YES! Weekly - May 27, 2020

JAMES MICHAEL ROWE

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LARRY WOMBLE

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MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 22

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INVASION OF THE ‘SCARECORONAS’

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

From the Northside neighborhood in Cincinnati to the City of Winston-Salem and beyond, SCARECORONAS are coming. Homemade scarecrows are being put up in yards across the nation, giving those stuck at home something to do to raise spirits and cope with this unprecedented health crisis.

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EDITORIAL Editor KATIE MURAWSKI katie@yesweekly.com Contributors IAN MCDOWELL JOHN BATCHELOR KATEI CRANFORD MARK BURGER TERRY RADER JIM LONGWORTH

PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com

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May 12 marked the passing of a beloved Triad masterful musician, producer, and former owner of The Wild Magnolia Café, JAMES MICHAEL ROWE AKA “Chef Mike.” VunCannon said that Rowe was a true businessman and he demanded 100% effort from his band. While most bands learn 30-35 songs, VunCannon said Rowe had them learn 85-125 songs of different styles to play rock ‘n’ roll clubs, beach music, as well as rhythm and blues.

5 In 2016, BRIAN COLE was named dean of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) in Winston-Salem. Since last August, he’s served as interim chancellor following the departure of Lindsay Bierman, UNCSA chancellor from 2014-’19, who left to become CEO of UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina. Last week, UNCSA interim president Dr. Bill Roper announced that Cole has been named the ninth chancellor of UNCSA, effective immediately.

6 In a world gone mad with partisan political bickering, gridlock, racist comments, obfuscations, and unethical stock transactions, we, as a society, have come

to expect very little of our elected officials.

Statesmanship, accountability, and leadership are in short supply these days, which is one reason why I am so saddened by the loss of LARRY WOMBLE. 7 Some local restaurants are starting to open back up, and I’m looking forward to returning. In the meantime, I would be remiss if I failed to devote some attention to HOME COOKING in this series, since we’re all doing more of that these days.

12 RAY MASCALI was 22 in 1978, the year he opened a pizza parlor on Greensboro’s Tate Street with his partners Charlie and Sammy Sciabbarrasi. Now 64, he’s again co-owner, this time with Leo Gramisci. “We’re going to make the food like it used to be,” he told me, “and we’ve worked really hard at fixing up the place.”

14 While VENUES and nightlife remain in a COVID clampdown, operators are organizing, spaces are getting creative, as the “hows and whens” of reopening looms. The future remains unwritten as stages stay dark, with bills coming due as the entire industry reels from a grinding halt.

ADVERTISING Marketing TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT KYLE MUNRO CARL PEGRAM SHANE MERRIMAN JESSE GUERRA ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2020 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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[SPOTLIGHT]

GREENSBORO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES INCREASING OUTSIDE SEATING FOR RESTAURANTS

BY IAN MCDOWELL

The May 19 meeting of the Greensboro City County ended with recess rather than adjournment. As previously reported, this was so the council could return at 11 a.m. on May 21 and discuss allowing restaurants to extend their premises into sidewalks and parking lots, increasing capacity during Phase II of Governor Cooper’s order.

City Manager David Parrish began the resumed meeting by announcing “a good approach” that would “utilize the already-existing city code related to streets and sidewalks, more specifically related to special events.”

Parrish explained that Chapter 26 of the city code already allows reviewing applications to utilize the public right-of-way. He said it would be easy to prepare a separate permit application that restaurant owners can submit.

“Josh Sherrick in our special events process already handles this type of application on other related items,” with “review by police, fire, building, field ops, and transportation to make sure that it’s safe and complies with other regulations as well.”

Parrish said that all the council needs to do would be to waive fees normally associated with such an application, at least through June 26.

Mayor Nancy Vaughan said she hoped staff could work on these permits “quickly and with haste.” Parrish said the standard 60-day waiting period would also be waived.

District 1’s Sharon Hightower asked what the notification process would look like.

Parrish said his staff are working on an information release.

“Likely included in that will be a link to the permit itself on the special events landing page, and you can fill out the application form there.”

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Hightower expressed concern about small groups seated outside, turning into larger gatherings.

“The same things that apply to indoor dining apply to outside dining,” Parrish replied. “If you can’t do that inside, you can’t do that outside,” and that restaurants would be required to monitor seating outside.

At-large representative Marikay Abuzuaiter expressed confidence in restaurant owners, adding that many she knows have elected to stay takeout and delivery-only.

“I trust the restaurants to understand when they are able to extend their premises and to do the right thing.”

She also advised restaurant owners to check with their insurance company if they do extend their premises, and if they are renting their space rather than owning it, to check with their landlords.

District 3’s Justin Outling called the proposal “a terrific thing to do, using an existing framework provided by state law, to provide flexibility to those restaurants who might be able to take advantage of this.”

He also said that “anyone who does something wrong” would not only be in violation of a city ordinance but in violation of the permit, “which would provide an opportunity for police and other people in enforcement to provide help to remedy the situation.”

A half-hour into the meeting, the council voted unanimously to approve this permitting process and to waive the fees associated with the permit.

For information on how to apply for an expansion of restaurant premises, see the Restaurant Expansion into Public Right of Way Permitting section on the city’s COVID-19 Information and Updates webpage. !

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YES! Weekly is producing the TRIAD COLORING BOOK and as a way to support local artists and the arts community, we are giving back a portion of the proceeds to all artists featured.

We are looking for an 8.5 x 11, black and white, line art drawing of a Triad person, place or thing. Submit drawings to publisher@yesweekly.com in a high-resolution PDF. Call 336-316-1231 for more information.

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‘Keep the music going’ in honor of ‘Chef Mike’ Rowe

M

ay 12 marked the passing of a beloved Triad masterful musician, producer, and former owner of The Wild Magnolia Café in Greensboro, James Michael Rowe Terry Rader AKA “Chef Mike.”

Terry VunCannon is a musician who Contributor formerly played in a variety of local bands such as Whiskey Foxtrot, Lawyers, and Guns & Money with Melva Houston, and he is the owner of V-Muse Lap Steels in Greensboro.

VunCannon said Rowe had a powerful personality, both on stage and off. He said Rowe hired him for his very first gig at age 19 and taught him all about the music world for 20 years.

VunCannon also played guitar with Rowe in both The Willie Boy Band and The Michael Rowe Band.

VunCannon said that Rowe was a true businessman, and he demanded 100% effort from his band. While most bands learn 30-35 songs, VunCannon said Rowe had them learn 85-125 songs of different styles to play rock ‘n’ roll clubs, beach music, as well as rhythm and blues. He would play the music at proms, sorority houses, and college formals where they wore their “dress whites.”

VunCannon said that Rowe would say, “When the whites come out, the money gets bigger,” and had a special “keep it going” signal for the band to work the crowd. VunCannon said they played six nights a week as well as some Sundays in the Carolinas, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama for four and a half years.

Rowe’s best friend for 60 years is Cliff Miller, the Sound Engineer of SE Systems in Asheboro. Miller said he met Rowe in high school during the 1950s, playing clubs and bars “where it wasn’t legal to enter without chaperones.”

Miller and Rowe continued to play music together off and on for over 40 years.

He said that Rowe later moved to Los Angeles, where he did a lot of songwriting and music recording.

“Rowe was a very good instrumentalist and one hell of a singer,” Miller said. “He was super-talented, fun to be around, and worked really hard.”

Rowe played in Brice Street Band as a YES! WEEKLY

MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

The Willie Boy Band from left to right: Reece Hughes, Terry VunCannon, Eric Smith, Mike Rowe, Edward Gurd multi-instrumentalist from about 19831986 with Jack Atchison, Doug Dennis, and Michael McAdam.

McAdam has played with Steve Earle & the Dukes, Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Good Humor Band, and many others. He now plays with the Tim Carter Band, in addition to writing his own songs.

“I’m gonna miss Mike, he was always a good hang,” McAdam said. “We met when I joined the Brice Street Band in ‘84 and hung out in New York in the later ‘80s. Mike was smart, funny, a very talented musician, always well read and well informed, whether the subject be the arts, politics, food, audio or current events. He was a great guy to have sitting next to you on the drive to the next gig. I hate that he’s gone, but I’ll always have good memories of sharing a stage with him.”

Miller said Rowe was a very versatile musician who could play drums, bass and the keyboard. Miller said Rowe left Brice Street to move to New York for his wife’s job, and it was there that he opened Memphis Studios. When he returned to Greensboro, Rowe transformed an old

service station into The Wild Magnolia Café (1995-2005) at the corner of Elam and Walker Streets, where he was known as “Chef Mike.”

Miller recalled that the café was a great place to get together, and he said bands playing there would always invite Rowe up on the stage to play a song.

When the café closed, Rowe started working on Austin-Healey cars. Miller said Rowe was very creative and was a person who looked at things through a different lens. Miller said he became Rowe’s “enabler with all sorts of projects,” including putting Rowe’s Mustang engine into an Austin-Healey.

Miller said his heart is with Rowe’s family, his wife, Denise, and his daughter, Lily, during this sad and chaotic time.

“Mike lived a great life, he had a lot of fun, and in the end, he had no regrets,” Miller said. “I will always remember him as being full of life, and there will most definitely be a celebration of life, at the proper time when all his friends can gather, and share stories in Mike’s honor and memory, and there could also be a music tribute.”

Rowe was a very private man, VunCannon said, and that his career started back “when musicians used scrapbooks for newspaper clippings.” He said Rowe didn’t care much for computers, so he wasn’t on the internet, but the people who did know Rowe were always touched by his caring, kindness and passion.

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘I love you, I’ll see you again soon,’” VunCannon said. !

TERRY RADER is a freelance writer/editorial/content/ copy, creative consultant/branding strategist, communications outreach messenger, poet and emerging singer/songwriter.

WANNA

listen?

Michael Rowe, “Way of the Girl” can be found on YouTube. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=xUu2hPcZ-ps&d=n#menu, Melva Houston w/ Lawyers, Guns & Money: www. youtube.com/watch?v=7xNKrZf36d8&d=n, Hanes Lineberry North Elm Chapel in Greensboro is assisting the Rowe family/details to be posted: dignitymemorial.com, (336) 272-5157

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UNCSA names Brian Cole as chancellor In 2016, Brian Cole was named dean of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) in WinstonSalem. Since last August, he’s served as interim chancelMark Burger lor following the departure of Lindsay Bierman, UNCSA Contributor chancellor from 2014-2019, who left to become CEO of UNC-TV Public Media North Carolina.

Last week, UNCSA interim president Dr. Bill Roper announced that Cole had been named the ninth chancellor of UNCSA, effective immediately.

“Over the past four years, Brian Cole has played an essential role helping generate the extraordinary momentum UNCSA has harnessed, which includes attracting incredibly talented students from across the nation and achieving recognition as one of the country’s top arts conservatories,” Dr. Roper stated.

“Throughout his career, Brian has consistently demonstrated strong, creative, and engaging leadership, which is exactly what UNCSA needs as it continues to prepare students for careers in the arts.

With him as chancellor, I have the utmost confidence that UNCSA will continue its track record of success.”

Cole was selected by Dr. Roper for approval by the UNC Board of Governors from finalists chosen by a 20-member search committee whose members included UNCSA students, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, and members of the Winston-Sale community.

“It was clear to our board that Brian Cole stood out due to his many unique qualities,” explained Randy Ramsey, chairman of the UNC Board of Governors.

“We were especially impressed with what he has achieved in just four years as dean and interim chancellor at UNCSA, as well as his goals for the future. His impressive credentials in curricular innovation, experience in the international arts community, and success in fund-raising were key factors in this decision, as was the unified support he received from the many stakeholders on campus.”

“As an internationally acclaimed artist and an experienced administrator, Brian has proven himself to be an WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

effective leader who deeply understands the needs of our student-artists at this pivotal time for our institution and our world,” said Ralph Womble, chair of the UNCSA Board of Trustees and the Chancellor Search Committee. “Brian is well-positioned to build a strong leadership team and recruit top talent from the industry as we look ahead to shaping the institution’s next 50 years.”

“It is an honor to lead the community of artists at UNCSA,” said Chancellor Cole.

“Now more than ever, we need creative minds to translate our experiences into inspiration, and to change the industry and the world for (the) better. While UNCSA is a relatively young institution, we already have a storied history, and our alumni can be found working and leading everywhere across the arts and entertainment industries. Now is the time for us to come together and write our next act with vision, purpose, and imagination. Now is the time for us to come together and write our next act with vision, purpose, and imagination.

The unprecedented times we are living through present an entirely new set of challenges, and our community of artists is better equipped than anyone to meet those challenges.”

That’s not the only news at UNCSA: The school’s annual Student Artpreneur Grants were recently announced, with five graduates from the class of 2020 each receiving $2,500 to support their creative work or creative enterprise.

This year’s recipients are Tramaine Raphael Gray (School of Design & Production), Miles McKeller-Smith (School

of Filmmaking), Mayra Rodas (School of Filmmaking), Lauren Blair Smith (School of Dance), and Kayana Waller (School of Filmmaking). The Artpreneur program was inaugurated in 2017, and are offered

to UNCSA students who are determined to personify the definition of artpreneur: “An artist who is not defined by what is, but is inspired by all that could be; who is business-savvy and technologically aware; who is devoted to creating value and impact through their creative practice; who reaches beyond existing disciplines to create new ways to connect with others; who is willing to take creative risks in order to positively transform our world.”

“Entrepreneurial artists will light our way as we emerge from the difficult era of the COVID-19 panic,” Chancellor Cole said. “These young artists have the vision, creativity, and perseverance to truly make a difference. We are proud to support their innovative work as they launch their careers.”

For more information about UNCSA, visit the official website: www.uncsa.edu !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2020, Mark Burger.

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MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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Remembering Larry Womble

I

n a world gone mad with partisan political bickering, gridlock, racist comments, obfuscations, and unethical stock transactions, we, as a society, have come Jim Longworth to expect very little of our elected officials. StatesmanLongworth ship, accountability, at Large and leadership are in short supply these days, which is one reason why I am so saddened by the loss of Larry Womble. Larry had a distinguished career as an educator, legislator, and social activist. He moved mountains through the sheer power of impassioned persuasion and helped to pass landmark legislation without alienating his opponents. He cared about others and

put their needs above his own. He was a seminal figure in the history of our state, and he was my friend. Larry passed away on May 14, at the age of 78.

Larry and I often referred to ourselves as a couple of Winston-Salem boys, but the issues he fought for were anything but provincial. He was responsible for repealing a law that allowed North Carolina to sterilize someone against their will, and then he won compensation for victims of those sterilizations. He made us aware of racial disparities in the criminal justice system, and he gave us his personal guarantee that lottery funds would go to help schools. Larry also lobbied to require companies who built their fortune on the backs of slavery, to own up to their actions as a pre-requisite to doing business with the state.

On a personal note, Larry was a sounding board for me. One day at lunch, I told him that I had been approached to run for office, and I asked for his advice. “Are you prepared to devote all of your time

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to the job and be away from home for weeks on end?”

“No,” I said, and that was the end of my short-lived political career. Larry knew that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, and that’s why he was always so supportive of Triad Today, on which he made a number of appearances. One such visit to our studio came on Sept. 2, 2005. He had just left Raleigh after an extended legislative session and was about to board a plane for Africa. It was not his first trip to that continent, and I wondered why he kept returning there each year.

“I was surprised on my first visit to Africa,” he said. “When the kids asked me, ‘could you send us some books?’ And I said I can do that, and I’ve been sending books over there ever since. If somebody is determined to have a book, they ought to have a book.”

Larry made good on that promise, and in just a few short years, he had delivered over 55,000 books to African children. What’s more, Larry paid for the books out of his own pocket—that was Larry. Always helping, always leading.

Politically, Larry was a Democrat, so his activism for racial justice and other social issues was not surprising. But he never let party politics take precedent over common sense and fair play. For example, once during an interview, I mentioned how the Libertarian Party

couldn’t get on the ballot in North Carolina because it hadn’t met the threshold of garnering 10% of the vote in the previous election. Rather than tow the line in defense of the two-party system, Larry said, “I support moving the threshold down to 2% because we need to open the doors for more political parties.”

In effect, Larry was fighting for the rights of candidates who might one day run against him—that was Larry—always helping, always leading.

Larry retired from public office in 2012 after sustaining debilitating injuries in an automobile crash, but he remained engaged in and informed about current events. He was still an activist even when he couldn’t be active.

During the controversy over Confederate statues, Larry’s friend and my buddy, Keith Grandberry, remarked that the problem wasn’t so much about honoring so many white leaders, as it was not honoring any black leaders. I couldn’t agree more, and if we want to rectify that problem, then erecting a monument to Larry Womble would be a perfect place to start. I just hope that his statue is life-size. I’d say about 20-feet tall would do it. !

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

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chow

EAT IT!

John Batchelor’s recommendations for takeout: Part IX

S

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

ome local restaurants are starting to open back up, and I’m looking forward to returning.

In the meantime, I would be remiss if I failed to devote some attention to home cooking in this series, since we’re all doing more of that these days.

Fresh vegetables are coming in now at local farms, and that’s really important.

Here are some that I patronize myself.

Of course, part of the fun in cooking is playing with nice kitchen toys, so we’ll conclude with a visit to my favorite equipment shop.

All the vendors at Greensboro Farmers Market are recommended. Go to the website (gsofarmersmarket.org/drivethru-market) to peruse offerings, order, pay in advance, and schedule pickup at the current location, currently operating out of Revolution Mill (1601 Yanceville Street). The market is open Wednesday, 8-10 a.m., and Saturday, 8-11 a.m. If your last name begins with A-K, you will pickup between 8 and 9; the L-Z schedule is 9-10. Place a sign with your name on the passenger side of the dashboard, along with the name of the vendor(s) from whom you ordered.

I am providing individual websites below, but all these vendors can be accessed from links on the Farmers Market website above.

Anders Family Farm (andersfamilyfarms.com) grows lettuces and other leafy greens in hydroponic facilities.

When I checked, Buttercrunch Bibb, Green Leaf, Green and Red Romaine lettuces, in addition to arugula, were all available.

Get local, fresh eggs from Birch Fork Farm (mimisoaps.com/birch-fork-farm), Massey Creek Farm (masseycreekfarms.square.site), and Cornerstone Garlic Farm (cornerstonegarlicfarm. square.site) in addition to other artisan products they make. Look at their websites for current offerings.

Crouse Farm and Mindenhill Farms (mindenhillfarms.com) provide pickup at several locations. Offerings include lots of flowers, plus arugula, asparagus, broccoli and broccoli shoots, cabbage, collards, kale, mixed lettuces, mustard greens, radishes, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, and tomatoes.

Farlow Farm (farlowfarm.com) lists pea shoots, micro greens, spring onions,

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broccoli, lettuces, Swiss chard, cucumbers, and several specialty greens.

Mighty Tendril Farm (mightytendril. com) was showing carrots, rainbow chard, and similar vegetables available over the weekend, plus other vegetables that had sold out at that time but will be available again later in the summer.

Smith Farms (smithfarmsgibsonville. square.site) has strawberries, squash, broccoli, collards, zucchini, and cauliflower, in addition to flowers and potted plants. This farm has been in operation on the same land by the same family for three generations. More vegetables will be available soon.

Sugar Hill Produce (sugarhillproduce. com/shop) will deliver to most locations within the YES! Weekly distribution area.

Get on the farms’ subscription list to keep up with current offerings. A recent email advised that turnips, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, bok choi, lettuce, beets, carrots, kale, chard, herbs, snap peas, and strawberries will be coming in for the next couple of weeks.

You can get Fresh Seafood from the North Carolina coast from Smith Century Farms (smith-century-farmsnc-fresh-seafood.square.site).

Sharp Farm (emsharpe17.wixsite. com/sharpefarm/shop-products) has broccoli for sale. You will be surprised and delighted at the flavors of really fresh mushrooms from Haw River Mushrooms (app.barn2door.com/e/ QqZ65/all). They offer several different varieties.

Of course, you have to have the right tools (toys?) in order to enjoy cooking and really do it right. My favorite place for kitchen equipment is The Extra Ingredient in Friendly Shopping Center (336-299-9767). The shop is open for in person perusing Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., with limited access to ensure distancing. Knock if the door is locked. Masking is required. Online orders can also be placed from the website (extraingredient.com). Free shipping is provided for orders over $49. Definitely sign up to get their emails. Take a look at their recipe box, even if you don’t need equipment. I’ve made several of these and can provide a testimonial to their validity. They also provide tips for grilling and other handy techniques in their mailings.

Of course, if you’re not in the mood to cook or just need a break from home, ac-

cess my previous recommendations for takeout at issuu.com/yesweekly. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes

from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail. com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel. blogspot.com.

MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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leisure [NEWS OF THE WEIRD] FUN WITH MANNEQUINS

— Some sports teams eager to return to the field have taken to placing cardboard figures of fans in stadium seats to enhance the experiChuck Shepherd ence for viewers, but the FC Seoul soccer club in South Korea was forced to apologize May 18 after propping up sex dolls in the seats for its match against Gwangju FC, The New York Times reported. “We had tried to add some fun in the no-spectator match,” the club explained. “But we have not checked all the details, and that is clearly our fault.”

“Details” included the buxom physiques and obvious logos of sex toy marketers on the dolls’ clothing that fans watching quickly noticed. “We had confirmed that although the mannequins were made to look just like real people, they had nothing to do with adult products,” the statement said, but the club admitted it had neglected to do a background check of the supplier, which makes sex dolls.

— Dinner at the renowned threeMichelin-star Inn at Little Washington in Virginia can set diners back a pretty penny — unless they’re not eating. When the Inn opens on May 29, some of its patrons will be mannequins, reported the Associated Press, attired in fancy 1940s clothing and placed strategically at tables to help with social distancing.

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MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

An unnamed ice cream shop in Hong Kong is offering tear gas-flavored ice cream in support of the region’s prodemocracy movement, reports the Associated Press. The shop’s owner explained he wanted “to make a flavor that reminds people that they still have to persist in the protest movement and don’t lose their passion.” “It tastes like tear gas,” said customer Anita Wong. “It feels difficult to breathe at first, and it’s really pungent and irritating. It makes me want to drink a lot of water immediately.” The owner tried several different combinations to achieve the flavor and found that black pepper came the closest. Before coronavirus restrictions, he said the store was selling 20 to 30 scoops per day.

JUST FUNNY

University of Arizona wildlife biology professor Michael Bogan caught Saturday morning cartoons as they came to life in a video he recorded of a coyote chasing a roadrunner May 9 in downtown Tucson.

Bogan could be heard on his recording saying, “There is literally a coyote chasing a roadrunner. I can’t believe it. That is a straight-up cartoon.” The reenactment of the classic setup between Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner caught Bogan’s attention near the Santa Cruz River, Fox News reported. And, as life often imitates art, the real roadrunner escaped unharmed from the wily coyote.

THE PASSING PARADE

Police responding to a reported shooting in Poughkeepsie, New York, early on May 17, arrived to find a very drunk 35-year-old man from the Bronx who claimed he’d been shot in the buttocks, which caused him to fall and hit his head. The Hudson Valley Post reported the unnamed victim was taken to a hospital, where he was treated for his head injury, but doctors could find no evidence he’d been shot.

There was no bullet hole in his buttocks, X-rays showed no bullet lodged inside his buttocks, and his pants had no holes in them, police said. Witnesses nearby were also intoxicated and unable to provide any clarification. When officers pressed the victim about his story, he became uncooperative and said, “I didn’t pull a gun.”

HOMESCHOOLING GONE WILD

Parents have lodged complaints with the Archbishop Sentamu Academy in Hull, England, after discovering their seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders were sent an exercise asking them to define pornography, soft pornography, hardcore pornography and other sensitive subjects, such as human trafficking and female genital mutilation. Hull Live reported on May 19 that the assignments were made as part of the school’s sex education course, but one parent, identified as Mrs. Taylor, said if her daughter had searched these terms on the internet, the results would have “destroyed her mind” and “scarred her for life.” The school responded saying, “Students were not directed to research these topics themselves on the internet because all the answers ... were contained in the teacher-produced materials we shared.” Principal Chay Bell apologized: “I am genuinely sorry for any upset caused at this difficult time.” © 2020 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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[KING Crossword]

[weeKly sudoKu]

FIRST-CLASS ATHLETES

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Invasion of the ‘ScareCoronas’ Sustainable sculptures ‘scare away’ COVID-19, bridges the divide

F

rom the Northside neighborhood in Cincinnati to the City of WinstonSalem and beyond, ScareCoronas are coming.

Homemade scareKatie Murawski crows are being put up in yards across the nation, giving Editor those stuck at home something to do to raise spirits and cope with this unprecedented health crisis.

“Individuals and families are working together to create these wonderful, silly and informative structures and share those with their neighbors,” said David J. Brown, director and co-founder of the DENT Creative Reuse Center and Art Laboratory. “It could spur more discussion if you aren’t already tired of talking about what we are dealing with, in terms of the virus and what’s next, all of those things.

I think it will promote a lot of goodwill.

It is a chance to get outdoors, join gloves rather than hands, and create something on your property you are able to share.”

DENT is a Winston-Salem 501 (c)(3) nonprofit with a mission “to encourage activities, environmental awareness, and building community by making a ‘dent’

David J. Brown, co-founder of DENT in the waste stream, one art project at a time.”

Brown said that DENT is strongly rooted in environmental advocacy and engaging the community artistically. He describes DENT as being composed of “a great little group of concerned citizens and misfits.” The board members of DENT include co-founders Maria Blevins, Trena Sides, as well as Board Chair Jim Connor, Lyndon Bray, Amy ClintonCorbett, Nancey Cost, Drew Gerstmyer, Duncan Lewis, Jennifer O’Kelly, and Christine Toole.

Brown is a visiting professor at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and devotes his time to DENT as well as other art projects here and there.

Brown has worked as the chief curator at the Cincinnati Art Museum, and he has also worked with art and music legends, Yoko Ono and David Byrne. Brown said he moved to Winston-Salem from Cincinnati in 1999 to serve eight years as the lead curator at the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Arts. Recently, a friend of his from Cincinnati sent him a picture that immediately caught his attention.

The picture was of their “ScareCoronas,” which is an appropriately-named scarecrow made from recyclable material found at home.

“I thought, good artists borrow and great artists steal, so let’s bring this to Winston-Salem and open it up to the entire city. It really aligned with what we are trying to do with the DENT Creative Reuse Art Laboratory group here,” Brown said. “It’s my story, it’s yours—and it is about leadership that has been failing us, everybody is scratching their heads trying to figure out how to cope with this thing.”

The ScareCorona project, Brown said, was originally started at the beginning of May by a visual and performing arts photographer, Tina Gutierrez, and her longtime neighbor, a former principal dancer of the Cincinnati Ballet, Rene Micheo, in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati. I spoke with Gutierrez via Zoom on Monday, and she said that the project had been a group effort with Micheo, and Reggie Kuhn, whom Gutierrez gives high praise and credits as a key organizer of the project.

“We live in a really artistic neighborhood, and it is known in the city as being a little bit wacky,” Gutierrez said. “I had this idea in the middle of the night... I was unemployed, he wasn’t getting any work, and at that point, I was just in the groove of just trying to exist.”

Gutierrez said she loved the idea of

Photos of various ScareCoronas from Cincinnati’s Northside ScareCoronas 2020 Art Show, courtesy of Tina Gutierrez YES! WEEKLY

MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

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The ScareCorona I made, St. Quarantina Van Cartier Dupree Excelsior, telling COVID-19 to “sashay away” scarecrows because they are already something recognizable. She thought this project would be the perfect opportunity to repurpose these human-like structures into something visually-striking, creative, and informational. She said it took some time for ScareCoronas to catch on in her neighborhood, but when it did, it’s spread to states such as Nevada, Nebraska and now, North Carolina.

“The idea of amulets, or talismans or even armor goes way, way, way back,” Brown explained. “Those things are still in use, and [this project] kind of plays off that.”

Brown said that this project is open to everyone in Winston-Salem, and he said he’d love to see it spread to the rest of the Triad. Gutierrez said she believes the project caught on so well in Cincinnati because of how it was organized: Loose, Inclusive and Long, or “LIL.” She said the Northside ScareCorona Art Show was loose, meaning there were no rules on what people could make or put on their sculptures. She said the project was inclusive for everyone because it didn’t matter what neighborhood people lived in or their housing situation—even those living in apartments could participate. Gutierrez said the exhibition in Cinncinatti lasts a whole month to give everyone a chance to see all the ScareCoronas they can.

Brown decided to adopt these guidelines for the project in Winston-Salem.

“I think, at the time, it was out of a desperate need to create,” said Gutierrez, when asked why she felt like she had to start this project. “I really felt like it came from that place of survival. We adapt, and this was a way to survive and get through this. It came from the gut in a way that didn’t really ask permission.”

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Brown said the official community exhibition in Winston-Salem starts on June 1 and runs until July 5. (More information can be found on the Facebook event page, “OPEN CALL: The ScareCorona Community Art Project.”)

“People are certainly more than welcome to keep them up as long as they want to, but officially it will last us five weeks,” he said.

Since the exhibition is open to anyone, Brown said probably the safest and best way to see others’ ScareCoronas would probably be to drive around to each stop or by walking around if enough people in a neighborhood participated.

“Reuse any materials you have; it could be branches from trees on your property, clothes, masks— all sorts of things, it is meant to scare off the virus,” Brown said of some of the materials that could be used in building a ScareCorona.

“You can just start with a clothes hanger, and then you attach two more clothes hangers, and then, you can put a pair of pants and stuff it,” Gutierrez said. “People used gardening [tools] for arms, and kitchen utensils—I have seen colander heads. Some people just used a rake. They tied a crossbar on their rake, dressed it and jammed it into the ground, or tied it to the porch. People used flower pots for eyes— you can make a face out of anything.”

When asked if he would participate and make his own ScareCorona, Brown said he would, but he hasn’t started yet.

He said he might have big plans for his sculpture.

“I am looking at things lying around, and there is a 6-foot sailfish that we have in the basement that might find its way, but we haven’t decided yet.”

Recently, I made my own ScareCorona, which I have affectionately named St. Quarantina Van Cartier Dupree Excelsior.

The materials I had at home to make my sculpture was a ripped up romper, a broken mop handle, a broken curtain rod, a bunch of cardboard, pillow stuffing, old dishwashing gloves, a cloth mask I made too small, some thread, clear packing tape and a hollow Jack-o-lantern for the head. All in all, the project took about two hours to conceptualize and set it up.

(I made signs for St. Quarantina to hold up that read: “Sashay away, Ms. Rona,” and “Register to vote in 2020.”)

After one year of being a nonprofit, Brown said DENT is looking to the future in hopes of raising enough funds for a brick-and-mortar location that would serve as an active donation drop-off site and retail store. Brown said space is also needed to host unique and hands-on workshops.

“We are in the process of trying to create a DMU, DENT Mobile Unit,” Brown said, adding that a 1968 van was donated to DENT by one of the board members.

“We want to make sure that we have a DENT on wheels and go out in neighborhoods and do programming.”

Brown said Reconsidered Goods in Greensboro is an example of the creative reuse model DENT plans to employ, but with some unique tweaks. Brown said that the organization hopes to be more activism-based with an array of thoughtfully curated recycled materials for resale, with many community partners and collaborations.

Since one of DENT’s tenets is environmental advocacy, I asked Brown what he thought about COVID-19’s environmental impact.

“I guess, in some sense, there is a little bit of a silver lining with the pandemic coming through,” he said. “It has opened up some windows of what the world might be like or could be like. I don’t think we are going back to where we were; I think this has caused a big fundamental change in the way that all of us operate.

Somehow, we have to figure out how to get together and have the kind of leadership that promotes a healthy, sustainable environment to help everyone and still allow businesses to operate.”

Brown hopes that the ScareCorona project will also help shed some light on the biggest threat facing humanity that isn’t the COVID-19 pandemic: climate change.

“Climate change is real, we are certainly in it and involved in it and affected by it every single day,” Brown said. “I don’t have any time for deniers with specific agendas—I just don’t think it’s a great way to go. So, how are we going to deal with this thing? On a personal level, you do whatever you can possibly do.” !

KATIE MURAWSKI is the editor-in-chief of YES! Weekly. Her alter egos include The Grimberlyn Reaper, skater/public relations board chair for Greensboro Roller Derby, and Roy Fahrenheit, drag entertainer and selfproclaimed King of Glamp.

WANNA participate?

Check out the Facebook event page, “OPEN CALL: The ScareCorona Community Art Project,” www. facebook.com/events/284466846044838/. To learn more about ScareCoronas, and to see more pictures of the ScareCoronas in Cincinnati, visit www.scarecoronas.com.

MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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Original New York Pizza owner returns to Tate Street Ray Mascali was 22 in 1978, the year he opened a pizza parlor on Greensboro’s Tate Street with his partners Charlie and Sammy Sciabbarrasi.

Now 64, he’s again co-owner, this time with Leo Gramisci.

Ian McDowell “We’re going to make the food like it used to be,” he told me, Contributor “and we’ve worked really hard at fixing up the place.”

It was neither his first restaurant nor his first in Greensboro. Born Rosario Mascali in Catania, Italy, Ray moved with his family to Bordentown, New Jersey, when he was 15. Three years later, he opened Rosario’s Pizza in Bordentown, where it’s still in existence. In 1977, he and Charlie Sciabbarrasi moved to the Triad and opened up

Greensboro’s first New York Pizza beside the skating rink in Carolina Circle Mall, where they were later joined by Sammy.

“Then Bill Kotis, the owner of this location, approached us. He said he had a place here on Tate Street. We didn’t even know what Tate Street was, we were so new, but we came and saw the university and thought we could make something here.

The next year, Northwestern Bank, which had been next door, moved, so we took that space and opened our bar.”

Before 1978, liquor could only be sold by the bottle in North Carolina. “We had one of the first licenses in the entire state, No. 481. And the drinking age for beer and wine was 18. So, we became very popular with college students.”

And not just them. The Greensboro Coliseum was at the height of its popularity as one of the largest venues in the south. Many audience members stopped at NYP before or after a show, and so did performers.

“The Eagles were here. Bruce Springsteen came to eat. One night, Patti Labelle walked in. A lot of people who went through this town came here. We were very, very busy.”

And even busier once they started Pitcher Night. “We had $2.50 pitchers on Tuesdays. I remember we used to sell 18 kegs. That was unheard of in a place this size.” NYP was known for more than just cheap beer. “We were one of the very best pizza parlors in the Triad, so popular we opened another on High Point Road, or as you say now, Gate City Boulevard. Godfather’s later bought us out, and now it’s Olive Garden.” Eventually, Ray, Charlie and Sammy decided to try something different and opened All Fresh Produce. “It did really well and still does,” Ray said, “but I missed the people.”

So, he and the Sciabbarrasi brothers opened Ristorante L’Italiano in High Point.

“In time, we went our separate ways, and I got High Point and Charlie got Tate Street.

Then he sold this place to Eddie Gramisci, who brought his brother Leo here.”

In 2004, Ray opened Pizzeria L’Italiano on Elm Street, which he eventually sold to its manager, Aldo Proposito. Then in 2012, he and Eddie Gramisci opened another New York Pizza on Battleground.

“Eddie was there for six months, but I’ve been there ever since.”

Meanwhile, he said, the Tate Street location slowly changed.

“When we left, so did the recipes and ingredients we used. The quality was not the same, and it became known for music instead of food. But Leo had been working with me at Battleground, and when the last owner decided to sell it, he offered this place to Leo, but Leo couldn’t do it, so I came into the picture. Now, we own it together, although he’s probably going to be the operator because I have other stuff and am not so young anymore.”

He said that the old recipes are back.

“New York Pizza on Battleground is very

Ray Mascali and Leo Gramisci

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popular, very busy. Just ask Mayor Nancy Vaughan, who eats there all the time. Now, we’re returning that quality to Tate Street.”

The strip is a special place for him.

“I met my wife Barbara here. She was at UNCG, an exchange student from Stuttgart. Our eyes met over a slice of pizza, we got married, and had three kids, who pretty much grew up here.”

Remembering his late wife, Ray wiped his eyes. Dr. Barbara Mascali became a beloved professor of French, German and English as a Second Language at High Point University, where she started as a visiting lecturer in 1989 and was awarded

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tenure in 2000. Dr. Mascali, who also earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy from UNCG, died of cancer in 2011. She and Ray were married for 31 years.

“She was a very brilliant and beautiful lady, and I miss her so much.”

A moving photo montage video of Ray, his wife, and their three children through the years was put on YouTube by their son Sal in 2011, where it can be found under the title “Barbara Mascali.”

“You may remember Sal from the popular band The Urban Sophisticates,” said Ray after he’d dried his eyes. “He studied at Second City and is now an actor in L.A.

My youngest son, Daniel, is now a guitar tech for singer Kane Brown, and my daughter, Marianela, she’s a horticulturist and gardener in Seattle.”

“So, I have a lot of memories in this place. I’m glad I took it over, and hope I can make it better.”

One way he intends to do that is with top-quality ingredients.

“The way I make the sauce, the dough, the kind of cheese I use. I’m not skimping.

If it’s no good for me to eat, I don’t serve it.”

Now he’s waiting for the new normal.

“Nobody knows what it is yet, but we’re

open for dining again as well as takeout.

We’ve got our tables inside, spaced well apart, with comfortable leather chairs, and the patio is completely redone. It’s so nice now. We should have our liquor a license the week after your article comes out.”

I ordered a Chicken Stromboli, which I took home and ate while transcribing our interview. It tasted every bit as great as I remembered from the 1980s. !

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

MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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HEAR IT!

#SaveOurStages: Triad venues look hopefully toward an uncertain future

W Katei Cranford

Contributor

hile venues and nightlife remain in a COVID clampdown, operators are organizing, spaces are getting creative, as the “hows and whens” of reopening looms.

The future remains unwritten as stages stay dark, with bills coming due as the entire industry reels

from a grinding halt.

Venues aren’t a one-size-fits-all experience. Some are bars. Some are solely concert spaces. Catered crowd sizes range from 50 to 5,000. Major players in amphitheaters and coliseums across the state recently formed the N.C. Live Coalition, which is an advocacy group geared toward addressing unique challenges faced by the industry.

The little guys may have been left out on the state level, but thanks to the National Independent Venue Association, they’re not on their own. With more than 1,200 venues onboard, NIVA membership grows daily and reads like a venerable who’s who list of venues across the country, all focused on securing financial support to preserve the national ecosystem of independent venues and promoters.

Bull’s Tavern, Gears and Guitars Fest, The Ramkat, and the Blind Tiger are the Triad venues involved in NIVA’s #SaveOurStages initiative.

“It is a great collaboration of independent music venues all across the country, and we are honored to be listed among them,” said Greg Gerald from the Blind Tiger. “Usually, the venue business is pretty ‘cut-throat’ with everyone fighting for shows. It’s strange to have everyone working together, but the unity is wonderful.“ Economic recovery for venues extends beyond reopening front doors.

“Obviously, any type of government relief would be amazing through all the hard work of NIVA,” Gerald added. “It’d help give a boost into paying past due bills as well as helping to get artists booked to play the venues.”

All bets are on a safe reopening, though no one is sure exactly what that’ll look like. While sanitizers and temperature checks at the door are a likely common practice, Gerald also envisions a return to the Tiger’s roots.

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MAY 27 - JUNE 2, 2020

“As we jump back into things, we may have to put more of a focus on local music and be more creative on how we get people in the door,” he said, acknowledging hesitations held by artists and audiences alike.

“Here at the Tiger, we feel confident that live music will never die. We’ll prevail.

The agents are still actively working, booking shows and moving forward,” Gerald noted, with a plan to be back in business starting June 27. In the meantime, they’ve stayed active through free cookouts for artists and service workers; and by using the venue’s social network to share livestreams.

While the Blind Tiger’s eyes are set on a June reopening, the weirdos at Monstercade had planned on their activities as a bar returning under Gov. Cooper’s Phase II. As for a venue timeline, they’re heeding the doctors’ orders.

“As much as we would like to reopen, the science and medical stats don’t lie,” said owner Carlos Bocanegra. “Now is not the time for rebellion. Monstercade has always stood against the grain, but this pandemic isn’t about oppression. It’s about people’s health and safety.”

Praising creativity and adaptability, Bocanegra has focused energy on reinvention rather than “fighting for antiquated models that don’t make sense in this new world.” He said he finds more inspiration in livestreams and pop-ups than coalitions. “Asking for a bailout would help,” he admitted, “but that ultimately isn’t going to sustain our industry. It’s time to adapt.

When the time comes to reopen, I’m confident in Monstercade’s ability to creatively find a way to remain relevant.”

Monstercade’s Third-base Drive-in Theater And that ability has been tested. While ceasing operations as a bar and venue, Monstercade has transitioned into retail operations with a member delivery service.

“We cut prices in order to compete with grocery stores, which means we’re making 0% profit, but it’s keeping our employees paid throughout the closure,” Bocanegra explained, “and I’m proud to say we created more jobs.” They’ve also operated as a weekend plant market in partnership with Root Down Nursery.

Keeping in the entertainment game, Monstercade hosts the “Stuck at Home Sinema,” a bad movie watch-and-chat party airing three times a week. Monstercade also plays host to the Segreto dance parties, which broadcast over Twitch most Saturday nights.

“We’ve got some tricks up our sleeve, but we’ve been very cautious in implementing the ideas that require physically being together to ensure everyone’s safety,” Bocanegra noted.

Monstercade’s first foray back into gatherings, the “Third-base Drive-in Theater,” launched on May 17 in their parking lot with a 10-car cap. “Our staff has a say in almost everything we do, so we frequently run ideas by them and ask how they feel about it,” Bocanegra explained, “but with that said, we’ve got some interesting things coming up that we’ll be announcing soon.”

At this stage, no one really knows what nightlife will look like once venues reopen.

But unwritten as their future may be, venues are working hard in the Triad for a safe return. !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Tuesday Tour Report, a radio show on hiatus due to COVID-19.

WANNA

support?

Learn more about #SaveOurStages by visiting www.nivassoc.org/

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last call

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

ALONG CAME PAWLY

I’ve been married for two years to a woman whose sister is extremely manipulative. She finds reasons to touch me inappropriately — for example, “Your Amy Alkon hair is so pretty. I have to pet it.” She Advice puts an arm around Goddess my shoulders or comes toward me and puts both hands around my neck. This past weekend, I was seated on the couch, and she came up behind me, grabbed me, kissed me as far down my neck as she could, and swiftly left. All of this creeps me out, but because she always does this when other relatives are around, and I’m new to the family, I don’t feel I can snap at her or push her away. My wife alternates between being intimidated by her sister and feeling she has to protect her, and she refuses to say anything to her. She now seems to blame me for being offended! Do I keep trying to get through to my wife? Demand my sister-in-law explain her actions? Talk to her husband? Threaten to go to the police? —Repulsed Family gatherings should not be indistinguishable from foreplay.

It sounds like you’re being visited by the Dark Triad, which, sadly, is not an after-school club for young Batman and his friends. It’s a set of three separate but overlapping malevolent personality

traits: narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy, which make for social and personal relationships that would more accurately be called “manipulationships.”

Narcissism is reflected by egotism, a lack of empathy, and “grandiosity” (essentially a superiority complex — certainty of one’s greatness compared with the rest of us human worms slithering around).

Machiavellianism was named for the 16th-century Italian philosopher/political advisor Niccolo Machiavelli, who was basically “the tyrant whisperer” — if you take his book, “The Prince,” seriously (and not, as some have suggested, as a work of satire). It pretty much advises, “Hey, Royals, do what you need to do, no matter how rotten, to stay in power!”

The personality trait named for him is characterized by manipulativeness, callousness, self-interest, and what Dark Triad researcher Monica Koehn describes as “a ruthless lack of morality.”

Finally, there’s psychopathy, which shows itself in antisocial behavior, selfishness, impulsivity, and a lack of remorse. And not surprisingly, there’s a fourth trait some researchers have suggested adding to the Triad: “everyday sadism,” reflected in getting pleasure out of harming others.

Dark Triad traits lead to an aggressive, exploitative way of interacting with others, like that of your toxic, sexually abusive sister-in-law. Koehn observes, “All three traits are associated with the propensity to engage in repeated sexual advances also known as ‘sexual harassment’ and may have played a role in some of the noteworthy, alleged cases

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 9

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[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 9

of sexual harassment discussed in the media.”

Your sister-in-law is a skilled psychological puppetmaster who weaponizes others’ emotions to get away with controlling and abusing them. In this case, your wife’s fears of displeasing her sister, and her companion desire to protect her, as well as your unsteadiness about your place in the family allow your sister-inlaw to turn any family gathering into the Wild Touchyfeely West.

Unfortunately, personality doesn’t come in a cartridge we can pull out and replace with another like in a gaming console. Chances are the only way to change Peppermint SocioPatty’s behavior is to change your own — while being mindful of what sneaky, reality-distorting saboteurs Dark Triad types can be.

In short, you need to change your boundaries from silent to spoken — but without ever going the slightest bit angry or ugly. Also vitally important is talking only about your feelings and avoiding anything that sounds even the tiniest bit accusatory. (Go angry, ugly, and/or accusatory and she will run with it — transforming herself into the poor,

persecuted waif-in-law abused by the scary, unstable, brute brother-in-law.)

The next time she touches you, tell her this: “Just a little thing: I don’t feel comfortable being touched in caressing ways by anyone who is not my wife.” In saying it this way — talking about your feelings — you are not accusing her of anything; you’re simply voicing an observation about the inner you.

If she starts to squawk, if she tries to bait you into anger, or if she just tries to engage in a discussion, don’t bite. It’s not up for discussion (and you will lose to her every time, anyway). Calmly repeat your feelings line and walk away. You’ll show that you make a poor choice of victim, and family gatherings should stop doubling as a sexual grazing ground for the free-range sociopath-in-law. “Hospitality” is supposed to mean making your guests feel at home, not letting them feel you up at home. (Welcome to “Brady Bunch: SVU”!) !

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol. com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2020 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

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