YES! Weekly - January 10, 2024

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JANUARY 10-16 2024 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 2

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PHOTOS BY TONI SHAW OF SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024

IRREPLACEABLE

YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD JIM LONGWORTH

The vigil was for Sergeant Philip Dale Nix, the 23-year veteran of the force fatally shot on December 30 while off-duty at Sheetz convenience store at 3202 Sandy Ridge Road.

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NAIMA SAID DALIA RAZO LYNN FELDER PRODUCTION Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN

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On January 20th and 21st, Red Door Drama Society will stage a new production of Kate DiCamillo’s “THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE,” directed by Abigail Twombly.

4 ...The industry is collectively referred to as “Big Pork,” and Big Pork means big business. For some people, however, Big Pork means big trouble, and the documentary feature THE SMELL OF MONEY seeks to expose that trouble and bring it to the attention of audiences.

6 ...“That’s all I can stands. I can’t stands no more!” I reached my brink on December 27 when West Virginia’s head coach was doused with a huge container of Duke’s mayonnaise after his team beat North Carolina in (you guessed it) the Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl.

7 More dutiful than dynamic, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is producer/director

George Clooney’s adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s 2013 best-seller “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.”

12 Multiple HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOMES in an East Greensboro neighborhood have been deteriorating from water damage caused by improper grading when they were built almost 25 years ago. Now the Greensboro Chapter of the NAACP is calling for the City to withhold those funds until the problems are fixed.

14 CODESEVEN capped off 2023 with ”Go Let It In,” their first album release in 20 years–proving the Winston-Salem melodic hardcore outfit never really let go despite their long hiatus.

travis@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2024 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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[SPOTLIGHT]

NEW THEATRE GROUP TO PRESENT ADAPTATION OF BEST-SELLING RABBIT TALE PRESS RELEASE

On January 20th and 21st, Red Door Drama Society will stage a new production of Kate DiCamillo’s “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane,” directed

by Abigail Twombly. The original novel is a #1 New York Times bestseller, one of many beloved titles by the author of “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “The Tale of Despereaux,” and “Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures.” Like other DiCamillo heroes, the titular Edward is an animal, of sorts. In this play-with-music for all ages, the haughty toy rabbit makes his way from a happy home to the bottom of the ocean before embarking on a trek through the byways of 1920s and ‘30s America.

The play will use both live and recorded folk music to evoke the world of a century ago. Guitarist Tracy Thorpe and music director Sharon Scudder have collaborated on a score that mixes traditional standards with original compositions. According to Scudder, her team has created themes around characters’ personalities and their interactions with the hapless Edward. She looks forward to watching

Kickoff production meeting for “The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.” the audience engage with the live music in person.

The toy form of Edward has been handcrafted by actress and set designer Amaris Solana, while his thoughts will be embodied by actor Joel Robinson. Joel and the rest of the cast are members of Red Door Drama Society (RDDS), a 501(c)(3) non-profit that formed to give a group of young actors additional opportunities to take the stage. “The Miraculous Journey of

What’s happening to Edward?

Edward Tulane” is the first RDDS production at Reynolds Place Theatre, housed at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in downtown Winston-Salem.

Tickets are $19 for general admission, $16 for children and seniors. They are available at https://www.intothearts.org/ campus-events/red-door. Tickets may also be purchased at the box office, or by calling (336) 747-1414. The RDDS production of “The Miraculous Journey of Edward

Tulane” will open on Saturday, January 20, at 6 p.m. There will be a matinee at 1 p.m. Sunday, January 21, and the closing performance is scheduled for 7:30 Sunday evening. No family or theatre lover will want to miss this heartfelt adaptation of a truly miraculous tale.

For more information, please connect with Red Door Drama Society on Instagram and Facebook, or send email to rdds. marketing.info@gmail.com. !

Jewel

An Evening of Conversation and Music January 12, 2024 8:00 PM UNCG Auditorium Tickets at ucls.uncg.edu

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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visions

SEE IT!

Award-winning documentary probes a North Carolina controversy

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uch of the

world’s barbecue and bacon is made right here in the Tarheel State, specifically in the eastern part of the Mark Burger state. The industry is collectively referred to as “Big Pork,” and Contributor Big Pork means big business.

For some people, however, Big Pork means big trouble, and the documentary feature The Smell of Money seeks to expose that trouble and bring it to the attention of audiences.

The film, which marks the feature debuts of both producer/director/cinematographer editor Shawn Bannon and writer/

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producer Jamie Berger, is now available on such platforms as Amazon, AppleTV, Google Play, YouTube, and others. (For a complete list, visit the film’s official website: https://www.smellofmoneydoc. com/.)

A quintessential “David vs. Goliath” parable, The Smell of Money details the lives of those who live near the pig farms in North Carolina, among them Elsie Herring, who lived on property purchased by her grandfather upon being freed from slavery. Big Pork purchased the surrounding land and moved their operations there. It wasn’t long before Herring and her neighbors were smelling something, and it wasn’t money. Then the residents began suffering from various maladies that were directly related to the pig farms, and that’s when Herring decided to take legal action. Thus began a long, arduous process, during which time the residents’ health problems intensified

and the wheels of justice seemingly ground to a halt.

Berger, who was born and raised in Cary and attended college at UNC-Chapel Hill, admitted she was shocked that so timely and relevant a story was taking place literally in her own backyard.

“Like most of us, I grew up eating plenty of barbecue and not thinking twice about where it comes from,” she said. “I started learning about environmental issues in high school then focused my undergraduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill on how our food system affects the environment, people, and animals. I decided to do my undergraduate honors thesis on the North Carolina pork industry. I explored its history, its industrialization and consolidation, its corruption of the legislature, the history of labor-rights organizing in the industry, and its impacts on the environment and animals as well as on residents and their health.

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“I was devastated and outraged to learn about how the industry was subjecting people who lived just 60 or so miles down the road from me to having untreated animal waste sprayed on their homes and land,” Berger said. “That most of the targeted families were Black — and had lived on their land for generations — was even more appalling to learn. I felt like I was discovering that one of the darkest corners of America’s history was still very much alive in my home state.

And I was infuriated that not only were our elected officials not addressing the problem, they were in bed with the corporations at fault and using their power to protect them.

“This experience turned me into an activist and inspired me to devote my life to ending factory farming,” she said.

“Six years ago, I was working as a video producer at a nonprofit with my colleague Shawn, and we decided to make a feature documentary. I proposed this topic and was excited to reconnect with people I had met through my undergrad research.”

When the story came to their attention, Berger and Bannon immediately recognized its potential, but that didn’t make it any easier to mount the production.

“This project has been the most meaningful and difficult experience of my life,” Berger confessed. “Choosing the topic for the film was easy for me; I always had faith that this story deserved to be told and that it would be compelling in a documentary format. But confronting the injustices of such a massive industry face-to-face took an emotional toll on me, as did the passing of Elsie and Don [Webb, a former pig farmer profiled in the film]. Given that Shawn and I are white — and given the long history of racial discrimination and intimidation Eastern North Carolina residents have experienced — it was understandably difficult to earn community members’ trust. That took a lot of patience, humility, and work to confront my own unexamined racism.

It’s in all of us! We also struggled at times to narrow our focus; there are so many layers to this injustice but so few minutes in a feature film. Getting the film distributed when we’re up against behemoth, deep-pocketed production companies has also been an enormous challenge.

Fundraising has been quite difficult and at times disheartening.”

That said, “there was so much joy in the process,” Berger attested, “and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunities this film has brought me to spend time with some of the most dedicated and selfless advocates for justice. I am tremendously proud of how the film turned out, though I know it isn’t perfect. It was most imWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

portant to us that the people in the film felt good about how we presented their stories, and I’m honored that they do.”

As The Smell of Money marked Bannon and Berger’s first feature-length project, Berger confirmed there was a big learning curve.

“It was definitely an adjustment to transition to a feature from working on short videos,” she said. “My background knowledge on this issue was useful for both contexts, as were many of my skills: Writing, storytelling, the ability to convey information about complex, deeply rooted problems in a concise and compelling way, research and project management skills, etc. But so many of the challenges we faced were unique to producing a feature film. Having only worked on relatively short-term projects, I never anticipated this one would last six years. It tested my patience in so many ways!”

On the festival circuit, The Smell of Money scored with audiences and critics alike, winning the Best Life & Liberty award at the 2022 Sidewalk Film Festival (Birmingham, Ala.), the jury prize for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Sarasota Film Festival, and the jury award for Best Documentary Feature at the 2022 Bushwick Film Festival (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

Such accolades are appreciated by the filmmakers, but Berger hopes the film will enlighten and resonate with audiences everywhere.

“We hope audiences will empathize with Eastern North Carolina residents and understand that this issue affects us all,” she said. “The Smell of Money explores what happens when people are robbed of fundamental human rights: To breathe fresh air, drink clean water, and enjoy our family land. These are rights we all deserve and must for if we are to preserve our collective well-being and freedom as a society.

“We also hope that viewers learn about how ‘Big Agribusiness’ is pillaging our planet and putting all of us — and future generations — at risk,” she said. “Whether through pollution, climate change, deadly diseases and superbugs, unhealthy and unsanitary food, unsafe working conditions, the destruction of farmers’ livelihoods and rural America — the mega-corporations that control our food system harms us all. And our government is protecting them (and) not holding them accountable.”

For more information, visit the official Smell of Money website: https:// www.smellofmoneydoc.com/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.

[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]

AN EVENING WITH RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY AND PIEDMONT WIND SYMPHONY PHOTO BY KATHLEEN SYKES

BY KATHERINE WHITE Prepare for an enchanting evening that will transport music aficionados into a world of wonder as Renée Elise Goldsberry, a true luminary in entertainment, teams up with her sensational seven-piece band to grace the stage alongside the Piedmont Wind Symphony at Wake Forest University’s Wait Chapel on Saturday, January 27, at 7:30 p.m.

Renée’s mesmerizing performances, notably in Hamilton, have left audiences spellbound. Her Tony Award-winning portrayal of Angelica Schuyler and captivating roles in “Rent” and “The Color Purple” have solidified her as a sensation on Broadway. Now, she brings her extraordinary talent to Winston-Salem, promising an exceptional night filled with beloved movie and Broadway hits.

Picture yourself being serenaded with a captivating medley including renditions from “Rent,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Additionally, gear up to join in the melodies of Hamilton favorites such as “It’s Quiet Uptown,” “Schuyler Sisters,” and “Satisfied.” Renée’s phenomenal seven-piece band, in collaboration with the Piedmont Wind Symphony, will mesmerize the audience with a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s “Overture to Candide,” interweaving classical and contemporary compositions for a truly magical musical experience.

Mark A. Norman, the Music Director and Conductor of the Piedmont Wind Symphony, expresses excitement about

this collaboration: In envisioning this concert with Renée Elise Goldsberry, I knew the blend of her iconic voice with her band alongside our symphony would create a perfect harmony of sound and energy that will resonate with our audience long after the final notes fade away!

Tickets for this unforgettable musical odyssey, “An Evening with Renée Elise Goldsberry,” are available for purchase online at https://www.piedmontwindsymphony.com/tickets.

Prepare to embark on an unforgettable journey, where Renée Elise Goldsberry and the Piedmont Wind Symphony unite their extraordinary talents, promising an evening of pure musical magic that will linger in the hearts of attendees long after the curtains close. !

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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Too Damn Many Bowl Games (and Sponsors)

P

opeye the Sailor Man was normally a quiet, peace-loving guy, but when pushed to the brink, he sprang into action, saying, “That’s all I Jim Longworth can stands. I can’t stands no more!” I reached my brink Longworth on December 27 at Large when West Virginia’s head coach was doused with a huge container of Duke’s mayonnaise after his team beat North Carolina in (you guessed it) the Duke’s Mayonnaise Bowl. Then there was the Pop Tart Bowl, where, after the game a giant Pop Tart rushed onto the field and let itself be eaten (literally) by the victorious Kansas State Wildcats.

And following the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, a cheese mascot emerged to hold up a box of product in front of the announcing team. Of course, at the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, the sponsor didn’t even have the decency to wait until after the game for shameless plugs. Throughout the game, the announcing team kept sampling various mayo-friendly recipes, like mayonnaise tacos, and pepperoni rolls with mayo. WTF?!!! Had I tuned into a football game or an episode of Celebrity Chef? What’s next? The Adam & Eve Bowl where announcers sample sex toys?

Truth be told, though, I didn’t reach my brink from watching a three-hour commercial for Duke’s Mayonnaise. I reached it because I’ve had it with bowl games altogether.

Up until 1945, there were five major college football bowl games: the Rose, the Orange, the Sugar, the Cotton, and the Gator. Back then, and even into the 1950s and ’60s when the Peach and Liberty bowls were added, New Year’s holiday games really meant something.

Fans got to see the top 14 teams go head-to-head for bragging rights to an imaginary national championship. Was it a scientific way of choosing a national champ? Of course not. But participating schools received some money and

a ton of exposure for their athletic program. That, in turn, drove recruiting efforts, not just for athletes, but also for rank-and-file students and professors.

Unfortunately, that level of prestige was short-lived.

Slowly but surely, the NCAA kept allowing cities and sponsors to underwrite additional bowl games such as the Independence Bowl, the Holiday Bowl, and the Fiesta Bowl. Even worse, the bowls themselves took a back seat to the sponsors. The Peach Bowl was no longer the Peach Bowl. It was the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The Orange Bowl became the Capital One Bowl, and the Cotton Bowl morphed into the Goodyear Bowl. It was a double whammy: too many bowl games and too much commercialization.

As with anything, the more you multiply the product, the more you diminish its intrinsic value. A collector’s coin of the 2025 presidential inauguration, for example, would seem to be of great value.

But if 10 million of the coins are minted, the coin becomes less special. And so it is with college football bowl games. Once there were five major bowls. Today there are 42. Today it’s all about television ad revenues and product placement, never mind the quality and prestige of the game. Does anyone really believe there are 84 teams who deserve to be in a nationally televised bowl game? Hell, all you have to do is win half of your games against weak opponents, and, voila! You are invited to a bowl game. Worse still, so many college players are entering the NFL draft portal now, that when you tune in to watch a bowl game, chances are the top players aren’t even playing. That’s OK with me, though. I just wish the sponsors would opt out of the games the same as the players.

Bowl games today are no longer special. They are just long-form advertisements for sponsors like Bad Boys Mowers, Barstool Sports, and Scooter’s Coffee. In the immortal words of Popeye, “It’s all I can stands. I can’t stands no more!” !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15) and streaming on WFMY+.

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flicks

SCREEN IT!

The Boys in the Boat cruises through predictable waters

M

Mark Burger

Contributor

ore dutiful than

dynamic, The Boys in the Boat is producer/director George Clooney’s adaptation of Daniel James Brown’s 2013 best-seller “The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin

Olympics.”

Even if one isn’t familiar with the book, this is a quintessential underdog story, in which the Washington Huskies junior-varsity rowing team wound up competing at the same Olympic Games where speedster Jesse Owens achieved immortality, which possibly overshadowed the Huskies’ accomplishment. The film attempts to give them their just due and does so in earnest, conventional fashion.

Set during the Great Depression, the principal character is Joe Rantz, a hardscrabble teenager who lives in an abandoned car and is struggling to earn college tuition to study engineering at the University of Washington. He tries out for the rowing team merely to earn that money. Rantz is played by blonde-haired, blue-eyed Callum Turner (attractive but bland), and the narrative encompasses his budding romance with classmate Joyce Simdars, played by blonde-haired, blue-eyed Hadley Robinson (ditto), which is so chaste and quaint there’s even a scene where he throws pebbles at her window.

The Huskies are comprised of freshfaced, clean-cut young men not entirely distinguishable from each other. Mark L. Smith’s screenplay makes a few attempts to individualize the other rowers, but quickly they recede into the background.

Top billing goes to Joel Edgerton as coach Al Ulbrickson, whose job is on the line should the team not succeed. He faces criticism for selecting the junior varsity team to compete, but in a film like this, it comes as no surprise that the coach’s gut hunch proved correct all along.

Edgerton is a fine, versatile actor but not necessarily a marquee name, which may be one reason The Boys in the Boat hasn’t elicited the kind of attention and hype afforded the high-profile WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

films of the holiday season. Clooney, no stranger to directing himself, would have seemed an obvious choice for Ulbrickson.

That’s in no way an insult to Edgerton, who plays the tight-lipped coach with the necessary gravitas. As boatbuilder George Pocock, Peter Guinness dispenses pearls of wisdom and platitudes about teamwork at regular intervals. It’s yet another stock character in a film filled with them.

The rowing scenes are conveyed in an appropriately arduous and sometimes rousing fashion, but the element of surprise is singularly lacking. Every hurdle or roadblock thrown in front of Ulbrickson and his team is summarily dealt with and promptly overcome. Despite a few swear words, this is a film that plays had it been made during the era in which it was set.

It’s a period piece that feels dated. The

Boys in the Boat isn’t a bad film, but it is an obvious one. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies

Victory Junction is my happy place.

It makes me feel like I can do anything.

- Victory Junction Camper Imagine a place where children with serious illnesses can ride a horse, soar down a zipline, shoot a bullseye at archery, catch a fish, and so much more, all while making friends and discovering all they can be.

That place is Victory Junction.

For twenty years, Victory Junction has been providing transformative camp experiences for children with complex medical conditions. Through our intentional, adaptive programming, kids can enjoy the magic of camp in a medically-safe environment, at no cost to their families.

Know a child who is ready to experience all the fun, laughter, and joy of Victory Junction? Learn more and apply at

victoryjunction.org/camperzone

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

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T ES

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BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

2023 W

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’S READER

[NEWS OF THE WEIRD]

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VOTED BEST BARBECUE RESTAURANT IN GUILFORD COUNTY

CREME DE LA WEIRD

Stick with me here. In 1899 in Peshawar, Pakistan, James Squid, a drunken British officer, arrested a ... tree because he thought it was a fugitive trying to get away from him. He ordered the tree chained to the ground, Oddity Central reported, and the chains have remained for 125 years, along with a plaque explaining them. While tourists are tickled by the strange restraints, locals see the chains as a symbol of British oppression. “Through this act, the British basically implied to the tribesmen that if they dared act against the Raj, they too would be punished in a similar fashion,” one local man said. Others call it a living history.

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Weekly Specials

MON: $2.50 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $10.99 TUE: 1/2 Price Wine | WED: $4 Draft THU: $8 Bud Light Pitchers & $3 Fireball

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JANUARY 18 Jimmy Hayes and Friends

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VOTED BEST BURGER IN HIGH POINT DURING EAT AND DRINK BURGER WEEK

– Cynthia Kelly, 18, of Hillsborough County, Florida, has sued The Hershey Co. for $5 million because the Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins she bought in October didn’t have a jack-o’-lantern face on them as shown on the packaging. ClickOrlando reported on Dec. 29 that Kelly accused the company of “false and deceptive advertising,” and she “would not have purchased the Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkins product if she knew that it did not have the detailed carvings of the mouth and/ or eyes as pictured on the product label,” the suit reads. She also pointed out that the White Ghost and Football candies were missing their own key details. One reviewer called the pumpkin a “monstrosity.”

– Two years ago, Paul Kerouac stopped at a Dunkin’ Donuts in Winter Park, Florida, where he used the restroom, the New York Post reported. While he was indisposed, the toilet he was occupying exploded, leaving him “covered with debris, including human feces and urine,” according to a lawsuit filed on Jan. 3 in Florida’s 9th Judicial District. Kerouac claims the Dunkin’ workers knew there was a “problem with the toilet” and says he now “requires mental health care and counseling as a direct result of the trauma he experienced in the restroom.”

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024

– Authorities are still fishing for a man who entered a Bass Pro Shops store in Fort Myers, Florida, on Dec. 20 and dipped a net into the indoor fishpond, capturing a 50-pound tarpon. USA Today reported that the suspect left the store with the dripping catch, and despite a cash reward and social media posts, the Lee County Sheriff ’s Office has not been able to iden-

tify or find him.

– Authorities were called to the Leeds, Alabama, Bass Pro Shops on Jan. 4 after 42-year-old George Owens of Sterrett drove a car into a pole in the parking lot, then exited the car, stripped off all his clothes and ran inside, where he did a cannonball into the aquarium. AL.com reported that Owens yelled at two police officers, then climbed over the edge of the aquarium, where he fell to the concrete floor and knocked himself out. He was charged with public lewdness among other offenses.

SUPER FREAK

On Dec. 13, as a family in Arlington, Virginia, sat down to dinner, a Ring doorbell notification alerted them to someone at the door, WUSA-TV reported. The woman told her husband, “There’s this guy, he didn’t ring the doorbell. He’s just standing there and he’s in a gingerbread man costume.” The husband called the police non-emergency line to report the creepy visit, and about an hour later, another neighbor, Lindsey Churchill, spotted the gingerbread man. “All of a sudden my dogs were going crazy ... and there was a giant blow-up gingerbread man costume out on the sidewalk,” she said. “We kind of locked eyes and the gingerbread man went on his way. It was not holly jolly.”

Police never actually caught up with the subject, who was not identified.

GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL

– Three armed suspects were busy robbing a check-cashing business in Commerce City, Colorado, on Dec. 16 when another thief mucked up their getaway plans, 9News-TV reported. The robbers’ vehicle, which was probably stolen, was outside when a woman jumped in and took off with it, leaving the teenage suspects to try to escape on foot. Police were able to capture two of them, along with loaded firearms, and arrest them. The car thief is still at large.

– In Wheat Ridge, Colorado, police caught up with a burglar on Dec. 28 who had hired an Uber for use as a getaway car, 14News-TV reported. Jose Guadalupe Perez-Gallardo was taken into custody as he approached his hired ride, carrying a backpack with $8,600 worth of stolen Milwaukee-brand tools inside. “Ordering an Uber as your getaway driver makes it that much easier for us to find you,” the Wheat Ridge Police Department posted online. !

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[king crossword]

[weekly sudoku]

LEGAL THRILLERS

ACROSS 1

4 8 15 19 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 34 38 39 40 41 42 44 48 53 54 55 57 58 60 63 66 68

Highest roll of a single die Peak in Thessaly Freaks out Subjective paper piece Never dying Kind of cherry named for its shape — sci. (coll. major) Scaled-down symphony group [1994] Mallorca, por ejemplo “King” primate Writer Ferber Anti-bias job agcy.

Gown fabric Program interacting with a remote server [1993] Bygone times Nurtured Kids’ song with French lyrics — to go (gung-ho) “It’s ch-chilly!”

Whimpered like a baby Place to disclose sins [2010] Coinage for something with no name Beginning on “To — much is given ...”

Nantes’ river Sets of points on graphs Shallowest Great Lake Waltz or tango [1997] Itinerant band member, say State after wedlock Having more seepage

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69 Panels that may reverse decisions [2008] 71 Melody 72 Jungle roarer 73 Ouzo flavorer 74 Exact lookalike 76 Brand of rodent killer 80 Horse-man of myth 83 Greeting act conveying confidence [1991] 86 First-rate 88 Flub it up 89 Actress Shire 90 Plant snugly 94 — -cone 95 Junk email sender 97 Samoan peak famous for trapping clouds [1995] 101 Italian port 102 Exactly 103 Money won in a game of dreidel 104 Claudius I’s successor 108 Getting the job done 109 What the first word of each of seven answers in this puzzle is, when preceded by “The” 113 Stun with a charge 114 Canceled by crossing off 115 Revising, as text 116 Bishops’ jurisdictions 117 Prescription amounts 118 Berlin article 119 Meadow

DOWN 1 2 3

Ailing Texter’s “If you ask me” Mutant Marvel

superhero Celestial ball Like a cold, hard gaze Manhattan eatery since 1927 7 Isolated 8 Ad — committee 9 Hatchet part 10 Ram or ewe 11 “The Fox and the Crow” storyteller 12 Tabby’s scratcher 13 Bobby of hockey 14 Venus Williams’ org.

15 Sedative drug 16 Sticky little sheet 17 “Mama” Cass 18 Actress Wiest 20 Texter’s “Yikes!”

24 Bolted to escape 29 Riyadh native 30 Sugar source 31 Shore flier 32 “Not yet sure what my answer is” 33 Director Joel or Ethan 34 Killer whale 35 Neighbor of Myanmar 36 Early James Bond foe 37 Not similar 41 Dust jacket write-up 42 Demi and Dudley 43 Departs 45 Cupcake flourish 46 That lady 47 Less spicy 49 Honey-coated Easter entree 50 Anderson of “WKRP in Cincinnati” 51 Cicero’s “Lo!” 52 Cake layer 4 5 6

56 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 70 71 74 75 77 78 79 81

ICU workers Actor Stephen Iran’s former name Ball-shaped Put on, as an outfit After-bath powder Andy Taylor’s boy Sitting atop Suffix with ball Innocent types President before Donald Shallow pan Swarms Huge conflict Sedate Steinbeck migrant Close In — (more than sleeping) 82 Arm bone 84 Eatery list 85 Baseballer Musial 87 Is really mad 90 Grain fungi 91 “Watch Me (Whip/—)” (2015 hit) 92 “Apollo 13” actor Gary 93 Bills worth 100 bucks 94 “You got that right!”

95 Meat in a sub 96 Coal-mining guys 98 MMA fighter Rousey 99 Armageddon nation 100 Little laugh 104 Silent “yes” 105 Like villains 106 Russo of film 107 Gymnast Korbut 109 Elly May Clampett’s pa 110 Good Grips kitchen brand 111 “— a trap!”

112 Ark.-to-Ill. dir.

January 10-16, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

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feature

PHOTOS BY TONI SHAW OF SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

Irreplaceable: City and community honor slain officer

“

I didn’t prepare any words tonight,” said Greensboro Police Chief John Thompson to the crowd of over 350 city employees, law enforcement officers, Ian McDowell and ordinary citizens holding candles in Government Plaza.

Contributor “Because I’m not really sure if anything I can say can express the grief and the hurt that not only our agency the Greensboro Police Department, but our community, is feeling right now.”

The vigil was for Sergeant Philip Dale Nix, the 23-year veteran of the force fatally shot on December 30 while offduty at Sheetz convenience store at 3202 Sandy Ridge Road.

Officials with Sheetz Public Relations describe Nix as a regular customer who often sat at a particular outside table.

According to the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office, he was at that table at around 4 p.m. that Saturday when he noticed a car parked in a handicapped spot. It has not been reported if he was in uniform, but he was armed and carrying his badge.

The car in the handicapped space contained Jamere Justice Foster, Z’quriah Le’Pearce Blackwell, and John Walter Morrison, all of Winston-Salem. According to testimony at the suspects’ first court appearance on January 2, Foster and Morrison entered the store and stole 10 cases of beer. When they returned to the car, Nix approached the driver’s side. According

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JANUARY 10-16, 2024

to investigator testimony, Foster shot Nix five times.

The trio fled in the vehicle. Nix died at the hospital.

The three suspects were arrested later that evening. Foster, 18, was charged with first-degree murder, misdemeanor larceny, and conspiracy to commit larceny, and is held without bond. Blackwell, 18, is charged with accessory after the fact and is held under a $500,000 bond. The warrant describes her as having told Foster that, “they needed to get out of there because he just killed a cop.” Morrison, 18, was charged with accessory after the fact, misdemeanor larceny, and misdemeanor conspiracy to commit larceny, and like Foster, is held without bond.

While Foster and Blackwell have no prior convictions, Morrison has five in Forsyth County, including two felonies. All three are due back in court on April 2.

Nix’s past assignments with the GPD include its Criminal Investigations Division (CID), and as Detective, Patrol Corporal, and Patrol Sergeant. At the time of his death, he was the Supervisor of the Family Victims Unit. He was also the current Assistant Team Leader of the GPD Honor Guard.

“Last year, we lost 74 people in our community to homicide,” continued Thompson in his emotion-choked impromptu speech as night fell and hundreds of candles were held aloft on January 3.

“Sgt. Dale Nix was one of those victims.

For me what makes it all the more meaningful and impactful in my life and as a leader of the police department, is the person that Dale was. Dale was passionate about giving a lot of voice to victims who did not have a voice. He was a voice for those that experience domestic violence and those child victims in our

Sergeant Philip Dale Nix community. And I really just don’t have the words right now that I can muster to console my agency or those in the community. Dale will be irreplaceable.

But beyond being a police officer, he was a father of a 15-year-old son, a husband 20 plus years, he was a son, a brother, a friend, and the one piece of comfort I have right now standing in front of this group and the hundreds of people I’ve had interactions with over the past few days is to know that has left his mark on this community.”

Thompson concluded by saying, “Our officers need your support and the community needs support as we go forward and try to understand how this has happened and how we stop this from continuing to happen.”

The vigil was organized by the City of Greensboro’s Office of Community Safety (OCS).

“We pray for Sgt. Nix’s family. We lift up those that he leaves behind, those that love him most, and those that which he has served,” said City of Greensboro Violence Prevention Coordinator Arthur Durham in his address to the crowd.

“This is an occasion that we don’t want, but a chance for us to honor the legacy of someone who impacted various areas of our community and touched the lives of many,” said OCS Manager Latisha McNeil.

“We are also here tonight because we are standing against violence in our community, and denouncing violence as a community.”

Durham noted, “since the 30th, we’ve had two other young men perish the same day that Sgt. Nix passed on.”

Kathy Manning, who represents North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, began by saying “My heart breaks for the Nix family and for all fellow officers.”

“We had several round tables this year on violence prevention,” said Manning, “and I hope that we will have more so that we can figure out how we can work together to stop the violence that is destroying so many lives across our community. We will do everything we can in Washington, but it really needs to be done right here at home, as we come together as a community to figure out how we can stop young people from engaging in acts of violence that destroy lives.”

Three members of Greensboro City Council were present at the ceremony and spoke to the crowd.

“I want to thank all the law enforcement that are here today,” said at-large representative Marikay Abuzuaiter. “I also want to acknowledge and appreciate all the work that our law enforcement do.

Our 911 operators, our city staff, our Family

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A vigil was held to honor Nix Justice Center family, who is grieving after working with him every single day.”

“This is a very tough time for all of us,” said at-large representative Hugh Holston. “Something that I said recently and which still rings in my ears is that tomorrow is not promised to any of us, and it’s important that each and every one of us leave here and we give our love to our loved ones. Make sure that you tell your loved ones that you love them and care about them, and then love them and care about them.”

District 3’s Zack Matheny spoke of the shock that Nix’s family must have experienced when informed of his death.

“As a person who lost his spouse three and a half years ago, and whose girlfriend just lost her mom last week, I just gotta tell you, losing a loved one around the holidays is awful. Losing one in the capacity in which Sgt. Nix fought for your protection is tragic, is gut-wrenching, so my heart as a widower, as a man who understands loss, my heart bleeds for the Nix family, and I hope we all can wrap our arms around them.”

A statement from the Greensboro Fire Department was released expressing condolences and is below: The Greensboro Fire Department (GFD) is deeply saddened to announce the untimely passing of Sergeant Philip Dale Nix of the Greensboro Police Department (GPD). With heavy hearts, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the Nix family, his friends, and our esteemed colleagues at the GPD. Sergeant Nix dedicated 23 years of his life to the faithful service of the city of Greensboro, leaving an indelible mark on our community. His commitment to public safety, demonstrated through roles such as Criminal Investigations Division (CID) Detective, Patrol Corporal, and Patrol Sergeant, reflects a distinguished career characterized by selflessness and dedication. His recent role as Supervisor WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

of the Family Victims Unit showcased his compassion and commitment to supporting those in need.

Fire Chief Jim Robinson expresses, “I want to express our deepest sympathy and gratitude for Sergeant Nix’s dedicated service. His legacy will forever be etched in the annals of public safety, and his memory will continue to inspire those who follow in his footsteps.”

Sergeant Nix’s connection to the Greensboro Fire Department was profound, with a family legacy deeply rooted within our ranks. His father, retired Captain Eddie Nix, his brother, Dan Nix, a current firefighter with GFD, his uncle, retired Assistant Chief Skip Nix, his cousin, current Captain Alan Nix, and his cousins-in-law, Engineers Charles Gunter and Trent Pence, collectively contribute to the rich tapestry of service that defines both the GPD and GFD. During this challenging time, the Greensboro Fire Department stands in unwavering solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Greensboro Police Department. The loss of Sergeant Nix resonates not only within his immediate family but also reverberates throughout our entire community.

As we collectively mourn the passing of a dedicated public servant, we offer our deepest sympathies to the GPD family, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Catherine Thompson, director of the Guilford County Family Justice Center, spoke of Sgt. Nix’s six-year history with that organization.

“If you knew him, he often described the Family Justice Center as his family. Sometimes he had to be reminded he was GPD, but he loved the Family Justice Center, and I’m honored to be able to share a few words about what a tremendous person he was.”

According to Thompson, “Sgt. Nix set the standard in this nation for what law enforcement partnerships should look like in a Family Justice Center.”

“He not only transformed Greensboro

Flowers, candles and mementos have been left on the fallen officer’s vehicle but impacted many organizations nationwide as a lead trainer in homicide prevention initiatives like high-risk teens and responding to strangulation. For someone who dedicated his career to homicide prevention, it is unimaginable that his life would end in a homicide. As we think of community solutions and pathways to safety and healing, that cannot happen without holding those who do harm accountable. Victims of crime should expect that from us, from the field to the courtroom to conviction and beyond.”

The funeral service for Sergeant Phillip Dale Nix will be open to the public on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at 2 p.m. The location will be at Westover Church, 505 Muirs Chapel Rd in Greensboro. Anyone wishing to be at the funeral service should plan on arriving early as it will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

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Local NAACP calls on city to withhold Habitat for Humanity funds

M

ultiple

Habitat for Humanity homes in an East Greensboro neighborhood have been deteriorating from water damage Ian McDowell caused by improper grading when they Contributor were built almost 25 years ago. Now the Greensboro Chapter of the NAACP is calling for the city to withhold those funds until the problems are fixed.

In February 2023, Greensboro City Council voted to allocate $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Greensboro (HHGG). At this year’s first Greensboro City Council meeting, a former HHGG board member called on

12 YES! WEEKLY

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

Council to require Habitat to use that funding to remediate the neighborhood in which she lives.

“The money you’re giving them is not rescuing East Greensboro,” said ChesKesha Cunningham-Dockery at the January 2 meeting. “It’s supposed to be for affordable housing, and affordable housing should not be substandard housing. My neighborhood of 67 Habitat homes is deteriorating from mold, mildew, and poor grading that date from when it was built.”

Cunningham-Dockery is chair of the Poplar Ridge Neighborhood Committee.

She was a member of the HHGG Board of Directors from 2017 to 2023 and is chair of the City of Greensboro Parks and Recreation Commission.

Earlier that day, Greensboro NAACP President Kay Brown sent City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba an email asking to “earmark all city monies allocated to Habitat for Humanity to fix the grading issues in the Poplar Ridge community” and “work with property owners” on “subsidizing the repair of all the issues within these homes.”

These are among the latest requests from organizers and community members since Cunningham-Dockery made a public Facebook post on October 17, in which she described homes in the Poplar Ridge community as “experiencing standing water, weak & failing floors, erosion of property, and the presence of mold & mildew.” Despite these issues causing multiple illnesses, wrote Cummingham-Dockery, “Habitat for Humanity keeps building homes and overlooking the issues of their previous partnerships.”

At the November 20 meeting of NAACP Greensboro, District 1 Representative Sharon Hightower stated there was little council could do to force Habitat to fix the issue. Guilford County Board of Commissioners Chair Skip Alston disagreed.

“I told Sharon Hightower that in order to get the attention of anybody you give money to, if they’re not listening to you or solving the problems of their constituents, you withhold that money until they come to the table.”

On December 7, Poplar Ridge resident Lisa Carter invited YES! Weekly to visit her home beside that of CunninghamDockery. In multiple rooms, the floor felt weak, and “bouncy” underfoot. Kitchen

ChesKesha Cunningham-Dockery speaks at community meeting tiles were buckling. Warped bathroom floor exhibited mildew stains. The floor was warped and felt unstable in the bedroom of Carter’s 33-year-old daughter Kierra.

Carter described Kierra as legally blind and nonverbal, and unable to take care of herself due to a variety of medical conditions since birth.

“I am responsible for her safety, wellbeing, and every aspect of her life.”

Carter said she first described the weakened floors, mold, and mildew to HHGG CEO David Kolosieke and VicePresident Ruthie Richardson-Robinson in August 2019.

“David informed me that the root problem was due to the substandard backyard grading by Habitat. He explained the negligent grading was causing all the issues with sitting water, my crawlspace, with weakened floors, mold, and mildew.”

Carter said that Kolosieke and Robinson met her daughter and acknowledged the dangers of the deteriorating situation. “If my floors collapse, my daughter will be unable to protect herself. She cannot call for help and won’t understand the danger she is facing. Her health, security, and safety all are being jeopardized by the lack of execution of the promises made.”

Carter said she did not hear from them again until April 2023.

“I shared with Ruthie that my floors have gotten worse, causing me to put wood planks under my daughter’s bed to support its weight. Ruthie contacted me apologizing for the delay and advised me that Habitat’s new Construc-

tion Director Justin Heyward would come see conditions firsthand. She assured me she would follow up, but I never heard from Ruthie again, nor did she ever respond back to me attempting to reach her.”

Carter said that Heyward assessed the house on May 1 of last year. “He said my floors could cave in within three years. This reinforced the urgency of the matter. Unfortunately, what I have been promised has yet to be executed.”

Carter said that, to date, she has had five assessments, including one from the City of Greensboro, all concluding the same thing.

“I have always received promises from Habitat’s leaders, David, and Ruthie. September 7, 2023, was my last assessment, and then I attended a neighborhood meeting. In the presence of city council representative Sharon Hightower and neighborhood residents, David confirmed that this was not an individual homeowner issue, but a critical one for the entire Poplar Ridge Neighborhood, due to the bad grading.

Yet publicly and to their own board of directors, David and Ruthie are communicating misleading information that this is a homeowner issue. Additionally, Habitat continues to build in East Greensboro, while my home and those of my deteriorating.”

YES! Weekly reached out to Kolosieke for a response to Carter’s claims. On December 11, HHGG’s Communications Director Christine Bird wrote: “Habitat Greensboro is working to address the issues encountered by homeowners in the Poplar Ridge

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Mildew and mold damage

Mildew and mold damage

Water damage on porch

neighborhood. Available to any Habitat homeowners in the neighborhood, the organization will partner with homeowners to make needed repairs once a signed repair agreement is received. Due to privacy considerations, we are unable to provide additional information about individual homeowners.”

Problems with that “signed repair agreement” were described at a December 16 meeting between Kolosieke and 24 members of the Poplar Ridge neighborhood. Other attendees included Greensboro NAACP First Vice President Damon Williams.

At the meeting, Carter and Cunningham-Dockery described objections to the letter’s statement that it “supersedes any and all prior oral or written statements or agreements” given to community residents, and that “Habitat will not perform mold remediation services or provide any evaluation of mold conditions at the Property.”

Cunningham-Dockery said she’d been advised by District 7 County Commissioner Frankie Jones not to sign that agreement. She said that she wanted to hold Kolosieke to promises previously made, and that mold had become a serious issue that would require remediation throughout the community.

“They know we have mold and mildew in our houses and they know we are sick, because we keep telling him, and I think they don’t acknowledge this because we’re Black and live on the East Side.”

Poplar Ridge homeowner Jacqueline Wilson also described problems with mold in her home, and how it exacerbated her granddaughter’s asthma.

She would reiterate these claims at the January 2 council meeting, where she addressed Hightower and described her backyard as having become “a swamp.”

Cunningham-Dockery said that the only person who had advised her to sign the letter was City Manager Taiwo Jaiyeoba.

Records show that on December 7 Jai-

yeoba wrote the following to Cunningham-Dockery: “I understand these homes were built more than two decades ago. While Habitat cannot (and they should not) commit to fixing the issues identified, an assessment will provide an opportunity for them and respective homeowners to understand the scale of the work and determine a path forward.”

At the December community meeting, Cunningham-Dockery alleged a lack of response from Kolosieke after his initial acknowledgment that the problem involved the entire neighborhood.

“David stopped talking to us when he found out the gravity of the issue. On September 7th, he came out and said we got this, we got about four houses, and I said, no David, this is not just four houses, this is the whole community, because of the grading and how it slopes. And he said, well, that’s a whole different problem that will take a lot of money. And he hasn’t responded to us since.”

When he spoke at the meeting, Kolosieke made no direct comment on this allegation, but said that mold remediation was something the community would have to pay for itself. “Maybe they need to do some treatment knowing it’s not a permanent solution, and then come back for round two. You may have to spend some money that you may have to spend twice. This has always been a matter of a hand up, not a handout.”

Kolosieke’s tone became more conciliatory after NAACP’s first vice-president Williams recommended City Council withhold ARP funds until all the problems at Poplar Ridge were fixed.

“We’ve talked to the city manager and assistant manager,” said Kolosieke.

“They seem to be willing to try to work with us to do some things in terms of helping out. We will send a request to the city to redirect those ARP funds, and if you’re coming to back that up, that

could help the city being able to redirect that.”

Williams asked if Kolosieke could send a new version of the agreement letter that did not contain the sections that Carter and many other residents objected to. “We’ll get right on that,” said Kolosieke. “We already have a letter that went out yesterday, but when you get it, don’t even open it, but throw it away and wait for the new one.”

As of January 7, Carter and Cunningham-Dockery said they have not received any revised letter.

Williams also said that he is unaware

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Lisa Carter demonstrating the slope in her backyard of anyone in the community having received a revised agreement letter.

“I have visited a few homes with a member of the League of Women Voters and the remediation specialist Wayne Hodges of Guilford Environmental. We found the homes we visited to be in bad shape. Efforts to arrange a meeting with David Kolosieke have not been resolved yet.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

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tunes

HEAR IT!

Codeseven never let go

C

odeseven capped off 2023 with ”Go Let It In,” their first album release in 20 years–proving the Winston-Salem melodic hardcore outfit never really let Katei Cranford go despite their long hiatus.

Though they’ve Contributor long left the era of Don Henley covers and the “Boys of Summer” (off 1998’s “A Sense of Coalition”) that first landed them on Top 10 college radio charts, Codeseven continues conjuring fresh senses of energy and looks to let in 2024 with two northeast shows on their books and more dates in the works.

Embarking on a sonic path toward the atmospheric–Codeseven’s space rock trajectory continues with the same hard charge, fueled and forged through their catalog, starting on their 1996 debut “Paper or Plastic” (on the local Huel Records); and ending with their slide toward the dark side on 2004’s “Dancing Echoes / Dead Sounds” (put out on New York’s Equal Vision Records).

“Go Let It In” comes full circle–building on the electronic foundation of that last record, while also blending elements of those that came before: from the punch of 1999’s “Division of Labor” (that garnered attention from outlets like Hit Parader, Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, and Kerrang — and making them darlings of the CMJ metal charts), to the experimentative notes (and nods to Bjork and Pink Floyd) off 2002’s “The Rescue” that accompanied an era of tours with artists like Coheed and Cambria, Dredg, Poison the Well, and Hopesfall (that last of whom

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14 YES! WEEKLY

JANUARY 10-16, 2024

PHOTO BY TODD TURNER

played the “Go Let It In” album release party in December).

Carrying relationships and demo material over the decades, the band of buds and brothers is picking up right where they left off: with “Go Let It In” serving as a direct followup to “Dancing Echoes / Dead Sounds” and working again with Equal Vision for its release.

“We tackled what we considered the ultimate challenge: to write and record a full length that sounds as good, if not better, than the last record,” the band said in a statement. “Following a 20-year hiatus, this felt like it could be impossible.

It’s hard to beat time and nostalgia but we certainly wanted to try. And yes, we think we did.”

In that pursuit, frontman Jeff Jenkins is quick to praise their label team and the production skills of Jeremy S.H. Griffith.

“We’re so proud to have the opportunity to work with Equal Vision again,” he said.

“There is so much joy in working with people who believe in you.“ “Jeremy knew exactly how to get us where we were already heading, sonically,” Jenkins continued, referencing the “kismet” pairing. “I think it’s evident, after listening back to our rough demos, how much further he took us with our vision.

I’m thankful to have his heart and soul involved with this.“ Reflecting on that vision, “Over the past two decades, each of us has centered ourselves with music. Some of us got married and some built businesses,” Jenkins mused. “But music has always been involved in our lives.” And as a band of five

friends — with three being brothers (guitarist and keyboardist James Tuttle, bassist Jon Tuttle, and drummer Matt Tuttle) those lives have remained intertwined.

“Being in a band is a personal journey as well as a collective effort,” Jenkins explained. “Since we formed, we’ve been best friends, who have fussed and fought over little things. Thankfully, we all have had the common sense to know that family is always greater than the band.

Without that love and trust, there is no band.”

Rolling off the momentum ignited during their reunion for the 2021 Furnace Fest, an album seemed a natural progression of those efforts. “After we played at the festival, we had no intention to cease that musical momentum,” Jenkins recalled. “No one in the band said, ‘THAT’S ALL FOLKS! WE HAVE NOTHING MORE TO OFFER THAN THESE OLD SONGS!’ Really, we all remembered how it ‘clicked’ when playing live as a unit.”

“Also, I think we all felt like we had something more to tell our listeners,” he continued. ”That was an exciting feeling.”

As excitement manifested into creative action, “in the course of those inactive years, we had several false starts when composing and releasing a new collection of songs,” Jenkins said, “and I think each of us was anxious to craft the sound of demos using today’s technology and recording methods to where we ultimately united as a group to realize them in the form of a 10 song LP.” Between parenting and careers and running a bar (guitarist Eric Weyer is behind

Hoots Beer Co.), “Go Let It In” invoked by classic DIY spirit and pragmatism of each member recording their parts at home.

The result offers a 10-song showcase, with catchy tracks exploring universal emotions: love-life cycles and underdog anthems. Songs that echo the plight for justice, while highlighting the values of compassion, self-awareness, and fear (of bugs in one particular case).

The debut single, “Hold Tight” captures the essence of young love and nights that never end; while its follow-up “Rough Seas” wrestles conflicting desires. “It’s about the need for acceptance versus the desire to remain a recluse,” James Tuttle explained, adding, “The video is a symbolic representation of our band being dead and now active again.”

And with that, Codeseven embarks on a new wave — riding the crest back to the stage for a handful of gigs (including a release party at the Ramkat with Spirit System and Hopesfall). They’ll hit the road for a couple northeast shows in February. Other tour dates are in the works.

Codeseven’s “Go Let It In” is out now via Equal Vision Records. !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

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last call [SALOME’S STARS]

[TRIVIA TEST]

Week of January 15, 2024

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)

The practical Bovine wants to see some substantive changes in a situation that just doesn’t feel right. You might want to help move things along by offering up some suggestions.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might be of two minds about a situation that seems to fit your needs, but might make more demands than you’re ready for.

Use both your head and heart to reach a decision.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Don’t

blame yourself if you can’t figure out that puzzling workplace situation. You might not have enough facts to work with yet. Do more research and ask more questions.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) It’s a good week to catch up on matters that couldn’t be completed during the hectic holiday season. It’s also a good week to reach out to any new friends you made over the holidays.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A negative reaction to a request could be misunderstood. Make sure that your reasons for saying “no” are clear. Also, be open to changing your mind if more facts come through.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) The “security” of doing things the usual way should be balanced against the pos-

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November

21) A personal matter requires attention and might lead to a surprising revelation.

Meanwhile, the new year could bring some long-anticipated changes to the workplace.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A new friendship seems to hold less promise than you previously thought. But make no assumptions one way or another without having an open and frank talk first.

crossword on page 9

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rates which two countries?

[2. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is Three Kings Day also known as?

[3. MOVIES: What’s the name of the

supervillain character in the animated film Despicable Me?

[4. LITERATURE: Who is the author of “The Kite Runner”?

[5. TELEVISION: What is the name of the motorcycle-riding greaser in the sitcom Happy Days?

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your creative input could lead to changes in the workplace. Even if some colleagues disapprove of your efforts, stay the course. You’re heading in the right direction.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might feel like you have all the facts and support that you need to deal with a long-deferred situation. Good for you! Once the matter is finally settled, you can move on.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You are a

sincerely generous person who never has to be asked to do something nice for others. © 2024 by King Features Syndicate

[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 9

[6. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which musical

instrument does former President Bill Clinton play?

[7. GAMES: In the game Battleship, how many ships does each player have at the beginning?

[8. MUSIC: Which famous rock singer was born with the name Farrokh Bulsara?

[9. HISTORY: What was the name of the first U.S. Space Shuttle?

[10. U.S. STATES: Which state is home

to the Mammoth cave system, believed to be the longest in the world?

answer

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) While this week is mostly positive, a few negative factors might arise. It’s best to deal with them before they create problems that can jeopardize some of your later efforts.

answers [CROSSWORD]

[1. GEOGRAPHY: The Darien Gap sepa-

6. Saxophone.

7. Five.

8. Freddie Mercury.

9. Columbia.

10. Kentucky.

ter to get an explanation of a colleague’s behavior first, rather than trying to guess at the motive. Speculation can never replace facts. What you learn could lead you to reconsider some of your plans.

sible benefits of moving into a new direction. Also, work quickly to avoid a possible family misunderstanding.

1. Panama and Colombia.

2. Epiphany.

3. Gru. 4. Khaled Hosseini.

5. Fonzie.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) It’s bet-

by Fifi Rodriguez

© 2024 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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HigH Point’s University

All Are Invited to This Complimentary Celebration

Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Monday, January 15, 2024 WORSHIP SERVICE

11:00 am HPU Charles E. Hayworth Memorial Chapel Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, Senior Pastor of the Ray of Hope Christian Church, Decatur, Georgia

FAITH

IS TAKING THE FIRST STEP, EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T SEE THE WHOLE STAIRCASE. – Martin Luther King, Jr. OUR CITY. OUR UNIVERSITY. High Point, North Carolina | www.highpoint.edu/mlkday