YES! Weekly - March 12, 2025

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MARCH 12-18, 2025 VOLUME 21, NUMBER 11

10 5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers JOHN BATCHELOR

CAROLINA COBRAS

MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD LYNN FELDER

Brandon Negron is a busy man these days. No, make that a very busy man. As both head coach and president of the Carolina Cobras arena football team, he has a full-time, year-round job.

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Despite a chill in the air, spirits were high and the atmosphere filled with affection and appreciation at the Filmmaking Dean’s Circle Reception and Legacy Celebrating Screening held on the main campus of the School of Filmmaking at the UNCSA School of the Arts on February 21, where DALE POLLOCK was paid tribute for his 25-year academic career at the school.

4 IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country, has hired KATIE HALL NICOLAS to lead business development operations for its Workforce Services staffing division.

6 Although it has its humorous moments, MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE isn’t a latter-day incarnation of the classic 1937 comedy Topper but a more serious-mindMARCH 12-18, 2025

ed examination of PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome) and the military mindset.

9 I’m just mad for the wonderful women hosting music events in North Carolina. And am thrilled to celebrate WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH by keepin’ the flowers flowing, far and wide, from the Triad to the Triangle. Camel City to Queen City.

12 Air Force veteran and cancer survivor Ronald Fulp is again allowed to enter his home at 316 TATE ST. in Greensboro’s College Hill neighborhood. Between July 15, 2024, and Jan. 27, Fulp could not do that without permission from B. J. Johnson, founder and CEO of the Burlingtonbased LLC Metamorph Investments, to whom the city had required Fulp to surrender the keys.

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DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2025 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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UNCSA reception celebrates former dean Dale Pollock

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espite a chill in the air, spirits were high and the atmosphere filled with affection and appreciation at the Filmmaking Dean’s Circle Reception and Mark Burger Legacy Celebrating Screening held on the main campus Contributor of the School of Filmmaking at the UNCSA School of the Arts on Feb. 21, where Dale Pollock was paid tribute for his 25-year academic career at the school.

Pollock, who served as dean of the School of Filmmaking from 1999 to 2006 and again as interim dean during the 2021 spring semester, was professor of cinematic studies from 2007 to 2019 and is currently Emeritus professor at the School of Filmmaking.

The event took place at the New Digital Media Building, where School of Filmmaking dean Deborah LaVine set the tone.

“It’s a poignant night as we celebrate one of our most illustrious deans,” she said.

“Dale Pollock is a renaissance man. He has made enormous strides both at UNCSA and throughout the community. I still seek his advice, and he continues to be my mentor.”

During Pollock’s stint as dean, and every year since, the UNCSA School of Filmmaking has been ranked among the best film schools in the nation by such industry publications as Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, and those consistent accolades continue to inspire the administration, faculty, and staff to strive ever further to retain such a lofty, albeit well-deserved, status.

Although officially retired, Pollock retains close ties with UNCSA and with the RiverRun International Film Festival, whose move from Asheville and Brevard to Winston-Salem he engineered in 2003.

Among those in attendance were UNCSA provost Patrick Sims, RiverRun program director and interim co-executive director Mary Dossinger, Piedmont Triad Film Commission executive director Rebecca Clark, School of Filmmaking faculty members past and present, and Pollock’s wife Susie and their children Owen, Leo, and Zoe — thereby giving the event an air of family and friendliness.

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PHOTOS BY RICHARD CLABAUGH

Dale Pollock at podium At the podium, Pollock admitted “I suffer from a congenital problem: It’s called tears,” he said with visible emotion.

He confessed that when he first accepted the position of School of Filmmaking dean, succeeding Sam Grogg, “I had no idea how to be a dean. I read a book about it, and it freaked me out.”

Having produced 13 feature films, including The Mighty Quinn (1988), A Midnight Clear (1992), and Set It Off (1996), he decided to approach things a little differently. “I simply had to produce a film school,” he said. “It’s all about training an artist, not just graduating students. I had wonderful help from a wonderfully talented faculty and staff, many of whom became friends for life.

“I’ve had three distinct careers: Working at Daily Variety and The Los Angeles Times as a journalist, then as a producer, and finally as a dean and teacher … and guess which one remains the most satisfying?

It’s been a very wild, enlightening, and ultimately super-satisfying ride.”

Filmmaker Mark Freiburger, who graduated from the School of Filmmaking in 2005, made the trek from his Austin, Texas home to return to his old UNCSA stomping (and learning) grounds, and earned big laughs when he said as a student, the location of the New Digital Media Building was essentially “a pile of dirt.” Now, it’s the training ground for over 370 School of Filmmaking students.

“It is truly an honor to be here,” he said.

“I graduated 20 years ago, hard for me to believe! It’s so exciting to be here. So much has changed but it still feels like

Audience members home. When I was here, one of the people who always made themselves available was Dale Pollock.”

To date, perhaps Freiburger’s greatest claim to fame is the Doritos commercial he directed in 2013, which was aired on CBS during the Super Bowl in 2014 and was judged “The Greatest Super Bowl Ad of All Time.”

“It cost $300 to make and Doritos spent $4 million to air it,” he said with a smile.

Naturally, Freiburger was then tapped to helm a slew of commercials for such companies as Microsoft, Reebok, IKEA, Shiner Bock Beer, and many others. But he always sought new challenges and never wavered from his desire to make feature films. His latest, the fact-based, faith-based drama Between Borders — which he wrote, produced, and directed — was released theatrically by Fathom Events earlier this year, and the School of Filmmaking hosted a special screening following the reception, after which he and Pollock engaged in a lively discussion about its production and about Freiburger’s student days.

“Sometimes, when people try to warn you about certain pitfalls, you sort of go ‘Yeah, OK,’ because you don’t think it’ll ever happen to you,” Freiburger told the audience. “Well, it did. Don’t think it can’t happen to you, because it can. It happened to me.”

After graduation, Freiburger decided to expand his 2004 UNCSA short The Dog Days of Summer into his 2007 feature debut Dog Days of Summer, but the experience was not a happy one. Some

friendships forged at UNCSA ended, and although the film was completed it was a grueling process. Freiburger learned his craft at UNCSA, but Dog Days of Summer was his baptism by fire.

Between Borders, starring Elizabeth Tabish, Patrick Sabongui, and Elizabeth Mitchell, based on a true story about an Armenian family seeking sanctuary in the United States during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s, was a much happier experience, despite a breakneck 20-day shooting schedule and a $1.5 million budget. It is the first Armenian film made by non-Armenians, and the recent suspension of the state department’s refugee program by President Trump has given it an unexpected but perfectly timed relevance, an eerie parallel to current events.

Even some conservative viewers have conveyed their sentiments to Freiburger that the film made them examine the refugee issue in a different light. “Everything you see [in the film] actually happened,” he said. “It seems as if it’s been changing some hearts and minds, one by one. It’s been making people rethink their attitudes, and I love that. It’s making a difference.” !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2025, Mark Burger.

WANNA know?

The official UNCSA website is https://www.uncsa. edu/.

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IFB Solutions hires Katie Hall Nicolas to lead Workforce Services division business development PRESS RELEASE IFB Solutions, the largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired in the country, has hired Katie Hall Nicolas to lead business development operations for its Workforce Services staffing division.

Headquartered in Winston-Salem, IFB Solutions is a nonprofit organization with nearly 700 employees nationwide — almost 300 of whom are blind or visually impaired. With $130 million in revenue for fiscal year 2024, IFB provides employment, training, and support services for people who are blind.

Its manufacturing division employs nearly 300 individuals across facilities in Winston-Salem and Asheville, N.C., as well as Puerto Rico. Meanwhile, its Workforce Services division — where Hall Nicolas works — expands IFB’s impact by providing staffing solutions for customer service, data collection, analysis, and sales roles across the country.

Winner of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical

Written by DALE WASSERMAN Music by MITCH LEIGH Lyrics by JOE DARION Original Production Directed by Albert Marre

In her role as manager of business development, Hall Nicolas is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with potential clients for Workforce Services call center staff, growing existing partnerships and supporting the division’s implementation of new opportunities. While Hall Nicolas is new to the Workforce Services team, she previously worked for IFB Solutions from 2013 to 2016, managing marketing and development teams in both Winston-Salem and Little Rock, Ark. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Wake Forest University and rejoins IFB with more than 10 years of experience in business development, strategic communications and relationship management.

Her most recent role, prior to joining the team at IFB, was with the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, where she served as the chief marketing officer and vice president of development. Hall Nicolas is a member and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Winston-Salem, member of the Downtown Winston-Salem Partnership board of directors, and member of Greater Winston-Salem, Inc. “I look forward to taking the next step in my professional journey by returning to IFB Solutions to lead the expansion of the Workforce Services division,” said Hall Nicolas. “This new role is exciting, and I look forward to forging strategic partnerships that will drive sustainable impact and expand IFB’s reach like never before.”

As the largest employer of people who are blind in the United States, IFB Solutions has spent the last 89 years creating hundreds of jobs, most of which are in

Katie Hall Nicolas manufacturing. These jobs, by nature, are limited by proximity, available only to those who live near existing facilities — or to those who can relocate. To solve this problem and diversify employment opportunities, IFB began testing new and innovative approaches through its Workforce Services division, offering work-at-home employment to people who are blind.

Since its launch in 2012, Workforce Services has hired individuals from the Carolinas to California and everywhere in between. The division currently employs nearly 50 people in 17 states in fields like customer service, data collection, analysis, sales and more.

In 2024, IFB launched an ambitious campaign to broaden the division’s impact and make a difference in as many lives as possible. The Workforce Services Expansion Campaign is a three-year, $3 million plan to grow the division to

support 300 jobs for people who are blind, and it has the potential to uplift, empower and change more lives than ever before.

As the division’s leader of business development, Hall Nicolas’s role is crucial in helping expand IFB’s reach through new partnerships and business opportunities, paving the way for IFB to offer more sustainable career opportunities to people who are blind or visually impaired.

“We are thrilled to welcome Katie Hall Nicolas to our team to help foster new business opportunities for Workforce Services,” said IFB Solutions President and CEO Dan Kelly. “With her level of expertise and experience, we are confident she will be an invaluable asset in helping IFB reach new levels of success — making a major impact on our mission of creating employment opportunities for people who are blind.” !

IFB SOLUTIONS is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1936 as Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind.

Today, IFB strives to be America’s leader in building life-changing opportunities for people who are blind through its mission of creating employment opportunities for this critically underemployed population. IFB’s guiding principles focus on creating upwardly mobile career paths, building on its existing textile operations to develop integrated and technical employment opportunities, and maintaining a strong foundation of packaging and assembly operations as workforce entry points. IFB’s operational footprint includes large-scale manufacturing, Base Supply Center retail and online stores, Workforce Services staffing division, and its Pinnacle Mercantile Amazon storefront. IFB Solutions also provides essential job training for employees and community outreach through its Community Low Vision Centers and programming for children who are blind. ifbsolutions.org

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THE QUEEN BEES CELEBRATE NEW ALBUM “ALL YE OUTS” WITH LIVE CONCERT IN WINSTON-SALEM SUBMITTED BY BRIANNA CANTWELL The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County is thrilled to announce a special live concert by The Queen Bees on Friday, March 21, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Place Theatre. This intimate performance will celebrate the release of the trio’s highly anticipated new album, “All Ye Outs,” and promises to deliver an unforgettable evening of innovative music, storytelling, and cultural experiences.

Comprised of three North Carolinabased multimedia artists — Molly McGinn (guitar/vocals), Kate M. Musselwhite (violin/vocals/drums), and Quilla (keys/beats/vocals) — The Queen Bees blend traditional folk instruments with modern electronic components, creating a distinctive and genre-defying sound. Their music is a fusion of pop, Americana, and disco, with powerful messages woven into each song. Through their work, they aim to serve and build community, using their platform to shed light on current social issues like climate change and the celebration of drag culture.

The trio’s unique sound mixes meticulous string arrangements, bright rhythm guitar, and dynamic vocal harmonies, making their songs memorable and uplifting. Their music invites audiences to explore themes both timely and timeless, such as their exploration of North Carolina’s history and the urgent issue of climate change. Their new album, “All Ye Outs,” dives deeper into lush, electronic-folk territory, layering hypnotic beats with a folk approach that feels both ancient and futuristic.

The Queen Bees’ journey as a collaborative force began in 2016, but they officially debuted as The Queen Bees in 2023 at The North Carolina Folk Festival. Since then, they have gained momentum, performing at numerous festivals and benefit shows across the state. Their impressive performance resume includes opening for the Piedmont Wind Symphony and making an appearance on The Martha Bassett Show.

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Their debut EP, “Live at the Flat Iron,” was released in May 2024 by Ritual Fire Records and is available on all major streaming platforms. The trio is currently working on a series of upcoming singles, including “Big Picture,” “All Ye Outs,” and “Take Me Away,” set for release in 2024. In addition to their music, The Queen Bees are advocates for climate change awareness, participating in the “No Music on a Dead Planet” campaign by the nonprofit organization Music Declares Emergency.

Tickets for the March 21 concert are available for $18 (+ taxes/fees) at intothearts.org/queen-bees. Doors open at 7 p.m.; concert starts at 7:30 p.m.

Guests will enjoy an intimate concert with The Queen Bees and special musical guests in the cozy atmosphere of Reynolds Place Theatre, located on the first floor of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in downtown WinstonSalem (251 N. Spruce St.). !

WANNA go?

Don’t miss this chance to experience The Queen Bees live and celebrate the release of their new album. Follow The Queen Bees on Instagram @ thequeenbees.music for updates on their latest music and performances. For tickets and more information, visit the intothearts.org

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My Dead Friend Zoe is something special

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here are so many ways that My Dead Friend Zoe could have gone awry that it’s to the consistent credit of its makMark Burger ers — particularly co-writer/producer/ director Kyle HaussContributor man-Stokes (making his feature debut) — that it stays on track throughout. Expanded from HaussmanStokes’ 2022 short film Merit x Zoe, this is one of the few films released thus far in 2025 that deserves to be remembered at year’s end.

The rapport between Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green) and Zoe (Natalie Morales) is established from the get-go. Both are serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan and their affectionate, joshing banter

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exemplifies the friendship they’ve forged under fire. We then jump forward an indeterminate number of years, with Merit at a court-ordered group therapy session for veterans overseen by Morgan Freeman’s therapist, Dr. Cole. Zoe is there too, but only in spirit. It becomes obvious that she has died in the interim, but her presence still looms large in Merit’s life, which has since hit the skids.

Merit is tasked with looking after her grandfather Dale (Ed Harris), a veteran himself — it was he who inspired her to enlist — who has recently lost his wife and more recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Naturally, Zoe “comes along” for the ride, acting as a chorus of wry disapproval and smirky cynicism as Merit tries to rebuild her life.

Although it has its humorous moments, My Dead Friend Zoe isn’t a latter-day incarnation of the classic 1937 comedy Topper but a more serious-minded examination of PTSD (post-traumatic stress syndrome) and the military mindset.

Haussman-Stokes is himself a veteran, pRESENT ED ON the Gray sMITH sTAGE

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which lends the film an insight it otherwise wouldn’t have, and placing actual veterans in smaller roles (including the group-therapy scenes) gives it further authenticity. As a veteran of Vietnam, “our wars were not the same,” Dale gravely tells Merit.

Martin-Green, Morales, and Harris all double as executive producers here, as does Kansas City Chiefs superstar (and Taylor Swift boyfriend) Travis Kelce, and the intent here is plain — to pay tribute to the men and women who fought for this country but have found themselves at loose ends upon their return home. To that end, the film succeeds wholeheartedly. These are characters worth caring about, whose dilemmas are believable

and, more importantly, believably rendered. Yes, the film is sentimental, but it’s never maudlin, and it withholds vital plot information until the point of maximum impact.

The performances are terrific down the line. Martin-Green and Morales are the most likely beneficiaries of a career boost, while Harris (recently seen in Riff Raff) does an exemplary job of playing a man whose lucidity is fading — but not without a fight. Freeman, the very personification of sage wisdom, is so again here, and to good effect. He’s not just going through the motions. Although Gloria Reuben has limited screentime as Merit’s mother, she brings her presence to bear in her scenes, and there’s a very appealing turn

by Utkarsh Ambudkar (also known as the rapper UTK the INC) as Alex, whose family owns the nearby retirement home where Merit is supposed to deposit Dale at her mother’s behest, who provides a friend (and potential romantic interest) for Merit to confide in.

Things are wrapped up rather cleanly and perhaps a bit conveniently, but this is a movie, and a little movie magic isn’t unwarranted — or unwelcome. My Dead Friend Zoe may be construed as a “small film,” but it has more to say than the majority of bigger, louder films currently unspooling in theaters, and for that alone it’s well worth a watch — and maybe a few tears, too. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2025, Mark Burger.

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100 TEARS (Unearthed Films/MVD Entertainment Group): The Blu-ray bow ($34.95 retail) of the director’s cut of Marcus Koch’s award-winning 2007 chiller starring writer/ producer Joe Davison and Georgia Chris as tabloid reporters on the trail of a demented circus clown-turned-serial killer (Jack Amos), known as the “Teardrop Killer,” — only to soon realize they’re next on the hit list. Bonus features include audio commentary, the documentary Making of “100 Tears,” behindthe-scenes footage and outtakes, Koch’s childhood short films, trailer, and more.

BEST DEFENSE (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): The Blu-ray bow ($29.95 retail) of the feeble 1984 military farce adapted from Robert Grossbach’s 1974 novel Easy and Hard Ways Out by the husband-and-wife screenwriting duo Willard Huyck (who also directed) and Gloria Katz stars Dudley Moore as a harried engineer working on a top-secret targeting system for the U.S. Army, with “strategic guest star” Eddie Murphy as a tank commander in Kuwait two years later, with Kate Capshaw, Helen Shaver, George Dzundza, David Rasche, Peter Michael Goetz, Tom Noonan, and David Paymer floundering in support. There have long been rumors that Murphy, who doesn’t interact with the other actors and has roughly 15 minutes onscreen, was added to the film after disastrous test screenings (disputed by the audio commentary), but it’s true that when Murphy returned to host Saturday Night Fever months after its release, he joked about how bad it was in his monologue, which was funnier than anything in this lame endeavor that easily ranked among the worst films of its year. Bonus features also include theatrical trailers. Rated R. CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Producer/director Zoltan Korda’s award-winning 1952 adaptation of screenwriter Alan Paton’s best-selling 1948 novel stars Canada Lee (in his final feature and only leading role) as a dispirited clergyman who journeys to Johannesburg in search of his missing son, who is accused of committing murder, and encounters the harsh realities of the racist apartheid regime, with Sidney Poitier (in an early starring role), Charles Carson, Joyce Cary, Geoffrey Keen, and Michael Goodliffe in support. This holds the distinction of being the first major film shot in South Africa, which required the production to inform immigration authorities that Lee and Poitier were indentured servants and not actors (!). Earnest and well-intentioned, although (for once) the 1995 remake was the superior screen version.

Bonus features include audio commentary and vintage interview with Lee. WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: TRICK OR TREAT (Red Shirt Pictures/Synapse Films) In the 1980s, heavy metal music became a hot-button topic, with its detractors claiming it inspired violence with its “evil” lyrics and that some songs, when played backwards, contained Satanic messages. Afternoon talk shows devoted entire episodes to this “pressing” issue, all the better to garner ratings, and there even some court cases — the most publicized one involving the band Judas Priest.

Well, those heady days of yesteryear were immortalized, so to speak, in this amusing 1986 shocker filmed in Wilmington under the auspices of Dino’s short-lived De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, which marked the feature directorial debut of actor Charles Martin Smith.

Marc Price, then riding high as Skippy on TV’s Family Ties, plays Eddie Weinbauer, a typical all-American teenager devasted when his idol, rock star Sammi Curr (Tony Fields), dies under mysterious circumstances in a hotel fire. Although Eddie is something of an outcast, he’s less a moody misfit than a likable kid who happens to love heavy metal. He pines for cute classmate Leslie Graham (newcomer Lisa Orgolani) and endures the taunts and bullying of bleach-blonde jock Tim Hainey (a memorably nasty Doug Savant).

Gifted a copy of Curr’s unreleased last album by friendly disc jockey Nuke (Gene Simmons), Eddie plays it backwards and — presto! — Sammi Curr re-emerges in spectral form with murderous mischief in mind, determined to wreak Satanic panic in his wake.

Initially, Eddie is thrilled that Sammi is back from the grave and ready to party but quickly realizes that he’s literally made a deal with the devil. It all culminates, naturally, with Curr raising hell at the high-school prom, where director Smith has a funny cameo, before the inevitable showdown between Eddie and Sammi.

The film was released in time for Halloween and essentially broke even at the boxoffice, but audiences expecting a more straightforward, albeit head-banging, horror film were instead treated to an affectionate and sly send-up of the genre, replete with the basic trappings. Trick or Treat doesn’t mock the genre or the music — the Fastway soundtrack is appropriately loud and lurid — but the controversy surrounding heavy metal, hence the appearances by Simmons (who reportedly turned down the role of Sammi Curr), and none other than Ozzy Osbourne (in his feature debut) as a Bible-thumping preacher decrying heavy metal in a TV interview.

Yes, the film is silly, but it’s never stupid and, at its best, even inspired at times. Price is endearing, Fields preens and snarls with gusto, Elaine Joyce plays as Eddie’s dithering mother and, in his only feature role, future X Files and Final Destination creator Glen Morgan (who did some uncredited script rewrites) scores as Eddie’s bumbling best buddy Roger Mockus, who has the film’s comic highlight. (It involves a vacuum cleaner.)

Trick or Treat is available on DVD ($19.95 retail), Blu-ray ($34.95 retail), and 4K Ultra HD combo ($44.95 retail), with the latter two formats boasting a bevy of bonus features including audio commentary, retrospective featurettes and interviews, music video, theatrical trailers, TV and radio spots, and more. Rated R. GHOST CAT ANZU (GKIDS/Shout!

Studios/Shout! Factory): The Blu-ray bow ($22.98 retail) of co-director Yoko Kuno (making her feature debut) and Nobuhiro Yamashita’s award-winning, animated adaptation of Takashi Imashura’s popular fantasy manga (originally titled Bakeneko Anzu-chan) detailing the misadventures of a precocious young girl (voiced by Noa Goto in her feature debut) and the lazy but lovable “ghost cat” (voiced by Mirai Moriyama) who becomes her protector. Bonus features include both French (with English subtitles), Japanese (with English subtitles), and English-dubbed audio options, teasers, and trailers.

“JOSEPH CAMPBELL AND THE POWER OF MYTH WITH BILL MOYERS” (Film Movement): The title tells all in this toprated, six-episode 1988 PBS documentary mini-series pairing author and mythologist Joseph Campbell (who died shortly before the series aired) and journalist Bill Moyers in which they discuss and explore enduring myths that have had an impact on global culture, featuring interviews with filmmaker George Lucas, whose work was influenced

by Campbell’s work and observations. Both the three-disc DVD ($49.95 retail) and two-disc Blu-ray ($54.99 retail) include all six episodes — “The Hero’s Adventure,” “The Message of the Myth,” “The First Storytell-

ers,” “Sacrifice and Bliss,” “Love and the Goddess,” and “Masks of Eternity” — plus an array of bonus features including companion booklet, the featurette The Mythology of “Star Wars” with Bill Moyers and George Lucas, and the Bill Moyers’ Journal episodes “Joseph Campbell: Myths to Live By — Part 1 and Part 2.”

THE MASK OF SATAN (Severin Films): The North American Blu-ray bow ($34.95 retail) of writer/director Lamberto Bava’s 1989 chiller (originally titled La Maschera del demonio), a contemporized remake of Bava’s father Mario’s 1960 classic Black Sunday, in which a group of skiers trapped in a crevasse unearth a frozen female corpse adorned with a diabolical mask. This originally aired on the Italian anthology series Sabbath and released in some territories as Demons V (despite having no connection to that franchise), with an ensemble cast including Mary Sellers, Debora Caprioglio, and filmmaker Michele Soavi. In Italian with English subtitles, bonus features include retrospective interviews.

“PERIL & DISTRESS: ENDLESS NIGHT/ PICTURE MOMMY DEAD” (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): A self-explanatory 4K Ultra HD combo double-feature ($49.95 retail) of vintage psychological thrillers: Screenwriter Sidney Gilliat’s final directorial outing, the 1972 adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1967 novel Endless Night stars Hayley Mills, Hywel Bennett, Britt Ekland, Per Oscarsson, and George Sanders, and boasts a Bernard Herrmann score; and producer/director Bert I. Gordon’s Picture Mommy Dead (1966) stars Don Ameche, Martha Hyer, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Wendell Corey, Signe Hasso, and Gordon’s daughter Susan Gordon (in her final feature).

Bonus features include audio commentary for both films and Endless Night trailer.

ROSE (Cohen Media Group/Kino Lorber): Actress-turned-writer Aurélie Saada’s award-winning 2021 feature directorial debut stars Francoise Fabian as the title character, a recent widow whose attempts to overcome her grief and embrace the time she has left puts her at odds with members of her own family, many of whom are burdened with their own problems. In French with English subtitles, both the DVD ($19.95 retail) and Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) include Q&A session and theatrical trailer. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2025, Mark Burger.

MARCH 12-18, 2025 YES! WEEKLY

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leisure

[WEEKLY SUDOKU]

[KING CROSSWORD] INTELLECTUAL TREAT

ACROSS 1 7 12 16 19 20 21 23 24

26 28 29 30 31 33 36 40 44 46 49 51 52 54 55 56 57 58 62 65 68 69 70 71 72 76

Accord, Civic and Pilot Blue toon Hubbubs Honorary deg. for a jurist Unicellular organism Subdued, with “down” Receives a salary, say Boston baseballers Verb form in “I used to solve puzzles,” e.g.

Position of advantage Stuff in some viral genes How- — (manuals) Detroit-to-Philly dir.

Job opening Literary finale War deity Pre- — (replace) What’s allotted in soccer when a player is hurt Sell in stores Thinned out Bohemian lager “Fathers and Sons” novelist Notion, in Nice Story Lions’ locale L-Q linkup “Little” co-star Rae In the best-case scenario Sibling who looks the same Japanese menu item Fall mo.

Suffix of superlatives Korean, e.g.

Molar requiring extraction, maybe Title for Gandhi

78

“Good Will Hunting” director Gus Van — 79 Virtuosos 80 Screening airport org.

81 Oodles 82 Love deity 83 Dog with a reddish, wiry coat 88 Beirut’s land 92 Barney Fife portrayer Don 93 Charred 94 Retreat in the clouds 96 Downs food 98 Good friends 99 River mouth features 100 From scratch 102 Horse’s kin 105 San Francisco’s — Valley 106 Aged 107 Invention of Rorschach 115 Painful podiatric problem 119 Geronimo’s people 120 2003-16 Cowboys quarterback 121 Large spoon 122 “Peanuts” girl 123 Former United rival 124 Has- — 125 Lectern, e.g.

126 Group of PC experts ... or what this puzzle’s 10 theme answers are?

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6

Mata — Boding sign Signals “OK” Lucy’s Arnaz House “Wailing” instruments

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 22 25 27 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 41 42 43 45 47 48 50 53 54 57 58 59 60

Rouse NYC cultural center Like many insensitive jokes Smells awful 32nd prez Will Smith’s role in Men in Black Ten: Prefix Hitter Mel Concorde, e.g., in brief Ointment base Thin, supple and graceful 34th prez — fours (teacakes) Fern leaf Golf ball prop Salt co-star Schreiber Port city near Buffalo, NY TV’s Gomer Neighbor of Belg.

Grande of pop, to fans Gun, as an engine Greek vowel Christmas party headwear Fuel efficiency stat Forecasts Found on a radio dial “What’s —?” (Bugs Bunny’s greeting) Like tilted type Break in the action State bird of Hawaii Marina del — Beginning ltr.

Volcano in Calif.

“We’re in danger here!”

Loretta of M*A*S*H Thailand, once

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Noted visitor to 60-Down 62 Wife of Osiris 63 Part of Russia’s parliament 64 Fox Sports competitor 66 Webpage 67 Pakistani city 69 Lyric poems 73 Occult cards 74 Low-budget, in adspeak 75 Other, in Oviedo 76 Wrestling pad 77 Stein drinks 82 “Watermark” singer 83 Apropos of 84 33rd prez 85 Radio host Glass 86 Japanese menu item 87 Tpks., e.g.

88 Cornea cover 89 Still, at this late date 90 Salami alternative 91 Vein’s cousin 92 Japanese fencing style 95 Sam of Sam’s Club 97 Actor Mineo 101 Be victorious in 103 “Same goes for me” 104 Honoree on Mar. 17 106 “I’m buying” 108 Zilch 109 Potter’s oven 110 Ran, as dye 111 Sharp-tasting 112 Brutus’ “Behold!”

113 Actor LaBeouf 114 Burst (with) 115 Hairy sitcom cousin 116 Celestial ball 117 Suffering 118 Golf’s Ernie

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I

Katei Cranford

Contributor around the state.

’m just mad for the wonderful women hosting music events in North Carolina. And am thrilled to celebrate Women’s History Month by keepin’ the flowers flowing, far and wide, from the Triad to the Triangle.

Camel City to Queen City. Here’s to the fabulous femmes

ORGANIZERS AND BOOKERS

Taja Seafus, Founder and President of the D.O.S.E Artist Collective, keeps living her dream to “provide gallery, exhibition, and creative spaces for the never-ending cycle of meeting new people and connecting with the community.” With programming running through the week at their Trade Street storefront, musicians can enjoy weekly jams, 7-10 p.m., every Wednesday. “Bring your instruments, your vibe, and your creativity as we come together for an open jam session with the community.

Whether you’re a pro or just love to play, it’s all about making music, having fun, and connecting with fellow musicians.”

Ava Foster is the booking maven at Monstercade and the force behind hardcore agency, Blue Rose Booking. Their next Triad offering goes down on March 22 at Hoots Beer Co. in Winston-Salem with PowerPlay (Miami), Kick Out At Two (Chattanooga), Fliora (Asheville), and Path To Failure.

Andra Smith Henderson heads more toward the punk end with her Mix Tape Mgmt and booking outfit. Though Mix Tape’s next showcase (at Hoots on April 24) will be for fans of “raw, unfiltered WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

March Madness, Mamas! hardcore, metal, and thrash” from Alpha Strain, Mourning Lotus, Microdose, and World Of Chaos.

FESTIVALS

Manifest, March 14-15, will be held in Chapel Hill. “Created in direct response to the underrepresentation of women and gender-expansive folks in music,” the two-day multi-venue music festival will celebrate its seventh year with artists like: Bangzz, KHX05, Sister Brother, Hema Gaia, Mean Habit, Riggings, Girl Brutal, The Maxines, Narsick, Bebe Deluxe, JustJess, River Shook, and Shagwuf.

“This isn’t just a show — it’s a statement,” organizers said. “It’s the building of an unapologetically queer feminist space in the south. A gathering of our community together to say we celebrate our differences and the full spectrum of human expression and anyone who denies that denies humanity.”

Serving as a fundraiser for Girls Rock N.C., a “youth-centered organization dedicated to building community and power among girls, transgender youth, and gender expansive youth through musical collaboration, political education for social change, and creative expression,” Manifest 2025 will feature a free GRNC Day Party, aimed at families and younger audiences, with teenage bands, an open mic and karaoke through the afternoon on March 15 at Local 506. The ticketed evening shows at 506 will be all-ages; shows at the Cave are 21+.

Femme Fest CLT is also serving some springtime festivities, May 16-17, down at the Milestone in Charlotte; with a hardcore and metal lineup 17-bands deep, all “donating 100% profits to charities and organizations striving to keep our communities thriving and safe.”

The Full Moon Festival ladies are awe-

some enough to get a springtime shout, as they get plans together for their Ghoul Moon Festival, going down at the West Salem Art Hotel on Oct. 25.

FemFest N.C. is also still getting its annual fall festival organized; but is continuing the springtime WSProm Shop initiative, offering free formal wear and accessories for teens in need, March 22 and 29, at Sixth and Liberty in Winston-Salem.

PARTY QUEENS

Roy Fahrenheit, (Katie Murawski’s infamous drag king persona) is Hel’s weekly Queeraoke host supreme; on top of being the distinguished MC at FemFest N.C. and having been voted “Mr. PrideWS” in 2024 — all before turning 30! …a birthday milestone they’ll hit on March 13; and celebrate with a Roy’s special-themed Queeraoke on March 12 (“Come out to celebrate my 30 years of existence by dressing up as me!,” they said. ”I wanna see all your sickening Roy impersonations.”) They’ll also host a Dirty 30 alt drag Underground showcase at Monstercade on March 14.

Ariel Dominguez heads the Charlottebased Girls Room electronic collective (“created and curated by queer women with Boss Queen Energy, where all are welcome”). Their next immersive experience takes over the Music Yard with KSQUARED, LOVE LEY, SISTA MISSES, and Dominguez (under their performance moniker, DOMii).

Girls Room is also expanding into the label domain with Girls Room Records; with a launch party going down May 7. And they’ll be a fixture during Charlotte Pride, Aug. 19-20.

As a DJ, DOMii will be at the Fruit Durham on March 21, with Christian Summers and John Tejada (presented by Slingshot Festival).

Breniecia Reuben, aka Luxe Posh, is a GAG! party heiress and officially one of

the best DJs in the Triangle (Indyweek, 2023). Fresh from a tropical festival performance (turned engagement party) at Panama Crossroads, she’s the featured season opener DJ for the “super fresh” 90s hip-hop-themed House Hangs at NCMA Winston-Salem on March 21. GAG! is currently gathering plans for their infamous Raleigh Pride endeavors; and will bring their “unapologetic, electrifying energy to the Queen City,” for a Charlotte Pride kickoff event on August 15.

Victoria Bouloubasis, by day, is a journalist, food writer, and filmmaker aiming to “dispel myths about the Global South — its people and places — against the backdrop of complex social, political, and personal histories.” By night, she’s DJ Uymami, a purveyor of “culture clash discotheque,” part of the Mamis & the Papis (a collective of womxn, femmes, and tender-hearted folx who are excited to share with you the music of our hearts and people), and co-founder of the MOODBOARD electronic series. She’ll join K. Ward and Treee City at the next installment (co-presented by Party Illegal) at PS37 in Durham on March 15. !

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

WANNA SEE WHO’S ROCKIN’ OUT IN THE TRIAD? See this week’s LOCAL & LIVE online at www.yesweekly.com/localandlive MARCH 12-18, 2025 YES! WEEKLY

9

feature

PHOTOS BY RICK CORNELL

Cobras coiled and ready to strike

B

BY OGI OVERMAN

randon Negron is a busy man these days. No, make that a very busy man.

As both head coach and president of the Carolina Cobras arena football team, he has a full-time, yearround job. But with practice just now gearing up for the March 15 opening-day kickoff, his schedule will be fairly nonstop for at least the next three months.

And if all goes well and the Cobras make the National Arena League (NAL) playoffs, add another week or, hopefully, two before he can come up for air.

Oh, and there’s one other item that contributes to his whirlwind life — he and wife Donna are parents to seven offspring (four grown) and grandparents to Kyla, who turned one Feb. 16.

“She’s my best friend,” beamed the hulking coach. “Being a granddad is the best.”

Still, as passionate as he is about his family, football occupies most of his time from early spring to mid-summer.

He has gradually moved up the ladder from coaching in youth leagues, to middle school, to high school, and, as of 2020, arena football. He began his career with the Cobras as the offensive and defensive line coach; moved to

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MARCH 12-18, 2025

special teams and offensive line; took 2022 off during the pandemic; in 2023 moved to assistant coach; and became the head coach last year. He was named the league’s Assistant Coach of the Year in 2023 and Coach of the Year in 2024, even with a 6-4 record.

“We were 6-2 overall and 5-1 at home but lost our last two games on the road and missed a chance for the championship,” he lamented. “For some reason, that team didn’t play well on the road, especially after having to fly to places like Iowa and Idaho.”

But, mercifully, those long flights — which gnaw at morale and eat up profits — are a thing of the past, smiled Negron. “We bought a bus! We’re getting it wrapped right now. Last year we had to fly to every game, but this year we only have one flight; that will save us probably $40,000 a year.”

With a clipboard in one hand and a briefcase in the other, Negron is well positioned for the dual responsibilities. He played football through high school and has a degree in finance from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. His career before coaching was in multifamily real estate.

“I realized fairly early on that coaching was in my future,” mused the Staten Island, N.Y., native. “I wasn’t graced with

enormous football talent, but I understood the game very well. And the business end of the game is almost more important than the game itself. Without a strong business foundation, you’re not going to have a team very long.”

The proof in that last statement can be found all through the annals of arena football; leagues and owners and teams come and go. For instance, last year’s NAL started with eight teams, two folded before the season started and one during the season. Even Greensboro’s history is a bit sketchy.

Arena/indoor football debuted in the Greensboro (now First Horizon) Coliseum in 2000 with the Greensboro Prowlers of the AF2 league. They folded after the 2003 season and the league soon thereafter. Then in 2006 came the Greensboro Revolution, playing in the National Indoor Football League, but they only lasted two seasons. After a 10-year lull, it was announced in 2017 that a group of investors who owned the NAL’s Jacksonville Sharks was going to put a team in Greensboro, calling it the Cobras. It launched in 2018 and has been reasonably successful continuously, proving that Greensboro and the Triad is a viable market for the sport.

“We’re starting our eighth year here,” noted Negron, “so that tells you some-

thing. No doubt, we have room to grow, though. Exposure and marketing is the key, and I’m out there every day spreading the word and increasing community support. And so are our players; it’s written in their contracts.

“The league has been restructured, with nine teams in two divisions, all of which are very solvent. And we have a strong ownership group now that includes three local owners — Dr. Kelly Dixon, Karla Munden, and John Milton.

So, I’d say we are positioned well for a bright future.”

The indoor game itself also portends a bright future, largely because the players are visible both on and off the field, and the fans are so close to the action. It is an eight-on-eight contest, the field is 50 yards long (plus the end zones), goal posts are much narrower, two men are allowed in motion, and punting is not allowed. Scoring is the name of the game, with 50-60 points the norm. The roster is confined to 25 players, with 21 active.

“As someone who has coached outdoor football, I actually have more fun coaching indoor,” related Negron. “There are so many cool things you can do.”

Negron sees his responsibilities to his players as twofold. “When I make them an offer I’ve got two goals: Number one

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is to win a championship; number two is to get them discovered. This league is designed to showcase players who have a chance to move up. You shouldn’t be at this level for more than one or two years; at that point, you should be elevating your career. The nice thing about the indoor game is not just helping them get discovered but teaching them how to be a professional. This is not a hobby.”

“They think they’re just a step away from the NFL, and we want them to think that. We do get film requests, and scouts show up at the games. And, yes, we’ve had two guys who made it to the NFL, Joe Powell and Malik Henry, and several to the USFL and CFL. But all of them want to make it to the IFL [Indoor Football League], which is the top level.”

The 46-year-old mentor is quick to point out that nobody — coach, player, businessman, etc. — has any modicum of success without help from others.

And right now that help is coming from his four-man coaching staff: Mike BonWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

ner (defensive coordinator), Daron Clark (offensive coordinator), Michael Vogel (line coach), and Fred Price (assistant coach).

“I wouldn’t be where I’m at without those guys,” stressed the Jamestown resident. “They’re great coaches and great men, and we’re a great team.”

Negron is satisfied with his station in life. Wearing multiple hats of coach, team president, father, and grandfather seems to suit him well.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he said with a grin. “This is my NFL.” !

CAROLINA COBRAS 2025 SCHEDULE Sat., March 15 vs. Wheeling Miners Fri., March 21 @ Columbus Lions Fri., March 28 vs. Columbus Lions Sat., April 5 vs. Wheeling Miners Thur., April 10 @ Idaho Horsemen Sat., April 19 @ Wheeling Miners Sat., April 26 @ Shreveport Rouxgaroux Sat., May 3 vs. Columbus Lions Sat., May 17 @ Shreveport Rouxgaroux Sat., May 24 vs. Idaho Horsemen MARCH 12-18, 2025 YES! WEEKLY

11

City returns condemned home to Air Force veteran Air Force veteran and cancer survivor Ronald Fulp is again allowed to enter his home at 316 Tate St. in Greensboro’s College Hill neighborhood.

Between July 15, 2024, and Jan. Ian McDowell 27, Fulp could not do that without permission from B. Contributor J. Johnson, founder and CEO of the Burlington-based LLC Metamorph Investments, to whom the city had required Fulp to surrender the keys.

As reported in the Aug. 28, 2024 YES! Weekly article “‘Being poor, sick, and injured gives you no leeway’: Veteran’s home enters receivership,” Johnson was appointed receiver of Fulp’s house under the Greensboro Vacant Housing Receivership program, which allows properties condemned for code violations to be placed under control of a court-appointed receiver, who is instructed to perform any repairs necessary to bring the property up to code, and can recoup those expenses through liens on the homeowner.

As the program’s name suggests, it is intended to repair abandoned houses.

Fulp says that he never abandoned his home, and worked on fixing it even after an order of summary ejectment (the official term for eviction) forced him to sleep in a spare room in a neighbor’s house, and after that, in his truck parked on his property. After his home was put into receivership, he moved himself and his cats into a rooming house, which he says he can barely afford with his minimum-wage job.

City records acquired via public information request #28995 show a timeline that Troy Powell, manager of Housing and Neighborhood Development, sent

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to that department’s director, Michelle Kennedy, on Jan. 14.

According to that document, Fulp’s home was first inspected in 2018, and he was given a deadline of Feb. 12, 2020, to bring it up to code. A followup inspection on Feb. 26, 2020, found “some repair cured and updated.” The next entry, dated April 13, 2022, stated that Fulp told Powell “the majority of the exterior violations are complete and [Powell] would follow up for a reinspection.”

According to Fulp, the reason for this two-year gap in Powell’s timeline is that “the pandemic hit and everything shut down for two years. I had finished the outside, and was trying to keep my lowpaying job during the pandemic.”

Then, said Fulp, “I fell off a ladder, fractured my spine in two places, had a head injury, and injured my hip. I had post-traumatic arthritis and had to use a cane to walk. I was in constant pain and still am. Then the hospital found cancer in my thyroid. They cut it out and put me on a drug regimen that wasn’t quite right, and it was only earlier this

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316 Tate Street

Ronald Fulp

year [2024] that it was adjusted so I wasn’t having as many side effects.”

Powell’s timeline states that, on Feb. 23, 2023, “none of the remaining violations [were] corrected and house remained full of storage with egress paths” and that “the City is moving forward to effectuate the ordinance by recommending the property enter the Receivership Program.”

On Nov. 28, 2023, a petition to appoint a receiver of 316 Tate St. was filed in district court by the city attorney’s office. On July 15, 2024, Judge Richard Gottlieb signed an order appointing B. J. Johnson of Metamorph Investments as the receiver of Fulp’s home.

“At the time my house was given to the receiver,” said Fulp, “my health was better, but it was too late. I’m sorry about that, but healing takes time. The money I meant to spend on repairs has instead gone to store everything they made me take out of it. Technically, I still own the home I’m not allowed to live in, which I’ve been paying taxes on, and because it’s listed as my asset, I can’t get SNAP benefits or housing assistance.”

When Johnson was granted receivership of the property, the court order stated that he was only authorized to conduct whatever repairs were necessary to bring the property back up to code. In his communications with Kennedy, Powell expressed suspicion that “work that was being done had extended beyond the code violations.”

In his timeline entry for Oct. 3, 2024, Powell wrote that deputy city attorney Tony Baker “informed Mr. Johnson that any work that he has done that is out-

side the scope of the Court’s order is on his own nickel and he can’t attempt to recover with a lien.” A day later, Powell wrote that Johnson “may have provided deceptive information to the court of renovations rather than rehabilitation of the code violations only.”

Powell concluded this document with the following statement: “It appears the receiver has no interest in repairing the home so that the homeowner can have the ability to move back into it and live out the rest of his life. Instead, he has inflated all costs to ensure the homeowner can’t pay the liens, so that a sale can occur.”

In a Jan. 14 email to Kennedy, Powell wrote: “Tony Baker has been trying to get a reasonable cost estimation from Mr. BJ Johnson, the appointed receiver for 316 Tate St. with no success.” He also alleged that Johnson’s “cost estimation continues to remain inflated and continues to be unreasonable,” and “he continues to not provide the City Attorney’s Office the detailed reasonable cost requested three times by Tony Baker.”

On Jan. 24, Powell wrote Johnson, “I have probable cause to believe you have violated the Greensboro Minimum Housing Code and the Court’s Order as a Receiver by performing work beyond the cited code violations of the Greensboro Minimum Housing Standards Commission’s Ordinance.”

On Jan. 27, Johnson emailed Powell, “I would like to respectfully resign the positions of Metamorph Investments and Confluence Capital Group as receivers.”

That same day, Gottlieb issued an order

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We cordially invite all of you to be a part of our athletic facility, while enjoying the membership savings we offer our established corporate accounts. to release Johnson’s companies from the receivership program.

Gottlieb wrote, “All parties today appeared and, in open court, gave their consent to allow Metamorph Investments, LLC to be released as the courtappointed receiver.” His order concluded with “Metamorph Investments, LLC is hereby released as the Receiver of the property known as 316 Tate Street, Greensboro, NC, and shall immediately relinquish possession of this property and return the keys to the property to the Defendant, Ronald K. Fulp” and that “The issue of Metamorph Investment LLC’s lien, if any, shall be heard and determined at a later date.”

Interviewed about this in early February, Fulp said “I could’ve made a lot more progress on these repairs if I had not been locked out of my house for the past six months.”

How much longer he has to do that is unclear. In answer to YES! Weekly’s email asking if the city intended to petition for a new receiver, Powell wrote: “We are encouraged to hear that Mr. Fulp is making progress on his home. If there is substantial progress in the immediate future, there may not be a need to have another receiver appointed.

But, if we need another receiver, we are asking Posh Realty to inspect the home to consider being asked to be appointed as Receiver. We will assess over the next two weeks whether that appointment may be necessary.”

Powell also wrote, “We intend to ask the Court to review all of the work performed by Metamorph to determine if there was work NOT within the scope of work authorized by the Court’s order WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

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A hole a plumber contracted by the receiver allegedly drilled in joist. appointing Metamorph as the receiver. If the Court believes that Metamorph performed work outside the scope of its Order, the Court may deduct the cost to repair such work from legitimate costs that may be owed to Metamorph — if any.”

Informed of the allegations in Powell’s emails to Kennedy, Johnson sent the following via his attorney.

“Metamorph Investments, LLC strictly adhered to the goals and methods with which it mutually agreed with the City of Greensboro for the duration of its receivership of 316 Tate Street. Metamorph unreservedly denies any allegation that it deviated from the goals or methods to which it agreed with the City of Greensboro, including and especially by inflating any costs associated with its receivership of the property.” !

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.

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hot pour

photos [FACES & PLACES]

VISIT YESWEEKLY.COM/GALLERIES TO SEE MORE PHOTOS!

PRESENTS

[BARTENDER OF THE WEEK COMPILED BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check out videos on our Facebook!

NAME: Sachiko “Koco” Harding BAR: Bitters Social House in Greensboro AGE: 36 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? I was born in Summerfield, N.C. but spent several years in Asheville, N.C. and Chicago.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING? 15 years

Spring Vendor Market @ Brown Truck Brewery

HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER? I started working in the service industry when I was 15 years old. On the night of my 21st birthday I went out to celebrate and the owner of the bar offered me a job. I started the next day.

WHAT’S THE STRANGEST DRINK REQUEST YOU’VE HAD? Virgin martini (eye roll).

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING? Meeting people from all walks of life and hearing their stories. Everyone has a story to tell and I think it’s beautiful.

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING? I saw a woman change her baby’s diaper on the bar. She didn’t tip but left the old diaper. (Note, this did not happen at Bitters.)

WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BARTENDING? Having to always be “on.” If you know, you know.

WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE FOUND IN A BAR BATHROOM? I was opening a bar in Asheville and found a guy passed out on the bathroom floor. Apparently the closing bartender hadn’t checked the bathrooms the night before.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE? Smoked old fashioned with a flamed orange peel because I like setting things on fire.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK? Generally? Wine. Cocktail: last word.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK? Negroni or a carajillo.

14 YES! WEEKLY

3.8.25 | High Point | Photos by Natalie Garcia

WHAT’S THE BEST/BIGGEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? A diamond ring.

SIp and Stroll Craft Fair @ The Gardens at Gray Gables 3.8.25 | Summerfield | Photos by Natalie Garcia

MARCH 12-18, 2025

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last call [SALOME’S STARS]

[TRIVIA TEST]

Week of March 17, 2025

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A seasonal change creates a new look for the outdoors. It also inspires Taureans to redo their own environments, so this is a good week to start redoing both your home and workplace. Enjoy!

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A misunderstanding needs to be straightened out so the wrong impression isn’t allowed to stand. If necessary, offer to support the use of a third party to act as an impartial arbitrator.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A career change offering what you want in money and responsibilities could involve moving to a new location. Discuss this with your family members before making a decision.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Feeling miffed over how you believe you were treated is understandable. But before you decide to “set things straight,” make sure that the whole thing wasn’t just a misinterpretation of the facts.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Showing you care makes it easier to build trust and gain an advantage in handling a delicate situation. What you learn from this experience will also help you understand yourself better.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Planning for the future is fine, especially if you include the roles that family members may be asked to play. But don’t be surprised

[6. MOVIES: Which scary 1980 movie

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Making choices highlights much of the week, and you have a head start here, thanks to your ability to grasp the facts of a situation and interpret them in a clear-cut manner.

[2. AD SLOGANS: Which candy slogan

[7. ANATOMY: What is the outermost

power from a ring?

president to ride in a car to his inauguration?

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Carrying a torch can be a twoway situation: It can either keep you tied to the past or help light your way to the future.

The choice, as always, has to be yours.

[4. GEOGRAPHY: Which country has the

[9. HISTORY: When did India gain its

[5. MEASUREMENTS: How many cups

[10. CHILDREN’S LITERATURE: Who

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your watchwords this week are “focus, focus, focus.” Don’t let yourself be distracted from what you set out to do.

There’ll be time later to look over other possibilities.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A workplace opportunity might require changes that you’re not keen on making.

Discuss the plusses and minuses with someone familiar with the situation before you make a decision.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Love and romance are strong in your aspect this week. If you’ve already met the right person, expect your relationship to grow.

And if you’re still looking, odds are, you’ll soon be finding what you want!

BORN THIS WEEK: You approach life in a wise and measured manner, which gives you a competitive edge in many areas. © 2025 by King Features Syndicate

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 8

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 8

was about a TV comedy writer, his job and his family? urges consumers to “Taste the rainbow?”

[3. COMICS: Which superhero gets his

most islands?

are in a pint?

contained the phrase “red rum” and what does it mean? layer of human skin called?

[8. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who was the first

independence from Great Britain? lives at 32 Windsor Gardens?

answer 1. The Dick Van Dyke Show.

2. Skittles.

3. The Green Lantern.

4. Sweden.

5. Two.

moving beyond the usual methods to find a more creative means of handling a difficult on-the-job situation. Avoid confrontation and aim for cooperation instead.

[1. TELEVISION: Which 1960s sitcom

if some hidden emotions are revealed in the process.

6. The Shining. It’s the word “murder” spelled backward.

7. Epidermis.

8. Warren Harding (1921).

9. 1947.

10. Paddington Bear and the Brown family.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Consider

by Fifi Rodriguez

© 2025 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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