TCB July 24, 2020 — I Voted?

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point July 23-29, 2020 triad-city-beat.com

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July 23-29, 2020

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Winston-Salem, occupied It’s Day 6 of the Winston-Salem occupation, a Monday, early afternoon. And even though it’s the hottest part of the day, people are

by Brian Clarey starting to gather at the encampment at Bailey Park.

Brittany Battle is here, still sort of reeling from her July 8 arrest just a couple blocks away. There’s a group of white siblings that everyone is calling “the Triplets” who have been out here every day so far. A few people have brought their baseball mitts and they’re having a catch on the lawn while some hip-hop, not too loud — breathes from an unseen speaker by the snack table.

Tonight, again, there will be some speakers, followed by the nightly vigil.

“I’ve been saying: The movement is multidimensional,” Battle says.

On the benches outside Fair Witness, which the leaders have been using as an informal office these last six days, Bailey Pittenger from the Triad Abolition Project explains the point of the whole thing.

On Dec. 4, 2019, John Neville of Greensboro died shortly after being admitted to the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center. But nobody knew about it until June 26, when the story broke in the press, and nothing happened until July 8, when Forsyth DA Jim O’Neill, along with Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, announced that five corrections officers would be charged with involuntary manslaughter. That was the night that Battle, along with four other activists, were arrested while marching around the jail. The

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com

EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Green jordan@triad-city-beat.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

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next morning, the SBI released an autopsy revealing that Neville died from a brain injury sustained while he was hogtied in the jail. That night, 15 more protesters were arrested on the street.

The public has not yet seen the video capturing Neville’s demise.

“We’re very certain it’s a cover-up,” Pittenger says.

TAP means what it says — they are for the complete abolition of traditional law enforcement and the prison-industrial complex, favoring instead a net of social services and community resources that Pittenger says will help us redefine what “crime” means. She’s out here every day to stay on message.

“It will last,” she says, “until we get all of our demands met.” Those include answers to all questions regarding John Neville, policy changes to ensure this doesn’t happen again and dismissal of all charges against the protesters.

It’s an old-school tactic, honed during the Occupy Wall Street days almost 10 years ago, when the target wasn’t law enforcement but income inequality and the ravages of capitalism. But on Nov. 15, 2011, after about two months of occupation, New York City cops in riot gear cleared Zuccotti Park, arresting some 200 protesters and journalists on the sweep.

Like Zuccotti, Bailey Park is privately owned, but Pittenger says she knows the cops are close by.

“In the first few days there were unmarked cars watching us,” she says, “but now we can’t physically see them.

“We feel watched.”

Which, of course, is very different from being seen.

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336-256-9320 Cover image: SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR Nikki Miller-Ka Cover design by Robert Paquette niksnacksblog@gmail.com & Sayaka Matsuoka ART ART DIRECTOR Robert Paquette robert@triad-city-beat.com SALES

KEY ACCOUNTS Gayla Price gayla@triad-city-beat.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Carolyn de Berry, Matt Jones, Michaela Ratliff

TCB IN A FLASH @ triad-city-beat.com First copy is free, all additional copies are $1. ©2018 Beat Media Inc.

July 23-29, 2020

CITY LIFE July 23-26

by Michaela Ratliff

THURSDAY July 23

Donut Chute @ Coffee Park (W-S) 8 a.m.

New Beer Release @ SouthEnd Brewing Co. (GSO) 2 p.m.

Small Dog Sundays @ Doggos (GSO) 3 p.m.

Get involved with Gate City Triad Mustang Club as they clean up two miles on Cornwallis Drive. Arrive at the parking lot off Hobbs Rd. Gloves and trash bags will be available.

Tiny House Build @ 401 Hay St (HP) 9 a.m.

Never had Moroccan food? Well now’s the time to try! Visit Cellar 23 where Rockin Moroccan food truck will be serving Moroccan street food including falafel, gyros, and more. Visit their website to view the full menu.

Gipsy Danger @ Pine Tree Tavern (W-S) 7 p.m.

Volunteer for the Tiny House Community Development by helping out on Day 2 of a house construction.

Sips for Snips @ Incendiary Brewing Company (W-S) 4 p.m.

FRIDAY July 24

This ride and bike show is being held in honor of Women’s Motorcycle Month.

Visit the event page for more information, and arrive ready to register your ride.

There is a chance for cash and gift card prizes!

Human Solution is hosting Sips for Snips, where $1 of each beer sale will be donated to Humane Solution, who aims to end euthanasia by offering affordable spay/ neuter services. There will also be a spay/ neuter slogan competition for a chance for your slogan to appear on a limited-edition pint glass sold at the event. Visit the event page for more information about how to enter.

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Newgrass band Gipsy Danger will be at Pine Tree Tavern to perform bluegrass takes on popular rock, pop, and indie songs. This event will be held outdoors.

Visit the band’s website to learn more about them.

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Ladies Ride & Bike Show @ Smokin’ Harley-Davidson (W-S) 9:30 a.m.

Greensboro Public Library in partnership with Greensboro Chamber of Commerce are hosting a virtual discussion of racial inequality and the film The Hate U Give, based on the novel of the same name. Visit the event page for a list of where to watch the movie and to register for free.

Virtual Food Drive @ Blue Ridge Companies (HP) All Day The Piedmont Triad Apartment Association still needs your help raising money for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC to provide meals to families in need. Use this link to make a donation.

If you’ve been nervous about letting your small dog play with others, now is the perfect time to let them mix and mingle with other doggos their size. Doggos consider small dogs to weigh 20 lbs or less.

All puppies must be at least 4 months old and have proof up-to-date rabies, distemper, and bordetella shots. Day passes for this event are only $7. Be sure to visit their website and review the house rules before arriving.

Culture

The Hate U Give: Film Discussion Zoom Meeting @ Greensboro Public Library (GSO) 6 p.m.

Food & Flow @ SouthEnd Brewing Co. (GSO) 11 a.m.

All are welcomed at this gentle and relaxing Sunday morning yoga session no matter the level of experience. Be sure to take your own mat, towels, and other supplies you will need. Visit the event page to purchase tickets.

Opinion

Urban Farmers & Vendor Market @ Other Suns Events Center (W-S) 12:30 p.m.

Fresh vegetables and produce, holistic wellness products, jewelry, and more will be available at the market. Show your support for local business owners.

SUNDAY July 26

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Mama Crockett’s Cider Donuts is teaming up with Coffee Park to bring you donuts from a chute! Preorder your donuts using this link.

Rockin Moroccan @ Cellar 23 (GSO) 5:30 p.m.

Adopt-A-Highway Street Clean Up @ Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden (GSO) 8 a.m.

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Join SouthEnd for the debut of their newest beer flavor, Passion on the River, a refreshing twist on the American Blonde Ale, Wendover River, with a splash of passionfruit.

SATURDAY July 25

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July 23-29, 2020

Coronavirus in the Triad:

(as of Wednesday, July 22, compared to last week)

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Documented COVID-19 diagnoses NC

105,001 (+13,735)

Forsyth

4,343 (+493)

Guilford County

4,412 (+572)

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COVID-19 deaths

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1,698 (+130)

Forsyth

41 (+1)

Guilford

134 (+9)

Documented recoveries

PADDLE-BOARDING in Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point All the gear youʼll need — boards, paddles, leashes, flotation device refinements and options, applicable NC vessel safety laws, and numerous stroke techniques.

Families welcome.

PHYSICAL-DISTANCING

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DOUBLE-SANITIZATION or call:

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NC

78,707 (+11,583)

Forsyth

2,693 (+207)

Guilford

2,155 (+210)

Hospitalizations NC

1,137 (-5)

Forsyth

25 (-10)

Guilford

427 (+36)

NEWS

by Jordan Green Black firefighters in Winston-Salem say they endure nooses tied by white colleagues, racially charged social media and other harassment.

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Winston-Salem fire Engineer Thomas Penn speaks at a press conference on Monday evening.

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Among the social media posts singled out for reproach by the group, Ikulture Chandler of Hate Out of Winston highlighted an exchange between Capt.

Kevin Shore and a firefighter referencing the Confederacy, a faction that waged a treasonous war against the United States for the purpose of maintaining the institution of slavery.

“With this logic I guess anyone with the name Dixie is racist?” Shore said in the post, which Chandler provided to TCB. “Trying to rewrite history will not change it. And those wanting change should do some research on the topic — what they find will change how they view it. Learn from history and be better because of it, not remove or try to erase it. First riots, removal of statues, changing the names of events, there is no end to this.”

“Exactly,” the firefighter responded.

“They’re ignorant of their history.”

Chandler characterized the exchange as “ranting about how their false history is legit” and claiming “that we Blacks are ignorant to our history.” She added, “It’s not okay to live in racism over social

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“This press conference is the nuclear option,” said Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC, as about a dozen firefighters stood behind her in matching black shirts with red lettering spelling Omnibus. “These men and women would not be here if they could have been heard, if their concerns were addressed through the appropriate systems. But they were not.

“These men and women deserve to work in a place where they are safe, that is not hostile, where they don’t have to worry about putting on their boots to come save your house from burning down and stepping into someone’s spit,” Blagrove continued. “They deserve the dignity of being allowed to do their jobs and protect the people of WinstonSalem with their head held high and their rights respected. So I say to you: Just like you, the people of WinstonSalem, deserve to have a firetruck come to your house when your house is on fire — just like you deserve to have a fireman respond when you need them, now is your obligation to respond when they need you.”

JORDAN GREEN

Culture

A gorilla mask left on newly promoted Black officer’s desk. Firefighters tying nooses during trainings. Frequent use of the N-word through station houses across the city. Racially charged social media posts.

A group of Black firefighters known as Omnibus said racism is rampant throughout the Winston-Salem Fire Department during a Monday evening press conference in a parking lot adjacent to Fire Station 1 on North Marshall Street, where they were joined by some 90 supporters, including many who have marched for Black lives over the past seven weeks.

“Ours is a paramilitary organization in which we train, sleep, eat and risk the most precious gift of all: life,” said Thomas Penn, an engineer with the fire department. “We literally perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, which is intensified when discover that we must potentially entrust this gift to another.

“We are eerily aware that some of these individuals possess racist thoughts and ideologies — a fact that adds an unnecessary level of tension and apprehension to an already stressful career,” Penn continued. “We believe the department contains individuals who are intolerant of racism and bigotry. However, within our ranks there exists and age-old subculture that is not only tolerant of racism but openly expresses it.”

Penn charged that Chief Trey Mayo “has failed to hold these individuals accountable for their actions when there are clear regulations in place to address them.

“Subsequently, he has fostered an environment where those that have been the recipients of these hate-filled words and gestures are fearful of reprisal,” Penn continued.

Assistant Chief of Operations Jerry Hardison, who is in charge of fire suppression and communications, told Triad City Beat the fire department has no comment on the Black firefighters’ concerns at this time.

A handful of organizations, including Hate Out of Winston, Emancipate NC and Advance Carolina joined the Black firefighters in demanding an outside in-

vestigation of racism and sexual harassment in the department; zero tolerance for violations of the city’s social-media policy; the creation of a fellowship program to recruit from traditionally underserved populations; and mandatory diversity training eight times a year.

Penn said Mayor Allen Joines and members of city council have had Omnibus’ concerns and demands for more than 16 days, and they have yet to receive a response.

Councilman James Taylor, who chairs the public safety committee, said he watched a live video stream of the press conference.

“I heard they were saying nooses were being tied, the use of the N-word,” Taylor said during an interview on Tuesday.

“All the specific incidents that have been put to our attention, we will address the persons who committed the offenses and dismiss them. That’s not what we stand for as a community and as a city, and systemic racism will be rooted out.”

Taylor said his comments shouldn’t be interpreted as an attack on the fire department.

“I seriously believe we have one of the best fire departments in the country,” he said. “There may be some bad apples and they will be rooted out. This isn’t against the fire department. I support the fire d Mayor Pro Tem DD Adams said she has suggested to City Manager Lee Garrity that the city hire an outside consultant to investigative the claims raised by the Black firefighters.

“We cannot do this in-house, internally,” she said. “In order for it to be transparent and fair, people have to feel that we did our job.”

Adams also said she would like to see the city invest in training programs to enhance opportunities for Black people interested in careers in firefighting.

“I won’t say a majority, but many of the white firefighters come by way of smaller volunteer fire departments,” she said. “They already have some training; they already know the test. Black firefighters don’t have that luxury. Why wouldn’t we pair with Forsyth Tech and others? If they want the career in firefighting, help them prepare. I don’t think the playing field was ever level.”

Several speakers emphasized that the press conference was not the first step taken by the Black firefighters to address their concerns.

July 23-29, 2020

Nooses, racist remarks and more: Black firefighters say racism plagues WSFD

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Culture

A large group of activists including Black Lives Matter Winston-Salem joined a group of Black firefighters at the press conference on Monday.

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media.”

Shore could not be reached for comment for this story.

Just before the press conference began, a group of two dozen people who have been active in the Black Lives Matter protests over the past seven weeks marched into the parking lot, chanting, “We stand with Omnibus.”

Some white command officers and firefighters in the department openly expressed scorn for the protesters.

“Why is a department officer — the very officer who created a mandatory review PowerPoint presentation on how to interact with protesters — stat[ing] that he would go through downtown on his way home and run them over?” asked Penn, the fire engineer who spoke on behalf of Omnibus.

“The crowd he was referring to is essentially us,” Penn added. “Those of you individuals who are willing to stand up and make your voice known. You’re willing to sacrifice yourself for change in order to change the moral compass of

this country.”

Penn said later that the officer to whom his remarks referenced is Training Capt. Christopher Belcher. A message left for Belcher at the fire department on Tuesday went unreturned.

Scorn for protesters also shows up as a consistent theme on Capt. Michael “Mac” Casstevens Facebook page, which includes dozens of posts since the murder of George Floyd that cast protesters in a negative light.

One meme posted to his page on June 5 says, “If your lives matter so much, why do you stand in the middle of the road?”

On June 20, he shared a meme featuring a photo of the singer Sammy Davis Jr. that says, “Instead of hands up, don’t shoot, how about pull your pants up, don’t loot?”

In another post on Casstevens’ Facebook page, the fire captain shares a tweet

by Daily Wire columnist Matt Walsh that promotes blatantly a racist stereotypes of Black people who live in areas with

racially concentrated poverty. “The average child in the inner city grows up without a father, listens to music that overtly glorifies crime and self-destruction, and lives in a community where murder is a daily occurrence and drug dealers rule the streets,” Walsh wrote. “But yes, his biggest problem is the police. Okay, sure.”

At least two of Casstevens’ posts in the past eight weeks are labeled by Facebook as containing false information, including one that says, “Look at the pain and grief on all their faces as they mourn the tragic loss of George Floyd.” The photo depicts looters in Baltimore after the death of Freddie Gray, who died from injuries sustained while he was being transported in a police vehicle.

On June 11, Casstevens shared a link to the Southern Heritage Preservation Group, a private Facebook group. The cover photo for the page includes a rendering of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee with the text, “Don’t take a knee.

Take a stand! Support saving Confeder-

JORDAN GREEN

ate heritage!” “Take a knee” is widely understood as a reference to NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s insistence on kneeling instead of standing for the National Anthem as a protest against police brutality. And after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer who asphyxiated him by placing a knee to his neck, protesters began taking a knee as a way of paying respect to Floyd.

Casstevens could not be reached for comment.

During his remarks at Monday’s press conference, Penn laid responsibility for the racial tension in the fire department at Chief Mayo’s feet. Penn said that during an officers meeting, the chief complained: “I’m tired of hearing about diversity.”

Penn charged: “There are racially charged social media posts and conversation that our coworkers and officers have made and are engaged in. Chief Mayo is aware of these infractions, and has yet to address them in a manner commensurate with the act.”

July 23-29, 2020 Up Front

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Everything you need to know about voting in the Triad this year

by Sayaka Matsuoka Amid a global pandemic, local elections directors are gearing up for an unprecedented election season.

With the general election less than four months away, both directors for Forsyth and Guilford counties say they are working to make voting as easy and safe as possible for November’s election.

“We are committed to making sure we can provide all of the necessary resources and all of the polling places,” said Tim Tsujii, the Forsyth County elections director. “This is an ongoing process between now and Election Day.” Because of the coronavirus, both Tsujii and Charlie Colicutt, his counterpart in Guilford County, say they are anticipating a huge increase in the number of absentee or mail-in ballot requests.

Tsujii said on Monday that his office has received more than 3,000 requests for mail-in ballots — more than double the amount at this point in 2016. Colicutt said his office has received 6,500 requests so far.

A recent analysis by Michael Blitzer, a political scientist at Catawba College, found that more than 65,000 absentee ballot requests had been statewide made by mid-July. That’s a fourfold increase from this point in 2016.

Despite President Trump’s recent claims that absentee ballots would somehow lead to a rigged election, both Tsujii and Colicutt said that vote-by-mail is a safe and secure option for those concerned about voting in person.

“This is a good way to vote,” said Colicutt. “If you’re worried about not coming to the polling place, do it. We count these ballots and we do it in a transparent way. There is a one-to-one ratio. I’m not worried about our office being flooded by fraudulent ballots. It is a good and safe way to vote.”

What is an absentee ballot and how do you get one?

Despite its somewhat misleading name, absentee ballots are the same as in-person ballots, the only difference being they allow individuals to vote from home. Rather than going to the polling place during early voting or on Election Day, voters can make a request for an absentee ballot, fill it out when it arrives, and then send it back to be counted.

“It’s the same ballot as voters get on Election Day,” Colicutt said. “There are bubbles next to the names, you fill it in and stick it in an envelope.”

All of the ballots get counted and tabulated for the final election results.

However, there are a few rules when it comes to absentee voting. In recent weeks, the state legislature passed a law that eases some restrictions on absentee voting. Before, an absentee voter had to have either two witnesses when filling out the ballot or a notary present. For this election, a new law reduces the number of witnesses to one. But the witness must be there physically and can’t be watching virtually because the witness has to sign the ballot as well.

The options for requesting a mail-in ballot were expanded, too. Previously voters could only request mail-in ballots by sending completed request forms via mail, or by appearing in person or calling the county elections office to request one. This year, individuals can also get an absentee ballot by filling out a form and sending it back by email or fax. The state board of elections is also creating an online portal, which voters can use to request ballots and also keep track of their ballot once they mail it back. Voters can find the request forms on their local county election websites or local office.

Voters who want to vote by mail must send back request forms by Oct. 27 at 5 p.m.

What happens after you fill out the ballot?

County elections boards will start sending out the absentee ballots in early September. Once a voter fills out the absentee ballot, they must sign it and have their witness sign it as well. Tsujii said those who have a hard time filling out the ballot themselves can ask a family member to fill it out for them. He also said multi-partisan assistance teams appointed by the elections board can go to nursing homes and private homes to help individuals fill out ballots. After the ballot is filled out and signed by the voter and the witness, it needs to be stamped with one Forever stamp, postmarked by Election Day and sent in.

Once the ballots are received by the county elections board, individuals will be able to get updates via the state’s online portal that their ballots were received. Then, they will get scanned and stored. To offset the increased load of absentee ballots, Tsujii and Colicutt both said they have two high-speed scanners in each county to help count and tabulate the results. Both directors said they plan on pre-scanning as many

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Request a ballot by filling out a request form. Find request forms on county board of elections websites or obtain one from the elections office. Voters can also request a form using the state’s online portal which will be ready in September.

Receive the ballot. Ballots will be mailed out in early September.

Fill out the ballot. Must have at least one in-person witness.

Sign the ballot and have the witness sign as well.

Mail back the ballot. Need at least one Forever stamp.

Postmark at the latest by November 3.

Few tips and pointers:

• The earlier you can request a ballot, the better.

• Once you receive your ballot, fill it out and then send it back as soon as possible.

• Make sure to fill out everything you need and follow instructions fully so the ballot gets counted.

• For help filling out a ballot, call your local elections board. ballots that come in before Election Day as possible, so they don’t get backlogged on Nov. 3. The results of the scanned ballots however, will not be released until the night of the election. The tricky part, Tsujii said, is that as long as the mail-in ballots are postmarked by Election Day, they will get counted even if they arrive after Tuesday. That means that there is a possibility that many absentee ballots will be counted after Election Day which is why the official results won’t be out until Nov. 13 — 10 days after Election Day. But in order to make sure absentee votes get counted, Tsujii and Colicutt said people should do everything as early as possible, from requesting a ballot to mailing it back in once you get one.

“Be proactive,” Tsujii said. “Don’t want until the last minute. We don’t want voters to run the risk of going through certain hoops with the Post Office to where it doesn’t come into the office in time. We strongly recommend you put in a request today.”

In addition to making requests for ballots, Tsujii said voters should check their registration statuses and be on the lookout for sample ballots which should be posted on county elections websites sometime in August.

And with increased absentee and early voting option, Colicutt said that he thinks that there will be less Election Day voting this year.

“I hope that by the time we get to Election Day, we will have a historically low number of voters,” he said. “I’m going to prepare but what I’m thinking is we won’t have as many voters as years past.”

What about in-person voting?

Despite increased efforts to making absentee voting more accessible, both Tsujii and Colicutt said they are making sure in-person voting is as safe as possible too. A recent emergency order by the state Elections Director Karen Brinson Bell now requires there to be at least one early-voting site for every 20,000 registered voters in each county.

In Forsyth and Guilford counties there will be the same number of early voting sites as there were in 2016 but hours will be increased due to Bell’s new order.

However, the locations for these sites and the Election Day sites may change because of the pandemic.

“The game plan is to hold on to what we’ve got,” Colicutt said. “We’re going

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platforms.”

July 23-29, 2020

volunteers say they won’t be able to do it this time around. In Forsyth County, Tsujii said his office has partnered with local sororities and fraternities to recruit younger volunteers. He’s also planning on recruiting teachers and students who are at least 18 years old, because Election Day this year is a teacher workday in Forsyth County.

“The encouraging sign is that we are still having people sign up to be a poll worker,” he said. “Folks are still expressing their interest.”

Tsujii also said he’s working on one more thing to help combat the coronavirus during elections this year and it relates to one of the most recognizable aspects of voting day — the ‘I Voted’ sticker.

“We’re creating digital ‘I voted’ stickers,” he said. “We will still provide the actual stickers but for those that are wary, we’re going to have QR code posters so people can scan and get a digital ‘I voted’ sticker. We’re trying to minimize contact and encourage the use of digital

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to try to make sure churches don’t say, ‘We don’t want people in our building,’ but if they do, we’ll find replacements for those places.”

The addition of personal-protection measures against the virus will also be seen at in-person sites during both early voting and Election Day voting.

In Forsyth county, Tsujii said that polling places will have social-distancing stickers on the floors, hygiene tables, masks, gloves and hand-sanitizer for all voters, and disposable styluses and onetime use pens. Colicutt said the same will be done in Guilford County. Masks, gloves and face shields will be worn by all poll workers and masks are strongly encouraged for voters in both counties.

“We cannot turn anyone away because of not wearing a mask but we highly encourage it and we will be providing masks for those that don’t have one,” Colicutt said.

One of the major concerns for Colicutt has been recruiting enough poll volunteers to work the election this year.

In years past, many of the volunteers have been older, with the average age being about 60. Because of the coronavirus, Colicutt said he’s had some

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July 23-29, 2020

OPINION

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Claytoonz

EDITORIAL

The war against us

It started in Portland, Ore.: an infiltration of federal troops under the guise of protecting federal property like monuments and buildings.

Later we learned they were Customs and Border Patrol agents and US Marshals.

They started grabbing people off the streets and terrorizing demonstrators.

One protester was shot in the head by a non-lethal round, fracturing his face and skull. They’re deploying tear gas, just a few months ahead of a newly passed state law, going into effect in January 2021, outlawing the practice.

The mayor is outraged.

The governor wants the federal agents out of her state. Yet the president has promised more federal law enforcement in Portland, Chicago and other cities where Trump’s re-election chances don’t look so good.

So it’s fodder for the election… probably… in which Trump will ride a law-andorder campaign until the wheels fall off — unless, terrifying as the thought may be, he is granted another term, either through widespread voter disenfranchisement, the help of his Russian friends or, least likely, a free and fair vote.

Whatever his intentions, the optics are undeniable: This is what it looks like when a nation is at war with its own people.

by Clay Jones Remove the context of the modern United States, and our expectations of stability and democracy, and this scenario looks like the brutal South African regime in the days before the end of Apartheid, or the forceful imposition of an autocratic regime in Central or South America.

Trump’s 2016 presidential run included echoing chants of, “Lock her up!” aimed at Hilary Clinton. Most of us didn’t understand then that this was be the fate he imagined for all of us who don’t get with his program.

And it’s not how any of this is supposed to work.

Freedom of speech is the most fundamental American right there is — that’s why it’s the First Amendment. We don’t grab people off the streets — that’s what the Fourth and Fifth Amendments are all about.

This has happened on US soil before. We’ve seen federal troops at the LA riots in 1992; in Arkansas in 1954, when they squared off against the National Guard; at Ole Miss in 1962 when the forst Black student enrolled; in Detroit in 1967; and even in Greensboro in 1969 during the Dudley riots.

It’s almost always because of racial strife.

But this time, they’re detaining people — and that is something new.

This is what it looks like when a nation is at war with its own people.

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‘Butchers are a carnivore’s best friend’: Best meat-up places in the Triad

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Quick glossary for carnicerías:

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Aracherra: Skirt steak or hanger steak Carne molida de res: ground beef Carne molida de puerco: ground pork Con hueso: bone-in Costillas: ribs (pork or beef) Diezmillo: chuck steak or roast Milanesa: beef cutlet, pounded thin Paleta de res: beef shoulder (chuck) Palomilla: round steak or top sirloin, good for asada Patas: feet, beef or pork Pechugas: chicken breasts Picada de res: chopped beef Pulpa: boneless round steak Ranchera: flap steak Trozos or trocitos: cubes of beef or pork, stew meat Sin hueso: boneless

Up Front

Spicy marinated skirt-steak tacos Serves 4-6, 3 tacos each

2 lbs aracherra or skirt steak, cut into 4-inch pieces

Matt Pleasants cuts meat at his shop Smoke City Meats in W-S.

CAROLYN DE BERRY

Culture

GARNISH 1 onion, diced 1/2 cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley 1. Put all ingredients except tortillas and garnish in a resealable plastic bag, a large bowl or resealable container and cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface to eliminate excess air. Marinate steak for 30 minutes up to 12 hours in refrigerator.

3. Fill each tortilla with 3 to 4 pieces of meat and garnish with chopped onion and cilantro or parsley leaves.

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2. Heat grill pan or cast-iron skillet over high heat.

Use a scant 1/2 teaspoon of oil on the pan. Sear on one side until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the steak over and cook to medium-rare doneness, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Let rest 5 minutes then slice against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Shot in the Triad

me navigate the case.

It’s all about the meat, but they’re also a treasure trove of Mexican and Latinx specialties. You can buy plenty of cuts of beef and pork, but most carnicerías are filled to bursting with Mexican beers, sodas, cheeses, produce, hot sauces and breads, alongside piñatas, paper goods and even the occasional impulse aisle full of juguetes or toys.

Part bodega, part taquería, it’s a center of commerce and social life, a place to connect with the familiar flavors of home for people who now live north of the border. But they’re also convenient places to shop for anyone who appreciates authentic products and meat at reasonable prices.

Shopping at a carnicería can be an adventure in learning new food terms and methods of cookery. Speaking a little Spanish helps, but isn’t necessary. What is helpful is knowing what the various meat cuts are in Spanish.

You won’t find too many marbled cuts of beef or porterhouses, but you will find lots of flat, thin cuts suitable for marinating, grilling and braising, along with spices, chiles, tortillas and other staples of Mexican cooking.

So whatever you’re looking for in your next quest for an outdoor barbecue, whether it’s a butchery or a carnicería, you can be sure that you’ll find exactly what you need and more.

MARINADE 2 Tablespoons fresh mint ¼ cup fresh parsley ¼ cup fresh oregano 1 bunch chives or scallions, chopped ¼ cup cilantro, chopped ¼ cup jalapeno, chopped 2 cloves garlic Juice from 1 lime 1 Tablespoon white vinegar 1 1/2 teaspoon oil Salt and Pepper, to taste 2 10-count packages corn or flour tortillas

Opinion

have fond memories of the times I would accompany my grandmother to the grocery store after school. We would bypass the refrigerated section with its pre-packaged meats, make a beeline for the deli and then slide over to the

by Nikki Miller-Ka meat counter to chat it up with the butcher. I was mesmerized by the rows of beef, pork and chicken lined up between columns of plastic shrubbery, ground meats molded like Play-Doh with designs pressed into the mounds of fat, sinew and muscles. And as people continue to enjoy grilling season, they’ll find that a butcher is a carnivore’s best friend. The finesse and skill of a butcher is unmatched by any other profession in the food industry. Not only can they turn a side of a cow into chops, steaks and other neatly trimmed pieces of meat, oftentimes the butcher can be the genesis of a night’s dinner or a weekend of grilling.

A butcher works with whole animals and is able to fabricate or break them down into more unusual cuts of meat and body parts to make available to clients.

Kidneys, livers, intestines and other organs which are not available through commercial distributors are available at the butcher’s counter. They can also offer unusual cuts of steaks and roasts that require more artistry than a meat distributor or commercial grocery store can provide, and tend to be more knowledgeable about meat. Customers who want more information about where the meat comes from and how to cook it often prefer going to a butcher for this reason.

Smoke City Meats is a new butcher in WinstonSalem, touting itself as an artisanal butchery shop.

Matt Pleasants, formerly of Earl’s, the Honey Pot and Bahtmobile food truck, is the in-house slaughterman responsible for filling the case with a plethora of cuts and in-house spiced meats. In the refrigerated case you can find everything from perfectly seasoned breakfast sausage and smoked meats to prepared shish kebobs, spiced hamburgers and smoked pork chops. Featuring beef and pork from Apple Brandy, Harmony Ridge and Joyce Farms, the artistry is showcased in the sausages and housemade spice rub.

“All you need is a grill, this rub and a Miller Lite,” says Pleasants. Sold in 16-oz Mason jars, the rub is rife with flaked salt, dried herbs and a proprietary blend of spices.

Boutique butcher shops are cropping up all over. Fifty years ago, the butcher shop was as common as the gas station. While these shops are seeing a resurgence, the carnicería remains the same. Carnicerías are butcher shops with a distinct Latin flavor. The carnicería specializes in cuts and marinades like ranchera and arrachero, and will produce their own chicharrones, chorizos and housemade spiced cuts.

At Los Juanes off Jonestown Road in Winston-Salem, many go for the fresh meat but stay for the tacos, chilaquiles, flautas and pupusas . The butcher, Chuchy, who identified himself by first name only, was eager to help

July 23-29, 2020

Nik Snacks

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July 23-29, 2020 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

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CULTURE Hempress Farms reclaims the cannabis plant for Black growth

by Sayaka Matsuoka

Y

ou really can’t tell the difference.

Maya Gilliam weaves in and out of the rows of potted plants with the star-shaped leaves, carefully picking out the yellowing ones as she goes. The afternoon sun beats oppressively down on her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Occasionally, she runs her fingers on a tower of flowering buds, collecting the pungent sap on her fingertips.

“You gotta smell this one,” she says as she sniffs the plant. “That smells like some sticky icky.”

In other words, it smells like marijuana.

“When I started growing this I was like, ‘Oh I see why they want they want to ban smokable hemp,’ because it looks exactly like weed,” she says.

On a small, half-acre lot on her parents’ 86-acre property in Yadkinville, Gilliam has been growing and harvesting hemp plants since last November as part of her new business, Hempress Farms. Originally a digital designer, Gilliam traded life behind a computer for one focused on wellness in 2011, when she opened Ma’ati Spa in downtown Winston-Salem. The spa is still in operation, but in late 2019 Gilliam decided to try her hand in the booming hemp market, aiming to continue her mission of promoting health.

“I’ve always loved the plant for stress,” she says. “It helps keep my stress at bay. When I heard it was becoming legal, my parents encouraged me to get into it. They said they would help me with the land, but I would have to do everything else.”

Hemp, which comes from the same cannabis plant that produces marijuana, is legal in North Carolina but only if the intoxicating agent that’s prevalent in marijuana — THC — is low enough that it won’t get users high. Right now, the legal limit for the United States for THC level in hemp plants is less than 0.3 percent. Instead, hemp focuses on a different chemical compound — CBD — which has been shown to have calming properties and has become popular in the last few years in products ranging from lotions and teas to oils. There are even CBD products for pets.

Gilliam began her research a few years ago, connected with other growers and applied for her license to grow. In March, her first indoor hemp plants began to pop up. In June, her outdoor plants

Maya Gilliam began planting and harvest hemp plants last year.

SAYAKA MATSUOKA

started doing the same. Now, she has 300 plants outside and 40 indoors. And she didn’t waste any time making her own CBD products, which is what she says sets her apart in the crowded hemp market.

“Vertical integration is key,” she says. “Everything from plant to bottle. That’s the best way to generate revenue. It’s better because there’s too many farmers. So many farmers with barns full of hemp flower and no one to sell it to. I actually created my products first before I even planted.”

Gilliam prides herself on doing every step of the hemp market process from growing, harvesting, and processing to selling hemp products. Her favorite items that she sells through a dispensary at the spa include CBD-infused body butter and her hemp teas.

“Most farmers throw away the leaves but I’m saving these leaves and I’ll sell them or give them away to elderly folks for tea,” she says.

To make tea, she’ll throw fresh hemp leaves into a pot and boil them with some honey. Sometimes she’ll add some dried hibiscus flowers or ginger to add flavor.

“I have people that come every week to buy the tea,” she says. “They say they don’t have any more pain and that they don’t even take their medication anymore.”

While CBD has been touted as a cure-all plant, according to an article by Harvard Medical School, studies have shown its effectiveness in treating epilepsy syndromes among children and for reducing inflammation. Other studies also found that CBD may help people to fall asleep. In 2018, the FDA approved the first CBD-derived drug to help treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy.

“It’s super healthy all the way around,” Gilliam says. “You don’t have to have a problem to try it. You don’t have to wait until your back hurts to take it. You can be taking it and then your back won’t hurt.”

But wellness isn’t the only reason why Gilliam got into hemp.

As a Black woman, she says that reclaiming the plant and helping others see it as an entrepreneurial possibility is another goal.

“I just feel like it’s so important for Black and Brown people to start growing legally what we’ve been locked up for, for so long,” she says. “This is actually totally in our wheelhouse.

We smoke it, we’ve been smoking it. We been selling it. It’s time to do this in a way so that we’re not getting locked up.

I mean we did build this country for free so I think we should get back into the farming thing…. Since we were slaves back

July 23-29, 2020 Up Front News Opinion Culture

Gilliam has 300 outdoor plants and 40 indoor plants.

SAYAKA MATSUOKA

Gilliam prides herself on growing, processing and selling hemp products.

SAYAKA MATSUOKA

Shot in the Triad Puzzles

then, people kind of went away from farming, but now I think it’s so important for us parts of the state. As she drives from the outdoor farm to a converted trailer where to come back to farming because we are some awesome she’s set up her indoor plants, a house with multiple farmers.”

Confederate flags and a noose in the front yard comes Eventually, she wants to teach women in Ghana, where into view.

Learn more about Gilliam and Hempress she has ancestral DNA, how to grow.

While the flags have always been there, Gilliam says “If you teach a Black woman to grow, she’s gonna teach the noose — which hangs behind a flag that says ‘Come Farms at hempresshealer.com. the kids and then you’ll have whole generations that and take it’ — is new.

Find Gilliam’s dispensary at Ma’ati Spa know how to grow,” she says. “And if all Black and Brown “Welcome to the country,” she says. “I grew up located at 707 N. Main St. in people are growing, we save the earth from deforestation. around here, so I’m used to seeing flags, but I’ve never Instead of tearing trees down in the Amazon you can grow seen a noose before.”

Winston-Salem. hemp. It replenishes the land…. It creates food, shelter, Anytime she goes to her trailer, she says she lets clothing, it’s amazing.” people know she’s going and sometimes she carries her But as much as Gilliam loves farming now, it wasn’t always easy for her. She comes gun. But she doesn’t want to stop people from trying. from a family of farmers, just one generation removed, but when she decided to get “I want people of color to know that it’s not that hard to get into this industry,” she into hemp, she found that many of the old guard around her were white and male and says. “There’s this big misconception like it’s hard for Black people to get into hemp. didn’t seem eager to help her. She eventually found a woman growing hemp nearby No, it’s not. It’s just a limiting belief that people are perpetuating…. Don’t let the who helped her get started and once she was a part of the community, the mostly rumors stop you. Who knows? That rumor may have been started just to keep us from white hippie-esque crew embraced her but she said it took some time. trying.”

And it can still be hard for a person of color to grow, especially out in the more rural

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Sixteenth Street, Greensboro

July 23-29, 2020 Shot in the Triad

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Month seven of the demolition of the Cone Mills White Oak plant. The mill, which opened in 1905, was more than a million square feet, at one point the largest denim mill in the world.

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CAROLYN DE BERRY

by Matt Jones

Across

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Thank you for your business

©2020 Jonesin’ Crosswords

(editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

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Answers from previous publication.

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Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

“RuPaul’s ___ Race” Twitch streamer, often Ride around town Drink brand with a lizard logo San Antonio mission, with “the” Rescue team, briefly Pictures of surrealist Joan’s work?

Fortnite company One way to sit by “And here’s to you, ___ Robinson ...”

Arrange alphabetically Mountaineer’s vocalization Manzarek of The Doors Stereotypical person who might demand to speak to the manager of this puzzle ©2020 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) End of Wikipedia’s URL Sound from a meadow “Hansel and Gretel” setting Villain who only wears his purple suspenders and “W” hat two days at a time?

California city near Stockton Muralist Rivera “Won’t do it” Comedy duo of scientist Marie and singer Burl?

It may be served in a spear Answers from last issue Bonding words Sixth sense, supposedly 12 “Whose Line ...” comic Ryan Got up 16 What some dryer sheets have Baha ___ (“Who Let the Dogs Out” group) 18 “Well ___!” (“Fancy that!”)

Element #5 23 Feline wail Cruise destination 24 Cookie that released an egg-shaped version Die maximum, usually for Easter 2019 Rapidly disappearing storage medium 25 Projections from a hub Actress Kendrick of the Quibi series “Dummy” 26 Backyard pond fish Program again onto an antiquated computer 29 Tennis’s Agassi storage format?

30 Palm leaf Bank’s property claim 32 It does a hold-up job in the parking lot Last letter in the Greek alphabet 33 Teensy Rival of Visa or MC 34 “Teletubbies” shout Dishonorable guy 38 Defeat Intro show 39 Chilean cash Budget allocation 40 “Pardon the Interruption” network 42 Glob or nod ending Down 43 “The Many Loves of ___ Gillis” 1 Psychiatric reference book, for short 44 Vatican-related 2 French monarch 45 Like some twists of fate 3 Like smaller dictionaries 46 Pupil protector 4 Crystal-filled cavity 50 Home of the Dolphins 5 No longer fresh, as venison 51 Throw out 6 Pie ___ mode 53 NATO alphabet vowel 7 Igneous rock, once 55 Octagonal road sign 8 Abrasive manicure substance 56 “Aw, fiddlesticks!”

9 Monica’s brother on “Friends” 59 Cause of conflict, maybe 10 Chef Boyardee product that had to be 60 Hang-out room renamed for a “Seinfeld” episode 61 Abbr. after a telephone number 11 Ballpark figure?

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July 23-29, 2020

CROSSWORD ‘R-ationing’—it’s three for the price of one.

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