TCB Jan. 3, 2019 — Cat in Hat

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point January 3-9, 2019 triad-city-beat.com

GREENSBORO EDITION

Cat in hat ‘A Daily Cute’ hangs at Revolution Mill

With a twist PAGE 11

Logie Meachum PAGE 8

SROs explained PAGE 7

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EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK January 3-9, 2019

TCB at five years: The wheel turns Year 5 of Triad City Beat is in the books — not literally, because I still have some tax stuff to file, but you know what I mean.

We’ll hit our

by Brian Clarey official anniversary in February, after which there will be a party suitable to the weight of the occasion. Details TK. A lot of people — myself, at times, included — never thought we’d make it this far, but here we are, hitting the streets every Thursday like a freakin’ metronome and keeping it live on the website.

Now we’re entering a new phase.

Johnathan Enoch joined the advertising team more than six months ago, fresh out of UNCG with a marketing degree and some snappy new clothes. Since then, he has become attuned to the vibe and the mission of TCB, learned our systems and processes. More than that, he has become a true sales professional. Beginning this week he’s on full time as our lead account executive.

As of this issue, we’ve welcomed Sayaka Matsuoka into the fold of altweekly editors — a long line of brilliant malcontents that includes Dan Savage, David Carr and Matt Taibbi. She served an internship here way back in 2015, bounced around state journalism circles a bit and returned as a freelancer in 2018. She’s on the team as associate editor, because she works like a demon in production and can turn around clean copy almost as fast as she can type.

And though it’s taken me almost 15 years, I have finally been able to put my old friend and colleague Jordan Green where I believe he needs to be: surfing the tides on the river of news, plucking out the stories to which he’ll apply his inimitable style of reporting, untethered by the grind of production and distribution.

All these changes come to better serve our readers with the sort of news, cultural reportage and commentary you’ve come to expect — except more so. Just as important: We’re bringing along a new generation of journalism professionals in an industry that sorely needs them.

Thanks for reading us, everybody.

Great things to come.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Take charge of your mind, body and spirit Test pH balance, allergies, hormones Balance diet, lifestyle and emotions Create a personalized health and nutrition plan

I keep hearing the same term over and over, whether it’s kids or adults. You’d hear the term ‘eating out of his hand.’ He not only entertained you, he grabbed you and pulled you in. He was the consummate entertainer.

-Casey Hazelman pg. 8

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brian Clarey PUBLISHER EMERITUS Allen Broach

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January 3-9, 2019

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January 3-9, 2019

CITY LIFE January 3-9, 2019

by Savi Ettinger

Up Front

THURSDAY

Barrel-aged blend release @ Joymongers Barrel Hall (W-S), 4 p.m.

The release of the first of Joymonger’s wine-barrel-aged beers starts their new year. A Brett Saison meets a Belgian blonde to create a light, fruit-flavored brew.

Find out more about the event on Facebook.

FRIDAY

Crafts vs. art panel discussion @ Center for Visual Artists (GSO), 6 p.m.

Dan Ray @ Gibb’s Hundred Brewing (GSO), 7 p.m.

Opinion

News

Hilary Clement @ the Loaded Grape (GSO), 6 p.m.

What separates craftspeople from artists?

Five panelists meet to debate the definitions and differences between the two, and to explore where they overlap. Find out more about the event on Facebook.

Culture

John Emil @ Greenhill (GSO), 6 p.m.

The newest installation at the Loaded Grape features Greensboro painter Hilary Clement, with works in traditional art that display a style of semi-realist Americana.

The collection will remain through January.

Learn more on Facebook.

This acoustic show at Gibb’s Hundred Brewing covers decades of music, from classic rock to modern hits. Dan Ray plays a set that ensures that fans of any genre can grab a beer and enjoy some tunes. Learn more on Facebook.

SATURDAY

Metaphysical & Energy Healing Fair @ Benton Convention Center (W-S), 10 a.m.

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Will Easter & Nicholas Bullins @ Earl’s (W-S), 9 p.m.

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Two artists meet at Earl’s for a concert full of feelgood folk rock original music. The duo of North Carolinian musicians pair well together, illustrating their musical roots in traditional country. Find the event on Facebook.

This singer and songwriter showcases slide-guitar skills as a part of the Greensboro’s first First Friday of 2019. The artist specializes in acoustic Hawaiian lap steel guitar and Dobro for smooth bluegrass harmonies. For more information, visit johnemil.com.

This festival offers the chance to explore a plethora of ideas about energy, with tarot, psychic readings and reiki. A selection of vendors build a market of jewelry, candles and other crafts. Find the event on Facebook.

January 3-9, 2019

Poetry reading @ Sunrise Books (HP), 11 a.m.

Emma Lee @ Campus Gas (W-S), 6 p.m.

SUNDAY

News

Robert Franz conducts Rachmaninoff @ Stevens Center (W-S), 3 p.m.

Up Front

Singer Songwriter Sunday @ Muddy Creek Cafe & Music Hall (W-S), 2 p.m.

This series of sets features Laura Jane Vincent, Doug Davis, Sydney Lett and Mike Ramsey. Country musical roots tie together the line-up of artists as their lyrics take the spotlight. Find out more on Facebook.

Emma Lee kicks off a month of Saturday live concerts at Campus Gas. She brings her guitar to the former gas station-turned-bar to combine melodic acoustics with her soulful voice. Learn more on Facebook.

Accomplished conductor Robert Franz leads a symphony of Rachmaninoff as part of five performances to decide the Winston-Salem Symphony’s new music director. Franz features Prokofiev and Bernstein to complete the concert. Learn more at wssymphony.org.

Laura King Edwards @ Scuppernong Books (GSO), 2 p.m.

Culture

WristBand @ Blind Tiger (GSO), 5 p.m.

Opinion

The High Point Arts Council highlights the Pullman Poet Society in a free reading of members’ recent work.

The group also gives new visitors the chance to share their writing and join in the High Point literary community.

Find the event on Facebook.

Brother’s Pearl @ Bull’s Tavern (WS), 10 p.m.

Shot in the Triad

This Winston-Salem band presents a selection of classic covers alongside some of their original music in a rock show that takes from both past and present. Brother’s Pearl puts a spin on artists like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. Learn more on Facebook.

WristBand takes the stage with Vinyl Rewind to offer a time-travelling trip to the ’60s and ’70s, with classic rock and psychedelics. Blues guitarist Nathan Pope rounds out the show. Find the event on Facebook.

Puzzles

Author Laura King Edwards visits Scuppernong to read passages from her book Run to the Light, a memoir following her sister’s experience with Batten disease – a rare disorder that targets the nervous system. The event also features a discussion and book signing. Learn more on Facebook.

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January 3-9, 2019

Every Thursday Open Mic Night Fri. January 4th Nic Hoover Sat. January 5th Travis Griggs Fri. January 11th Andrew Kasaab

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Inaugural Salem Academy and College Hall of Fame inductees

by Lauren Barber 1. Jane Barkman Brown (Salem College, ’74) Brown won three National Championships — one in 1965 and two in 1968 — and at 17 represented the United States at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and later at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, received a gold medal as a member of the winning US team in the women’s 4×100-meter freestyle relay in both competitions. In Munich, Brown served as a tri-captain and later as a torchbearer at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

2. Chuck Blixt Blixt served as Chair of the Salem Academy and College Board of COURTESY Jane Barkman Brown Trustees from 2012-14, after servIMAGE ing on the Board from 2001-14 and the Board of Visitors from 1997-2014.

Among other notable contributions, he established the Blixt Athletic Fields for Salem Academy and College’s athletic teams.

3. Dianne Dailey (Salem College, ’71) Dailey retired this year after 30 years as head women’s golf coach at Wake Forest University where she led the Demon Deacons to win 30 team titles, 39 individual titles and four ACC Championships. Her four ACC Coach of the Year titles rank second in the history of ACC women’s golf coaches. Dailey has served as the president of the National Golf Coaches Association as well as a chair of the NCAA Golf Committee.

4. Sarah (Sally) Colhoun Engram (Salem Academy, ’75) Engram played most of the organized sports available to girls in the mid-1970s, lettering several times in varsity tennis and basketball during competitions against other independent schools and invitational tournaments before playing tennis at Sweet Briar College and UNC Chapel Hill. In 2005, she returned to her alma mater to coach the junior varsity tennis team.

5. Robert Esleeck Esleeck is a former business faculty member at Salem College who is credited with securing Salem College Athletics’ admission into the NCAA as a Division III member institution and for aiding in the enhancement of Salem Academy and College’s athletic fields and facilities.

6. Laura Sides Watson (Salem Academy, ’94 and Salem College, ’99) An accomplished student athlete at both the Academy and College, Watson was a three-year letter-winner in field hockey and soccer at Salem Academy where she also served as basketball team manager from 1992–1994 and as president of the Athletic Council. She then played field hockey for Bucknell University but transferred to Salem College for her sophomore year where she played three years of field hockey and soccer while also coaching JV and varsity field hockey at Salem Academy. Watson has served on the Salem Academy Alumnae Board and the Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees.

January 3-9, 2019

More SROs in schools? Not so much.

By Sayaka Matsuoka

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Up Front

During the Dec. 18 Greensboro City Council meeting, a resolution was passed that made it seem like there would be a significant increase of SROs in Guilford County Schools. The resolution updated a contract between the Greensboro Police Department and Guilford County Schools that states that the “city shall provide 17 sworn officers to be assigned to specific middle/high schools by the chief of police” and also states that “Guilford County Schools will pay the City up to $1.1 million per the annual costs statement provided by the city for sworn officers to serve as SROs for the 2018-19 school year.”

During the meeting, members of the public spoke out against the perceived increase of SROs in schools and Mayor Nancy Vaughan responded in favor of the contract saying, “I find it ironic that we are having a discussion about SROs in schools when we just had really, an amazing story at Smith High School which is basically a school filled with black and brown children. We had a school resource officer who was an absolute hero who saved countless lives.

“I’m ready to vote for this item. SROs do good things in schools and they are needed, and I stand by our police department.”

In reality, the passed contract is actually just an update of an old contract that didn’t include 7 Greensboro middle schools that have SROs in them. According to Ron Glenn, the GPD’s public information officer, both the public and the city council that voted on the item have it wrong. The amendment doesn’t add more SROs to schools, it’s just an update to the contract to reflect the number of SROs that are currently in schools.

Still, the debates come in the wake of increased concern over school safety after the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, in which 17 students were killed by a mass shooter.

Currently, there is at least one SRO in each of Guilford County’s high schools and middle schools, according to Glenn. They are employed by the Greensboro Police Department, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office and the High Point Police Department.

Whether or not there will be more in the future, is a debate for another day.

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January 3-9, 2019

NEWS

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A bluesman passes: Logie Meachum, 1952-2018

by Jordan Green

Logie Meachum, an authentic Greensboro blues singer, storyteller and educator, transcended category.

Lorenzo “Logie” Meachum, a Greensboro blues singer, storyteller, writer, teacher and activist, passed away from complications of prostate cancer on Dec. 29 at the age of 66.

A Marine and former professional firefighter, Meachum synthesized creative inspiration from gospel and poetry — Mahalia Jackson and Paul Laurence Dunbar were two of his favorites — and the teachings of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Meachum’s devotion to music, learning and friendships allowed him to cultivate an authentic presence that was equally at home in a barroom blues jam or an interfaith religious service. As a Greensboro native who grew up during the time of segregation, Meachum infused his music and storytelling with a spirituality and a knowledge of local history in a way that commanded moral authority.

Meachum last performed at the Double Oaks bed-and-breakfast in Greensboro for a fundraiser to aid his battle against cancer on Dec. 18.

Meachum, who was billed as a “special guest” for the concert with the group House of Dues, promised in a Facebook post promoting the event that he would share his treatment plan, “Cancer in the Key of G.” In his inimitable style, he described it as “a healthy diet of God, Grandma’Allies ‘Gauge,’ (what she called marijuana in her day), groceries, green gravy and grace.” Trudy Owens, his companion for the past five years, said Meachum died unexpectedly, likely as a result of a blood clot.

Among Meachum’s many talents, Owens said “he was a very good cook.” She added, “He loved to feed people.”

Meachum left behind a children’s book, Great Googley Moogley, published in 2016; a full-length CD, Bump & Logie After Hours, with musical partner Bubba Klinefelter, among other artifacts of a long and varied career. He performed with Klinefelter at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC and won Greensboro’s O. Henry Lifetime Award.

Among numerous other collaborations, Meachum performed on “Vote Against Amendment One,” an all-star affair organized by Greensboro singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett to oppose the 2012

marriage amendment in North Carolina.

Logie Meachum was to married Tomi S. Meachum from 1996 to 2014.

The marriage ended in divorce, but the union produced two sons, Ishmael, 19, and Isa, 17. Logie expressed pride and satisfaction in a recent Facebook post about seeing Isa perform in a production of It’s a Wonderful Life in Fayetteville. He called his sons “blessings” and reposted a video of them performing a poem called “Black Boy Joy” from 2017.

Meachum is also survived by his mother, Theresa Meachum; two brothers, Larry Meachum and Ralph Meachum; and a stepson, Ryan Cochran.

In “Sweet Magnolia,” an essay he wrote for the 2015 book 27 Views of Greensboro, Meachum wrote about growing up in Woodyside, a rural, all-black neighborhood near Guilford College on the west side of Greensboro. Since the schools were segregated, Lorenzo and Larry were not allowed to attend the white elementary, middle and high schools located within two miles.

Meachum recounted that their father drove the two boys several miles to Muirs Chapel Road so they could catch the 10 Walker Avenue to the Morris and Neese Furniture Company on Greene Street in downtown Greensboro, where they would transfer to No. 5 Gorrell Street bus and ride to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal School, an all-black Catholic school on the east side.

The essay vividly captures black Greensboro in the Kennedy era. Meachum wrote about the swirl of activity at the Greene Street transfer, writing about “young black men with brick mason’s bags, kids going to school and lots of swollen-ankled, older black women” who gathered, “waiting to catch a bus to the white side of town to take care of families before returning home to their own latchkey kids on the five o’clock bus,” along with “the A&T students marching and sit-ins going on at Woolworth’s.”

Further east, he recalled that “we could run amok on the A&T campus, smell hair frying, hear the sound of gospel music from WEAL, and feel the heartbeat of a community on the move.”

In the same essay, Meachum described being fascinated with the R&B stars that stayed at the Magnolia Hotel — acts like Sister Rosetta Tharpe, James Brown, Little Richard and Ike & Tina Turner, along with locals Charlie & Inez Foxx

Lorenzo “Logie” Meachum was a blues scholar, griot, activist, artist, actor and soul of a community.

— and spending hours in the library at Bennett College so that he could memorize the poetry of Paul Laurence Dunbar. He took pride in being able to recite Dunbar’s poetry alongside his grandmother, aunts and uncles during

BOB POWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

family gatherings.

In a recent Facebook post, Meachum recalled watching the 1968 funeral of Martin Luther King Jr. with his father, and seeing his father cry.

“It moved me greatly,” Meachum

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tion on Facebook, writing, “God’s awful busy, Molly. Call me.”

McGinn said she fully intended to pay Meachum his standard rate for studio work, but he wouldn’t hear of it. In payment, he instead requested a Budweiser tallboy, a box of Saltines, a can of sardines and a bottle of hot sauce. McGinn recalled that the recording process, with noted guitar player Phil Cook sitting in on keyboards, was fairly seamless. After McGinn explained the concept of the song “Rocking Cane” to Meachum, she recalled that he said, “I know what we need to do. We need to sing the sinner up to the altar. We’ll recreate that.”

Meachum’s own struggles gave him credibility to provide spiritual and creative aid to others.

“What always impressed me is this authentic joy,” McGinn said. “He was always honest about what he was struggling with. There was this hopeful energy. You never thought you were getting anything candy-coated. I felt like I was getting the light side and the dark side. There was complexity.”

Reflecting on the Dec. 18 benefit concert to raise money for his fight against cancer, Meachum said he related to the character of George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life.

“I too had to respond to a tragedy caused by lies and theft,” he wrote. “I too was ready to give up. I have, on many occasions, felt that the best thing for my family would be my eternal absence from life. And then, just when all seemed impossible, the people of my village came through, one by one, and gave me new life and renewed hope.

“Last night, at Double Oaks,” he continued, “I looked around the room at family and friends who came, and like George Bailey, in my moment of greatest need and challenge, so many of you have been an answer to prayers. God sent me ‘A City of Angels.’ I started singing the song ‘Members Only’ and I was so filled with emotion, I almost didn’t make it. In fact, now, in my morning solitude, the tears flow in appreciation and thanks to so many of you who reminded me that in my life, I tried to do as I promised Martin Luther King the day he was buried.”

Trudy Owens, his companion, said Meachum will be cremated. The family is still working on arrangements for a memorial service.

January 3-9, 2019

response.”

In addition to performing for youngsters in the “Blues in the Schools” program, Meachum taught an AfricanAmerican studies class at UNCG, according to Casey Hazelman, a past president of the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society. And he taught English literature at Winston-Salem State University, Klinefelter said. Meachum’s presence immediately transfixed a room, whatever the gig, his friends said.

“In ‘Blues in the Schools,’ it was remarkable to watch him,” Hazelman said.

“If you can sing old music and keep a bunch of 8-year-olds spellbound, you’re impressive. I keep hearing the same term over and over, whether it’s kids or adults.

You’d hear the term ‘eating out of his hand.’ He not only entertained you, he grabbed you and pulled you in. He was the consummate entertainer.”

As an ambassador of the arts in Greensboro, Meachum played a key role in recruiting the National Folk Festival for its three-year run in the city from 2015 to 2017, said Tom Philion, the former CEO of ArtsGreensboro. Philion said Meachum serenaded selection committee members with a tear-inducing, a capella rendition of the spiritual “Deep River,” which tells the story of how slaves found their way to freedom through the Underground Railroad.

Among Meachum’s many friends was the poet Maya Angelou, who lived in Winston-Salem until her death in 2014. Hazelman said Meachum would jokingly complain that he could never win an argument with Angelou. Meachum claimed that the only time he won was when he brought Angelou a bottle of Courvoisier, her favorite cognac; he said he waited until they were halfway through the bottle to start making his case.

Lamar Gibson, a nonprofit fundraiser who now lives in Charlotte, recalled a time when Meachum visited him at his apartment on Cedar Street in Greensboro. The two played cards, and drank Hennessy and Grand Marnier. When Meachum mentioned that he and Angelou argued over their tastes in cognac, Gibson recalled that he fetched a couple beers he acquired from Angelou’s estate sale, and they toasted her memory.

Friends and fellow musicians said Meachum’s generosity took form in spirit and material fact.

Singer-songwriter Molly McGinn recalled that she wanted a gospel choir to perform on a song for her 2014 collection Postcards from the Swamp. Meachum responded to McGinn’s public solicita-

TRUTH IS POWER

wrote. “I promised that day, that my life’s journey would follow King’s sentiment and intent. If I can help somebody, ‘Then, my living shall not be in vain.’”

Bubba Klinefelter said that in addition working as professional firefighter, Meachum also worked as a street-painter and lighting-rigger, farmed and raised horses at various points in his life. When the two musicians met in the mid-1980s, they were both playing the nightclub circuit in Greensboro, and would occasionally get the opportunity to share stages or meet up at local blues jams.

In 1998, Meachum invited Klinefelter to play harmonica with him for the musical component in a theatrical production at NC A&T University about the four students who initiated the 1960 Woolworth’s sit-in. The play was nominated for top honors in national collegiate theater, and the two performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. The duo, who billed themselves as Bump & Logie, continued to perform for the next two decades, including an extended run to perform for school children in Homer, Alaska. Trudy Owens, Meachum’s companion, said he learned to smoke salmon during his stay.

In 2007, Bump & Logie won the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society’s competition, securing a spot in the International Blues Challenge in Memphis. Klinefelter said Meachum’s death cut short plans to book future dates for Bump & Logie in the new year.

While performing in traditional blues venues, Meachum also became a fixture in interfaith services and other community events in Greensboro where faith, music and social justice activism intersected.

The Rev. Julie Peeples, the pastor at Congregational United Church of Christ, said she first met Meachum in 2003, when he performed in an interfaith service to oppose the US invasion of Iraq. As recently as 2017, Meachum also participated in a benefit concert for two undocumented women taking sanctuary at Peeples’ church and another Greensboro church.

“There was no pretense; you knew you were hearing something very authentic,” Peeples said. “And while he may not have explicitly talked about faith or religious issues, what always came through was his faith in humanity, his belief that in spite of the worst we can do to each other we still have the opportunity to rise above. He wove in history, and when he would sing and tell stores, there was a humility so that it caused other people to drop their guard and be real in

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January 3-9, 2019 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

10

OPINION

EDITORIAL

New year, new tax decrease What’s not to like about a tax decrease? Surely we

can find something.

Beginning this week, North Carolina taxpayers and corporations will have a few more microlayers shaved off their tax bills, as a plan enacted in 2013 — the early days of GOP reign in Raleigh — comes to full fruition.

The personal income tax rate drops from 5.499 percent to 5.25, while corporate tax rates decline a full half-point to 2.5 percent.

The changes benefit corporations, for which half a point can constitute millions, over individuals, most of whom will see perhaps a three-figure bump in their paychecks over the course of the year. For example, a household at the Census-defined median income of $50,320 will save about $125 in 2019.

There’s a component for low-income households as well, raising the threshold before which taxes kick in by 12.5 percent — to $20,000 per year for married couples and $10,000 per year for individuals, which is not This is what insignificant in a state Republicans are supwhere 14.7 percent of its 10.38 million people posed to do: Shrink government and ballive in official poverty.

That’s 1.5 million ance budgets. people, if you’re not doing the math at home, though architects of the bill said it could affect as many as a third of all returns filed in the state.

We’ve been slashing taxes in this state like fieldhands in the sugarcane since the GOP took over in 2010, even going so far as to place a 7 percent cap into the state constitution in November — and the GOP math has delivered budget surpluses over the last three years.

This latest round of cuts has reduced the state budget by $3.5 billion a year since 2013. We’ve seen cuts to education, particularly in the UNC System, as well as in environmental protections, emergency services, social services and healthcare, film incentives and other essential government functions.

But this is what Republicans are supposed to do: Shrink government and balance budgets.

The news comes at a time when state Republicans have for years been preoccupied with social issues, power grabs and political schemes that flirt with the lines of legality. So in its way, it’s refreshing to see a bedrock tenet of traditional Republicanism made apparent by this General Assembly.

But then, we didn’t elect them, did we? They locked in their power after 2010 through extreme, electionproof gerrymandering. In that sense, nothing they do holds legitimacy. A measly $125 seems like a short payoff.

CITIZEN GREEN

Winston-Salem reaps the Confederate whirlwind

The convulsion of rage and to the Journal. acrimony in Chapel Hill can seem It’s possible that the transfer of the Confederate monulike a world away even if it’s only 65 ment from its downtown perch to the Salem Cemetery will minutes down Interstate 40. proceed in an orderly fashion, with grudging cooperation The word “war” is not accurate, from all parties. But based on past history in Chapel Hill and it’s important to not blow and Charlottesville, that doesn’t seem likely. matters out of proportion; the No sooner had news broke of the vandalism of the Conskirmishes between antifascists federate monument in Winston-Salem than an “Heirs to

by Jordan Green and the far-right, and the seemthe Confederacy Monument Support Rally” event schedingly intractable conflict over race, culture and power in uled for Jan. 13 cropped up on Facebook. The hosts of the the United States, might be termed a “shadow civil war.” event — Nancy Rushton, Lance Spivey and Howard Snow But the concept of war is helpful to understanding how — previously organized a similar “Heirs to the Confederacy people live in denial of the forces tearing at the fabric of Prayer Service” at the base of Silent Sam on Dec. 16. The society and how they imagine that they are insulated from Jan. 13 event is billed as a multi-location affair in which the turmoil erupting nearby. Clashes break out in Haffa, and neo-Confederates will rally at Silent Sam in Chapel Hill the people of Damascus continue with their shopping as if from 9 a.m. to noon, and then ride together to Winstonlife remains normal. Then one day, all of a sudden, people Salem and rally at the Old Forsyth Courthouse from 2 to 5 in the residential neighborhoods of Damascus find themp.m. selves living cowering under heavy shelling.

The most visible and vocal guest at the Dec. 16 “Heirs So it is with the battle over Confederate monuments to the Confederacy” event was a notorious militia activist in North Carolina and across the US from Georgia named James Stachowiak, who South. is best known for harassing the Stacey Abrams The Jan. 13 event is billed It seemed that the tense standoff campaign and posting a video in which he as a multi-location affair in between antiracist students and neowhich the neo-Confederates advocated shooting women and children in the Confederate activists, the clashes with will rally at Silent Sam in back. During the Chapel Hill event, Stachowiak police and aggressive use of bicycles as Chapel Hill from 9 a.m. to set up an Facebook Live video with a neo-Conweapons, tear gas and smoke bombs federate from Tennessee named Mark Davis. noon, and then ride together to Winston-Salem and rally at While the camera in Chapel Hill was trained was a UNC-Chapel Hill issue, and the the Old Forsyth Courthouse rest of the state could smugly watch on anti-racist counter-protesters, Davis could from 2 to 5 p.m. from the sidelines. be seen in an inset leveling a high-powered But Winston-Salem has a Confedrifle ostensibly at the counter-protesters and erate statue, too. And while it may not be located at the addresses Stachowiak: “Tell ’em. This is what their facing. gateway of the state’s flagship university, it is in the heart of They wanted war. You better not mess with us. You better downtown. And it’s in front of an old courthouse, albeit one not mess with the Confederacy.” that was sold to a private developer and repurposed for Stachowiak, who has indicated he plans to attend the high-end apartments.

Jan. 13 rally in Chapel Hill and Winston-Salem, posted a Then, on Christmas Day, locals discovered that someone video after the Dec. 16 rally in response to a member of had taken a Sharpie and scrawled at the base of statue: his entourage finding his tires slashed: “If someone is a “Cowards & Traitors.” member of antifa, people, it is time to be it lone wolf and And on New Year’s Day — notably the first day of a retaliate against this attack. Retaliate as a lone wolf.” new year that marks the 400th anniversary of the arrival of While the Heirs to the Confederacy publicly disassociAfricans in North America — Mayor Allen Joines anated themselves with Stachowiak on Dec. 31, citing “unruly, nounced during a Kwanzaa celebration that he’s working on ungentlemanly behavior” (He responded in kind with a a plan to remove the Confederate monument. Specifically, YouTube video entitled “Nancy Rushton is a Back Stabbing City Attorney Angela Carmon issued a letter on Dec. 31 B****”), but the falling-out shows the kind of unstable and directing the United Daughters of the Confederacy, who volatile individuals who are attracted to the cause. erected the statue in 1905, to remove it by Jan. 31, or face Similarly, antiracist activists in Chapel Hill have been legal action from the city. The rationale for the directive experiencing online harassment for months from a white boils down the recognition that the monument has become supremacist figure known as “Jack Corbin,” who communia magnet for confrontation, and the city lacks the resources cated with Robert Bowers on social media before Bowers to provide constant police security checks and mitigate acts allegedly murdered 11 Jewish worshipers at the Tree of Life of vandalism. synagogue in Pittsburgh in October 2018. Corbin, whose Some members of city council aren’t putting up any actual name is Daniel McMahon, according to a report in pretense that the statue is an innocuous relic of distant Right Wing Watch, also praised Bowers after the deed. history as opposed to a symbol of bloody conflict, white McMahon has indicated on Twitter that he’s aware of the supremacy and racial oppression.

Winston-Salem controversy.

“We’re trying to be nice, but in the heat of the night These people are a ticking time bomb. When they say people might come through like ninja warriors and take that they intend to hurt people, we should believe them. It’s not statue down,” Councilwoman DD Adams said, according a matter of if, but when.

Sayaka Matsuoka

I

Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

t’s 4:30 on a Saturday afternoon and Bogie sits on the floor, staring quietly out the glass door.

If someone walked in without paying much attention, Bogie might get stepped on. Even so, the spot right inside the Thirsty Pallet, a new bar in downtown Winston-Salem, has been his go-to as of late. His owners, Alan Fordham and Jeffrey Hurley, sit a few feet from him at the bar, holding his brother, Leo, another French bulldog, in their lap.

Fordham drinks a whiskey with Diet Coke while his husband drinks something bubbly.

“We used to come to the old location because we live downtown,” Fordham says. “We come once a week.”

While the small downtown bar hasn’t been open for long, it’s already developing a loyal customer base. The spot, which is located at 249 W. Fourth Street in the middle of downtown, has been a bar since most locals can remember. Before Thirsty Pallet opened in early October, it was the Bar on 4th Street and before that Downtown Brody’s Bar. Many of Thirsty Pallet’s patrons used to frequent the location when it was something else. For Fordham and Hurley however, this is the best one yet.

“We didn’t know what it was gonna be, but it’s better,” Fordham says.

“We like to bring the dogs,” added Hurley. “It’s more of a neighborhood feel. It’s smaller and you get to know people.”

The shotgun-style space has General manager Mindy Smith talks to regulars Alan Fordham and Jeffrey Hurley with their dog Leo at the Thirsty Pallet. SAYAKA MATSUOKA a long wood bar that runs along one side of the shop, with a few round, high-top tables flankfeel. For him and Beth, opening up Thirsty Pallet was somethe bar’s menu. ing an opposite wall that’s lined with thing that they had been hoping to do for years. Both have “The owners are very involved and supportive,” Smith says. mirrors. The walls, which look freshly worked in the service industry and Eric helped open Wise Man “That doesn’t happen a lot in bars.” painted, are gray and bare. In the back, Brewing. He also worked as a beer sales rep for a while. Thirsty She runs down the list of the bar’s popular drinks; many of there’s a lounge area with a few couches Pallet brings his passion for beer and them come from the seasonal menu she’s and more mirrors. Cool white Christmas customer service together. He’s even crafted. Smith says it’s the first time she’s lights line the ceiling, giving the space a implemented programs like tastings been given creative liberty to make drink ofhanging-in-your-friend’s-basement vibe.

The Thirsty Pallet is located for beer and whiskey to help Thirsty ferings from scratch.

The whole place is simple and borders Pallet stand out in the crowded “It’s like my own form of artwork,” she on being a little too plain. But once you at 249 W. Fourth Street in downtown market. says. get talking to the customers and the Winston-Salem.

“People genuinely care about what And as Smith chats with the regulars who staff, the atmosphere begins to warm. they’re putting in their bodies,” Eric cradle their dog, the scene starts to feel more “We’re still finding our niche,” says says. “We want to offer a plethora of like a reunion of old friends rather than a Eric Zyglis, who owns the bar with his different things.” casual stop at just another bar; it’s easy and wife, Beth. “We want to offer great The bar also hosts events like live music and karaoke in the homey. service and good prices.” lounge area.

“You’re not reinventing the wheel when you open a bar,” Eric Wearing a Buffalo Bills hat and a Behind the bar, general manager Mindy Smith chats with says. “We’re just trying to create an inviting environment.” quarter-zip hoodie, Eric has a friendly customers as she pours their brews. She’s also a seasoned air about him, a down-to-earth kind of service industry survivor and has taken the lead on much of

January 3-9, 2019

CULTURE A rare, old-school barroom in downtown Winston-Salem

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January 3-9, 2019 Up Front News Opinion

by Lauren Barber

A

plum-colored octopus makes doughnuts in the kitchen, two tentacles whisking the contents of a bowl, another grasping vanilla extract. She cradles butter, an egg and three fresh doughnuts in her free tentacles. According to artist Jane Oliver, the image resonates with mothers who never seem to have enough hands.

Revolution Mill’s Central Gallery is showing a selection of Oliver’s latest works through Jan. 20. She earned her MFA in painting and printmaking from UNCG in 2002 where she taught drawing and art history courses for several years. From 2014 to 2016, she taught art history and introductory design at High Point University.

“One of the things you learn in school is the importance of keeping a sketchbook,” Oliver says. “A lot of students don’t like the idea when you turn it into a homework sort of thing but when it’s your own initiative, when you decide it’s important to keep continuing your exploration of different mediums, different things to draw, drawing from life, drawing from imagination, whatever, it’s for you and no one else. When I made a promise to myself last November [to draw every day], I thought: Well, how am I going to keep it?”

She decided to take her accountability project public on Instagram and named the account “A Daily Cute.” In the Central Gallery, her imaginings of the harried octopus hang as singles on the naturally lit walls, but a majority of her cute-themed illustrations nest in

tidy three-by-three arrangements, as though copy-and-pasted politically-radical 19th Century English writer best known for from the Instagram page. Dressed up dogs hang in contrast to her Gothic novel Frankenstein; her marriage to Romantic poet a motley of nude birds: a rotund owlet here, a Galápagos blueand philosopher Percy Shelley made horror a staple of home footed booby there, all with dilated pupils, absorbing what life. Shelley is the subject of one of Oliver’s double-sided mylar light they can. works during her October-long break from the project’s cuteAs a mother of two sons who returned to college in her ness theme during “Drawlloween,” an Instagram artist chalearly forties, Oliver is sensitive to the demands traditionally lenge that offers a prompt list of all things spooky. placed on women’s shoulders as mothers and homemakers, “Her story is so tragic,” Oliver says of Shelley. “She died whether or not they participate in the formal economy. young, her children died very young. She outlived Percy Shelley “I drew inspiration from having been there and done that,” who was basically a beast — a wonderful poet, but as a human Oliver says. “A mom always needs four hands. You’re usually not so much. She was alone for much of her life, so I thought holding the infant with two hands and you can’t do anything of making her a ghost in a house waiting for her children to else. So, I called the series When Your Octopus Helps Around come back. That was successful in getting across her loneliThe House. There’re your extra hands — why not go for eight? ness and her sort of spectral nature… after fame earlier in life.”

It was fun to think of various Lips settled together, Shelley’s ways to put the cat in there as powder blue-face gazes outward her little helper, too.” from an ambiguous amberLearn more at janetoliverstudio.com and Oliver points out, though, that brown background, an effect “cats rule the internet.” So when produced from introducing alco@adailycute on Instagram. she began her series focused on hol to the mylar side not covered cats, the art-history buff decided in marker or paint. The wraith’s to strive beyond simple, endearbrown eyes are swollen with loss. ing portraits of friends’ and relatives’ feline companions.

“Even though I know the importance of this [daily practice] “I thought, What if I combined cats, hats and the history of for my development [as an artist] and for my accountability those hats?” she says. “That was a research-heavy project, but to myself, it took a while to get into the habit again,” she says. it was a lot of fun.”

“There were days I was overwhelmed with chores… so then A bergère hat lined with blossoms rests atop a chartreuseI shifted my priorities and started drawing first thing in the eyed American short hair named Hazelnut; an Abyssian morning. You’re most creative in the morning; no matter what — thought to be an ancient breed hailing from North Africa you’re doing, your brain is wired to do something interesting.” or India’s coastal regions — wears an Egyptian headdress; Oliver says her favorite medium is graphite but that this a Scottish wildcat, or Highlands tiger, dons an orange and year-long project forced her to experiment more, especially green striped tam-o-shanter cap, a compelling juxtaposition with watercolor, ink and colored pencil. She says drawing in between a cultural symbol of the people whose marks on the her morning sun-filled home studio became “a kind of meditaland — particularly their introduction of domestic cats to the tion.” little tiger’s territory — continue to endanger the dwindling “The meditation aspect of doing it for me became really breed. important,” she says. “It calmed me down, it gave me space Oliver didn’t disregard the big cats, though; a snow leopard in my own head and time inside my studio that was just mine. sports a tasseled sherpa, the mountain lion, a tiny cowboy hat I used to meditate but then this took the place of it and it between its ears. works a lot better.”

Less darling is the artist’s rendering of Mary Shelley, a

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Culture

CULTURE Artist’s daily diary of cuteness comes to Revolution Mill

12

“Cougar Wearing a Cowboy Hat”

JANET OLIVER

“Entertain the Children”

JANET OLIVER

“Hazel”

JANET OLIVER

January 3-9, 2019

CULTURE Streetwear, refurbed at Studio 503

By Savi Ettinger

A

Up Front News Opinion Culture

Designers Anwar Alston and Lizzie Barnhardt joined forces and styles for a runway show at Studio 503 in Greensboro.

CATALYST PHOTOGRAPHY

Puzzles

mechanic jumpsuit to sculpt them into modern trends.

While Barnhardt and Alston took varied steps towards “We’re putting our own twist on it,” she said. the creative process, they both noted that fashion acts as an Barnhardt employed a combination of casual streetwear everyday antidepressant. Alston set out to channel specific with bold prints and patches, with inspiration from vintage emotions into his work by recalling a singular feeling to comlooks like baggy pants. A pair of open-back overalls mainpile collections. Barnhardt credited her sewing machine or just tained a relaxed appearance with red and yellow popping looking through fabric as an instant mood-lifter. against dark hues in a plaid “I have a huge scrap bin pattern. A series of black lines and I’ll just go through it,” formed faces down both legs Barnhardt grinned.

For more information, find Barnhardt and of white, high-waisted pants.

Barnhardt admitted Alston on Instagram as @the_striped_lemon Items from both lines organizing a fashion show and @strivearrive. created seamless outfits, as proved more complex than the designers built off of one anticipated, like juggling beanother’s tastes. A gun holster ing a designer with being an designed by Alston matched event-planner. However, the a striped shirt from Barnhardt. The neutral tones on a pair of maker seemed determined for more. pants from the Striped Lemon balanced with yellow on a col“I definitely want to keep having more shows,” Barnhardt lared shirt from [strive/arrive]. said, “and build my brand from here.”

Shot in the Triad

ll my clothes have backstories.”

Anwar Alston said before a runway show at Studio 503 in Greensboro.

The 22-year-old designer behind [strive/arrive] put his recent line on display in a Winter Collaboration Showcase with Lizzie Barnhardt of the Striped Lemon this on Dec. 29. Both of the designers specialize in refurbishment to play up the transformative elements of casual and high fashion streetwear.

They combined their personal aesthetics and names for the evening as [strive/ LEMON].

The walls of Studio 503 matched the fashion line, as a patchwork of paneling and brick peeked out from behind tan paint. The industrial room sported exposed piping and wooden slats, and the floor filled with rows of chairs, with two strings of lights parting a pathway down the center. The lights dimmed, and an exhibit of streetwear commenced.

The showcase served as Alston’s third show just as his label [strive/arrive] hit its first anniversary. However, he first discovered a zeal for fashion at age 16.

Wanting to keep up with trends, he made his own short-sleeved hoodies instead of buying them. The pastime morphed into T-shirts and then into a fully-fledged brand.

Alston drew from past events to weave specific feelings and ideas into his designs, with each piece holding a bit of personal history for the 22-year-old. He used the word “uniform,” to tie together a selection of slightly different works, exploring the ideas behind the Standard Mode of Dress, or SMOD, fashion that influenced his years in school.

Alston’s approach subverted expectations. Colors covered blocks of a half-tucked shirt. Frayed edges and bright stitches of thread broke up blue denim. Alston took a flannel and flipped it around, so when the model tied it around his waist, it gave off the same vibe as a skirt.

“I love being confused,” Alston said.

“It just makes stuff so much better.”

The show was 19-year-old Lizzie Barnhardt’s debut in the Triad design scene. Barnhardt’s interest in refurbishment stemmed from an enjoyment of Goodwill and thrift shopping. The hobby drove Barnhardt’s curiosity for altering articles of clothing for three years until she founded her brand, the Striped Lemon, in the summer.

The designer confronted the nature of the articles she found head-on, often finding herself dumping out large plastic bags of old or unwanted items. She rifled through her picks, examining the details of each shirt, pair of pants or

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January 3-9, 2019

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‘Not the Best of 2018’ — We’ve saved the very worst for last

by Matt Jones

60 Great honor 61 Laze, with “out” 62 Nine, in some “Sesame Street” episodes

News Opinion

©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

SUDOKU Culture

Answers from last issue

Shot in the Triad

©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords

(editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Puzzles

Down 1 Apprehend 2 “Been Lying” singer Rita 3 Civil War soldier, for short 4 Day or night 5 Some Morse code symbols 6 Links hazards 7 “Perry Mason” star Raymond 8 Apollo astronaut Slayton 9 Convertible furniture for sleeping 10 Chris of “The Lego Movie 2” 11 On the subject of 12 Active type 13 Funny duo?

18 “On ___ Majesty’s Secret Service” 21 Leave the airport 22 Origami step 23 A bunch 24 Cellphone forerunners 27 Excavate 28 Greg who missed the entire 2007-08 season after his #1 NBA draft pick 29 Commotion 30 “I totally agree” 31 Dating from time immemorial 33 Pedicurist’s stone 34 Cartoon crimefighter ___ Ant 37 Progressive online news site since 2004 41 “Walden” author 44 Lopsided 45 Early anesthetic 46 Item on a dog collar 47 Day-___ (fluorescent) 48 Deity worshiped by Canaanites 49 ___ Cooler (“Ghostbusters”-themed Hi-C flavor) 50 1054, in Roman numerals 51 “Must’ve been something ___” 52 December drink 54 Ph.D. hopeful’s exam 55 Off-road ride, briefly 56 “___-Ra and the Princesses of Power”

Up Front

Across 1 Santa-tracking defense gp.

6 Not yet decided, briefly 9 Club counterpart 14 NBA venue 15 Regret 16 “Citizen Kane” director Welles 17 Extremely annoying kids’ song (“doo doo doo doo doo doo”) which also featured in themed clothing like a pajama set or graphic T 19 Greek goddess trio, with “the” 20 Action sequel called the worst movie of 2018 by multiple critics (with hastily-edited ads ending in “Rated R”) 22 They use toner 25 Abbr. for some low-income shoppers 26 Goes outside of coverage 27 Grass or weed 29 Network bringing back “Temptation Island” in January 2019 32 One of 30 on a dodecahedron 33 Words in an infomercial disclaimer 35 Collectible disk for ‘90s kids 36 Stout relative 37 College football team ranked 121st out of 129 by CBS Sports (between New Mexico and Kent State U.) 38 AAA map abbr.

39 To be, in Toledo 40 Receipt figure 41 “The Shape of Water” director Guillermo del ___ 42 Curve in a figure eight 43 Chicken, pejoratively 44 Moving day rental 45 Corney key 46 Paid no heed to 48 Entertainer criticized for a racially insensitive tweet in October--not a good look for the Divine Miss M 52 Chip in a Mexican dish named for its inventor 53 Canceled Fox sitcom with a first episode aptly titled “Pilot” (that’s Pilot with a capital “P”) 57 Western film, slangily 58 “Let’s call ___ day” 59 You are here

January 3-9, 2019

CROSSWORD

Answers from previous publication.

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