North State Journal - Vol 1 Issue 6 by North State Journal

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 6

WWW.NSJONLINE.COM

SUNDAY, APRIL 3, 2016

HOUSE BILL 2

PHOTOS BY MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Opponents of House Bill 2 protest in front of the Executive Mansion in Raleigh on March 24. One week later, supporters of H.B. 2 hold a prayer vigil at the same spot.

the Sunday NEWS BRIEFING Va. bathroom case may determine N.C. outcome Richmond The fate of N.C.’s new law requiring individuals to use the restroom on their birth certificate may actually rest in a Virginia courtroom. The 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to rule any day on the case of 16-year-old Gavin Grimm, who is appealing his loss against the Gloucester County School board. A lower court said the board could require that Grimm, who is anatomically female but lives as a male, to use restrooms designated for females. Grimm sued, claiming that the requirement violates the “access to accommodations” part of federal Title IX education funding. If the appellate court affirms the lower court’s ruling, it sets a precedent for the North Carolina case.

ACLU suit NORTH seeks to set precedent JOURNaL

STATE ELEVATE THE CONVERSATION

RALEIGH — A collective of LGBT rights activists filed a lawsuit Monday to challenge the constitutionality of House Bill 2, among other claims. The lawsuit – filed by Lambda Legal, the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of North Carolina, and Equality NC – claims that H.B. 2, which was signed into law by Gov. Pat McCrory on March 23, violates the equal protection, right to privacy, liberty and autonomy protections provided by the 14th Amendment, as well as the protections afforded by Title IX of federal education law. McCrory, Attorney General Roy Cooper, the University of North Carolina, the Board of Governors of the University of North Carolina and W. Louis Bissette Jr., the chairman of the latter, are named defendants in the lawsuit. The suit was filed on behalf of plaintiffs Joaquin Carcano, a UNC Chapel Hill employee and transgender male; Payton McGarry, a fulltime student at UNC Greensboro and transgender male; and Angela Gilmore, a law professor at North Carolina Central University and a lesbian. H.B. 2, officially the Public Facilities Privacy and

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Mayors try to pressure N.C. with travel bans Washington, D.C. The mayor of Washington, D.C., Democrat Muriel Bowser, officially banned official district employee travel to N.C. as a protest of the state’s Facilities Privacy Act. The mayor of San Francisco and governors of New York and Vermont did the same earlier in the week.

Burr, Feinstein sponsor encryption access bill Washington, D.C. Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) filed a bill that would give federal judges authority to order technology companies to help law enforcement officials access encrypted data, following a high stakes conflict between the FBI and Apple over a court order that Apple provide access to an iPhone used by one of the assailants in a deadly shooting. The government said on Monday it unlocked the phone and dropped its legal action.

INSIDE

Roy Williams’ relationships transcend time Sports Azalea Festival preview the good life

20177 52016 $2.00

By Josh Hyatt North State Journal

states do not include gender identification in their public accommodations law

states do not include sexual orientation in public accommodations law

See LAWSUIT, page A8

KEVIN MARTIN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that he would not defend the state in the lawsuit over House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act.

Lawmakers call for Cooper’s resignation By Donna King North State Journal RALEIGH — The heat is on N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper as leadership from both chambers of the N.C. General Assembly call for his resignation. This is after his announcement Tuesday that he would not defend the state in the lawsuit over House Bill 2, the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act. “Not only is this new law a national embarrassment, it will set North Carolina’s economy back if we don’t’ repeal it,” Cooper said in his press conference Tuesday. “We know that businesses here and all over the country have taken a strong stance in opposition to this law.” The suit was filed Monday against Governor Pat McCrory, Cooper and the UNC Board of Governors by civil rights groups on behalf of a lesbian law professor at UNC and two transgender persons, one of who is a student at UNC Greensboro. The American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina and Equality NC say the law violates the rules of equal protection under Title IX federal funding for education. “Roy Cooper’s refusal to defend the law makes clear he wants the ACLU to win by default in federal court what they can’t win at the ballot box,” said Senate leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham). “His zeal for pandering for the extreme left’s money and agenda in his race for governor is making it impossible for him to fulfill his duties as attorney general – and he should resign immediately.” Cooper, who is paid $126,000 in annual salary, was already under the microscope facing accusations that he alone could have headed off the special legislative session by stepping in as chief legal counsel for the state after the Charlotte City Council passed See RESIGNATION, page A8

“Not only is this new law a national embarrassment, it will set North Carolina’s economy back if we don’t’ repeal it.” — Attorney General Roy Cooper

Joaquin Carcano hugs Simone Bell, right, of Lambda Legal, next to Chris Brook of the ACLU and Angela Gilmore after a press conference on Monday.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Impact of corporate threats against N.C. questioned By Cory Lavalette North State Journal HOUSTON — The passing of North Carolina House Bill 2, which overturned a Charlotte city ordinance that permitted people to use a public facility bathroom based on their gender identity, has led to concerns that the state’s economy could be impacted by companies and organizations that view the law as discriminatory. Several corporations with significant North Carolina ties — such as IBM, Red Hat and American Airlines — have come out against the law, as have the National Basketball Association, NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes and even University of North Carolina head basketball coach Roy Wil-

liams, to name a few. The heads of 90 companies signed a letter to Gov. Pat McCrory calling for the bill to be overturned or risk losing business. But it’s unclear just how much of an impact the law will have on the state’s economics, with groups from both sides digging in to make their case. “We are extremely concerned about the state legislation in place as we continue to hear negative feedback and potential event cancellations from our customers,” Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority director of communications Laura Hill White said in a statement. “This issue is in danger of setting us back from the progress we’ve See BUSINESS, page A2

Letter from N.C. GOP’s general counsel outlines in detail the ongoing saga with Chairman Harnett. On Murphy to Manteo, page A5

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

NS J

THE BACKSTORY

datebook

UNC System President Margaret Spelling congratulates the new UNC Wilmington Chancellor Zito Satarelli during his installation ceremony on March 31.

2pm Friday, April 8

Dr. Bradley Creed installed as president of Campbell University 2 p.m. in the John W. Pope, Jr. Convocation Center

1pm and 7pm, April 5 Raleigh City Council meeting

8:30am April 4

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission - Projects Committee

WE STAND CORRECTED To report an error or a suspected error email corrections@nsjonline.com with “Correction request” in the subject line.

North State Journal ISSN: 2471-1365 Neal Robbins Publisher Donna King Managing Editor Drew Elliot Opinion Editor Will Brinson Sports Editor Jennifer Wood Features Editor Kevin Martin Photo Editor Published each Sunday by North State Media, LLC 819 W. Hargett Street, Raleigh, N.C. 27603 Inquiries: 866-458-7184 Annual Subscription Price: $250.00 Periodicals Postage Paid at Raleigh, N.C. and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to North State Journal, 819 W. Hargett St., Raleigh, N.C. 27603.

PHOTO BY UNCW

UNCW installs Sartarelli as chancellor By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

ILMINGTON - The University of North Carolina at Wilmington is celebrating its many successes this Spring. The Seahawks Basketball Team won the CAA Tournament and the new chancellor is steering the college forward as it closes in on its’ 70th birthday next year. Dr. Jose V. “Zito” Sartarelli was named the university’s sixth chancellor and ninth leader, and was inaugurated at the college on Thursday. Upon taking the helm during the summer of last year, he began a nine month process of developing a long-term strategic plan for UNC Wilmington. ”Our strategic plan outlines our vision of being recognized as a two or three school in North Carolina; developing a global mindset in everything we do; focusing on student innovation

and integrity; and attracting the best faculty, staff and students,” Sartarelli said. “We want to examine how we engage with cities, counties and the entire Southeast. We are a repository of expertise. How do we interface with the community? How do we provide entertainment, cultural resources and lifelong education?” he added. A native of Brazil, Sartarelli received a bachelor of business administration in marketing from the São Paulo School of Business Administration in Brazil. He then attended Michigan State University as a Fulbright Scholar, earning an MBA in marketing and a doctorate in business administration. During his first year as chancellor of UNCW, the Seahawks Basketball Team brought recognition and attention to the athletic program and the college itself.

“I think it played a role in terms of making it easier for us to attract good students. I got a letter from a sixth grader from Northern California this young person picked us in her classroom bracket. She wrote to me and wanted to know more about this school and wanted some paraphernalia. That’s what this type of visibility that accomplishment provides,” Sartarelli said. “In the student athletes, student comes first. We are not a farm education for athletics. Sports teache resiliency, teamwork and work ethic,” he added. Sartarelli encourages them to take advantage in all the college offers. He added, “Apply yourself and give flight to your imagination. Take advantage of the options available to you; study abroad, learn the violin, and network, network, network. What an opportunity this is.”

“In the student athletes, student comes first. Sports teaches resiliency, teamwork and work ethic.”

— Zito Sartarelli, UNCW Chancellor

Charlotte region behind in start-ups By Kimberly Johnson North State Journal HARLOTTE lags in research and development funding for C business startups in comparison to

competitive cities, according to a new study of the city’s entrepreneur community. Charlotte ranks 25th for startups out of the nation’s top 40 urban markets, rating below metropolitan benchmark averages in research funding, startup investments and activity, according to a Charlotte Regional Fund for Entrepreneurship (CRFE) study. “The impact of Innovation: Charlotte Entrepreneur Growth Report,” released last week, establishes a baseline of metrics for Charlotte’s entrepreneur community, said Paul Wetenhall, president of Ventureprise, a startup organization at Uni-

BUSINESS from page A1 made in positioning Charlotte as an attractive, inclusive destination. … On behalf of the visitor economy that represents one in nine jobs across the Charlotte region, we strongly urge that state and local leaders find a resolution that represents the best interests of our city and state.” The North Carolina Values Coalition held six statewide vigils in support of the law on Thursday, calling the backlash “corporate bullying” meant to drown out the views of many small, local businesses. Tami Fitzgerald, the group’s executive director, said 360 small businesses signed a letter supporting H.B.2 — but less than 25 percent have agreed to make their names public, with Fitzgerald saying it is due to concerns they will be targeted by activists. “These are 360 home-grown North

versity of North Carolina Charlotte. The report had some surprising findings, he said, starting with the lack of startup funding. While Charlotte is a national banking hub, it is the proximity to these large banks that is partially to blame for the gap in venture capital, Wetenhall said. “Culturally Charlotte as a business community is not comfortable with early-stage investing,” he said. According to the report, if Charlotte’s venture capital investments resembled Atlanta’s, for example, Charlotte companies would have $158 million more in annual investment. “The world of banking and early stage company investing are really very different worlds,” Wetenhall said. “The world of the start-up company is all about capital that can be both patient and take the risk of loss.” Also working against the city’s

Carolina businesses who live here, raise their families, here and create jobs here,” said Fitzgerald. “These big, out-of-state, multi-national corporations come here and bully our state over bathrooms, it makes no sense. They are standing with a convicted sex offender who pushed this ordinance through the Charlotte City Council and they are standing against the privacy of women and children.” Fitzgerald is referring to the former head of the Charlotte area LGBT, Chad Sevearance-Turner, who lobbied for the ordinance but then had to step down after is was discovered that he was convicted in 1998 in S.C. for a “committing or attempting a lewd act upon a child under 16.” The case was just one factor among many that sparked outrage among Fitzgerald’s signers. They also object to companies accepting state tax incentives and threatening to pull out

startup scene is the lack of a medical school. “This means that Charlotte does not participate in substantial life sciences research funding, which can be a significant contributor to an innovative ecosystem,” the report said. The study found that the 248 companies polled for the report had a total revenue in 2015 of $1.3 billion and employed more than 2,300 full-time workers. Research has found that each new job created by innovation-driven entrepreneurs, such as those focused on technological innovations that result in patents, has a multiplier effect of five additional jobs elsewhere in the community, Wetenhall said. Previous surveys have indicated that there is a high level of revenue and employment tied up in Charlotte’s relatively young, high-growth companies, a fact underscored by the study.

of the state over this issue. Both Red Hat, who was lured to downtown Raleigh with more than $15 million in incentives over 12 years, and American Airlines, who doesn’t pay fuel tax as an incentive, are among companies that have voiced opposition to the new law. Next season’s NBA All-Star Game is set to be played in Charlotte, and it has been used as one example of an event that could impact the state and local economy if the league decided to move the event due to the law. The NCAA has also come out against H.B.2. But in Houston, voters rejected an ordinance similar to Charlotte’s just six months ago in a Texas Superior Court-ordered city-wide referendum. Some say the law is rarely discussed and had no impact on business as the city is in the midst of hosting the NCAA’s Final Four. “There hasn’t been any discussion other than seeing it and hearing about

JOHN ASHLEY

City of Charlotte skyline.

it on the news; there hasn’t been any guests’ questions or anything like that,” Shelly Levens, assistant manager at Springhill Suites in Houston, said. UNC’s head basketball coach Roy Williams, who is in Houston with the Tar Heels competing in the Final Four, said the precedent set Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith has guided the program’s attitude toward inclusion. “I think the University of North Carolina and Roy Williams and our basketball program is about diversity, and always will be,” Williams said while admitting he didn’t know as much about the law as he’d like to before responding. “I hope that we will always include everybody involved.” Fitzgerald’s organization says they will keep holding prayer vigils across the state with four planned for next week. “All we can do is what we know works, and that’s pray for our leaders,” she said.

“We do not support people of one gender using the bathroom of another gender.”

—N.C. Sheriff’s Association

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

BUSINESS & ECONOMY the

BRIEF Sham charities defraud N.C. contributors $1M Raleigh Thanks to a class-action lawsuit settlement, North Carolinians who contributed to the Cancer Fund of American and Cancer Support Services will be getting their money back. The $1 million refund comes as part of a larger national settlement against what officials say are “sham cancer charities” using donations for personal use.

Forbes names Raleigh among best for young professionals New York Forbes Magazine named Raleigh the third best city in the nation and the best in the Southeast for young professionals. San Francisco and neighboring Silicon Valley, Calif. took the one and two spot in the nation. Factors in making the list include job growth and cost of living.

Plan to raise California minimum wage to $15 clears key panel Sacramento, Calif. A plan to raise California’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022 cleared its first legislative hurdle. If enacted, the bill would put California among the first in the nation to mandate such a large minimum pay floor. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25.

$1.8B Novo Nordisk project breaks ground in Clayton Clayton, N.C. The largest manufacturing investment in the state’s history broke ground on Monday as Novo Nordisk executives and Sen. Richard Burr and Gov. Pat McCrory and other politicians met in Clayton to celebrate the first steps toward the pharmaceutical company’s $1.8 billion insulin manufacturing plant. The new facility will be the company’s first to manufacture its drugs outside of Denmark. When completed, the facility will double Novo Nordisk’s employment numbers in Johnston County by providing 700 additional jobs.

the DASHBOARD

$430 million $237 million increase in state income taxes collected this year

N.C. state government surplus for year

$200 million

decrease in state sales tax collected this year

“The consensus forecast also ticked up 2017 revenue projections, indicative of greater budget flexibility in the future,” said State Budget Director Andrew Heath.

A new business model in medicine By MacKenzie Ames For the North State Journal GROUP of North Carolina doctors are trying to change A how people approach health care

by leaving the traditional medicine model and focusing on a new system called direct primary care. “It’s a reaction against the way American medicine has become,” says Dr. William Katibah, who opened Direct Primary Care of the Carolinas in Charlotte in December 2013. “The direct primary care model is basically taking insurance out of the equation. People have a relationship with their doctor and pay their doctor for the medical care they have received.” Katibah adds, “There’s so little time in the traditional medical visit that you really can’t deal with the things that are more important, like lifestyle and helping people to live longer and better. ” Not only that, but Katibah saw his costs fall by 40 percent by eliminating the staff and software needed to handle insurance claims. Direct primary care doctors found that when they drop the insurance hassles, they drop their costs—making it possible to offer more affordable healthcare. By paying the doctor directly, insurance companies are cut out of the equation. “Patients love this model, because it gives them a predictable, low cost that they can afford, and they know exactly what they’re getting,” says Dr. Amy Walsh, a direct primary care doctor in Raleigh. “I don’t file insurance. I don’t get reimbursed by insurance. I don’t follow those insurance rules. I just practice family medicine.” Greg Griggs from the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians sees this as a growing model for the state. He does note, however, some possible short-term problems, such as less access for some patients. Griggs explains, “typically someone who is doing direct primary care doesn’t have the same size patient panel that someone in traditional service or practice does.” This means some patients may not be able to move over with their primary physician. “I say that’s a short-term problem, because from what I’m seeing from medical students is that the appeal of direct primary care is great. I think over the long term these new models of care are going to increase the number of people who are entering primary care medical careers.” The Affordable Care Act allows

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Dr. Amy Walsh high fives new patient Laura Franks during her visit to Walsh’s practice. In November, Walsh opened her practice using the direct primary care model, which takes insurance out of the equation.

“Patients love this model, because it gives them a predictable, low cost that they can afford, and they know exactly what they’re getting.” — Dr. Amy Walsh

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Dr. Amy Walsh, left, congratulates Wes Sullivan on lowering his blood pressure during his check-up. Walsh says that the direct primary care model allows her to spend more time with her patients and provide better care. the inclusion of direct primary care if it’s paired with a wraparound insurance policy covering everything outside of primary care. In January 2015, the state of Washington, for example, offered its first direct primary care in the healthcare marketplace. North Carolina insurers currently have not designed specific wrapa-

round plans for this model. Many patients are purchasing less costly catastrophic and/or high deductible plans that fit nicely within the direct care model. This is meant to cover what Walsh calls, “the big, bad stuff.” For Walsh, the direct primary care model puts health insurance back where it was intended to be,

serving as a safety net for when things go wrong or a specialist is needed, like auto insurance. “You use your auto insurance for accidents,” says Walsh. “You don’t pull out your auto insurance card when you go to get your oil changed.” Without insurance claims to deal with, doctors can focus on their patients. Doctors like Katibah and Walsh appreciate the value in providing this level of care for their patients and see this model as a big part of the way we move forward with healthcare in this country. “It takes us back to the basics,” says Walsh. “It’s like good, old-fashioned family medicine with a little bit of technology mixed in.”

Restaurateurs, local politicians work toward Raleigh’s vision By Liz Moomey North State Journal RALEIGH - To begin communication and action on sidewalk ordinances, food truck parking, income disparity and feeding the hungry, Raleigh restaurateurs and local politicians gathered for the first of many meetings at Hadley’s in downtown Raleigh Wednesday. Led by the National Restaurant Association and the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association, the pilot project Raleigh Works Here aims to connect local business owners with local government officials to work toward the vision of Raleigh and giving back to the community. Raleigh Works Here’s focus is to bridge the gap between city and county government and local businesses. The founder of Targeted Persuasion, Jeff Tippett, who is leading Raleigh Works Here, said the reaction to them has been positive. “Most times when you go to

elected officials, it is what you demand out of them and what you want out of them, so we’ve had several meetings where we asked, ‘What is your vision for Raleigh?’” For Raleigh City Councilor Mary-Ann Baldwin, it is addressing the homeless population and feeding the hungry, which is a focus for A Place at the Table and Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. “The thing tonight does is it brings these groups together who can actually work together, but I think that one of the things we all can do better is make sure we’re not duplicating efforts, that nonprofits work together, that we make this new incentive into the city of Raleigh, so we can address homelessness issues in a much more effective way,” Baldwin said. President of the NCRLA Lynn Minges said providing the stage for business owners and politicians has been the goal of the NCRLA for many years, but they realized they needed to dive deeper into the communities and

11%

of employment in the state comes from the restaurant industry

17,766

eating and drinking establishments in North Carolina in 2014

33%

of Americans’ first job was in the restaurant industry

address the problems each city faces, starting first in Raleigh. “We are trying to make our state better,” Minges said. “We are trying to make our city and our county better. It’s about opening dialogue and opening conversations and just trying to roll up our sleeves and figuring out how we can make it all better.” Sunny Lin and Sophia Woo of Pho Nomenal Dumpling said they have begun to form a relationship with city government to establish food truck zones in downtown Raleigh. “We don’t have as much exposure to some of the city council members,” Lin said. “I know food trucks sometimes feel like their voices get lost, but when we came together and went to the city council, they did hear us.” Baldwin isn’t the only one interested in A Place at the Table; Woo and Lin said they were interested in working with them. “The reason why we started the food truck is [to] communicate with the community and

being able to meet someone like that, it allows us to connect with the community through other non-profits,” Lin said. Baldwin and Wake County Commissioner Caroline Sullivan honored women business owners for Women’s History Month, including Kim Hammer of Bittersweet, Cheetie Kumar of Garland, Kim Hunter of Kimbap, Lin and Woo of Pho Nomenal Dumpling, Maggie Kane and Allison Connors of A Place at the Table and Terri Hunter of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle. Sullivan addressed a recent Wake County Commission for Women study that found women in the county make 69 cents to the dollar earned by men, compared to the national average of 79 cents. She said the solution is providing support to women and mentorships. “Empowering women to open up their own businesses and giving them some support really is a key factor to making things better,” Sullivan said.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

Murphy to

April is Beer Month! Crack open a cold one, it’s North Carolina Beer Month. To celebrate, the largest NC craft beer festival, Brewgaloo, will shut down McDowell Street in Raleigh for beer, food trucks and live music April 22-23. Fortnight Brewing will take over Burlington’s Lowes Food April 9, and Big Boss will take over Raleigh Beer Garden April 14. With at least 34 North Carolina communities participating, there is something for everyone, from blueberry beer or pairing beer with barbecue. Beer lovers will find home in Mecklenburg, Wake and Buncombe counties, which lead the state with more than 15 breweries each.

Number of breweries, by county

5+ PIEDMONT

WEST

Wake County throws out 175 traffic cases

Mischievous goats cause house fire Conover A trio of goats are to blame for a house fire that caused major smoke damage for a family of six, according to Conover fire officials. The goats gained entry to the garage through a side door and knocked a bike into a battery charger. “I feel pretty thankful,” said homeowner Jim Camero. “I think it is a miracle the motorcycle did not explode.” HICKORY RECORD

Flu season ends, claims 26 this year in N.C. Asheville Eight people died from flu-related illness in North Carolina last week, the last official week of flu season, according to state health officials. Since the season began in October, 26 people have died from influenza in the state. Despite the end of the season, however, cases of the flu are still expected, according to a DHHS spokesperson. “There is still influenza vaccine available, and individuals who have not been vaccinated should be,” said Novant Health’s infection prevention medical director, Dr. David Priest. WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL

Historical documents found in the wall Asheville Electrical work led the new owner of the historical PattonParker House to a cache of documents hidden in the wall of his landmark home, including land grants signed by Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren. Patton, himself, was also a notable local figure, serving as a Confederate Army captain, Asheville mayor and county official. The home was originally built with slave labor and is included in the National Register of Historic Places. BLUE RIDGE NOW

N.C. distilleries receive Southern Living nod Asheville Asheville Distilling, makers of Blonde Whiskey and Platinum American Moonshine, have been named to Southern Living’s list of the 20 top distilleries in the Southeast. Also making the list was Chapel Hill’s Top of the Hill Distillery, home of the South’s only organic wheat whiskey. Among its claim to fame is the fact it’s the only fully local, USDA-certified organic distillery in the Southeast.

Raleigh The Wake County district attorney’s office said they had no choice but to throw out 104 DWI cases and other traffic violations after it was revealed that Deputy Robert Davis lied in at least three cases. Davis was fired after serving 18 years as an officer. NEWS & OBSERVER

27 apply for Guilford County superintendent seat Greensboro Following Maurice “Mo” Green’s resignation, 27 applications from 15 different states to become the next superintendent of Guilford County Schools have been received following the board’s Wednesday deadline. The Guilford County Board of Elections will gain access to the applications in about a week. Green left the position to become the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem. The board expects to fill the vacant seat by July 1. GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD

Maned wolf exhibit reopens with new pups Greensboro The maned wolf exhibit at the Greensboro Science Center has reopened following the birth of two wolf pups. The exhibit of the South American endangered animals has been closed since the male and female pups were born March 7. “They’re just learning to walk. It’s a lot of toddling,” said their keeper, Lauren Davis. “People can’t really expect to see them until they’re a month to a month-and-a-half old.” GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD

Filming underway for Hunt, Dreyfuss series Kannapolis Film crews for a new television series featuring Helen Hunt and Richard Dreyfuss have rolled into downtown Kannapolis. The new show, called “Shots Fired,” is a drama revolving around a racially charged police shooting in a Tennessee town. The series joins the productions of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and “Dirty Dancing” as recipients of North Carolina Film Incentive grants, according to the state’s film office.

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North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

Manteo Jones& Blount jonesandblount.com @JonesandBlount

N.C. GOP goes public on Harnett conflict By Donna King North State Journal

INFOGRAPHIC BY CECE PASCUAL

Weldon PD has permanent medicine drop

EAST Wilson Hardware to close its doors Wilson One of the oldest locally owned country hardware stores in North Carolina and a Wilson landmark announced it will close its doors at the end of June. Wilson Hardware Co., has been in operation since 1907 by the Gray family, and owner, Bowie Gray, said he is ready to retire. The store is holding a retirement sale from now until its last day on June 30. THE WILSON DAILY TIMES

Nags Head Woods fire set by humans Nags Head The Nature Conservancy has announced that last week’s Nags Head Woods Preserve fire, which burned 242 acres of the Dare County maritime forest, was caused by humans. The Conservancy is offering a $1,000 reward for information related to the fire. Due to low humidity and gusty winds, it took firefighters three days to contain the blaze that began on March 22. THE OUTER BANKS SENTINEL

Weldon The Weldon Police Department now has a permanent medicine drop location to assist community members in properly disposing of unused, expired or unwanted pharmaceuticals. The improper disposal of medicine has been a growing concern for public health across the nation. Disposing of medicines in the drop box will help prevent unintentional poisonings, illegal distribution, substance misuse or abuse and environmental contamination. THE DAILY HERALD

Regulations set for new skate park Atlantic Beach The Atlantic Beach Town Council has approved rules and regulations as construction continues on a skate park being built at the town’s municipal park at Cypress Bay Plaza, across Fort Macon Road from the Atlantic Station shopping center. The skate park is one of two new major features being built at the municipal park. The other one is an 18-hole miniature golf course, complete with concession stand and restrooms. The Town Council approved a $1.2 million budget for the municipal park expansion project.

RALEIGH - N.C. GOP’s general counsel, Tom Stark, sent a letter to all 600-plus members of the state party’s governing Executive Committee Thursday, outlining in detail the ongoing saga with Chairman Hasan Harnett. The smaller Central Committee voted two weeks ago to censure Harnett after allegations surfaced in an affidavit signed by Ken Robol, a Pitt Community College computer technology instructor, that Harnett asked him to crash the party’s 2016 State Convention website and replace it with one featuring lower ticket prices and a payment system he controlled. Harnett denies the allegations and publicly called the conversation “entrapment.” “The Central Committee has remained largely silent in order to resolve these issues quietly and responsibly without further damage to the Party,” the letter from Stark said. “The Chairman and his confederates, however, have chosen a different path. They have released numerous public statements that, in my view, contain inappropriate, vitriolic and inaccurate information. Unfortunately, these statements have exacerbated the situation, and portrayed the North Carolina Republican Party in a negative manner.” The letter goes on to provide details of the conflict that started with the chairman’s objection to the ticket price of the N.C. GOP convention in May. Under party rules the decision on ticket prices is left with the Central Committee. Committee members accuse Harnett of trying to hold the “official convention notice” hostage in order to make staff change the prices against the orders of the Central Committee. This week the Chairman seemed to kick another hornet’s nest, by calling a meeting of the state executive committee on April 9 in Wilmington. The meeting is to take place at the same time as four Congressional District Conventions are held in: Sanford (2nd) Raleigh, (4th),

Concord (8th) and Matthews (9th). “As I write this, it appears that a new attempt is underway by Chairman Harnett to circumvent the Plan of Organization,” the letter said. “Disregarding the Plan of Organization’s notice requirements, he has purported to schedule a meeting of the Executive Committee in conflict with numerous District Conventions. This behavior needs to stop. Instead, let us work together as Republicans for our state, our nation, and our Constitution.” Twelve of the 13 Congressional District Chairs sent Chairman Harnett a letter this week formally requesting he cancel his April 9 executive committee meeting. Privately the chairs say they will encourage people to attend the district conventions, likely denying the Chairman the needed number of attendees to conduct business. Instead, Executive Committee members are circulating petitions that would call an Executive Committee meeting for April 30. Petitions circulating indicate the Executive Committee will likely put Chairman Harnett on trial for “gross inefficiency” the weekend of April 30. Should the Executive Committee members, who will serve as jurors, find Mr. Harnett guilty, he would formally be removed from his post at the helm of the state party. The proceeding is referred to as a “trial” by the Plan of Organization and would look similar to a criminal trial. Harnett was the surprise winner of the chairman election at the N.C. GOP convention in 2015, campaigning as a “non-establishment” candidate. Since then he’s been criticized for low fundraising and power struggles within the party, but has developed a limited following among the party faithful, frustrated with national and state leadership. His removal would come a month before new elections at the critical 2016 N.C. GOP convention May 6-8 in Greensboro. There the party will establish a platform and elect delegates for the Republican National Convention in June.

CARTERET-COUNTY NEWS TIMES

THE FLOOR OF THE NORTH CAROLINA SENATE; MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

north STATEment Neal Robbins, publisher | Drew Elliot, opinion editor | Ray Nothstine, deputy opinion editor

VISUAL VOICES

OUR EDITORIALS RAY NOTHSTINE

ea party group exposes T IRS on behalf of taxpayers It has been over 1,000 days since news of the scandal broke. Longer than the Watergate timeline, which brought down a presidency.

THE LAST TIME a major news network mentioned the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups was over 500 days ago. Agree or disagree with the aims of the Tea Party movements, a California group is reminding the nation about the purpose of government. Hint: it’s not to empower the bureaucratic state. In March, a federal appeals court in Cincinnati unanimously ruled that the IRS must quit stonewalling and turn over the names of those targeted to the NorCal Tea Party Patriots. This would allow for a class action lawsuit to move forward, alleging violations of the law by the IRS when deciding tax-exempt status on ideological beliefs. So little attention has been given to the IRS scandal, it is often forgotten that the agency’s motivation may have been to influence the 2012 presidential election. In 2015, a district court chided the tax collection agency, with a judge writing: However, I feel like the government is doing everything it possibly can to make this as complicated as it possibly can, to last as long as it possibly can, so that by the time there is a result, nobody is going to care except the plaintiffs. . . . I question whether or not the Department of Justice is doing justice. Writing the decision for the federal Sixth Circuit in March, Judge Raymond Kethledge added his displeasure for the IRS’s failure to comply with the district court and ordered documents to be turned over within two weeks. Kethledge added the “IRS has only compounded the conduct that gave rise to it [the initial targeting scandal].” Kethledge noted that no citizens deserve to be unfairly targeted and abused for their ideological beliefs by a government agency. “The lawyers in the Department of Justice have a long and storied tradition of defending the nation’s interests and enforcing its laws … The conduct of the IRS’s attorneys in the district court falls outside that tradition,” wrote Kethledge. The IRS once again continued its stonewalling in federal court, claiming section 6103 of the tax code prevented it from releasing documents related to the targeting. Rebuking the tax collection agency, Kethledge declared, “Section 6103 was enacted to protect taxpayers from the IRS, not the IRS from taxpayers.” Kethledge’s ruling, despite countless years of IRS deflection and stonewalling, echoes the very premise and justification of government by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. “That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” President Obama declared in 2014 that there was “not even a smidgen of corruption” regarding the IRS’s targeting conservative groups. Lois Lerner, the former director of the Internal Revenue Service’s Exempt Organization Unit, was infamous in her contempt and arrogance while being questioned by lawmakers on behalf of taxpayers. It has been over 1,000 days since news of the scandal broke. Longer than the Watergate timeline, which brought down a presidency. This kind of insular and bureaucratic insolence is unacceptable in the United States and is a powerful reminder of the need for civic engagement. Citizens, regardless of ideology, should be demanding answers. It’s also a reminder that perhaps reforming or dismantling the IRS is the best place to start.

BE IN TOUCH Letters addressed to the editor may be sent to letters@NSJonline.com or 819 Hargett St. Raleigh, N.C. 27603. Letters must be signed; include the writer’s phone number, city and state; and be no longer than 300 words. Letters may be edited for style, length or clarity when necessary. Ideas for op-eds should be sent to opinion@NSJonline.com.

DREW ELLIOT

What to do with House Bill 2 and the Evil Eleven? The Democrats who voted against House Bill 2 are the actual outliers.

IT’S MARCH 23, 2016, and the Democrats on Jones Street have a problem: House Bill 2 is on the legislative calendar, and plenty of them want to vote for it. The solution? Senators just walk out. No telling who was pulling the strings, but somebody figured out a clever tactic — leave, and nobody has to vote. There’s no problem, no division. Unity. And it would have been a good strategy, if only someone on the House side had thought of the same tactic a few hours earlier. Because there is still a problem in the House. Eleven Democrats in the General Assembly voted for the bill. Fifteen Democrats voted against the bill. House Bill 2 was — very much — a bipartisan bill. How can the liberal shame machine go into hyperdrive about Republican “hate” and “bigotry” if more than 40 percent of voting Democrats supported a bill aimed at ensuring that men cannot use group restrooms alongside women and girls? Nationally, liberal provocateurs

are trying to peddle the line that North Carolina is an outlier, as if more civilized citizens around the nation saw the light long ago on this issue. What they won’t tell you is that in Houston, where a similar ordinance was passed in 2014, citizens succeeded in repealing the ordinance through a referendum that easily passed in November 2015 despite the same type of shame campaign that is cranking up now in North Carolina. For some reason, telling the citizens of Houston they were small-minded bigots did not work. Perhaps that’s because the (nowformer) mayor, who is openly a lesbian, won seven city-wide elections in her career. The vote was a landslide, but — not to be deterred by reality — a spokesman for the new mayor said the result was not “reflective of who Houston is as a city.” And that’s the whole problem. When you prosecute an 18-monthlong, well financed, high-profile campaign to paint your opponents as hateful extremists, and meanwhile disregard legitimate

concerns residents have for the safety of their children, friends, and neighbors, you are left with no choice but to make a ridiculous assertion that a plebiscite that passed by a 20-point margin is not “reflective” of the will of the citizens. Which brings us back to the Evil Eleven. The 11 Democrats who voted for House Bill 2 are not, of course, evil. Neither are the 103 Republicans who voted for it; nor is Gov. Pat McCrory, who signed the bill into law. That bipartisan group of 115 elected officials decided that, on balance, the dangers of allowing anyone into formerly sex-specific bathrooms and locker rooms are not outweighed by the embarrassment and dangers faced by transgender persons under House Bill 2 (and before it, in nearly all the state). There was probably room for compromise in how the bill was drafted. There are also legitimate policy arguments about local versus state control. For instance, one way to approach the issue may have

been for the legislature to require a countywide referendum on the issue before an ordinance could take effect, similar to local-choice alcohol laws. But neither party is interested in compromise right now — it’s an election year. Democrats have already started selling the idea that Republicans hate their transgender neighbors. And Republican media consultants can’t wait to depict Democrats as the party that wants to send full-grown men into a locker room with pig-tailed 8-yearolds. Neither of those broad-brush portrayals is true. The bill was bipartisan. All members of one party united with 40 percent of the members of the other party. The Democrats who voted against House Bill 2 are the actual outliers. If only someone had come up with the walk-out strategy a few hours earlier. Then maybe the Democrats would not be in this mess.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

GUEST OPINION | JOHN WESTER Appeals Court Judge Merrick Garland is President Obama’s nominee to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court caused by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

MICHAEL MUNGER

Is freedom of association discriminatory? HE First Amendment says “Congress shall make no law...abridging...the right T of the people peaceably to assemble.” This

JOSHUA ROBERTS | REUTERS

What we lose if the Senate refuses hearings for Garland

T Hearings for Garland would raise awareness of our citizens to the critical significance of a judiciary that is beholden to no political party or movement.

HUS FAR, the nomination of Judge Merrick Garland to the U.S. Supreme Court has hit a “nothing doing” from Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell, and his colleague Sen. Charles Grassley, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, have maintained that the Senate should not consider — much less confirm — a replacement for Justice Antonin Scalia until after the election. Doing so will, Grassley says, “defer to the American people,” and, according to McConnell, follow a “longstanding tradition of not filling vacancies on the Supreme Court in the middle of a presidential election year.” There are two casualties of “do not hear Judge Garland” mantra: history and judicial independence. Regarding the first, since 1912, presidents have nominated six individuals to the court within the year before a presidential election — for all of whom the Senate held an up-or-down vote. Thus, if “tradition” is to play a role, the Senate would move forward with hearings and a vote on Garland. The Senate ultimately confirmed each of these six nominees, but that decision — voting to confirm or reject Garland — lies within the constitutional discretion of each senator. My argument today aims at the Senate’s carrying out its obligation under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution to hold a vote on Garland’s nomination. The Senate leadership’s refusal to consider Garland also deals a

blow to judicial independence. What dominates the discussion is the question: How will the nominee rule on the high-profile issues of the day? And, the companion question: Will his rulings match the expectations of those whose support put him on the Supreme Court? These questions presuppose that federal judges are pawns of the president who appoints them. Yet, this notion runs contrary to the Framers’ vision for our nation’s judiciary: our judges must be independent. As Alexander Hamilton wrote in Federalist No. 78, independence allows the judiciary to fulfill its main purpose: the protection of the “particular rights or privileges of the people” assured by the Constitution. The independence of judges from the politicians and political parties that appointed them has a long — and often distinguished — history in our democracy. Consider these two examples of “disappointed supporters” of Supreme Court justices. When Chief Justice Earl Warren, appointed by President Eisenhower, led a deeply divided Court to a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education, hundreds of billboards declared: “Impeach Earl Warren; Save Our Republic.” Likewise, in the past four years, Chief Justice John Roberts, appointed by President George W. Bush, has written two opinions preserving the Affordable Health Care Act to the plain displeasure of many expecting Roberts to lead the ending of Obamacare. All of us are better off hearing

any nominee speak to the nation — to hear his/her qualifications, to answer questions put by Republicans and Democrats on the Judiciary Committee — all to evaluate whether the nominee would discharge the demanding duties of a justice with the distinction — and independence — the office demands. If Garland came before the Senate, we would hear this record: grandson of an immigrant; public high school valedictorian; Harvard College valedictorian; magna cum laude at Harvard Law School; judicial clerk for Justice William Brennan; Justice Department leader for the prosecutions of the Unabomber and the perpetrators of the Oklahoma City bombings. No less important, hearings for Garland would raise awareness of our citizens to the critical significance of a judiciary that is beholden to no political party or movement. With three exceptions thus far, GOP senators have toed the line Sens. McConnell and Grassley have drawn. What a welcome display of leadership — and independence — if our state’s senators, Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, spoke out now for full consideration and an up-or-down vote on Garland’s nomination. North Carolinians could take pride in such leadership from its senators. John Wester, a lawyer with Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson of Charlotte, is a past president of the North Carolina Bar Association.

GUEST OPINION | SAMUEL SON

What should honesty look like? E speaks his mind! He says things most politicians are ‘tooHafraid to say,” Billy Poythress

A dangerous philosophy lurks under this misconception of honesty.

declared. Of course Poythress, born and hoping to be buried in Wilson, N.C., spoke of the ascendancy of Donald Trump, which has pundits scratching their noggins and Republican leaders reaching for Jack Daniels. The week of the primary election, I was doing my own anecdotal field research at a company where I serve as chaplain. Billy scratched his scraggy vermilion beard and continued, “He is an honest man.” When Trump shocked the Republican establishment by contradicting its approved narrative and blamed Bush for 9/11, his points for honesty skyrocketed. Speaking of honesty, when I watch Mrs. Clinton, I can’t help but see another Billy, her husband, looking directly at the American people, wagging his index finger and swearing, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” Kenneth Starr’s questionable pursuit of Clinton’s sex life is beside the point because, if your president can lie to your face, who can you trust? The Benghazi email scandal continues to hound Mrs. Clinton because the scent of dishonesty trails her. So Trump’s breach of political correctness feels like a breath of fresh air. His rhetoric, voicing fear and anger, sounds like a post-

dinner conversation with your rich and peeved uncle who tells it like it is, niceties be damned, an invigorating change from all the talk-arounds during dinner. Trump’s political expletives not only entertain; they make him look strong as his offensive words are heard as sounds of fearless honesty. The more offensive, the more honest. Joanna Patterson, a devout Pentecostal Christian, will vote Trump even though he is irreligious because, as Ryan Lizza of The New Yorker reported, “he shows ‘strength’ and says ‘whatever he wants to say without having someone buffer it for him. We like raw truth. Tell us what we need.’” But is honesty saying what you feel? What truth is proved in spewing of passions? A dangerous philosophy lurks under this misconception of honesty. It is the confusion of truth and feeling, a byproduct of postmodern relativism. There is no truth out there, so we must find it within ourselves. What you feel is truth. Thus the honest person is one who speaks without filter. Nietzsche said with the death of God, by which he meant Truth, the Superman can create his own truth with his own hands. Hitler distorts Nietzsche to make a philosophical ground for fascism, declaring the Aryan as the Superman. Now, Nietzsche was a champion of the individual and adamantly against despots. But individualistic

relativism creates a vacuum for tyranny. When feeling becomes the arbiter of truth, then the one with the megaphone who can blast his feelings most compellingly becomes the truth teller. Hitler made his book “Mein Kampf” a must read for newlyweds and soldiers. One person’s struggle became a nation’s policy; one person’s rhetoric became truth. “Mein Kampf” was the editor’s title. Hitler’s original title was “Four and a Half Years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice.” People loved the way Hitler talked because he was honest. In America, we used to say “he lived an honest life” and it did not mean he went around telling fat people they were fat because he had the “guts” to say what he felt. An honest person was someone willing to stand against an unethical act even at the cost of his job. So the image of an honest person was someone calm, even quiet, because truth was something you lived by, not something you shouted. Lies, on the other hand, need to wag their fingers, bang the podium and blame. Pamela Meyer, who wrote the book “How To Spot A Liar,” says the first truth about lying is that lying is a cooperative act. Its power emerges when someone else accepts the lie. It’s time for some true honesty. Samuel Son is teaching pastor at New Life Triangle church in Raleigh.

is called “freedom of association”: You can choose who you want to hang out with. One application of this core right is freedom of contract: contracts have to be voluntary — I don’t have to work for or with people I dislike. On the other hand, there are some “dislikes” we don’t get to act on. These “protected classes” include race, religion, sex, national origin, and age. The problem is that outlawing discrimination against protected classes is always a violation of freedom of association, forcing people to associate with others against their wills. How can we strike the right balance? And should we expand the protected categories? In particular, should we extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBT workers, customers, and businesses? I’m asking the question in this way because the kerfuffle about House Bill 2, the N.C. legislature’s attempt to protect freedom of association, has been characterized instead as an attack on freedom. The problem with that approach is that we get caught up in bathrooms, and emotional appeals to a small, oppressed group (it’s not easy to be LGBT in our society). But the real problem is deeper: Who is going to protect freedom of association? Citizens must be able to act without undue interference or restriction. My identity as a person, including my sexual identity, is a very private decision, and no one should be able to dictate that to me. My ability to make choices of association and voluntary contracts is likewise at the core of what it means to be a citizen. The problem is that these two freedoms conflict. Charlotte made a mistake trying to dictate in favor of sexual identity, and now the state

Charlotte made a mistake trying to dictate in favor of sexual identity, and now the state has made a mistake trying to veto choices of identity. has made a mistake trying to veto choices of identity. Statutes are blunt instruments; we need to let people work this out on their own. English common law, on which much of our jurisprudence is based, shows the way. A venerable common law doctrine is the implied contract associated with being “open for business.” If I advertise prices, goods and services for sale, I must honor that offer. So a pizza restaurant can’t double its prices for Jews, or African-Americans, or refuse service to Muslims. If I refuse to do business on the advertised terms, I have committed fraud. In these situations, no law protecting LGBT customers would be necessary, because it is already illegal to refuse service. But there are many services where no agreement is implied; the contract must be negotiated. If I am a wedding caterer, for example, I may interview a potential client and decide that I do not want to take that job. And I would have substantial latitude in making such a choice, because of my freedom of association. I might decide, after talking to the person, to decline their offer. The reason may be that I don’t like white people, or LGBT people, or some other reason, but the law cannot interfere without violating my fundamental right of free association. Once you think of it this way, some of the reactions on both sides are bizarre. The clerk in Kentucky and magistrates North Carolina were criticized for failing to act on the law they were sworn to uphold. Law enforcement cannot pick and choose which laws to enforce. Those court officers were obliged to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because the freedom of contract requires that no state officer can withhold access to the machinery of contract. But then wait a minute. The same folks who criticized the clerks and magistrates for acting on their consciences are now loudly supporting N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper for doing the same thing! Cooper has announced that his office already has “a policy” about discrimination, and so he will be ignoring House Bill 2. The test can’t be whether you happen to agree with the law enforcement officer who is refusing to enforce the law. The rule of law, and freedom of association, is not contingent on Mr. Cooper’s conscience. Michael Munger is a professor and director of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economic Program at Duke University.

North State Journal for Sunday, March 27, 2016

NATION& WORLD Burr: Obama’s actions, rhetoric on ISIS conflict By Jeff Moore North State Journal

HAIRMAN of the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, spoke with the North State Journal on Friday, in anticipation of delivering the GOP Weekly Address on Terror Attacks, about the threat of Islamist terrorism and how he thinks the intelligence community would be best equipped to protect against it. Addressing President Barack Obama’s handling of the threats posed by ISIS and other Islamist terror organizations, Burr exclaims the president’s rhetoric and actions do not line up. In his address, Burr states, “The world in which we live is becoming increasingly dangerous and the number of extremists who wish to do us harm is growing. More troubling, their capability to do harm may soon outpace the Administration’s strategy of ‘containment.’ The President accurately stated last week that ‘ISIL poses a threat to the entire civilized world’. Now it is time for our strategy to match the threat.” After the recent bombing attacks by ISIS in Brussels, Obama said, “We can and will defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world.” Burr says despite the president’s tough talk, Obama’s actions belie his words. Burr pointed out that defeating terrorism is made much more challenging by the Commander in Chief’s treatment of Syria as a virtual ‘No-Go-Zone,’ despite the fact that it represents the core of ISIS-occupied territory. Obama still refuses to attach the term radical Islam to the spate of atrocities, from San Bernardino, Calif., to Paris, to Brussels. The recent attacks in Europe have reinforced the need for the U.S. to have global role in fighting terrorism, now more than ever, Burr says. Burr believes establishing more robust platforms for the sharing of intelligence is paramount, and that the attacks in Brussels and Paris have shown that better cooperation among the intelligence community and law enforcement is necessary to understand and prevent threats faster and more thoroughly. When asked if the intelligence community has the resources necessary to

RESIGNATION from page A1 an ordinance that allowed individuals to use the bathroom of their choice. Cooper is the chief opponent to McCrory in the governor’s bid for re-election in November. The N.C. General Assembly passed H.B. 2 last week, which requires people to use the bathroom of the sex listed on their birth certificate if a single stall or family bathroom is not available. More than a third of House Democrats voted for it, while Senate Democrats walked out, refusing to cast a vote. The law launched a campaign of organized protests, prayer vigils, a social media blitz and corporate statements on one side supporting the bill, and on the other denouncing it and threatening to scale back investments in the state. On Tuesday, the lawsuit was filed. “Roy Cooper was given an opportunity to fulfill his duties to the state but chose to make this issue a political platform to use against Governor Pat McCrory,” said Majority Leader Mike Hager (R-Rutherford). “This issue should not have been made a political issue but rather a common sense decision to protect our citizens. Roy Cooper needs to do his legal duty for the state and its citizens or step aside so someone else can.” McCrory, who was also named in the suit, took to YouTube Tuesday saying the facts about the law are not clear in the public’s mind. His official website lists a Q&A section on the bill in an effort to dispel what he says are myths about it. “As the state attorney general, he cannot select, which laws he will defend and which laws are politically expedient to defend. His excuse that his own internal policies would be affected is wrong.” said Gov. McCrory in the video. “All employment policies for cities and corporations, and the Attorney General’s own policies remain exactly the same. The Attorney General is inventing conflict that simply does not exist. When you are the state’s lawyer, you are a lawyer first and a politician second.” Cooper did not answer requests for comment on the calls for his resignation. This is not the first time the Attorney General has decided not to defend a lawsuit against the state. In 2012, he did not defend the marriage amendment to the N.C. state constitution that voters passed in a statewide referendum. The state spent more than $100,000 in private defense counsel.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Gov. McCrory and Sen. Burr talk during groundbreaking at Novo Nordisk in Clayton, N.C. this week.

keep America safe, Burr says we certainly have the “manpower and experience in place.” However, he worries we are quickly losing the tools to truly prevent attacks, referencing encryption and inaccessibility to certain technologies. As chairman of the SSCI, Burr is particularly frustrated with the recent refusal by Apple to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino jihadist, despite the FBI employing a third party to successfully gain access. Burr contends that while the data privacy of Americans is an important issue, refusal of legal court orders should not be taken lightly, adding, “What right does Apple have [to obstruct an FBI investigation]?” Burr compared the FBI’s request of Apple to a hypothetical legal court order requesting the provision of financial transaction information from a big bank. A bank’s refusal to release such information would undoubtedly be prosecuted, Burr said, so “why should we apply the law differently to Apple?” Many Americans are leery of the implications of allowing the FBI such access to data devices, but Burr cautions

LAWSUIT from page A1 Security Act, includes several provisions, notably requiring people in North Carolina using public, multiple-occupancy bathrooms to use the one which matches the sex on their birth certificate. Other provisions of the bill include preventing local governments from establishing their own anti-discrimination laws as well as nullifying any previously established local ordinances that regulated workforce discrimination, the use of public accommodations, and minimum wage standards, among other business-related issues. It also maintains the right of private individuals, businesses and universities to adopt new or keep their own anti-discrimination policies. ACLU of NC and Equality NC are also both listed as formal plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Greensboro. “We’re asking the court to overturn House Bill 2, because it is unconstitutional, because it violates the equal protection and due process clauses of the 14th Amendment, because it discriminates on the basis of sex and sexual orientation, and because it is an invasion of privacy for transgender men and transgender women,” said Chris Brook, ACLU of NC’s legal director. “The law also violates Title IX by discriminating against students on the basis of sex.” Seeking to establish legal precedent

“The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled that a transgender person, born a male, living as a female, has a constitutional or statutory right to use female facilities,” said Greg Wallace, an attorney and law professor at the Campbell University School of Law with expertise in constitutional interpretation. “Title IX law specifically makes exceptions for separate bathrooms, locker rooms, dormitories. In other cases it’s not been considered to be a violation of equal access to accommodations to make those exceptions.” The lawsuit asserts that “the State of North Carolina has rarely, if ever, exercised authority to preempt local ordinances providing broader protections than under state law.” However, this is actually not the first time a case similar to this has seen the inside of a North Carolina courtroom. In 1999, plaintiff Mary Williams of Orange County sued Blue Cross Blue Shield for sex and age discrimination in employment. Prior to the lawsuit, the N.C. General Assembly had passed a local law allowing Orange County to set up local deferral commissions to investigate employment discrimination cases — among them was Mary Williams’ case. The N.C. Supreme Court sided with BCBS,

that even North Carolina district attorneys have recently requested access to dozens of phones they deem critical to breaking unresolved cases involving murder and other serious crimes, citing media reports. “Murderers in North Carolina will continue to walk free if they can’t unlock [the phones],” Burr says. It is unclear if any of the requests for unlocking phones emanating from North Carolina represent national security concerns. Overall, Burr commends law enforcement and the intelligence community here in the U.S. for thwarting dozens of planned attacks, even with the obstacles represented by the break-neck rate of change and complexity in technology. Be confident, Burr said, that everywhere you go in this country the law enforcement and the intelligence community are doing everything they can to keep us safe, but “we must all be vigilant wherever we are.” When asked how safe he thinks it is for Americans to traveling to Europe this summer amid travel warnings from the U.S. State Department, Burr says he “wouldn’t change travel plans.”

GSK won’t seek drug patents in low-income countries GlaxoSmithKline is to adopt a graduated approach to patenting its medicines, depending on the wealth of different countries, in order to make drugs more affordable in the developing world. Britain’s biggest drugmaker said on Thursday it would not file patents in low-income states, leaving the way clear for generic companies to make cheap copies of its drugs without fear of being sued. For lower middle-income countries, GSK will seek patents but it aims to strike license deals that allow supplies of generic versions of its medicines for 10 years. These licenses are expected to earn GSK a “small” sales royalty. Together, the moves will cover about 85 countries with a combined population of more than 2 billion. The company will continue to seek full patent protection in high- and upper middle-income countries, as well as members of the Group of 20 major economies, including China, Brazil and India. It is the latest move by the pharmaceuticals industry to address criticism that many new drugs are simply too expensive for billions of people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. GSK Chief Executive Andrew Witty has long been a proponent of improving drug access and the initiative may consolidate his reputation in the field before he steps down as chief executive next year. Raymond Hill, former president of the British Pharmacological Society and visiting professor at Imperial College London, said it was a brave step. “It sets a precedent for other major multinational pharma companies to follow,” he said. The wider industry has increasingly adopted a policy of tiered pricing for poor countries, but the decision to waive patent rights in certain areas goes a step further in opening the door to competition.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A prayer vigil for North Carolina’s politicians and leaders as a show of support for House Bill 2 on Thursday at the Governor’s Executive Mansion. saying that the existence of the commissions, established to create a local anti-discrimination employment policy, was unconstitutional, because it applied to only one county and not the entire state. Attorney Tom Farr, who represented BCBS in the case, says it is garnering attention from constitutional scholars who say it sets a legal precedent. “The Williams case supports the proposition that the N.C. law favors having uniformity statewide in regulation of discriminatory policies (practices),” said Farr. “It is basically saying employees in companies should all be subject to the same rules in employment discrimination, and there should not be carveouts for particular groups in specific areas of the state.” Not on the same page After the ACLU’s lawsuit press conference at the LGBT Center of Raleigh on Monday morning and McCrory’s responses to H.B. 2 hours later at an unrelated groundbreaking event in Clayton, only one thing remains clear: the opposing parties of the lawsuit simply do not see the ramifications of the bill the same way. To Brook, who is representing the plaintiffs, the bill was too hastily passed through the legislative process (it was introduced and passed through both sides of the General Assembly and then signed into law by McCrory in the same day) and represents a clear attack on both in-state and visiting populations of the LGBT community, saying the legislature and McCrory have “targeted transgender North Carolinians with ugly and baseless vitriol that seeks to harm and marginalize an already vulnerable community.”

McCrory, seeming surprised to see press eager to question him on the bill at the unrelated groundbreaking event, blamed the media for showing the bill in an unfavorable light. He reiterated his position that the bill does not take away any rights that existed prior to the Charlotte ordinance’s passage. “From Raleigh to Durham to Chapel Hill and Charlotte – every city and every corporation has the exact same discrimination policy this week as they had two weeks ago,” McCrory said. “There’s a very well-coordinated campaign, a national campaign, which is distorting the truth which is frankly spearing our state in an inaccurate way and which I’m working to correct it. I hope the media starts putting out more accurate information on the facts between a basic, commonsense bill which allows businesses to determine their own restroom and shower and locker room facilities, not government. “I’m proud of us protecting the privacy rights of individuals and not putting burdensome regulations on business,” he later continued. “Let them make the decision, not government make the decision. We have not changed one policy of any business in North Carolina or one policy of any employment status of any city government or county government in North Carolina. I think you need to clearly state that.” To plaintiff Carcano, who is the HIV Project Coordinator at UNC Chapel Hill who works with transgender women directly, his hopes for the case are simple. “What we want you to understand is that we are only searching for a safe space in this world, and our home in North Carolina should be one of them,” he said.

the Sunday SIDELINE REPORT

CAROLINA BASKETBALL

1. Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly: “We’re on schedule” following offseason shoulder surgery. 2. NC State hires former Oklahoma State associate head coach Butch Pierre as men’s basketball assistant. 3. UNC, NC State and ECU baseball all remain in Top 20 on d1baseball.com rankings. 4. Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth return to Martinsville for first time since controversial wreck in Chase. 5. Offensive guard Jared Cohen transfers from UNC to Virginia for final three years of eligibility.

@MattNorlander: “When they say cheating, that’s not true. Cheating, to me, is intentionally doing something.” — Jim Boeheim on NCAA sanctions. @landondonovan: You’re correct, I’m not for equal pay, I’m for fair pay. If #USWMT generate more revenue, they should be paid more.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina forward Kennedy Meeks (3) and guard Joel Berry II (2) walk to Tar Heel locker room at the NRG Stadium in Houston on March 31.

SPORTS CAROLINA HURRICANES

By Brooke Pryor North State Journal OUSTON — Roy Williams’ days with Marcus Paige are H numbered. But just because the North Carolina point guard is out of eligibility doesn’t mean his relationship with

@PanthersMax: Panthers offseason workouts will begin on April 25 — a week later than typical start date due to Super Bowl run. @ArmstrongABC11: Jayson Tatum — Duke recruit — named Gatorade National Player of the Year. Drank an astounding 1543 gallons this season. All blue flavor.

NFL

Norman, Miller perturbed by franchise tag system Panthers cornerback Josh Norman and Broncos linebacker Von Miller are upset with the franchise tag system, according to Bleacher Report. Norman and Miller believe they would have earned more long-term money on the open market after their stellar 2015 seasons.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Five players accuse U.S. Soccer of wage discrimination Alex Morgan and Hope Solo were among five players who filed an action against the U.S. Soccer Federation for wage discrimination. Meanwhile, the Men’s U.S. National Team failed to qualify for the Olympics for a second consecutive time.

PANTHERS

Free agent corner Brandon Boykin signs with Carolina After a four-year career split between the Eagles and Steelers, cornerback Brandon Boykin signed with the Panthers on a one-year, $840,000 contract. Boykin told the Panthers’ official site, “I had offers from other teams, but this was the best opportunity. This is where I wanted to be from the jump.”

Roy’s common thread links past and future

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

New York Rangers forward Eric Staal (12) skates with the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period Thursday at PNC Arena. The Hurricanes won 4-3.

Staal comes up short in Raleigh return By Cory Lavalette North State Journal ALEIGH — With 20.9 R seconds remaining on the clock, Eric Staal faced a new

challenge at PNC Arena: score on an empty net against the Hurricanes. The long-time Hurricanes captain turned New York Rangers center after being moved at the NHL trade deadline was looking to win a faceoff against brother Jordan and score a game-tying goal late in a 4-3 game against his old team. The elder Staal did top his younger brother on the faceoff, but New York was unable to manufacture a quality opportunity to tie the game, giving Carolina a win over its former franchise centerpiece in an emotional Thursday night reunion. Even though he was now a Metropolitan Division adversary wearing an Original Six sweater, Staal was honored by the team and fans of the city he called home since 2003. “It was pretty neat. A lot of emotions, a lot of memories and

things that kind of keep flooding back in that moment,” Staal said following the game. Staal — the Hurricanes leader in just about every imaginable career statistical category — left Raleigh in a Feb. 29 trade that landed Carolina two second-round picks and a prospect from the Rangers, reuniting him with his other brother and New York defenseman Marc. It ended a 13-year run with the franchise that saw him reach the peak of the sport when the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in 2006, but also struggle to live up to a monster contract that made him one of the NHL’s top paid players. A video board tribute from the Hurricanes featured Staal’s most memorable on-ice moments, as well as his greatest hits in the community and with fans and it drew a rousing ovation from all corners of PNC Arena. Hurricanes players, Rangers players and on-ice officials all joined in with the crowd to pause and applaud Staal, who was See STAAL, page B3

his coach ends. Williams’ past friendships have transcended the hardwood, and when Paige leaves, Williams hopes theirs will grow too. “Gosh, I hope so,” Williams said, his voice tinged with emotion but not quite breaking. “I think it will. He’s one of the most incredible young men I’ve ever been around. Marcus Paige has made me a better coach every day. He teaches me something “Marcus Paige has every day. “I think you have an opportunity made me a better to learn from every player, But Mar- coach every day. cus truly has the gift of getting other He teaches me people to follow him. He has that gift. I hope that our relationship only gets something every better and better. I think it will.” day.” Decades ago, Williams was in a similar position with T.C. Roberson Roy Williams (Asheville, N.C.) head coach Buddy Baldwin. Williams was Baldwin’s point guard in the late 1960s, but the two remain good friends. Baldwin estimates he’s seen 141 games at the Smith Center since Williams took over in 2003. When Williams was at Kansas, Baldwin and his wife picked a weekend every year to drive down for a couple of conference games. Health permitting, Williams brings his old friend to the Final Four as well. “It’s one of the things I’m more proud of than anything,” Williams said. “I say that my teams have taken me to seven — and now I can say my teams have taken me to eight Final Fours — and I take my high school coach with me every year. “He was in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. He’s See WILLIAMS, page B8

NEXT ISSUE

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

HANGING WITH DENNIS SMITH NC State had a rough start to the offseason with the departures of Cat Barber to the NBA and Cody and Caleb Martin to transfer. But superstar point guard Dennis Smith Jr., isn’t sweating it. He hung out — literally — with the North State Journal to talk Wolfpack basketball and the pursuit of National Championships. Subscribe at NSJOnline.com

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

NS J beyond the box score

04.03.16

Steve Clifford: Hornets coach named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month after leading Charlotte to franchise-record 13 wins. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr won the award in the Western Conference. Rueben Randle: Former Giants wide receiver signed with NFC East rival Eagles for better opportunity to showcase his talents. Johnny Manziel: Former Browns quarterback spotted partying in Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Manziel, a first-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft, was released by Cleveland in March. D’Angelo Russell: Lakers guard issued an apology for filming leaked video of teammate Nick Young discussing infidelities. DraftKings, FanDuel: Daily Fantasy Sports sites to voluntarily and indefinitely suspend college sports contests. John Schuerholz: Atlanta Braves president stepped down at 75, will move into a new position as the team’s vice chairman. Gracie Gold: Figure skater took first place in short program at World Championships in Boston two years after first Winter Olympics.

POTENT QUOTABLES

SORRY, NOT SORRY

South Carolina’s athletic department was mistakenly received a text message congratulating the team on making the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA said the error was made by a “junior men’s basketball staff member.” Sorry, Gamecocks.

JASEN VINLOVE | USA TODAY SPORTS

“I don’t know if we look at ourselves as Cinderella. I mean, we’re Syracuse. Syracuse senior Trevor Cooney on playing in his second Final Four with the Orange. CHRISTOPHER HANEWINCKE | USA TODAY SPORTS

BEYOND THE ARC

19.8

Percentage of points for North Carolina from three-pointers made this season. The Tar Heels are the only team in the Final Four with less than 33 percent of their points coming from threes. Read more in Brian Geisinger’s article on Page B5.

UCONN CRUSHES

44.8

Average margin of victory for UConn women’s basketball through the first four games in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies are in the Final Four for the ninth straight year and seeking a fourth straight national championship.

AWARDS SEASON

HORNETS SWARMING

BOB DONNAN | USA TODAY SPORTS

Kansas’ Bill Self and Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine were voted AP Coach of the Year and AP Player of the Year, respectively, in Houston prior to the Final Four. Unfortunately, neither made the trip to play in Houston.

BILL STREICHER | USA TODAY SPORTS

The Charlotte Hornets finished 13-3 in March to improve their record to 43-31 and sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. Charlotte is guaranteed to finish above .500 for just the third time since the NBA returned to the Queen City in 2004.

TALE OF THE TAPE

Mighigan State’s Denzel Valentine won the AP Player of the Year on Thursday, barely edging out Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield. The stats prior to the Final Four show Hield was the better scorer, but Valentine affected the game in more ways for the Spartans. DENZEL VALENTINE vs. BUDDY HIELD 19.2 — Points — 25.4 7.5 — Rebounds — 5.7 7.8 — Assists — 2.0 46.2 — Field-Goal Percentage — 50.4

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

CHARLOTTE HORNETS

Hornets’ crunch time five among league’s best By Brian Geisinger North State Journal HE Charlotte Hornets’ T acquisition of Courtney Lee at the NBA trade deadline didn’t

generate many headlines. A simple, low-risk move designed to add perimeter shooting to the roster flew under the radar. But it’s paying off in a massive way, helping Charlotte heat up (248 since falling to a 19-23 record in January) and develop one of the Eastern Conference’s best starting lineups. Since his arrival in Charlotte, Lee, a quintessential low-usage guard who can space defenses with his shooting, has played in 20 games, and logged 346 minutes with the other four starters: Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, Marvin Williams and Cody Zeller. This is already Charlotte’s most heavily played lineup, and Lee didn’t suit up with the team until Feb. 21. Those five players coalesced nicely into a lineup that scored 113.9 points per 100 possessions, which would rank as the No. 1 offense in the NBA this season, according to NBA.com. The Golden State Warriors, as a team, score 112.7 points per 100 possessions. Only two other five-man lineups have a better offensive rating in this period of time. Lee’s strength isn’t driving to the rim. and that’s fine. Coach Steve Clifford prefers to station him in the corner, spreading the floor, ready for catch-and-shoot opportunities. It’s working well with Lee shooting 44.8 percent on threes and every single three coming on an assist. His presence has a trickle-down effect on Charlotte’s team shooting from deep. Since inserting Lee into the lineup, Charlotte connected on 38.8 percent of their threes while making an average of 11.2 deep balls per game, good for third in the league over that timespan. Lee isn’t the only factor in this top-shelf lineup, however. Here are three other reasons the Hornets are dominating: Point-forward play This lineup does an excellent job of leveraging Batum’s combination of size and playmaking. One set in particular involves Batum as the ball handler involved in a double screen set by Zeller and Williams. Off those two screens, Batum, an expert passer, dribbles into the middle of the floor and finds himself with myriad of options for distribution. Williams, after setting his pick, pops beyond the three-point line while Zeller rolls hard to the rim, looking for a quick pass or a lob. On the weak side of the floor, Kemba and Lee are prepped in case Batum decides to look in their direction. Lee spots in the corner as a three-point threat, while Kemba morphs into one of the league’s more dangerous secondary attackers. Batum can also simply kick to Kemba for a three-pointer — per NBA.com, nearly 32 percent of

STAAL from page B1 urged to take a second solo spin to center ice, waving his stick in appreciation. Despite both teams jockeying to reach the playoffs — the Hurricanes denied New York a chance to clinch, while desperately holding on to the slimmest of hopes for themselves — the end result wasn’t the story. “To me, it’s all about Eric,” Carolina head coach Bill Peters said following the win. “I can’t say enough good things about the guy.” The lead-up to the game included Staal coming back to Raleigh early to spend time with his family: his wife, Tanya, has remained at their Raleigh home with the couple’s three sons, Parker, Levi and Finley. Staal admitted in a Tuesday teleconference the trade has made family time scarce. “It was tough,” Staal said. “I’ve got three boys, 6, 4 and 1, and when dad’s not around, it’s different.” His Rangers teammates did try to take off the edge for the pregame skate, allowing Staal to

BILL STREICHER | USA TODAY SPORTS

Charlotte Hornets guard Courtney Lee (1) leaps to save the ball from going out of bounds against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center on March 29. Batum’s passes go to Walker. If that shot is denied, it’s not exactly a win for the defense. Walker now has a defender on his heels, another opponent glued to Lee in the corner, and three others scrambling to recover from the double screen action. An opposing defense must rotate expertly to contain Charlotte’s offense when it’s humming. There’s also the selfish option: Batum can keep the ball and drive the rim or pull up for a midrange jumper. According to NBA. com’s player tracking, 59.2 percent of Batum’s field goals 15-19 feet from the rim have been unassisted (the Frenchman shoots 43.8 percent from this territory). Midrange poetry in the NBA isn’t dead yet. Paint protection This new first five of the Hornets hasn’t been impenetrable defensively, yielding 105.7 points per 100 possessions. An improvement in this metric could be on the horizon, though. Lee and Batum aren’t stoppers, like injured swingman Michael KiddGilchrist, but they are versatile defenders who can guard multiple positions. The big man pairing of Williams and Zeller will never be confused for Tim Duncan and David Robinson, but they are a quality backline for the Hornets’ defense. According to NBA.com’s player tracking, both bigs rank inside the top 20 in field goals defended at the rim. Opponents are shooting only 45 percent against Williams at the hoop — good for fourth in the league, behind

hit the ice first, then shutting the door behind him as he took a lap around the ice. In the stands, Staal’s two oldest sons climbed through the rows with Eric’s father, Henry, keeping one eye on his grandsons and the other on Eric practicing with his new team. “It’s been a lot of mixed emotions,” Henry Staal said during an in-game television interview. “Of course, it’s tough for Jordan and Eric, obviously, but Marc’s pretty excited to have Eric with him. It’s kind of both worlds there. It’s actually been not as bad as we thought it would be.” Cam Ward, now the lone holdover from the 2006 championship team, earned the start for Carolina, and stopped Staal in front for the Rangers’ first shot 6:13 into a lopsided first period that saw the Hurricanes outshoot New York 13-4 and hold a 1-0 lead on rookie Patrick Brown’s first NHL goal. The Rangers rallied, dominating the second en route to a 3-2 lead. But the Hurricanes scored twice in third, including Victor Rask’s power play goal at 9:06 of the period that ended up being

Most Efficient Offensive Lineups Since Feb. 21 (minimum 200 minutes played) 1. Minnesota Timberwolves G. Dieng, Z. LaVine, A. Wiggins, R. Rubio, K. Towns

115.1 points per 100 possessions

2. Oklahoma City Thunder K. Durant, S. Adams, R. Westbrook, S. Ibaka, A. Roberson 114.4 points per 100 possessions 3. Charlotte Hornets N. Batum, K. Walker, C. Zeller, M. Williams, C. Lee

113.9 points per 100 possessions

4. Golden State Warriors A. Bogut, K. Thompson, D. Green, S. Curry, H. Barnes

113.1 points per 100 possessions

Those five players coalesced nicely into a lineup that scored 113.9 points per 100 possessions, which would rank as the No. 1 offense in the NBA this season.

only Rudy Gobert of Utah, Serge Ibaka of Oklahoma City and Andrew Bogut of Golden State — all elite rim protectors. Zeller, who has made strides during his third trip around the NBA, is holding foes to 47.4 percent shooting at the rim. The Hornets have been a top 10 defense every season so far under Steve Clifford; this five-man group should only get better. Back in the mix Lee has logged 60 or more minutes with only one other lineup, and it’s the starting five, but with Al Jefferson (11.6 points per game) in for Zeller. That group, in a smaller sample size, plays at a slower pace but is explosive offensively: 118.7 points per 100 possessions. Of lineups that have logged at least 50 minutes together, that’s Charlotte’s second most prolific offensive bunch this season. Charlotte’s bench has overall been a net positive for Clifford, but after early season success, the

JAMES GUILLORY | USA TODAY SPORTS

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Ron Hainsey (65) checks New York Rangers forward Eric Staal (12) during the third period at PNC Arena on March 31. The Hurricanes won 4-3. the game winner. Staal went scoreless on the night — he has three goals and two assists in his first 15 games since coming to the Rangers — but finished with three shots and three hits and didn’t take it easy on his former teammates. With the Rangers trailing in the third, Staal and Hurricanes

defenseman Ron Hainsey came together twice, the second leading to some post-whistle conversation after Staal delivered a cross-check to Hainsey. But much like Staal’s run in Carolina in recent years, he and his team came up short in a onegoal game at PNC Arena. “It’s a lot of build-up com-

team’s second unit has dragged a tad lately. Jeremy Lin, the Hornets spark plug off the bench who’s dealing with a back injury, struggled shooting the ball, especially from deep. The month of March was sensational for Charlotte; they went 13-3, but it has been mostly rough for Lin. Between Jan.31 and March 17 Lin played in 21 games but shot only 34 percent from the floor, and 30 percent on three-pointers. However, his fortunes may be turning around; in his last three outings, including his heroic performance in victory against the Spurs, Lin’s averaged 16 points, shot 55.4 percent from the field and connected on eight of 13 shots from beyond the arc. It’s another example of a group beginning to peak at the right time and a reminder about the best moves not always being the biggest ones. The Hornets winning the division is not out of the question if they continue to play this well.

ing up to it,” Staal said after the game. “Now we’re only worried about being better the next game and ultimately getting ourselves in the best position for the playoffs.” Carolina, meanwhile, had 84 points after the win and was five behind Philadelphia for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but with only four games remaining to the Flyers’ six. Detroit, with 87 points, is sandwiched between them, just three points ahead of the Hurricanes. The standings make it improbable, but not impossible, for Carolina to reach the postseason this year, which would make it seven straight years the franchise has failed to make the playoffs. Whether they do or not, it will be without the player who defined the Hurricanes in recent seasons. And Thursday was more about Staal than it was chasing a longshot postseason dream. Peters summed up Staal’s time in Carolina best. “He’s done a lot of good things for the organization, done a lot of good things for me as my captain.”

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

B4 JOURNEY TO THE TOURNEY

What a long, strange trip it has been

The Final Four is underway with four teams in Houston. North Carolina, the only No. 1 seed that made the trip, had the shortest trek, while Syracuse, the only double-digit seed in Houston, traveled more than 4,000 miles. The NCAA accommodates higher seeds, hence UNC playing in Raleigh for the opening rounds. Meanwhile, the Orange started in St. Louis before heading to Chicago and Houston. Here’s a look at the total travel by each Final Four team during March Madness:

1 2

Chicago

St. Louis

Philadelphia

Louisville

Anaheim

1 11

Brooklyn

Raleigh

Oklahoma City

Total distances traveled North Carolina Villanova

HOUSTON

2,826

Oklahoma

2,879

Syracuse 0

GRAPHICS BY CECE PASCUAL

1,853

4,344

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

Approximate distance in miles

THE BALL IS TIPPED

DID YOU KNOW?

TBS keeps Vandross on ‘One Shining Moment’ By Brooke Pryor North State Journal OUSTON — The Turner executives heard the H cries and the public outrage and have reinstated Luther Vandross as the “One Shining Moment”

artist of record. After casually mentioning during a conference call March 29 that a new artist would be recording the wonderfully hokey and delightfully cheesy post-tournament anthem, Turner Sports avoided a major/minor crisis and reassured the public Vandross will remain the centerpiece of the final tournament video montage. A 2003 recording of his vocals will accompany the all-encompassing NCAA Tournament highlight montage at the end of the national title game on TBS. But, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the song, recording artist Ne-Yo is debuting his own version to be used for team-centric highlights on the Team Stream coverage on TNT and Tru-TV. When news got out that Vandross may not be doing “One Shining Moment” this year, the players at the Final Four were pretty distraught. They did manage to fight through the difficult emotions to come up with a few replacements. Syracuse’s Michael Gbinije and Tyler Roberson suggested the song be totally revamped by Lil Wayne. “Lil Wayne, that’s interesting,” Roberson said. “I would want to see that too. That’d be different. Lil Wayne, that’d be funny.” Orange freshman Franklin Howard is on board with Lil Wayne and also tossed Future into the mix. Seeing as the Atlanta rapper already recorded a song called “March Madness,” a “One Shining Moment” remake isn’t so far out of the question. Fellow Syracuse freshman Doyin Akintobi-Adeyeye went with some local flavor and said he’d like Houston native Beyonce to put her own mark on the song. And if she showed up to sing the song live after the National Championship? Even better. “I’d be very happy, but I couldn’t show it in front of my teammates because I don’t want them to know,” Akintobi-Adeyeye said. “At some point I’d hopefully be able t o meet her, and say, ‘thank you so much’ or say, ‘how you doing? My name is Doyin.’” UNC’s Stilman White supports Rihanna or Taylor Swift taking the reins while teammate Justin Coleman would love a Chris Brown-Drake duet. But not everybody was on board with picking Vandross’ replacement. Don’t fix something that isn’t broken and whatnot. “I don’t think I would get rid of Luther,” UNC freshman Kenny Williams said. “He’s a great singer. It’s just a tribute to him. I would just stick with Luther.” Tar Heel junior Kennedy Meeks agreed. “That is disrespectful,” said Meeks, shaking his head and leaning over to interrupt teammate Brice Johnson’s own line of questioning to tell him the bad news. “How is he not [singing this year]? I don’t want to hear that. I don’t know what I’ll do, but I’d much rather hear Luther Vandross.” There is no need for Meeks or any other fan of “The Velvet Voice” to worry. The world will be singing right along with Vandross following the National Championship.

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina guard Marcus Paige (5) and forward Brice Johnson (11) take a selfie as they ride a golf cart away from the locker rooms at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Thursday.

Marcus Paige keeps it poppin’ By Brooke Pryor North State Journal OUSTON — Marcus Paige H has been asked a lot of questions in his four years at North

Carolina. He’s gotten inquiries into his prolific second half performances, his relationship with teammate Brice Johnson, his previous shooting woes and his recent resurgence. But Thursday morning, he got a curveball during the first day of Final Four availability. I asked him about popcorn. Leaving a press conference in Chapel Hill before the regional round of the NCAA Tournament in Philadelphia, Paige joked about ties between his home state of Iowa and his passionate love of popcorn. He might’ve been kidding, but it’s only natural that Paige might like to pop a couple kernels occasionally. Iowa is the top producer of corn in the United States, and according to the state’s agricul-

ture department, Iowa farmers harvested 13.3 million acres of the crop in 2014. As a fellow popcorn fanatic, I wanted to know the degree of Paige’s devotion to the snack. Turns out, he’s a pretty big fan, too. “My two weaknesses are double-stuffed Oreos and popcorn,” Paige said. “I don’t know how it started or why.” Sometimes when he’s sitting in his room in Chapel Hill, Johnson sniffs a smell wafting up through the house he shares with Paige and several friends. It’s a strong scent that snakes its way through the house frequently, most often late at night. Johnson shakes his head. It’s just Paige downstairs, popping another bag of Butter Lovers popcorn. “It’s something I notice all the time,” Johnson said. “Every time I look, he’s got it. Sometimes I’ll be sitting in my room and I’ll just smell butter. And I’m like, I al-

“My two weaknesses are double-stuffed Oreos and popcorn. I don’t know how it started or why.” Marcus Paige

ready know who it is. Marcus is eating popcorn. That’s his favorite snack. It’s what he likes to do at night.” Most of the time he just throws a bag in the microwave and a couple of minutes later: heaven. But sometimes Paige switches it up and pulls out a pot, some oil and a bag of kernels for a stovetop special. “It’s easy to just pop a little Butter Lovers in the microwave for two minutes,” he said. “When I’m at home, I sometimes make stovetop popcorn. “My mom [taught me]. You just put it on the stove and then it pops. It’s one of the simpler things. I’m not very good at cooking.”

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

THREE-POINT SHOOTING

The problem with threes at NRG By Brian Geisinger North State Journal HOULD WE BE READY to S experience a power outage at this weekend’s Final Four in

KenPom to the rescue Some will argue that it’s simple randomness that teams struggle shooting in domes, but Ken Pomeroy, the czar of college basketball statistics, published a study last March on this very subject. In it, he concluded that teams, on the average, shot noticeably worse from beyond the arc in NRG Stadium (formerly Reliant Stadium). His sample included a regular season triple-header hosted at the stadium early in the 2002-03

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Oklahoma guard Rashard Odomes (1) shoots a three-pointer during an open practice for the NCAA Final Four at the NRG Stadium.

For these tournament games, though, they’re thrust into a colossal stadium, where issues in depth perception arise.

season, and 12 other tournament games. His research showed that in those 15 games, teams shot a combined 178-of-553 (32.2 percent) from deep. This, as you could probably guess, isn’t very good. All season long, players shoot at baskets in smaller gymnasiums. For these tournament games, though, they’re thrust into a colossal stadium, where issues in depth perception arise. Pomeroy also determined that teams routinely hit fewer threes in these games, based on their season three-point shooting percentage. This is ignoring some context — time, possession, defense — but these 30 teams combined to hit nearly 23 fewer threes than expected.

Three-point shooting totals from the 2015-16 regular season 3,500 3,000

3,154

total pts

2,500 Total points

Houston? Well, unless Beyonce’s coming back to perform in her hometown, I think we’re good (No need to worry, Jim Nantz). However, there could be another type of dimout at NRG Stadium: a black hole of perimeter shooting. Hosting Final Fours in cavernous football stadiums is nothing new. In 1997, Arizona prevented Kentucky from winning backto-back titles when Lute Olson’s club defeated Rick Pitino’s at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, then the home of the Colts. North Carolina was a participant in that year’s Final Four too, losing to Arizona in the national semifinals 66-58 (Dean Smith’s finale at UNC). Initially, these games were played with the basketball floor setup near the stadium’s end zone; temporary seating was then added along one of the long sides of the court. But beginning in 2008, the NCAA started a new layout: the court was moved to the middle of the football field, elevated, and all four sides were filled in with additional bleachers. This has allowed tournament sites to host crowds of over 70,000 people for a single basketball game. It makes sense to maximize the seating capacity of these modern day gladiator coliseums for big events: more people in attendance, more revenue generated. But are these gigantic stadiums, specifically the 71,500-seat dome in Houston, damaging the play on the court?

2,946

2,897

total pts

328

3-pointers made

Oklahoma

2,523

total pts

2,000 1,500 1,000 500 0

307

376

209

3-pointers made

N. Carolina

Syracuse

Villanova

3-pointers made

See NRG, page B8

CECE PASCUAL | KENPOM.COM/NSJ RESEARCH

SYRACUSE

Duke transfer Gbinije not focusing on missed chances By Brooke Pryor North State Journal OUSTON — Syracuse senH ior Michael Gbinije doesn’t think about what-ifs or what-

could-have-beens. Had he stuck to his initial commitment out of high school, he would already have a national championship with Duke. He would already have the ring, banners and trophies Syracuse is chasing this weekend in the Final Four. But sitting in the locker room at NRG Stadium with his Syracuse teammates, Gbinije isn’t thinking about what could’ve happened if he stayed at Duke and didn’t transfer following his freshman season. “I had a lot of people tell me, ‘hey, if you would’ve stayed at Duke, you’d be a national champion right now,’” Gbinije said. “And that could be true. It may not. At that point, transferring was just a better decision for me. I hear comments like that but only I know how I would’ve felt in that situation and I’m still glad I decided to transfer.” There’s no value to looking back. Gbinije can’t change the past, and why would he? He’s the most consistent player Jim Boeheim has right now, averaging a team-best 17.6 points and helping the No. 10-seed Syracuse turn into a big-name Cinderella during their run to the Final Four. The 6-foot-7 forward played sparingly in his only season at Duke, averaging less than two points per game. “I didn’t really know exactly what I wanted out of high

“I had a lot of people tell me, ‘hey, if you would’ve stayed at Duke, you’d be a national champion right now. And that could be true. It may not.” Michael Gbinije

school,” Gbinije said. “I wasn’t ready out of high school. I think sitting and not playing a lot that freshman year just opened up things for me. It made me realize what I need to work on and what I want out of a program.” When Gbinije decided to leave the Blue Devils in spring 2012, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski didn’t place any restrictions on the transfer, allowing him to land at Syracuse, which was set to join the ACC for the 2013-14 season. “We wish Michael the best of luck and we will support him through his impending transfer,” Krzyzewski said in a 2012 release. “He’s a talented player with a solid future ahead of him.” According to ACC rules, players who transfer within conference programs must both sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility. But because Syracuse wasn’t yet in the ACC when he transferred, Gbinije was able to play all three remaining seasons of eligibility for the Orange in the ACC. With Syracuse self-imposing a postseason ban for 2015 as a result of an NCAA investigation into alleged violations within the program, Gbinije sat at home

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Syracuse forward Michael Gbinije (0) speaks the media prior to an NCAA Final Four game at the NRG Stadium in Houston on Thursday. watching his former Blue Devils teammates Marshall Plumlee and Quinn Cook help Duke win the national title against Wisconsin. While he and his Syracuse teammates lack the experience of playing in the Final Four, Gbinije is utilizing his resources and checking in with his old friends to get a preview of the madness. “I’m glad you reminded me,”

Gbinije said, “I need to text Marshall. So as soon as all of this is over, I’m going to make sure I hit him up, just to get a feel, see what his experience was like. Maybe I can learn from that. He’s finished now, so I’ve got to wish him congrats on his career.” And after this weekend, perhaps Plumlee will return the favor and send back a congratulatory message of his own.

Michael Gbinije 17.8 ppg (5th — ACC) 4.4 APG (5th — ACC) 2.0 SPG (1st — ACC)

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

B6 CAROLINA BASKETBALL

UNC shows unity during net cutting By Shawn Krest North State Journal

“It wasn’t for me. I got it for Luke. He didn’t get one. So I went and got one for him.”

HILADELPHIA — They used P special scissors with a gold blade, and one after another, the

Tar Heels learned what it felt like to cut down the nets after earning a spot in the Final Four. Roy Williams knew the feeling, having climbed that ladder before. “It is really special,” he said. “And that’s the reason I even know how many times we’ve done it. This is my eighth time in 28 years as a head coach.” But his players didn’t. Among the Tar Heels in uniform in Philadelphia on Sunday, only Kennedy Meeks had experienced what it felt like to cut down the secondto-last net of the year. As he took the scissors and trimmed away a piece of the home net, he experienced a sense of déjà vu. Probably because he’d just done the same thing at the other end of the floor, not five minutes earlier. The 2015-16 Tar Heels are a loose bunch, crashing press conferences and giggling as they’ve stormed through the postseason. But Meeks wasn’t clowning around as he took a second-helping at the net on Sunday night. Instead, it was the culmination of a selfless player-to-player-to-

Kennedy Meeks

player hockey assist that would have made Dean Smith proud. “It wasn’t for me,” Meeks said of the second strand he clipped from the Wells Fargo Center nets. “I got it for Luke. He didn’t get one. So I went and got one for him.” That would be freshman Luke Maye. The forward didn’t play in the Regional Final win over Notre Dame, was capable of climbing a ladder, had a place in line and claims he cut a strand . Where did the extra strand end up, and why did it disappear? It started with the Tar Heels’ ACC Tournament title. Each player got a piece of the first net in the Verizon Center, while the second net hung from a few slim strands. Williams then sent his scholarship seniors — Paige, Brice Johnson and Joel James — up the ladder to finish the job. There was a supply and demand problem: Three seniors and only two nets. With Paige already wearing the first net on his neck, Johnson and James looked at each other. It was a no-brainer. Johnson, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, had turned in one of the best seasons in school history. He cut the last strand and wore the net like a necklace. James was left out, forced to

BILL STREICHER | USA TODAY SPORTS

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams shows his cut that occurred when cutting down the net after defeating the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the championship game in the East regional of the NCAA Tournament at Wells Fargo Center. North Carolina won 88-74. stuff his trophy case with an oversized ACC tournament sign. When the Tar Heels finished off the Fighting Irish to advance to their first Final Four since 2009, James finally got his chance for a more manageable memento.

But again net economics came into play. James found himself third in line at net number one, hanging by just one strand. Maye was at the head of the line and took the scissors. He See NETS, page B8

NFL

Bryce Williams’ long journey to the NFL By Sean Labar North State Journal INSTON-SALEM, N.C. W — At the end of his senior season at North Davidson High

School, Bryce Williams, then a 190-pound lanky wide receiver, saw his dreams of playing under the shimmering lights of a college football stadium begin to slip away. The letters weren’t coming. The phones weren’t ringing. Williams was teetering toward becoming one of the millions of high school football players who never get a chance at the next level. The NFL was an afterthought. “By the last game of high school, I figured I just wouldn’t play college football” Williams, now a former East Carolina tight end, told the North State Journal. “I’m not one to boast, but I felt like I was good enough. I don’t hold any grudges, but I probably didn’t get the recognition I deserved.” Williams wasn’t the next Randy Moss or Calvin Johnson, but he did post noteworthy performances during his senior campaign at North Davidson. He hauled in 41 passes for 848 yards and 10 touchdowns, was named team

“For me, it won’t be real until it happens, but even then, it will never change who I am or what I do.” Roy Williams

MVP, earned all-conference honors, and picked up an honorable mention from the Winston-Salem Journal’s All-Northwest team. But with no Division I scholarship offers, it looked like his journey to play big-time football might be over before it began. After signing day in 2010, Williams received a phone call from Phil Ratliff, a position coach at Marshall, seeing if he wanted to gain weight and convert to tight end for the Thundering Herd. “At that point, I wasn’t going to pass anything up,” Williams said. “I didn’t care about the distance or where Marshall was. I just wanted that opportunity.” That fall, during the 2010 season, Williams struggled to see the field as a freshman walk-on in the mountains of West Virginia while his brother, Shawn, cemented

himself as a backup kicker 455 miles away at East Carolina. Williams wasn’t getting much playing time at Marshall and began to flirt with the idea of transferring. His entire family attended ECU. Deep down, he bled purple and gold. With the help of Shawn — who made sure his brother’s recruiting tapes got in the right hands — Williams transferred from Marshall after one season to return to his homestate as a walk-on for the Pirates. But the change of scenery didn’t guarantee instant playing time. Williams arrived in Greenville to join an ECU roster laden with explosive, reliable, pass-catching talent thriving under the guidance of offensive guru Lincoln Riley. Justin Hardy, now the FBS all-time receptions leader, was coming off a breakout rookie season where he earned Conference USA All-Freshman team honors. At 6-8, 277 pounds, Justin Jones had cemented himself as the Pirates’ starting tight end. The ECU coaching staff hadn’t decided at the time if Williams would play receiver or tight end, but one thing was for certain: he would need to pay his dues and wait to see the field.

After sitting out the 2012 season, Williams bulked up for the 2013 campaign. The result? He reeled in 20 catches for 220 yards and five touchdowns as a reserve tight end for the Pirates. Like the coals sitting under a bonfire on a crisp Carolina night, Williams only got hotter with time. He had a breakout outing in 2014, getting second-team all-conference honors with four touchdowns and a 13.2 yards per reception average. The attention got him on the short list as one of the best tight ends in the country heading into 2015. Williams’ senior season was setting up as the rare opportunity to actually shift a kid’s dreams into potential reality. “I never tried to think too far ahead,” Williams said about potentially joining the NFL. “But after my junior year, people started talking and I said, ‘wow, this is cool. And then came senior year, I knew that it had to happen.” Williams only helped solidify the talks amongst tight NFL circles with 58 catches for 588 yards and four touchdowns. That resulted in a Senior Bowl invitation, where he impressed scouts enough to get meetings with all

32 teams at the NFL Combine in March. In just five years, a lanky but productive fringe-college prospect morphed into a 260-pound eye-catching, NFL-caliber talent. Most draft analysts have Williams projected in the top-10 of all tight-end prospects for the 2016 Draft, expected to be taken in the fourth or fifth round. The wait from now until the draft is a long one, but nothing compared to how long Williams bided his time waiting for this opportunity. He will train each morning, fine tuning each and every aspect of his game. In the afternoons, he will rally with his high school buddies and head to the local fishing hole. At night, he’ll crash at his parents’ house, trying to maintain a healthy diet while enjoying his mom’s famous meatloaf. If he splurges, he might dive into a country fried steak. As of now, Williams’ life and daily routine mimics the one he had throughout high school. But in a few weeks, the daily grind will likely take a major shift. “For me, it won’t be real until it happens,” Williams said. “But even then, it will never change who I am or what I do.”

Angels Among Us 5K! l a u n n A rd

Supporting brain tumor research at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke

Saturday, April 23, 2016 Run Through the Beautiful Duke Campus angelsamongus.org

Angels

Among Us

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

NC STATE

Johnny Frasier confident heading into first season with NC State By R. Cory Smith North State Journal OHNNY FRASIER had a J year to sit on the sidelines and study everything about

Dave Doeren’s system. He not only learned more about the college level, but also soaked up everything he could from teammates and — most importantly — bulked up. The heralded Princeton running back admittedly came in carrying a few extra pounds as a freshman. After shedding the fat and replacing it with muscle, Frasier now has to learn a new offensive system under Eliah Drinkwitz and is fighting through an injury prior to the Spring Game on April 9. Frasier took time to talk with the North State Journal about his season off, expectations and catching up to the college game. First of all, how are you feeling after missing a few practices with the concussion protocol? It wasn’t really all that bad. I still kept my head in the playbook and talked to the coaches throughout everything. I didn’t get too behind, because they made sure to keep me in the loop. It was like another day at practice every time I talked to them. Will you be ready for the Spring Game? Yes sir. These coaches are amazing. They’ve got me to where I need to be. How has the experience with new offensive coordinator Eli Drinkwitz gone so far? I feel really good about it. There are still some kinks that I need to fix, but I really feel like I’m going to have a great year with him. It’s definitely been a transition so far, but it’s also been an awesome learning experience for me. I think change is going to be a great thing.

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

“I play with a lot more confidence than when I first got here. That’s why I think the coaches trust me more now. When it’s time to play, they can count on me.” Johnny Frasier

What has the transition been like after taking a year off? The transition was really rough at the beginning, I’m not gonna

lie. (Laughs) But once I got the hang of it, things started slowing down. I play with a lot more confidence than when I first got here. That’s why I think the coaches trust me more now. When it’s time to play, they can count on me.

probably the best thing that ever happened to me. I had time to look from the outside in before jumping into my college career. I got time to make sure I’m up to this level instead of going out there and not being able to compete.

How comforting is it to know that you have an experienced back like Matt Dayes sharing that time with you in the backfield?

You got a chance to work with the new quarterbacks more than anyone last year on the scout team. What are your thoughts on their ability to take over the offense?

It’s crazy. Matt has a lot of experience and he doesn’t mind sharing that with me. Everybody is helping everybody, because we want to make the whole team better. There’s still a lot of competition, though, which is bringing out the best in everybody. Do you feel like having that redshirt year helped you grow as a player? Oh, definitely. That was

It’s going to be fun to watch. I think that room in general is stacked with intelligent players ready to lead. Learning from them what they expect out of us is probably one of the most important parts of being ready to go as an offense. Last year wasn’t the season that NC State wanted. What do you expect early on for

NC State running back Johnny Frasier (22) after practice on March 31.

this year’s team? We have a lot of guys ready to step up to the plate and take over roles to make this year’s team better. With so much competition on this team to earn spots, it’s just making us all better. In general, that’s bringing the whole team up. What area do you feel like you’ve shown the most improvement with a season off? Confidence in myself. Knowing that I can play with high-level athletes. Now I feel like I can compete with anyone in the world. Hopefully, during the season, I can show everybody. How much of that had to do with bulking up? (Laughs) Yeah, I came in a little overweight. I slimmed down and turn that fat into muscle. I’m where I need to be now and ready to prove that to everyone.

EAST CAROLINA

Mustache March ends for East Carolina baseball By R. Cory Smith North State Journal REENVILLE, N.C. — Jacob G Wolfe sported a Fu Manchu in ECU’s win over UNC Wilm-

ington. Charlie Yorgen donned a patchy mustache during the victory. It was the final game in “Mustache March” before the trimmers came out. Yorgen and his teammates celebrated the tradition the previous two years, but he wanted second-year skipper Cliff Godwin in on the fun. Coming off a 40-22 season and an AAC Tournament championship during his debut in Greenville, Godwin was more interested in preparing for another season than messing around with a lip sweater. But the coach told Yorgen he would flaunt the fuzz under one condition. “The inspiration for it all was honestly just to get Coach Godwin to grow a mustache,” Yorgen said with a grin. “We had done Mustache March in the past, but we wanted him to get in on it. He told me if I could find a good cause he’d be down.” Yorgen decided on ALS research, a cause that hits close to home for the baseball program. Former ECU coach Keith LeClair, who passed away after a five-year battle with ALS in 2006, guided the program to its first national seed and Regional victory in 2001. ECU’s baseball stadium was later named

Clark-LeClair Stadium in his honor. The cause hits even closer for Godwin, a former player under LeClair before graduating in 2000. He immediately jumped on board. “Charlie came to me with the idea and asked if I was in,” Godwin explained. “I told him, ‘For that, I’m in.’ … Coach LeClair was the man who put East Carolina baseball on the map. So to find a way to honor him while having fun doing so seemed perfect.” Saying the Pirates were growing facial hair for a cause wasn’t enough. Godwin got the fanbase involved in Mustache March, too. The ECU community ended up raising a total of $3,725 throughout the month with all of the proceeds going directly to the ALS Association. Although the total fell short of their initial goal ($8,000), Yorgen still believes anything earned from the annual tradition was a success. “It’s kind of crazy that we ended up raising nearly $4,000 from growing facial hair and looking dumb for a month,” Yorgen said. “It’s definitely an easy thing to do and it gets the fans involved. I’m just glad this ended up bringing attention to a great cause that’s so closely connected to ECU baseball.” Every mustache was different. From handlebars to the closetrimmed mouth brow, each player and coach on the team rocked

MADELINE GRAY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

East Carolina’s Jacob Wolfe (33) high fives his teammates during a game against UNC Wilimington at East Carolina on March 29. The East Carolina Pirates defeated the UNC Wilmington Seahawks 9-6. the look. The best ’stache was Wolfe’s Fu Manchu, a crowd favorite when he toed the rubber. On Thursday, the trimmers were brought out to finally shed the facial hair before taking on No. 15 Houston this weekend in Greenville. After his first experience with Mustache March, Godwin isn’t opposed to continuing the tradition for a good cause. “I don’t know,” Godwin said about donning a mustache agains

next year. “I’m sure Charlie will want to do it again and I think it’s a great thing. It makes me uncomfortable, but the kids enjoyed it, and it’s for a great cause. “If they want to do it again next year, I’m all in.” It was fun while it lasted for the players, but Wolfe noted it was time to go back to a clean look. Not just for him either. “I know my girlfriend’s going to love it.”

B8 NETS from page B6 started toward the ladder, then turned and offered the scissors to the upperclassman. James deferred, waving Maye toward the basket. Maye acquiesced, but had no intention of taking down the net. Instead, he clipped away the smallest of strands. Williams spotted the issue and stepped in to resolve it. He stopped senior walk-on Toby Egbuna from finishing the job and directed him to hand the scissors to James. “Let Joel do it,” Williams said. James climbed the ladder and fi-

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

nally got his net. Egbuna got dibs on the other end of the court, leaving Maye with a strand so short he douldn’t even tie it his hat like the other players. Meeks noticed and urged him back up the ladder a second time. Maye refused, but Meeks wasn’t about to let it drop. So he climbed up himself and snipped Maye a second strand. The Tar Heel chain of generosity made sure that everyone got the keepsake they deserved. All the seniors had their nets. Everyone else on the team got a full strand. In typical Carolina fashion, however, getting anyone

to take credit for the gesture was like pulling teeth. “I got a shorter strand at first, but then I ended up getting one,” Maye said, declining to mention his willingness to sacrifice to get James his net. “I could care less about the net,” James said, when asked about it. “I was just glad to win the ACC Tournament before. Now, I’m glad to go to the Final Four.” It turned out that Meeks was the only one willing to point the assist finger, crediting his teammates for their sacrifice and taking a tiny bit of credit for himself. “I was just being a good friend.”

NRG from page B5

“I could care less about the net.” Joel James

WILLIAMS from page B1 fought and beat cancer three times. He’s had a kidney removed, bladder removed, he’s been back out on the golf course. It’s a thrill for me. I talk to him a heck of a lot more than I should. I’m a pain in the butt talking to him.” Their relationship started on the court, but after so many years, basketball rarely comes up. “We don’t really talk about basketball,” Baldwin said by phone before heading to Houston. “It’s just something we don’t talk about. In fact, I’ll be honest with you, we don’t talk about basketball at any time because I just, I know he’s all wrapped up in it and I know he likes time when he doesn’t want to talk about basketball. Let’s talk about something else. That’s the way it goes a lot.” So the pair mostly talk about the Yankees and their golf games. Every now and then basketball sneaks in. How could it not? With the deaths of close friends, the NCAA investigation and a self-inflicted pressure to give this team a proper sendoff, Williams often confided in his mentor about the stress of it all. And Baldwin can’t help but worry about his friend and former player. “Well, he lost three great friends,” Baldwin said. “His best friend in Chapel Hill lived across the street from him. And that has really, that really hurt Roy and affected Roy. I’ll tell you the thing, the NCAA. They never came out with it. They hurt Roy that way because it allowed people to use it against him in recruiting. “And his knees are really bad right now. He’s going to have to have work done with his knees, probably have to have a replacement. He just had a lot going. Pressure, I think that he put on himself, plus the fact that he wanted these kids to win something so bad. He would talk about that. He wanted them to win something so bad. And when they did, I think it was just like, a big weight off his shoulders. I think it’s great.” Baldwin is understandably protective of Williams. He’s been by his side for nearly 50

Running the numbers I decided to play with the data, but in a slightly different fashion than Pomeroy. First off, I removed the shooting numbers from 2002 and added the results from the 2015 regional final between Duke, the eventual national champion, and Gonzaga (the original study was published the Friday before Duke and Gonzaga played that Sunday). The 2002 data was thrown out because those games were played in the end zone of the stadium that had seating curtained off — not the midcourt setup that seems to give teams so much difficulty. In those 2002 games LSU, Texas A&M, Texas, Seton Hall, Houston and Baylor were 49of-118 (41.5 percent) on threes. With a more shooter-friendly backdrop, these six squads connected from deep at an above-average rate. NRG Stadium has now hosted 13 NCAA Tournament games, dating back to 2008. In those contests, teams have shot a combined 464 three-point field goals and made only 139 of those attempts, which translates to a 30 percent success rate. To quote Pete Campbell, “Not great, Bob!” Despite having a smaller sample to work from, these teams combined to make nearly 33 threepoint fields goals below their expected averages. Numbers like this aren’t insignificant. They have real value, and could leave a mark on championship results. Patrons of the paint UNC is currently No. 1 in the nation in offensive efficiency, scoring 123.1 points per 100 possessions on average (per Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings). Most of North Carolina’s success on offense this season has come from inside the paint, where the Heels attempted (1,781) and made (964) more two-point field goals than anyone in the country. Conversely, UNC struggled from deep (32.1 percent from behind the arc) and made only 209 threes all season, an average of 5.5 makes per game. Their opponents, meanwhile, hit 269 threes against them. It’s rare that you’ll see a team so efficient on offense have such a deficit on the three-point shooting column. This is a team that’s built to dominate from the inside out; it shouldn’t matter what the backdrop behind the goal is for North Carolina. The same, however, can’t be said about some of their opponents, which could be advantage Tar Heels in Houston. Fear the NRG

CHRISTINE T. NGUYEN | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams hugs Marcus Paige (5) during the second half of an NCAA Tournament East Regional championship game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Sunday, March 27. years, and he’s quick to defend him. Paige has filled that role when Baldwin isn’t around, protecting and praising his coach since arriving to play for Williams four years ago. Despite the 43 years of age difference, Baldwin sees a lot of similarities in his relationship with Williams and the PaigeRoy dynamic. “I’ll put it this way, Marcus Paige is one of his favorite players, I can tell you that,” Baldwin said. “All-time favorite. And he was one of my all-time favorites. He was my point guard and very intelligent. “You tell him something, you don’t have to say it but once; very, very competitive. Played hard,”

Baldwin continued. “You go play golf with him, hey, you better bring your A game because he will try to beat you. That’s just the way it is.” Beginning with an annual trip on the last weekend in April, Williams and Baldwin make a point to play golf frequently throughout the offseason. And once he graduates, Paige could join that fraternity — but he’ll have to up his game first. “I took up golf this past summer,” Paige said. “I don’t know if I’m ready to go with coach Williams. I still shank the ball out of play every single time. But I’ll definitely still stay in contact. “I don’t imagine him being a distant part of my life at any point soon.”

“I don’t imagine him being a distant part of my life at any point soon.” Marcus Paige

Villanova (No. 4 in offensive efficiency) has connected on 328 threes in 38 games this season, good for twelfth in the nation. Oklahoma is even more prolific from beyond the arc, ranking No. 3 nationally in three-pointers made (376) and connecting on 42.8 percent of their shots from deep. The Sooners, who rank No. 13 in offensive efficiency, have three players on their roster — Buddy Hield, Jordan Woodard and Isaiah Cousins — that have made 60 or more threes and shoot 42 percent or better from distance. Oklahoma has balance, but Hield’s been a solo wrecking crew this year. The senior averaged 25.4 points per game, shot 50 percent from the field, and made more threes (146) than six Division I teams have. Hield’s an intergalactic hooper, who can seemingly get buckets in all ten dimensions. (By the way, Buddy’s real name is Chavano, which is tremendous, and what I’m pretty sure we should actually be referring to him by). He seems impervious to tricky shooting environments, but it will be interesting to see what happens in Houston. If history is ready to repeat itself, things could get dicey for the sniping Sooners. Syracuse won’t ever be mistaken for an offensive juggernaut, but the Orange, mostly behind the prowess of Michael Gbinije (40 percent), are a quality three-point shooting team as well. Syracuse has made 307 threes this season — good for No. 24 in the nation. Their offense could suffer, but on the flip side, this could make shooting over the top of their patented 2-3 zone even more challenging.

Join us at CAM Raleigh on April 9th, 2016 VIP ($125) starts 6:30pm

Includes Open Bar throughout the evening.

General Admission ($75) starts 7:30pm 2 drink tickets with the option to purchase more.

Event includes local food, art and silent action items!

Music from Raleigh’s Sidecar Social Club.

Visit www.app4art.org to buy tickets today! Benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Wake County

bloom You don’t have to wait until the weather is perfect to add these plants to your life. We talked with The ZEN Succulent, a mother-daughter team, which helps bring bursts of color into your home and office. Continued on page C3

the good life IN A NORTH STATE OF MIND

campus connections

NS J SUNDAY

4.3.16

playlist April 7-17 RiverRun International Film Festival Winston-Salem One of the fastest-growing regional film festivals in the U.S., and a premier film festival in the Southeast, RiverRun is an Academy Award-qualifying film festival showcasing a variety of feature-length and short films from all genres. All regular festival screenings are $12 for adults and $10 for students as well as special matinee prices Monday – Friday before 5:00pm for $6. riverrunfilm.com

April 7 Golden Effects with Beer and Watercolor Workshop Asheville Learn to create luminous effects in skies, water, and golden glows in your landscapes using dark beer and watercolor as your painting medium. Dark beers produced in the Asheville area will be used for warm tones in small paintings. You can also try some other staining liquids like red wine while you create your paintings. No experience necessary. 310art.com/register

PHOTOS BY EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A student passes through the atrium of the Science and Mathematics Building at Meredith College in Raleigh. The 125-year-old women’s college started with just over 200 women and now boasts a student body of around 2,000, including a coeducational graduate program, and is nationally ranked.

Allen leads Meredith toward strong future Strong women set goals. Strong women accept a challenge. Strong women discover themselves. Strong women lead others. By Laura Ashley Lamm North State Journal

EREDITH COLLEGE is a beloved women’s institution, rich in history and strong in traditions. Home to 2,000 students from 40 countries and 19,000 alumnae, it is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. The college has been a pillar in the evolution of same-sex education since 1891 and is now one of the largest private women’s colleges in the United States. With an alumna leading the institution, Meredith is poised to continue the trend and pave the way for women in the generations to come. “We want people to take another look at Meredith. People don’t understand the ways we have evolved and changed over the years and all the ways our brand, Going Strong, is a really authentic truth about us — from finance, to education, to the ways we connect with each other, to our community, and to our campus,” said Meredith College President Jo Allen. “At Meredith, we want to do more of what we do really well,” she added. See CAMPUS, page C6

Trail Magic Festival Bryson City Thru-hikers and casual adventurers gather to celebrate the 2,181+ miles of the Appalachian Trail and support the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. Join in for hiker-themed games, movies, lectures, and prizes. noc.com/events

April 9 Festival of Legends Apex The Festival of Legends is a celebration of the mythic arts and the magic of life itself – for children as well as adults. The natives are magicians and musicians, acrobats and comedians, artists and crafters, proud knights and fairytale creatures. festivaloflegends.com

April 9

Meredith College President Jo Allen poses for a photograph in a stairwell of Johnson Hall in Raleigh, North Carolina, Monday, March 28, 2016. Allen is the first alumna to be president of the 125-year-old women’s college.

FROLIC

Inside

April 8-9

The North Carolina Azalea Festival celebrates Wilmington's art, gardens, and history while giving back through scholarship and community service. We preview the highlights of this distinctly North Carolina festival. See page C4

Sixth Annual Moorefields Spring Wildflower Hike Hillsborough This hike explores the ridges and bottomlands near Seven Mile Creek, one of Orange County’s most significant and undisturbed natural areas. The hike will be led by Milo Pyne, an NC State-trained botanist, senior regional ecologist for NatureServe, and an expert on Piedmont wildflowers. moorefields.org

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

necessities thrive!

history marked

Mastering golf fitness

April 4, 1928 Famous poet, memoirist, educator, dramatist, producer, actress, historian, filmmaker, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Johnson in Winston-Salem. Her prolific life's work included seven autobiographies, three books of essays and several books of poetry.

HE MASTERS Golf Tournament is considered T the official start of the

recreational golf season. North Carolina is home to some of the finest golf courses in the world. For longer drives, lower scores, and fewer injuries, players must develop flexibility, power, muscular endurance, and cardiovascular fitness.

Flexibility Gentle stretching, yoga, or Pilates will help develop 1strength and mobility.

Movements that lengthen hamstrings, open hip joints, and rotate the upper body are best. Mobility drills should be daily, otherwise range of motion begins to decrease rapidly.

Power and Muscular Endurance

Resistance training improves overall muscular endurance as well as power, functional movement, core stability, and shoulder mobility. The foundation of a good program consists of compound exercises such as kettlebell swings, medicine ball wood chops, abdominal and lower back drills that use static holds, lateral bending and torso rotation, and shoulder exercises that take the shoulder joint through a full range of motion. Endurance fibers respond well to doing 15 to 20 repetitions with little rest between sets. Power is developed with six or less reps with one to three minutes between sets.

Cardiovascular Fitness This program should combine a mix of 30-45 3 minutes of steady activity with two short interval workouts. This will enhance your performance with bursts of the golf swing, an increased heart rate from pressure shots, and better recovery for the next swing. Stretching for ten minutes daily, performing resistance training twice a week, and doing a cardio workout for 30-45 minutes three times a week will have you looking and playing your best this year.

April 6, 1917 The United States entered World War I. That summer, Major General Leonard Wood visited Charlotte and chose it as the site for Camp Greene.

Contributors to this section this week include: Will Brinson Samantha Gratton Laura Ashley Lamm Alison Miller Amy Richards Alton Skinner

Tell us

Know a North Carolina story that needs to telling? Drop us a line at features@nsjonline.com.

craftsmanship from field to The explosion of the North Carolina craft brewing industry coupled with a strong interest in locally - grown ingredients has caused farmers to experiment with hops as an additional income source. N.C. currently has approximately 80 small farms growing the crop, and homegrown hops are sure to continue their climb across the state.

the brew

turn the page Nancy Olson 1941-2016

We are suspending our normal book recommendations this week to honor the memory of Nancy Olson, who died on Sunday, March 27. Olson owned Raleigh’s Quail Ridge Books for 29 years where she created community among commerce. It is not an overstatement to say she changed the way we read, ever the champion of small presses and that gem author whom she believed everyone should be enjoying. It was a normal occurrence to hear an author share their gratitude for Olson before a Quail Ridge Books reading event. In 2013, Nancy retired and sold the store to current owner, Lisa Poole. We spoke with Olson’s longtime friend, employee, and current store manager, Sarah Goddin, who shared, “Nancy set the bar by creating a real hub for people who know and love books. She was an inspiration, instilling in all of us a commitment to creating a place of lasting value among timeless literature” A local bookstore remains one of our favorite places to escape, and we are grateful to Olson for her legacy. — Jennifer Wood

Alton Skinner is a health and fitness expert with over two decades of experience training athletes and author of The Golfer’s Stroke Saver Workout.

Voices

just a pinch

VER A DECADE ago, a group of pioneering North Carolinians helped lead the charge to pop the top on the statewide ABV (alcohol by volume) limit. When the legislature acquiesced, it opened the floodgates for one of the most booming businesses and creative cultures in the entire state: craft beer. North Carolina became an epicenter for breweries both large and small, with some kind of brewery claiming a home in nearly every county statewide. Powerhouses like Sierra Nevada and New Belgium all set up shop in the scenic western part of the state while North Carolina-born breweries like Wicked Weed Brewing and NoDa Brewing Company gained national recognition for their outstanding creation of craft beer. For the fourth year in a row, Visit N.C. and the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild joined forces to recognize the impact of the brewing economy by naming April the official North Carolina Beer Month, a statewide month to celebrate the start of a sudsoaked summer in the South. From the nationally-known but locally-brewed Oskar Blues in Brevard all the way down to the Outer Banks Brewing Station, the country’s first wind-powered brewery, North Carolina is

covered with enthusiastic entrepreneurs itching to jump in on the fun. NCBeerMonth.com has a host of opportunities listed to get out and revel in the merriment. Whether it's at N.C. Brews and BBQ festival in Asheville, the Port City Brew Bus tour through Wilmington, or the Raleigh Brewing Company Beer Dinner, there are more than enough events to satisfy everyone's taste. Throughout the month, the North State Journal will help highlight the best breweries, events, and excuses to pretend like it's 5 o'clock somewhere.

the plate “Miss Ora was my grandmother, who lived in Winston-Salem. I believe she fried chicken every single day, and she always cooked fatback with it. It seasoned the chicken, but you got to eat it too, so it was a two-for-one. She passed away several years ago, but it remains my connection to her. I can cook all day long at the restaurant, and I will still go home and fry chicken. It’s my zen moment. Smell evokes powerful memories for people, and the smell of it is just incredible. And then there’s the taste, the crunch, that little dribble of grease down the side of your mouth — it’s like a hug. These days we tend to overcomplicate things, but sometimes simple really is best.” — Stephanie Tyson, Chef

Miss Ora’s Best Fried Chicken in the Entire World Sweet Potatoes, Winston-Salem

Start to finish: 30 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration Servings: 6 1 3-pound chicken, cut into pieces 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon pepper

Rinse and dry chicken pieces. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours (the longer the better). 3-4 slices fatback 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons cornstarch ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper Vegetable oil for frying

Rinse and dry the fatback, then cut into ½-inch pieces.

Combine flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a resealable plastic bag. In batches, add the chicken to the bag, then shake until every piece is covered. Fill a cast-iron skillet halfway with oil and heat to 350 F. After 3 - 4 minutes bring temperature down to 325 F. In batches, add chicken and fatback, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry until chicken is brown on one side, 5-7 minutes, then turn and continue cooking until thickest part of the meat reaches 165 F or above on an instant-read thermometer. Remove and drain on paper towels.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

bloom The ZEN Succulent | Durham

PHOTOS BY LIZ CONDO | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

One of Megan George's terrarium designs made with air plants, dyed reindeer moss, and dried sea fan. Top right, Megan George looks through a tray of succulents to use in a terrarium design. Bottom right, all of the succulent plants George uses in her designs are grown locally by J & C Greenhouses in Raleigh.

By Samantha Gratton North State Journal

HAT STARTED as a fun side project has grown into a business, a book, and a bonding experience for this mother-daughter team. The ZEN Succulent sells succulent plants to people looking for gifts or a little extra home or office décor. Because it is low maintenance greenery, it adds that spark of life and color without all the work. Megan George grew up with plants all over the house and spent time with her grandma in a more rural area, so it felt natural to have things growing around her. After graduating from UNC Greensboro and then going to work in an office environment, she noticed how much her co-workers loved adding plants and bursts of color to the office. This led her to give plants and succulents as gifts, and before long, others wanted one, too. In 2012, the business began and an online shop through Etsy was started. Soon after, Megan quit her job to focus on the business full-time. From the beginning, her mom, Margaret George, has been right there with her. “We’ve always had a close relationship, but this has brought us closer together,” said Megan. “My mom is helping grow a business with me. She gives the support that allows me to take leaps.” Megan focuses on the design for the business and all of the terrarium landscapes, leads workshops, and wrote the book, “Modern Terrarium Studio” to teach others how to create a modern terrarium. Meanwhile, Margaret handles the logistics between shipping orders and scheduling events. But Megan’s favorite part of working with her mom is when they go to craft and maker fairs together. Similar to their days selling Girl Scout cookies when Megan was growing up, they get the chance to work in the booth together and interact with customers side-by-side. After all that goes into the business, from growing their plant selection to sourcing all the materials, the website maintenance, and answering emails—it all culminates at the fair. Megan adds, “Every time I go to maker fairs people say, ‘I wish my mom had a passion for this like I did.’” The ZEN Succulent plans to open a storefront and studio space in downtown Durham later this spring.

Margaret George and her daughter, Megan George, are the co-owners of The ZEN Succulent and creators of modern terrariums.

Upcoming Workshops April 16

April 23

April 24

May 8

Air Plant 101 & Air Plant Terrarium Workshop Durham

Succulent Terrarium Workshop Durham

Air Plant Terrarium Workshop Burlington

Spring Succulent Centerpiece Workshop Durham

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

fro Wednesday

April 6

The 2016 Queen’s Coronation

Port City Marina, 10 Harnett Street At this annual event the Queen is officially crowned the North Carolina Azalea Festival Queen Azalea. Celebrity guests, city officials, board members, and Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Belles are in attendance.

Thursday

Azalea Festival pre

he 2016 Azalea Festival events began back watercolor and culminates this weekend with Queen, Anna Kooiman, joins the ranks of pr Williams and Phylicia Rashad. We grabbed a f her reign. “To be part of the living history of t chosen as Queen Azalea. Former queens, celebrity gue and Frank Sinatra.” A native of Charlotte, Kooiman said, “I’m also looking f my start in local news at WWAY-TV while I was going to c I never did pageants, in fact, I was a tomboy, so wearing and I am happy they chose me. My parents, brother, and will my Australian husband. I jokingly have been calling h

April 7

The Avett Brothers

Belk Main Stage, 411 North Front Street 7 p.m. North Carolina's own The Avett Brothers will be playing on the Belk Main Stage, an outdoor concert venue that is general admission with standing room only. Tickets are $55.

Friday

April 8

After Garden Get Down

Bluewater Grill, 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach 2-5 p.m. This is a fun, dockside get together immediately following the Airlie Luncheon Garden Party. Guests to this free event will enjoy live music by Darryl Murrill & Jazzpel and a special guest appearance by the Queen Azalea herself.

Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour

Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre, 1941 Amphitheatre Dr This tour has been featured in "Southern Living" and is one of the longest-running and most popular garden tours in the South. Profits from the Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour are distributed throughout the community as beautification and horticulture grants; scholarship grants at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and Cape Fear Community College; and also benefit the conservation efforts at Battery Island, a National Audubon Society bird sanctuary. Tickets are $25.

City RockFest Tour

Street Fair & Multicultural Stage, 1 Princess Street 6 p.m. Free live music with Seventh Day Slumber, Decyfer Down, Childen 18:3, Spoken, & Disciple, presented by: McDonalds, McAnderson’s Inc. and the North Carolina Azalea Festival.

Wilmington skyline from the Thomas Rhodes Bridge.

Snoop Dogg with Doug E. Fresh

Belk Main Stage, 411 North Front Street 7 p.m. Snoop Dogg has sold over 35 million albums worldwide and received multiple GRAMMY® nominations. Since 1993, he has released thirteen albums and collaborated with artists across all genres of music. Tickets are $46.50 (standard sales tax and venue fee not included).

Friday Sunday

April 8 - 10

Juried Art Show

Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, 120 S 2nd Street This long-standing North Carolina Azalea Festival tradition features over 100 North Carolina artists and national artists presenting their work at the Annual Juried Spring Art Show and Sale.

North Carolina Azalea Festival Street Fair Downtown Wilmington on Water, Front, and Market Streets

This street fair is a free, family event showcasing over 330 arts and craft vendors, 40 food vendors, 4 stages, and a children’s area.

NED LEARY | FOR

Left, Azalea Belles Julia Boudreau, center, Taylor Sexton, right, and Ra during the Azalea Children’s Tea annual event. Right, dressed as Dorot she heads into the Azalea Children’s Tea annual event.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

olic

eview | Wilmington

in November with the unveiling of Mary Ann Golden’s h a lineup of not to be missed events. This year's Azalea revious Southern style ambassadors including, Esther few moments with Kooiman who shared her thoughts on the N.C. Azalea Festival is why I am most honored to be ests, and performers include Kelly Ripa, Ronald Reagan,

forward to getting back to my old stomping ground. I got college and running varsity track at UNCW. Growing up, a crown will be a new experience for me, but I can't wait d sister-in-law will be there for the festivities all week, as him King Azalea. We are all so pumped.”

R THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Saturday

April 9

Chase Rice with Kane Brown

Belk Main Stage, 411 North Front Street 7 p.m. North Carolina-raised Chase Rice is that rare artist who means what he says and backs it up with equal measure. Rice’s live show is an adrenaline shot of energy as he is influenced by the likes of Garth Brooks and Kenny Chesney. Tickets are $36.50.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival Parade 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The parade route winds through the heart of Historic downtown Wilmington and features floats, marching bands, and entertainment, as well as visiting celebrities, Queen Azalea, her court, and the Azalea Festival Princess. The Parade travels down 3rd Street from Market Street to Bladen Street.

USS North Carolina Battleship's 75th Anniversary Celebration

1:15 p.m. (USS North Carolina Battleship is open 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) The living history crew at the USS North Carolina welcome guests and bring the Battleship to life in WWII attire all to celebrate the 75th Anniversary with a special cake cutting and patriotic music. The Queen and other celebrity guests will make an appearance. Regular admission prices apply.

Fireworks

N. Water Street 9 p.m. A favorite every year, the beautiful Cape Fear River provides the backdrop for the fireworks show.

Saturday Sunday

April 9 - 10

Boxing Tournament

Cape Fear Community College's Schwartz Center, 601 N Front Street

NED LEARY | FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Queen Azalea and celebrity guests have been coming to The North Carolina Azalea Festival Boxing Tournament since 1978. The event showcases some of the finest boxers from the national and international level of competition and from the military branches.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival Coin Show Elks Lodge, 5102 Oleander Drive

More than 30 dealers from several surrounding states are on hand to appraise, buy, sell, and trade coins, currency, and other numismatic items. Children are given free foreign coins to learn about currency and foreign countries.

The North Carolina Azalea Festival Home Tour The North Carolina Azalea Festival Home Tour is an annual event held by the Historic Wilmington Foundation. Proceeds from the Home Tour advance the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s ability to protect and preserve the Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region's historic resources. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 day of.

Sunday

April 10

Festival Finale

PHOTOS BY EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

Left, Bellamy Fountain in the morning light. Right, Adallyn Lankas, 5, of Sneads Ferry, hangs napkin holders on her crown during the Azalea Children’s Tea annual event in Wilmington. Adallyn attended the event with her little sister Cambri, 3, and mom Tori.

achel Chambers, left, all of Wilmington, take a break on the floor thy, Clara Gerganos, 4, of Hampstead, follows the yellow brick road as

Bluewater Grill, 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach 4-8 p.m. The last event of the North Carolina Azalea Festival with Back of the Boat providing the entertainment for this free event.

Some events are free and open to the public, but some are ticketed or by invitation only. Please check ncazaleafestival.org for more information.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

PHOTOS BY EAMON QUEENEY | NORTH STATE JOURNAL

A look towards Heck Fountain and the Belk Dining Hall in the campus quad at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

CAMPUS from page C1 When Allen took the helm of Meredith College in July 2011, she became not only the college’s eighth president, but also the first alumna to serve in this role. An Eastern North Carolina native hailing from LaGrange and a member of the Class of 1980, Allen received her bachelor’s degree in English before moving on to receive her master’s degree from East Carolina University and her doctoral degree from Oklahoma State University, both in English literature. “Meredith has grown and progressed phenomenally since I was a student,” said Allen. “The curriculum is still rigorous and challenging. Extra dynamics have been built in the years since due to our emphasis on experiential learning, study abroad, internships, and undergraduate research.” As part of expanding academic programs, Allen spearheaded the creation of StrongPoints, a signature program designed to help students identify their strengths and discover the ways in which those strengths will shape their academic goals, experiential involvement, financial plans, and choice of career. “With StrongPoints, the real key is that we know women; young women in particular, can be very hard on themselves. They approach every day as a series of things that need to be fixed — everything from body image, to what they are good at learning, to how they see themselves in the community,” said Allen. “We’re flipping that message. We’re telling students from day one, ‘We want to talk about what’s right with you.'” During freshman orientation, students take StrengthsFinder, an assessment used to identify their top five strengths. Those strengths are woven through their four years as a student, from their first meeting with a faculty advisor to their last walk across the stage to receive their diploma. “From the beginning, students are thinking about a career, how to manage their money, and what experiences they want while they are here,” said Allen. “Women need to know the way you feel about yourself; your future and your options really is a dynamic conversation.” In conjunction with launching StrongPoints, Allen guided Meredith toward its new brand initiative, Going Strong, which applauds all that makes women extraordinary. “Strong women have self-confidence. It is not enough to tell women they can be anything they want to be, you have to provide support, education, and a consistent message that the more she does,

Trees bloom outside of the Park Center at Meredith College in Raleigh.

the more likely she is to succeed,” said Allen. “Strong Meredith women have a willingness to be engaged in hard decisions and community issues. Strong women are advocates for standing up for things that are right and true to her. It doesn’t mean we all agree on what those things are, but it means having the confidence, intellectual reasoning, and capacity to understand a good argument and to follow through with logical activities and messages to that.” Eighty-five percent of students that visit Meredith, apply to Meredith. Ninety-three percent of Meredith graduates say they would choose Meredith all over again. More than mere statistics, Allen adds, “Women look at students and graduates of Meredith College and say, ‘That is something special.'”

E EL

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PRESENTED BY

$1,500 Festival Travel Package Want to enjoy the highlights of the Azalea Festival and need a place to stay? Don’t want to drive while you are here…we have that covered too! Visit ncazaleafestival.org/festival-hotel-package/ Or call 910.794.4650 to talk to your personal travel agent

A student passes by Belk Dining Hall in the campus quad at Meredith College in Raleigh.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

№6

Read to me

The Magic Bunk Bed By Tales Untold EDITOR’S NOTE

Stories have power. They amuse, enchant, teach, and transport us to another time and place outside of our own. Each week, we invite you to read with us, and with the people you love, to let your imagination run wild and free.

IVE-YEAR-OLD Miles Fenby likes to focus on the “good things” in life. Things like baseball. Chocolate pudding. And riddles. Miles Fenby loves solving riddles. Ask a class of first graders, “What can you catch but never throw?” Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, Miles will be the first to shout out, “A cold!” Today Miles has a new “good thing” in life to focus on. It has nothing to do with baseball, chocolate or riddles. And everything to do with the ginormous cardboard box his dad just dragged into his bedroom. “Is that what I think it is?” asks Miles, jumping from one foot to the other, like he does when he has to go to the bathroom really, really bad. “You bet it is, big man. Or at least it will be after we put it together.” The “it” in question is Miles’s brand new bed. And it’s not just any new bed but a brand new bunk bed with its own wooden ladder and a mattress way up off the ground. “Let’s get started!” says Dad. “Yay!” shouts Miles, clapping his hands. It takes many, many hours, one lunch and at least two “Daddy” timeouts before Miles’s bed is ready for its trial run. “Wow,” Miles says. The world looks so different from the top of a bunk bed. Miles looks all the way down to where his Dad is seated cross-legged on the floor, his nose buried in the instruction booklet that came in the big box. “Thank you, Dad!” he calls out. “This is great!” “Harumph,” mumbles Dad. “Is something wrong?” asks Miles. “Do you need another timeout?” His dad holds up a small, shiny piece of metal. “Riddle me this, Miles: Where the heck do you think this is supposed to go?” “Can I see?” Miles asks, climbing down from the bunk bed. “Careful, son. One foot after the other.” When Miles is safely on the ground, his dad hands him the extra piece. It’s not quite a screw, not quite a nut or a bolt. But Miles likes the weight and feel of it in his hand.

“See if you can help me find a clue,” Dad says. Miles picks through the pieces of cardboard and plastic wrap scattered all over the bedroom floor. He picks up a small slip of paper with some writing on it. “What does this say, Dad?” His dad squints at the paper. “Inspected by No. 9,” he reads. “What does that mean?” “It means Inspector 9 didn’t do a great job of inspecting your bed, buddy,” Dad says as he goes to throw the mystery piece into the waste basket by Miles’s door. “Wait, Dad! Can I have that?” His Dad shrugs. “I don’t see why not.” Miles is not sure why he asked his Dad for the extra piece. Have you ever been drawn to something without really knowing why? Miles is studying the piece closely, trying to figure just what it’s for, when his very pregnant mother sticks her head through the bedroom door. “Is it safe to come in here?” she asks. Then, before Miles or his dad can answer, she cries out, “Wow, look at your bed, Miles! Good job, Daddy!” “Isn’t it great, Mom?” It’s so nice to see his Mom smiling. This morning she was so sad when she couldn’t find the ring GamGam gave her when Mom was a little girl. Dad said the ring would show up soon, but Mom isn’t so sure. Now she is smiling, her hands rubbing her big, round belly, and Miles is so happy that his new bunk bed is the reason why. That night, his very first in his amazing

new bunk bed, Miles is too excited to sleep. For starters, something odd is happening with the mystery piece from the bunk bed. In the almost-dark glow of the room’s night-light, the piece seems to change shapes as he tosses it from one hand to the other. One time it looks like a coin. Then it looks like a pencil. Then it becomes...why, yes, it looks almost like a key—one of those old-fashioned keys that open the doors to old-fashioned things, like a treasure chest or a castle. He blinks his eyes. Once. Twice. Yes, it’s a key! And to think his dad almost threw it away! That’s when Miles notices something else: a tiny glow coming from a crack in one of the wooden railings of the bunk bed beside his head. By day, that crack had looked like just a knot in the grain of the wood. But now, with that warm glow coming from inside, it’s clear as day what that crack really is: a keyhole! But a keyhole to what? His heart beating faster, his palms sweaty, Miles inserts the key into the keyhole. If he wasn’t there to witness it for himself, he never would have believed what happens next... Find out next week! This is an excerpt from Episode 1 of “Inspector 9,” an original audio tale from Tales Untold. To listen to this complete episode — and other ongoing, episodic audio adventures for children — visit talesuntold.com.

COMING UP in the good life N.C. by the byte

New and exciting businesses pop up every day across the state. We’ll bring you a breakdown of who to watch, where to find them, and why you should care.

Spread your wings

We talk with MaryAnne Gucciardi, Founder and CEO of Dragonwing girlgear, who is investing in women through business, sport, and life.

Virtual reality is here

We step inside The Virtual Reality Learning Experience in Durham for a chat with the co-founder to explore the places VR can take us and learn about the opportunities on the horizon.

North State Journal for Sunday, April 3, 2016

pen & Paper pursuits I reckon . . .

Your guide to whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what, where, why, and how to say it.

Chocowinity

Chocowinity is a town in Beaufort County boasting just over 800 inhabitants and the name comes from the Tuscarora Indians who populated the area long ago. Chocowinity is thought to mean "fish from many waters." When pronouncing, you put the emphasis on chock, as in CHOCK-uh-WINuh-tee is chock full of N.C. goodness.

COLOR AWAY!

This week we bring you two North Carolina symbols of spring to color along with us. Azaleas are blooming everywhere and their shades can vary from white, to pink, to red, and purple. No doubt you've also spotted our state bird, the cardinal swooping through backyards and perching on your windowsill. Remember to share your work with us on social media by using the hashtag #coloraway.

JANRIC CLASSIC SUDOKU

SOLUTIONS TO PUZZLES FROM 3.27.16

ILLUSTRATION FOR THE NORTH STATE JOURNAL | AMY RICHARDS