YES! Weekly - April 1, 2020

Local group makes masks for health care providers in need during COVID-19

TAKEOUT LIST

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TIM FOGARTY

voting extended to April 24!

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2020

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April 1-7, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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APRIL 1-7, 2020 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 14

12 5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930

WE CAN SEW IT

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

A Winston-Salem-based Facebook group with over 1,300 members have organized and mobilized in less than two weeks to make 3,911 masks for health care providers during the pandemic.PROJECT MASK WS began on Facebook, when the group’s co-founder Melissa Vickers saw a post from Deaconess requesting that the community make masks to help with the shortage.

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EDITORIAL Editor KATIE MURAWSKI katie@yesweekly.com Contributors IAN MCDOWELL JOHN BATCHELOR TERRY RADER MARK BURGER JIM LONGWORTH KATEI CRANFORD JOHN RAILEY PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com

the triad’s best voting extended to april 24!

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Here at YES! Weekly, we’re making viral adjustments just like everybody else.

But with regard to local restaurant coverage, we’ll be doing more, not less. Below, I am providing a master list of RESTAURANTS FOR TAKEOUT. These are personal recommendations, based on past reviews and my experiences- places I patronize myself- now, in the past, and in the future.

5 March 25 opinion by U.S. district court judge Loretta C. Biggs allows the Federal Civil Rights lawsuit over the fatal hogtying of MARCUS DEON SMITH to move forward. Judge Briggs dismissed all counts against Guilford County, but allowed many against the City of Greensboro and police officers Justin Payne, Robert Duncan, Michael Montalvo, Alfred Lewis, Christopher Bradshaw, Lee Andrews, Douglas Strader and Jordan Bailey.

6 With social distancing and lost work, self-employed Triad artists are facing unexpected challenges in order to survive.

Artist, musician, instructor TIM FOGARTY is one of many in the community navigating these uncharted waters. Fogarty lost all his income streams (at least through April) due

to COVID-19 canceling gigs, shows and music lessons he has depended upon for over 20 years.

8 The Carolina Theatre is helping the show go on by launching their “OPEN MIC NIGHT: A VIRTUAL SERIES,” a weekly streaming-event to air Thursdays at 8pm, starting April 2. Social distance has been key in keeping folks healthy, but it’s been an undoubted barrier in artistic pursuits.

14 On March 28, two different groups violated Guilford County’s “stay-at-home” order by protesting in front of A Woman’s Choice, Greensboro’s only abortion provider.

The first complied when the Greensboro Police Department ordered them to depart.

The second refused and were arrested, making them the city’s FIRST ARRESTS for violating the “stay-at-home” order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

15 I wondered how Triad-area television stations were OPERATING under such pressure, and how this health crisis is affecting the way they do business in general.

For answers, I reached out to three general managers, Michelle Butt (WXII), Jim Himes (WGHP) and Larry Audas (WFMY).

ADVERTISING Marketing TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT KYLE MUNRO CARL PEGRAM SHANE MERRIMAN JESSE GUERRA ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion 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 2020 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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[SPOTLIGHT]

CSEM RESEARCH COULD SPUR DIALOGUE ON HELPING LOW-PERFORMING SCHOOLS

BY JOHN RAILEY, GUEST COLUMNIST For years, educators and elected officials have struggled to improve the low-performing schools in the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County system. Efforts to do that have stretched from the school system offices to the legislative chambers in Raleigh.

The local debate was roiled last month when the system removed and reassigned the principals at several underperforming elementary schools.

Winston-Salem State University’s Center for the Study of Economic Mobility (CSEM) has been exploring equity issues in local public education since its inception three years ago, including through the work of CSEM fellows James Etim, Alice Etim and Charity Griffin. CSEM research manager Zach Blizard picks up the torch in a research paper recently published on CSEM’s website, which explores a longstanding question: How to get the best teachers in the lowest-performing schools, where they’re needed the most?

Blizard, who joined CSEM last spring and was educated at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, grew up in Winston-Salem and has a keen understanding of its public school system and its history.

In his summary, he places that knowledge against the context of how the county ranks nationally for economic mobility and what that means to education: Forsyth County, North Carolina, has one of the lowest rates of upward economic mobility in the entire United States. Researchers find that one of the strongest correlates of upward mobility is the quality of schools in the local system. Analyzing Forsyth County elementary school data, I find that the percentage of experienced teachers at a school is a significant predictor of performance. At high-performing schools, a much larger share of their faculties consists of highly experienced and educated teachers, compared to low-performing schools that predominately serve economically disadvantaged children. High-quality teachers can have significant long-term impacts on elementary school children, especially those from underprivileged families. Yet in Forsyth County, schools with greater shares of disadvantaged children have lower percentages of teachers with these characteristics.

In his paper, Blizard reviews studies on low-performing schools, presents highlights from his analysis, and discusses the implications of his findings.

“Research regularly demonstrates that disadvantaged children have the greatest need for high-quality teachers,” he writes.

“Having an effective schoolteacher, as early WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

as kindergarten, can result in significant increases to lifetime earnings.”

He writes that, “There is a suboptimal mix of highly experienced and educated teachers at Forsyth County’s low-performing elementary schools. These schools, however, need faculties where the majority of teachers are highly experienced and educated because they predominately serve disadvantaged children.” Blizard writes that, “the school system should continue to pursue plans, and expand existing ones, to draw more experienced and educated teachers to lowperforming schools and shrink the share of novice teachers there.”

Incentives programs have been tried, but haven’t been that successful, and that’s not only because money for such programs has been limited. Incentives are a viable strategy, Blizard indicates if carefully carried out. “The more effective incentives include opportunities to participate in school-level decision making, work for supportive administrators, and join faculties that foster collegial relationships.”

There are programs that try to provide that, he writes, including the Teacher Leadership Academy, established in 2017 with a grant from The Winston-Salem Foundation.

Ensuring that low-performing schools have good supplies is also important. For example, in 2018, CSEM fellows Alice Etim and James Eitm found that while students have Internet access in schools, many teachers expect them to have it at home as well and assign homework accordingly. But often, students do not have that access.

CSEM fellow Charity Griffin has also studied inequities in the local school system.

In a recent column in the Chronicle of Winston-Salem, she wrote that the shifts in leadership in several low-performing schools “demand we have a larger discussion about equality and equity, and how acknowledging the distinction between these concepts is important for student success in” the local school system.

By putting its research before the public, CSEM is helping drive the public dialogue on the many issues involved in striving for equity in local public education.

For more information about CSEM, go to www.csem/wssu.org. !

hot pour PRESENTS

[BARTENDERS OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Nicole Martino BAR: Mother Tucker’s Eatery AGE: 28 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I moved to North Carolina from San Marcos, California, five years ago, and I love living in Greensboro.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING? I’ve been legally bartending for seven years, but I started bartending when I turned 18.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER? My family, more specifically, my mom, love to throw big parties. I had always been infatuated with mixing different drinks and pouring shots for the family.

When I turned about 18, I became the official bartender of family functions, and it took off from there.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING? I enjoy being able to experiment with different liquors and make fun cocktails. I am also a very friendly person and love meeting new people and making people laugh. I’m spontaneous and goofy, so I always try to get the people in the bar to have a blast when I’m there.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE? Bloody Mary, hands down! They are fun, and you can put all kinds of crazy stuff in them as a garnish.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK? I’m not particular and will drink pretty much anything, but the key to my heart is a GOOD (emphasis on good) mint julep. I’ve been involved in equestrian sports and horse racing most of my life and celebrate the Kentucky Derby with full force. Or I can be won over with bourbon neat.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK? It depends on the dinner, but I would say anything other than Jager and fireball. A shot of 151 is guaranteed to get you feeling right.

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING? When I bartended at a local gentleman’s club, there was a man that came running out of the bathroom completely naked, jumped on stage, and started dancing on the pole. Security chased him for probably 5 minutes before they eventually caught him.

The best part is that he was actually good...he was doing all sorts of tricks and spins on the pole. He even made some money. I suggested that we hire him.

WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? The biggest tip I’ve ever received was $700.

I was working during the furniture market, and someone loved my LA Kings hockey jersey and apparently my service too! Warning this next part is going to be sappy. The BEST tip I have ever received was meeting the love of my life, my best friends, and the people I consider family.

JOHN RAILEY is the senior writer and community relations consultant for CSEM. He can be reached at raileyjb@ gmail.com.

APRIL 1-7, 2020

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John Batchelor’s recommendations for takeout during trying times

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

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ere at YES! Weekly, we’re making viral adjustments just like everybody else. But with regard to local restaurant coverage, we’ll be doing more, not less.

Below, I am providing a master list of restaurants for takeout. These are personal recommendations, based on past reviews and my experiences- places I patronize myself- now, in the past, and in the future. Moreover, these recommendations are free on every level. YES! Weekly is a free newspaper, I am providing these columns free to YES! Weekly, and YES! Weekly is not charging anyone to be included in these listings.

I will update recommendations on my blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel. blogspot.com, as I learn of changes. Every week, I will provide more detailed suggestions that focus on restaurants selected from this master list.

See foodsafety.ces.ncsu.edu for professional commentary supporting the safety of takeout from restaurants. In some cases, delivery is available as well as takeout. Check websites for specifics.

These arrangements appear to change often. (Message to restaurants: update your websites to let patrons know what is going on!)

At YES! Weekly, we’re doing our part to support local restaurants! Now you do yours- go out and pick up something from one of these restaurants, then go home and eat! (All are in Greensboro unless otherwise indicated.)

I buy from Augustino Gusto Bakery (facebook.com/augustinogustoeuropeanbakery) on a frequent basis at the Greensboro Farmers’ Market. These are highly sophisticated, upscale, European style preparations. Their new shop is located at 2508 New Garden Rd. in Greensboro, 336-740-7005.

I have ranked Blue Water Grille (www. bluewatergrillenc.com, 126 State Avenue, High Point, 336-886-1010) at or near the top among Triad restaurants. Their website indicates that takeout will be available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

More than pasta appears on the menu at Café Pasta and Grille (cafepasta. com, 305 State Street, 336-272-1308), but keep in mind that pastas travel well and are good as leftovers. A new family size YES! WEEKLY

APRIL 1-7, 2020

menu has been instituted, and wines are on discount.

You can access a full review of Dolce & Amaro (dolceamaroartisanbakery.com) Italian bakery on the YES! Weekly website, https://issuu.com/yesweekly. A truly exceptional enterprise, always well suited for takeout. @Elm Street Grill (elmstgrill.com, 3606 North Elm, 336-286-4880) offers casual food, with a limited menu on the website, for afternoon pickup.

Embur Fire Fusion (emburfirefusion. com, 107 Smyres Place, 336-541-8442) joins Italian with Peruvian, hence the “fusion” in the name. Pizza and Peruvian style chicken are both roasted in a wood oven.

Imperial Koi (imperialkoigso.com, 1941 New Garden Road, upper level, 336-2863000) has long been my favorite for Asian and sushi.

LeBlon Brazililan Steakhouse (leblonsteakhouse.com, 106 South Holden Road, 336-294-2605) has adapted their tableside preparations to a consumer friendly takeout menu of salads, pastas, and steaks, available in the afternoon Monday-Friday, with lunch and dinner on Saturday. Pay special note to one of my favorite dishes, Feijoada- black beans with beef and sausage, fried bananas, and collard greens.

Liberty Oak (libertyoakrestaurant.com, 100 West Washington Street, 336-2737057) has an especially convenient link on their website, providing online ordering for sandwiches and a limited selection of entrees.

Marisol (themarisol.com. 5834 West Gate City Blvd, 336-852-3303) is another of the Triad’s top-ranked restaurants, rendered even more accessible with takeout.

This is serious fine dining at home!

Melt (meltkitchenandbar.com, 1941 New Garden Road, lower level, 336-7635445) is my favorite sandwich place.

Takeout menu and online ordering linked on website.

MJ’s (mjs620.com, 620 Dolley Madison Road, 336-852-4889) Chef Tad Engstrom has created a special takeout menu for these times. Soups, sandwiches, and entrees and to go wines allow you to recreate this multi course dining experience at home.

Osteria (osteriagso.com) was the subject of a full review recently. Go to the Yes! Weekly website, https://issuu. com/yesweekly for a detailed commentary. Pastas are especially recommended for takeout.

The Painted Plate (paintedplate.com, 3404 Whitehurst Road, 336-230-2433) is normally a catering and event center, under the helm of popular Chef Brad Semon.

But for these times, delivery of family sized meals is being provided.

Pastabilities (pastabilitiesgreensboro. com, 1726 Battleground Avenue, 336272-7823) is offering their entire menu for takeout. Pastas are especially recommended, but you should also consider dessert. If you seek vegetarian or other special dietary accommodations, the folks here are especially helpful.

I reviewed Reel Seafood Grill (reelseafoodgrill.com, 2002 New Garden Road, 336-617-4200) last month. Go to the Yes! Weekly website, https://issuu. com/yesweekly for a detailed commentary. This is one of the best places in the Triad for a wide variety of seafoods.

The Italian dishes at Salvino (salvinorestaurant.com, 2917-D Battleground Ave, 336-540-8663) are easy to enjoy anytime, certainly at home. Pastas, eggplant, and Shrimp Scampi are good choices.

Each member of the family of 1618 restaurants has a personality, from the more upscale 1618 West Seafood Grille (1618seafoodgrille.com, 1618 West Friendly Avenue, 336-235-0898) to the more casual 1618 Downtown (1618downtown.com, 312 South Elm Street, 336-3124143) and 1618 Midtown (1618midtown. com, 1724 Battleground Avenue, 336285-9410). Takeout cocktails hold special appeal!

Zeto (zetowines.com, 335 Battleground Ave., 336-574-2850) is an excellent place to buy wines. The staff is exceptionally knowledgeable. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina.

Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

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news

Judge allows Marcus Smith lawsuit to proceed

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March 25 opinion

by U.S. district court judge Loretta C. Biggs allows the Federal Civil Rights lawsuit over the fatal hogtying of Marcus Deon Smith to move Ian McDowell forward. Judge Briggs dismissed all counts Contributor against Guilford County, but allowed many against the City of Greensboro and police officers Justin Payne, Robert Duncan, Michael Montalvo, Alfred Lewis, Christopher Bradshaw, Lee Andrews, Douglas Strader and Jordan Bailey.

Also named as defendants are Guilford County EMTs Ashley Abbott and Dylan Alling. Judge Biggs let stand claims against the paramedics for violating Smith’s 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law and due process, but dismissed claims that they violated Smith’s 4th Amendment right against illegal search and seizure. She let stand both 4th and 14th Amendment counts against the city and its eight officers.

The judge’s ruling (Smith et al v. City of Greensboro et al) means that the Greensboro police officers have not demonstrated entitlement to immunity on excessive force and wrongful death counts, and the EMTs are not immune to the plaintiffs’ due process claims. This means that excessive force and state law wrongful death claims against the officers and city may move forward, and that plaintiffs have plausibly argued that Smith’s death was in part due to the city’s alleged failure to properly train its officers. “Plausibly,” in this context, simply means that those claims will be argued in court rather than summarily dismissed, as all those against the county were.

The judge also dismissed claims that Smith’s rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act had been violated, and death/medical malpractice claims against the paramedics.

As previously reported, Marcus Deon Smith was fatally hogtied by the eight GPD officers during the 2018 NC Folk WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

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Marcus Deon Smith Festival, an act subsequently ruled a homicide by the state medical examiner. In April of 2019, Flint Taylor of the People’s Law Office of Chicago and Greensboro attorney Graham Holt filed the complaint that was the first action in the Smith family’s lawsuit.

“This is a resounding and long-awaited victory for the Smith family,” said Taylor in a statement to YES! Weekly. “It recognizes that the use of brutal hogtying on defenseless persons is a clear violation of their constitutional rights and that the GPD had woefully inadequate training procedures and practices concerning the use of restraints which were a direct cause of Marcus’ death. Will the city and county leaders stop paying their silk-stocking private lawyers (at least $250,000 to date) to defend this case and instead admit official wrongdoing by their sworn officers and apologize and make right by the family and the entire Greensboro community?”

Taylor said that the Smith legal team’s next step is the next step is pre-trial discovery, which will entail “taking the sworn testimony of the officers, supervisors, and other involved witnesses, such as former GPD Chief Wayne Scott and Mayor Nancy Vaughan.” !

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.

APRIL 1-7, 2020

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Cosmic art for a socially distant community

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ith social distancing and lost work, self-employed Triad artists are facing unexpected challenges to survive. Artist, musician and instructor Tim Fogarty is one of Terry Rader many in the community navigating these uncharted waters.

Contributor Fogarty lost all his income streams (at least through April) due to COVID-19 canceling the gigs, shows and music lessons he has depended on for over 20 years.

Fogarty, a California native, knows what it’s like to start over; he was 16 years old when his dad lost his job in the early ‘90s, and he said it changed everything for his family. His father had to take a job that required him to travel to different states, and four years later, he moved his family when he was offered a full-time job in North Carolina.

Fogarty said that art has always been his creative outlet in balancing the stress from having to constantly schedule ahead in order to have work. That’s impossible right now, so it’s hard to know when his income stream as a musician and music instructor will return.

Fogarty is using this time to sell his 30 drawings online and to commission custom 5-inch by 7-inch, 8-inch by 10-inch, and 9-inch by 12-inch works.

“Tell me something you like and let me do the rest, and you will get a way better piece of art,” he said. Due to his intricate detailing style, his larger drawings take a lot longer. His 18-inch by 24-inch “Expanded Hand Turkey” is a drawing of eight handprints based on drawing

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APRIL 1-7, 2020

“hand turkeys” in kindergarten. He said it seemed like a relevant piece to symbolize this “hands-off ” time.

Fogarty said he’s been drawing all his life and draws at least two to three hours almost every night at his drafting table in his Kernersville home studio. When he was in grade school, he said he used to simultaneously draw pictures and tap out the tunes to tell the story in his head.

Fogarty said his love of watching Star Trek and Star Wars may be why his art almost always has something floating in outer space with meteors and unidentifiable flying objects. Memories of his dad taking him to the desert to watch the night sky among the cacti to see “the haze of the milky way and all the stars in the cosmos” is another major influence on his art. Fogarty was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Orange County, where he fondly remembers Huntington Beach and his love of drawing sunshine, water, palm trees, flowers and ukuleles. His bold colors come from the famous orange, hot pink, yellow and black poster for the surfer movie, The Endless Summer.

Fogarty said he starts with a pencil sketch followed with pen to “hardline the outlines” and then fills it in with bold-colored markers. His highly accomplished tattoo artist friends, Dave Kruseman, James Vaughn, Jess Paul, as well as Jason and Hilary Tyler, influenced his “boldoutline tattoo-art style.”

He said he also learned by watching Norm Rapmund, aka “Mosh” (known for his Flash and Superman comics) draw in high school.

Since October 1, 1995, Fogarty has been teaching guitar and ukulele lessons six days a week at his High Point store, Fogarty’s Music (formerly Smith & Whitley Music).

He also does simple guitar and stringed instrument repairs, where he shares space with three other music instructors. He said he is grateful that his students all plan to return to their lessons when it is safe to do so, but in the meantime, Fogarty has been researching new ways to teach online.

However, he prefers to teach in person, so

that he can reach the kids and help them find a passion for art.

Moving forward, Fogarty said he plans to focus on his cosmic art and expand his online music lessons for groups.

“I’m so grateful I have been surrounded by so many great artists and amazing talent,” Fogarty said. “I don’t think I’d be as good at it otherwise. Artists tend to be nurturing and sharing. With all of us not knowing what is happening next, we’re all having to turn our creative minds into figuring out how to make ends meet while continuing to nurture and inspire each

other from a distance.”

Fogarty said he really wanted to give a shoutout of thanks to fellow singer-songwriter Bryan Toney, who he plays guitar with in “The Bryan Toney Overdrive” trio along with drummer Steve Phillips.

“Bryan really is so great to play with, and thanks to him, I get to play out more often.” !

TERRY RADER is a freelance writer/editorial/content/ copy, creative consultant/branding strategist, communications outreach messenger, poet and emerging singer/songwriter.

WANNA

see?

To purchase art online, email: Fogartysmusic@ gmail.com, view art and posts: www.facebook. com/artbytimfogarty/ Fogarty Music (by appointment), 1101 N. Main St., High Point, (336) 858-1148, www.facebook.com/FogartysMusic/

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1618 Downtown 205 Collaborative A Sweet Success! Bakery Acropolis Restaurant African American Atelier Ambleside Gallery Area Modern Home Art Alliance of Greensboro Artistika Nightclub Artmongerz Aspen Boutique Autotrends B. Christopher’s Steakhouse Baked Downtown Bearded Goat Beer Co. Beerthirty Bijan’s Salon Biltmore Greensboro Hotel Bistro 40 Blandwood Mansion Bliss and Co. Downtown Blue Denim Blueprint the Salon

DownTown Fitness on Elm Dram & Draught Dudley Cosmetology University Dusk to Dawn Artistry & Cosmetics Elsewhere Emerge Skin Therapy Europa Bar & Café Fahrenheit Kollectiv Fainting Goat Spirits Farmer’s Wife Antiques & Collection Fat Tuesday Fire Salon and Spa First National Bank Park Flaviano’s Mexican Grill Folica Salon Free Spirits Yoga Gate City Candy Shop Gate City Yarns Ghassan’s at LeBauer Park Green City Goods GreenHill Center for NC Art Greensboro Children’s Museum Greensboro History Museum Greensboro Ballet

Jade and Co. Salon Jerusalem Market on Elm Jimmy John’s Joymongers Brewing Co. Just Be Kathleen Price Bryan Family YMCA Kerri Kearns Therapeutic Massage Krave Kava Bar Lao Restaurant and Bar LeBauer Park Lee + Wrangler Hometown Studio Store Libery Oak Life in Touch Massage Studio & Learning Center Limelight Little Brother Brewing Local Honey Salon Longshanks Billiards Los Chicos Luxe Fragrance Bar M’Coul’s Public House Machete Manny’s Universal Café Martin’s Frame & Art Inc.

Rock’s Hair Shop Ruebar Sage Mule Salon Crie Schiffman’s Jewelers Scuppernong Books Select Cycle Smith Street Diner Smokh’d Social Status Something BARowed Candy Bars & More Sonder Mind & Body SouthEnd Brewing Co. Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts Stitch Stolen. Skate Shop Studio 503 Stumble Stilskins Subway Terra Blue The Bodega The Experiential School of Greensboro The Forge The Green Bean

thank you for your continued support for our downtown businesses who remain committed to our community now and for years to come.

DOWNTOWN IS #GREENSBOROSTRONG. DOWNTOWNGREENSBORO.ORG Check our website for a full list of downtown businesses who have made their products accessible during the COVD-19 quarantine.

Boho Salon Bonchon Boxcar Bar + Arcade Café 13 Carolina Blues Coffee & Bagels Carolina Theatre Center City Park Center for Visual Artists Charlie Grocery Cheesecakes By Alex Chez Genèse Cincy’s Downtown Cafe & Catering Community Theatre of Greensboro Cone Denim Entertainment Center Crafted - the Art of the Taco Crooked Tail Cat Café Crop Hair Salon Dame’s Chicken & Waffles Deep Roots Market Design Archives Vintage and Handmade Emporium Dolce Aroma

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McGee Street Bar Mellow Mushroom Midori’s Japanese Hibachi Mindful Supply Company Mitchell’s Clothing Store Moore Music Company Mr. Tire Auto Service Center Natty Greene’s Pub & Brewing Co. Old Photo Specialists One Day Apparel Orrell Design Oscar Oglethorpe Optometry Penland Custom Frames Inc. Piedmont Print Co-Op Pier Oyster Bar & Grille Pizzeria L’Italiano Plants and Answers Florist Poke Bowl Polish and Threads Porterhouse at LeBauer Park ReAligned Revision Vintage

The Green Burro The Idiot Box Comedy Club The Jeep Guys The Queen’s Royal Beauty Bar The Refinery Vaping Company The Studio & Gallery The View on Elm The Well Café & Juice Bar Thousands O’ Prints Totally Kouture Designs and Boutique Tranquilo Bar & Restaurant Triad Stage Undercurrent Restaurant Union Coffee Co. Van Dyke Performance Space VCM Studio Vintage to Vogue Boutique Vivid Interiors Weaver Academy White & Wood William Mangum Studio Zeto Inc.

April 1-7, 2020

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The show must go online: The Carolina Theatre to launch virtual open mic night

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he Carolina Theatre is helping the show go on by launching their “Open Mic Night: A Virtual Series,” a weekly streaming-event to air Thursdays at 8 Katei Cranford p.m., starting April 2.

Social distance has been key in keeping Contributor folks healthy, but it’s been an undoubted barrier in artistic pursuits. “Barriers have always pushed artists past creative thresholds, which can lead to astounding art and expression,” said Gigi Galdo, a member of the Carolina’s marketing and development team, who spearheaded the open mic effort.

With the series, Galdo hopes to highlight a variety of talent and stream video submissions for the 35,000 fans and followers of the theatre.

“Singers, instrumentalists, beatboxers, spoken word artists, now is your time to shine,” she said.

Inspiration for a live-streamed open mic event came from theatre patrons and Galdo’s friends living abroad.

“I’ve been keeping in touch with friends around the globe,” she explained, “former flatmates of mine in South Korea have been on lockdown for weeks, so I knew it was only a matter of time.“ Thus began the brainstorming process for options including both a limited use of the theatre, as well as a total home quarantine. “Community engagement was already at the forefront of our thoughts,” she explained, “and guests had asked us to

host open mics before, so now seemed to be the time.”

Galdo is working alongside Amanda Loflin, coordinator for the Crown, to help involve artists whose events have been canceled. “We’d also really like to host some live-streams, using a skeleton crew of production staff, once the threat has dissipated a tad,” Galdo said of the closedset concert plans they cut for the stayat-home order. Safety remains a priority, especially for an inaugural endeavor.

The series marks an era of firsts for both Galdo and the Carolina. Beyond performing at spoken word open mics, this will be Galdo’s first foray into hosting. And the shutdown marks the first time in the theatre’s 92-year history that it’s closed for issues beyond repair.

The curtains almost shut in the 1970s, when Greensboro’s theatrical grande dame was nearly sold to a Charlotte-based XXX movie chain, and then threatened to be turned into a parking deck. “Our community came together and raised enough in a matter of days to buy the theatre,” Galdo

explained of the Carolina’s salvation in 1977. She’s hoping the series will bring the community together again, in a new light, even if the theatre itself remains dark.

“We’re used to an empty space under entirely different circumstances,” Galdo said of seeing hallowed halls, “usually it’s the calm before a storm, with anticipation and behind-the-scenes work buzzing through the building.” The past few weeks have been different. “Now things have truly gone silent,” she added, “hope is very much still here, but I think the theatre’s ghosts are a bit anxious.”

The Carolina’s infamous spooks may be rattled by their solitude, but Galdo’s steadfast in her home-bound hosting duties.

“We want to include anyone who wants to take part,” she insisted, “not everyone is going to have the best equipment, but these days a cellphone and a voice are all you need.” Requirements for interested artists only involves emailing a video of themselves performing a song, poem, or other complete work of performative art.

All levels of professionalism, including

amateurs, are encouraged. Participants looking for tips should include their Venmo or CashApp links. “We know gig workers are struggling right now, and tips can make a big difference,” Galdo said. All participants will receive two movie passes and a concession voucher for when normal operations return.

Holding hope for the future, Galdo emphasized the importance of creativity in turbulent times. “History tells the story of those in power,” she explained, “art tells the truth.” With the series, she looks to provide an outlet that helps artists tell our Triad story, together, as it unfolds.

“Right now, the world is collectively experiencing a trauma,” Galdo noted. “The severity might vary in shades for different people, but loneliness and isolation will be the common factor. We all need to connect in any way we can right now.”

Galdo hopes the open mic will serve as a connective outlet of positive experiences.

“People don’t know how life will ultimately change, and right now, that concept is scary,” she noted, “but we’re incredibly resilient and creative creatures! We’ll overcome this.”

After all, “the show must go on.” And in the wake of social distancing, it’s going online. !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Tuesday Tour Report, a radio show currently on hiatus due to COVID-19.

WANNA

go?

The Carolina Theatre presents “Open Mic Night: A Virtual Series,” streaming Thursdays at 8 p.m. starting April 2 on the theatre’s Facebook. Video submissions are welcomed via email at Gigi@ CarolinaTheatre.com.

ALEX MANESS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF THE CAROLINA THEATRE YES! WEEKLY

APRIL 1-7, 2020

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Important Facts About DOVATO

This is only a brief summary of important information about DOVATO and does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your condition and treatment.

What is the Most Important Information I Should Know about DOVATO? If you have both human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Resistant HBV infection. Your healthcare provider will test you for HBV infection before you start treatment with DOVATO. If you have HIV-1 and hepatitis B, the hepatitis B virus can change (mutate) during your treatment with DOVATO and become harder to treat (resistant).

It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in people who have HIV-1 and HBV infection.

• Worsening of HBV infection. If you have HIV-1 and HBV infection, your HBV may get worse (flare-up) if you stop taking DOVATO. A “flare-up” is when your HBV infection suddenly returns in a worse way than before. Worsening liver disease can be serious and may lead to death. ° Do not run out of DOVATO. Refill your prescription or talk to your healthcare provider before your DOVATO is all gone. ° Do not stop DOVATO without first talking to your healthcare provider. If you stop taking DOVATO, your healthcare provider will need to check your health often and do blood tests regularly for several months to check your liver.

What is DOVATO? DOVATO is a prescription medicine that is used without other antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV-1 infection in adults who have not received antiretroviral medicines in the past, and without known resistance to the medicines dolutegravir or lamivudine. HIV-1 is the virus that causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). It is not known if DOVATO is safe and effective in children.

Who should not take DOVATO? Do Not Take DOVATO if You: • have ever had an allergic reaction to a medicine that contains dolutegravir or lamivudine.

• take dofetilide.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before using DOVATO? Tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you: • have or have had liver problems, including hepatitis B or C infection.

• have kidney problems.

• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. One of the medicines in DOVATO (dolutegravir) may harm your unborn baby. ° Your healthcare provider may prescribe a different medicine than DOVATO if you are planning to become pregnant or if pregnancy is confirmed in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. ° If you can become pregnant, your healthcare provider will perform a pregnancy test before you start treatment with DOVATO. ° If you can become pregnant, you should consistently use effective birth control (contraception) during treatment with DOVATO. ° Tell your healthcare provider right away if you are planning to become pregnant, you become pregnant, or think you may be pregnant during treatment with DOVATO. • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you take DOVATO. ° You should not breastfeed if you have HIV-1 because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby. ° One of the medicines in DOVATO (lamivudine) passes into your breastmilk. ° Talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

Some medicines interact with DOVATO. Keep a list of your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

• You can ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist for a list of medicines that interact with DOVATO. • Do not start taking a new medicine without telling your healthcare provider.

Your healthcare provider can tell you if it is safe to take DOVATO with other medicines.

What are Possible Side Effects of DOVATO? DOVATO can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “What is the Most Important Information I Should Know about DOVATO?” section.

• Allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you develop a rash with DOVATO. Stop taking DOVATO and get medical help right away if you develop a rash with any of the following signs or symptoms: fever; generally ill feeling; tiredness; muscle or joint aches; blisters or sores in mouth; blisters or peeling of the skin; redness or swelling of the eyes; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; problems breathing.

• Liver problems. People with a history of hepatitis B or C virus may have an increased risk of developing new or worsening changes in certain liver tests during treatment with DOVATO. Liver problems, including liver failure, have also happened in people without a history of liver disease or other risk factors. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your liver.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms of liver problems: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow (jaundice); dark or “tea-colored” urine; light-colored stools (bowel movements); nausea or vomiting; loss of appetite; and/or pain, aching, or tenderness on the right side of your stomach area.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis). Lactic acidosis is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the following symptoms that could be signs of lactic acidosis: feel very weak or tired; unusual (not normal) muscle pain; trouble breathing; stomach pain with nausea and vomiting; feel cold, especially in your arms and legs; feel dizzy or lightheaded; and/or a fast or irregular heartbeat.

• Lactic acidosis can also lead to severe liver problems, which can lead to death.

Your liver may become large (hepatomegaly) and you may develop fat in your liver (steatosis).

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any of the signs or symptoms of liver problems which are listed above under “Liver problems.” You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female or very overweight (obese).

©2020 ViiV Healthcare or licensor.

DLLADVT190033 January 2020 Produced in USA.

Learn more about Alphonso and DOVATO at DOVATO.com

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April 1-7, 2020

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SO MUCH GOES INTO WHO I AM HIV MEDICINE IS ONE PART OF IT. Reasons to ask your doctor about DOVATO: DOVATO can help you reach and then stay undetectable* with just 2 medicines in 1 pill. That means fewer medicines† in your body while taking DOVATO You can take it any time of day with or without food (around the same time each day)—giving you flexibility DOVATO is a once-a-day complete treatment for adults who are new to HIV-1 medicine.

Results may vary. *Undetectable means reducing the HIV in your blood to very low levels (less than 50 copies per mL). † As compared with 3-drug regimens.

ALPHONSO‡ Living with HIV

What are Possible Side Effects of DOVATO (cont’d)?

• Changes in your immune system (Immune Reconstitution Syndrome) can happen when you start taking HIV-1 medicines. Your immune system may get stronger and begin to fight infections that have been hidden in your body for a long time. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you start having new symptoms after you start taking DOVATO. • The most common side effects of DOVATO include: headache; diarrhea; nausea; trouble sleeping; and tiredness.

These are not all the possible side effects of DOVATO. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Where Can I Find More Information?

• Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

• Go to DOVATO.com or call 1-877-844-8872, where you can also get FDA-approved labeling.

October 2019 DVT:2PI-2PIL Trademark is owned by or licensed to the ViiV Healthcare group of companies.

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Compensated by ViiV Healthcare

‡

Could DOVATO be right for you? Ask your doctor today.

April 1-7, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

11

feature

12

We can sew it!

Local group makes masks for health care providers in need during COVID-19

C

OVID19 has caused a mass shortage of medical supplies making face masks in high-demand, especially for those working with vulnerable populaKatie Murawski tions. On Tuesday morning, the Washington Post reEditor ported that officials from the Center for Disease Control are “considering altering the official guidance to encourage people to take measures to cover their faces amid the coronavirus pandemic.” A Winston-Salem-based Facebook group with over 1,300 members have organized and mobilized in less than two weeks to make 3,911 masks for health care providers during the pandemic. Project Mask WS began on Facebook, when the group’s co-founder Melissa Vickers saw a post from Deaconess requesting that the community make masks to help with the shortage. Vickers’s background is in interior design, but she also owns the small business, Mama Llama, where she makes handbags, weighted blankets (for kids), weighted lap pads (for adults), and most recently, book sleeves. After recruiting vice president of Action4Equity Katie Sonnen-Lee, and marketing coordinator for Black Mountain Chocolate Marissa Joyce, Vickers started the Facebook group, Project Mask WS, on Sunday, March 22.

Since then, the group has grown to 1,300 members in total, with 497 volunteer sewists. Each mask is composed of two layers of 100% cotton cut into two 6-inch by 9-inch rectangles and two elastic or fabric straps. Joyce said that it takes about 10 to 15 minutes to make one mask, and 1 yard of fabric can make 24 masks.

“Even if you are a decent sewist, making five [masks] would be a solid hour of work,” Joyce said. “It feels like Katie, Melissa and I are getting all the credit because we started the group, but the amount of masks that we have made versus the amount that everyone else has made is ridiculous. This is an extreme community effort; no one can sew over 3,000 masks on their own, and none of us could have done this without the entire group helping out and the entire community surrounding us.”

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APRIL 1-7, 2020

Melissa Vickers Vickers estimated that 98% of Project Mask WS is composed of women.

“We are all strong feminists, and we have strong opinions on where women belong and deserve to be,” Joyce said.

“Yet, the biggest thing we can do to help is sewing.”

“Most of the people who can sew are women, and who gets things done when you need something in communities?”

Sonnen-Lee asked rhetorically. “Throughout history, it has been women organizing and women getting the job done that needs to get done. So, I am glad that all these women have banded together to sew. Some of them even have their husbands ironing or cutting for them. But again, it is women here to take care of the community, as we always do.”

“My husband has been home this week, and I couldn’t do this without him,” Vickers said. “I have two children, and he’s cooking and helping them with school right now.

Shout out to the husbands supporting their women in this endeavor!”

Vickers reached out to the local fabric and sewing shop owners to communicate the needs for fabric and other sewing supplies to make the masks.

“I am super tight with Heather Zifchak at the Village Fabric Shop,” Vickers said, noting that she is one of the sewing instructors there. “She was on it instantly, asking what I needed, and brought me all of her sale fabrics and was like, ‘here is my donation.’ Then, we contacted Sew Original and Sewingly Yours, and they did not hesitate whatsoever.”

Sew Original, Sewingly Yours, and The Village Fabric Shop donated materials and JoAnn’s Fabrics offered to help cut and as-

Outside a “Mask Cave,” where supply kits are left out for volunteers to pick up semble the kits to make the project more efficient.

“All I have known about Melissa is when she wants to do something, she does it full out,” said Village Fabric Shop operator Heather Zifchak. “We bought all the elastic we could at JoAnn’s, and by Saturday, she was squeaking out a pattern. She reached out to her other two friends, Katie and Marissa, who I don’t even know. I had never met them, and now, I am talking to them every day.”

Zifchak even recruited some of her Sewing for Babies volunteers to help make masks.

“We have always done charity work; this is the two-year anniversary of our Sewing for Babies charity group, which sews for babies at the NICU in Winston hospitals,” Zifchak said. “It is just wild to think that a sewing machine, some fabric and thread, honestly could help someone this much. I know [we] are not on the front lines, but I am concerned about that sweet 70-yearold volunteer at the hospital who sits at the front desk. With this coronavirus, we are all to act like we might have it ourselves. That is how much safety precaution we should all be taking.”

Since its inception, Project MaskWS has raised over $5,000 to help with the cost of materials. Vickers said the money donated would go toward buying fabric, elastic and other supplies as well as supporting other local businesses.

“We are trying to be really conscientious of how the money is being spent within the community,” Vickers said. “I think we had to put in one order on Amazon for

elastic, and that is because we bought out all of the elastic in Winston-Salem. We are trying to funnel as much effort and money into spreading the word about local businesses.”

In the group’s almost-two week existence, they have delivered 3,911 masks (and counting) to health care personnel working with the most vulnerable population in the Triad and surrounding areas.

Still, over 11,000 more masks have been requested. So far, the masks have gone to Davie County EMS, Stokes County EMS, as well as various local ICUs and oncology departments.

“It is providing a sense of community and connectedness even as we are apart,” Joyce said of Project Mask WS. “It is really cool to see relationships and a sense of teamwork developing. I really hope that we are encouraging people to feel empowered even if they don’t have their medical licenses. There are small things that we can all do every day. A small thing like using sewing skills to make a mask, or just being very intentional about supporting local businesses and the economy that is going to be leftover after this. There is going to be small, daily decisions that we can make that can be for others as opposed to the most convenient thing for ourselves.”

“We are happy to do it,” Zifchak said.

“We chuckle and say that the strapping ambulance drivers should [pose for] a calendar while wearing our beautiful daisy and ladybug print masks.”

Some volunteers of Project Mask WS only wash and dry, or cut the fabric because they can’t sew, while others

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lend their organizational skills or donate monetarily. There are no idle hands in this group because everyone has something to contribute. Joyce said she enjoys sewing but considers herself an amateur sewist.

For Project Mask WS, she primarily uses her communication skills and social media talents to manage the group.

“It just felt so helpless that we sat at home when all the medical professionals are out there on the front lines doing heroic work,” she said when asked why she wanted to get involved. “If we could do anything to help, it is support the people that we love and support our community.”

Sonnen-Lee can’t sew, but she is lending her talents as the coordinator and organizer of the group. Sonnen-Lee communicates with providers and keeps a spreadsheet outlining the needs while keeping the inventory up to date, and every night she is also cutting fabric with her husband “on elastic duty” in addition to assembling the kits.

“My porch is the HQ of pick up and drop off,” Sonnen-Lee said of the main “Mask Cave.” “At night, I bring in all the masks and put them on the sanitize setting of my washer, to be safe. I count them out, let them know they are read, and we ask a volunteer to pick them up from the porch and take them where they need to go.”

“I meet at Katie’s front porch, her husband walks to the stuff to my car, then we meet in the parking lot, then we meet at my mailbox, and then we pass it off,” Zifchak said about how the masks making materials are collected and distributed during a time of social distancing.

After learning last Wednesday that the FDA suggested the use of high-quality 100% cotton, instead of flannel, Vickers said they changed the requirement and asked that no more flannel masks be made.

“There have been people messaging me or Melissa and go, ‘Are they FDA approved?

Or ‘have these been clinically tested?’ Well, what do you think? No, they are not, but we do know that the FDA (and CDC) has said that they will screen out about 50% [of the masks we send], which 50% is better than no percent,” Zifchak said. “Right now, we have to save the proper PPE for the front line people. Let them have that, then let the back-of-the-office people, ambulance drivers, and everyone else have our fabric masks.”

So, why are a group of sewing enthusiasts donating their time, resources and skills to a multibillion-dollar industry?

Because their community needs them.

“The girls and I are working like 16 hours a day for free, we are not getting paid,” Vickers said. “And we’re providing to an industry that makes how much money?”

“This has become a full-time job in the WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Volunteer delivering bag of masks last week, it is so much more than what we were planning,” Joyce said. “But we are happy to do it because we want to do anything we can to help medical professionals who are out every day risking their lives.”

“Sewists are a community,” Zifchak said.

“Hanes said they are going to start making 1.5 million masks during the next few weeks at their plants in Central America, but we aren’t guaranteed those are coming to Winston-Salem, even though they are a Winston company. Every night just watching the news, is when you hear these governors of these states, especially New York saying, I have 400 ventilators, I need 30,000—it just makes you realize that this mask can do something.”

While local factories try to figure out how to retool to help make these essential items, Sonnen-Lee said Project Mask WS is filling the gap, “with people sewing in their basement, bedrooms and living rooms.”

And even though she thinks it is nice to see people come together for a good cause, she can’t help but wonder, “Why are we fighting this guerilla-style out of our basements where our sewing machines are set up? Where is the government? How is this how we are attacking [COVID-19] when we have known this was coming for months?”

Vickers, Sonnen-Lee, Joyce and Zifchak all agree that something everyone can do to stop the spread of the virus right now is to stay at home and keep social distancing.

“I am glad the shelter-in-place order is coming down, but I wish it were stronger than it is, to be honest,” Sonnen-Lee said.

“That is the only thing that we can do is try to flatten the curve. People’s lives are more important than economics or whether we get to go to church on Easter. We have to save lives, and [staying at home] will save lives.”

Joyce believes that COVID-19 will be a pivotal moment in history, similar to what happened after Sept. 11, 2001.

“I feel like our culture is going to shift a

Katie Sonnen-Lee at “Mask Cave HQ” giving masks to Davie County EMS bit after this,” she continued. “It has been difficult, but I also hope that we, as a culture, begin to value family time and the simple things in life.”

In the distant future, Vickers believes that COVID-19 will be a reminder for people to take the health of themselves and others more seriously. She could even see face masks becoming part of first aid kits.

“I think we should all have them,” Vickers said about the masks after COVID-19.

“Even during flu season, we should all be taking better measures within our own home to protect ourselves and stay healthy.”

Vickers believes that the United States needs new leadership to prevent this unprecedented health crisis from happening again.

“This could have been prevented or at least minimized if it had been taken seriously early on,” she said. “I think this will go down in history as we were failed— but the writing was on the wall, right? Nobody could really trust what he said to begin with. We all knew he lied every single day, right? So, when it is a time our country needs to have somebody that we are following that are supposed to be leading the charge, how are we supposed to believe what is coming out of his mouth?

We can’t. The only time I feel like he has said the truth is when he gets his press conferences, and says, ‘the economy after

this will be like no other economy you have seen before.’ I think it is going to be worse than anything that we have ever experienced in our lifetime—for our generation.

I don’t think it is going to bounce back, be amazing, or be right back where we were before.”

After COVID-19 passes, Vickers, SonnenLee, Joyce and Zifchak believe that members of Project Mask WS will stay connected.

“In this time of social distancing, I have never felt so connected with so many people in the community,” Vickers said.

“We are sharing this experience together and feeling these emotions together. We are laughing and crying; we are stressed and juggling families— that is a bond that will last forever. This group will continue to hang out, get together and sew.” !

KATIE MURAWSKI is the editor-in-chief of YES! Weekly.

Her alter egos include The Grimberlyn Reaper, skater/ public relations board chair for Greensboro Roller Derby, and Roy Fahrenheit, drag entertainer and self-proclaimed King of Glamp.

WANNA

sew?

Join Project Mask WS, www.facebook.com/ groups/projectmaskws/, to donate and help with sewing, delivering and prepping materials. Can’t sew or donate? Send the group some love and moral support through social media.

APRIL 1-7, 2020

YES! WEEKLY

13

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Abortion protesters defy ‘stay-at-home’ order and GPD On March 28, two different groups violated Guilford County’s “stay-athome” order by protesting in front of A Woman’s Choice, Greensboro’s only abortion provider.

The first complied Ian McDowell when the Greensboro Police Department Contributor ordered them to depart. The second refused and were arrested, making them the city’s first arrests for violating the “stay-at-home” order in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Three members of the second group returned to the clinic on Monday, March 30, and were arrested again.

As medical facilities are an essential service, the clinic, which provides STD testing and treatment, ultrasounds, parenting/adoption services and abortion, was open. The first patients passed the protesters unshielded by the rainbow umbrellas of volunteer escorts, who had agreed to stay home.

As previously reported, protesters have used the Midori Express parking lot, which overlooks A Woman’s Choice, for several years as a literal platform for prayers, speeches and anti-abortion demonstrations directed at patients of the clinic. On Saturdays, members of the “Abolition” movement— called “street preachers” by clinic escorts— and other protesters set up a PA system at the edge of the clinic’s property, taking advantage of the grassy knoll at the edge of the Midori parking lot that puts them in the path of arriving patients.

On Saturday, the first protester to do so set up his P.A. system at 7.55 a.m., and told one patient, “I come from Doxa Church in Burlington,” and after nine minutes of preaching, two members of the “Abolition” movement joined him. Seven minutes later, four GPD officers arrived under the command of Lt. Dan Knott. The three protesters argued that they were “broadcasting” and thus, as “media,” were performing an essential service. The officers were polite but adamant, and the three men left.

Later on, four men from Love Life arrived and livestreamed on the group’s Facebook page that they were in the Midori parking lot because, “We got a report that, in Greensboro, the police have pushed against people being out here YES! WEEKLY

APRIL 1-7, 2020

to pray, even though we’re doing social distancing.”

The speaker in the video then says, “We just came up here because they basically ran off the prayer walkers, they ran off the sidewalk counselors, and the abortion center remains open.”

Early in the video, they claim to have spent “the last hour” talking to “a young man” whose girlfriend was inside the clinic. They alleged that the patient had had been prescribed the abortion pill, and expressed satisfaction at having allegedly persuaded her boyfriend to “attempt to convince her to reverse it.”

While the experimental procedure sometimes called “chemical abortion reversal” has been touted by conservative lawmakers, a clinical study reported in the January 2020 issue of the peer-reviewed journal Obstetrics & Gynecology declared it ineffective and highly dangerous.

Three-and-half minutes into the livestream, Lt. Knott interrupted and made clear that he knew the men were here to confront the GPD, and was less willing to debate them than he had been with the three “street preachers.”

“I’m here to tell you now that you need to return to your vehicles,” Knott said on the live stream video.

“You can choose to comply with what I’m telling you, or you’re going to be charged.”

The four refused to comply, and sat on the ground to be handcuffed. In the arrest records, they are identified as Justin Reeder, 34, of Huntersville; Carl Ubinas, 52, of Mooresville; Jason Oesterreich, 42, of Locust (Stanly County); and Isaiah Burner,23, of Statesville.

According to the Love Life website, Reeder is the organization’s founder and Ubinas is its “Pastor / Chief Operating Officer.” Two days earlier, on Thursday, March 26, Love Life posted a website banner titled “COVID-19 UPDATE” on the then-upcoming protest. It read, in part: “In the best interests of the born and pre-born, we will not be gathering as a group to abide by CDC recommendations.

However, since abortion centers REMAIN OPEN, we will be prayer-walking INDIVIDUALLY.” YES! Weekly asked Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Trey Davis if this would be violation of the “stay-at-home” order.

“Yes, this activity would be in violation of the order,” wrote Davis on Friday morning. “GPD has contacted the group to inform them of the order and seek to gain compliance.”

In his reply, Davis expressed gratitude for the information that Love Life appeared intent on defying the “stay-athome” order.

In a Saturday afternoon email, GPD public information officer Ronald Glenn told YES! Weekly that all four men were, “arrested under the stay-at-home order” and that Reeder, Ubinas and Oesterreich were “also arrested and charged with one count each of Resist Delay Obstruct Public Officer,” which is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Later that evening, Glenn confirmed that all four had been released. Glenn also said that these were the city’s first arrests for violating the stay-at-home order, also a Class 2 misdemeanor.

On Monday, the GPD issued a news release stating that Reeder, Oesterreich,

and Burner returned to the clinic location that day and were arrested for the second time in 48 hours. Arrested with them were Andre Gonzalez, 42, of Mooresville; Richard Whittier, 46 and John Mcatee, 56, both of Mint Hill; and Leroy Stokes Jr., 58, of Greensboro. All seven were charged with “violation of the Guilford County Stay at Home Order and Resist Delay and Obstruct a Public Officer.”

In response to these violations of the “stay-at-home” order, Greensboro police chief Brian James released a video asking for compliance.

“As you know, we are fighting a worldwide pandemic; and we’re fighting it right here in Guilford County,” James said. “Our goal is gain compliance and not to make arrests, so I ask you to please help everyone, and help your community, by staying at home to reduce the spread.” !

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.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

T.V. stations still on the job despite virus The year was 1928 and Philo Farnsworth was in a celebratory mood as he and his wife Penn took a leisurely drive back home to Los Angeles from San Francisco, where he had just secured Jim Longworth financial backing for his new invention.

Though it would be Longworth another twenty years at Large before the masses could appreciate Philo’s gift to them, he had a vision for how television would impact their lives. Turning to Penn, Philo predicted that T.V. would become the world’s greatest teaching tool, and that people would be able to watch news as it happened. Farnsworth would be proud to know that his invention is coming through in a crisis.

Each day as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to grow and claim lives, our local television stations keep us abreast of the latest developments, including ever-changing guidelines and closings, as well as ways to protect ourselves. It is a daunting task because those who gather and report the news must do so without putting themselves at risk. I wondered how Triad-area television stations were operating under such pressure, and how this health crisis is affecting the way they do business in general. For answers, I reached out to three general managers, Michelle Butt (WXII), Jim Himes (WGHP) and Larry Audas (WFMY).

Longworth: What precautions have you taken to protect your employees against the spread of coronavirus, and have those measures affected the way you do business?

Audas: We value the well-being of our WFMY News 2 family, and took a number of cautionary steps early on. We have taken further steps since, and now, most station duties including news and sales, are being done remotely, away from the station. All sales work, for example, is carried out by staffers in their respective homes. Reporters, photographers, some producers and anchors are also working away from the building. Whether in the field or among a limited number of staff, we are maintaining strict social distancing guidelines on who and what we contact, and we are not entertaining guests inside WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

sion on any given day, but now more than ever. Everything we do is about our viewers, digital users, customers and friends in the community. Information is at a premium, and we are working to make sure we deliver for the Piedmont Triad each and every day.

Michelle Butt

Jim Himes

the station. All of this has prompted a series of technological changes for a business that is part of the electronic media, but our technical folks have helped us achieve a working model aimed to carry WFMY News 2 through the days ahead.

Butt: We have full departments working remotely including sales, marketing, business, and programming. Our reporters and photographers also no longer come into the station for work. We have isolated other employees in the building by re-configuring work spaces or access to certain areas of the building, and have shrunk our footprint personnel-wise by producing newscasts differently.

Himes: As with all local businesses we’re working to minimize the risk to our employees and the public. We are working remotely whenever possible and reinforcing proper hygiene to all employees, and including those messages on air and on line. We’re also using technology to practice social distancing in our news gathering, as well as for internal meetings at the station.

Longworth: Have area lock-downs, closings, and cancellations affected your bottom line and viewership?

Larry Audas

tion. It’s why we carry all of our federal, State, and local news conferences, and have expanded our local late news product Monday through Friday.

Himes: Our news viewership is up by 15% to 40%, and online page views in the 50% to 70% range. In all matters of great importance, viewers turn to their local broadcasters for news that impacts their lives. Just as during the September 11th attacks, the 2008 recession, tornadoes and floods, FOX8 is here to serve and inform. Those events also reshaped the landscape for our local businesses, so we are working diligently to help our partners as they work through difficult times.

Longworth: What role should local T.V. stations and news operations play during a crisis of this nature?

Audas: WFMY News 2 is working to connect our community. That’s our mis-

Himes: It is our mission to be there with accurate and up to date information in order to keep communities informed and safe. As such, part of our coverage has included broadcasting and streaming daily briefings from federal, state, and local officials.

Butt: It is our job as local broadcasters to offer resources, like how your family can access food, or how you can receive help as a small business person. And when this ends, we will be on the front lines of the recovery effort. From helping businesses reestablish their footprint, to helping our nonprofits fill the gaps that lost income brings about. Our job is to serve in the best interest of our community, and that’s something all of us here at WXII and WCWG are proud to be a part of.

Philo Farnsworth envisioned television as a resource for helping people and keeping them informed. Now, over ninety years later, our local T.V. news stations are staying true to that vision in the most difficult of times. !

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).

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Audas: Viewership is up as the crisis has brought most of the community together, seeking more and detailed information on local and national developments. Traffic to our website and our social sites has never been more robust.

As such, some advertisers, like home repair, and carry out restaurants, have found customers seeking their services. Others are not open, and their advertising has been delayed until they reopen.

Butts: Viewing is up, both locally and nationally. People are hungry for informaAPRIL 1-7, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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