featuring KRS-One at Carolina Theatre, Sept. 30.
KRS-One is a renowned hip-hop artist, activist, and author. He’s been called the
“conscience of hip hop” by Rolling Stone Magazine and remains one of the loudest voices advocating for the preservation and expansion of original hip-hop and its message of ending cultural exploitation and violence.
In addition to hosting the local act concerts, Little Brother Brewing, Oden Brewing, and SouthEnd Brewing have collaborated for the first time to produce a Centennial Beer, The Centennial Collab, that will be on tap all month long at each brewery, with $1 of each pint sold benefiting UWGG. !
100 Years of Good Vibes Concert Series Details
September 23: 7 to 10 p.m., Drew Holgate Band will perform at SouthEnd Brewing
September 30: 7:30 to 9 p.m., KRS-ONE will perform at Carolina Theatre
Visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Calendar to learn more and purchase tickets to events.
PRESS RELEASE
PHOTO BY DAVID ROW
It would be an oversimplification and an insult to reduce Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, to simply being the “Black Mozart.” He was a virtuoso violinist and music teacher to Marie Antoinette, general of the first Black military regiment in Europe, a champion fencer, France’s most celebrated composer in the late 1700s, and Amadeus Mozart’s roommate and mentor at one point. It would be easy to argue that Bologne was more of a Renaissance man than Mozart, and the Winston-Salem Symphony will tell his story in an upcoming performance that brings elements of an orchestra concert and a play together on stage.
Joseph Bologne was born on the Caribbean Island of Guadeloupe to an enslaved mother and French Nobleman. His mixed race meant that the French title of nobility would not convey to young Joseph. That slight would not matter as talent and fate set the man on a path to earning nobility on his own. Bologne’s skills as a master swordsman earned him a place as an o cer for the King’s guard, thus securing his noble rank of Chevalier de Saint-Georges.
In 1779, future U.S. President John Adams called Bologne “the most accomplished man in Europe.” But after his music career was abruptly cut short due to his proximity to the nobility during the French Revolution, this amazing figure was nearly forgotten by whitewashed history. “Because of his race, he was unable to marry into his class or have children,” said playwright Bill Barclay.
Barclay began dramatizing Bologne’s life after stumbling upon a footnote in a biography. The historical record showed Mozart living under the same roof as Bologne for two months in 1788. Mozart was a decade younger and not yet famous. The Chevalier was already well known to Parisian society and a private music teacher to Marie Antoinette at Versailles. Barclay thought it improbable that the two did not interact. His story fills historical gaps and provides a
tangible example of Black excellence.
The Chevalier was commissioned by the Boston Symphony and first staged at Tanglewood’s Learning Institute in Massachusetts in 2019. But the show has local roots in Winston-Salem after Bill Barclay workshopped the story over the past two years in partnership with the Winston-Salem Symphony, Authoring Action, and the North Carolina Black Repertory Company.
The Winston-Salem Symphony is one of Southeast’s most highly regarded regional orchestras and celebrates its 75th Anniversary through 2022. Believing that music has the power to inspire, the Symphony fulfills its mission “to bring music to life” by enriching the community with live music. The Symphony brings performances, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives to where people live and desires for audiences to experience music in a way that is relevant and meaningful to their own lives. With performances like The Chevalier, the Winston-Salem Symphony aspires to create shared experiences that connect people from all walks of life and inspire the Piedmont Triad to be a more vibrant and creative region.
The Chevalier will be presented at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 2, at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium, located at 301 North Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104. Tickets start at $25 and are available online at wssymphony.org or by calling the Symphony Box O ce at 336-464-0145.
ARTS COUNCIL is the chief advocate of the arts and cultural sector in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Our goal is to serve as a leader in lifting up, creating awareness and providing support to grow and sustain artistic, cultural and creative o erings throughout our region. We acknowledge that it takes every voice, every talent, and every story to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Arts Council is committed to serving as a facilitator, organizer, and promoter of conversations that are authentic, inclusive, and forward-thinking. There are over 800,000 art experiences taking place in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County annually. To learn more about upcoming arts and culture events happening in our community please visit www.cityofthearts.com.
It’s that scary, spooky time again: With Halloween around the corner, the ninth annual Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival (WHFFF) is ready to pack audiences in — and keep them on the edge of their seats — when it opens Friday at Marketplace Cinemas, 2095 Peters Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem. The festival runs through Sunday. A one-day admission pass is $15, a two-day pass is $25, and both can be purchased in person at the theater or at https://www.mpcws. com/.
“As always, we strive to bring our audience the very best the indie horror scene has to o er,” said Dan Sellers, WHFFF festival director. “This year is no exception. We’ve got some amazing horror that’ll knock your socks o !”
The festival kicks o at 6 p.m. Friday
with the world-premiere showing of the short film Brother’s Keeper, followed by a selection of short films. After the dinner break, the feature film The Ones You Didn’t Burn — starring first-time writer/ producer/director Elise Finnerty — will be screened at 9 p.m., followed by another break and a final selection of short films. Saturday’s frightful festivities get underway at 3 p.m. with another selection of horror shorts, the feature film Revealer at 6 p.m., dinner break, additional short films, filmmaker Q&A, and the presentation of awards.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the 2020 festival was presented at Marketplace Cinemas in a drive-in format. Last year’s event, which brought the screenings back indoors, required attendees to wear masks (not inappropriate given the festival’s theme!), but this year is a distinct return to normalcy.
“In the face of the pandemic, the film festival like anything else — adapt or die,” Sellers said. “In 2020, we partnered with our good friends at Marketplace Cinemas and turned it into a drive-in festival which allowed us to continue safely. Now that we’re past those restrictions, we’re thankfully back in the theater and we’ve stuck with our partners at Marketplace.”
“The great thing about Marketplace Cinemas is our special relationship with Zack Fox,” Sellers said. “There’s a strong friendship between us but also a great working relationship. We know that if there’s a problem, he’ll work to resolve it immediately and he knows we’d do the same. It’s always great working with people you trust and admire.”
“Working with Wreak Havoc is always a breeze and terrific,” said Zack Fox, general manager of Marketplace Cinemas and an award-winning filmmaker in his
own right. “It’s second nature now and the pieces of the festival logistics just fall into place. I’ve been lucky enough to get a sneak peek this year at some of the films and horror fans will not want to miss what we have in store!”
Unlike other festivals, which o er online screeners, the WHHFF has no plans — presently — to o er that option, although Sellers doesn’t discount it out of hand. “For now, we want to see our audience in person and hear their shrieks in a darkened theater,” he reasoned.
Sellers is pleased that Wreak Havoc’s latest short films, both of which he directed, are among the festival o erings. “We have two alien abduction-themed films — the first is entitled Brother’s Keeper and is a sci-fi comedy written and co-produced by Al Julian. The second, also co-produced by Al Julian, was written and directed by me and is based on the true story of Betty and Barney Hill and is aptly titled, Betty & Barney.” (Fox served as cinematographer on both projects.)
The Wreak Havoc festival has traditionally been a two-day event, but this year’s will be a three-day event. Sunday will mark the “return” of “CineScream,” a selection of horror shorts made by local filmmakers, which will be presented from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. This added attraction proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that horror fans have a heart.
According to filmmaker Jaysen Buterin, who curated CineScream, this is being called “CineScream for a Cure.” Admission is free, but donations will be accepted and a silent auction held on behalf of filmmaker Louis Bekoe, a long-time friend and collaborator of Sellers and his partner Sammie Cassell, Fox, and Buterin. Bekoe’s wife Shannon is currently battling cancer, and proceeds
will go to help the Bekoes deal with their financial di culties.
“All the auction proceeds and everything raised there will go to Louis and Shannon, so hopefully we can get some folks out and bidding, and maybe make the world a better place for some people who have made mine so,” Buterin said. “Zack was awesome enough to let me do it at Marketplace Cinemas, and Dan and Sammie were kind enough to make it the ‘uno cial’ third day of this year’s Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival.” (For those interested in donating to “CineScream for a Cure,” visit https://www.gofundme. com/f/help-shannon-with-medicalbills-due-to-cancer.)
“I think one of my favorite things about working with Sammie and Dan is that — aside from the astonishingly wide range of their talents — they always say yes,” said Buterin. “If you need something and they have the means, they’re there. It’s amazing. Also, I’m mildly suspicious and wildly certain that Sammie is actually a series of clones because I’m pretty sure he’s either in — or involved with — every single film that gets made in North Carolina. It’s uncanny!”
The Sunday event will consist of nine award-winning shorts filmed entirely in North Carolina, including Buterin’s Between Hell and a Hard Place, Fox’s Spirit of the Cinema, Bekoe’s Killer Christmas Carol, and Sellers and Cassell’s adaptation of Stephen King’s short story Uncle Otto’s Truck.
“I love the WHHFF so much because it’s a film festival largely run by horror filmmakers who are also horror film lovers, and that’s just a magical combination for everyone involved,” Buterin observed. “The programming has gotten bigger, badder, better, and bloodier every year even when there was a real apocalypse running amok. They didn’t let that stop them and they went to a drive-in version that was just absolutely brilliant! What started as a local gathering of moviemaking maniacs has quickly grown into an internationally acclaimed genre film festival, and that’s nothing short of amazing. !
See MARK BURGER ’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.
For more information, call 336-725-4646 or visit https://www.mpcws.com/. The o cial Wreak Havoc Productions website is http://www.wreakhavocproductions. com/.
Mark Burger Contributor
nyone who is a student of history, or has ever been on a high school debating team knows that today’s televised candidate debates are not really debates. Whereas academic debate formats focus on one issue and allow participants to develop thoughtful responses, televised debates force candidates to address numerous issues in a race against the clock. In-depth discussion among candidates is a dead art and a thing of the past, and that’s too bad. I would love to have been around for the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. That year, Lincoln was running against Democrat incumbent Senator Stephen Douglas, and each debate ran about three hours. That meant when honest Abe stood up to speak, he could talk for a full hour on the evils of slavery without being interrupted. Compare that with today’s televised debates in which candidates are forced to give short, soundbite answers to “gotcha” questions posed by journalists who love to hear themselves talk.
The first nationally televised Presidential debate was in 1960 between Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John Kennedy, and while it was more dignified than the Donald Trump-Hillary Clinton circus of 2016 (who can ever forget Trump inviting Bill Clinton’s alleged rape victims to sit in the audience?), it still ushered in an era in which TV debates were more about avoiding mistakes than engaging in positive discourse. JFK prepared for the match-up by getting a suntan and plenty of rest, while Nixon su ered through a knee injury, refused to wear make-up, and showed up looking pale and pasty with a five o’clock shadow. Americans who listened to the debate on radio thought Nixon scored the most points, but those who watched on TV said the more photogenic Kennedy won. The young Senator went on to win a narrow victory on Election Day, but it would be 16 more years before any major party candidates risked looking bad on TV.
Reagan made Jimmy Carter look bad in 1980 when he posed the question to viewers; “Are you better o now than you
Awere four years ago?”(they weren’t), and he responded to Carter’s criticisms by saying, “There you go again.” Four years later the master communicator buried Walter Mondale by making a joke about the former Vice President’s “youth and inexperience.” In 1992 George H.W. Bush made the mistake of looking at his watch and appearing bored and disinterested. And, in 2012 Obama made Mitt Romney look silly when Romney said, “The Navy is smaller now than in any time since 1917”, to which Obama replied, “Governor, we also have fewer horses and bayonets because the nature of our military has changed.” One could argue that candidates like JFK, Reagan, and Obama won their elections because they made their opponents look bad on television, therefore, debates serve a legitimate purpose. But most political pundits agree that TV debates very rarely change anyone’s mind.
Over time, TV debates have become an election year staple, but not just for Presidential candidates. Those running for Congress, Senate, and Governor have
increasingly appeared on various local and Statewide broadcast debate stages. Lately, however, there’s been more debate about debates than there have been actual debates. Here in North Carolina, Congressman Ted Budd recently made news when he refused to participate in a debate to be sponsored by the NC Association of Broadcasters. Budd’s critics tried to make a big deal of the NCAB snub, but if they thought he was afraid to debate or answer questions, they were badly mistaken. In fact, Ted has appeared on my Triad Today TV show numerous times, including a heated debate with then opponent Kathy Manning. And later this week, he will face o against Cheri Beasley in a televised debate hosted by Spectrum News. Again, though, it’s unlikely that anything Budd or Beasley says at the Spectrum debate will result in anyone changing parties. Nor is it likely that a disproportionate number of undecided voters will gravitate to one candidate over another as a result of the debate. Perhaps things would be di erent if televised debates were real debates,
with candidates having more time to speak, and with more camaraderie and less vitriol. We almost had that leading up to the 1964 election.
In 1963, President Kennedy and his friend Barry Goldwater (the presumptive GOP nominee in ’64), planned a joint whistle-stop tour in which the two rivals would ride the train together, and at each stop, stand out on the platform and hold an informal debate for the gathered crowd. It would have been a wondrous sight to see, but Kennedy’s life was cut short before he and Goldwater could realize their dream of a bi-partisan train trip. I wish candidates today would participate in whistle-stop debates, but I fear that will never happen. After all, who would operate the buzzer every time someone goes over his allotted 30 seconds? !
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)
Jim Longworth
Longworth at Large
ee How They Run, which marks the feature directorial debut of television veteran Tom George, is a sheer delight from beginning to end. Populated by an enthusiastic ensemble cast and packed with historical and pop-culture references and in-jokes, this farcical murder/ mystery is pure escapist enjoyment.
The year is 1953, and Agatha Christie’s mystery play The Mousetrap is the toast of the town (London, in this case) — so much so that the film rights have been snapped up by producer John Woolf (Reece Shearsmith). To direct the film
Sversion, American expatriate Leo Kopernick (Adrien Brody) has been tapped, but Kopernick is the quintessential “ugly American”: Boorish and uncouth. Few tears are shed when Kopernick is murdered in the theater, his body unceremoniously dumped on the stage.
One of the film’s many novel concepts is having Kopernick serve as its narrator in an appropriately noir-ish fashion. Even he’s not surprised he was murdered.
Sifting through a varied collection of red herrings and suspects are Scotland Yard’s own Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and eager-beaver Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan), and they’ve certainly got their hands full, particularly since they tend to get in the way of their own investigation.
The first half of the film, which essentially sets things up, is totally on the mark, but although it’s inevitable that the momentum flags a bit at the midpoint,
See How They Run is still a treat. It makes up its own rules then gleefully bends and breaks them. Screenwriter Mark Chappell (also a TV veteran) sends up the trappings of the traditional whodunit with brazen wit. There’s no question that the film is self-indulgent, but it’s never smug, and George keeps things moving at a steady, heady clip.
One can detect tidbits of Robert Altman, Wes Anderson, and Rian Johnson’s Knives Out (2019) — the sequel to which (The Glass Onion) is due shortly — but, not surprisingly and appropriately enough, it’s the many nods and ties to Agatha Christie that the film most resonates with. For a long while, it appears as if Dame Agatha will not make an appearance, but when she belatedly does in the form of Shirley Henderson (playing it to the hilt and beyond), it’s a wicked parody.
There’s terrific teamwork by Rockwell and Ronan. The latter gets to showcase her considerable comedic talents as the motor-mouthed Constable Stalker, even if it is a little di cult to accept the perennially youthful Ronan as a war widow with two children. Rockwell essentially plays the straight man, but he brings some delightfully da y mannerisms to the role of the shambling, gin-soaked sleuth. His
glassy-eyed, glazed-over reactions to Ronan’s constant nattering is an endless source of amusement.
David Oyelowo is great fun as the fussy, fiercely closeted screenwriter, whose hatred for Kopernick was well-known, while Harris Dickinson does a devastating impression of actor Richard Attenborough, who brawled with Kopernick the night of the murder. In fact, the real Attenborough did appear in the original stage production of The Mousetrap alongside actress Sheila Sim (played here by Pearl Chanda), whom he married. It’s those factual tidbits (some of which have been altered slightly) that add a little more snap to the proceedings. Ruth Wilson, Charlie Cooper, Sian Cli ord, Pippa Bennett-Warner, and Tim Key (as a clueless police commissioner) round out the first-rate cast.
Whodunit? We’ll never say, but let’s just say it’s very much in keeping with the Agatha Christie formula. In See How They Run, the play’s the thing — and there’s plenty of play (and playfulness) to be savored and enjoyed. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.
Mark Burger
Contributor
Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell in See How They Run (2022)
THE BIRDS II: LANDS END (Vinegar Syndrome): It was simply a bad idea to make a sequel to Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 classic, based on the Daphne du Maurier short story, as this dreadful 1994 Showtime cable-TV shocker proves beyond any doubt, with director Rick Rosenthal adopting the infamous “Alan Smithee” moniker and a sheepish cast including Brad Johnson (who died in February), Chelsea Field, James Naughton, Jan Rubes, and original Birds star Tippi Hedren (who later regretted appearing in this) battling a fearsome flock on remote Gull Island. This truly is “for the birds,” and the limited-edition Blu-ray ($42.98 retail) includes audio commentary, retrospective documentary, featurette and interview, and more.
BULLET PROOF (LionsGate): Originally titled Death Pursuit, screenwriter/producer/first-time director James C. Clayton’s Rrated shoot-‘em-up stars Vinnie Jones as a hard-bitten mob boss (are there any other kind?) determined to track down the unnamed thief (Clayton) who stole millions of his ill-gotten dollars and unexpectedly is joined by Jones’ pregnant wife (newcomer Lina Lecompte), who is desperate to escape his clutches, available on DVD ($19.98 retail) and Blu-ray ($21.99 retail).
CAVE RESCUE (LionsGate): Having made The Cave (2019), which covers much of the same dramatic territory, Tom Waller wrote, produced, and directed this factbased, PG-13-rated adventure starring Jim Warny (reprising his role as himself from The Cave) as a dauntless Irish cave diver who supervises the daring e ort to rescue a boys’ soccer team in Thailand trapped in a maze of underwater caves in 2018, available on DVD ($19.98 retail) and Blu-ray ($21.99 retail), each including behind-thescenes featurette and theatrical trailer.
FIDDLER’S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN (Zeitgeist Films/Kino Lorber): Je Goldblum narrates writer/producer/director Daniel Raim’s award-winning documentary feature tracing the development of the smash Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof into the acclaimed, Oscar-winning 1971 epic directed by Norman Jewison and starring Topol (both of whom are among those interviewed there), available on DVD ($19.95 retail) and Blu-ray ($29.95 retail), each replete with bonus features including additional interviews, Raim’s Oscar-nominated 2000 documentary short The Man on Lincoln’s Nose, and more.
FROM WHERE THEY STOOD (Green-
This first-rate documentary — produced by Blumhouse (in a big departure from its traditional genre fare) — marks a fabulous debut for The Halmy Brothers (writer/ director Jaron and producer/director Matthew), who o er a first-hand, in-depth look at the YMCA Youth and Government program, which is designed as a reflection of the American political system, replete with pressing issues, important decisions, and constant compromise. The narrative picks up considerable momentum when the race narrows to three candidates — Aidan Blain, Bayo Collins, and Piper Samuels — whose e orts to get elected intensify as a result. Yet all three have lives to live, contending with problems in their families and communities, as well as the simple di culties of navigating adolescence. The filmmakers do an expert job in making this trio fully credible, fully dimensional, and fully realized. In addition, the depiction of the campaign is as polished and professional as any network or cable news outlet. As befits a political campaign, there’s even a bombshell or two.
As Blain, Collins, and Samuels hit the campaign trail, they experience excitement, exhilaration, exhaustion, and often frustration. Yet it’s impossible to ignore their hard work and sincerity. Ironically, these “youngsters” often approach politics in a fashion more serious than their adult counterparts, which speaks volumes about the current state of politics in this country. The Youth Governor is ironic, perceptive, and eminently watchable. It’s essential viewing, and not just for political junkies.
The DVD retails for $19.95 retail.
wich Entertainment/Kino Lorber): Writer/ director Christophe Gagne’s award-winning documentary feature (originally titled A pas aveugles) unearths clandestine photographs taken by prisoners in concentration camps during World War II, which remained hidden until after the war but offered a first-hand glimpse into this horrific period of history. In French with English subtitles, available on DVD ($19.95 retail).
“HERE COMES YOUR MAN 2” (TLA Releasing): Jason Alan Clark and Calvin Picou return as friends and former lovers, each one navigating his way through various romantic entanglements, in all five episodes from the 2022 season of the Dekkoo drama series written, produced, edited, and directed by Omar Salas Zamora, available on DVD ($24.99 retail).
“HIDDEN”: SERIES 3 (Acorn TV/RLJ Entertainment): Sian Reese-Williams and Sion Alyn Davies are back on the case, attempting to solve the case of a murdered farmer in a remote Welsh community, in all six feature-length episodes from the 2021 season of the award-winning BBC Wales mystery series (originally titled Craith) created by executive producers Ed Talfan and Mark Andrew. In English and Welsh with English subtitles, available on DVD ($49.99
retail), replete with behind-the-scenes featurette.
JASON’S LYRIC (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): The Blu-ray bow ($24.95 retail) of producer/director Doug McHenry’s gritty 1994 urban romance (clearly modeled on Romeo and Juliet), detailing the star-crossed romance between ambitious Allen Payne and ethereal Jada Pinkett, but the former’s ex-con brother (Bokeem Woodbine) comes between them. Filmed on location in Texas, this features a solid cast (including Forest Whitaker, Suzzanne Douglas, Anthony “Treach” Criss, Lisa Nicole Carson, and Eddie Gri n), but tends to be heavy-handled and self-indulgent. Rated R.
KAMIKAZE HEARTS (Kino Classics): Writer/director Juliet Bashore’s awardwinning 1986 debut feature, which she conceived with leading lady Tigr Mennett and editor John Knoop, stars real-life adult film stars Mennett and Sharon Mitchell as lesbian lovers whose tempestuous relationship is compromised by substance abuse and the demands of the porn industry, thereby adding an unmistakable autobiographical element. The specialedition Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) includes audio commentary, retrospective inter-
views, Bashore’s 1990 short film Crash, and trailers.
MAID IN SWEDEN (Code Red/Kino Lorber): Comely Cristina Lindberg headlines this R-rated 1971 softcore sex romp, directed by Dan Wolman (under the pseudonym “Floch Johnson”) as a timid inquisitive teenager who experiences a myriad of sexual experiences when she leaves her country home for the bright lights of Stockholm, available on Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) replete with theatrical trailer.
MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment): Lesley Manville (doubling as executive producer) takes center stage as the titular character in co-screenwriter/producer/director Anthony Fabian’s adaptation of Paul Gallico’s best-selling 1958 novel, as a widowed cleaning lady so enchanted by a Christian Dior gown that she impetuously travels to Paris to obtain one — and takes the town by storm. Elegant and pleasant, but cluttered with too many characters and subplots, although Isabelle Huppert (the very personification of Gallic glamor) and Jason Isaacs shine in support, available on DVD ($24.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($34.98 retail), each replete with bonus features. Rated PG.
“OUTLANDER”: SEASON SIX (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): Catriona Balfe and Sam Heughan (both also producers) return for more action and adventure in all eight episodes from the 2022 season of the award-winning Starz fantasy series developed by executive producer Ronald Moore and based on Diana Gabaldon’s best-selling series of novels, set against the backdrop of the political tumult of 18th-century Scotland, with Sophie Skelton, Richard Rankin, and John Bell in support, available on DVD ($45.99 retail), Blu-ray ($55.99 retail), and limitededition “collector’s edition” ($67.99 retail), each replete with bonus features.
PREMAN: SILENT FURY (Well Go USA Entertainment): Writer/director Randolph Zaini’s award-winning feature debut stars Khiva Iskak as a deaf Indonesian gangster who goes on the lam with young son Muzakki Ramhan after the latter witnesses a murder committed by the former’s cohorts. In Indonesian with English subtitles, available on DVD ($19.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($29.98 retail).
!
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022. Mark Burger.
Adele Hankey of Park River, North Dakota, was born on April 21, 1926. As such, she shared her birthday with Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away two weeks ago. But she shared more than the date, KFYR-TV reported. When Elizabeth was crowned in 1952, Hankey wrote her a letter — and the queen responded by sending Hankey a birthday card. “I could have jumped out of my shoes,” Hankey said of the unexpected greeting. Over the past 70 years, the two have exchanged handwritten cards every year. Hankey said she’ll miss the regular communication: “Oh, absolutely. You miss your pen pals.” [KFYR, 9/15/2022]
Beyond Meat COO Doug Ramsey is in the soup after a recent incident at a University of Arkansas vs. Missouri State football game, the Associated Press reported. On Sept. 17, as fans jockeyed their cars out of the parking lot following the game, Ramsey, 53, became enraged when another car made contact with his SUV’s wheel. According to police, Ramsey left his car and “punched through the back windshield” of the other car; when the driver jumped out, Ramsey “pulled him in close and started punching his body,” then “bit the owner’s nose, ripping the flesh on the tip of the nose.” Ramsey was also heard threatening to kill the other driver. He was charged with felony battery and making a terroristic threat. [Associated Press, 9/19/2022]
On June 6, Kylynn Chambers, 32, used bright red spray paint to deface a bronze statue of the character Samantha from the 1960s TV show “Bewitched” in Salem, Massachusetts. On Sept. 20, he was sentenced to 18 months’ probation in the incident, which oddly had nothing to do with witchcraft. Rather, Chambers, who is currently homeless, told prosecutors he “wanted to do something to get arrested,” The Salem News reported. The statue was erected in 2005 by the TV Land cable channel in the city famous for the witch trials of 1692. [Salem News, 9/20/2022]
One morning five years ago, Cincinnati resident Joey Lykins, then 30, woke up
and realized his septum (nose) ring was missing. He searched through his bed but never located the small item, and eventually he gave up and got another one, the New York Post reported. “I thought maybe I’d swallowed it,” he said. But a few weeks ago, Lykins, now 35, developed a violent cough and thought he was sick. An X-ray revealed otherwise: Lykins’ nose ring was lodged in his left lung: “The doctor ... said, ‘Does this look familiar?’ I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me! I’ve been looking for that!’” Lykins underwent a bronchoscopy, in which they retrieved the invader using a tube fed down his throat and into his lungs. The surgeon returned the ring to Lykins, who said he won’t be wearing it again: “I kept it as a souvenir.” [NY Post, 9/16/2022]
Neighbors of Mercedes New (aka Shawty Dred) in Atlanta have taken to walking in front of their building with umbrellas raised, rain or shine. Why? Because New was allegedly in the habit of strolling around on his high-rise balcony naked and urinating through the bars onto the street below. New, who sports distinctive yellow dreadlocks, was arrested on Sept. 21; neighbors shared video of him in the act with WSB-TV. But New insisted it wasn’t him: “I’m famous! I’m on TV, bruh. I didn’t do this, man. No. I’m innocent. I promise I didn’t do this.” He was held at the Fulton County jail. [WSB-TV, 9/21/2022]
Take note: In Alameda County, California, you may no longer engage in wild cow milking, CBS News reported. As of Sept. 20, the event often seen at rodeos in the area is illegal. In case you’re not a rodeo fan, wild cow milking involves two people who try to corral a loose cow and then extract milk from her udders. The event is not sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. “(Animals) don’t get a chance to speak. Who speaks for them?” asked county supervisor Richard Valle, who introduced the ordinance. Another supervisor thought the state or federal government should regulate wild cow milking.
[CBS News, 9/21/2022] !
the distance
were just talking about
Roast’s host
Early 1900s cars
The Raptors, on sports tickers
Up to, for short
Actor Everett of “Stardust”
In accordance with
Really big
Low-value billfold fillers
Yet to happen
way of walking
Slacked off
“Your Song” singer John
Acquire
Martini’s partner in winemaking
Exam for some jrs.
Acquire
Tally up
“The Ipcress File” novelist Deighton
Maiden-named
Bring items to someone as a server would
61 Italian province or its capital
63 Steeped quaff
65 Love god 66 Ouzo flavorer
67 Insist that formalities are observed
73 Extensive destruction
76 “Air kiss” sound
Crude
Greek god in a chariot
82 Make radical changes to the norm
87 Hi- — graphics
Long time
Beige
Father of Taoism
Talk to a deity
Novelist Nin 96 Shade trees
97 Acknowledge
99 Wading birds
100 Relax briefly 105 No matter the conse
69 Has 70 Actor Conrad of early films
71 Nanny Poppins
72 Have a debt 73 Pres. elected in ’48 74 “Caught you!”
75 Boxy vehicle 79 Weaponize again 80 “Traffic” actress Christensen 81 Full of lip 83 Packed firmly 84 Gas pump attachments 85 Novelist Sinclair 86 Grads’ dance 88 Lucifer 93 Lacking vitality 95 Medium to poor 96 Least difficult 98 Lead-in to chic or hazard 99 Sow or cow 100 Dish under a cup 101 Brush aside 102 “Neon” tank swimmers 103 Prone 104 Triangular sail 106 Least narrow 109 Coke and Pepsi 112 Peepers 114 Roddick of tennis 116 Pueblo people 117 Yuletide tune 118 Dated, quaintly 120 Mo. with the birthstone opal
121 Suffix with opal 122 Fish that can be shocking 123 — Jeanne d’Arc: Abbr. 124 “Friends” co-star Courteney
As the new academic school year settles in for public school students throughout the Triad, the lifechanging program
Punch4PoundsKids takes on another school year of tutoring, training, and empowering future generations. A whole-child approach created in 2014 by boxing athlete and veteran Steven Matthews, Punch4PoundsKids seeks to close both academic and socio-economic gaps in marginalized communities through the provision of after-school instruction and athletic recreational services to the Triad’s children and youth.
Dalia Razo Contributor
Having served in the military from the young age of 17, boxing never really crossed Matthews’ mind until his fellow soldiers suggested he try it. The opportunity to do so never took place while stationed in Fort Hill, Texas, but once in Greensboro, the sport was brought up again and he did not turn the chance down. While getting a haircut, his barber who was then learning to box, invited Matthews to stop by the gym to give the sport a try. This invite, added to the popularity of the show “The Contender” at the time, was enough to convince Matthews to finally give it a go.
Once in the ring, Matthews immediately showed talent and went on to have a successful boxing career initially competing as an amateur boxer and eventually turning professional. As a young man, he’d had his share of challenging sentiments, and walking into the sport after having been in the military brought purpose to Matthew’s life, providing him with a healthy outlet and tool that proved therapeutic for his mental health. “Boxing allowed me to learn how to deal with my emotions,” the now coach said.
“Boxing helped me be a better father, it helped me be a better man in general.”
Reaping from the benefits this newfound love brought to his overall well being, Matthews realized this could very much be the gateway to a pending fight he had for his community. The boxer had grown up without a father, had become
a young father himself, and did not have the opportunity to be a college graduate. Yet, through his commitment to providing for his family and his attentive observations of the realities in his local surroundings, he knew wanted to be part of the solution in his community and found the way to do it through the establishment of Punch4PoundsKids.
Inspired by a visit to Cincinnati, Ohio, Matthews reflected on how big the sport was to that particular community and boxing’s ability to unite entire families and kids of all ages. It was exactly what he wanted to implement through Punch4PoundsKids, to soldier and protect his community, not in a military way, but in a proactive, community-based solutionseeking way. Therefore, boxing became the hook that gets children and youth through the doors of Punch4PoundsKids, to simultaneously immerse them in a well-rounded experience of physical, mental, and emotional development.
“Our focus is to utilize the recreation, or the combat sport, to engage and then be able to assess the individual,” said Matthews. “Once we are able to assess the individual, we find out where there are areas of need and improvement.”
Through the rich pool of resources that the program has established throughout the years, once through the door,
Punch4PoundsKids is able to connect its children and youth to the resources that will best help them in their particular areas of need, while providing opportunities to work alongside a male presence that is often missing for many.
Within the space of Punch4PoundsKids, students have access to both a gym and a classroom setting surrounded by walls displaying the core values of what the program believes to be vital in citizens who make the right decisions. These include but are not limited to words such as persistence, courageous, honest, trustworthy, and confident. Supplementary, but necessary visuals for the development of the entire child, participants are able to build on their character and selfesteem while learning to excel academically and physically.
“What I know about working with youth is that we can talk about a male presence being missing,” said Matthews. “We can talk about a community that may be inside a food desert, we can talk about the academic disparity gaps that say two students lack the same resources and are not performing at the same expectation.”
Through these conversations, Matthews and his sta work towards helping young people better navigate their thinking and performance, and ultimately prevent them from walking into the same barriers
that ensure the poverty of thousands. Able to personally connect with children and youth that are missing a father figure, Matthews works on using the sport and the mentoring aspect of Punch4PoundsKids to help young men understand the various phases of becoming and being a man while having access to male models in the program they can look up to and learn from. Concerned with the fact that public schools’ top suspensions have everything to do with disrespect and fighting, the organization works endlessly to establish the missing male presence in many lives, as properly training sta to work with these situations.
The programming for Punch4PoundsKids allows parents the flexibility to enroll their children in only boxing if desired, but generally encourages families to take advantage of everything the program has to o er based on its philosophy on the importance of the whole child development. In partnership with students from North Carolina A&T State University who volunteer their time to mentor and tutor kids throughout the year, the program is able to provide both academic and socialemotional learning support at a current ratio of 5 mentees to 1 mentor.
Once reducing and beginning to close these social gaps in which students may lack food, self-awareness, and
self-esteem, the focus is then shifted to academics. “The tutoring is just as important as the boxing, and the boxing is just as important as the tutoring,” said Matthews. “On a day when a kid comes in after school, they’re going to have recreation, they’re going to have food and nutrition, and they’re also going to have mentoring.” The organization currently o ers IXL, a personalized online learning program for students in grades k-12 as well as learning devices and wifi.
Students from A&T University who volunteer as tutors work under the title of “supplemental instructor.” They are generally from any major, if they’ve declared a major at all, and while many may still be trying to find their way in their paths, the program welcomes their passion to serve the community while giving them the opportunity to learn the significance of what they do when they walk through the door of Punch4PoundsKids. Their presence and dedication alone contribute to the ongoing solution of closing the disparity gaps that state children are not performing at proficiency levels in math or reading.
Punch4PoundsKids is open to all children and youth and currently holds classes and programs designed for students from the ages of four through 24. Eager to prepare the youngest group in the program for pre-kindergarten and navigating early childhood, the class for four-year-olds meets once a week for 30 minutes on the weekends. Emphasizing the whole child’s development once more, the class exposes the children to an instructional environment for the first time, while learning to focus and sit still throughout the class.
For older students, the program o ers school age and teenage boxing programs, and by welcoming young people up to the
age of 24, Matthews looks to serve the young adults already in the workforce. “If I have a high school dropout that comes through the front door, I am now able to put them in a position of employment or put them in a position to get a GED, or get them back into school,” Matthews said. “That’s where our program and our scope has widened. If you are in poverty, and you fit in this age, we have programs, services, and resources that can help you.”
With headquarters in Greensboro, Punch4PoundsKids also has locations in High Point and Jamestown as well as an ongoing presence in the Winston-Salem area. The High Point location is currently serving after-school programming while the Jamestown location is running as a weekend program, hosting the organization’s athletes from both Greensboro and High Point in order to serve all possible demographics. However, Matthews plans to continue expanding, hoping to have a more permanent presence sooner than later in Winston-Salem.
Among the initial lessons that Matthews learned from one of his mentors during his boxing career, was the ability to duplicate himself and be able to be in multiple places at one time.
The coach has maintained that focal point, implementing it to the continuous development of Punch4PoundsKids as the program continues to grow and expand throughout the Triad. With the variety of ages and demographics Punch4PoundsKids provides services to, enrollment continues to rise as parents continue to discover the program through its partnerships with public schools, word of mouth, or simply its online presence.
“In order for Punch4PoundsKids to be in multiple places at one time there has to be a level of support,” said Matthews. “And that support is the volunteering, the
interning, the higher sta . We’ve been able to grow over the years into that place where partnerships for us inside of our school system allow us to not only duplicate the boxing from a ring and heavy bags, but to bring in the mentoring component, to introduce the sport and utilize it as a way to create structure, discipline, and build relationships.”
Matthews, like many, had to grow up quickly and never truly had the opportunity to be a child, nor have dreams of his own. During his first year stationed in Fort Hood, Texas, he had custody of his younger brother, and when he was finally able to meet his father during the last several years, the man passed away a year later on Matthews’ birthday. Fortunately, the purpose and passion that boxing enhanced in his life has pushed him to fight for the establishment of a legacy and inheritance for Black enterprises through Punch4PoundsKids.
He finds it imperative for Black enterprises to thrive and grow, and focuses on the impact he has on his community when Punch4PoundsKids grows. “When I expand I get a chance to open up employment opportunities,” Matthews said. “As we expand we get a chance to bring people out of a place of poverty and identify individuals who may not get a chance to make $30,000 or $35,000 at the age of 22. The more Punch4PoundsKids continues to leverage it gives us a chance to build our communities, to build Black enterprises.” Matthews’ goal is not about getting wealthy, but about interrupting systems and being part of the closing of economic gaps.
During the last academic school year, Punch4PoundsKids was housed in both Flat Rock Middle School and Parkland High School in Forsyth County. The program generally has a large African
American population with the occasional handful of Hispanic students here and there, but when working at Parkland High School, Matthews was able to work with a population of about 85% Hispanic students. Being able to bring boxing to a culture that’s already in “cahoots”, Matthews considers the sport as much part of Hispanic culture as African American culture.
Lastly, Punch4PoundsKids has a mobile boxing gym that allows for the setup and breakdown of traveling boxing equipment that the organization is enthusiastic about bringing to local parks to continue bringing health, fitness, and wellness to the Triad’s local communities. Hopeful that this will open the possibility of receiving support from the city and its Park and Recreation Commission, Matthews continuously encourages conversations on the subject of reaching the children and adults of our communities through local outdoor settings.
The Triad is by no means the limit for Punch4PoundsKids. Matthews looks to continue duplicating the model he created in Greensboro and take it beyond the Triad into further counties such as Mecklenburg. “The sport of boxing is for everyone,” Matthews said. “And we have had the opportunity, outside of minorities, to work with everyone. I use boxing as a way to engage the community, but my ultimate focus is not recreation, my ultimate focus is empowerment.”
Punch4PoundsKids’ headquarters are located at 2019 Suite C on Binford St. in Greensboro. For additional information visit their website at p4kids.com or call 336-456-6468. !
DALIA RAZO is a bilingual journalist, fine arts educator, and doctoral student at UNCG.
On June 4, anti-abortion activist Danny Bracken struck Kirstin Cassell with his car outside Greensboro’s only remaining abortion provider, where Cassell volunteers as an escort. “You don’t have a right of way here, ma’am,” said Bracken. “When a car’s approaching, you need to move.”
Bracken was not arrested at the scene but was charged the next day with one count of misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon.
On Friday, Judge Caroline Pemberton found Bracken guilty but reduced the charge to simple assault.
Cassell is a trained trauma therapist who volunteers as a patient escort at A Woman’s Choice at 2545 Randleman Road, where she is usually stationed in the parking lot of Midori Express, a restaurant in front of the clinic and beside the service road leading to it, to re-direct patients who mistakenly pull into the Midori parking lot.
That’s what she was doing when Bracken drove his Toyota Salara directly at her.
When his car struck the palms of her outthrust hands. Bracken did not stop, but Cassell twisted and pushed herself out of the way, and was not knocked down. She later said she was too full of adrenaline to immediately feel injured and did not call an ambulance, but for days afterward, she experienced back pain, had nightmares when she slept, insomnia, and flashbacks.
The incident was recorded on Cassell’s body-worn camera and that of Michael Usey, lead pastor at College Park Baptist Church in Greensboro, who also volunteers as a patient escort.
Since 2018, anti-abortion protesters have gathered in the Midori parking lot to pray, preach and protest, with some advertising a controversial procedure to “reverse” chemical abortions. In 2020, a clinical study reported in the peerreviewed journal Obstetrics & Gynecology declared “abortion reversal” ine ective and highly dangerous.
When patients mistakenly enter the lot, protesters attempt to thrust literature into their cars and urge them to stop and
get a “free ultrasound” to “see your baby.”
Under North Carolina law, a woman must be shown an ultrasound before she can have an abortion. The “free ultrasounds” advertised by protesters do not meet this requirement, as the mandated procedure must be done by the doctor performing the abortion.
In 2020, YES! Weekly reported an incident in which a car that mistakenly pulled into the Midori lot was surrounded by protesters. A white woman then thrust her arm into the car, in which the passenger was a weeping Black patient, and hung on until Michelle Kennedy, then a city council representative at-large, insisted that police o cers who had passively observed the encounter intervene. This incident was also witnessed by District 5 representative Tammi Thurm.
That’s why clinic volunteers with rainbow vests stand in the Midori parking lot. When a patient’s car makes a wrong turn into that lot, they re-direct the patient to clinic parking.
Cassell was waiting to do that when Danny Bracken ran into her.
Bracken, a 69-year-old retired Marine veteran who resides in Summerfield is, like the majority of protesters at the Greensboro clinic, white, and most of the patients are Black. Bracken told the judge that he drove into the Midori parking lot as a volunteer for Triad Coalition for Life, a Greensboro-based organization founded in 2020 by Bobby Singleton and Tim Rogers.
Singleton told Triad City Beat’s Sayaka Matsuoka that Danny Bracken is no longer
associated with his organization. When Singleton appeared in court on Friday as a defense witness, he repeated this statement. His co-founder Rogers sat in the back of the courtroom.
For most of his eight hours in court, Bracken sat alone, but on multiple occasions joined and appeared to confer with Singleton and Rogers.
Clinic escorts had been publicly urging Guilford County District Attorney Avery Crump to also prosecute Bracken for violating FACE, the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act signed by Bill Clinton in 1994, which made it a federal crime to physically obstruct the entrance to a clinic or interfere with, injure, or intimidate clinic workers or women seeking reproductive health care. Penalties can be as high as a $100,000 fine and one year in prison for a first o ense.
In 2020, North Carolina passed legislation mirroring the federal act, but with much less severe penalties. General Statute 14277.4. Obstruction of health care facilities made it a Class 2 Misdemeanor to “obstruct or block another person’s access to or egress from a health care facility.”
Section (b) states: No person shall injure or threaten to injure a person who is or has been: (1) Obtaining health care services; (2) Lawfully aiding another to obtain health care; or (3) Providing health care services.
In July, Gov. Roy Cooper ordered the Department of Public Safety to “work with law enforcement agencies and reproductive health care services facilities
to ensure the enforcement of N.C. Gen. Stat.§ 14-277.4, which protects access to and egress from health care facilities.”
On Friday, Betsy Lamb, the ADA prosecuting Bracken, told Cassell that Lamb’s boss John Stone had decided against charging Bracken for obstructing the clinic, as that would probably result in a continuance.
Lamb said that the obstruction charge was only a class 2 misdemeanor, whereas Assault with a Deadly Weapon was a Class 1, with a maximum punishment of 150 days incarceration and a discretionary fine. Since 2014, any North Carolina defendant charged with a lesser crime than capital murder may waive their right to a jury trial and have their case decided by a judge, as happened in Bracken’s trial.
Cassell said she also wanted Bracken charged with obstruction even if that required a continuance. After consulting with Stone, Lamb said that the obstruction charge had been added and Defense had not requested a continuance.
The added charge was under the 2020 NC statute. Cassell later told YES! Weekly she was disappointed he was not charged under the stricter 1994 federal statute and expressed frustration that the ADA and judge seemed unfamiliar with Governor Cooper’s July order explicitly directing local authorities to enforce the state statute
On Friday, both Judge Pemberton and ADA Lamb acknowledged that unfamiliarity and Pemberton expressed anger at what she called “a terrible statute.”
Pemberton then dismissed the obstruc-
Ian McDowell Contributor Kirstin Cassell kneeling at right with clinic escorts outside courthouse. Photo by clinic escort of Bracken seated near clinic parking lot.tion charge, which she said would only apply if Cassell was escorting a patient when Bracken struck her with his car.
When questioned by Pemberton, Cassell testified she assisted patients “that day,” meaning prior to Bracken’s arrival at the clinic. Appearing irritated by Cassell’s answer, Pemberton told her this was irrelevant. Cassell tried to speak, but the judge called her “disrespectful,” adding “you’re lucky I don’t dismiss more charges.”
Although Cassell testified that she injured her back when twisting and pushing herself out of Bracken’s way, defense attorney Jan Pritchett argued this claim should not be taken seriously, as no ambulance was called to the scene.
Defendant Bracken alleged he only intended to park and that Cassell blocked his way, and claimed he stopped before she struck his hood with her hands. Defense attorney Pritchett suggested the incident was staged by Cassell and other clinic escorts, stating he found it suspicious they were wearing bodycams.
However, this is not what footage from Cassell and prosecution witness Usey depicts.
That footage, on YouTube under the title “A video compilation of body camera footage shows Danny Bracken driving into Kirstin Cassell,” contradicts Bracken’s claim he only intended to park.
Twenty-nine seconds into the YouTube compilation, Cassell’s body-worn camera reveals Bracken’s car advancing on her. At 30 seconds, she yells “whoa . . . whoa . . .whoa . . . whoa . . . WHOA!” as the car fills the screen. Footage from Usey’s camera shows Cassell reaching out defensively and shoving herself out of the car’s way. Only then does Bracken veer left and park against the curb; before that, he was in the middle of the lane and driving straight at Cassell.
Bracken acknowledged he should have “parked and waited,” but said he drove towards Cassell because he was determined to park in what he called “his usual spot.”
“You know you did something wrong,” responded Pemberton.
Pastor Michael Usey later told YES! Weekly there was no such “usual spot.” Usey also alleged that, before the incident, Bracken made abusive and degrading statements to female and nonbinary clinic escorts.
Judge Pemberton did not explain why she reduced the charge to simple assault, but ordered Bracken to complete a series of mandatory anger-management courses and prohibited him from coming within 1,000 feet of the abortion clinic for a year. After that year, the court will o er him a prayer for judgment continued, meaning that Bracken is found guilty but will su er no penalties unless he violates
the terms of his sentencing.
Bracken left the courthouse in the company of Singleton and Rogers before the press could approach him.
Outside the courthouse, a clinic escort named Ten H alleged that on a morning before the assault, Bracken mocked and threatened them by shouting “what a big target you are.”
Usey emailed the following statement about Bracken.
“I have encountered Danny on several occasions. Typically, he arrives after 9 a.m. and will bring a chair that he places next to whomever he is harassing that morning.
He sits uncomfortably close.
He has done this to me on several mornings. He speaks contemptuously to us on every occasion, mocking and belittling the escorts.”
Usey stated that on Thursday, June 2, he witnessed Bracken harass an escort for 45 minutes, calling them “faggot” and asking “are you trying to be a boy?”
“Neither of us reacted in any way to his ongoing demeaning diatribe,” said Usey.
Reaching out to Bracken via his Facebook page, YES! Weekly asked him to comment on these allegations, but has yet to receive a response.
On Saturday, Cassell was back at the clinic.
“It went like most mornings outside of the clinic do,” she wrote in a Facebook message to YES! Weekly. “We were able to successfully direct patients so that they could attend their healthcare appointments with as little harassment as possible. A patient even stopped to tell us that they’d been nervous about protesters, but seeing us made them feel loved. That happens pretty regularly. Of course, we wish we had no reason to be out there, but if the antiabortion protesters are going to continue to harass patients, we are grateful and honored to have the job of helping them get to the clinic safely.”
She also stated her disappointment with how the prosecution was conducted.
“What that trial should have been about was ensuring that our community has safe access to abortions. But we don’t currently have a legal framework that wants to protect us. Instead, it became a fight over whether he hit me with the car or not. It’s so disappointing that we don’t have real structures in place to support our clinics, patients, and escorts. We absolutely need to do better.” !
IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.
Californian rockers
Lit and Hoobastank keep things tried and true for their fans with the “Tried-N-True” tour, coming to Ziggy’s.Space in High Point on October 15.
Lighting a stick of naughty-aughty dynamite, they’re bringing Alien Ant Farm and Kris Roe (of the Ataris) along for a ride throughout the east coast and down through Texas; with two stops in North Carolina (they’ll also be in Wilmington on October 23).
Still their “own worst enemy,” Lit keeps it steady with a new album and a lineup of original living members, centered around the Popo brothers: Jeremy (on guitar) and vocalist Ajay. “The common thread that never changes with Lit is that you can tell the Popo brothers are in the mix,” Jeremy said. “I’m still playing a Fender Telecaster or a Gibson Les Paul down to my knees, through a Marshall amp with an overdrive stomp box pedal, and Ajay still sounds like Ajay.”
It’s a spirit that extends to their new album, “Tastes Like Gold.” “We made a conscious decision to go back to when we had arrived at what we represented musically,” Ajay said. “It took a little bit of time to cleanse the palette and hit reset. However, the creativity flowed
better than it had in the past couple of decades.”
“We just decided to make what people expect from Lit and, honestly, what we expect from Lit,” Jeremy noted. “Our fans have been very cool and gracious over the years. They’ve allowed us to grow, change, morph, and explore. At the end of the day though, Lit means something to people, and we wanted to get back to that.”
Staying the course of cheeky self-destruction, the latest single “Mouth Shut” relays remedies for the classic foot-inmouth disease Lit has been experiencing since their 1999 breakout single, “My Own Worst Enemy.” An experience they’ve continued sharing with bassist Kevin Baldes and now with drummer Taylor Carroll (who replaced the late Allen Shellenberger). Fellow SoCal drummer, Adrian Young (of No Doubt) makes an appearance on the track and video.
Charting familiar territory, “Mouth Shut,” is “about keeping your thoughts to yourself, because sometimes it’s not worth speaking,” Jeremy explained. “It’s also good advice for a marriage,” Ajay added. “I’ve learned that one the hard way. We’ve all regretted hitting ‘send’ on at least one text or Instagram story!”
Rocking through regrets with upbeat ri s and story-worthy antics, the single “Kicked O The Plane,” shrugs o a walk of shame — retelling the real-life titular experience of being booted o an airplane for bootlegging in a co ee cup. “We’re still doing things that get us into trouble,” Ajay said, with a laugh.
Though they’ve learned a few things in the decades since. Tracks like “Hold that Thought” and “Out Of It,” o er hints of reflection and hopes for redemption.
The self-titled track, “Tastes Like Gold,” toys around ideas behind the attraction of self-destructive tendencies — namely that of addiction, through a broadly applicable lens of dark nostalgia.
Closing out with a Cars cover, “Tastes Like Gold” ultimately runs the wellcovered ground that earned Lit a double platinum status for “My Own Worst Enemy,” their Billboard Music Awardwinning single that’s been covered by a range of artists: from Post Malone over Instagram Live to Kelly Clarkson on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
It’s also ground Lit recently explored in the 2021 podcast documentary series, appropriately titled: “My Own Worst Enemy, the Podcast.” Presented by Round Hill Music, the four-part documentary series delves into the background, production, and lasting power of the hit song that’s still heavily-karaoked around the world. Young makes an appearance in the cast, along with Butch Walker and
Noodles (from the O spring).
Tour co-headliner (and fellow band of turn-of-the-century dirtbag boyfriends) Hoobastank, is also pushing the documentary edge — celebrating the anniversary of their 2001 self-titled debut album with “The Hoobastank 20th Anniversary,” a seven-part streamer o ering footage from the band’s time on the road, in the studio, and behind-the-scenes of the past two decades.
Alien Ant Farm rounds out the millennium-era Californian explosion of the bill. The group, known for their take on “Smooth Criminal” keeps on pushing chunked-out covers with their latest renditions of Wham!’s “Everything She Wants.” Meanwhile, Kris Roe (of the San Dimas High School football fans, the Ataris) will ring in the opening solo slot.
The naughty-aughty’s are back — tried and true — as Lit, Hoobastank, Alien Ant Farm and Kris Roe bring the “Tried-NTrue” tour to Ziggy’s.Space in High Point on October 15. !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who spotlights area artists and events.
Katei Cranford
Contributor
Alien Ant Farm Hoobastank
Lit
PHOTO BY NICK FANCHER
Submissions should be sent to artdirector@yesweekly.com by Friday at 5 p.m., prior to the week’s publication. Visit yesweekly.com and click on calendar to list your event online.
218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722
www.foursaintsbrewing.com
Thursdays: Taproom Trivia
Fridays: Music Bingo
Oct 8: Eck McCanless
Oct 16: Honky Tonk Jam w/ Mark Dillon & Friends
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053
www.catscradle.com
Sep 28: King Bu alo w/ Heavy
Temple
Sep 29: Electric Six & Supersuckers
Sep 29: The 502s w/ Happy Landing
Sep 30: Titus Andronicus
Oct 1: Watchhouse w/ Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
Oct 1: Jukebox the Ghost
Oct 3: Lucy Dacus w/ Crooks & Nannies
Oct 4: Melt w/ FRUTE
Oct 4: Rare Americans w/ DYLYN
Oct 4: of Montreal w/ Locate S,1
Oct 6: Alex G w/ Barrie
Oct 6: The Cactus Blossoms w/ Alexa Rose
Oct 7: Tyrone Wells w/ Nathan Colberg
Oct 7: Steve Kimock & Friends
Oct 8: Wild Rivers w/ Kyndal Inskeep
Oct 8: Clem Snide & Jill Andrews
Oct 9: EddieFest w/ Tha Materials, Secret Monkey Weekend, Phineas Nyang’oro, Nikki Meets the Hibachi, & more!
Oct 9: Caroline Rose w/ Toth
Oct 11: Lucero w/ L.A. Edwards
Oct 11: Sammy Rae & The Friends w/ The Collection
Oct 13: Jonathan Richman w/ Tommy Larkins
Oct 13: Dead Horses w/ Andrea von Kampen
Oct 14: Stereolab w/ Rievel Is Glauque
Oct 15: Psychic Hotline Block Party
Oct 16: Bob Mould Sols Electric: Distortion and Blue Hearts! w/ H.C.
McEntire
Oct 16: The Luka State w/ Micky James
Oct 16: The Glorious Sons w/ Brother Elsey
Oct 17: Madison Cunningham w/ Bendigo Fletcher
Oct 17: KMFDM
Oct 18: Calexico w/ Ada Lea
Oct 18: Mightmare
Oct 18: Mother Mother w/ Sir Sly & Transviolet
Oct 19: Frankie and the Witch Fingers w/ Kairos Creature Club
Oct 19: The Maria Present: CINEMA
Oct 19: The Black Angels
BOJANGLES COLISEUM
2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com
Oct 6: Kevin Gates
Oct 7: Carin Leon
former Uptown Amphitheatre
820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com
Oct 21: Demi Lovato
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com
Sep 28: King Princess
Sep 30: Highly Suspect
Oct 1: Coin
Oct 1: Monolink
Oct 2: New Rory & Mal
Oct 3: Peach Pit
Oct 3: Barns Courtney
707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292
www.livenation.com
Oct 4: Alice in Chains & Breaking Benjamin + Bush w/ special guests
333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000
www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com
Oct 2: Charlotte R&B Music Experience ft. Monica, Tevin Campbell, Tamer Braxton, H-Town, 112, & NEXT
Oct 8: The Millennium Tour ft. Bow Wow, Mario, Keri Hilson, Lloyd, Pleasure P, Bobby V, Sammie, Ying Yang Twins, Dem Franchize Boyz, Lil Scrappy, Travis Porter, Crime Mob, Trillville, & Day26
Oct 20: Lizzo
HOUSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330
www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
Sep 29: Anna Mertson
Sep 30: Decades
Oct 6: JVC
Oct 14: Spindle 45
309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030
www.carolinatheatre.org
Sep 28: Billy Bragg
Sep 29: Sibling Rivalry Tour
BY MIKE WILEYThis powerful World Premiere production follows four Bennett Belles through the Sit-in Movement.
As they work to define who they are in this crucial moment in time, they must decide if and how they will take a stand and be REBELLIOUS.
Oct 4: Dave East & Friends
Oct 5: Niki
Oct 7: Twin Temple
Oct 9: Judah & the Lion
Oct 11: Turnstile w/ JPEGMAFIA & Snail Mail
Oct 12: Sabrina Claudio
Oct 12: Yung Bae
Oct 13: The Sage Motel Tour ft. Monophonics
Oct 14: DOMi & JD Beck
Oct 15: Noah Kahan
Oct 15: Baynk
Oct 17: Fletcher
Oct 18: Joji
Oct 19: The Front Bottoms
Oct 19: Max & Iggor Cavalera Return: Beneath Arise
Sep 30: Ninja Sex Party
Oct 1: JB Smoove
Oct 12: Craig Ferguson
Oct 13: Here Come The Mummies
Oct 15: A Walk in August
Oct 15: Pierce Freelon
Oct 17: A Walk in August
Oct 19: Joe Santriani
123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787
www.dpacnc.com
Oct 6: Wanda Sykes
Oct 7: Brandi Carlile
Oct 8: Father John Misty w/ Suki Waterhouse
Oct 9: Tauren Wells w/ Aaron Cole & Lakewood Music
Oct 11: Gov’t Mule w/ Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
Oct 12: Wardruna
HOME GROWN MUSIC SCENE | Compiled by Shane Hart
Oct 15: Diana Krall
Oct 16: Steve Martin & Martin Short
129 W Main St | 336.258.8240
www.reevestheater.com
Wednesdays: Reeves Open Mic
Fourth Thursdays: Old-Time Jam
Oct 1: Dustbowl Revival
Oct 6: Becca Stevens, Je Black, & Joe Thrift
Oct 15: The Embers ft Craig Woolard
2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889
www.arizonapetes.com
Oct 11: The Contortionist
120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211
www.barndinner.com
Sep 30: Stephen Freeman — 20 Years of Dinnertainment
Oct 1 - Nov 19: Is There Life After 50?
310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605
www.carolinatheatre.com
Sep 30: KRS-One United Way of Greater Greensboro Concert
Sep 30: Bitch In the Crown
Oct 1: Chris Meadows and The Dark Knights
Oct 7: Spin The Crown
Oct 11: Candyman
Oct 13: Pete The Cat
Oct 15: Abigail Dowd
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034
www.thecomedyzone.com
Sep 29: Mike Cannon
Sep 30 - Oct 2: Don “DC” Curry
Oct 7-8: Chris Wiles
Oct 14-16: Carolanne Miljavac
Oct 19: Ryan Long
602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.388
www.facebook.com/CommonGroundsGreensboro
Oct 1: Don Merckle
117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646
www.cdecgreensboro.com
Oct 8: B.O.B w/ Live Band
Oct 15: Sabbath
221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967
www.flatirongso.com
Sep 29: Travis Williams Group
Sep 30: Dr. Bacon
Oct 1: Oh No! Casino
Oct 2: Dan Davis Trio
Oct 6: Matt Woods
Oct 9: An evening with Scott Miller
Oct 11: Songs from the Flat Iron
Nov 18: SUSTO
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020
www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
Sep 29: Tony & Katy
Sep 30: Hotwax & The Spinters
Oct 1: Camel City Blues Band
1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400
www.greensborocoliseum.com
Sep 30: Los Tigres del Notre
Oct 8: Real Talk Comedy Tour
Oct 13: Frankie Beverly & Maze
Oct 15-16: Hot Wheels Live Glow Party
348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678
www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew
Wednesdays: Trivia
Fridays & Saturdays: Free Live Music
Sep 30: Aaron Woody Wood
117B W Lewis St | 336.285.6406
www.southendbrewing.com
Tuesdays: Trivia Night
Sep 29: Eversole Brothers
Sep 30: Mason Jar Confessions
1918 W Gate City Blvd | 336.907.8294
www.facebook.com/steelhandsgreensboro
Sep 29: William Hinson
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500
www.tangercenter.com
Oct 1: Michelle Cann
Oct 11: R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Oct 15: That Girl Lay Lay
Oct 16: Diana Krall
COMEDY CLUB
503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699
www.idiotboxers.com
Thursdays: Open Mic
Oct 1: Ben Jones
Oct 15: Jason Allen King
3326 W Friendly Ave Suite 141 | 336.299.4505
www.facebook.com/winestylesgreensboro277
Oct 1: Susanna Macfarlane
Oct 8: Stewart
1614 DMB
1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113
https://www.1614drinksmusicbilliards.com/
Sep 30: DJ505
Oct 1: Bad Boys
Oct 8: Kwik Fxx
Oct 15: Toyz
2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567
www.goofyfoottaproom.com
Oct 15: Mike Everett
220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401
www.highpointtheatre.com
Oct 8: Scotland’s Tannahill Weavers
Oct 14: Don Quixote
Oct 15: Kathy Mattea & Suzy Bogguss
1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476 www.sweetoldbills.com
Sep 29: Becky Walton and Zach Smith
Oct 6: Bradley Steele
Oct 13: Buddy Ro and the Fairlanes Trio
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.thedeckatrivertwist.com
Sep 29: Renae Paige
Sep 30: Big City
Oct 1: Patrick RockBand
Oct 2: Jody Lee Petty w/ Coia
Oct 6: Kelsey Hurley
Oct 7: The Plaids
Oct 8: Cory Leutjen and The Traveling Blues Band
Oct 13: Dan Miller
COCKTAIL LOUNGE
221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822
www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge
Wednesdays: Karaoke
Oct 7: Blue City Bombers
BREWING COMPANY
221 N Main St. | 336.816.7283
www.facebook.com/kernersvillebrewing Thursdays: Trivia
Oct 16: Brews-A-Palooza
OLD NICK’S PUB
191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059
www.OldNicksPubNC.com
Wednesdays: Trivia
Fridays: Karaoke
101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844
www.TheLibertyShowcase.com
Sep 30: John Anderson
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400
www.lincolntheatre.com
Sep 27-29: IBMA Bluegrass Ramble
Sep 30: Joe Hero, Deep 6, & Sickman
Oct 1: Whitey Morgan and The 78’s w/ Josh Meloy
Oct 3: Lucy Dacus w/ Crooks & Nannies
Oct 6: Nikki Lane
Oct 7: The Mersiv w/ Lost In The South, Black Carl!, & Saka
Oct 8: The Petty Thieves (Tom Petty Tribute)
Oct 13: Battle of the Broker Bands
Oct 14: Saint Augustine’s Homecoming Kick O Party ft. The Niito Band
Oct 15: Harvey Street/ The Nasty Habits/ Balsa Gliders
Oct 18: Kitchen Dwellers & Daniel Donato
500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800
www.redhatamphitheater.com
Sep 30 - Oct 2: IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Main Stage
Oct 3: Death Cab for Cutie w/ LOW
Oct 7: Maxwell w/ Ash Minor
Oct 20: Koe Wetzel
1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300
www.thepncarena.com
Oct 2: Panic! At The Disco w/ Marina & Jake Wesley Rogers
Oct 6: Dr. David Jeremiah ft. Gaither Vocal Band
Oct 7: Katt Williams
Oct 18: Greta Van Flee
121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018
www.earlsws.com
Mondays: Open Mic
Thursdays: Will Jones
Sep 30: Drew Foust
Oct 1: Jason Moss and The Hosses
Oct 7: Carolina Clay
Oct 8: Mike Cosner and The Fugatives
Oct 14: Zack Brock and The Good Intentions
Oct 15: Aaron Hamm and The Big River Band
772 Trade St | 336.999.8945
www.fiddlinfish.com
Tuesdays: Trivia
Oct 7: Camel City Blues
Oct 14: Joe Dowdy Trio
638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348
www.foothillsbrewing.com
Sundays: Sunday Jazz
Thursdays: Trivia
Sep 28: Robertson Boys
Sep 30: Camel City Blues
Oct 2: Crystal Fountains
Oct 9: Anne and The Moonlighters
Oct 14: Heavy Peace
11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218
www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter
Mondays: Line Dancing
Oct 1: Sidekix
Oct 8: Jimmy Shirley Jr & The 8 Track 45 Band
Oct 15: Diamond Edge
137 West St | 336.201.5182
www.facebook.com/MuddyCreekCafe
Oct 13: Jim Messina
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714
www.theramkat.com
Sep 29: Damn Tall Buildings
Sep 30: Nite Moves
Oct 1: Scythian
Oct 5: Popa Chubby
Oct 6: Handsome Jack w/ Michael Bennett
Oct 7: Couldn’t Be Happiers w/ The Simple Joy
Oct 12: Kitchen Dwellers w/ Daniel Donato
Oct 13: Colin Allured & LB The Poet
Oct 15: Rhymin’ N Stealin’ (The Original Beastie Boys Tribute)
633 North Liberty Street | 336-917-3008
www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater. com
Sep 28 Trivia Time @ Fords Food Hall
Sep 29: Bill Morris & Friends @ Fords Food Hall
Sep 30: Brave
Sep 30: DJ CHUBBS
Sep 30: DJ FISH
Sep 30: Xcentrix @ Fords
Sep
Sportscenter Athletic
ultimate athletic
Conveniently
for
total fitness concept for maximum
cordially invite all of
savings
designed to incorporate
a wide variety of
to be a part of
and total enjoyment.
athletic facility, while enjoying
established corporate accounts.
Natalie Garcia
BARTENDER: Jennifer Smith
BAR: Breathe Cocktail Lounge
AGE: 49
Winston-Salem, NC
28 years
I had a friend in the bar business and he needed some last minute help, so I got thrown right in and I really enjoyed it!
I love being around all di erent types of people and socializing so it was a perfect fit for me!
I love seeing people try something new or out of their comfort zone and really enjoy it!
My Watermelon Jolly Rancher Drink. I love that everyone who tries it loves it!
It really depends on my mood and what I’m doing! But typically I’m a rum girl, but I do love a great margarita!
I love sweet stu so I’d have to say a Chocolate Raspberry Martini!
There’s are a lot of stories, but I’d have to say the craziest is the vast number of people that hook up in the bathrooms or in the corners where they think no one sees, but we always see it!
WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN?
The best tip I remember is $200 on a $50 tab.
[
BARTENDER OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check out videos on our Facebook!
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You might not like the sudden setback in your plans. But keep that headstrong Arian temperament in check and wait for explanations. Things will begin to clear up by week’s end.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Enjoy the respite from your recent hectic schedule, but be ready to plunge into a new round of social activities. A new contact holds much potential for the future.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A trusted colleague has news that could change your perception of a current workplace situation. What had seemed unfair might prove to be highly favorable after all.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You still need to watch what you say and how you say it. What you assert as honesty, others might perceive as Crabbiness. Be patient. This di cult period clears up by the weekend.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your Royalness needs some time away from the limelight to catch up on things, whether it’s tidying up your desk or making those calls you’ve put o . You’re back in the center of things by the weekend.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Honesty is the best policy, of course. But, you’ll do better at achieving your goals if you can be less aggressive and more circumspect in how you phrase your comments.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your ability to maintain your balance in confusing situations continues to
work for you. Stay on the steady course, one step at a time. The weekend shows improvement.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your indecisiveness could simply be your keen Scorpian sense warning you to be wary of making a commitment. Take this time to do a more thorough investigation.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Good news: New information comes your way to help you make a more informed decision on how to deal with the opportunity that has opened up for you.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) This is a good time to reinforce your self-confidence by acknowledging your own good qualities. A lull in your social life ends by the weekend. Have fun.
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) It’s a good time to let those recently pent-up emotions flow more freely. Why not start by letting the people you care for know how you really feel about them?
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Resist o ers, no matter how well-intentioned, to help with a personal decision. Only you know what must be done, and you have the emotional strength to follow through.
[BORN THIS WEEK You have a talent for getting things done. You also have a gift for bringing people together in both personal and professional relationships.
© 2022 by King Features Syndicate
crossword
by Fifi Rodriguez
[1. U.S. STATES: Which state’s o cial animal is a panther?
[2. LITERATURE: What was the color of the man’s hat in the “Curious George” book series?
[3. TELEVISION: Chuck Woolery was the original host of which TV game show?
[4. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the location of the first White Castle restaurant?
[5. COMICS: What’s the name of the newspaper where Clark Kent works?
[6. MOVIES: Which 1980s movie features a character named Aurora Greenway?
[7. PSYCHOLOGY: What fear is represented in the phobia eisoptrophobia?
[8. GEOGRAPHY: How many African countries have Portuguese as their o cial language?
[9. ANIMAL KINGDOM: On average, cats sleep how many hours a day?
[10. HISTORY: The ancient city of Rome was built on how many hills?
10.Seven.
About15hours.
Six.
7.Afearofmirrors.
6.“TermsofEndearment.”
© 2022 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
5.TheDailyPlanet.
4.Wichita,Kansas.
3.“WheelofFortune.”
2.Yellow.
1.Florida.
sudoku on page
We are a government funded program that provides help to elderly, disabled, and families with children. The Weatherization Assistance Program assists income-eligible families and individuals by reducing their heating and cooling costs, as well as addressing health and safety issues in their homes through energy-efficiency measures. Weatherization services reduce the amount of energy required to heat and cool homes. You may also qualify for HARRP which is the heating and air repair or replacement program.
It’s easy to
if
eligible and to
The Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) helps homeowners, and renters depending on location, available funding, and landlord approval, by weatherizing eligible occupied housing. The Program is funded by federal grants.
For weatherization assistance through PTRC residents must live in Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Forsyth, Guilford, Person, Randolph, or Rockingham County. This program is free but, you must meet certain income requirements.
904-0338.