4 On June 7, the Preparatory Dance Program at UNCSA (University of North Carolina School of the Arts) commemorated its 50TH ANNIVERSARY with a series of special events that took place over the entire day, beginning with an alumni ballet barre/mini-class.
5 The animated feature KPOP: DEMON HUNTERS (Netflix) may not win the uninitiated to the K-pop musical phenomenon that has swept the globe the last several years, but for those already attuned to the format, it’s a flashy, splashy, flaky fantasy confection steeped in all the K-pop trappings.
5 Award-winning local filmmaker JACK LAFFERTY presents an evening of short films on Friday, June 27 in Reynolds Place Theatre. The screening includes O&0, Carpetbaggers, and Circadian Discord, along with an exclusive peek at his upcoming project filming in Winston-Salem this summer.
8 THE OPIOID PROJECT: Changing Perceptions Through Art and Storytelling showcases mixed media works by students currently participating the the Univerisity of North Carolina Greensboro’s Spartan Recovery Program.
11 Speaking to Greensboro City Council on June 17, Cynthia Blue said that almost half of Greensboro’s renters are paying over 30% OF THEIR INCOME for housing, and “only about 1,000 units are affordable to those with lower incomes.”
12 The start of the summer is coming in hot as the Triad fires up grills and starts rockin’ out the FOURTH OF JULY FESTIVITIES.
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UNCSA’s Preparatory Dance Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in style
On June 7, the Preparatory Dance Program at UNCSA (University of North Carolina School of the Arts) commemorated its 50th anniversary with a series of special events that took place over the entire day, beginning with an alumni ballet barre/mini-class and an alumni reunion reception at the Thomas S. Kenan Institute of the Arts and capped off by the annual spring performance by current Preparatory Dance students at the Gerald Freedman Theatre on the UNCSA main campus.
“For 50 years, the Preparatory Dance Program at UNCSA has been a cornerstone of our community and a vibrant part of Winston-Salem’s cultural fabric,” said School of Dance Dean Endalyn T. Outlaw. “Not only has it nurtured young dancers — many of whom have gone on to study in our high school or undergraduate programs and some, on to professional careers — but Prep Dance has inspired creativity and cultivated a lifelong love of the art form.” For five decades, “this program has succeeded because it has always been about more than just dance steps,” Outlaw emphasized. “It’s about mentorship, discipline, joy, and the power of artistic expression. Generations of families have trusted us with their children’s earliest training, and that trust has built a legacy we are proud to celebrate. As we mark this milestone, we honor the dedicated faculty, passionate students, and supportive families who have shaped this beloved tradition.”
Calling the shots — and steps — for the celebration was Pamela Stephenson, who was named Prep Dance director two years ago. For Stephenson, this was a task near and dear to her heart, and one she relished. Originally
hailing from Fayetteville, Stephenson began attending UNCSA summer sessions at age 12 and was invited to enroll in the high school program at 14, graduating in 2001. She danced professionally with The Washington Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Los Angeles Ballet before returning to her old stomping (and dancing) grounds in 2023.
“UNCSA has a special place in my heart,” she said, “and I could not be more thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to return home to my alma mater. My dream of being a professional dancer absolutely would not have come to fruition without the excellent training I received at UNCSA. To come full circle in life — to help the next generation fulfill their dreams — is an opportunity I could not turn down.”
Stephenson admitted that putting together a spectacular 50th anniversary showcase was no easy feat.
“Preparatory Dance has a very small staff,” she related. “So, it was not easy directing the school and performance and planning a reunion event at the same time! That said, it was absolutely worth it, and it was truly inspiring to see everyone come together to celebrate such a special occasion. Because I started going to UNCSA for the summers at 12 and the high school at 14, many of my friends as a child were Preparatory Dance Students.
“I grew up with Lauren Alzamora, [who’s] now on the Preparatory Dance faculty; Jerome Johnson; and Matthew Donnell, former director of Preparatory Dance — to name just a few. Significantly, Dayna Fox was one of my formative ballet teachers as a child. Because of my close friendships, I was able to call on them to spread the word. They all roped in people through social media and personal appeals. I was additionally aided by Rebecca Burkeen, director of alumni engagement and the office of advancement.”
As a result, “we now have a more robust Prep alumni contact list that will make future events easier,” Stephenson noted.
“For the alumni ballet class and re-
union luncheon, we had a nice turnout — approximately 15 alumni from the 1990s-2004, and their families,” Stephenson said. “The alumni were joined by past and current Preparatory Dance directors and faculty including Dayna Fox, who directed the program from 1989-2014; Jan Adams; and Alana Donnell. However, the Preparatory Dance Spring Performance was completely sold out in the 368-seat Freedman Theater on the UNCSA campus. Our spring performance always sells out as we have a lot of proud parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, and friends who want to see their Prep dancer shine onstage.”
Given her close ties with UNCSA Preparatory Dance for so many years, the event offered many special moments.
“The most memorable moment,
outside of the children’s Spring Performance, was hands-down the alumni ballet class,” Stephenson said. “Dayna and Jan reconnected and co-taught like they never had a break from the program! They gave an excellent and hard class full-on with push-ups, sit-ups, barre work, and jumps as if everyone was in tip-top ballet shape. They held everyone to the same standard now as they did when they were children, and I know everyone was sore the next day! It was incredible to see the alumni and teachers again in the studio as if it were yesterday!”
LO CAL FILMMAKER PREVIEWS UPCOMING PROJECT AT EXCLUSIVE SCREENING
JACK LAFFERTY PRESENTS AN EVENING OF SHORT FILMS ON JUNE 27
Girl power vs. ghoul power
The animated feature KPop: Demon Hunters (Netflix) may not win the uninitiated to the K-pop musical phenomenon that has swept the globe the last several years, but for those already attuned to the format, it’s a flashy, splashy, flaky fantasy confection steeped in all the K-pop trappings.
SUBMITTED BY CORINNE BASS Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County
Award-winning local filmmaker Jack La erty presents an evening of short films on Friday, June 27 in Reynolds Place Theatre. The screening includes O&0 (featured in RiverRun and Cordillera International Film Festivals in 2024), Carpetbaggers, and Circadian Discord, along with an exclusive peek at his upcoming project filming in Winston-Salem this summer.
La erty, a North Carolina-based filmmaker who hails from Scotland, is a writer, producer, director, and actor. He holds degrees from Appalachian State University and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and made his short film premiere in 2023 with O&0. The short films screening on June 27 span a wide array of genres:
• The gut-wrenching drama O&0 interrogates an American dream built on debt, patriotism, sacrifice, and gun violence
• The slapstick comedy Carpetbag-
gers follows the hijinks of a small family business facing a di cult decision
• The psychological thriller Circadian Discord explores the ever-increasing disconnect between an individual and the natural world, and the fragility of reality.
A Q&A with the filmmaker will follow the screenings, as will a preview of La erty’s upcoming project, Eggs Like Eyes — a futuristic fiction that takes protagonist Danny on a secret mission in a world of political turmoil and scientifically-controlled memories. !
WANNA go?
Jack La erty Presents: A Series of Short Films takes place on Friday, June 27 at Reynolds Place Theatre in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts (251 N. Spruce Street). Doors open at 7 p.m.; screening begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 (+tax/fees) and are available online at intothearts.org/jack-la erty, over the phone at 336-722-2585, or in person at the front desk of the Milton Rhodes Center.
Rumi (voiced by Arden Cho), Mira (voiced by May Hong), and Zoey (voiced by Ji-young Yoo) comprise the titular triumvirate of Huntrix, the most popular K-pop group around, selling out stadiums and amassing a worldwide legion of fervent fans. They are also, as the title implies, demon hunters, and when they’re not belting out their chart-topping tunes they’re vanquishing supernatural specters, sometimes even during their shows. (The fans think it’s all part of the performance.)
This doesn’t sit well with Gwi-Ma (voiced by Lee Byung-hun), the king of the demons, who conjures up a K-pop boy band of his own — called The Saja Boys — to lure Huntrix fans to the dark side. Of course, this doesn’t sit well with the members of Huntrix, although Rumi does find herself attracted to Jinu (voiced by Ahn Hyo-seop), the least androgynous of the Saja Boys. As the two groups size each other up, it takes the term “battle of the bands” to a whole new level.
Co-directors Chris Appelhans and Maggie Khan (making her feature debut), who collaborated on the screenplay with Danya Jimenez and Hannah MeMechan (from Khan’s original story), exhibit a clear a ection for the K-pop world while also poking fun at it, although never in a mean-spirited way. That the film retains a sweetness at its core and casts Korean and other Asian actors in the major roles goes a long way toward making Demon Hunters the breezy summer diversion it is. It never takes itself too seriously, incorporates some nice messages about female empowerment and living in harmony, and
— perhaps best all of all — zips along at a heady pace that never allows the pace to slacken. Will good triumph over evil? Will Huntrix live to tour another day? These are not heavy questions, and the answers to both are never really in doubt, but for those who get their kicks from K-pop, Demon Hunters is a good, clean, toe-tapping eye candy for all ages. !
HANDSOME HARRY (Kino Lorber): The Blu-ray bow ($29.95 retail) of director Bette Gordon’s award-winning, R-rated 2009 drama starring Jamey Sheridan as a Vietnam veteran forced to confront a hidden incident from his past at the behest of ailing Navy buddy Steve Buscemi three decades later, with John Savage, Campbell Scott, Aidan Quinn, Titus Welliver, Karen Young, Mariann Mayberry, Bill Sage, and Rutanya Alda rounding out a star-studded cast. Bonus features include audio commentaries, behind-the-scenes featurette, and theatrical trailer.
THE INVISIBLE SWORDSMAN (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group): A limited-edition Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) of director Yoshiyuki Kuroda’s 1970 samurai fantasy (originally titled Tomei Kenshi) starring Osamu Sakai as the titular character, a bumbling coward who obsession with avenging his father’s murder leads him to ingest a magical formula that makes him fearless, heroic, and — as the title implies — invisible. In Japanese with English subtitles, bonus features include audio commentary, collector’s booklet, retrospective interviews, and image gallery.
NOVOCAINE (Paramount Home Entertainment): Jack Quaid headlines co-directors Dan Berk and Robert Olson’s light-hearted, R-rated action romp as the sheepish assistant manager at a San Diego credit union whose congenital condition that renders him impervious to pain comes in mighty handy when bank robbers led by Ray Nicholson storm the credit union and take his girlfriend (Amber Midthunder) hostage, available on DVD ($25.99 retail), 4K Ultra HD combo ($34.99 retail), and 4K Ultra HD combo Steelbook ($44.99 retail), the latter two formats boasting bonus content.
ONE TOUGH COP (MVD Entertainment Group): Stephen Baldwin plays real-life New York detective Bo Dietl in director Bruno Barreto’s 1998 loose adaptation of Dietl’s memoir, in which he contends with the rape and murder of a nun, his boozesoaked gambling-addicted partner Chris Penn, and his long-standing friendship with low-level mobster Mike McGlone, which leads to pressure from the FBI and his own department to turn informant — all the while wooing McGlone’s ex-girlfriend Gina Gershon. Appropriately gritty but utterly routine, this would have
BY MARK BURGER
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: SORCERER
(The Criterion Collection)
Following the one-two punch of The French Connection (1971) and The Exorcist (1973), the cinematic world was William Friedkin’s proverbial oyster. For his next project, he could make anything he wanted — and what he wanted to do was mount a grand-scale adaptation of Georges Arnaud’s 1950 novel Le Salaire de la peur, brilliantly filmed in 1953 by Georges-Henri Clouzot as The Wages of Fear. Friedkin envisioned Sorcerer as his magnum opus, an epic study of men against impossible odds. The first act details how its four principal characters — Scanlon (Roy Scheider), Manzon (Bruno Cremer), Nilo (Francisco Rabal), and Kassem (Amidou) — end up in the hellish South
American village of Porvenir. Each man is fleeing a tragic past and each has no future. Porvenir is their purgatory where they will live out their lives in poverty and squalor.
The opportunity for redemption occurs when an oil well explodes, and men are needed to transport two truckloads of nitroglycerin across 200 miles of treacherous jungle terrain to cap the inferno. With money and passports as incentives, the four men are forced to work together to complete the journey, which is rife with peril, including the punishing landscape, torrential rainfall, and murderous bandits — not to mention considerable enmity among them.
At a cost of $22 million, Sorcerer was a rare co-production between Paramount and Universal. The production was long and arduous, mirroring the events depicted in the film, and Friedkin had total control as both director and producer. Oftentimes, Friedkin’s desire for perfection made him his own worst enemy. He fired crew members at will (who were still contractually obliged to be paid) and alienated studio executives. All might have been forgiven had Sorcerer been the hit Friedkin expected it to be, but the film received mixed critical notice and was a box-o ce disaster, having the misfortune to be released mere months after Star Wars (which cost half as much to make!). Audiences were in no mood for a cynical, big-budget epic with existential and Kafkaesque overtones. Friedkin, who had courted Steve McQueen and Robert Mitchum for the role of Scanlon, even blamed Scheider for the film’s lackluster showing. The two had previously worked on the Oscar-winning French Connection but never worked together after Sorcerer. In the end, it was Friedkin who bore the brunt of Sorcerer’s failure, although in later interviews he claimed it was his personal favorite of all the films he made. The film’s received a sole Oscar nomination for Best Sound, and Star Wars won.
Yet, with each passing year, Sorcerer grows a little more in stature, a potent reminder of the kind of movie Hollywood used to make once upon a time, by an uncompromising filmmaker with a distinctive vision. It’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer scope of the film, which is undoubtedly the work of a master filmmaker, and the score by Tangerine Dream is incredible.
Both the two-disc Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) and three-disc 4K Ultra HD combo ($49.95 retail) include the 2018 documentary Friedkin Uncut, retrospective and vintage interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and trailer. Rated PG.
been more at home on the small screen. Producer Martin Bergman had earlier made Serpico (1973) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975) but this is hardly in the same league. Amy Irving (Barreto’s then-wife), Victor Slezak, Luis Guzman, Paul Guilfoyle, Harvey Atkin, Michael Rispoli, Paul Calderon, Nigel Bennett, and Dietl himself appear in support. Both the “MVD Rewind Collection” DVD ($14.95 retail) and Blu-ray
(who had worked with Leder on TV’s ER) with crack nuclear expert Nicole Kidman as they track down a shipment of Russian nukes stolen by international terrorists, with Marcel Iures, Aleksandr Baluev, Holt McCallany, Jim Haynie, Randall Batinko , Joan Copeland, and Armin Mueller-Stahl (picking up an easy check) either caught in the crossfire or rattling o endless exposition. This was the first film released by DreamWorks Pictures and although polished and professional, it’s very much a generic action blow-out. Bonus features include audio commentaries, deleted scenes, stunt footage, and theatrical trailer. Rated PG-13.
SMOTHERED
(Indican Pictures): John Schneider (who briefly appears as himself) wrote and directed this highspirited, lowbrow 2016 slasher send-up in which real-life horror icons, dissatisfied after a botched convention appearance, agree to earn quick money by “haunting” a remote trailer park -- only to discover it’s a deadly trap. Rough around the edges but a treat for genre fans, with knowing digs at low-budget filmmaking, the convention circuit, and horror tropes, with the actors (many playing variations of themselves) sending themselves up with, particularly Kane Hodder (also an associate producer) and Don Shanks, with Bill Moseley, Malcolm Danare, Brea Grant, Amy Brassette, Michael Berryman, and John Kassir lending zesty support. A surefire cult contender, available on DVD ($24.99 retail), replete with bonus trailers.
TRANSMISSION (Jinga
($19.95 retail) include theatrical trailer and TV spots. Rated R.
THE PEACEMAKER (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): A 4K Ultra HD combo ($44.95 retail) of director Mimi Leder’s 1997 feature debut, an adaptation of the simultaneously published book One Point Safe by Andrew and Leslie Redlich Cockburn, pairing crack military o cer George Clooney
Films Ltd./MVD Entertainment Group): Described as a “channel-surfing/found-footage” movie, writer/producer/director Michael Hirst’s 2023 shocker, centering on the long-long science-fiction film (the titular Transmission) and its mysterious director (producer Vernon Wells) who disappeared before completing it, leaving his granddaughter (Nicole Cinaglia) to piece together the circumstances surrounding the mystery. The film makes the most of its limited budget, has a palpable sense of fun and a ection for the genre, and has the good sense to run a trim 75 minutes. Felissa Rose, Sadie Katz, Jesse Bean, and Del Howison also appear, and the film is dedicated to the legendary Roger Corman (who died last year). The DVD ($19.99 retail) includes trailer. !
[KING CROSSWORD]
Visitors in the Space for Engagement’s installation of The Opioid Project at the 2025 spring open house.
The Opioid Project: Recovery through Art
Chanel Davis
Editor
The Weatherspoon Art Museum is o ering Triad residents an opportunity to see recovery firsthand. The Opioid Project: Changing Perceptions Through Art and Storytelling showcases mixed media works by students currently participating the the Univerisity of North Carolina Greensboro’s Spartan Recovery Program.
In partnership with Health Story Collaborative, an award-winning storytelling and art nonprofit focused on de-stigmatizing addiction, the museum hosted a four-hour art-making and storytelling event that provided students additional avenues to explore their experiences with addiction and mental health challenges.
“What I fell in love with about this program is that students who are in recovery, either from alcohol or substances, part of our recovery comes with telling our story. Telling what the experience was like, what happened, and what it is like now in their lives. So for them, it was an opportunity to explore that in an artistic way. They created art on their own and each one is di erent. Each one has a story that goes along with it,”
Ches Kennedy, coordinator of Spartan Recovery. The organization is a program for students in recovery from alcohol or drugs that provides positive programming, professional care, a healthy social environment, and academic counseling. With a focus on opioid addiction, the exhibition serves as a launching pad to talk about broader community members’ experiences of the opioid/addiction crisis and its impact on their lives.
“In mid-January, the students met with the artist and the storyteller, and they spent a few hours together creating art,” said Mei Mendez, assistant director of Strategic Engagemnet at WAM. They were really interested in the idea of exploring the di erent ways of accessing their experiences with addiction. One
of the things that I would highlight here is that there is a really positive outlook to all their stories, and there is a really uplifting conversation around the role that the Spartan Recovery program has had in the process of working through addiction or addiction-related experi-
ences. One thing that I should mention is that people who come to see the show can listen to the students tell their stories through a QR code, so they could be looking at the artwork and listening to the student artist’s story that they shared with us. There are multiple ways of accessing the exhibition and the information that the students chose to share about their experiences.”
John Metzger, a participating student, said he felt like the exhibition was a safe space for him.
“I felt like I didn’t have to hide in recovery. Like I could express what it was like and not feel shunned,” he said.
Participating artist Nina Spiering said the workshop was a good communitybuilding event.
“There are other people like us in other places.”
Mendez said the exhibition is important to the community at large because it o ers another view to help understand students who are dealing with addiction and the aftermath it has on students.
“I think it is a way for people who might not have direct experience in their extended family or themselves to see the lasting e ects of addiction in our community. It also situates the museum as a space to have this conversation. The museum is a free museum, so anybody can come in and look at the artwork. The location of this exhibition was purposefully displayed in the space for engagement, inviting conversation,” Mendez said. “The space for engagement allows for group meetings, so at the museum, we can arrange for folks who have a connection to this exhibition or who have does work in the community or whose personal experience in the community addresses addiction to meet in the space and to reflect on their work through the lens of the student’s experiences. I feel that it’s our role as part of the community to provide a space in which this conversation can happen, and this exhibition allows us to do that.”
Kennedy hopes the community gains a better understanding of those battling addiction.
“I hope the community gets an understanding of the experiences of people with substance abuse disorders and that there’s hope. There is always hope.”
Mendez said this is an example of wellness through art.
“Looking at art, doing art, making art, talking about art, are all ways to engage with parts of ourselves that increase our well-being. I think that this particular exhibition helps address and encourages
the well-being of the participants. I think that going through the art-making process itself was very positive, and it gave the students a di erent way of accessing their feelings and emotions around addiction. For people who come to the museum and look at these works of art, I think it’s also a point of wellness.”
Christina Reardon said that she hopes her art helps people challenge the stigma around addiction.
“I wanted to change the way folks think about those in recovery. For me, this empowered me to talk about the
parts of my past that I had kept silent for so many years. It gave me a voice and a platform.”
The exhibition runs from now through the end of July at the Weatherspoon Art Museum, located at 1005 Spring Garden Street in Greensboro. Admission and parking are free. !
CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.
Housing o cial speaks of rising rents and disparities
Speaking to Greensboro City Council on June 17, Cynthia Blue said that almost half of Greensboro’s renters are paying over 30% of their income for housing, and “only about 1,000 units are a ordable to those with lower incomes.”
Blue, assistant director of Housing and Strategy for the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development, explained that these renters are considered “cost-burdened” by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and that the amount of a ordable apartments has decreased severely since 2020.
“This does not include folks who may be in public housing or who may be on vouchers. These are units on the market, a ordable to folks at 30% below area median income.”
In 2022, rent.com reported that Greensboro su ered the highest rent hike for one-bedroom apartments of any city in the nation, with rates increasing by 74% over the course of that year. Since then, figures released by the city show that median rates for all rental housing increased by 49% from 2018 to 2023. Coupled with this, said Blue, is the rising cost of buying homes, which had increased by 26%. Blue attributed these rising costs to multiple factors.
“Population has grown 4.3%. We’ve seen high growth among seniors in the 65 and up population and those young working adults 18-34. Home values have risen 36% since 2020. In that time period, we’ve seen homeownership decline for low and moderate income households, but increase for households who are making over $100,000.”
Furthermore, the condition of available housing is deteriorating over time. “40% of our homes are built before 1980, so we’re seeing a higher need for investments in home repairs and home maintenance.”
But the greater problem is that 60% of Greensboro renters earn less than 80% of the city’s median income, while the units they can a ord are only about
20% of the available housing stock.
Blue attributed this to “shifting market conditions having grown the housing shortage faster than we had predicted back when we did the Housing GSO plan in 2020.”
Blue was speaking on the following agenda items.
• H.4 — Resolution Authorizing Submission of the 2025 Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice Report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• H.5 — Resolution Authorizing Submission of the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan Application.
• H.6 — Resolution Authorizing the Submission of the Annual Action Plan Application for $1,483,573.18
• H.7 — Resolution Authorizing Submission of the Annual Action Plan Application for $2,639,554 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Funds and the Conduct of CDBG Program Activities for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
• H.8 — Resolution Authorizing the Submission of the Annual Action Plan Application for $207,632 Emergency Solution Grant and the Conduct of Emergency Solutions Grant Activities for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
• H.9 — Resolution Authorizing the Submission of the Annual Action Plan Application for $1,275,774 Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS funds and the Conduct of HOPWA activities for the 2025-2026 Fiscal Year.
“This is a public hearing item for H.4 and H.5, which are the two plans,” said Blue. “H.6 through H.9 are the individual entitlement awards that the city receives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.”
District 1’s Sharon Hightower asked Blue to speak more about “the impediments to housing that are critical and people need to understand what they are and the plans that we have.”
Blue then addressed “the barriers that Councilwoman Hightower was speaking to.”
“The first two were identified earlier; the mismatch between the housing stock and residents’ needs and the a ordability challenges that we’re experiencing. And then the third is the legacy of development patterns we’ve had in Greensboro that continue to a ect us today and continue
to guide us to making corrections to help reduce that concentrated disinvestment and overcome those barriers created by historic redlining.”
Redlining means the discriminatory practice of withholding financial services from minority neighborhoods. It dates from homeownership programs of the 1930s, in which color-coded maps included red lines around Black neighborhoods, indicating they were considered a risk for loans.
“And then there is the home lending gaps which were identified,” continued Blue. “In the report, it breaks out the analysis of who is able to get home loans and who may not be able to get home loans. And what we found was that, about 25% of African American applicants were being denied versus about 19% of white applicants.”
While Blue said that she believes the city “is doing the right thing,” she added that “we need to do more of it.”
“In the last five years, 72% of our homebuyers have been Black or African American, 84% of them overall have been non-white. And in the last program year, again 78% African American and 94% of them non-white. So I think we’re hitting the target. But we need to broaden and bring more people in and provide additional homeownership education and encourage people to do what they need to do to make themselves in a place where they can be approved for their applications. We can also work closer with our local lending partners and help to create some of those channels for people to be able to get into homeownership.”
She also called rising eviction rates a serious impediment to housing stability.
“We’ve heard this from the community and are working to address it through the TEAMS project, with Legal Aid of North Carolina sitting in the eviction courts with people who are coming in for evictions and referring them to the city for eligibility for the emergency rental assistance program to help clear those arrearages and keep people in housing.”
According to Blue, the city has “about $5.4 million in federal funding sources that we anticipate receiving.” This, she said, includes “about $150,000” in Community Development Block Grants and “about $100,000” in the Home Investment Partnership Program. She also said the city is investing $837,000 in multifam-
ily development and that “homebuyer downpayment assistance of $300,000 is targeted to those households below 80% of area median income.”
The next step, said Blue, “is a submission to HUD on or before July 13 and then we would be coming back to council in August with the actual appropriations for the HUD funding.”
District 3’s Zack Matheny questioned the purpose of the stated $527,009 in administration funding. “What is that for?”
Blue replied that it was sta salaries and costs.
“My goal would be that the funds develop the community, not administrative costs. That’s my only thing,” said Matheny.
District 1’s Sharon Hightower asked “how many employees are the salaries paying for to administer this program?”
Blue replied that “these dollars primarily support the sta that we have. We could give you a sta breakdown of who is in which categories.”
City Manager Trey Davis o ered more context.
“The figure you see is is for all of the programs and not just for Community Development Block Grants. It’s for all of the programs that the sta provide support for.”
“Does this include salaries and fringe,” asked at-large Representative Hugh Holston.
“Yes,” said Blue.
Holston asked if this meant it was only for “about eight or nine employees.”
“Not even that many,” said Blue. Hightower then spoke about the downpayment assistance included in the funding.
“We are putting $500,000 towards increasing that down payment from $10,000 to $15,000. And that is gonna make a di erence. It’s gonna impact potential homeowners to be able to have that additional $5,000, which will allow them to buy higher-priced homes, but also perhaps to bring down rates, to be able to be e ective with their closing costs as well.”
Council then voted unanimously to pass all of the six agenda items. !
IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.
Ian McDowell
Contributor
TGrillin’ up tunes this Fourth of July
he start of the summer is coming in hot as the Triad fires up grills and starts rockin’ out the Fourth of July festivities.
Winston-Salem is keeping its headstart tradition with “Rock Out the Quarry” returning to Quarry Park on June 27. The annual pre-holiday party will feature music from DJ Toney Tone and party band Phase Band and refreshments from an array of food trucks; all capped with a drone light show finale. Moving into the holiday proper, Camel City keeps up the weekender tradition–albeit sans Heavy Rebel (RIP). With two HRW adjacent o erings: music selections at the Camel City Shake and the Wiggle Room returning as part of the 2025 Burlesk Con of the Carolinas.
Running July 4-7, the BCC o ers a weekend of shows, workshops, and happenings — all celebrating the art of the tease and showcasing the Carolina’s’ top burlesque performers. With a mission to “emphasize education, history, honoring contemporaries and legends, as well as preserving the Artform through acknowledgment, a rmation, and inclusion,” the BCC will take place at venues along Trade Street; starting on July 4 with an opening night show and mixer at Single Brothers. The Wiggle Room remerges on July 5, with traditional burlesque and competitions, at Dye Pretty Salon and Arts. Hel’s will host a sideshow, drag, and variety showcase on July 6; and a Burlesque & Drag Chillout Brunch o ers performances and panels at Finnegans Wake on July 7. Over at Gas Hill, the Came City Shake keeps truckin’ in the HRW music tradition — with rockabilly favorites the Tremors, the bo-stevens, and the Radio on July 4; and go-go punk energy from the Malamondos, Camel City Blackouts, and Instant Regrets on July 5.
ROAR is also making a weekend a air with the “Red, White & Boom” rooftop party, featuring Ragtop Betty on July 4 and Bandemic on July 5. Meanwhile, Casa Beats Collective
brings the heat and the beats to Monstercade on July 4 with “Independance,” a night of house, techno, d’n’b, and jungle from DJs Inkari, Snack, MisChief, and Funkadelic.
Salem Band (the oldest, continuous mixed wind ensemble in the nation) rings in the holiday with more traditional fare for their annual Stars & Stripes All-American band Concert, July 4, in the Old Salem Town Square. Featuring a pre-concert jazz by Salem Band and Swing Band vocalist Mignon Dobbins and pianist Ryan McCollum, the event “honors veterans with marches, big bands, sing-alongs, Armed Forces Salute, and of course, Star & Stripes Forever!,” organizers explained. The event is free, with a rain date planned for July 5.
As for fireworks: the Winston-Salem Dash may be on the road this July 4, but Truist Stadium is proud to host the “Bolt, White & Blue Party” with games, inflatables, face-painting, tie-dye, tunes from Spindle 45, and a big ol’ fireworks finale.
Folks in search of America’s Favorite pastime can head to High Point, where the Rockers will play a home game; followed by a fireworks finale. And the Uncle Sam Jam returns to Oak Hollow Lake for the 52nd year — with food, entertainment, and fireworks presented by High Point Parks & Recreation, who invite families to join in the festive tradition that’s been going strong since 1973.
In Greensboro, the Hoppers are out of town; so the Townebank Beach Music Festival and Sleepy Booty are taking over the field (and fireworks show). “End your 4th of July with a bang!,” organizers said, beckoning ticket purchases that are required for stadium seating during the fireworks.
Outside the stadium walls, the annual Fun Fourth “Freedom Fest” runs along Elm Street throughout the afternoon on July 4 — though the only published performer thus far is, oddly enough, a Canadian rock band: Rose Cora Perry and the Truth Untold. Who needs patriotism in 2025, anyway, am I right?
Getting into the Independence Day night, tunes will pop o at venues across downtown: at the Flat Iron, the Groovelab party makers are pleased to host a “4th of July banger you’re not going to want to miss” with Remyy, TAY LIVELY,
Monavent and DUGARTE. Heading down Elm Street, Satellite Dog will bring their “wild blend of psych-groove jams” to Ziggy’s the night of July 4. And at the Back Table, Tom Troyer’s “Silo Series” features the heavy rock outfit Majoun joining a bill with Bobbie Needham, Molly Brown, and Daniel Quimet. “Can’t think of a better way to spend the 4th than raging against the war machine with us,” Majoun posted, with anticipation at “getting lost in the sauce with you as part of the Silo Series.”
And out on Greensboro’s eastern edge, Ararat Manor Farms will host a “Rev and Rhythm” July 4 celebration, featuring a “full-throttle day of live music, a car and motorcycle show, food trucks, fireworks, and fun for the whole family.”
Come Saturday, Hamburger Square keeps the party going on July 5, with an Americana-themed first Saturday block party. DJ Blacc Thumb will lay grooves for the splash and skate zone from 2-5 p.m.; Acme Comics will bring special guest, Captain America, to join the party; Chandler’s celebrates its first anniversary with block party tunes in tandem with Grey’s Tavern, Natty Greene’s and Little Brother Brewing; and Design Archives extends their o erings into a special night market.
Meanwhile, Sorta Spooky and Fruit Cup are celebrating community — sans the stars and stripes — and joining up to host Fruit Fest, an open jam and ra e in a semi-secret Greensboro spot on July 5, with proceeds benefitting the Triad Health Project. “We’re donating the ticket funds to THP because of the incredible work they’re doing during these uncertain times,” organizers said, setting event expectations: “open jam, egg shaker decorating, anti-Fourth of July, outdoors, gay, everything you’ve been asking for — all in one place.”
Reinforcing that the jam is open to all music levels, “you can tap your feet, or shred the guitar, and everything in between and beyond,” they noted. “We will also be doing tutorials and will have spots to hang as well, so if you don’t want to jam or ra e, this is also just a cool hang. Bring your own. Bring your people. Promote your skills while contributing to a good cause.”
From pyrotechnics to Technics turntables, the Triad pops with musical o erings for the Fourth of July. !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.
Katei Cranford
Contributor
CARBORRO
CAT’S CRADLE
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053
www.catscradle.com
Jun 25: Insect Ark & Forn
Jun 27: Honey Magpie
Jun 28: Kelsey Waldon
Jul 1: Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol
CLEMMONS
VILLAGE SQUARE
TAP HOUSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330
www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
Jun 26: Dustin York
Jun 27: Coda Junction
Jun 28: Travis Grubb & The Stone Rangers
GREENSBORO
CHAR BAR NO. 7
3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555
www.charbar7.com
Jun 26: David Lin
COMEDY ZONE
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034
www.thecomedyzone.com
Jun 27-28: Bubba Dub
FLAT IRON
221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967
www.flatirongso.com
Jun 25: The Band Solstice w/ When We’re Sober + Owen & The Smokes
Jun 27: Scott Miller
Jun 28: Brian K & The Parkway + Folkknot
Jul 2: Jameson Tank w/ Slanted Ceilings
GARAGE TAVERN
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
Jun 28: Radio Revolver
HANGAR 1819
1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480
www.hangar1819.com
Jun 27: Mocktallica, Hell Awaits, Tornado Of Souls
Jun 28: Thoughtless
PIEDMONT HALL
2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400
www.greensborocoliseum.com
Jun 28: Clutch with Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown + Nate Bergman
RODY’S TAVERN
5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950
www.facebook.com/rodystavern
Jun 25: Danny Vago
Jun 27: Jon Montgomery Duo
STEVEN TANGER CENTER
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500
www.tangercenter.com
Jun 24-29: Some Like it Hot
THE IDIOT BOX
COMEDY CLUB
503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699
www.idiotboxers.com
Jun 27: Kevin McDonald’s Superstar: A Comedy Rock Opera
Jun 28: Kevin McDonald
HIGH POINT
GOOFY FOOT TAPROOM
2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567
www.goofyfoottaproom.com
Jun 28: Turpentine Shine
JAMESTOWN
THE DECK
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999
www.facebook.com/TheDeckJamestown/
Jun 27: Radio Revolver
Jun 28: Black Pearl
RALEIGH
LINCOLN THEATRE
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400
www.lincolntheatre.com
Jun 25: C. Thomas Howell
Jun 26: The Fall Of Troy
Jun 27: On The Border
Jun 28: Outliar w/ Gross Reality, Children of the Reptile, Hayvyn
RED HAT AMPHITHEATER
500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800
www.redhatamphitheater.com
Jun 25: 311 — Unity Tour 2025
Jun 27: HAUSER
Jun 28: Kansas & 38 Special With The Outlaws
HOME GROWN MUSIC SCENE | Compiled by Shane Hart
WINSTON-SALEM FIDDLIN’ FISH BREWING
COMPANY
772 Trade St | 336.999.8945
www.fiddlinfish.com
Jun 27: Raincheck Bluegrass
THE RAMKAT
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714
www.theramkat.com
Jun 25: Band of Horses, Jenn Champion
Jun 26: Blacklight Idols, Jerry Chapman Band
Jun 27: Kai Crowe-Getty, Rebecca Porter
Jun 28: 1 Love Festival
[TRIVIA TEST]
by Fifi Rodriguez
[1. TELEVISION: The Simpsons first appeared as a short on which TV show?
[2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the distance between mainland Russia (Siberia) and mainland United States (Alaska)?
[3. GAMES: What is the highest score you can achieve in one frame of bowling?
[4. MYTHOLOGY: What is the Roman god of the sea called?
[5. SCIENCE: What are the only letters that don’t currently appear in the Periodic Table?
[6. MOVIES: Which animated movie’s tagline is “Escape or die frying”?
[7. LITERATURE: The Republic of Gilead appears in which 1980s novel?
[8. FOOD & DRINK: Which spice is often praised for its anti-inflammatory properties?
[9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: In which country did Cirque du Soleil originate?
[10. LANGUAGE: What is glossolalia?
answer
[SALOME’S STARS]
Week of June 30, 2025
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Although you don’t like to change plans once they’re set, once again, you might find that doing so can make a big di erence in your favor. Meanwhile, family matters dominate the weekend.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You continue to get encouragement for your proposals, including some support from unlikely sources. Use this positive flow to move forward with your plans. Good luck!
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Family matters are dominant this week. It’s a good time to be with those you love. It’s also a good time to contact and reunite with loved ones with whom you’ve lost touch.
ing much of your time, workplace issues are also important. Try to find a balance between them.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) The future of a new relationship could depend on how much the usually impatientto-get-things-done VIRGO is willing to stop pushing and let things happen naturally.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Worry over a loved one’s well-being is eased with good news from a sympathetic source. Your continued show of love and support is important. Stay with it.
J and Q.
About 55 miles.
The Tracey Ullman Show.
Chicken Run. 7. “The Handmaid’s Tale.” 8. Turmeric. 9. Canada. 10. The ability to speak in a previously unknown language, also known as speaking in tongues.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Be careful not to allow di erences of opinion to create unpleasant feelings, especially in the workplace. A neutral observer could check out the situation and suggest a resolution.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) While the Lion’s Den is the center of attention this week with family matters dominat-
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) This is a good time to consider mending fences with someone you wish was back in your life. Forget about blame and focus on the good things you once shared.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) This is a good week to start researching information regarding whatever changes you’re considering, whether it involves a new home, a new location, or a new job.
[WEEKLY SUDOKU]
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[cAPrIcorN (December 22 to January 19) A long-anticipated job opportunity could turn out to be less than you expected, but appearances might be deceiving. Check it out before you decide it’s not for you.
[AQuArIus (January 20 to February 18) Good news! Adapting to a new situation might come more easily than you expected. You can look for continued support from colleagues who appreciate your contributions.
[PIsces (February 19 to March 20) Someone you care for might need more reassurance from the typically “unemotional” PISCES. Go ahead. Open up, and you might be surprised at what you find when you do.
[BorN THIs week: You are a romantic at heart, although you can be amazingly practical when you need to be. Many might consider you a great shoulder to lean on.
