Yes! Weekly - March 15, 2017

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Examining the state of transparency in American democracy

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ANTHONY BRAXTON 1 3 Stages of " TraditionaL Plus " Music!

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EL RANCHO TAQUERIA

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YES! WEEKLY > MARCH 15-21, 2017 > VOLUME 13, NUMBER 10

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

SUNSHINE WEEK 2017

EDITORIAL Editor JEFF SYKES jeff@yesweekly.com Contributors KRISTI MAIER JOHN ADAMIAN RICH LEWIS STEVE MITCHELL BILLY INGRAM ALLISON STALBERG IAN MCDOWELL DEONNA KELLI SAYED MIA OSBORN

A thick fog is rolling in over SUNSHINE WEEK (March 12-18), the annual event when government transparency advocates raise awareness about the importance of access to public records. We are entering an age when officials at the highest levels seek to discredit critical reporting with “alternative facts,” “fake news” slurs, and selective access to press conferences—while making their own claims without providing much in the way to substantiate them.

Movies MARK BURGER marksburger@yahoo.com

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Theatre LENISE WILLIS lenise@yesweekly.com PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX ELDRIDGE designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING

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kat@yesweekly.com Marketing BRAD MCCAULEY brad@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com CLAUDIA BURNETT claudia@yesweekly.com KAREN SCOTT karen@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT BRANDON COMBS 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 2017 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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MARCH 15-21, 2017

the lead 8

Executive Assistant and Program Coordinator of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum NAKIA HOSKINS began her career as a tour guide three years ago.

10 This past weekend, we saw the ACC TOURNAMENT played in, of all places, Brooklyn, New York and heard a surly coach take a pot shot at Greensboro. In the last year, we’ve seen the controversial HB 2 bathroom bill push some performers and events to destinations other than the Gate City.

11 Are you a programmer, application designer, or entrepreneur? Do you want to help build North Carolina’s future while winning awesome prizes? Then the US IGNITE SMART GIGABIT COMMUNITIES REVERSE PITCH contest is for you.

voices 12

A Washington Post column last week described Greensboro bluntly as an “intersection of SLAPDASH AMERICAN CITY BOULEVARDS.” It derided Greensboro for no longer hosting NCAA regional basketball tournament games...

arts, entertainment & dining 24

Music and art fans in the area have a very rare chance to see and hear the visual scores and imagery-related music of composer and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient ANTHONY BRAXTON at a series of performances and exhibits in Winston-Salem.

27 This week, HELEN SIMONEAU DANSE will showcase a vivid and colorful performance that fuses modern-day art forms in its 7th Company Season at Hanesbrands Theatre.

30 The current political climate seems sure to bring about some amazing protest art, but in Greensboro, local artists will have the revolution brought to them. The new Artist In Residency Revolution (AirRev) program at REVOLUTION MILL gives politically and socially critical artists of the Triad a work space...

31 Sammie Cassell isn’t a superhero, but sometimes he dresses like one. And if heroism is determined by generosity and kindness he might very well qualify as a hero.

32 A few months back some friends recommended to me what they considered the best tacos in the area. They said that EL RANCHO TAQUERIA was by far the most authentic style tacos in the city, but in the most unexpected location. I was intrigued.

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MARCH 15-21, 2017

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BE there

ROBIN BULLOCK & AOIFE CLANCY FRIDAY

EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS | BY AUSTIN KINDLEY ENT MT

ART

MU SIC

FOOD

THE ATRE

FEST

CREATIVE MINDFULNESS THURSDAY THURSDAY

16 DRAWING AS A CREATIVE MINDFULNESS WHAT: The process of drawing can lead us into a deeper connection with ourselves.

Participants will be guided through simple meditation and drawing exercises to discover a path to creative mindfulness. Blind Contour drawing, Zentangle and sketching from still life scenes will be introduced.

WHEN: 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: GreenHill.

200 N. Davie Street, Greensboro.

MORE: $15 entry.

6 YES! WEEKLY

ANTHONY BRAXTON THURSDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

16 JAZZ ARTIST

ANTHONY BRAXTON WHAT: Braxton is recognized as one of the most important musicians, educators, and creative thinkers of the past 50 years, highly esteemed in the creative music community for the revolutionary quality of his work and for the mentorship and inspiration he has provided to generations of younger musicians.

WHEN: 6 p.m.

WHERE: Southeastern Center For Contemporary Art. 750 Marguerite Drive, Winston-Salem.

MORE: Free entry.

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FRIDAY

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ST PADDY’S DAY HELEN SIMONEAU ROBIN BULLOCK DANSE: 7TH COM- & AOIFE CLANCY WHAT: Join Us March 17th for Breathe Lounge’s St Paddy’s Day Festival! We’ll have PANY SEASON WHAT: We’re really excited to be live irish music all day and night with special Irish food, beer, drinks, games, contests and door prizes! Festivities start at 1 pm, so take the day off and celebrate with us!

WHEN: 1 p.m.

WHERE: Breathe Lounge at Eclection.

221 N Main St., Kernersville.

MORE: $5 admission.

Bean to Bar in Winston-Salem Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 4pm

1151 Canal Drive, Unit 106, Winston-Salem, NC DIRECTIONS: Northwest Boulevard to Bridge Street Turn Left onto Gravel Parking Lot

MARCH 15-21, 2017

FRIDAY

WHAT: This event will present three visually-striking works that explore human connection, interaction, and conversations across disciplines. This evening of dance will feature live music by Must be the Holy Ghost, and visual art projectionist, Weapons of Mass Projection.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Hanesbrands Theatre.

209 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem.

MORE: $16.50-$47 tickets.

bringing in these two very talented artists for what will undoubtedly be the best St. Paddys Day show in town. Aoife Clancy is the daughter of Bobby Clancy of the legendary Clancy Brothers and Robin is one of the best acoustic guitarists and cittern players in the country.

WHEN: 8 p.m.

WHERE: Muddy Creek Music Hall.

5455 Bethania Road, Winston-Salem.

MORE: $16-$18.

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STEEL MAGNOLIAS SUNDAY

SATURDAY SATURDAY

CAROLINA BAM SATURDAY SATURDAY

SATURDAY

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GROUNDS KEEPING DAY

3.21 DASH FOR DOWNS

WHAT: Come and get your hands dirty and have some fun at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market and help us beautify our grounds as we rebuild our eroded upper stream embankment with fill dirt, topsoil, and mulch. Bring gardening gloves and a wheelbarrow if possible.

WHEN: 8-10 a.m.

WHERE: Greensboro Farmers Curb Market. 501 Yanceyville St., Greensboro.

MORE: Free event.

WHAT: The Down Syndrome Network of Greater Greensboro (DSNGG) invites you and your family to participate in its first annual 5K walk/run, in honor of World Down Syndrome Day! The choice is yours, but we ask you to join us wearing something which people will ask you about so that you can tell them about World Down Syndrome Day. WHEN: 8:30 a.m.

WHERE: LeBauer Park.

208 N. Davie Street, Greensboro.

MORE: $10-$35 entry.

SATURDAY

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SUNDAY

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BROWN TRUCK 6TH ANNUAL STEEL BREWERY 1 YEAR CAROLINA BAM MAGNOLIAS ANNIVERSARY WHAT: Celebrate your St. Patrick’s Day WHAT: This is a play about Truvy’s WHAT: Join us Saturday, March 18th for our celebration from Noon - 11pm. We will have live music, food trucks and a beer release.

WHEN: 12 - 11 p.m.

WHERE: Brown Truck Brewery, 1234 N. Main Street, High Point.

MORE: Free entry.

weekend at a competition celebrating what we enjoy most. Beards, brotherhood and charity. Start your weekend right with the St. Patrick’s Day themed welcome party and rolling onto a Saturday afternoon pub crawl and the main event on Saturday night with Carolina BAM 2017.

WHEN: 5 p.m.

WHERE: Greene Street Club 113 N Greene St., Greensboro.

MORE: $15 spectator entry.

Beauty Salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana; where all the ladies who are ‘anybody’ come to have their hair done. It’s here that they bicker, share beauty tips and recipes, and swap more than an occasional bit of scandalous gossip.

WHEN: 3 p.m.

WHERE: Yadkin Cultural Arts Center.

226 E. Main Street, Yadkinville.

MORE: $18-$20 admission.

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MARCH 15-21, 2017

YES! WEEKLY

7

[LOCAL TALENT]

NAKIA HOSKINS-LIVING HISTORY

BY ALLISON STALBERG

Executive Assistant and Program Coordinator of the International Civil Rights Center and Museum Nakia Hoskins began her career as a tour guide three years ago.

“It’s nice to educate people, to watch lights turn on because you’re making connections not only from history but things that are sadly still happening today,” said Hoskins. “I think it’s rewarding to know we are a source of inspiration and to be a part of that. Having an hour and 15 minutes to completely pour out your passion so people can not only understand the importance of this place, but to keep the spirit in what this place stands for.”

With a degree in African American studies from UNC Chapel Hill, Hoskins was happy to do work in her degree field.

“It appealed to my interest. I think it’s cool to tell history by making connections today while being on a historical site.”

Hoskins has now been executive assistant for a year with the program coordinator duties later added.

“You have to wear many hats,” said Hoskins.

“Luckily here, not only do they train you but also believe you can wear the many hats and hope you excel.

“The most challenging part is the nonprofit

struggle of not having enough hands on board to build the big dream that we all dream. So it is challenging having to make sure all the moving parts are there but you don’t have someone to man them all. It’s challenging but at the same time, it re-affirms the passion we have here. Challenging, yes, but still rewarding because it still gets done.”

Hoskins loves reaching out to both children and adults who have lived through what they talk about in the museum.

“It’s a highlight when eight grade or high schoolers really can connect and see they are just like these people that they are learning about,” she said. “It’s a highlight for them to know that the work isn’t over. It’s a highlight that after a tour you have an ovation. People are clapping and shaking your hand and telling you that this is awesome, this is the best field trip or teachers say ‘I’ve never seen my students this quiet for an hour.’”

“There is also the flip side of people who lived in that era. People have their own first-hand account but still come in and shake your hand and tell you did an awesome job.”

Hoskins’ future plans are to work to draw in more audiences to the International Civil Rights Center and Museum located on Elm Street in the heart of Downtown Greensboro.

2017

!

WANT TO BE FEATURED AS A LOCAL TALENT? E-mail a photo and a short bio to editor@yesweekly.com

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MARCH 30

APRIL 9

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DOCUMENTARIES DRAMAS 8 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 15-21, 2017

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YES! Weekly staff recognized for award-winning work Journalists and designers at YES! Weekly won multiple awards in the recent NC Press Association 2016 News, Editorial and Photojournalism contest and the Advertising Awards contest. The awards were announced last week at the NCPA Winter Institute 2017 held in Raleigh.

Graphic designer Alex Eldridge won her third straight first place award for ad design. This year, Eldridge was recognized for her design work in the Best Color Institutional Ad for an ad she created for Health and Style Institute. Judges noted that “beautiful skin tones and accent color makes this stand out and get noticed.”

Eldridge also won a third place award this year for an ad she designed for High Point Theatre. Competing in the Best Color Restaurant/Entertainment category, the judges noted simply, “that’s a lot of color!”

Eldridge has previously won first place awards in the NCPA contests in 2015 and 2014, in addition to winning first place awards in the national Association of Alternative Newsmedia contest and the regional Southern Advertising Publishers Association.

The duo of writer Steve Mitchell and podcast producer Deonna Kelli Sayed won multiple awards in the Editorial contest last week. Both awards came in the multimedia category, in which Mitchell and Sayed won both first and second place awards.

The team of Mitchell and Sayed won first place for Best Multimedia Project for their series Out in the South, which featured five stories from across multiple generations of LGBTQ community members in which their personal narrative of striving for acceptance and equality was chronicled.

Mitchell and Sayed approached YES! Weekly editor Jeff Sykes with the concept in the winter of 2016 and the series debuted just weeks after Republicans in the state’s legislature shamed the state with passage of HB2, now globally known as North Carolina’s “bathroom bill.”

“I knew the series would be compelling when they laid out the concept,” Sykes said. “When the short-sighted politicians in Raleigh played their discriminatory hand, the project took on a whole new meaning.”

Mitchell’s interviews brought each

Alex Eldridge, Steve Mitchell and Deonna Kelli Sayed person’s story vividly to life, Sykes said, but Sayed’s podcasts brought a deeper level of experience.

“I’ll never forget listening to Deonna’s podcast with Coen Crisp,” Sykes said.

“Coen’s story is powerful in itself, but as Deonna produced the podcast she mixed in Coen’s changing singing voice as he experienced hormone therapy with reflection on Coen’s search for acceptance. Coen singing “Amazing Grace” at the end moved me to tears on several occassions.”

Mitchell and Sayed took home a second place prize in the Best Multimedia Project category as well for a feature they did on Hospice counselor Stimp Hawkins.

Hawkins led a series of “Death Cafe’s” where he helped people plan for end of life needs and face issues of loss and

grief. Hawkins discussed his own personal journey and end of life concerns as he approached his mid-80s. Hawkins had specific end of life preferences and helped others approach the subject with grace and dignity.

Hawkins passed away in June 2016 and several family and friends again shared Deonna’s podcast, saying it brought back vivid memories of the man they loved.

Stimp himself was upbeat about his final days and coming end of life celebration when the story and podcast ran in January 2016.

“I get so excited talking about it, I want to do it now,” Stimp said. “But if you do it before you die, people will just lie. I want folks to be able to talk about what a pain in the ass I was too.” !

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9

the lead

POLITICS, UPDATES, TRENDS AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION

Science, history and nature working to put Greensboro on the map

T

BY RICH LEWIS

his past weekend, we saw the ACC Tournament played in, of all places, Brooklyn, New York and heard a surly coach take a pot shot at Greensboro. In the last year, we’ve seen the controversial HB 2 bathroom bill push some performers and events to destinations other than the Gate City.

Wouldn’t it be great if people had a reason to come visit the city that wasn’t at the mercy of outside forces and political squabbles?

It is in the works and when it gets finished, it’s going to be big.

You may or may not have heard of the Battleground Parks District, but you certainly know its component parts if you are at all familiar with Greensboro.

Comprised of the Guilford Courthouse National Military Park, the Greensboro Science Center, Country Park and the Atlantic & Yadkin Greenway, the Battleground Parks District is an effort to have the four entities integrate to create one big presence.

Glenn Dobrogosz, of the Battleground Parks District and CEO of the Greensboro Science Center, explained the features have shared common borders but had developed in the past independently. In recent years, though, the leaderships of the four areas have begun working together to connect their parks, not just for promotion purposes, but to build features and attractions that bring visitors to all of them.

Artist rendering of future improvements to the Battleground Parks District.

“It’s going to be a multi-phase project” Dobrogosz said, “and right now we are waiting to see how the city will appropriate the money from the 2016 Parks and Recreation Bond.”

From that $34.5 million bond, the Battleground Parks District has $5 million earmarked for its use.

“That $5 million is going to be used to do a connective feature between the Battleground, the Science Center and Country Park to really bring it all together,” he said. “This will make the Battleground Park District much more cohesive and bring it together into one whole story.”

Part of that connective feature is underway as we speak. The Rotary Club of Greensboro is financing the construc-

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MARCH 15-21, 2017

tion of a classic carousel which will be a major attraction, Dobrogosz said. About two thirds of the $1.4 million cost of the carousel have already been raised and many of the animal sculptures in the carousel have been picked out, with a few remaining to be used as fund raisers and to feature local icons.

“The carousel company was here last week getting ready for the carousel, the building it will be in and the plaza around it,” he continued. “Once we get the money appropriated from the bond, we can look at getting the area landscaped and getting that part underway as well.

“Samet Construction is going to be leading the carousel project to bring it to fruition, including building the shelter and the plaza,” Dobrogosz said. “A year from now it should all be in place.”

“We want to create a 400-acre oasis of history, science and wholesome family fun here,” he continued. “We already have so many features here with so many people coming each day. Right now these parks all have about 1 million visitors each year.”

“Greensboro needs to diversify our approach to tourism,” he said “From a political and business standpoint we have undersold ourselves for too long.”

While the carousel project and the plaza surrounding it sound like a good start, it really is just the tip of the iceberg.

Other upgrades to the area include updating the buildings and facilities at Country Park to make the most of their appeal and to better highlight some of the more scenic features of the park.

Parking in the area and tram access will be addressed as well to better accommodate the increased local attendance the

area has seen in recent years.

And then there is the Greensboro Science Center itself. What had once been a small educational center wholly dependent on the city for operating budget has now grown into a respected education and recreation destination. And it is looking to boom in the next year.

This coming week, the Greensboro Science Center will be opening the Wiseman Aquarium, the second phase of its very popular aquarium addition. The new section will concentrate more heavily on fish, including 17 new massive tanks. This expansion, Dobrogosz said, was funded 100 percent by private donations.

Beyond that, this fall, the Greensboro Science Center will be unveiling a brandnew dinosaur exhibit that is guaranteed to thrill the young and old alike. Just past that, they will also be doing their largest zoo expansion to date, with the addition of the new Revolution Ridge portion of the zoo, bringing in more animals and educational opportunities. These two projects will be funded half and half through private donations and bond money.

Dobrogosz explained that all this expansion was possible not just because of the generosity of local private donations, but also taking a very measured approach to growing the Center both physically and in the eyes of the community. Much of the funding for these projects won’t be coming from the current bond under discussion, but from about $9 million in funding from a previous bond that had been held onto to develop just the right projects.

Just a few years ago, the Greensboro Science Center (which is a non-profit entity) had an operating budget of $1.6 million, of which $1 million came directly from the City of Greensboro coffers each year. In recent years, since Dobrogosz took over, the budget has grown along with the size of the facility, now topping out at about $6.4 million per year. However, revenues generated by the establishment, plus private donations, mean that the cost to the city haven’t changed and are still only $1 million per year.

When it comes to economic impact and return on investment, those are good numbers, and something we may continue to expect from the coming growth in the overall Battleground Park District. !

RICH LEWIS is a father, husband, writer and cook who makes his home in Greensboro, NC.

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Contest calls on tech savvy Triad residents to create Smarter Cities

BY MIA OSBORN Are you a programmer, application designer, or entrepreneur? Do you want to help build North Carolina’s future while winning awesome prizes? Then the US Ignite Smart Gigabit Communities Reverse Pitch contest is for you.

The contest was inspired by national nonprofit organization US Ignite, which supports the development of next generation applications, services and technologies across the country to create interconnected smart gigabit communities that will use the latest technologies to solve problems of everyday life. Entrants will propose applications that use the high bandwidth and low latency of gigabit fiber infrastructure to solve one of these problems. Winners will earn a total of $38,000 worth of awards and access to professional development services to help bring their ideas to life.

“Broadband fiber optic internet is the price of entry that a city has to pay to move into the 21st century as a smart city.

You’ve got to have this infrastructure,” said Joel Bennett, principal partner of business and community development team New City Ventures.

The Reverse Pitch contest is managed

by New City Ventures and sponsored by information technology company North State, but it took the efforts of many groups and individuals at the national, state, city and private levels to bring the program together.

High speed web access has become an essential part of modern life. North Carolina is already pushing for gigabit speed internet through initiatives like Tri Gig -- a collaboration of Greensboro, High Point, and Burlington -- and the North Carolina Next Generation Network (NCNGN). So far, the efforts of these groups have been pretty far removed from ordinary conversations. Organizers of the Reverse Pitch Contest see it as a way to get the public actively involved in creating this future.

“These conversations really haven’t been taking place in our ordinary vernacular,” said Bennett. “That’s half the challenge: getting conversations started around these issues and throwing around words like gigabit.”

The contest was launched on Feb. 28.

Organizers introduced their reverse pitches: problem statements that entrants will try to solve. The pitches are: Improved Video Streaming and Collaboration; Digital Infrastructure for the Home; Safer Road Intersections, and Regional Sharing.

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New City Ventures presented the US Ignite Smart Gigabit Communities contest.

Bennett expects there will be overlap between the answers to all four problems.

For instance, technology that streamlines video recordings from multiple traffic cameras could also be used to improve real time streaming for everything from cross-country business meetings to concerts performed by musicians playing in different cities.

The contest is open for online entries until April 3. Entrants may be individuals or teams. Round One entry doesn’t require a complete product, just a strong idea and proof of concept. Finalists will be notified April 11, and will move on to Round Two, where they will grow their Round One concepts through weekend workshops on technical development, networking and pitch presentation.

On June 1, finalists will pitch their ideas to a live audience including industry leaders and investors. Awards will be given out on June 10, and the top finalists will spend the summer building their ideas into working applications with professional resources at their disposal.

The top two teams will be awarded $19,000 each, and all finalist teams will be given at least $1,000 of Bluemix Cloud Credits each month for a year. The credits, which were donated to the contest by IBM, were created for that company’s global network of entrepreneurs. Usually entrepreneurs are only given access to Cloud Credits after they have undergone a thorough screening process, but in this case, IBM made an exception.

“IBM recognized that the caliber of finalists that are going to come out of this were not going to have to go through that screening,” said Bennett.

Cloud credits can be redeemed in exchange for IBM resources, including access to huge amounts of data and analytics information.

“It gives you the opportunity to look at big data, and to analyze it over multiple platforms,” said Bennett. “For example, you could look at Twitter sentiment based on weather data. It could apply to things like shopping or politics, things that would not normally be noticed unless you’re combining big data and relevant geographic information.”

Granting Reverse Pitch winners access to this data can only speed up the Triad’s progress toward becoming a network of smart communities. Bennett wants to start a dialogue with the public about the benefits of gigabit speed internet in daily life. He hopes finalists’ work will encourage others to invest in the future of the Triad.

“This is a conversation that needs to take place across our state right now,” he said. “These are innovations that are going to transform our world.”

To enter the Reverse Pitch contest, visit: www.ignitenc.co. !

MIA OSBORN is a Greensboro-based freelance writer who hails from Birmingham, Alabama.

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Greensboro’s authenticity transcends slogans A Washington Post column last week described Greensboro bluntly as an “intersection of slapdash American city boulevards.” It derided Greensboro for no Roch Smith Jr. longer hosting NCAA regional basketball Contributor tournament games because of the Republican state legislature’s HB2—the bathroom bill—and sarcastically mocked that “Greensboro still has a rabbit show.” Yes, we do.

A few days before, Syracuse University basketball coach Jim Boeheim announced his pleasure that the ACC basketball tournament was not being played in Greensboro, its previous home of many years, by declaring that Greensboro had no value as a media or sports center.

Residents, officials and media cheerleaders scrambled to defend Greensboro.

The City government directed an official ‘you are a loser’ tweet to Boeheim, the mayor vaguely protested that Greensboro does too have value and the News & Record opinion page offered Greensboro native son newsman Edward R. Murrow,

12 YES! WEEKLY

deceased since 1965, as proof, or something, that we are a media center.

Rather sad.

In 2000, a group of foundations commissioned a study that concluded Greensboro was “pleasantly mediocre.”

Since then, Greensboro’s movers and shakers have been obsessed with having the city recognized as important beyond its significance.

The result has been to infect the public consciousness with a collective inferiority complex. We writhe at the smallest slight and cling to the most meaningless of measures to calm our insecurities: “We are the twelfth best city in the nation for french fry lovers”—or some such nonsense tout local TV stations with regularity. We convulse obsessively over the gawdawful notion that we could catapult ourselves out of our perceived inferiority if we just had the right “brand.”

We have plenty of problems that go misdiagnosed and incorrectly addressed for which the greatest fault belongs to a largely unimaginative power structure of bureaucrats, elected officials and their patrons propped up well beyond their sellby date by incurious and timid local media.

Branding is not our problem.

Here is the thing, though. Greensboro is a great place in many ways that

simply do not lend themselves well to slogans and soundbites. We may not be for everybody. Adrenaline junkies, social climbers and attention seekers especially may find Greensboro lacking. And, to be sure, Greensboro’s benefits are not evenly accessible geographically or economically across the city but, broadly speaking, there is a real human authenticity here that is better told in the substance of a novel than in the slogan of a billboard or a tweet. With an open heart and open mind, one can live a rich and genuine life here with relative ease.

One big reason for that is a lack of risk. The chances of suffering a calamity, natural or man-made, are slim here.

Greensboro is a physically and psychologically safe place. It is easy in Greensboro to let your guard down and not be sorry for it. Children grow up breathing easy here.

Adults remain calm. As the study said, it is pleasant.

Gliding through Greensboro snuggled in her atmosphere of ease and comfort, it is easy to find satisfaction in the physical beauty of the place and in the amity of her people.

Construction of the northern portion of the urban loop threatens the bucolic solemnity of the adjoining Guilford Courthouse Military Park and its woods. Surely

the days of seeing deer and hawks there, as I did on the day of writing this column, are numbered. And plans on the drawing board for Country Park portend a transformation from a rare urban natural oasis to a human playground. Nonetheless, Greensboro remains beset with abundant trees and flora and there are numerous opportunities for relaxing or exhilarating outdoor experiences in parks and public spaces in and near Greensboro.

The trails around the lakes on the northern edge of the city are special places.

They are perfect for exercise or quiet contemplation. There are other natural spaces within a short drive too. Rivers, woods, lakes and streams. Spending time in natural environments is good for people, and it is easy to do that here.

It is not hard to meet people and make new friends here either. Whether initial meetings happen at a church, in a bar or online, Greensboro has good social infrastructure—accessible places and happenings that make dating or just “doing something” together easy and affordable.

Be with people or be alone, either way it is hard in Greensboro to be lonely.

The people you meet here are interesting. Like any place, we have our share of hucksters and pretenders who, themselves, are interesting even if annoying, but there are a lot of people living in Greensboro who are interesting because of their authenticity—not famous or even illustrious, necessarily, but interesting because they are cultivating their own genuine lives with enthusiastic compassion and dedication. Add a healthy dose of warmth and congeniality and human connections flourish here.

Greensboro may not be exceptional in the many ways one can compare one city to another. We are, in fact, an “intersection of slapdash American city boulevards.” But that doesn’t mean we are not remarkable. It is possible to experience—hard to avoid, in truth—exceptional wonder here. It is a great place to be a human.

We are not a technology hub, a sports mecca, a manufacturing center or a media capital. We do not set records. We do not make stars. We do not make blockbusters.

We make good people™.

We can worry about putting that on a bumper sticker, or just relish living it. !

ROCH SMITH Jr. is the creator and curator of Greensboro 101. He can be reached at curator@greensboro101.com.

MARCH 15-21, 2017

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[KING CROSSWORD] ACROSS

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Clouds up Ring rock “That’s — -brainer!”

Actor Gilliam Quiet “Hey!” Very many Wolf down Wolfed down Dog cry Flower anew Eye ring Became irate Downton Abbey, e.g.

More loved Heavenly food?

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City south of San Diego Alda or Bean Debate need Cold one Comment on, as in a margin Plato was his disciple

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In February, two teams of South Korean researchers announced cancerfighting breakthroughs — by taking lessons from how Chuck Shepherd two of medicine’s most vexing, destructive organisms (diarrhea-causing salmonella bacteria and the rabies virus) can access often-unconquerable cancer cells.

In journal articles, biologist Jung-joon Min of Chonnam National University described how his team “weaponized” a cancerfighting invader cell with salmonella to stir up more-robust immune responses, and nanoparticle expert Yu Seok Youn’s Sungkyunkwan University team coated immunizing cells with the rabies protein (since the rabies virus is remarkably successful at invading healthy cells) to reach brain tumors.

UnclEar on thE concEpt

— Gemma Badley was convicted in

England’s Teesside Magistrates’ Court in February of impersonating British psychic Sally Morgan on Facebook, selling her “readings” as if they were Morgan’s. (To keep this straight: Badley is the illegal con artist, Morgan the legal one.)

— Michigan is an “open carry” state, and any adult not otherwise disqualified under state law may “pack heat” in public (except in a few designated zones).

In February, an overly earnest Second Amendment fan, James Baker, 24 (accompanied by pal Brandon Vreeland, 40), believed the law was an invitation to walk into the Dearborn police station in full body armor and ski mask, with a semiautomatic pistol and a sawed-off rifle (and have Vreeland photograph officers’ reactions). (Yes, both were arrested.)

— Wells Fargo Bank famously admitted last year that employees (pressured by a company incentive program) had fraudulently opened new accounts for about 2 million existing customers by forging their signatures. In an early lawsuit by a victim of the fraud (who had seven fraudulent accounts opened), the bank argued (and a court agreed!) that the lawsuit had to be handled by arbitration instead of a

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court of law because the customer had, in the original Wells Fargo contract (that dense, fine-print one he actually signed), agreed to arbitration for “all” disputes.

A February Wells Fargo statement to Consumerist.com claimed that customers’ forgoing legal rights was actually for their own benefit, in that “arbitration” is faster and less expensive.

NEWS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE Ex-Colombo family mobster and accused hitman “Tommy Shots” Gioeli, 64, recently filed a federal court lawsuit over a 2013 injury at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City. He fell and broke a kneecap while playing ping-pong (allegedly because of water on the floor), awaiting sentencing for conspiracy to commit murder. The New York Post also noted that the “portly” Gioeli, who was later sentenced to 18 years, was quite a sight at trial, carrying his “man purse” each day.

GREAT ART! French artist Abraham Poincheval told reporters in February that in his upcoming “performance,” he will entomb himself for a week in a limestone boulder at a Paris museum and then, at the conclusion, sit on a dozen bird eggs until they hatch — “an inner journey,” he said, “to find out what the world is.” (He apparently failed to learn that from previous efforts, such as the two weeks he spent inside a stuffed bear or his time on the Rhone River inside a giant corked bottle.) He told reporters the super-snug tomb has been thoroughly accessorized, providing for breathing, eating, heart monitor and emergency phone — except, they noted, nothing on exactly how toileting will be handled.

ing his proposed bill to require a woman seeking an abortion to first identify the father, told a reporter in February that the father’s permission is crucial because, after all, the woman is basically a “host” who “invited that (fetus) in.” (2) After the North Dakota House of Representatives voted yet again in January to retain the state’s Sunday-closing “blue laws,” Rep. Bernie Satrom explained to a reporter: “Spending time with your wife, your husband, making him breakfast, bringing it to him in bed” is better than going shopping.

— Small-Town Government: The ex-wife of Deputy Sheriff Corey King of Washington County, Georgia (largest town: Sandersville, pop. 5,900), filed a federal lawsuit in January against King after he arrested her for the “crime” of making a snarky comment about him on Facebook (about his failure to bring the couple’s children their medicine). King allegedly conspired with a friendly local magistrate on the arrest, and though the prosecutor refused the case, King warned the ex-wife that he would still re-arrest her if she made “the mistake of going to Facebook with your little (excrement) ... to fuss about.”

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration “bioacoustic research” team recently reported recording and listening to about 2 million underwater sounds made over a four-month period by various species of dolphins (“whistles,” echolocation “clicks,” and “burst pulses”) and can, they believe, distinguish the sounds to match them to a particular dolphin species (among the five most prevalent) — with 84 percent accuracy.

The team built a computer algorithm to also make estimating dolphin populations much easier.

“Fecal transplants” (replacing a sick person’s gut bacteria with those of a healthier one) are now almost routine treatments for patients with violent abdominal attacks of C. diff bacteria, but University of California researcher Chris Callewaert says the concept also works for people with particularly stinky armpits.

Testing identical twins (one odoriferous, the other not), the researcher, controlling for diet and other variables, “cured” the smelly one by swabbing his pit daily with the sweat of the better-smelling twin. The Callewaert team told a recent conference that they were working on a more “general” brew of bacteria that might help out anyone with sour armpits.

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Stephen Reed, the former mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty on the eve of his January trial on corruption counts stemming from the approximately 10,000 items of “Wild West” and “Americana” artifacts worth around $8 million that he had bought with public funds during 28 years in office. For some reason, he had a single-minded obsession with creating a local all-things-cowboy museum, and had purchased such items as a stagecoach, stagecoach harnesses,

© 2017 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

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In a first-person profile for the Chicago Tribune in February, marketing consultant Peter Bender, 28, recalled how he worked to maximize his knowledge of the products of company client Hanes — and not just the flagship Hanes underwear but its Playtex and Maidenform brands. In an “empathy” exercise, Bender wore bras for three days (a sports bra, an underwire and a lacy one) — fitted at size 34A (or “less than A,” he said). “These things are difficult,” he wrote on a company blog. “The lacy one,” especially, was “itchy.”

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SUNSHINE WEEK 2017

Examining the state of transparency in American democracy

By The Electronic Frontier Foundation

A

ILLUSTRATIONS BY HUGH D’ANDRADE, ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION

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thick fog is rolling in over Sunshine Week (March 12-18), the annual event when government transparency advocates raise awareness about the importance of access to public records. We are entering an age when officials at the highest levels seek to discredit critical reporting with “alternative facts,” “fake news” slurs, and selective access to press conferences—while making their own claims without providing much in the way to substantiate them.

But no matter how much the pundits claim we’re entering a “post-truth” era, it is crucial we defend the idea of proof. Proof is in the bureaucratic paper trails.

Proof is in the accounting ledgers, the legal memos, the audits, and the police reports. Proof is in the data.

When it comes to government actions, that proof is often obtained by leveraging laws like the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state-level public records laws—except when government officials seek to ignore the rules to suppress evidence.

At the same time, this is also par for the course. As award-winning investigative reporter Shane Bauer recently posted on Twitter: “I’ve been stonewalled by the government throughout my journalistic career.

I’m seriously baffled by people acting like this is brand new.”

For the third year, the Electronic Frontier Foundation presents “The Foilies,” our anti-awards identifying the times when access to information has been stymied or when government agencies have responded in the most absurd ways to records requests. Think of it as the Golden Raspberries but for government transparency, where the bad actors are actually going off script to deny the public the right to understand what business is being conducted on their behalf.

To compile these awards, EFF solicited nominations from around the country and scoured through news stories and the #FOIAFriday Twitter threads to find the worst, the silliest, and the most ridiculous responses to request for public information.

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The Make America Opaque Again Award President Donald Trump A commitment to public transparency should start at the top.

But from the beginning of his campaign, President Trump has instead committed to opacity by refusing to release his tax returns, citing concerns about an ongoing IRS audit. Now that he’s been elected, Trump’s critics, ethics experts, and even some allies have called on him to release his tax returns and prove that he has eliminated potential conflicts of interest and sufficiently distanced himself from the businesses in his name that stand to make more money now that he’s in office. But the Trump administration has not changed its stance. No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, the American public should be outraged that we now have the first sitting president since the 1970s to avoid such a baseline transparency tradition.

What’s worse is that Nakamoto was summoned to appear before the “Mayor’s Court,” a judicial proceeding conducted by the very same mayor Nakamoto was investigating. Nakamoto lawyered up and the charges were dropped two months later.

“If anything, my arrest showed that if they’ll do that to me, and I have the medium to broadcast and let people know what’s happening to me, think about how they’re treating any citizen in that town,” Nakamoto says.

The Arts and Crafts Award Public Health Agency of Canada

The Hypocrisy Award Former Indiana Governor— and current Vice President—Mike Pence Vice President Mike Pence cared a lot about transparency and accountability in 2016, especially when it came to email. A campaign appearance couldn’t go by without Pence or his running mate criticizing Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton for using a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State.

In fact, the Foilies honored Clinton last year for her homebrewed email approach.

But Pence seemed much less bothered by those transparency and accountability concerns when he used a private AOL email address to conduct official business as Indiana’s governor. The Indianapolis Star reported in February that Pence used the account to communicate “with top advisors on topics ranging from security gates at the governor’s residence to the state’s response to terror attacks across the globe.”

That means that critical homeland security information was kept in an account likely less secure than government accounts (his account was reportedly hacked too), and Pence’s communications were shielded from government records requirements.

The Frogmarch Award Town of White Castle, Louisiana The only thing that could’ve made reporter Chris Nakamoto’s public records request in the small town of White Castle, Louisiana a more absurd misadventure is if he’d brought Harold and Kumar along with him.

As Chief Investigator for WBRZ in Baton Rouge, Nakamoto filed records requests regarding the White Castle mayor’s salary. But when he turned up with a camera crew at city hall in March 2016 to demand missing documents, he was escorted out in handcuffs, locked in a holding cell for an hour, and charged with a misdemeanor for “remaining after being forbidden.”

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The Whoa There, Cowboy Award Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke

Journalists are used to receiving documents covered with cross-outs and huge black boxes. But in May 2016, Associated Press reporters encountered a unique form of redaction from Public Health Agency of Canada when seeking records related to the Ebola outbreak.

As journalist Raphael Satter wrote in a letter complaining to the agency: “It appears that PHAC staff botched their attempt to redact the documents, using bits of tape and loose pieces of paper to cover information which they tried to withhold. By the time it came into my hands much of the tape had worn off and the taped pieces had been torn.”

Even the wryest transparency advocates were amused when Satter wrote about the redaction art project on Twitter, but the incident did have more serious implications. At least three Sierra Leonean medical patients had their personal information exposed.

Lifting up the tape also revealed how the agency redacted information that the reporters believed should’ve been public, such as email signatures.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said it would investigate, but Satter says he hasn’t heard anything back for 10 months.

Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke rose to prominence in 2016 as one of then-candidate Donald Trump’s top surrogates, prone to making inflammatory remarks about the Black Lives Matter movement, such as calling them a hate group and linking them to ISIS. But the press has also been a regular target.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Political Watchdog Columnist Daniel Bice filed a series of records requests with the sheriff’s office, demanding everything from calendars, to details about an NRA-funded trip to Israel, to records related to a series of jail deaths. So far, Clarke has been extremely slow to release this information, while being extremely quick to smear the reporter on the sheriff’s official Facebook page. Clarke frequently refers to the publication as the “Urinal Sentinel” and has diagnosed Bice with “Sheriff Clarke Derangement Syndrome.”

“I deal with open records requests with local governments and police departments, I do it at the city, county, and state level,” Bice says. “He’s by far the worst for responding to public records.”

In May 2016 Clarke published a short essay on Facebook titled, “When Journalism Becomes an Obsession.” Clarke claimed that after he rejected Bice’s request for an interview, Bice retaliated with a series of public records requests, ignoring the fact that these requests are both routine and are often reporter’s only recourse when an official refuses to answer questions.

“This lazy man’s way of putting together newspaper columns uses tax-paid, government employees as pseudo-interns to help him gather information to write stories,” Clarke wrote.

Memo to Clarke: requesting and reviewing public records is tedious and time-consuming, and certainly not the way to score an easy scoop. If anything, ranting on Facebook, then issuing one-sentence news releases about those Facebook posts, are the lazy man’s way of being accountable to your constituents.

MARCH 15-21, 2017

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The Longhand Award Portland Commissioner Amanda Fritz

The Redaction of Interest Award General Services Administration

A local citizen in Portland, Ore. filed a records request to find out everyone that City Commissioner Amanda Fritz had blocked or muted from her Twitter account.

This should’ve been easy. However, Fritz decided to go the long way, scribbling down each and every handle on a sheet of paper. She then rescanned that list in, and sent it back to the requester. The records did show that Fritz had decided to hush accounts that were trying to affect public policy, such as @DoBetterPDX, which focuses on local efforts to help homeless people, and anonymous self-described urban activist @ jegjehPDX. Here’s a tip for officials who receive similar requests: all you need to do is go to your “Settings and Privacy” page, select the “Muted accounts” or “Blocked accounts” tab, and then click “export your list.”

The Stupid Meter Award Elster Solutions, Landis+Gyr, Ericsson

The Wrong Address Award U.S. Department of Justice

American Rising PAC, a conservative opposition research committee, has been filing FOIA requests on a number of issues, usually targeting Democrats. Following Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s passing, the PAC sent a FOIA to the Attorney General seeking emails referencing the death.

But America Rising never received a response acknowledging the DOJ received the request. That’s because the DOJ sent it to a random federal inmate serving time on child pornography charges. The offender, however, was nice enough to forward the message to the PAC with a note railing against the “malicious incompetence” of the Obama administration.

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MARCH 15-21, 2017

later, court documents revealed that it had all been a lie to ostensibly help the individuals—who had been targeted for murder by a rival gang—escape the city.

Police were fiercely unapologetic. The agency has yet to remove the offending alert from Nixle or offer any kind of addendum, a direct violation of Nixle’s terms of service, which prohibits the transmission of “fraudulent, deceptive, or misleading communications” through the service.

One of the threads that reporters have tried to unravel through the Trump campaign is how the prolific businessman would separate himself from his financial interests, especially regarding his 30-year contract with the federal government to build a Trump International Hotel at the location of the federally owned Old Post Office in D.C., a paper airplane’s flight from the White House.

Buzzfeedfiled a FOIA request with the General Services Administration for a copy of the contract.

What they received was a highly redacted document that raised more questions than it answered, including what role Trump’s family plays in the project.

“The American taxpayer would have no clue who was getting the lease to the building,” says reporter Aram Roston, who was investigating how Trump failed to uphold promises made when he put in a proposal for the project. “You wouldn’t know who owned this project.”

After pushing back, BuzzFeed was able to get certain sections unredacted, including evidence that Trump’s three children—Ivanka, Donald Jr. and Eric—all received a 7.425% stake through their LLCs, seemingly without injecting any money of their own.

The Fake News Award Santa Maria Police Department In 2015, the Santa Maria Police Department in California joined many other agencies in using the online service Nixle to distribute public information in lieu of press releases. The agency told citizens to sign up for “trustworthy information.”

Less than a year later, police broke that trust. The Santa Maria Police posted to its Nixle account a report that two individuals had been arrested and deported, which was promptly picked up the local press. Months

In May 2016 several smart meter companies sued transparency website MuckRock and one of its users, Phil Mocek, in a failed attempt to permanently remove documents from the website that they claimed contained trade secrets. Some of the companies initially obtained a court order requiring MuckRock to take down public records posted to the site that the City of Seattle had already released to the requester.

But in their rush to censor MuckRock and its user, the companies overlooked one small detail: the First Amendment. The Constitution plainly protected MuckRock’s ability to publish public records one of its users lawfully obtained from the City of Seattle, regardless of whether they contained trade secrets. A judge quickly agreed, ruling that the initial order was unconstitutional and allowing the documents to be reposted on MuckRock. The case and several others filed against MuckRock and its user later settled or were dismissed outright. The documents continue to be hosted on MuckRock for all to see. But, uh, great job guys!

The Least Productive Beta Testing Award Federal Bureau of Investigation The FBI spent most of 2016 doing what might be charitably described as beta testing a proprietary online FOIA portal that went live in March. But beta testing is probably a misnomer because it implies that the site actually improved after its initial rollout.

The FBI’s year of “beta testing” included initially proposing a requirement that requesters submit a copy of their photo ID before submitting a request via the portal and also imposed “operating hours”and limited the number of requests an individual could file per day.

Yet even after the FBI walked back from those proposals, the site appears designed to frustrate the public’s ability to make the premiere federal law enforcement agency more transparent. The portal limits the types of requests that can be filed digitally to people seeking information about themselves or others.

Requesters cannot use the site to request information about FBI operations or activities, otherwise known as the bread and butter of FOIA requests. Oh, and the portal’s webform is capped at 3,000 characters, so brevity is very much appreciated!

Worse, now that the portal is online, the FBI has

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stopped accepting FOIA requests via email, meaning fax and snail mail are now supposed to be the primary (and frustratingly slow) means of sending requests to the FBI. It almost seems like the FBI is affirmatively trying to make it hard to submit FOIA requests.

The Undermining Openness Award U.S. Department of Justice Documents released in 2016 in response to a FOIA lawsuit by the Freedom of the Press Foundation show that the U.S. Department of Justice secretly lobbied Congress in 2014 to kill a FOIA reform bill that had unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives 410-0.

But the secret axing of an overwhelmingly popular transparency bill wasn’t even the most odious aspect of DOJ’s behavior. In talking points disclosed via the lawsuit, DOJ strongly opposed codifying a “presumption of openness,” a provision that would assume by default that every government record should be disclosed to the public unless an agency could show that its release could result in foreseeable harm.

DOJ’s argument: “The proposed amendment is unacceptably damaging to the proper administration of FOIA and of the government as a whole,” which is bureaucratese for something like “What unhinged transparency nut came up with this crazy presumption of openness idea anyway?”

That would be Obama, whose FOIA guidance on his first day in office back in 2009 was the blueprint for the presumption of openness language included in the bill. Perhaps DOJ thought it had to save Obama from himself?

DOJ’s fearmongering won out and the bill died. Two years later, Congress eventually passed a much weaker FOIA reform bill, but it did include the presumption of openness DOJ had previously fought against. We’re still waiting for the “government as a whole” to collapse.

The Outrageous Fee Award Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services When public agencies get requests for digital data, officials can usually simply submit a query straight to the relevant database. But not in Missouri apparently, where officials must use handcrafted, shade-grown database queries by public records artisans.

At least, that’s the only explanation we can come up with for why the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services estimated that it would take roughly 35,000 hours and $1.5 million to respond to an exceedingly simple request for state birth and death data.

Nonprofit Reclaim the Records, whose name pretty eloquently sums up its mission, believed that a simple database query combined with copy and paste was all that was needed to fulfill its request. Missouri officials WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

begged to differ, estimating that it would take them the equivalent of a person working around the clock for more than four years to compile the list by hand.

Although the fee estimate is not the highest the Foilies has ever seen—that honor goes to the Pentagon for its $660 million estimate in response to a MuckRock user’s FOIA request last year—Missouri’s estimate was outrageous. Stranger still, the agency later revised their estimated costs down to $5,000 without any real explanation. Reclaim the Records tried negotiating further with officials, but to no avail, as officials ultimately said they could not fulfill the request. Reclaim the Records has since filed a lawsuit for the data.

The Dehumanization Award New Orleans City Marshall Public officials often dehumanize the news media to score cheap points, but can the same ploy work when fighting public records requests? That’s the issue in a very strange case between the IND, a Lafayette-based media outlet, and a city marshal. After the marshal lost his bid to keep records secret in the trial court, he appealed on the grounds that IND had no right to bring the lawsuit in the first place.

The marshal, who faced fines, community service, and house arrest for failing to turn over records, argues that Louisiana’s public records law requires that a living, breathing human make a request, not a corporate entity such as IND. Make no mistake: there is no dispute that an actual human filed the request, which sought records relating to a bizarre news conference in which the marshal allegedly used his public office to make baseless allegations against a political opponent. Instead, the dispute centers on a legal formalism of whether IND can sue on its own behalf, rather than suing under the name of the reporter. The marshal’s seemingly ridiculous argument does have some basis in the text of the statute, which defines a requester as a person who is at least 18 years old.

That said, it’s an incredibly cynical argument, putting the letter well over the spirit of the law in what appears to be a well-documented effort by the marshal to violate the law and block public access.

We hope the learned Louisiana appellate judges see through this blatant attempt to short-circuit the public records law.

lease anything identifying the companies in response to BuzzFeed’s FOIA requests.

At the crux of the investigation is whether the states attempted to obtain the drugs illegally from India.

At least one shipment is currently being detained by the FDA. The reason for transparency is obvious if one looks only at one previously botched purchase the reporters uncovered: Texas had tried to source pentobarbital from an Indian company called Provizer Pharma, run by five 20-year-olds. Indian authorities raided their offices for allegedly selling psychotropic drugs and opioids before the order could be fulfilled.

The Poor Note-taker Award Secretary of the Massachusetts Commonwealth

The Lethal Redaction Award States of Texas and Arizona

Updates to Massachusetts’ public records laws were set to take effect in January 2016, with Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin tasked with promulgating new regulations to clear up the vague language of the law. But Galvin didn’t exactly take his duty seriously. Instead he crafted a regulation allowing his office to dodge requirements that public records appeals be handled in a timely fashion. But no regulation could take affect without public hearing. So he went through the motions and dispatched an underling to sit at a table and wait out the public comment – but didn’t keep any kind of record of what was said. A close-up captured by a Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism reporter showed a pen lying on a blank pad of paper. Asked by a reporter about the lack of notes, the underling said, “I was just here to conduct this hearing. That’s all I can say.”

BuzzFeed Reporters Chris McDaniel and Tasneem Nashrulla have been on a quest to find out where states like Texas and Arizona are obtaining drugs used in lethal injection, as some pharmaceutical suppliers have decided not to participate in the capital punishment machine. But these states are fighting to keep the names of their new suppliers secret, refusing to re-

The Foilies were compiled by EFF Investigative Researcher Dave Maass, Frank Stanton Legal Fellow Aaron Mackey, and Policy Analyst Kate Tummarello. The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that defends civil liberties at the crossroads of technology and the law. Read more about EFF and how to support our work at eff.org. !

MARCH 15-21, 2017

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Visit yesweekly.com and click on calendar to list your event online. home grown muSic Scene | compiled by Austin Kindley

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FOUR SAINTS BREWING

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 foursaintsbrewing.com Mar 15: Irish/Celtic Music Session Mar 17: Shiloh Hill Mar 25: Old State Travelers Mar 31: Jakon’s Ferry Stragglers Apr 1: Earleine

clEmmOnS

RIvER RIdGE TApHOUSE 1480 River Ridge Dr | 336.712.1883 riverridgetaphouse.com Mar 17: Big daddy Mojo Mar 24: Nine Lives Apr 7: pop Guns!

Apr 14: Exit 180 Apr 21: Southern Eyes Apr 28: Big daddy Mojo

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GREEN HERON ALE HOUSE 1110 Flinchum Rd | 336.593.4733 greenheronclub.com

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ARIzONA pETE’S

2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 arizonapetes.com Mar 17: 1-2-3 Friday Mar 24: 1-2-3 Friday

ARTISTIkA NIGHT CLUB

523 S Elm St | 336.271.2686 artistikanightclub.com Mar 17: dJ dan the player Mar 18: dJ paco and dJ dan the player

BIG pURpLE

812 Olive St. | 336.302.3728

THE BLINd TIGER

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 theblindtiger.com Mar 16: pato Banton Mar 17: The Mantras Mar 18: Melvin Seals & The JGB Mar 31: John 5 and The Creatures Apr 1: Geoff Tate Apr 2: drew Holcomb and The Neighbors Apr 5: dark Star After party with The Captain Midnight Band Apr 15: Sleeping Booty

BUCkHEAd SALOON

1720 Battleground Ave | 336.272.9884 buckheadsaloongreensboro.com

BURkE STREET pIzzA 2223 Fleming Road | 336.500.8781 burkestreetpizza.com Mar 15: Sam Foster Mar 22: James vincent Carroll Mar 29: Jerry Chapman Apr 5: Bump & Logie duo Apr 12: Seth Williams Apr 19: Sam Foster Apr 26: James vincent Carroll

CHURCHILL’S ON ELM

213 S Elm St | 336.275.6367 churchillscigarlounge.com Mar 18: Jack Long Old School Jam

THE CORNER BAR

1700 Spring Garden St | 336.272.5559 corner-bar.com Mar 16: Jon Montgomery(Norlina)

COMEdY zONE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 thecomedyzone.com Mar 17: Mike Merryfield Mar 18: Mike Merryfield Mar 24: dave Landau Mar 25: dave Landau Mar 31: Ryan davis & James Hodge Apr 1: Ryan davis & James Hodge Apr 7: Chris Barnes Apr 8: Chris Barnes Apr 14: Mark klein Apr 15: Mark klein

COMMON GROUNdS 11602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.3888 Apr 4: Tamara Hansson

CONE dENIM

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 cdecgreensboro.com Mar 18: Jeezy Mar 26: Chris d’Elia Apr 1: The dan Band Apr 5: kehlani Apr 6: Jojo Apr 7: The Machine Apr 21: Blues Traveler Apr 27: Marsha Ambrosius & Eric Benét

THE GREEN BEAN

341 S. Elm St | 336.691.9990 thegreenbeancoffeehouse.blogspot.com

GREENE STREET CLUB

113 N Greene St | 336.273.4111 greenestreetclub.com Mar 16: Riff Raff LIvE Mar 23: #NastyNightOWT - A pretty Nasty Affair Apr 22: Robin Bullock

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3017 Gate City Blvd | 336.851.4800 hamsrestaurants.com

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1635 New Garden Rd | 336.288.4544 hamsrestaurants.com

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5710 W Gate City Blvd | 336.292.6496 mcphersonsgreensboro.com

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702 Green Valley Rd | 336.379.0699 printworksbistro.com

SOMEWHERE ELSE TAvERN

5713 W Friendly Ave | 336.292.5464 facebook.com/thesomewhereelsetavern Mar 18: Snake & The plisskens, The dick Richards, Sibannac, Nevernauts, Grim details, I, Atlas Mar 25: Ozone Jones, October, Terminal Resistance, dirtyfoot, Candlelit, Aftermath Apr 8: desired Redemption, Nevernauts, Blackwater drowning

THE IdIOT BOx COMEdY CLUB

2134 Lawndale Dr | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com

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[THE MANTRAS] Friday, March 17 - The Blind Tiger

VILLAGE TAVERN

1903 Westridge Rd | 336.282.3063 villagetavern.com

WORLD OF BEER

1210 Westover Terrace | 336.897.0031 worldofbeer.com/Locations/Greensboro

HIGH POINT

AFTER HOURS TAVERN

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 afterhourstavern.net Mar 18: Deconstruction & Suzie’s Atomic Jukebox Mar 25: Red Dirt Revival

BLUE BOURBON JACK’S

1310 N Main St | 336.882.2583 reverbnation.com/venue/bluebourbonjacks Mar 24: Southern Eyes Apr 24: Jukebox Revolver

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130 E Parris Ave | 336.841.0521 thecladdaghrestaurantandpub.com

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LIBERTY BREWERY

914 Mall Loop Rd | 336.882.4677 hghosp.com

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THE DECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 thedeckatrivertwist.com Mar 17: Radio Revolver WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Mar 18: Jaxon Jill Mar 25: Cory Luetjen Mar 31: Southern Eyes Apr 1: Brothers Pearl Apr 7: The Dickens Apr 8: Soul Central

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DANCE HALL DAZE

612 Edgewood St | 336.558.7204 dancehalldaze.com Mar 17: Cheyenne & Donna MIller Mar 18: Skyryder Mar 24: The Delmonicos Mar 25: Silverhawk Mar 31: Ambush

ECLECTION

221 N Main St | 336.497.4822 eclectionnc.com

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734 E. Mountain St. | 336.671.9159

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OLD NICK’S PUB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 OldNicksPubNC.com Mar 16: Paul Douse Mar 17: Reel Shady Mar 18: Karaoke w DJ Tyler Perkins Mar 24: Karaoke w DJ Tyler Perkins Mar 25: Pop Guns Mar 30: Bradley Steele Mar 31: Karaoke w DJ Tyler Perkins

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2213 E Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.1570 facebook.com/JPLooneys Mar 16: Trivia

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RIDER’S IN THE COUNTRY 5701 Randleman Rd | 336.674.5111 ridersinthecountry.net Mar 17: Louder, The Terrible Twos Mar 18: Southbound 49 Mar 24: Fair Warning Mar 25: Fair Warning Mar 31: Booted from the Nest Apr 1: Bak@ya!

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620 Trade St | 336.723.0322 facebook.com/FinnigansWake Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Mar 25: Big Bump and The Stun Guns

FOOTHILLS BREWING

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 foothillsbrewing.com Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day Mar 25: Big Bump and The Stun Guns

ST. PATRICK’S DAY CELEBRATION Friday, March 17 4PM TO 2AM Saturday, March 18 4PM TO 2AM

$2 Killians $2.50 Bud Light & Miller Lite $3 Guinness $5 Jameson & Irish Carbombs Music ∙ Games ∙ Prizes ∙ Giveaways Huge outdoor patio open!

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MaC & NELLI’S

4926 Country Club Rd | 336.529.6230 macandnellisws.com

206 Harvey St | 336.760.0362 hickorytavern.com Mar 16: acoustic w/Mike Bustin Mar 17: St. Patty’s Blowout w/Sam Foster Mar 18: NCaa Frenzy!

Mar 21: girls Night Out Mar 22: Music trivia Mar 23: acoustic w/Mike Bustin Mar 24: James Vincent Carroll Mar 25: Megan Doss

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630 S Stratford Rd | 336.768.2221 milnerfood.com Feb 26: Live Jazz

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101 West 5th Street | 336.723.3700 MCenterevents.com Mar 17: Envision Mar 18: ZoSo Led Zepplin tribute Mar 24: James McMurtry apr 14: Satisfaction rolling Stones tribute

MILNEr’S

5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 Mar 16: Open Mic with Country Dan Collins Mar 17: Phillip Craft Mar 25: Sarah Sophia apr 7: Chief’s Choice apr 8: Muddy Creek Songwriter’s Festival apr 14: Not ready Band apr 15: Casey Noel apr 28: russell Lapinski apr 29: the usual Suspects

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Mar 30: Jack Broadbent w/ Big ron hunter Mar 31: Dom Flemons apr 1: Carrie Elkin with Emily Scott robinson

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5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 Mar 15: antigone rising Mar 16: hitchcock Fugitives, Southern Bacon Mar 17: Fiddle & Bow Societ presents robin Bullock & aoife Clancy Mar 18: Marvelous Funkshun Mar 19: the Blue Eyed Bettys Mar 19: Jon Carroll and Don Dixon Mar 23: Old Salt union, Jenni Lyn gardner Mar 24: Leyla McCalla Mar 25: ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Circus #9 Mar 26: the Page turners

3040 Healy Dr | 336.760.4010

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GEARS&GUITARS FEST MAY 26-29 MAY 26 26 COREY SMITH, MUSCADINE MAY BLOODLINE, ERIC DODD MAY 27 27 COLLECTIVE SOUL,TONIC, MAY THE BLUE STONES MAY 28 28 BARENAKED LADIES MAY WITH SPECIAL GUEST SUSTO MAY 29 29 FREE MUSIC IN BAILEY PARK MAY WITH MIPSO, CLAY HOWARD & SILVER ALERTS, & THE PLAIDS Gears and Guitars Winston Salem /

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tunes

HEAR IT!

The visual scores of composer Anthony Braxton in Winston-Salem

BY JOHN ADAMIAN | @johnradamian

M

usic and art fans in the area have a very rare chance to see and hear the visual scores and imagery-related music of composer and MacArthur “genius” grant recipient Anthony Braxton at a series of performances and exhibits in Winston-Salem. Graphical scores by the visual artist Christian Marclay and artist/composer/philosopher John Cage will also be on view as part of the shows.

Skirting the quicksand complications of a genre-and-tradition discussion, Braxton often calls his music “trans-idiomatic.”

What Braxton — a composer, saxophonist, all-around multi-reed player and improviser, and intensely prolific recording artist, innovator, educator, and avantgardist — means by that is that his music pulls from everywhere and is steeped in a variety of stylistic idioms, repertories and histories. It’s not one thing or the other.

It moves through it all. In addition to his bold and wide-ranging works, Braxton has recorded compositions by the giants of jazz — Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Lennie Tristano and many others — and he’s also made duo records with titans like Max Roach and Cecil Taylor. Stemming from his years working on the music faculty at Wesleyan University, Braxton has also collaborated with West African master drummers, with Japanese koto players, with turntablists and with Cage-ian devotees of indeterminacy. And yet Braxton is also into the monumental operas of Richard Wagner and the big-sound parade music of John

Philip Sousa. The notion that sound can take shape and have what you might call a vibrational impact, beyond simply moving people’s emotions, and into the realm of almost massaging the very elements of matter — Braxton probably wouldn’t argue with that.

Taking the idea of “trans” music even further, Braxton likely doesn’t even accept the limitations of sound as simply something that is heard. It’s something to see, feel and ponder. Beyond even the confines of meaning and expression — music and sound-making are what we do because we’re alive: they’re like breathing and moving, they are a manifestation of the life-force itself. To Braxton, music possesses qualities akin to — or perhaps the same as — shape, color, volume, weight, force, temperature and contour. Braxton, 71, has always used imagery in his music, both in how he denotes the compositions and, in many cases, within the scores themselves.

The visual representations of Braxton’s music — the graphical scores and the graphical titles — will be on display during a two-part, two-institution, three-artist exhibit at both Wake Forest University’s Hanes Gallery (up through March 26) and opening at SECCA on March 16. At SECCA, on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m., Braxton will give what will be a rare concert (one of only two scheduled in the U.S. for this year).

One can thoroughly enjoy Braxton’s compositions without any inkling about the graphical and visual underpinnings and cross-connections, but the imagery of Braxton’s music adds to its enigmatic charms.

On the back of Anthony Braxton’s record

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Creative Orchestra Music 1976, where one might usually find a list of song titles, it says “Cut One,” “Cut Two” etc., for each of the six tracks. And underneath the words is a kind of schematic drawing, with triangles, circles, dotted lines, a small rectangle, some letters, like “NWK” or “FKB” and graph-like curves. They look like circuit diagrams or geometry problems. On other Braxton records the graphical titles might include temperature readings, human figures, cars, cityscapes, bits of collage, furniture, as well as undulating lines, abstract shapes and more.

In advance of the SECCA opening and performance, I spoke with composer and improvisor Taylor Ho Bynum about Braxton’s work and his use of imagery.

Bynum is the executive director of the Tri-Centric Foundation, a not-for-profit organization devoted to promoting and preserving the work, teachings and legacy of Anthony Braxton. Bynum, who studied with Braxton at Wesleyan, and has been performing the composer’s music for over 20 years, is one of Braxton’s long-standing collaborators. He’ll be performing as a part of Braxton’s ensemble in Winston-Salem.

Bynum says that Braxton’s music is built on a kind of combinatory complexity. It’s ever-evolving, with near-infinite possible permutations built into the creation and conception of it. The imagery fits into that richness.

“The visual logic of his work is as diverse as the musical logic of his work,” says Bynum.

Braxton has written operas, music for marching bands, a piece for 100 tubas, and all kinds of other instrumental configurations. In the same way that J.S. Bach might have braided together one of his own melodies in front of a hymn, or reharmonized a familiar tune in a different setting, or the way Duke Ellington might have plucked an improvised riff from one of his band members and elaborated it into an entire song, Braxton’s work is built on these types of ever-blossoming re-iterations of itself. As Bynum says, “[Braxton’s] life project as a composer is to complete this 36-act interlinking opera project.”

Many bits from within that larger work, or from any of his other compositions — once performed or documented in their original conception — can get reconfigured and combined in other contexts.

“He sees all of his work as able to be modular,” says Bynum. For instance, Braxton might take a vocal part from one of the operas and use it as material for a saxophone trio.

The great challenge for many jazz composers and makers of other creative music has been to balance the quest for liberation, for improvisation, for personal exploration, within a system of strucWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

ture and logic — to have both complete freedom and a deep control and order.

You can hear both the gear-like precision and total abandon in Braxton’s music.

Breakneck playing, surprise accents and confounding tangles of 16th notes played by a horn section can be heard followed by outrageous “extended technique” sections, where every tone and color of sound is extracted from an instrument, from smears, and honks, to growls, wails, barks, hissing, clicks, goose sounds, gerbil sounds, elephant sounds, truck sounds — the whole range. Part of what Braxton gives to his students and to those who perform his music is a system of cues for ways of navigating pulsation, dynamic gradients, melodic structures, textures and more.

“What’s so interesting about [Braxton’s] work, he calls it tri-centric because it simultaneously exists in a composed space, an improvised space and an intuitive space,” says Bynum. This means that, in certain contexts, the performers not only get to improvise solo sections, but they also get to assemble some of the composed components themselves.

“He functions within the Western through-composed traditions, but also in the oral and improvised traditions, as well as the ritual tradition,” says Bynum.

Braxton’s graphical scores, which might include gestural paint-brush over other more schematic markings, and a variety of other media and techniques, aren’t necessarily meant to be understood as visual art, per se, but that’s also true of his music not being meant to be understood as simply sound art.

“Almost any time he’s making music, it’s visual,” says Bynum. “It’s never this or that, it’s always this, that and the other.”

SoundSeen: Remix Cage/Braxton/ Marclay runs March 16 through May 28 at SECCA, 750 Marguerite Dr., WinstonSalem, 336-725-1904, secca.org Anthony Braxton and members of TriCentric Foundation will perform at SECCA on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. in the McChesney Scott Dunn Auditorium.

SoundSeen, a related exhibit, runs through March 26 at Hanes Gallery on the campus of Wake Forest University. Hanesgallery.wfu.edu.

Braxton will give a talk on his work at the Hanes Gallery on Wednesday, March 15 at 5:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public and will be followed by an improvisation workshop and performance by members of his Tri-Centric Foundation.

The exhibits, talk, workshop and performances are free and open to the public. !

JOHN ADAMIAN lives in Winston-Salem, and his writing has appeared in Wired, The Believer, Relix, Arthur, Modern Farmer, the Hartford Courant and numerous other publications.

presents The Honorable

DONNA EDWARDS U.S. Congresswoman (2008-2017)

Thursday, March 23 6 p.m.

Broyhill Auditorium Farrell Hall Donna Edwards is the first African American woman elected to Congress in Maryland. While in Congress, she championed human rights and advocated for criminal justice reform and increased access to education and affordable, quality healthcare for all. Earlier in her career, she co-founded and led the National Network to End Domestic Violence, and served as executive director of the Arca Foundation and Center for a New Democracy. A 1980 graduate of Wake Forest University, Congressman Edwards is currently on an epic RV road trip promoting awareness of state and national parks across America.

The Leadership Project is designed to engage members of our community with compelling personal leadership stories from a wide range of experiences and perspectives.

Free and open to the public lead.wfu.edu #wfuleads MARCH 15-21, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

25

[CHOICE BEATS] Upcoming shows you should check out

JEBTRIO WITH RIMS&KEYS

www.lincolntheatre.com MARCH

The Thu Mar 16 Hip Abduction

New York Pizza (337 Tate St. Greensboro) Thursday March 16 10 p.m.

Th 16 THE HIP ABDUCTION

Wed Mar 22

w/The Get Right Band 8p Sa 18 GLOWRAGE “Carnival of Color” 8p Su 19 RODI FEST: Moderna/Muse Rd. / Dirty Remnatz/ Red Dog YEA(h) 3p

We 22 RISING APPALACHIA w/Arouna Diarra

Th 23 HIPPIE SABOTAGE

7p

7:30p

w/Kur & Mt. Crushmore

Fr 24 REVEREND HORTON HEAT

w/Unknown Hinson / BirdCloud /The Goddamn Gallows 7p Sa 25 WHISKEY MYERS w/Steel Woods Su 26 “FILTHY AMERICA. IT’S BEAUTIFUL TOUR” LOX w/Uncle Murda 7p

Rising Appalachia Thu Mar 23

We 29 BLUE OCTOBER

w/Mathew Mayfield 7p

Th 30 “GRATEFUL BALL” THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS/ THE JEFF AUSTIN BAND 7:30p Fr 31 PULSE: Electronic Dance Party APRIL

Sa Su Th Fr Sa

1 2 6 7 8

Northsiderocky/Nance/DJ doubleJ 7p

w/Runaway Kids / Direct Hit

Fr 14 THE BREAKFAST CLUB

w/The Jason Adamo Band

Sa 15 PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG Tu Fr Sa Th Fr Sa

18 21 22 27 28 29

Sa 6 Su 7 Fr 12 Sa 13 Mo 15 We 17 Th 25 6-23

Hippie Sabotage

RUNAWAY GIN 8p Fri SUPER DUPER KYLE/Cousin Stizz PANCAKES & BOOZE ART SHOW BARCODE SILENT PARTY HERE FOR THE WHYL 10p

Su 9 BOWLING FOR SOUP

“JEBtrio returns to NYP for a Thursday night throw down!! This time we will have very special guest Rims&Keys supporting the show!

Pre-Patty’s Day Party!

Only $5 entry! $1.25 PBR’s $3 house whiskey!

JEBtrio: JEBtrio started as a live jam session at the “Let’s Get Together Festival in Oct. 2016. This first opportunity was when the trio took the stage, and everyone, by surprise with their musically enlightened experience. The trio and everyone else who heard knew immediately that this collaboration had the potential for evolving into something great----producing a phenomenal organic sound.

After a few practice sessions it was determined that the basis for the concept of JEBtrio would be pure, raw, on the spot improvisation. This is how the band wanted to proceed... so that every show was different in many ways, but at the same time it was all recognizable to the JEBtrio sound. The 3 key elements of quality musicianship, performance, and high energy would be the cornerstone of the music.

When trying to describe the sound of JEBtrio, or the mood that is created when they are performing, all one can say is “less is more.” Their music speaks for itself, which24 is the most accurate source for their description. Pure, Live, Instrumental, Mar Electronic Dance Music.

The smooth driving bass lines (provided by Ethan Riffe) combined with the metronomic drums (provided by Johnathon Fann) lays down a rhythmic foundation creating space for the textured pads and melodic key riffs (provided by Brennan Fowler) that will keep your body moving and dancing throughout the whole performance, while completely losing track of reality.” - via Facebook

Reverend Horton Heat

w/Psylo Joe 8p

DOUG STANHOPE 7p JONNY LANG w/Quinn Sullivan 7p Y&T 8p CODY JINKS w/Ward Davis+ THE MANTRAS w/Dr. Bacon 8p DANGERMUFFIN Album Release MAY

126 E. Cabarrus 919-821-4111

26 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 15-21, 2017

CHARLOTTE

THE FILLMORE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.fillmorecharlottenc.com Mar 15: TroyBoi Mar 16: The Highway Finds Tour Mar 17: The Decibel Magazine 2017 Tour Mar 17: Regina Spektor Mar 18: Judah & the Lion Mar 19: Katatonia Mar 22: Simple Plan - No Pads, No Helmets Mar 22: Minus The Bear Mar 23: Blue October Mar 23: Whiskey Myers Mar 24: The Lox Mar 26: Matisyahu Mar 30: The Flaming Lips

OVENS AUDITORIUM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.ovensauditorium.com Mar 25: Back 2 The 80s

DURHAM

CAROLINA THEATRE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org Mar 17: Robert Earl Keen Mar 20: Odessey & Oracle Mar 21-22: Stephin Merritt & The Magnetic Fields Mar 23: Black Violin Mar 24: Three Dog Night

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Mar 23: Celtic Woman Mar 28: Steve Miller Band

CAROLINA THEATRE

Whisky Myers

St.

Compiled by Alex Eldridge

GREENSBORO

SPRINTER METALFEST LIVE/DEAD ‘69 GREENSKY BLUEGRASS @RITZ Sat Mar 25 BACH RECITAL AND LECTURE MOTHERS FINEST 7p UNCSA School of Music (1533 S. Main St. Winston-Salem) REAL ESTATE w/Frankie Cosmos Sunday March 19 2:15 p.m.

MAYDAY PARADE Wed Mar 29 “As part of the concluding events of the Luther 500 weekend, Dr. Paul WesFRANZ FERDINAND termeyer will deliver a pre-concert lecture on J.S. Bach’s first published organ OLD 97’s

Adv. Tickets @Lincolntheatre.com & Schoolkids Records All Shows All Ages

[CONCERTS]

work, Clavierübung III (1739), prior to an all-Bach recital at 3:00 PM presented by the studio of Dr. Timothy Olsen, organ professor of UNCSA & Salem College. The lecture will take place in Hood Recital Hall (Gray Building, UNCSA) with the recital following directly across the hallway in Crawford Hall (Gray Building, UNCSA).” via Facebook !

Blue October

310 S Greene St | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com Mar 31: The Earls of Leicester

GREENSBORO COLISEUM 1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Mar 23: Florida Georgia Line Mar 25: Winter Jam

RALEIGH

PNC ARENA

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Mar 19: Stevie Nicks w/ Pretenders WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

drama

[PLAYBILL]

STAGE IT! TODD TURNER

Helen Simoneau Danse teams up with Must be the Holy Ghost for a collision of art forms that includes projections by Evan Hawkins.

Helen Simoneau Danse presents Life in Color for 7th company season

F

rom Medieval European danses macabres, to the jump-dancers of the maasai tribe to the graceful ballerinas of Russia, dancers have been adapting to their culture’s needs and tastes for centuries, and today is no exception.

This week, Helen Simoneau Danse will showcase a vivid and colorful performance that fuses modern-day art forms in its 7th Lenise Willis Company Season at Hanesbrands Theatre.

The dance company will be exploring huContributing man connection, interaction and conversation in three visually-striking works, including columnist the new works of Décalage and Object Loop, and the re-staging of the signature company work Flight Distance (2009). The combined show integrates dance choreography, live music and projection artistry in a “rawyet-sophisticated investigation of repetition and reverberation.”

The piece includes six dancers and will echo recurring themes of call-and-response between physical bodies and artistic mediums.

“We will have three art forms colliding and collaborating at once,” said founder Helen Simoneau. “While dancers are performing, Jared Draughon of (the band) Must be the Holy Ghost will play live and on stage, and Evan Hawkins of Weapons of Mass Projection will create live, projected visual art during the performance of Object Loop.

Though the show is innovative for the art of dance, Simoneau says it’s not that far of a stretch for her company.

“Every year Helen Simoneau Danse commissions composers and musicians to create original scores for new works, as well as costume, lighting and set designers, and visual artists,” she said.

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“Collaboration has always been a huge part of the way Helen Simoneau Danse generates new dance works.”

Helen Simoneau Danse first began working with Must be the Holy Ghost and Weapons of Mass Projection last April for a short project and performance at Phuzz Phest. “After Phuzz Phest, we wanted to explore the possibilities of what we could do on a larger scale,” Simoneau said. And thus the company’s upcoming 7th Company Season production was born.

“Must be the Holy Ghost has a specific sound that lends itself really well to dance,” she continued about the electronic, indie rock band. “The looping that Jared uses allows for a cyclical pattern and a multiplying repetition that for me conjured up so many movement ideas.”

The show, with its vivid colors and lively music certainly puts an updated twist on the form of dance—modernizing the art form for today’s audiences.

“Dance makers have been collaborating with musicians and visual artists since the beginning of time, so I would say, ‘Yes, it is the future of dance,’ as well as the present and the past,” Simoneau said. “Artists are part of the community, not separate from it, and adapting it, they are actively shaping culture, working within.” !

LENISE WILLIS, a graduate from UNC Chapel Hill’s journalism school, has experience in acting and ballet, and has been covering live performances since 2010.

WANNA

go?

Helen Simoneau Danse presents its 7th Company Season Thursday through Saturday at Hanesbrands Theatre, 209 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem. Tickets are $14-$40. For tickets and more information visit hanesbrandstheatre.org, or call 336-747-1414.

by Lenise Willis This Monday tickets go on sale for the first production of The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem under its new name, or rather old name. LTWS has now reverted to its original name opposed to its most recent Twin City Stage. The vibrant family musical, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is just in time for the Easter season as it highlights the life of Biblical Joseph and how he persevered betrayal and rose thanks to his faith. Production opens March 31.

Barn Dinner Theatre continues to include the audience in its fun and games this week through March 31 with its production of Bingo, The Winning Musical. In between playing their own games of bingo, the audience will witness three best friends and diehard bingo players who rekindle their friendship after making it through a terrible storm for the annual bingo celebration.

Don’t miss the exciting multimedia production in the Hanesbrands Theatre this Thursday through Sunday.

Helen Simoneau Danse will present a beautifully choregraphed dance performance with digital projections as a backdrop and live music by the band, Must be the Holy Ghost.

Also new this week is the Greensboro Children’s Theatre production of The Princess and the Magic Pea, which runs Friday through Sunday in the Odell Auditorium at Greensboro College. The lively musical version of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale features more than 30 young actors.

Next week, famed comedians Vince Morris, BT and Billy D. Washington celebrate individualism rather than differences as they unite on stage at High Point Theatre on Saturday, March 25. You might have seen them on HBO, Comedy Central, Showtime or other networks, as each has had a successful career.

Next Friday, Theatre Alliance of Winston-Salem will highlight the life of a legendary singer and song-writer in its production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway.

Also coming soon is Open Space Café Theatre’s production of Stop Kiss, a romantic comedy and thoughtprovoking drama in which two women kiss in a public park and are transformed by the violent attack that follows. Production runs March 30-April 9. !

MARCH 15-21, 2017

YES! WEEKLY

27

SCREEN IT!

flicks

Gorilla at large

The special effects and monster-mashing in Kong: Island are so persuasive and exciting that it’s almost easy to overlook how skimpy the overall story is and how one-dimensional the characters are written.

Almost, but not quite.

The new film, which is not specifically related to the classic 1933 Mark Burger original (still unbeatable) or Peter Jackson’s 2005 remake, or even Contributing the 1976 remake, boasts individual scenes that are mighty impressive, columnist but the connective thread is shaky at times.

This film takes place in 1973, with Watergate winding up and Vietnam winding down, and the Vietnam analogy is unmistakable. A top-secret expedition, fronted by Bill Randa (John Goodman, slimmed down) and hard-bitten Lt. Col. Packard (Samuel L. Jackson), arrives on Skull Island via helicopter, with guns blazing and bombs blasting.

This, predictably, proves a most unwise approach, as the star of the show makes his appearance and duly swats the choppers from the sky. Played in motion-capture format by Terry Notary, the titular titan is easily the

28 YES! WEEKLY

most impressive member of the cast (as it were). This is Kong’s turf, and these interlopers are not welcome.

The reasons for Randa’s expedition aren’t revealed initially, and when they are it’s not entirely clear what they are. Essentially, it’s an excuse for director Jordan VogtRoberts (in his second feature, following the low-budget 2013 indie The Kings of Summer) to whip up monster mayhem at will. In addition to Kong, there are voracious reptilian vultures, enormous lizards, and at least one big spider.

The film’s human contingent takes a back seat here.

Jackson glowers, scowls, and barks orders – something he does very well – but there’s not much more to the character. Top-billed Tom Hiddleston plays a fine-boned British mercenary, and Brie Larson (a beauty among beasts) the obligatory photographer. Corey Hawkins, Shea Whigham, John Oritz and Toby Kebbell are also on hand, but only John C. Reilly, in crazy-old-coot mode as a World War II flier trapped on Skull Island for 30 years, seems to be having much fun. (One of his first questions is asking if the Cubs have won a World Series while he’s been cooling his heels.)

One thing the film does get right is in making Kong a noble, even heroic, figure, and it’s giving nothing away to divulge that Kong: Skull Island is only the first in a franchise that will feature the great ape. And when he returns, he’ll likely be among friends – some very big ones.

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336-875-4455 MARCH 15-21, 2017

Before I Fall: Tomorrow never comes Before I Fall, the screen adaptation of Lauren Oliver’s 2010 best-seller, is a wistful fantasy in the mode of Rod Serling’s “The Twilight Zone” or Harold Ramis’ 1993 comedy Groundhog Day, in which the main character is forced to relive the same day over and over.

Here, that character would be Samantha Kingston (Zoey Deutsch), an all-American teenager who finds herself re-living the same day in her life – the last day. She and her bitchy clique of high-school friends have apparently shuffled off this mortal coil as a result of a late-night car crash, only she continues to wake up the morning of, ad infinitum.

The first half of the film, directed by Ry Russo-Miller and scripted by Maria Maggenti, is (understandably) repetitious but also pretty dreary. It’s only when Samantha expands her efforts to change the day’s outcome that the momentum picks up. Before I Fall is something of a mixed bag. The film’s focus is never quite sharp enough and the fantasy elements not played up enough. The story could easily

have veered into faith-based territory but doesn’t.

The film, however, proves an excellent showcase for Deutsch, the daughter of director Howard Deutsch and actress Lea Thompson (whom she strongly resembles in some scenes). Even when the story grows heavy, she picks up the slack assuredly. Deutsch is clearly a talent on the rise, and she receives good support from Logan Miller as an adoring classmate, Liv Hewson (in her screen debut) as an acerbic lesbian, and Elena Kampouris as an outcast student who holds the key to Samantha’s existential predicament.

Alas, the ultimate solution to said predicament – although faithful to the novel – is something less than satisfying.

It does bring the story full circle, but also leaves one wanting for something more, and perhaps something else. !

MARK BURGER can be heard Friday mornings on the “Two Guys Named Chris” radio show on Rock-92. © 2017, Mark Burger.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

[CARMIKE] GREENSBORO

Mar 17 -23

A DOG’S PURPOSE (PG) – 12:15, 2:35, 4:55, 7:15, 9:35 BEAUTY & THE BEAST 2D (PG) – 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, 7:00, 8:00, 9:00, 10:00 BEAUTY & THE BEAST 3D (PG) – 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30 BEFORE I FALL (PG-13) – 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 BELKO EXPERIMENT (R) – 12:45, 2:55, 5:05, 7:15, 9:25 FIFTY SHADES DARKER (R) – 9:55 FIST FIGHT (R) – 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 GET OUT (R) – 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 JOHN WICK CHAPTER 2 (R) – 7:00 KONG SKULL ISLAND (PG-13) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 KONG SKULL ISLAND (PG-13) – 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 LA LA LAND (PG-13) – 4:00 LA LA LAND SING-A-LONG (PG-13) – 1:00 LEGO BATMAN MOVIE 2D (PG) – 12:15, 2:35, 4:55, 7:15, 9:30 LION (PG-13) – 12:00 LOGAN (R) – 12:00, 3:15, 5:00, 6:30, 8:15, 9:45 SPLIT (PG-13) – 11:45, 2:20, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05 THE GREAT WALL 2D (PG-13) – 2:40 THE SHACK (PG-13) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00

Mar 17 -23

[RED]

KONG: SKULL ISLAND (PG-13) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 11:45 AM, 2:20, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) LUXURY SEATING Fri & Sat: 11:55 AM, 2:40, 5:25, 8:10, 11:00 Sun - Thu: 11:55 AM, 2:40, 5:25, 8:10 LA LA LAND (PG-13) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:10, 4:50, 7:30, 10:10 THE BELKO EXPERIMENT (R) Fri & Sat: 12:10, 2:25, 4:35, 7:00, 9:10, 11:25 Sun - Thu: 12:10, 2:25, 4:35, 7:00, 9:10 THIS BEAUTIFUL FANTASTIC (PG) Fri - Thu: 12:05, 2:25, 4:45, 7:05, 9:20 Kong: Skull Island (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 3:20, 8:30, 11:05 Sun - Thu: 3:20, 8:30 KONG: SKULL ISLAND 3D (PG-13) Fri - Thu: 12:45, 5:55 LOGAN (R) Fri & Sat: 11:35 AM, 2:30, 5:25, 8:20, 11:15 Sun - Thu: 11:35 AM, 2:30, 5:25, 8:20 HANDSOME DEVIL (NR) Fri - Thu: 12:00, 6:40 JESUS (NR) Fri - Thu: 2:05, 8:30 HEARTSTONE (NR) Fri - Thu: 4:00, 10:15 TABLE 19 (PG-13) Fri - Thu: 11:45 AM, 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:40, 9:50

!

[A/PERTURE]

THE SHACK (PG-13) Fri - Thu: 1:00, 4:10, 7:10, 9:55 GET OUT (R) Fri & Sat: 12:10, 2:35, 4:55, 7:20, 9:40, 11:55 Sun - Thu: 12:10, 2:35, 4:55, 7:20, 9:40 MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI (MA VIE DE COURGETTE) (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 12:05, 1:50, 3:35, 5:20, 7:05, 9:00 , 11:00 Sun - Thu: 12:05, 1:50, 3:35, 5:20, 7:05, 9:00 FIST FIGHT (R) Fri - Thu: 11:55 AM, 10:00 FIFTY SHADES DARKER (R) Fri - Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:15, 5:00, 7:45, 10:15 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (R) Fri - Thu: 2:10, 4:40, 7:25 I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 12:40, 2:50, 5:00, 7:15, 9:25, 11:35 Sun - Thu: 12:40, 2:50, 5:00, 7:15, 9:25 THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (R) Fri & Sat: 11:55 PM

Mar 17 -23

THE SENSE OF AN ENDING (PG-13) Fri: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, Sat & Sun: 10:00 AM, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, Mon: 6:00, 8:30 Tue: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Wed & Thu: 6:00, 8:30 KEDI (NR) Fri: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00, Sat: 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Sun: 11:00 AM, 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, Mon: 6:30, 9:00, Tue: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Wed & Thu: 6:30, 9:00 A UNITED KINGDOM (PG-13) Fri: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Sat: 10:30 AM, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Sun: 9:30 AM, 12:00, 2:30, 5:00 Mon: 5:00 PM, Tue: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Wed & Thu: 6:30, 9:00 I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (PG-13) Fri: 4:15, 6:45, 9:15, Sat: 11:15 AM, 1:45, 4:15, 6:45, 9:15, Sun: 11:15 AM, 1:45, 4:15, 6:45 Mon: 6:45, 9:15, Tue: 4:15, 6:45, 9:15 Wed & Thu: 6:45, 9:15 PERSEPOLIS (PG-13) Sat: 9:30 AM OUR HEAVENLY BODIES (WUNDER DER SCHOPFUNG) (NR) Mon: 8:00 PM

WANT YOUR TIMES INCLUDED? Send us your theater’s details and movie times to artdirector@yesweekly.com

311 W 4th Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336.722.8148

The Sportscenter Athlectic Club is a private membership club dedicated to providing the ultimate athlectic and recreational facilities for our members of all ages. Conveniently located in High Point, we provide a wide variety of activities for our members. We’re designed to incorporate the total fitness concept for maximum benefits and total enjoyment.

We cordially invite all of you to be a part of our athletic facility, while enjoying the membership savings we offer our established corporate accounts.

Visit our website for a virtual tour: sportscenterac.com/sportscenter-virtual-tour Contact Chris King at 841-0100 for more info or to schedule a tour!

3811 Samet Dr • HigH Point, nC 27265 • 336.841.0100 FITNESS ROOM • INDOOR TRACK • INDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • OUTDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • RACQUETBALL BASKETBALL • CYCLING • OUTDOOR SAND VOLLEYBALL • INDOOR VOLLEYBALL • AEROBICS • MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM WHIRLPOOL • MASSAGE THERAPY • PROGRAMS & LEAGUES • SWIM TEAMS • WELLNESS PROGRAMS PERSONAL TRAINING • TENNIS COURTS • SAUNA • STEAM ROOM • YOGA • PILATES • FREE FITNESS ASSESSMENTS F R EE EQUI PM E N T O R I E N TAT I O N • N U R S ERY • TEN N IS LES S O N S • W IRELESS I NTERNET LOUNGE

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MARCH 15-21, 2017

YES! WEEKLY

29

visions

SEE IT!

Revolution Mill creates residency for local artists

T

BY MIA OSBORN

he current political climate seems sure to bring about some amazing protest art, but in Greensboro, local artists will have the revolution brought to them.

The new Artist In Residency Revolution (AirRev) program at Revolution Mill gives politically and socially critical artists of the Triad a work space, resources and a platform from which to share their work with others.

AirRev is in the middle of its first season, which began in February and will end in May. The residency gives participants four months of reduced rent in a 1,774 square foot studio space shared with local artists of all stripes, including painters, poets, and filmmakers. AirRev Program Director Rachel Wexler conducted interviews with area artists to tailor the residency to their needs.

“A lot of them expressed a need for building an artist community of folks who are newly graduated,” said Wexler. “There are several arts programs at universities here in Greensboro, so there’s a young arts community, but there’s not enough space to work.”

The first season of AirRev hosted both group arts projects, like Paper 2 Film and the Greensboro Mural Project, as well as solo artists, including Lavinia Jackson, Terri Shalane, Larry Wright, and Kori Sergent.

The AirRev artists come from different backgrounds and favor different mediums, but all are current locals, and all have an element of socio-political commentary to their art. The AirRev program sought out applicants who represented marginalized groups, and whose work encouraged community engagement.

“One of the program requirements is giving back to the community. That may mean giving back to Revolution Mill itself, or to the Greensboro community as a whole,” said Wexler. “Lavinia works with disabled veterans. The Greensboro Mural Project does murals throughout town and builds engagement around the content of those murals.”

Resident artists gain access to Revolution Mill resources, as well as 24/7 access to the studio space. That means there’s no such thing as a typical work day.

“Usually half the artists are here at night,” said Sergent. “There’s not really an average day because we all have jobs.”

Artists often find themselves in the

30 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 15-21, 2017

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REVOLUTION MILL

studio in groups of two or three, painting or typing away at odd hours of the night.

Sergent, whose mixed media art deals with the fragile state of women’s rights in modern America, said working near the other residents has informed her own creations.

“It’s really inspiring to be around so many different types of artists,” she said.

Participants are required to spend at

least 15 hours per week working in the studio, but Sergent estimates that most spend between 20 and 40 hours. Fitting in studio time can be difficult, but some residents view their hours at the Mill as a retreat from the outside world, a haven where they can reflect on their daily life and find meaning in that raw material.

“My art is a representation of me, my blackness, my feelings, and most impor-

tantly my babies. It’s me trying to escape,” said Terri Shalane, a resident who uses her paintings to bring awareness to overlooked mental health issues in the black community. “I have also been working on having events that will empower people of color and give them a place where they can show their art.”

The outreach efforts of Shalane, Sergent, and the other AirRev participants join the work of other local groups trying to grow the Triad’s art scene. It seems to be working: Sergent chose to move to Greensboro based on the city’s creative reputation.

“My boyfriend and I had the choice of moving to Greensboro or Savannah, Georgia,” Sergent explained. “I wanted to come here. I love how focused Greensboro’s artists are.”

The second round of residency applications opened March 1, with the second season to start in July. Wexler aims to make future seasons of AirRev a little more structured and a lot more affordable.

“Residents pay $100 a month for the space. In my ideal world, we’d be paying them,” said Wexler.

Wexler wants to set up an exchange in which a local businesses could sponsor a residency in exchange for commissioned work from the artist, be it a mural, an art installation or a workshop.

“In the next round of applications, we’re hoping people can apply for these clientbased projects,” said Wexler. “We’re trying to get the word out.”

Client sponsorships would be sure to draw in more talented locals who may have been discouraged by the program’s initial cost. But even with the current rent, Sergent said she has gained valuable experience from connecting with other artists who differ from her personally, but share her passion for the craft.

“I think that’s the best part of a residency,” said Sergent. “It’s about being with like minded people who are on the same grind as you, who still work on art when nothing is saying you have to be an artist.”

Applications for the second season of AirRev are open now through April 15. For more information about AirRev or to apply, visit www.revolutionmillgreensboro. com.

MIA OSBORN is a Greensboro-based freelance writer who hails from Birmingham, Alabama.

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Sammie soars into Geeksboro for special screening Sammie Cassell isn’t a superhero, but sometimes he dresses like one.

And if heroism is determined by generosity and kindness he might very well qualify as a hero.

Cassell, fondly Mark Burger known as Sammie the Comic Book Contributing Man, is the subject of Dan Sellers’ columnist documentary of the same name. For some years, Cassell has visited schools throughout the state, with comic books in hand and unflagging enthusiasm, a proponent of literacy, artistry, and engaging the imagination. It’s education in the guise of entertainment, and all the more persuasive as a result. (For a look at the trailer, visit https://vimeo. com/190854648.)

The film will be screened Sunday, March 26 at Geeksboro Coffee & Beverage Company in Greensboro, with Sellers and Cassell in attendance. Future screening events are planned, including one at a/perture cinemas in Winston-Salem tentatively scheduled for May (after the RiverRun International Film Festival, which runs March 30-April 9), and it will also be screened at festivals and conventions throughout the year.

Sellers, who made his feature debut as writer/producer/editor/director with the award-winning, Greensboro-lensed lowbudget horror spoof Hank vs. the Undead (2015), then followed with the follow-up short Hank vs. Dracula, admits he had to adjust his perception of production when tackling a non-fiction subject.

“It’s a completely different style of filmmaking,” he observes. “I actually attempted to structure a narrative in pre-production, but once we began the editing process it became apparent that another structure had presented itself which was better than expected.

“The biggest difference is the lack of control,” he continues. “It’s still very much a creative process, but it’s sort of like building something with tools and materials given to you, instead of building from scratch.”

As Cassell’s long-time friend and partner in the ongoing Wreak Havoc Film Buffs Podcast, in which they discuss films they like (and some they don’t!), Sellers immediately saw the potential in making a film about him.

“After hearing Sammie talk about WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

$3 ALL DOGS $4 VEG DOGS $1 CHIPS $1 DRINKS his presentations to school kids on the Talking Comics Podcast and in our own conversations, I thought it would make a great documentary. I approached him in the spring of 2015 about it and he was immediately on board. Soon after, we got Patti and Darren Blackburn on board to help us produce the film and went straight into production.”

Of course, there’s the star of the show.

“I can honestly say, this film would never have gotten made without Sammie’s hard work, in addition to being the subject of the film,” Sellers states. “He did more work as a producer than the rest of us combined. We tried our best to not interfere with the school talks he does on a regular basis, but to simply record them and present them in an entertaining fashion.”

That was sometimes easier said than done. “Getting the film made required the participation and help not only from the students themselves, but the teachers, school systems, comic-book stores, conventions, family, friends, etc. ...”

With Sammie the Comic Book Man completed and ready for its festival run, Sellers and Cassell have other projects in the pipeline. Getting to them, however, is also easier said than done.

“Our biggest problem at Wreak Havoc Productions is the abundance of ideas and the lack of time and money to bring them to life,” Sellers admits. “We’re currently in pre-production on a new horror short called Midnight Shift, we’re developing a new documentary short about the Lawson Family murders (one of North Carolina’s most infamous crimes), and I’m currently writing a screenplay for a feature-length horror mockumentary.

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These are all in addition to the podcast and the film festival we also produce.”

(That would be the Wreak Havoc Horror Film Festival, which is scheduled for Sept. 22-23 at The Crown in the Carolina Theatre of Greensboro. More details can be found at www.wreakhavochorrorfilmfest.com.) !

WANNA

go?

Sammie the Comic Book Man will be screened 6 pm Sunday, March 26 at Geeksboro Coffee & Beverage Company, 2134 Lawndale Drive, Greensboro. Tickets are $5. For advance tickets or more information, call 336.355.7180 or visit the official website: www.geeksboro.com/. For more information about the film or Wreak Havoc Productions, check out www.wreakhavocproductions.com/sammiethecomicbookman.

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chow

EAT IT!

El Rancho Taqueria satisfies your taco craving

BY KRISTI MAIER | @triadfoodies

T

his is the story ….er…review of the little Mexican joint that could. And did.

A few months back some friends recommended to me what they considered the best tacos in the area.

They said that El Rancho Taqueria was by far the most authentic style tacos in the city, but in the most unexpected location.

I was intrigued. Of course my family and I love hearing about new places, especially holes-in-the-wall.

El Rancho Taqueria is but a short drive from downtown but worlds apart from what we can find in Winston-Salem’s culinary scene.

For sure, in this the City of Arts and Innovation, and where some consider to be the most promising burgeoning dining scene on the East Coast, Winston-Salem is also thought to be lacking in ethnic choices. It’s still true for Mexican. There are plenty of Mexican-style restaurants, but how authentic are they? That’s debatable. The typical cheese-laden unlimited tortilla chips kind of places don’t really count.

El Rancho Taqueria is located at 613 East Sprague Street. Quite unassuming and simple, it doesn’t look like much from the outside but the full parking lot should indicate to the curious that it’s no joke.

There’s very limited seating. In fact, on a recent busy Friday night, my family of four was greeted politely and quickly and we were ushered into what appeared to

32 YES! WEEKLY

be the other dining area that has a wall lined with shelves filled with supplies. It was brightly lit but it was quite clear that people don’t come here for the ambiance.

On the first go round, I was in the mood for tacos. Just tacos. I had heard that’s what El Rancho does best. Looking at the menu, there are plenty of tortas, tostadas and entrees as well, with a variety of protein choices, like chicken, pork and beef

(ground, steak) and even beef tongue and other organs and seafood choices.

Tacos are available a la carte or as an entree of four. I ordered the tacos and went “combo” style with two shrimp and two carnitas (fried pork). My tacos were simply served with a lime wedge, roasted jalapeño pepper and topped with thinly sliced radishes and cilantro. Truth be told that is my favorite way to top a taco. I

still can’t decide which of my tacos was my favorite. I love carnitas and anything resembling a pork taco. But the shrimp was definitely super-fresh and tasty.

Another highly recommended item is the Chalupa and my husband ordered beef and devoured both. A Chalupa looks like a taco but the flatbread wrapping it is quite crisp and flakey. The kiddos each ordered a kids version of crunchy tacos and simply

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ordered beef with a side of rice. This kind of taco is a slight departure from the mass produced crescent shaped deal that comes from a box or is served at any other Mexican place I’ve visited. These are freshly fried corn tortillas and they have a very rustic appearance. And they are amazing, so the fact that the littlest one was unimpressed, is par for the course.

The eldest really enjoyed her taco.

On another occasion, I opted for the chicken quesadilla and it was very meaty, cheesy with a perfectly prepared flour tortilla and just the right texture. We did not order chips the first time, but this time we did and they were piping hot and outstanding, served with a rich, freshly made salsa. We can’t recommend the chips enough, but you will be paying a small price for them. Totally worth it.

Service both times was prompt, atWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

tentive and very courteous. We noticed diners came from all walks of life. A mix of English and Spanish speaking customers filled both rooms. There was a table of eight next to us and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. Though the website is only in Spanish, our server was bilingual and incredibly helpful with the menu. Just as many customers were ordering takeout and that seems to be a popular option at El Rancho.

El Rancho has the kind of tacos that I imagine all those lucky Californians are ordering. Certainly better than the tacos I had even in Mexico 10 years ago (but that’s another story). Beautiful, fresh, soft tortillas with really simple ingredients on top of a flavorful filling. Not a lot of fuss, just authentic goodness that is very satisfying.

We highly suggest giving El Rancho a try. Bring your friends or family, order a smattering of items and just nosh your way through the menu. You’ll be incredibly pleased and we think it will become a restaurant that’s added to your “go-to” list. !

WANNA

go?

El Rancho Taqueria is located at 613 East Sprague Street, Winston-Salem just off of US 52. Visit www.elranchotacos.com for more information.

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33

VISIT YESWEEKLY.COM/GALLERIES TO SEE MORE PHOTOS!

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VOTE!!

VOTE ONLINE NOW The

Triad’ s Best 2017

last call

[HOROSCOPES]

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) This is a heavy time. Your heart wants to make light and easy, go out and play. But your sense of responsibility keeps you on task.

You know if you ignored what must be done that you probably couldn’t really enjoy the play. This is a time for deal making with the Taskmaster inside your head. Do what must be done and reward yourself later.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) This week and next may bring you positive news concerning resources that you “share” with others. This includes one or more of the following resources: inheritance, debt payment, tax returns, invested money, payment from insurance or windfall money. It also includes the resources of your partner. The aspect may actually pay you later.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A talkative individual may land upon you to be a reflection of his/her need to communicate. Stay in touch with yourself and don’t allow your time to be usurped without your interior permission.

Sometimes Libra can fall into the role of “captive audience” which wastes your time and energy.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You may be surprised that this week brings you no surprises or new issues to handle. It is rare that this happens, but take advantage of the rest. A massage or a manicure would be a good way to celebrate this time of quiet.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A new plan that originated in Dec. 2016 is arriving at a turning point.

Sometimes our ideas take a twist of their own. This is a time in which you must decide whether or not to pour more resources into the plan or let it go. Generally speaking, though you would rather not have the problem, you probably will choose to see it through.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your attention to the practical needs of your world is admirable. You are stable and resourceful. This week “others” in your life will call you to come out and play because they miss the part of you that can be so fun. You may have

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temporarily forgotten that aspect of your personality.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You may be feeling low on resources during this period. “Resources” = time, money, strength. It is true that you are in a short dip, but the gloom will not last very long. Don’t beat yourself up over your history. You always do the best you can, and you cannot always know the outcome of every decision.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A new plan that originated in late summer is arriving at a turning point. Sometimes our ideas take a twist of their own. This is a time in which you must decide whether or not to pour more resources into the plan or let it go. Generally speaking, though you would rather not have the problem, you probably will choose to see it through.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The Spring Equinox is a holiday similar to your birthday. It represents the opening of consciousness and an intake of spirit to address the new year. Now is the time to focus on new plans for this next year of your life. Take a fresh look at where you want to direct your energy.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You may be surprised by a visit from the past.

It could be a person or information that becomes apparent. Although you may be pleased to see this person, it is not the best idea to take up where you left the relationship. Just smile, go to dinner, and be pleasant together, but bypass the invitation to make it bigger.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Love and social life are high on your priority list now.

You may not have the time to attend to all your invitations! Short distance trips, errands, and education, whether it involves teaching or learning, are all on the A rated list. You have a need to communicate the ideas that rush through your mind.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You may not be feeling quite comfortable with yourself this week. It appears your mind is in conflict with your feelings. Do the best you can to deal with this issue up front, perhaps by journaling or discussing it with a friend. Keep in mind that there is no mandate for you to settle on a decision right now.

Are you interested in a personal horoscope?

Vivian Carol may be reached at (704) 366-3777 for private psychotherapy or astrology appointments.

There is a fee for services.

Website: http//www.horoscopesbyvivian.com

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[THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

A RUSE IS A RUSE IS A RUSE A year ago, the woman who pet-sits for me began inviting herself over for dinner. We started going out about three times a week.

Amy Alkon I always paid for dinner. She never Advice introduced me to Goddess her friends, wouldn’t let me pick her up at her apartment, and wouldn’t let me touch her. Even a genial “thank you” touch on the arm got a grim response. Her reason: She didn’t want a relationship. I kept hoping this would change. Recently, I went on Facebook and saw that she’s been in a relationship with another man. Her response? “Well, I’m not sleeping with him, so I can see whomever I want.” After a long, demoralizing year, I ended things. Did I do right by getting out?

— Not A Game Player Having regular dinners with somebody doesn’t mean you’re dating. I have dinner with my TV several nights a week, but that doesn’t mean I should get “Samsung forever!” tattooed on my special place.

Consciously or subconsciously, this woman deceived you into thinking a relationship was possible — but she had help.

Yours. To understand how you got tripped up, let’s take a look at self-deception — through an evolutionary lens. Evolutionary researchers William von Hippel and Robert Trivers describe self-deception as

a “failure to tell the self the whole truth” by excluding the parts that go poorly with our goals and our preferred view of ourselves. We do this through “information-processing biases that give priority to welcome over unwelcome information” — or, in plain English: What we ignore the hell out of can’t hurt us.

Seems crazy, huh — that we would have evolved to have a faulty view of reality? However, von Hippel and Trivers contend that the ability to self-deceive evolved to help us be better at deceiving others — keeping us from giving off the cues we do when we know we’re putting out a big fibby. As Trivers explains in “The Folly of Fools”: “We hide reality from our conscious minds the better to hide it from onlookers.”

Knowing that we do this can help us remember to ask the right questions — the ego-gnawing kind — and drag the facts upstairs to consciousness and give them a long look. Nice as it is to glimpse the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel,” it’s wise to make sure it isn’t just the one on the tip of the colonoscope.

HYDE AND SEEK I feel that my boyfriend brings out my best self: loving, sweet, productive. In my failed marriage, my ex seemed to bring out my worst self: unstable, selfish, lazy. It’s almost as if I’m a different person with my boyfriend. But how different can I be? — In A Better Place Okay, so you sometimes daydreamed about your naked ex and the things you’d like to do to him — like painting him all

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 13

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[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 14

over with maple syrup and throwing him into a pit of starving fire ants.

To understand what’s different with your current boyfriend, consider that the relationship is an environment — one that influences your behavior just like a physical environment. (Alaska in January calls for a snowsuit, not a bikini and your rainbow unicorn water wings.)

There’s a term for the sort of relationship dynamics that bring out your best self — the “Michelangelo phenomenon” — coined by social psychologist Caryl Rusbult and her colleagues. The name was inspired by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo’s belief that there’s an ideal figure hidden within each block of stone and that it’s the sculptor’s job to chip away the pieces around it until it’s revealed.

They find that in a relationship, two things foster your bringing out the best in each other. One is that your partner “affirms” your values — meaning that your partner is aligned (enough) with what you care most about. (This doesn’t mean they want exactly what you do; they just need to respect you for going for it.) Second, they engage in behaviors

that encourage you to move toward your “ideal self.” This might mean urging you to acquire new skills or, at a cocktail party, asking you about the dog-walking drone you invented while you’re standing next to that trustafarian with the tech-funding hobby.

Rusbult and her colleagues observe that when individuals in a relationship improve and grow — especially through their partner’s encouragement — it makes for a better relationship and happier partners.

Conversely, when their partner is unhelpfully critical, controlling, and at odds with who they are and what they want, the relationship suffers, as do those in it. Ultimately, if you say “I barely recognize who I am with this person,” it should be a good thing — not one that leads to TV news clips of your bewildered neighbor: “We’re all just shocked. She seemed so nice, so normal. I guess she just...snapped.” !

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2017 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

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