January 28, 2021

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Volume 47, Number 18

W I N S TO N - S A L E M , N . C .

THURSDAY, January 28, 2021

‘A giant among men’ Victor “Vic” Johnson dies at age 85

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Former educator and longtime member of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education, Victor “Vic” Johnson died last week from complications from COVID-19. Johnson, 85, was recently infected with the virus and was being treated at Forsyth Medical Center when he passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 21.

While most people knew him as a member of the board of education, the legend of Vic Johnson began in 1960. On Feb. 23, 1960, Johnson and ten of his classmates from Winston-Salem Teacher’s College (now Winston-Salem State University), and 10 students from Wake Forest College (now Wake Forest University) staged a sit-in at a local lunch counter downtown. The courage of the students led to desegregation of all lunch counters in the city.

Johnson graduated from Atkins High School and served three years in the U.S. Army before attending Winston-Salem Teacher’s College. After graduating in 1961 with a bachelor’s of science degree in elementary education, Johnson started

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Victor “Vic” Johnson (right) is recognized by Elwood Robinson, Chancellor of Winston-Salem State University during the 60th anniversary of the start of the sit-in movement in downton Winston-Salem. working for the local school system as a teacher at Paisley Middle School while working on a master’s degree in education at N.C. A&T State University. He stayed at Paisley for a decade before moving on to North Forsyth High School in 1971. In 1983 Johnson was named assistant principal at Carver High School, where he stayed until he retired.

Johnson joined the school board in 1996 and served as the representative for District A until 2018. Johnson’s commitment to education and uplifting young people continued through retirement.

He was a regular volunteer at several schools throughout the district and sponsored an annual golf clinic for children who have never played the game.

When discussing the clinic and his passion for uplifting young people with The Chronicle in 2018, Johnson said, “My motto when I left school was ‘enter to learn, go out and serve,’ and that’s what I have tried to do the last 40-some years.” For his service to the community, Johnson was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, one of the most pres-

tigious awards presented by the governor of North Carolina to individuals who have a proven record of “extraordinary service to the state.”

Before presenting Johnson with the award, N.C. House Representative Donny Lambeth said Johnson was dedicated to making life better for people.

“Anyone who has

lived, worked or attended school in Winston-Salem recognizes the name Vic Johnson. Throughout his life, he has served to make life better for the citizens of Forsyth County,” Lambeth said. “His name suits him well – ‘Victor’ – a champion and a hero to many.”

Dozens of people took to social media to send condolences to the Johnson family. Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough, who attended North when Johnson was there, said his former principal was a giant among men.

“Mr. Victor Johnson – A Giant Among Men,” Kimbrough wrote. “He served, led and impacted so many of us. He was my principal at North Forsyth High School. He was my encourager as a young boy and as a seasoned professional. He is the man who taught me how to use the sticks in golf. We are saddened because of his transition; yet I am comforted knowing that he is not with us physically, but always in our hearts as he exists among the other greats spiritually. Yes he was a giant among men.”

For Coach McRae, it’s all about the kids When a coach takes interest in your athletic success, off the field activities, and how well you do in the classroom, you know they truly care about your wellbeing. As a youth football

coach, Juan McRae not only believes in those ideals, he lives them.

McRae has been a youth football coach for nearly two decades. During that time, he has coached for several organizations around the area such as the South Fork Panthers, Kernersville Warriors, Winston-Salem Falcons and the WinstonSalem Steelers.

Football has been a part of McRae’s life since he was eight years old when he began playing Pop Warner. His coaching career began by chance as he was checking out organizations for his son to play in.

“My oldest son was talking about playing flag football, so I tried hangPhoto by Alphonso Abbott Jr. ing around the football McRae enjoys building relationships with his players as much as he enjoys coaching field to see exactly what them.

organization I wanted him to play with, because he wasn’t old enough to play yet,” McRae said about his start in coaching. “I started hanging out at the Falcons field and Scott Walker, league representative of the Winston-Salem Falcons, saw me out there looking and said I should coach, and I didn’t even know the guy at the time.

“So, I reached out to my uncle, who had coached before, and he said he would help me.

Me, him and another guy got us a little flag team with the Falcons, because they already had the kids and everything and that was the year I started.”

His first year coaching was with five- and sixSee McRae on A8

www.wschronicle.com

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BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

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J anuary 28, 2021

WS/FCS installing new virus-fighting air filtration system

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

To help slow the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses, WinstonSalem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) is in the process of installing a new cleaning and filtration system known as Bipolar Ionization at every school in the district.

According to district leaders, the process will provide continuous disinfection. The bipolar ionization process produces positive and negative ions that render any virus inactive. For the process to work, small ionization boxes have been integrated into HVAC systems across the district. Air is drawn into the ionization boxes and moved through a filter before being sent back out as clean air.

WS/FCS is the first district in the state to implement the new air filtration system.

Darrell Walker, WS/ FCS assistant superintendent of operations, said other districts across the state have reached out with questions about the process. He said the filtration system will help fight the spread of COVID-19, as well as other viruses like strains of the flu and the common cold.

“We’ve actually been looking for some processes that we can put in place to make our buildings healthier for some time, not just COVID-19, because we have flu season and allergies and all these things that come along that can create absenteeism with our staff and students,” Walker continued. “A former employee brought this to our attention so we started doing our research and we felt like it was a good way to lead into some support for our classrooms.”

Ionization boxes have been installed in every el-

ementary school in the district and installation will begin in middle and high schools sometime this week. Boxes have been installed in COVID isolation rooms at every school.

The district used funding from its capital project ordinance and Federal CARES funds to complete the project. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners provided an additional $500,000 to complete the installation process.

“I’m really proud of the commitment of those who helped fund this project,” Walker said.

“That’s what made this work. We had support from our board, we’ve had support from our county commissioners and then we’ve utilized some CARES dollars. So we’ve had kind of three different entities feed into this opportunity, so I’m proud of the fact that we had the support to do this.”

Comfort food soothes the soul

BY MARTHA MURPHY

Nationally recognized author Alan Wolfelt once said: “Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.”

Food is shared according to complex social values and structures. With or without words, food is a vehicle for expressing friendship, concern, happiness, and love—as when one gives or receives a Submitted photo box of chocolates on Val- Using bacon purchased from Heritage Farms in Goldsentine’s Day. boro and smoked on site, Arbor Acres Executive Chef In the absence of so- Daryl Schembeck prepares Stuffed Shrimp & Crab. cial connections during its employee benefits pro- to partner with local busithe global pandemic, and gram, provides employees nesses and develop longgiven how the pandemic with a free lunch every term relationships in suphas disrupted food proday. Starting last April, port of “Stay Local, Eat duction systems, people Arbor Acres ordered in Local.” are finding unique ways to After a great deal of special appreciation meals connect to food sources, each week from local res- research, phone calls and especially local ones. A taurants as a thank you to socially distanced site new generation of home employees. From Duck visits, Arbor Acres has cooks is emerging as eviDonuts to The Porch to formalized relationships denced by empty spice Taqueria Luciano’s Food with additional small busiracks and baker’s yeast Truck, employees were nesses. Camino Bakery boxes on grocery store treated to delicious food in Winston-Salem proshelves. options from more than vides baked goods, such One of the anticipated 15 area establishments as cookies and quiche. outcomes of the pandemic as a way to support local San Giuseppe’s Salami will likely be a renewed businesses and show that Co. in Elon supplies cured commitment to supportArbor Acres cared about meats and ham. A variety ing local farmers and food of cheeses are now comthem. producers, a movement Response was so posi- ing from Fading D Farms that has already arrived in tive that the Dining Arts in Salisbury, Goat Lady Winston-Salem. staff started searching for Cheese in Climax, Ashe Recently, the Downways to extend support of County Cheese in West town Winston-Salem local food vendors who Jefferson, and Red Clay Partnership, at the suggescould also contribute to Gourmet Cheese in Wintion of a local bartender, the menu offerings avail- ston-Salem. Pork from started promoting support Heritage Farms in Goldsable to residents. of locally owned businessOne of the first rela- boro, chicken from Joyce es, including restaurants, tionships developed was Farms in Winston-Salem, through the “Take Out with Faith McKnight, and fresh vegetables from Pledge WS” campaign. owner of Sweet Truth Patterson Farms in Mount The partnership is encourBakery & Catering in the Ulla and My Local Greens aging residents to patronThurmond Boston neigh- in Burlington help round ize a local business twice borhood of Winston- out each meal. a week.

In times of uncertainty, Salem, right around the As it turns out, Arbor corner from Arbor Acres. we take comfort in knowAcres in Winston-Salem Faith continues to bake ing that no matter from was ahead of this buyand deliver each week her where it comes, food has local curve when, during specialty “scratch” sea- the power to soothe the the height of the pandemic sonal cakes and pies to the soul. last year, the retirement delight of residents. community’s Dining Arts Martha Murphy is the Based on enthusiastic Department made a comresponses to Faith’s home- marketing arts specialist mitment to support local cooked baked goods, Ar- for Arbor Acres Retirefood vendors and farmers. bor Acres started search- ment Community, www.

Arbor Acres, as part of ing for new opportunities arboracres.org.

T he C hronicle

Bohannon chosen to fill vacant school board seat

BY TEVIN STINSON THE CHRONICLE

Alex Bohannon has been chosen to fill the vacant seat on the WinstonSalem/Forsyth County Schools Board of Education.

Bohannon, a native of Winston-Salem and product of the local school system, was one of eight candidates who applied for the vacant District 1 seat left open by Barbara Burke, who was elected to serve on the Winston-Salem City Council. Other candidates included Chenita Barber Johnson, Amaris Carr, Staci Denton, Robert Durrah, and Morticia “Tee-Tee” Parmon. Two applicants were not considered for the vacancy because they don’t live in District 1.

The number of candidates was narrowed to three ahead of the meeting on Tuesday night, Bohannon, Parmon and Carr, but before long it became clear that it would come down to Bohannon and Parmon.

Before voting, board members had the opportunity to openly discuss their choice for the seat.

Board Chair Malishai Woodbury, who is a Democrat and the only other representative for District 1 on the board, said Parmon would be the best candidate to fill the seat. She said Parmon is a champion for the community who has shown commitment to working across party lines. Parmon filled the vacancy on the council as representative for the Northeast Ward after the death of Councilmember Vivian Burke last year.

Woodbury also discussed Parmon’s efforts to help establish learning centers throughout the community and other work to uplift communities in need. “I truly believe Morticia Parmon could serve on this board, work with every last member in a cooperative, fair-minded

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Alex Bohannon way, and I ask that this board consider my advocacy as a District 1 representative, as someone who lives in District 1,” she said.

Elisabeth Motsinger, who is also a Democrat and the longest serving member on the board, said her vote was for Bohannon. She said Bohannon has shown just as much commitment to the district over the years as some board members and that he would bring a younger voice to the board.

She also mentioned Bohannon had gained the support of longtime board member Victor Johnson, who died last week and supported Bohannan when he ran for the District 1 seat in 2018. Johnson served on the board for more than 20 years.

“Mr. Johnson was an avid and strong supporter of Mr. Bohannon,” Motsinger continued. “Alex will bring our board a younger voice, a male voice. He would be a good model for our young boys … and I with whole heart and absolute support would hope that the board would elect Alex Bohannon to serve with us tonight.”

Although Woodbury’s motion for Parmon did

gain some support from the board, in the end Bohannon was chosen to fill the seat.

Bohannon is a 2017 graduate of Elon University. He currently works as a diversity compliance specialist for the City of Winston-Salem. He unsuccessfully ran for the District 1 seat on the school board in 2018. He finished with 17% of the vote, which was good enough for third behind Burke and Woodbury.

When he was asked about his plans if elected to the board during his campaign, Bohannon said the first order of business would be “to focus intensely on diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

“A lot of times diversity isn’t just about race and ethnicity, it also includes ability, gender and all these other identities,” Bohannon continued.

“With the ability piece, we have to ensure students who learn differently from the majority have as much opportunity to be successful as other children.”

Bohannon is expected to be sworn in during the board work session on Feb. 9.

ATTENTION

CONTRACTORS, SUPPLIERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS! Participation goals have been established to ensure that small businesses owned and controlled by social and economically disadvantaged individuals have an opportunity to participate in transportation-related contracts in Winston-Salem and the surrounding area.

The goals were set under the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program of the U.S. Department of Transportation and will apply to all federally funded transportation contracts for Winston-Salem, the Winston-Salem Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Winston-Salem Transit Authority.

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Stakeholder Meeting Thursday, February 4, 2021 10 a.m. – Noon EST

This meeting will be held using GoToWebinar.

A link to register for the meeting is posted at tinyurl.com/DBEmeeting If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Marlene Davis, DBE Liaison, Title VI Coordinator at 336.747.6875 or marlenedg@cityofws.org

Join an online meeting to learn more about the goals and how you can participate in the DBE program. You can join the meeting on Mac, PC or mobile device.

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T he C hronicle

January 28, 2021

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Habitat Youth Program teaches valuable life skills

BY RACHEL BARRON

At 15, Nigel Knight already knows how to check the fluids and tire pressure of a car. He’s also learning skills like conflict resolution, financial literacy and dining etiquette, thanks to the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) at Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County.

Nigel’s mom, Ikeshia Knight Jordan, said she enrolled him in YEP so that he could learn life skills. “I had to make a lot of mistakes before I learned all these things. I didn’t know about changing the oil in a car until it broke down. This program is giving him a jump-start in life.”

She was especially happy when Nigel proudly demonstrated what he had learned in the dining etiquette class by setting the table and serving her a meal.

Habitat established YEP in November 2019 to help underserved youth learn life skills beyond what they are taught in school. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from BB&T (now Truist), the program is free for participants.

YEP members meet for fun, interactive educational sessions and hear from speakers such as Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough and District Court Judge Denise Hartsfield. They also volunteer at the Second Harvest Food Bank and go on field trips to places such as local college campuses, the International Civil Rights Museum in Greensboro and the N.C. Zoo in Asheboro.

The program is open to students ages 12 to 17.

They come from many different schools, but are all one family when they come to YEP. Nigel said, “It’s fun and you’re learning a lot, too. Everyone is nice there. You don’t have

to worry about anyone talking about you behind your back or bullying.”

YEP was created by George Redd IV, Habitat’s chief program officer. “Some of the youth in the program do not have a safe, stable environment at home,” he said. “We want to show them they matter, are loved, and can achieve greatness. Further, teaching classes on essential skills at an early age gives all of the youth confidence and inspires them to want more out of life. If you can teach a 12 year old the importance of good credit, imagine what they can do with that knowledge. If you can take a group of young Black and brown boys and girls to a college campus and let them see that this place is filled with people that look just like them, imagine the confidence boost they would receive. That is what YEP is all about, empowering our youth.”

Willette Mosby-Reynolds, Habitat’s YEP director, has already planned sessions and volunteer days well into the spring, including a trip to Biltmore Estate in Asheville in late March. The program is actively welcoming new members, she said. Anyone interested can learn more at habitatforsyth.org/ yep.

Mosby-Reynolds, who has years of experience planning education courses for kids and adults, said the YEP program has been especially rewarding. “I like to say that kids are my passion,” she said. “They are so open, so excited about learning new things and making new friends.”

The warm, welcoming environment amazed Tameika Faison and her son Rodney McLean last year.

“Rodney was going to be in a play and he was really excited about it,” Faison recalled. “We don’t have any family near

Winston-Salem Foundation accepting scholarship applications

Submitted photo

Jenkins Auto Service led a workshop on checking automobile fluids and tire pressure. here, and it was really, re- play. Ms. Willette, on less to come! Rodney was SO ally bothering me that they than a week’s notice, got a excited and thankful that wouldn’t be here to see the group together from YEP they came.”

Before YEP, Faison said, Rodney was often quiet and reluctant to speak up in a group. She has been thrilled to see him thrive at YEP and gain new confidence. “I’m just so happy that he is engaging, and that he’s being prepared to deal with different situations in life. I am so very appreciative of the program and wish more youth would participate. With no family nearby, I realize how important it is to have a ‘village.’ There is definitely a village at YEP.” Rodney agrees. “It’s a good program for all the kids to come together and learn a lot of new stuff about life. For me, it’s about learning to be a man, and how to make good choices.”

E R O M T O I G THAN I s g n i sav NED FOR I A G R BA Look for these MVP savings throughout our store every week!

Submitted photo credit Lauren and David Clark

Tyler Greene, who has now graduated college, is a past recipient of the scholarship program.

SUBMITTED ARTICLE

The Winston-Salem Foundation is now accepting applications for its scholarship program for the 20212022 academic year. Deadlines are March 15 for most merit-based scholarships and July 1 for financial needbased scholarships.

The Foundation has more than 130 scholarships and granted $1.2 million last year to students from Forsyth, Davidson, Davie, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, and Yadkin Counties. Students can qualify with a wide range of GPAs and interests and they may be considering attending community colleges, colleges and universities.

To be considered for most scholarships, students must first submit their FAFSA. Students who can’t complete FAFSA (such as non-citizens without a green card or permanent status) can still apply through the scholarship portal.

After submitting FAFSA, students complete the One-Stop Scholarship Application. Students are automatically considered for the scholarships for which they are eligible—with just one application.

For more information and to access the application portal, visit wsfoundation.org/students.

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J anuary 28, 2021

T he C hronicle

OPINION

James Taylor Jr. Publisher Bridget Elam

Managing Editor

Judie Holcomb-Pack

Associate Editor

Timothy Ramsey

Sports Editor/Religion

Tevin Stinson

Senior Reporter

Shayna Smith

Advertising Manager

Deanna Taylor

Office Manager

Our Mission The Chronicle is dedicated to serving the residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County by giving voice to the voiceless, speaking truth to power, standing for integrity and encouraging open communication and lively debate throughout the community

African American Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman performs at inauguration Amanda Gorman was born in Los Angeles and studied sociology at Harvard University.

In 2017, the now 22-year-old became the first national youth poet laureate.

On Wednesday, Jan. 20, Gorman, an African American, was the youngest poet to perform at a presidential inauguration. Reportedly, Dr. Jill Biden selected Gorman to perform during the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Gorman performed alongside Lady Gaga, who sang the national anthem, and Jennifer Lopez. The young poet delivered “The Hill We Climb,” which included lines about the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

“We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, / Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy. / And this effort very nearly succeeded. / But while democracy can be periodically delayed, / It can never be permanently defeated,” Gorman has written.

It is not the first time Gorman has had a national stage. In 2017, she read at the inauguration of the 22nd U.S. poet laureate, Tracy K Smith. She has also performed for Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, Malala Yousafzai, and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“I wasn’t trying to write something in which those events were painted as an irregularity or different from an America that I know,” Gorman told the Los Angeles Times. “America is messy. It is still in its early development of all that we can become. And I have to recognize that in the poem. I cannot ignore that or erase it. And so, I crafted an inaugural poem that recognizes these scars and these wounds. Hopefully, it will move us toward healing them.”

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire senior national correspondent

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Understanding the Constitution To The Editor: Republicans talk about the Constitution like they know what’s in it. They don’t. Most think the Constitution explicitly demands implementation of their political agenda, things like tax breaks for the rich, freedom from masks, special policing for minority areas, and keeping immigrants out of the country. It doesn’t.

There are some things in the Republican platform that the Constitution does speak to, like religious freedom, freedom in the economy (but not a green light to oppress the poor), limited taxation, limited government, and fiscal responsibility. But Republicans haven’t been doing very well with all of this. They are better at talking about freedom than actually providing for it.

The Constitution’s chief aim is to specify who makes the laws and how and when they are to be made. It says the people of the states make most of the laws and Congress makes some of them, all through their elected representatives. The president and the governors are supposed

to implement the laws, not dream them up on a bad hair day and force them on the people.

If it’s any consolation, most Democrats don’t know what’s in the Constitution, either. During the next four years it will be the pleasure of writers like myself to point out a few things about them too.

Kimball Shinkoskey Salt Lake City, UT

Blowback against Councilman Mundy To The Editor: In this country, activists have their point of view and others may hold contrary views. Both are free to express their opinions. Cancel culture should have no home here and should be discouraged, not encouraged.

Mark Skoggard Winston-Salem

The ghostly silence of 400,000 lives lost Rivera Sun Guest Columnist Four hundred lights stretch along the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall. Each represents one thousand people in America who have died of COVID-19. It is only in their absence that we have space to acknowledge the dead there is not enough space beside the pool for that many people to stand. It is only by symbols that we can understand the enormity of what we’ve lost.

If the living marched on D.C. in equal numbers, the sea of people would be as large as the D.C. Women’s March in 2017 or twice the size of the crowd in the iconic photos of Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech during the March On Washington in 1963.

It is difficult to comprehend the silence around these 400,000 deaths.

When 2,977 people died in the 9/11 attacks, the nation mourned and grieved, took off their shoes at airports, invaded two countries, formed new departments of security and surveillance, tossed out half our civil liberties, and posted flags commemorating the lives lost on 9/11 in airports around the nation.

There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of our failure to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Many of us cannot even take the simplest action to respect this tragedy not even wearing a mask to prevent the disease’s spread. Until the memorial of lights along the Reflecting Pool, we had no official mourning from the highest office in the nation.

Why is death by pandemic less worthy of our collective grief than death by terrorism?

There is no foreign nation to falsely accuse and illegally invade this time.

The culprits are ourselves, the lies of politicians, our gullibility, and the propaganda of media outlets. It is painful to think of all the ways we failed our fellow citizens in this crisis.

Can we carve out the social space to regret how some prioritized privileges over the needs of others?

Can we discuss why some of our fellow citizens felt their vacations and shopping were more important than others’ lives? Can we deal with the stark fact that the wealthy and politically powerful insisted upon business as usual, forced the workers back to work, and refused economic relief that would have kept each family safe and sheltered, fed and warm?

Can we bear to think even for just one moment - of 400,000 families who

weep over the absence of a grandmother, ache as they notice the empty chair of a beloved, or sob because their son or daughter was cut down too early in life?

Can we imagine the pain of families who lost two, three or more relatives to this pandemic?

Can we acknowledge the ways Black, brown, and Indigenous peoples have had the heart of their communities carved away, leaving silenced wisdom and missing languagespeakers?

Can we remember the hundreds of thousands still struggling to recover from the disease, wrestling with relief at surviving it and frustration with the exhaustion that lingers in their bodies for months after being discharged from the hospital?

Can we commend the teachers who stood up against hasty school reopenings and honor them for saving thousands of schoolchildren?

Can we offer a minute of silence for each of the 400,000 victims? That is a pregnant thought, as 400,000 minutes equals nine months - nine months of ghostly silence.

We choose, as a nation, who we mourn. These choices are not weighted equally. We have used our national mourning for political gain. We have used grief to drive our country into illegal wars. Mean-

while, we ignore the grief of those whose oppression turns the wheels of our economy. We deem the losses felt by marginalized groups as somehow less worthy than the losses felt by the most privileged in our society. We decide by those weighted scales whose lives deserve acknowledging and whose should be swept into a single statistic that is ignored.

Each life, however, is born with the unalienable right to be seen and heard, honored and treasured, missed and mourned when it is lost. To fail to reckon with the losses our nation has faced from this pandemic is to fail to measure up to our basic humanity.

The dead deserve far more than what we’ve offered them and their families.

These losses will haunt us for centuries to come. We can only hope that in this haunting, we change the ways in which lives are counted or discounted, and souls are lost … or perhaps saved.

Rivera Sun, syndicated

by PeaceVoice, has written numerous books, including “The Dandelion Insurrection.” She is the editor of Nonviolence News and a nationwide trainer in strategy for nonviolent campaigns.

T he C hronicle

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J anuary 28, 2021

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President Biden, thank you for telling us the truth Dr. James B. Ewers Jr.

Guest Columnist

The truth has been missing in the White House for four years. Lies and falsehoods permeated the atmosphere. The previous president and his lie carriers felt in no way tired in giving out misinformation.

They did it on a regular basis and they had no shame. Those misfits spewed out information that damaged our country.

However, we survived the onslaught on our democracy.

Now there is a new

day.

We have a president of the United States of America who is a truthteller. Don’t you think we should take telling the truth for granted? I believe this is a fundamental tenet of America.

The truth has a history.

It has been in our homes, our neighborhoods, our places of worship and our schools. Truth has always been the bright light of decency that has guided us along the way.

Truth has sometimes been sidetracked, but it always comes back stronger than ever.

While temporarily sidelined, it came back on Nov. 3, 2020. On January 20, 2021, it took its place in the White House.

President Biden said, “Our better angels have always prevailed.”

Having a president who will be honest with the American people will be a welcome relief. The road ahead is daunting, but we can be daring because truth and honesty will be with us.

Reports say there are over 418,000 Americans that have passed away from COVID-19. Our fellow Americans have already received over 20 million doses of the vaccine. More people must receive the vaccine if the goal of 100 million doses is to be achieved.

At this moment, it is too early to tell if this goal will be met. We are hopeful.

Having students return to in-person learning within the first 100 days is also another of the administration’s goals. I do think it will be interesting to see

if the environment is safe enough for their return.

The president has already signed more than 20 executive orders. Chief among them are orders to implement more food assistance programs and to enhance the system for sending out stimulus checks.

“We have to act now,” said President Biden prior to signing the orders. He added, “We cannot, will not, let people go hungry.”

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) maximum benefit will be increased by 15%.

As a result, according to reports, a family with three children could receive an increase of $100 per month.

The most recent stimulus checks were simply not enough. The President will ask the Congress for addi-

tional money so that families can get back on their feet.

In the coming days, Senators Shumer and McConnell will have to figure out how to handle the power struggle. While the Democrats have the tiebreaker in the Senate, Republicans have not gone away. For example, Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson is still chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

He said, “I’m still chairman. They haven’t hung my picture in the cloakroom yet, so that’s a good sign I guess.”

The president said, “Politics does not have to be a raging war.” We can all agree that it has been. It is time to turn a new page and to close a dismal chapter.

Amanda Gorman, Na-

tional Youth Poet Laureate, gave a riveting poem entitled “The Hill We Climb” at the Inauguration. She said, “We close the divide because we know to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside.”

Let’s help our president set a new course based upon the truth and high ideals. Ah, the truth!

It’s a beautiful thing.

James B. Ewers Jr., Ed.D., is a former tennis champion at Atkins High School in Winston-Salem and played college tennis at Johnson C. Smith University, where he was all-conference for four years. He is a retired college administrator. He can be reached at overtimefergie.2020@yahoo.com.

Reducing nuclear weapons - feeding two birds with one hand Dr. Tom H. Hastings

Guest Columnist

We are in a moment.

As a new administration takes charge in the U.S., possibilities are opening. Many of our biggest threats and challenges can be met head on and we can solve so much if we insist that our lawmakers act decisively and creatively.

A case in point right now is the global law, into effect just two days after Biden’s inauguration, that outlaws all nuclear weapons on Earth, a law that went into force coincidentally just as the dysfunctional MAGA ancient regime is out and a new administration is in.

What are the possibili-

ties augured by that moment? *The U.S. could begin serious negotiations with Russia to bilaterally reduce nuclear weapons to levels that would no longer threaten all of life on Earth.

This is the natural starting point, as more than 90% of the entire number of nukes in the world are owned by just our two countries. *Dismantling nuclear weapons is expensive and technically challenging, so many jobs would be created. *In the U.S., and in other of the nine nuclear weapons nations, plans of various sorts have been made to “modernize” nuclear arsenals. The hundreds of billions of dollars could be far better spent enhancing our security by constructing a highly decentralized, robust, clean energy system based on solar, wind, low-head

hydro, and other proven technologies.

The work needed to convert from threatening to kill billions of people with illegal weapons to serving all citizens with virtually carbon-free and radioactive-free energy would be massive.

This is an opportune moment to achieve full employment and win-win public-private partnerships for clean prosperity.

Since Russia has some 6,375 nuclear weapons and the U.S. has 5,800, we each can securely dismantle more than 90% of our relative weapons until we are closer to the levels of China (320), France (290), the UK (215), Pakistan (160), and India (150).

Then all nine nuclear nations could negotiate a sensible elimination of every nuclear weapon on Earth, for the immense good of humankind.

The proven path to such a goal is an incremental, build-down approach with rigorous inspections conducted by independent international agencies with guaranteed no-notice access to all facilities. Yes, this is a price to pay, yes, this is a surrender of a small bit of sovereignty, and it’s mutual and egalitarian.

As Ronald Reagan, coached by his adviser on Russia, reminded Mikhail Gorbachev of the old Russian saying when they talked about nukes, “Doveryai, no proveryai, trust but verify.”

This a moment when President Biden and some coalition of lawmakers can demonstrate serious leadership away from the loselose destructive policies of the past, both Republican and Democrat. Bold initiatives without a downside and with many upsides for

all of us are possible.

If one goal is to create many new jobs, the military is the worst place to spend our tax dollars.

Education is the best, by far. Brown University researchers have studied this for years and conclude, “$1 billion in military spending creates approximately 11,200 jobs, compared with 26,700 in education, 16,800 in clean energy, and 17,200 in health care.”

Within the Pentagon budget, converting to dismantling nuclear weapons as opposed to spending on new bombs, new warheads, and new delivery systems would shift spending toward more labor and less war profiteering, and ultimately free up more funds to better support people in the services and veterans.

At each step along the way, growing trust and confidence within

and amongst the nuclear nations would facilitate smoother progress toward these goals of great reduction in the inherent terror associated with nuclear weapons. As Deepak Chopra said, “Nuclear weapons are always in the wrong hands.”

Creating much more public safety, many more jobs, and facilitating radical reductions in carbon releases is possible. Right now. I have hope. The resources are there, and this is a moment for political will to accomplish great things.

Dr. Tom H. Hastings is coördinator of conflict resolution BA/BS degree programs and certificates at Portland State University, PeaceVoice director, and on occasion an expert witness for the defense of civil resisters in court.

The hill we can climb together Winslow Myers Guest Columnist The rhythmic recitation of the firecracker Amanda Gorman at the Inauguration, her words counterpointed by her twirling hands, awoke a pleasant rush of what the Buddhists call sympathetic joy.

Even though Biden followed Obama, January 2021 may be even more of a Black Lives moment. The primary in South Carolina that resuscitated Biden’s candidacy was followed by the crucial wins of Warnock and Ossoff in Georgia, engendered by grueling hard work by Stacey Abrams

and her volunteers.

As a classic white liberal (I’m even OK with calling myself a recovering white supremacist—there, that wasn’t so hard), I lived through the speeches and the tragic assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King.

My awakening was slow and remains unfinished.

I learned a lot reading Jill Lepore’s history of the United States, “These Truths,” in which race becomes the inescapable theme of our whole national project. Black hopes were dashed in phase after phase of hideous reaction on the part of white people threatened by Black equality.

The Black writer who helped me begin to understand race as a white problem was James Baldwin, who urged me to question my white innocence—innocence, a.k.a. denial.

The innocence of not being watched in stores, or not being mistaken for a congressional aide when you are the congressperson yourself, or not feeling mortal threat when a policeman stops your car, or not having to give “the talk” to your children about American bias. The innocence of an institutionalized privilege so profound and all encompassing that it is the invisible taken-for-granted ocean in which we whites swim.

The departure of our bigot-in-chief is one more opportunity to confront our racist past and present. Our story is just not a simple feel-good tale, like Trump’s anodyne propaganda piece “1776”—a perfect example of what Baldwin meant by white innocence. Instead, it is a grand interweaving of love and hope and fear and hypocrisy and unimaginable

cruelty. It begins with our founding fathers’ slave ownership at the same time they wrote that all are created equal, and extends forward to the extremist takeover of the Capitol a few weeks ago. When will we whites start to own up to both the light and the shadow, not just the nice bits?

“Black Lives Matter” is neither an exclusionary nor even a threatening assertion. To insist that it is confirms our devastating innocence—our denial.

As President Kennedy asserted, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable.”

This is not only a political Black Lives moment, but also a moment of flourishing for Black writers and artists. Many new films (“Moonlight,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Thirteenth”), nov-

els, and paintings open a window into the Black soul. Through Black art, we whites can peel away a few layers of our own defensiveness if we’re open to it. I suggest the powerful work by the immensely talented artist Kadir Nelson. His image of a Black man and his children on the beach crystallizes the realizable hope for a postracial society. Amanda Gorman, who wants to be a president as well as a poet, seemed like a Kadir Nelson painting come to vibrant life.

At some point in the not-so-distant future, whites will become the racial minority in the United States. Why is that so terrifying to some of us?

Why must we see it as a win-lose? Black culture, tempered in the fires of slavery and Jim Crow and by myriad forms of rural and urban, Southern and

Northern discrimination, has deeply enriched our national life. In the face of repeated exclusion and abuse, Blacks have chosen to keep faith with the core promises of our Constitution. Their leaders, like the late John Lewis, are therefore in a position to make what Lewis called “good trouble”—holding our collective feet ever closer to the fire of our professed principles.

Ms. Gorman will be of legal age to run for president in 2033. If I’m still around, I would joyfully vote to put myself in her capable hands.

Winslow Myers, syndicated by PeaceVoice, author of “Living Beyond War: A Citizen’s Guide,” serves on the advisory board of the War Preventive Initiative.

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J anuary 28, 2021

T he C hronicle

BUSTA’S PERSON OF THE WEEK

Robbed of his innocence as a child, Barr is now helping others turn their pain into passion

BY BUSTA BROWN FOR THE CHRONICLE

“I truly understand as an adult, how childhood can affect your life as you mature,” said Dr. Marcus Barr. “I can remember at the age of five I was robbed of my innocence and this patterning happened 13 different times.

I really want to be transparent because I’ve come across so many people from the secular world and the church world that have gone through this experience.

“I was molested at the age of five by a family friend, someone that my mother entrusted to stay at our home. I was also physically, mentally and verbally abused by a person my mother entrusted. I later learned that my mother was never aware of the abuse I encountered,” said Dr. Barr.

not allow anyone else to write their journey,” said Barr.

The Twin City native turned the pain of his childhood experiences into a passion to help others overcome their trauma, and become successful mentally, spiritually, and financially. Dr. Barr is the founder/president and CEO of two well-known organizations in WinstonSalem and nationally.

M.B. Ministries, Inc. was founded in 1998 and is an outreach ministry that provides clothes, food, school supplies and more to those who are less fortunate.

Arms Development, Inc., is known for ushering and molding aspiring entrepreneurs into successful careers and business.

“For so long I believed that my calling was to preach in the pulpit, but now I understand that my purpose in life is far great-

reach inside of consciousness to fulfill their purpose on earth,” shared the former pastor.

When you see Dr. Barr today, you’ll see an extremely successful businessman, author and speaker. But most people don’t know about the process it took to get there. He encountered plenty of trials and tribulations along the way. Like so many, during his personal struggles, the church wasn’t a place of comfort and support if your lifestyle didn’t fit the ideal Christian. “I was being judged by the church because they didn’t know what I going through.

They had no idea that as a child, my innocence was taken from me 13 different times. So, as an adult, I felt like the church, my friends and family had turned their backs on me. I nearly lost my mind, Busta,” said Dr. Barr. “

Submitted photo

Dr. Marcus Barr, founder/president and CEO of M.B. Ministries, Inc., and Helping Arms Development, Inc. As Marcus began his school years, he was diagnosed with PTSD and labeled EMH (educable mentally handicapped).

“These categorizations followed me throughout my high school years. During this period of my life, the agony, the pain, the hurt, the distress, the rejection, and the anger that I felt became unbearable. On top of all of that, I was not able to get support from my family because of the religious energy and judgmental behavior. This left me depressed, feeling guilty and ashamed of who I was.

I felt life wasn’t worth living. Therefore, I had suicidal thoughts because I couldn’t measure up to my family’s expectations,” shared Dr. Barr.

“After saying yes to my calling and purpose to the Creator God of all things, I began to pick up the fragment pieces of my life and reprogrammed myself with visualization, meditation, and script writing. That was outside of the norm for the dogma Christianity orthodox religion that I had been taught and indoctrinated in. When I made peace within myself, I stepped down from pastoring and my life transformed due to the self-work. I had a divine encounter with I AM that totally liberated my mind, body and soul.”

Dr. Barr continued, “My assignment now is to help people heal from the inside out, because the nature of God is in the oneness of all of us. Consciousness helps us to shape and master our own reality. It’s time for everyone on the planet to wake up to this true awareness of who they are and

er than the four walls of the church building, which was designed to be a hospital, yet it has become a dictatorship, leaving many in bondage, fear, depressed and poverty. My mandate is to set the captive free, mind, body and soul.

Reaching the brokenhearted, damaged, confused, downtrodden, drugs and alcohol addicted, domestic abused, and sexually molested church people that have been damaged and ultimately cast away. God has sent me as a messenger from the poor house to the White House, teaching others that love heals all.

My mother always taught me to love others and my father trained me to have whatever you want in business and out of life.

His last words to me before he transitioned was, ‘Whatever you do, promise me you’ll obey God,” he shared.

Dr. Marcus Barr has become one of the most sought-after motivational speakers, a life coach, certified Reiki Master and certified Church Planter in the country. Barr has spoken from the pulpit and in the medical field. He was a guest speaker at the AAPC local chapter of Piedmont Professional Coders at Novant Health Conference Center. His message has inspired millions of people around the world, both young and old.

“When people put a stigma on you, they put you in a box. But I teach people that there is something far greater than what someone has labeled you to be. I teach you how to turn your pain into passion and profit, because you deserve all that God has for you. I teach them how to

“The church strips people of their oneness. We’ve given them plenty of money, yet we’re still broke, lost and confused. Enough is enough. It’s time to walk in truth. I went into an extremely dark place and I only had God to rely on and He brought me through it. That’s why I do what I do. I want to be that light to others. I want them to know that they will get through as well,” he said.

Dr. Barr’s resume speaks for itself. In 2019 he received the President’s Volunteer Service Award at the White House in Washington D.C. and the Certificate of Appreciation in recognition of dedication and outstanding service to the great State of North Carolina

by Governor Roy Cooper, also in 2019. He’s on the board of directors for several organizations locally and nationally, including: the honorary chairman of the Small Business Advisory Council in Washington, D.C.; chairman of the board of directors of Pearls United, Inc.; and president of the Society for the Study of African American History in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, just to name a few. He’s currently writing a book and says, “This is a tell-all book about all the things that people want to know about Dr. Barr. I want everybody to get ready, because they have written their story about me, but I’m rewriting the story so I can tell people who I really am. It’s going to show people how to get free,” said Dr. Barr.

My phenomenal Person of the Week is Dr. Marcus Barr: “Where I am, God is. And where God is. I am.”

T he C hronicle

J anuary 28, 2021

I Got My Shot

“As an African American male, I’m well aware of the hesitancy across communities of color about the vaccine. We have researched the vaccine in great detail, and we are confident and assured that the vaccine is safe and effective.”

- Jerome Williams Jr., MD, cardiologist and senior vice president of Novant Health

There are many reasons to get the COVID-19 vaccine. For yourself, your family and your whole community. Do your part. Stop the spread. Start the healing.

Get informed at GotMyShot.com

© Novant Health, Inc. 2021 01/21 • NH-682949W

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McRae From page A1

year-old kids and McRae says he had a lot of fun doing it. By the end of the year, he was bitten by the coaching bug and he was hooked.

“That year was fun, and we did really well,” he said. “We lost a game or two, but we were 6-2 that year. I didn’t know what I was doing, I was all over the place, and that was my first time.

“After that year is when I really fell in love with coaching and started to strategize. Before that year, we didn’t even have a game plan and I didn’t even know about game planning that year.”

McRae has coached several age groups from kindergarteners all the way up to eighth graders. There are different things he enjoys about coaching each age group.

“The little kids teach you patience and say the funniest things,” he continued. “I also enjoy coaching the big boys because with their football knowledge, you can say something and they will do it, but with the little kids you have to demonstrate everything, and you really have to teach them.

“It’s more fun to coach the little kids, because the things we do in practice they don’t know they are working, they think it’s for fun. We set up obstacle courses and little fun drills, but it’s really helping their skills.”

McRae has also won several local titles throughout the years. He even has a state championship on his mantle as well. The excitement he saw from his players made the championships more enjoyable as a coach.

Developing as a coach and mentor has been a goal

Juan McRae has been coaching for 17 years. for McRae since he began coaching. Over his 17 years on the sidelines, he has matured as a coach as well as a role model for his players.

“I definitely have gotten better on how to deal with parents, knowing what to say and how to bring a team together,” he said about his areas of growth. “Personally, I started out doing a lot of yelling, but each year I try to talk to myself and I evaluate myself and see what things I can do better as a coach.”

McRae says he has seen a lot of teams have problems with parents on the sidelines during games; however, he does not have many issues with parents because he has a preseason meeting where his expectations are discussed with the parents on how he would like them to conduct themselves in the stands and practice.

“We communicate with our parents a lot before the season even starts,” he said. “I just lay down the law and let them know what we expect and try to communicate with the parents instead of being dis-

tant with them. We try to do everything as a big family once we are together.

“Even before the season, I tell the parents we are trying to win, but we want the kids to learn as well. I tell them every week that even if we lose, it’s only going to make us better, because we watch film every day. Even in flag, each week we watch film to make sure the kids are getting better and better.”

McRae and his staff pride themselves on how they preach sportsmanship to their players. He does not want his players trashtalking to their opponents and likes when they don’t commit penalties, which shows their discipline.

“I like when other teams say that our team is really disciplined,” he said.

“The discipline is what makes me feel good and I like to hear other coaches say, ‘Man, you got those boys right and they’re disciplined.’ I think those things stand out more than winning.”

Being a positive Black male role model for his players is the biggest benefit that McRae gets out

SECCA seeks guest curator for fall 2021 exhibition SUBMITTED ARTICLE

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is seeking a guest curator for an upcoming project. We are looking for new voices and new perspectives.

Duration: This will be a part-time position with flexible hours, based on the development and implementation of the exhibition. SECCA anticipates an average of ten hours of work per week during the development of the exhibition, and 30 hours per week for two to three weeks of the installation and opening of the exhibition. Additional hours for programming development and implementation may evolve for this project and will result in additional compensation.

Duties: The guest curator will work with the curator of contemporary art to develop an open call, solicit artists and groups to be involved, work with a team to select participants in the exhibition, determine the exhibition checklist, assist with the layout and installation, write label copy for the exhibition, and be present for the opening reception and other events to be decided in conjunction with the rest of SECCA’s staff.

One of the first tasks of the guest curator will be to work with the staff at SECCA to develop a letter of understanding for duties involved, to ensure fair and equitable distribution of labor and resources in the development and implementation of the exhibition.

The Exhibition: SECCA is interested in developing a collaborative exhibition that showcases work being produced in response to the current moment, primarily the onset of and quarantine sur-

rounding COVID-19 and the protests and events surrounding the death of George Floyd and the wider Black Lives Matter movement. As a contemporary art center, it is our obligation to present work that responds to current events. Ideally this exhibition will involve works of art that look back on 2020 and look ahead to the future, with an emphasis on healing and growing.

SECCA does not anticipate that works of art will be borrowed from institutional collections. The guest curator will focus on working directly with artists.

The exhibition will be mounted in SECCA’s Main Gallery, a 6,000 square foot space, with opportunities for other installations in the wider community. We will consider projects that explore the wider range of creative expression, including graphic design, documentary film and photography, and performing arts. It is our hope that the guest curator can help develop a dynamic and democratic open call for submissions and work with artists and creatives who may not have experience with museum spaces. SECCA is open to an organic and evolving installation that changes over the course of the exhibition run, as long as the exhibition features high quality works of art.

SECCA does not anticipate that the exhibition will travel to other organizations or produce a physical catalog. The exhibition run will likely start in November 2021 and run for five to six months, with the exact dates established by the guest curator and curator of contemporary art as the project evolves.

The Candidate: The ideal candidate will be fa-

miliar with the N.C. Triad region (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point), have or be able to develop solid working relationships with community organizations outside of SECCA’s normal reach, and have the ability to identify and analyze the socioeconomic and political issues facing Black and minority communities in the region.

Previous experience with museum exhibitions and a familiarity with SECCA is a plus, but is not required. A degree in art history, studio art, arts administration or museum studies would be beneficial, but is also not required. The position is designed for someone seriously considering a future career in museums and the art world.

Must have reliable transportation for attending meetings at SECCA, meeting with members of the community, and visiting artist studios, although much of the work may be conducted remotely.

Compensation: $5,000 (which represents 20% of the anticipated exhibition budget) Application Process: Resume: 1-2 pages Cover Letter: 1 page, explaining who you are, why you are interested in this position, and some of the skills that you can bring to the table Optional: Samples/ portfolio of previous exhibitions (in PDF format); a curatorial vision statement SECCA is an EOE/ Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer.

Deadline for submission: Friday, February 12, 2021 Applications and further questions can be submitted to Wendy Earle, curator of contemporary Art at SECCA, at wendy. earle@ncdcr.gov.

photo by Alphonso Abbott Jr

of coaching, he said. He knows many of his players look up to him, so he strives to set a positive example every day for his players to emulate.

“That’s the main thing for me and I’ve seen a lot of kids that I have coached take different paths, but I got a couple boys that I used to coach playing for N.C. State and one plays for Winston-Salem State,” he said. “I have coached almost 300 kids, I’m assuming, from then until now.

“I try to keep up with the kids after they leave the program because it’s not all about football, it’s about developing relationships. I have so much film and it makes me feel good when kids call me and tell me they need some film and I have to go through my stuff and make them a copy. Just having that relationship with them after football is over is what it’s all about for me.”

McRae plans to coach for a long time. He says there are goals in the world of coaching he wants to achieve, so he has a long way to go.

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THURSDAY, January 28, 2021

Timothy Ramsey Sports Columnist

Can anyone slow the Alabama championship train?

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

The Alabama Crimson Tide has won the College Football Playoff National Championship. The top ranked Crimson Tide defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes in a blowout by the score of 52-24.

That win gave Nick Saban his seventh national title and his sixth with Alabama. He surpassed former legendary Alabama head coach Paul “Bear” Bryant for most national titles with his latest title.

Saban took over the Alabama program in 2007 and he has been winning ever since. He has turned Tuscaloosa into Titletown and does not look to be slowing down any time soon. There have been teams that have won and have been competitive against Alabama during the Saban era, but Alabama continues to churn out championship after championship.

Undoubtedly, Saban is a great head coach, but in my opinion, he is an even greater recruiter and developer of talent. Yes, he brings in some of the best players from around the country, but his ability to make all the players buy in to the team concept and sacrifice for the greater good is what makes him so good as a coach.

Saban has the uncanny ability to bring in a top 100 player that could probably start anywhere else in the country and convince him to sit for a year or two and then give it their all once they have the opportunity to start.

Most kids of that caliber are looking to play as a freshman, but for some reason they consistently wait their turn to play for Saban.

I doubt this is the last national title Saban will put on his mantle.

High school kids see what he has done at Alabama and they want to be a part of that. Having the opportunity to win a national championship and play on the next level is the dream of every high school football player and Alabama provides both of those opportunities every year.

I saw a stat on ESPN recently that stated that every player that came into the program since Saban took over and has stayed three years has won at least one national championship during that span. That is an amazing statistic for any program.

Other teams such as Florida, LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Ohio State and Clemson have all enjoyed success while See Alabama on B3

Photos by Alphonso Abbott Jr.

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

An early season meeting between undefeated conference foes lived up to the hype. Glenn and Reynolds took the court

last week and it was a tight game throughout. The Bobcats stayed undefeated with a narrow 57-56 victory over the Demons.

These two teams face off again in early February that could help determine the conference champ.

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Max Fitness brings out the best in their clients

BY TIMOTHY RAMSEY THE CHRONICLE

The start of the year brings New Year’s resolutions for many people around the world. If your resolution is to get in shape, Max Fitness may be the place for you.

Founded by Lamont Atwater and Xzavier Varner, Max Fitness gets the most out of their clients by pushing them to the limit.

Atwater and Varner work with clients of all ages, fitness levels and gender.

Their hallmark is the fact they only work one on one with their clients, giving them 100% of their attention during a session.

“The foundation of it began at Parkland High School where I coached and it was an idea that was thrown out there by my best friend, so me and him got an LLC for the name,” Atwater said about the beginnings of Max Fitness. “From there, I ran with what I knew and a lot of my guys from the team kind of pushed the name to where it is now, because they were like the foundation and the start of things.”

Atwater and Varner began conversing about the idea five years ago. The

him the “go ahead” to start working with some of the players from the team.

“Xzavier played at Greensboro College and I played a little bit at Winston-Salem State and we put our minds together and we worked those guys,” Atwater said about his first group of players. “It wasn’t your regular three sets of 10 on the bench, we were doing 10 sets of 10 with a superset of pushups, so we were double-stacking on every body part that we could think of.

“The results showed with the guys over there at Parkland. Their body stature changed a lot. We took 115-pound kids and turned them into 220-pound linebackers and safeties.”

Varner and Atwater combine to make a perfect team. Atwater says his programs are tailor-made for athletes, while Varner’s specialty is physique and fitness.

“It’s really made for Submitted photo athletes on my end alone, Max Fitness prefers to work one on one with their cli- Xzavier too, but he did ents. physique competitions, pair hit their stride less the first crop of clients that so he knows more about than two years later with showed Varner and Atwa- losing body fat and meal players from the Parkland ter their program produces planning than I do,” he football team. Former results. said. “A lot of our stuff is According to Atwa- tailor-made towards athplayers Lee Kpogba, Julian Monell, Kendal Dean ter, former Mustang head letes, whether it’s males or and Elvin De La Rosa were coach Martin Samek gave females.”

Working with their clients individually is what Atwater feels makes their program different than others. He says the individual attention they are able to give their clients allows them to focus, getting the desired results quicker.

“We are going to give all our energy and time to you alone,” he stated. “It’s not a group thing, unless you really, really prefer a group setting. They need to be ready to do a lot of reps and have your mindset on being motivated. Anything we would have them do, we have already done it, so we know that it’s possible.”

The focus of the workouts with Atwater and Varner is strength and conditioning. The pair work together to get the best out of their clients. “It’s like a split thing that me and Xzavier do,” Atwater continued.

At this point in time, women make up the majority of clients for Max Fitness, said Atwater. He says women come in ready to work more often than the men. From his experience, women are able to humble themselves easier than men, more often than See Fitness on B3

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January 28, 2021

Elder Richard Wayne Wood

The C hronicle

Lead us to unity: A plea to America’s Christian churches

BY KEITH MAGEE

Sunday School Lesson

Prophesying Daughters Scriptures: Luke 2:36-38, Acts 2:16-21, 21:8-9 By the end of this lesson, we will: *Examine how God called and empowered women to proclaim His message; *Affirm contributions of godly women to the church’s mission; *Advocate for greater recognition of God-called women in church.

Background: A prophetess in biblical times referred to a woman who spoke God’s Word as a teacher of the Old Testament. The Old Testament mentions three women who prophesied: Miriam, Deborah and Huldah. Rabbinical tradition also regarded Sarah, Hannah, Abigail and Esther as prophetesses. In the New Testament the daughters of Phillip prophesied, but were not given titles of prophetess as was Anna.

In the lesson Jewish ceremonial obligations - the redemption of the firstborn and the purification of the mother - are how Joseph and Mary meet Simeon (most recognized) and Anna.

Lesson: Anna is the only woman whose name was given in the lesson. She is the daughter of Phanuel, whose name means “face of God,” and is of the tribe of Asher. She is said to be of “great age,” either 84 or 105. If she married at 14 (general marital age for Jewish girls) and was wed seven years before her husband’s death and widowed at 84 years, then the “great age” is 105. (The UMI Annual Commentary 2020-2021, The MacArthur Study Bible, The Jesus Bible, The New Interpreter’s Study Bible, The Tony Evans Study Bible, and The Oxford Bible Commentary). Anna’s singleminded devotion to God, “She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day,” is an emblem of her piety (verses 36-37). Simon and Anna both met or saw Jesus. Simon thanked God and said he was ready to die after seeing Jesus, but Anna immediately “At that very moment …” after thanking God, announced to everyone who was looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem that the Messiah had come. She recognized Jesus as Israel’s rescuer. Her knowledge of the prophecies of the Messiah undoubtedly came from her years in the temple hearing the scriptures read aloud.

Since she never left the temple, she must have had living quarters on the temple grounds.

Peter cites Joel 2:28-32 (3:1-2 in the Jewish Bible).

Joel says there is a glorious future for the faithful and it would include men and women, male and female slaves (servants) (verse 16). Peter sees the outpouring of the Spirit as the beginning of the last days marked by Joel’s prophecy and cosmic signs (verses 19-20). The inclusiveness is what we note here. The outpouring of God’s Spirit would come on the young and the old, on men and women alike as a sign of God’s commitment to deliver those who call on the name of the Lord. Since prophecy, dreams and visions were three recognized ways in which human beings received communication with God, He will once again after 400 years of silence reveal himself to people. This time not just through prophets and apostles.

Philip in the last portion of the lesson “which was one of the seven …” who we call deacons, was not a deacon as the office is today. They were evangelists and elders. Never were they referred to as deacons – that office came later. So, Philip the evangelist had four daughters. Virgins (unmarried) may be an indication that they had been called by God for special ministry: “… four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy” (verse 9). Note that the gift of prophecy was given by the Spirit without gender distinction. Women were restricted from the office of elder, overseer or pastor, but the Spirit distributes spiritual gifts without regard to gender, age or social status. Among the followers of Jesus, women would now See Prophesy on B3

From Monday’s national Martin Luther King Day and Wednesday’s inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, our country remains woefully divided.

On Jan. 6, even as they hid from the mob laying siege to the Capitol, the chasms between our lawmakers reflected those in our society: they were split into mask wearers and mask refusers; those who saw a domestic terror attack and those who saw a patriotic protest; those who feared for the very future of America and those who refused to condemn the president who had incited the violence. Many terrified lawmakers sought comfort in their faith. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester was heard praying for her colleagues and for all those who were trying to protect them from the marauding thugs. Some of those thugs were carrying signs bearing Christian symbols and phrases.

The motto of our democracy, once admired the world over, is ‘In God We Trust.’ How tragic, then, that the tensions that have been threatening to overwhelm us for so long exploded in an assault on the seat of the power of the people. Where, you may ask, is our belief in the God in whom we trust now?

Many faith leaders are grappling with how to convey the message of Jesus Christ in these turbulent times.

But before we can even begin to rise again, we must overcome a major obstacle in our path – a divided gospel.

The Capitol riot was led by white supremacists whose racist ideology is deeply embedded in how the assailants understand God, practice Christianity, and see humanity, and has been for centuries. The leaders of the white Evangelical Church of America, whose members have twice voted overwhelmingly for Trump, have often been shockingly silent while that president fanned the flames of hate among their own believers. That same church must now be responsible for speaking out to counter white extremist mob violence and terrorism: ‘If your brother is in a fault, let those of you who are spiritual restore him.’ (Galatians 6:1). Only then will the white Evangelical Church be able to play the vital role we need it to play in healing America’s soul.

For their part, Black Christian church leaders have sometimes struggled to find the words to calm and comfort their angry, frightened congregations, worried that their lives do not matter to those sworn to protect them. Black Christian leaders must now also preach forgiveness and love.

I’m not saying that this will be easy. But, in the midst of so much resentment, fear, and hurt, when I sit still with myself and ask, “What does God require me to do in this moment?”, the answer is always the same: love thy neighbor as yourself.

Even if they disagree with you. Even

Keith Magee

Submitted photo

if you find their behavior despicable.

Our fear of the ‘other’ cannot be allowed to win out over this call to love. Jesus chose his words carefully so that they would count the most when we are angry and terrified.

His message of love counts the most when we are tempted to turn inward, but should instead be reaching out.

American Christians, whether they live in Black, brown, or white skin, all believe in the same Jesus.

We all share the core values of love and peace. I stand in the hope that Christianity and its love for all humankind – ‘neither Jew nor Gentile, bond nor free’ – can truly be one of the tools to make our country whole.

I pray that our Black and white Christian churches will now work together to find common ground; they must model the path to unity so that every American citizen can aspire to follow it.

The starting place on that journey is not race but our shared humanity. All the world’s major religions are based on the tenant of love – this cannot be mere coincidence.

Now the whole American Christian church must own this message and act in the spirit of Christ, guided by the light that represents the good in all of us.

The first step toward each other is to convene inter-religious faith leaders across denominations, along with Black and white Christian ministers, to seek answers to key questions. What can we as believers contribute to democracy, to strengthen it and nurture it, and use it for the common good? How can we banish a lack of civility toward those we see as ‘other’? How can we, as people of faith, rebuild our nation?

As leaders, we should then collectively draw up a Unity Charter, based on a message of love that we can deliver to our local congregations in churches, synagogues, mosques, or parks – wherever people meet to pray.

Finally, we should create a model Citizens’ Council – a diverse council of believers who look like America.

Followers should gather to talk to each other, to listen and really hear each other, to strip away the ‘other-

ness’ and reach out to each other’s souls.

Then, perhaps, we will realize how many things unite us. As for polarizing issues, maybe we will finally choose to disagree without being disagreeable, with tolerance and understanding.

Perhaps as citizens we will learn that no one is outside the perimeters of God. Perhaps we will even attend each other’s places of worship, pray there together, and let the Holy Spirit touch our hearts. Perhaps, with Jesus’ help, we will forgive each other, as God forgives us all.

This is not ‘Kumbayah’-style wishful thinking. We can do this.

The great Dr. Martin Luther King, whose birthday we just celebrated, showed us the way. The civil rights movement he led drew on the love and support of imams and rabbis, Catholic and Orthodox priests, Unitarians and Muslims, Baptists and Hindus, atheists and Quakers. They too were galvanized to act in unison because there were some racist Americans who lacked civility.

Dr. King also denounced all violent protests and acts of retaliation.

As we perch precariously on this powder keg of Donald Trump’s making, we must all unreservedly exhort our congregations to do the same.

My mother, the journalist Dr. Barbara Reynolds, once interviewed Dr. King’s bereaved father. His son had been assassinated by a white man. Six years later, a white man walked into Ebenezer Church during a service and murdered his wife. My mother asked King Senior, “Which one do you hate the most? The Black man or the white man?” He replied, “I will never stoop low enough to hate either. I have the strength to love both.”

As we face this critical point in our history, there may be much that appears to divide us, but I firmly believe that the defining moments in our overcoming of hate will be drawn from what is written with love in our hearts.

For especially in times like these, if the gospel cannot unite first the Black and white Christian churches and then we, the people, then what can? In God we must trust.

Keith Magee is the author of the forthcoming “Prophet Justice: Essays and Reflections on Race, Religion and Politics,” scheduled to be released on Jan. 26. He is a public theologian, public intellectual, political advisor and social justice scholar. He is chair and professor of social justice at Newcastle University and senior fellow in culture and justice at the University College London. He founded The Social Justice Institute in 2014, while in post at Boston University, which remains the hub for his independent work and research. He is also the lead pastor at The Berachah Church – which has a global virtual presence.

For more information, visit http:// www.4justicesake.org/propheticnew-products.

RELIGION CALENDAR

*Please call ahead to make sure your event is still happening. We will post cancellations/postponements announcements when received.

Thursdays and Saturdays Free Meals Christ Rescue Temple Church, 1500 North Dunleith Ave., will serve hot meals as part of the People Helping People Feeding Program. Meals will be served every Thursday and Saturday from noon until 1 p.m. at the church’s location. For more information, call 336-7229841.

NOW Zoom services New Birth Worship Center (NBWC) in East Bend has gone virtual. Please join Dr. James L. E. Hunt, Senior Pastor on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m. on Zoom webinar. The link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84789021891 or Dial-In: 1 301 715 8592 ID Mtg. #: 84789021891.

In addition, Sunday School is taught by Deacon James Henry at 9 a.m. via telephone conference call #: 1 917

900 1022 ID#: 868433#.

All are welcome to join us for Zoom (virtual) Bible Study on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. Our Pastor, Dr. Hunt, will be the teacher. The Zoom Link: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/89195349778 or Dial-In Mtg #: 1 301 715 8592 ID#: 89195349778#.

For additional information, please call 336-6993583 or visitwww.newbirthworshipcenter.org or visit our Facebook page.

Jan. 31 First Waughtown Baptist Church Live stream Senior Pastor Dr. Dennis W. Bishop will deliver part five of the series “Suggestions on How to Survive a Storm” at 10 a.m. Sunday, January 31. The foundation scripture is Acts 27:29-32. You can find the service on Facebook Live, https://www.facebook.com/ FirstWaughtown/ and on the First Waughtown website, https://www.firstwaughtown.org. Click on the opening pop-up or the Virtual Messages link on the homepage.

In observance of Fifth Sunday Family and Friends Day, you’re encouraged to invite others to worship with

us or host your own Watch Party.

Jan. 31 Forsyth County Missionary Union meeting The Forsyth County Missionary Union has rescheduled their first monthly meeting and service of the year to January 31 at 3 p.m. An agenda will be sent out prior to the meeting. As a reminder the meeting will be virtual and the host church will be New Bethel Baptist Church of Winston Salem. Dr. Kendall Jones is senior pastor.

How to submit items to the Religion calendar: The deadline is Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to have all calendar items submitted for that week’s paper. Send your calendar items to news@wschronicle.com. You can also drop them off, Monday through Friday before 5 p.m., or mail your items to Winston-Salem Chronicle, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101; or send them via our website, www.wschronicle.com.

T he C hronicle

January 28, 2021

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Alabama

Community Calendar Please call ahead to make sure your event is still happening. We will post cancellations/postponements announcements when received.

NOW – Volunteer Center of the Triad The Volunteer Center of the Triad is responding to COVID-19 by bringing the volunteer community together. We have designated a portion of our website www.volunteercentertriad.org to assist our non-profit community as their needs arise around the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you are interested in volunteering, visit www. volunteercentertriad.org, click COVID-19 Response and search volunteer opportunities available.

Feb. 3 Virtual discussion Wake Forest University, New Museum’s NEW INC in New York City, and more than a dozen local businesses and organizations, are engaging in a unique year-long partnership under the banner “IdeasCity Winston-Salem.” IdeasCityWS will host “Scale” a Beta Bonfire discussion on scaling a business and the process of helping ideas grow, on Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 5 p.m.

For more information about IdeasCityWS and to access a recording of the first Beta Bonfire on rethinking norms, visit https://ideascity.events. wfu.edu.

Feb. 12 Application deadline The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is seeking a guest curator for an upcoming project. We are looking for new voices and new perspectives.

The guest curator will work with the Curator of Contemporary Art to develop an open call, solicit artists and groups to be involved, work with a team to select participants in the exhibition, determine the exhibition checklist, assist with the layout and installation, write label copy for the exhibition, and be present for the opening reception and other events to be decided in conjunction

Fitness

From page B1

not.

“Right now, mostly women gravitate towards us, because they are the ones that really want to work hard,” he said. “It’s really kind of hard to crack the ego of a man, but the women just come in and go with it. My mom was one of my first clients and she did a 180-degree turnaround.”

When they accept a new client, Atwater and Varner sit down with them to find out what their fitness goals are and formulate a course of action to reach that goal. “We sit down and find out what they are allergic to and what injuries you have suffered in the past,” Atwater continued.

“We are definitely geared towards figuring out the person first and then moving along with the workout. If you want to come out day one and just jump in, we have something for you, but we like to know your weaknesses first, so we can gear the workouts to strengthening those areas first.”

with the rest of SECCA’s staff.

The ideal candidate will be familiar with the NC Triad region (WinstonSalem, Greensboro, High Point), have or be able to develop solid working relationships with community organizations outside of SECCA’s normal reach, and have the ability to identify and analyze the socioeconomic and political issues facing Black and minority communities in the region. Deadline for submission is Friday, February 12, 2021 Applications and further questions can be submitted to Wendy Earle, Curator of Contemporary Art at SECCA, at wendy. earle@ncdcr.gov.

April 21 Charity golf tournament Jim Shaw’s ACE Academy Annual Charity Golf Tournament will be held Wednesday, April 21.

Registration/Brunch will be from 9:30 – 10:30 am; shotgun start at 11 a.m.

The tournament will be held at Maple Chase Golf & Country Club, 5475 Germanton Road.

The cost is $125 per player or $375 per team which includes: green fees, cart, range balls, and a pro shop gift card.

There will be door prizes for the longest drive, closest to the pin, and prizes for a “hole in one.” For more information about the golf tournament, aviation summer camps, or sponsorship opportunities please contact Jim Shaw’s ACE Aviation Academy at 336-306-8145 or by email at ShawAceAcademy@ gmail.com.

Jul 12-16, 19-23 Aviation summer camps Jim Shaw’s ACE Academy will again be offering aviation-related summer camps for middle and high school students this summer. There will be two aviation summer camps offered for 2021.

Atwater and Varner have advertised their business mainly through word of mouth and social media platforms. Atwater says people come in knowing how physically demanding the workouts are from speaking to people who have been through them.

The goal for Max Fitness has been to have people reach their goals and teach them to maintain them on their own. Atwater said the response over the years has been great; however, some clients are reluctant to go out on their own after reaching their fitness goal.

“A lot of people don’t like to leave me,” he said.

“When we started this, me and Xzavier like to ween our clients off by showing them how to get the weight off and then go out and do it by yourself. We don’t want you to have to keep coming back to us, because that shows that we haven’t taught you anything.

“I’ve received nothing but compliments and some people know that the process is a little longer than others, but after sitting with us and talking

July 12– 16 will be for middle school students and July 19–23 for high school students. The cost of the weeklong summer camp is $130 per student, which includes meals.

Both aviation camps will be located at Smith-Reynolds airport.

For more information about the golf tournament or aviation summer camps please contact Jim Shaw’s ACE Aviation Academy at 336-306-8145 or by email at ShawAceAcademy@ gmail.com.

How to submit items to the community calendar: We appreciate your community news. Here’s how you can help us to process your news more efficiently: *Please give us complete information about the event, such as the sponsor and address, date, time and place of the event and contact information so that the public can contact someone for more information if needed. *Please submit items in document form in an email or Word or PDF attachment. *Submit photos as attachments to emails as jpegs at least 4 inches wide by 6 inches deep rather than sent on documents. Please send captions with photos. *Please do not send jpeg fliers only, since we cannot transfer the information on them into documents.

The deadline is Sunday at 11:59 p.m. to have all calendar items submitted for that week’s paper.

Send your calendar items to news@wschronicle.com. You can also drop them off, Monday through Friday before 5 p.m., or mail your items to Winston-Salem Chronicle, 1300 E. Fifth St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101; or send them via our website, www. wschronicle.com. with us, you kind of know where you stand with a timeline.”

Both gentlemen have their own workout space to train their clients. They are also able to accommodate people who can’t or don’t wish to come out of their homes by providing a mobile gym. They will bring equipment to your home to complete the workouts if necessary.

For Atwater, he gets just as much pleasure out of seeing his clients progress as they do. He says training is not about the money for him, but more about changing the culture for their clients.

COVID-19 has prevented Max Fitness from purchasing a new facility.

Their goal now is to purchase land to build a new building that will fit their needs. They also wish to bring in other trainers as well to expand their reach because they prefer to work one on one.

For more information about Max Fitness, please reach out to Atwater on Facebook at Mont WaterAt or Varner at XFitphysique Varner.

From page B1

Saban has been in Tuscaloosa, but Alabama is the only one that has routinely been in championship contention every single year.

All the above-mentioned programs bring in top 300 talent every year just like the Crimson Tide.

Saban is just able to maximize his talent better than anyone else, which is a credit to his coaching ability.

The Clemson Tigers seem to be the only team that has earned the right to be on Alabama’s level.

The Tigers have won two national championships since 2016 and are consistently one of the best teams in the nation. It remains to be seen if head coach Dabo Sweeney can take Clemson to a level that eclipses where Saban has taken Alabama.

Ohio State and Notre Dame are a distant third and fourth on the pecking order in college football.

They are there because they also have great talent, but also because of the conferences they are in.

Ohio State has dominated a sub par Big Ten Conference in recent years and Notre Dame is an independent in football.

There is no more suspense left in college football anymore. Coming into the season, it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that only two or three teams have a legitimate shot at winning the championship. Since we have gone to the playoff system, it has been very predictable. Alabama or Clemson have won five out of the seven playoff championships.

I enjoyed watching LSU dismantle Clemson in the 2019 playoff championship game. I don’t mind seeing dynasty teams dominate a sport, it’s just nice to see a break from it every now and again. I don’t see Saban or Sweeney going

Prophesy From page B2

be full respected members of the community of faith. Yet another change brought about by Jesus’ fulfillment of prophecy.

For Your Consideration: Read Joel’s prophecy and determine what aspects of his prophecy will be deferred and also

anywhere anytime soon, so what team can join them at the top?

Another question is whether this is good for college football. Dynasties have been great for all sports during different eras. They bring more people to the screens and stadiums for various reasons.

Some people want to see them win and others want to see them lose.

All dynasties come to an end at some point. In my lifetime I have seen several dynasties in college football. The Miami Hurricanes, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Florida State Seminoles and USC Trojans come to mind. They all came to an end for different reasons. I don’t see that happening at Alabama unless Saban decides to call it quits.

There are programs that have historically had great talent at certain positions. Analysts commonly use the terms “Running Back U” and “Quarterback U,” for example. In the case of Alabama, they are “NFL U.” They put players from all positions in the NFL and once there, they produce.

Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Jerry Jeudy were all firstround draft picks in the NFL and are No. 1 wide receivers on their respective teams. The next crop that includes Devonta Smith, Henry Ruggs III and Jaylen Waddle has the talent to do the same things in the league as those who came before them.

Saban has also produced great running backs as well. Mark Ingram, Derrick Henry, Eddie Lacy, Kenyan Drake, Trent Richardson, T.J. Yeldon and Josh Jacobs were all tremendous backs in college. Ingram and Henry brought home Heisman Trophies for their efforts.

Most on that list have had productive NFL careers as well. Why wouldn’t a highly-touted running back not want to play under Saban with that kind of track record?

The defense has had their share of studs as well.

Rolando McLain, C.J. Mosely, Dont’a Hightower, Courtney Upshaw, Reggie Ragland, Dee Milliner, Kareem Jackson, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Landon Collins, Marcell Dareus, Da’Ron Payne, Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron are a few of the names that have starred on defense for Saban. The list is actually much longer, but for the sake of time I just named the players that came to mind. Most of these players have also made an impact on the next level.

I have always been a fan of parity. The sport is better when there is some intrigue throughout the season. We will see if Clemson can be that team, or if someone else can step up to the plate and dethrone the Crimson Tide.

If not, Saban could end up with double digit championships before he decides to hang it up.

who are “all flesh” or “all mankind”?

Application: Women’s roles in the church are extraordinarily different today than in Anna’s time. Today’s woman has taken advantage of all opportunities given in the church. Some would say it’s women’s liberation, their right to vote, have careers outside the home and

secondary education that has effected this change, but in fact it is the Spirit of the Lord divinely inspiring His people without gender bias. The urgency of speaking in faith under God’s Word – is gender neutral. “For there is no respect of persons with God.” (Romans 2:11)

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LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE TO CREDITORS

NOTICE OF SERVICE OF PROCESS BY PUBLICATION NORTH CAROLINA FORSYTH COUNTY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE WINSTON-SALEM CITY COUNCIL ON PETITIONS FOR ZONING CHANGES

In the General Court of Justice District Court Division, Before the Clerk

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, pursuant to the requirements of Article 19 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes of North Carolina, that the City Council of the City of Winston-Salem will hold a virtual public hearing at 7:00Â p.m. on February 1, 2021, on the following proposed amendments to the Official Zoning Map of the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina:

This the 7th day of January, 2021.

Kameko L. Walls Fiduciary for James Edward Bowman, deceased 1010 Rock Knoll Court Winston-Salem, NC 27107 The Chronicle January 7, 14, 21, 28, 2021 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Jeraline Clavon Gunnings (20 E 232), also known as Jeraline Clavon Turner Gunnings, deceased December 20, 2019 Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 19, 2021 this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.

All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 14th day of January, 2021.

Christina Turner Forney Administrator for Jeraline Clavon Gunnings, deceased 403 West 25th Street Winston-Salem, NC 27105 The Chronicle January 14, 21, 28 and February 4, 2021 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Anthony Lloyd Jordan, Sr. (20 E 1098), also known as Anthony Lloyd Jordan, Anthony L. Jordan deceased May 3, 2020 Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 19, 2021 this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery.

All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 14th day of January, 2021.

Ramona Hines Jordan Administrator for Anthony Lloyd Jordan Sr., deceased 113 Capistrano Drive Winston-Salem, NC 27103 The Chronicle January 14, 21, 28 and February 4, 2021 NOTICE TO CREDITORS Having qualified as Administrator of the Estate of Luisa Mesa (20 E 2115), also known as Luisa Rea Mesa, deceased August 18, 2020 Forsyth County, North Carolina, this is to Notify all persons, firms, and corporation having claims against the Estate of said deceased to present them to the undersigned on or before April 19, 2021 this Notice will be pleaded in bar of recovery. All persons indebted to the said decedent or estate shall please make immediate payment to the undersigned.

This the 14th day of January, 2021.

Luisa C. Marcos Adminstrator for Luisa Mesa, deceased, c/o Douglas D. Noreen, HSF 5410 Trinity Rd. Ste. 210 Raleigh, NC 27607 The Chronicle January 14, 21, 28 and February 4, 2021

REAL ESTATE Spring/Wachovia Hill Apartments Managed by Community Management Corp.

1 Bedroom Units conveniently located in Winston Salem, 62 yrs of age or older Handicapped and/or disabled. Section 8 assistance available. Income restrictions apply. Call 336-251-1060. 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. on Mon and Fri, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Wed. Equal Housing Opportunity

Zenaida Serrano Ayala v.

Mario Martinez Ramirez, 20-CVD-2900 (Forsyth County) TO Mr. Ramirez Take notice that a pleading seeking relief against you has been filed in the above-titled action.The nature of the relief being sought is as follows: ABSOLUTE DIVORCE You are required to make defense to such pleading not later than February 24, 2021, and upon your failure to do so the party seeking service against you will apply to the court for the relief sought.

This the 14th day of January 2021.

Zenaida Serrano Ayala Plaintiff 404 Branch St. Kernersville, NC 27284 The Chronicle January 14, 21, 28, 2021 DBE/MBE/WBE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES-NOTICE TO BIDDERS Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County, Inc (Habitat) is soliciting quotes for services from interested DBE/MBE/WBE subcontractors and suppliers to carry out its construction and neighborhood revitalization program. Habitat builds up to 15 properties per year in Forsyth County and sells to low income homeowners. Habitat also provides repair services needed for seniors and persons to age in place in their homes. Services needed include appraisers, attorneys, lead/asbestos abatement contractors, HERS energy raters, home inspectors and building material suppliers.

Trade subcontractors of masonry, concrete flatwork, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, painting, drywall, insulation and landscaping are also required. All trade contractors must be up to date on 2012 Energy Code Requirements and must prove 7 years of experience in energy efficient building.

All vendors must have general liability and workers compensation insurance.

This request for proposals covers only purchases of less than $10,000 per house.

Interested parties should contact Jeff Myers at Habitat for more information (336) 306-8411. Proposals can be sent to Jeff Myers at Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth Co., 1023 W 14th Street, WinstonSalem, NC, 27105.

The Chronicle January 21, 28, 2021

An Invitation to Provide Invocations Before Meeting of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners The religious leaders or chosen leaders of any assembly that meets in Forsyth County for the purpose of worshiping or discussing their religious perspectives are invited to offer an invocation before ameeting of the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

Those interested in providing an invocation may submit their information at http://www.forsyth.cc/commissioners/invocations.aspx , or by contacting the Clerk to the Board at sloopam@forsyth.cc or 336-7032020. Please provide your name, phone number and assembly location if submitting a request by email.

Invocations may be delivered in person, over the phone or virtually through Microsoft Teams. The Board meets at 2:00 p.m. on Thursdays. The full 2021 meeting schedule can be found at https://forsyth.cc/Commissioners/meeting_schedule.aspx.

This opportunity is voluntary, and speakers are free to offer an invocation according to the principles of their own conscience. The Board requests that the prayer opportunity not be exploited as an effort to convert others to the particular faith of the invocational speaker, threaten damnation, nor to disparage any faith or belief different than that of the invocational speaker.

FORSYTH COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Ashleigh M. Sloop, Clerk to the Board The Chronicle January 28, 2021

1. An ordinance amendment proposed by Planning and Development Services staff modifying Section 5.2.30, 5.2.31, and 11.2 of the Unified Development Ordinances, pertaining to Family Group Homes and defining supervisory personnel (UDOCC9).

2. Public hearing on the Doral Drive/Reynolda Road Interchange Plan.

The Doral Drive Interchange plan area is generally bounded by the proposed Northern Beltway to the north, Bethania-Tobaccoville Road to the west and south, and Long Creek Park to the east. The Reynolda Road Interchange plan area is generally bounded by the proposed Northern Beltway to the west, Wesmar Drive to the south, the Old Towne Village Subdivision to the east, and Bethania Road to the north with additional property located between the proposed Northern Beltway and Carillon Drive.

All parties in interest and citizens are invited to attend said hearing (virtually) at which time they shall have an opportunity to be heard in favor of or in opposition to the foregoing proposed changes. If you would like to speak during the public hearing, please visit www.cityofws.org/ccvirtual. If you have questions regarding public hearing participation, please call (336)727-2224.

During the public hearing, the City Council may hear other proposals to amend the zoning of the above-described property or any portion thereof. At the end of the public hearing, the City Council may continue the matter, deny the proposed rezoning, in whole or in part, grant the proposed rezoning, in whole or in part, or rezone the above-described property or any portion thereof to some other zoning classification.

Prior to the hearing, all persons interested may obtain any additional information on these proposals which is in the possession of the City-County Planning Board by inquiring in the office of the City-County Planning Board in the Bryce A. Stuart Municipal Building on weekdays between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00Â p.m.

All requests for appropriate and necessary auxiliary aids and services must be made, within a reasonable time prior to the hearing, to Angela Carmon at 747-7404 or to T.D.D. 727-8319.

BY ORDER OF THE CITY COUNCIL Sandra Keeney, Clerk of the City Counci of the City of Winston-Salem

The Chronicle January 21, 28, 2021

Holland Homes a Senior Independent Living Center in Winston-Salem is seeking Contractors for a Maintenance Engineer, IT and Landscaper. Interested persons should mail their bids to Holland Homes, 780 North Highland Avenue, Winston-Salem, N.C. 27101. Attn: Property Manager on/or before February 15, 2021.

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Written comments will be accepted on the public hearing items until 7:00 p.m. February 2, 2021. Written comments may be sent to the City Clerkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Office, P.O. Box 2511 Winston-Salem 27102, or by email to sandrark@cityofws.org.

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T he C hronicle

J anuary 28, 2021

B5

The Shepherd’s Center is ‘Zooming along’ with exciting activities for seniors

BY KRISTIN LARSON

COVID-19 has slowed us all down and changed how we do simple things (even how we purchase our toilet paper!). However, here at the Shepherd’s Center of Greater Winston-Salem, COVID-19 has not slowed us from fulfilling our mission of promoting and supporting successful aging. Our office, which remains closed to participants, is anything but closed and remains very busy. Our transportation department continues to provide transportation for essential medical appointments and has not stopped since the onset of COVID-19. We are continuing to schedule and provide much needed home repairs.

Preventing social isolation continues to be a priority. COVID-19 has given us the opportunity to develop several new programs to combat social isolation. Our “Card Connections” program gives volunteers the opportunity to send cards to homebound seniors in our community. Many wonderful friendships have been made through this program. Our “Phone Pals” program also has led to wonderful friendships! The “Phone Pals” program gives volunteers the opportunity to have phone conversations with a homebound senior. We even have volunteers as far as Alaska!

We have also ventured into the virtual world and are providing several activities on Zoom. We are offering: *Yoga with Ruth” on Mondays. *Our wonderful Shep-

herd’s Center Singers rehearse virtually on Tuesdays. *“Way Back Wednesday,” our popular history discussion group, meets every other Wednesday. *Game Day on Zoom is filled with fun and different games to play. *“Thinking Outside the Box” discussion group meets every Thursday afternoon.

Along with our weekly activities, we have monthly events that meet virtually as well, such as: nutrition presentations brought to us by the Community Nutritionist with the Forsyth County Health Department; AARP presentations; and Wake Forest University Law Student’s Wills Program (just to name a few).

We also have several Zoom programs and activities that have just begun.

We kicked off January

Piedmont Plus/SilverArts will continue … with adjustments

BY ANNA MARINO

As we enter the New Year, we have made plans to continue with the Piedmont Plus Senior Games/ SilverArts. But as we did last year, we have had to make some adjustments.

If you’re unfamiliar with SilverArts, they are a part of our Senior Games.

They include four categories: *The first and largest category is Heritage Arts.

Anything from basket weaving and pottery to woodworking and quilting is included in Heritage arts. *The second category is Visual Arts. This ranges anywhere from mixed media and acrylics to photography and sculpture. *The third category is Literary Arts. Participants can submit an essay, poem, life experience/memoir, or a short story. You can find a compilation of last year’s submissions by going to www.weplay.ws and clicking the “seniors” button. *The last category is Performing Arts. Anything from singing, dancing,

Submitted photo

Shepherd Center Singers rehearse via Zoom.

playing a musical instrument, line dancing groups to tai chi would fall under Performing Arts.

Now that you know what SilverArts has to offer, you might wonder what our approach looks like while planning for 2021. First, the safety of our participants is paramount. While we cannot predict the status of the pandemic in April, we are proceeding with the SilverArts and are making adjustments accordingly.

Probably the most significant change this year is to the Performing Arts.

We typically have a live audience for Performing Arts, which is not an option this year due to pandemic restrictions.

We have decided to record acts on April 29 at the Forsyth Tech West Campus auditorium. Our plan is to broadcast a video of the performances on several different social media platforms. To keep the number of participants at a minimum, each act will have a 30-minute time slot See SilverArts on B6

with a fantastic program called the “Tech Buddy Program.” This program connects a student (ages 14+) with an older adult who needs technical sup-

port. The student’s role is to provide the technical support via Zoom while beginning a friendship with the older adult.

Our February “Win-

ter Strong Workshop” will celebrate heart health with the educational presentation, “A Healthy and Grateful Heart” with Carolyn Howell, retired public

health educator.

Also in February we will host the “Who Gets Grandma’s Yellow Pie Plate” workshop presented by Becky Nguyen, the Lifestyle Advisor at Homestead Hills. This workshop is designed to educate on how to properly transfer non-titled property.

All of our Zoom activities, programs and much more are distributed via email weekly in our “The Shepherd’s Center Connection” e-newsletter.

If you are interested in learning more about our programs and activities or if you would like to receive our weekly e-newsletter, please email Kristin Larson, Vital Living Program Director at klarson@ shepherdscenter.org.

Kristin Larson is the program director of the Vital Living Program at the Shepherd’s Center.

February Senior Events Calendar: *Classes and activities at The Shepherd’s Center, 1700 Ebert St., have been cancelled until further notice, but some activities are being held via Zoom.

Transportation for some medical visits including cancer treatments is still being arranged. Call 336-7480217 for information or visit www.shepherdscenter. org.

Below are the calendar items that are being held via online meetings: *Open Mic, hosted by Winston-Salem Writers, (first Tuesday of each month), is being held on Feb. 2 at 6:45 p.m. via Zoom. This event offers beginning and experienced writers an opportunity to read five minutes of their work to a friendly audience. To participate in the Zoom Open Mic, visit www.wswriters.org and click on the February newsletter to get the link or email Judie Holcomb-Pack at judiehp@triad.rr.com. *Aging Well series presented by Wake Forest Baptist Sticht Center for Healthy Aging & Alzheimer’s Prevention, (the second Tuesday of each month) will be held on Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. virtually online. The educational presentation will be “Scam Proof Your Life: 11 Ways to Stop Fraud NOW!” led by Amy Nofziger, Director AARP Fraud Watch Network. The cooking demonstration will by Chef Greg Rollins, Executive Chef at the Graylyn Estate and International Conference Center, located at 1900 Reynolda Road.

Chef Rollins will share how to create a grilled chicken

Caesar salad complete with homemade croutons and Parmesan crisps. Rounding out the feature segments will be a virtual road-trip to Seagrove, to the studio of two renowned hometown potters, Terry King and his daughter Crystal King. They will share the story of some of North Carolina’s most unusual folk art pottery- face jugs. To register and to receive the link to access the program, email bhealth@wakehealth.edu. *AARP meeting (second Tuesday except July and August), will be held Feb. 9 at noon via conference call. Email Geneva Herbert at evaleejr2@gmail.com for more information. Open to all seniors age 50 and above with an AARP membership. *Valentine’s Drive-in Bingo sponsored by Winston-Salem Recreation & Parks will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2 p.m. at Bolton Park, 1590 Bolton Street. Players will remain in their cars during the games. Great prizes and fun for the whole family. *Adult Children of Aging Parents meeting, (third Tuesday), will be held Feb. 16 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. via Zoom. All are welcome, but the focus will be on the needs of adult children who are caring for their aging parents. For more information and to get the Zoom link, visit www. http://acapwinston-salem.org/.

If you have an item for the Seniors Calendar, please email news@wschronicle.com and put Seniors Calendar in the subject line. Items must be submitted by the 20th of the preceding month for the next month’s issue.

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B6

January 28, 2021

The C hronicle

Celebrate Valentine’s at drive-in bingo

SilverArts From page B5

to be recorded. With the safety of our participants at the forefront, acts that are not being recorded will not be permitted to enter the building prior to their appointed time. We will be following guidelines set forth by the CDC, the state, and Forsyth Tech, which include wearing masks and social distancing.

We will be making adjustments to the Heritage Arts as well. Typically, we have one day where artists drop off and pick up their artwork.

This year to adhere to social distancing, we are asking participants to schedule an appointment to drop off their submissions at the Central Public Library on April 1 and the same thing for pickup on April 30.

On April 2 from 9 a.m. to noon, the exhibit will be closed for judging.

The exhibit will then be open to the public from April 2 to April 29 at the downtown Central Library. We will be following guidelines set forth by the CDC, the state, and the library as to wearing a facial mask and social distancing.

As for the Literary Arts, submissions are to be emailed to annam@ cityofws.org. As in past years, members of Winston-Salem Writers will blind judge all entries.

Unfortunately, we will be unable to host a reception this year, but will award medals to Heritage Arts winners when they pick up their artwork.

With Performing Arts, the judges will watch the recordings and winners will be announced at the end of

After holding a successful drive-in bingo in the fall, Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a drive-in bingo on Feb. 13 at 2 p.m. at Bolton Park, 1590 Bolton Street.

Submitted photo

Past participants in Senior Games Performing Arts competition sport their medals. the final recorded show. Literary Arts winners can pick up their medals at the drive-through window at our office on Patterson Avenue at a date to be determined, like last year.

We hope that we will not need to change our plans, but we are prepared to make adjustments depending on the changing status of the pandemic. It is our goal to continue the long-standing tradition of Senior Games/SilverArts in the safest way possible.

For more information on the Piedmont Plus Senior Games/SilverArts, including registration, important dates, and previous literary works, please visit https://www.

cityofws.org/2395/Piedmont-PlusSenior-Games-and-SilverArt or the Piedmont Plus Senior Games and SilverArts Facebook page. If you have any questions, please call 336727-2313 or email annam@cityofws.org.

Anna Marino is a graduate of Winston-Salem State University, receiving her degree in therapeutic recreation and where she played on the softball team that won the CIAA championship. She is the senior recreation leader working with Senior Games/SilverArts for Forsyth County Recreation and Parks Department.

You don’t have to bring your spouse, significant other, or BFF to join in the fun – it’s family fun for all ages!

There are great prizes and admission is only one non-perishable food item to support Second Harvest Food Bank.

Cars will be “socially distanced” in the parking lot and players will remain in their cars. Bingo numbers will be broadcast from the caller’s table. Volunteers will be masked and masks are suggested for players when interacting with volunteers.

Come out for some safe, exciting fun at drive-in bingo!

Sometimes love means saying ‘I’m sorry’

BY CINDY ARGIENTO

Sometimes the lessons learned in life are more important than lessons learned in school. I learned about love not from a book, but by my parent’s example.

I’m sorry - two simple words, two words that can heal a broken heart, two words that can mend a relationship. Unless you’re conscience-free, at some point in your life you’ll apologize to someone for

something.

It seems there are certain people in society, like athletes and politicians, who apologize only after they’re caught in a scandal, which makes you wonder if they’re sorry for what they did or sorry they got caught.

When my husband and I fight, he expects a full, sincere apology where I kneel before him and proclaim, loudly, “I was wrong. You were right.

I’m sorry.” After over 25

years of marriage, the man feels it’s high time he was right about something. I’m sincerely sorry he feels this way.

Growing up, like most kids, I witnessed some of my parent’s arguments.

Looking back, I can’t recall what they fought about, but I can recall clearly how they made up.

When one of them was ready to call a truce and make up, they would turn on the stereo (a medieval musical apparatus) and

play their song, ‘I Can’t Stop Loving you,’ by Ray Charles. This song said, “I’m sorry. I still love you.”

Looking back I realize I was lucky to have a front row seat to the all important life lesson on how to make a marriage work.

From this lesson I learned married people fight. I learned it doesn’t matter who says “I’m sorry” first, so long as someone say it.

I learned every marriage has its ups and downs

and a fight does not mean divorce is eminent. I now realize I was lucky to be a spectator to the fights and most of all to the resolutions as, unfortunately, too many children witness the fights and never the resolutions.

Having a ringside seat to such events forms a foundation from which a child takes their cue from their role models on what it takes to be a grown-up.

A child lives what they learn and at the core of

every lesson is the parent, and if you’re lucky, two parents, who deeply love each other; parents who teach you that sometimes ‘I’m sorry’ is said in song.

Cindy Argiento is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to For Seniors Only. She is a public speaker for her book “Deal With Life’s Stress With ‘A Little Humor.’“ Contact Cindy at cargiento@aol.com or visit www. cindyargiento.com.

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