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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
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For someone who’s “officially” retired, DALE POLLOCK sure has a lot going on ...he continues to host an annual film series in Boone as well as two series at UNCSA, one in the spring and one in the fall — all of them open to the public.
4 JESSE JACKSON went to work with Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965 and, in 1967, took over the Chicago-based “Operation Bread Basket,” where he was successful in persuading area companies to hire minorities. He became an ordained minister following Dr. King’s assassination, then founded Operation P.U.S.H. in 1971.
5 Given the title, it’s obvious that “THE MORTUARY ASSISTANT” isn’t a comedy, a drama, a musical, or a Western. It is, in fact, the latest addition to the dubious collection of horror films based on video games, in this case, the popular 2022 game created by Brian Clarke.
8 Notices received in early February indicate Guilford County’s 2026 property reappraisal may result in homeowners paying a HIGHER TAX BILL in July. According to some recipients, the assessed value of their homes has increased by as much as 100%.
11 Three-time Grammy Award winner DARIUS RUCKER hits the road this summer with his 20-city Songs of Summer Tour, bringing his signature baritone voice and fan-favorite hits to amphitheaters and iconic venues nationwide.
12 “DISRESPECT INVITES DISRESPECT,” wrote Samuel L. Hawkins, chair of the Greensboro Minimum Housing Standards Commission (MHSC), in a statement Hawkins read aloud at the Commission’s Feb. 18 meeting and later emailed to the press.
Dale Pollock’s March movie madness
BY MARK BURGER
For someone who’s “o cially” retired, Dale Pollock sure has a lot going on.
Pollock, who wrote for Variety and the Los Angeles Times in the 1970s and ‘80s before segueing into a successful career as a film producer (“A Midnight Clear,” “Set It O ,” “Meet the Deedles”), served as dean of the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts from 1999-2006 and again during the 2021 spring semester and was a professor of cinematic studies from 2007-’19. He continues to review movies for WXII 12, and saw the publication of his true-crime novel “Chopped” in 2013. In addition, he continues to host an annual film series in Boone as well as two series at UNCSA, one in the spring and one in the fall — all of them open to the public.
The next UNCSA course, “Four Bold and Unconventional Films by Female Directors,” will run Mondays, March 2-23, from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Gold Theatre at the ACE Exhibition Complex, located on the UNCSA main campus, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem. Admission to the four-film series is $70. For more information or to register for the class, call 336-770-3259 or visit https://uncsa. asapconnected.com/?org=5375#Course GroupID=62926.
“I’ve been wanting to showcase women directors for a while,” he explained. “From the late 1930s until the late 1960s, the single, solitary woman director working was Ida Lupino. More recently, however, we’ve seen a flood of women directors, especially in international films.”
Pollock carefully selected a quartet of critically acclaimed films that were overlooked during their initial release — ones that focused exclusively on female protagonists and represented a female creative viewpoint. “I wanted films that audiences were not necessarily familiar with,” he said. “I wanted them to leave behind any pre-conceptions and present challenging material.”
The series kicks o March 2 with “Sorry, Baby,” the 2025 feature debut of writer/director Eva Victor, who also stars as a literature professor who, years before, had been sexually assaulted by her
professor in graduate school. The film, which also stars Naomi Ackie, John Carroll Lynch, and Lucas Hedges (who studied theater at UNCSA), earned Best Directorial Debut honors from the National Board of Review and earned a nomination for Best Original Screenplay at the Critic’s Choice Awards.
On March 9, writer/ producer/director Jasmila Zbanic’s fact-based 2020 drama “Quo Vadis, Aida” will be the featured selection. Based on Hasan Nuhanovic’s international bestseller “Under the UN Flag,” it dramatizes the systematic massacre of over 8,300 men and boys as ordered by the Bosnian Serb Army in July 1995 and stars Jasna Duricic as a translator for the United Nations whose professional obligations are compromised by the fact that her husband and two sons are directly threatened. The film, which is in English, Bosnian, Dutch, and Serbian with English subtitles, won four European Film Awards, including Best Film, and earned an Oscar nomination for Best International Film. A sequel, “Quo Vadis, Aida — The Missing Part,” reuniting Zbanic and Duricic, is currently in post-production.
writing/directing debut
“The Diary of a Teenage Girl,” based on Phoebe Gloeckner’s best-selling, semi-autobiographical 2002 graphic novel “The Diary of a Teenage Girl: An Account in Words and Pictures,” detailing the coming-of-age of an aspiring cartoonist (played by Bel Powley in her breakthrough role) in 1970s San Francisco. The film, which co-stars Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgard, and Christopher Meloni, earned a slew of accolades, including Best New Filmmaker from the Boston Society of Film Critics, Best International Feature Film from the Edinburgh International Film Festival, and the Best Actress Award for Powley at the Gotham Awards, to name a few. Each film contains adult themes, and
each courted controversy and even notoriety for their no-holds-barred approach to the subject matter. This was intentional, according to Pollock. “Honestly, I wanted to see how far I could push my audiences,” he said with a smile. For example, “‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl is very explicit and pretty shocking in terms of nudity and sexuality, but Alexander Skarsgard is terrific. It makes no compromises.”
Pollock and wife Susie enjoy spending time with their three children and three grandchildren, but he’s also working on another novel and although not as actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the RiverRun International Film Festival, whose move to Winston-Salem he engineered in 2003, he’ll surely be a presence at this year’s event, which runs April 17-25 (https://riverrunfilm.com/). !
On March 16, the feature presentation is “Wanda” (1970), the only feature written, produced, and directed by Barbara Loden, who also stars in the title role of an embittered housewife in rural Pennsylvania who embarks on a fateful journey of self-discovery after divorcing her husband and relinquishing custody of her children. The film won the Venice International Film Festival Pasinetti Award for Best Foreign Film and was later selected by the Library of Congress National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Loden, who died in 1980, was married to Oscar-winning filmmaker Elia Kazan from 1967 until her untimely death from cancer in 1980, and Kazan’s relationship with Loden had unforeseen consequences on the film’s release and distribution — which Pollock will articulate in the post-screening discussion.
The series concludes March 23 with actress Marielle Heller’s 2015 feature
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Dale Pollock
Remembering the Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, but folks in these parts claim him as a native son because he graduated from N.C. A&T State University. In fact, Jackson will tell you that he found himself at A&T, where he was a star football player, student body president, and leader of a movement to integrate public facilities and businesses in Greensboro.
Jackson went to work with Dr. Martin Luther King in 1965 and, in 1967, took over the Chicago-based “Operation Bread Basket,” where he was success-
ful in persuading area companies to hire minorities. He became an ordained minister following Dr. King’s assassination, then founded Operation P.U.S.H. (People United to Serve Humanity) in 1971. He organized the Rainbow Coalition in 1984, and merged the two groups in 1996. Rev. Jackson ran for president in 1984 and again in 1988 (winning an astounding 13 primaries that year), and over the years, he has been instrumental in freeing scores of hostages from foreign adversaries.
For the better part of seven decades, Jackson used his voice to speak for underrepresented populations and to advocate for improved access to healthcare and employment. He also opened doors for people of color to run for and win elected o ce. A ected by the ravages of Parkinson’s over the past 10 years, Jackson’s voice grew softer, but there was still power in his words. Jesse Jackson passed away in the early morn-
ing of Feb. 17. He was 84 years old.
In May of 2018, I had the honor and privilege to spend time with Rev. Jackson when he appeared on my “Triad Today” television show. He was in Greensboro to deliver the baccalaureate address at Bennett College, a contingent from which filled the ABC45 studio to watch our interview being recorded. On that day, Rev. Jackson was greeted like a rock star by a large, enthusiastic, and mostly female studio audience. He stopped to shake hands and have photos taken with everyone, and gave my wife Pam a big hug before ascending to the stage. I asked him, “What IS it with you and women?” “We have an understanding,” he replied with a smile.
Jackson was 76 years old then, and Parkinson’s had slowed his stride and softened his once booming voice, but his words were still filled with the fervor of a man on a mission of economic empowerment and racial unity. During our 25-minute conversation, Rev. Jackson talked about his early days at A&T, working with Dr. King, his two runs for the presidency, gun violence, racial profiling, social media, and Donald Trump. Here are some highlights.
JL: You played football, baseball, and basketball in high school. Which was your favorite?
JJ: Football, ultimately, because that’s how I got my scholarship.
JL: But which sport were you better at?
JJ: Maybe baseball, but football was my meal ticket.
JL: Everyone knows about the Greensboro Four who staged the first lunch counter sit-in, but folks forget that it was you who organized “wade-ins” at all white swimming pools, “watch-ins” at segregated movie theatres, and more.
JJ: The real deal was when the four brothers made that gallant step, but then the Bennett women sustained it. They showed the strength and courage to follow through.
JL: Dr. King was sort of like a father to you. What did you learn from him?
JJ: Strong minds bring strong change. You have to study diligently and study every day, and pray fervently, and have the courage of your convictions.
JL: You did well in the 1984 and 1988 primaries, but didn’t win the nomination. Why didn’t you run as an independent?
JJ: I was trying to honor the system. We wanted to expand the base of Democrats at that time. One of my concerns then and now is that people must run for change, not just run for themselves.
This special “Triad Today” tribute to Jesse Jackson will be re-broadcast March 28 and 29 on ABC45 and My48, respectively. It will also stream on WFMY+. !
JIM LONGWORTH is the host of “Triad Today,” airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15) and streaming on WFMY+.
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jim Longworth
‘The Mortuary Assistant’ is sub-standard scare fare
BY MARK BURGER
Given the title, it’s obvious that “The Mortuary Assistant” isn’t a comedy, a drama, a musical, or a Western. It is, in fact, the latest addition to the dubious collection of horror films based on video games, in this case, the popular 2022 game created by Brian Clarke, who makes his feature debut as executive producer and co-wrote the screenplay with another first-timer, Tracee Beebe.
Director Jeremiah Kipp sets the tone early, o ering a detailed, even loving, depiction of the titular character Rebecca Owens (Willa Holland) embalming a corpse under the watchful, if twitchy, eye of Raymond Delver (Paul Sparks), the mortician at River Fields Mortuary, where Rebecca has just been hired. A recovering drug addict, Rebecca is intent on staying clean and sober, but she’ll soon have other demons to conquer, some of them her own doing, but others predicated on the dark imagination of the filmmakers, which proves to be somewhat lacking.
Cinematographer Kevin Duggin employs many familiar genre tropes here: A gloomy atmosphere, weird camera angles, flickering lights, and the everpresent thunderstorm. But a creepy mood does not a good movie make, and essentially that’s all “The Mortuary Assistant” has to o er. To be fair, Holland gives a hard-working performance that would easily do justice to a better film. It’s inevitable that she’ll be the “Final Girl,” if for no other reason than the film has only a handful of roles, and aside from her sympathetic sponsor (Keena Ferguson Frasier), she’s the “Only Girl.”
Working her first night shift at the
mortuary, Rebecca soon finds herself spooked by strange sounds, weird phone calls, and other (very familiar) scare tactics. Naturally, Raymond knows a lot more than he’s been letting on, and when he finally delivers the necessary exposition — in essence, informing Rebecca of the rules of the game — the interest level tapers o precipitously. Beyond that point, the film is merely spinning its grisly wheels until the credits roll.
The film ends not with a bang or even a whimper, but essentially an indi erent shrug. “The Mortuary Assistant” doesn’t play like the kick-o to a new horror franchise, but a failed small-screen pilot given a token theatrical release before ending up on late-night TV, which is where it belongs. !
SUBMITTED BY ARTS COUNCIL OF WINSTON-SALEM & FORSYTH COUNTY
On Friday, Feb. 27 at 5:30 p.m., the Main Gallery on the first floor of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts will come alive with color, sound, and story as “By Any Means Necessary” opens to the public. Free and open to all, this dynamic exhibition brings together three Winston-Salem artists: Owens Daniels, Leo Ruckers and Affee Vickers. Their practices span disciplines and intersect through bold palettes and a shared commitment to activism and personal truth.
“By Any Means Necessary” asks a powerful question: What dream, what feeling, what cause are you willing to chase by any means necessary? Each artist answers in a distinct visual language, inviting viewers to look inward as much as outward.
Owens Daniels presents digital canvases born from a foundation in photography. His artistic journey did not abandon the camera; instead, it expanded beyond it. Daniels treats the photograph not as a finished document but as raw material layering, erasing, reconstructing, and reshaping images through digital mark-making and tonal shifts. His work lives in the tension between evidence and interpretation. Rather than depicting what a moment looked like, Daniels reveals what it felt like to become more. The fractured and reformed surfaces of his pieces create emotional landscapes where viewers can project their own memories, growth, and transformation.
Leo Rucker’s path as a portrait artist and muralist began with a childhood pencil drawing and evolved into a celebrated career spanning decades. A graduate of Rutledge College, Rucker has earned numerous awards and commissions, including largescale public works and more than 200 portrait commissions for Sophisticate’s Black Hair Magazine’s long-
running “Role Models Beyond Beauty” column. His art honors history, community, and identity. Rucker’s work at the Winston-Salem Transportation Center, where he designed pillars celebrating the 22 African American founders of the Safe Bus Company, reflects his dedication to preserving untold stories. Through acrylics, oils, and mixed media, he bridges past and present, ensuring that legacy and progress share the same canvas.
Affee Vickers brings an exploratory spirit shaped by engineering, fabrication, and a lifelong fascination with mechanics. A self-taught artist working across oil, glass, wood, copper, stainless steel, and now pottery, Vickers explores the fibers and inner workings of diverse materials. His pieces often merge elements that “shouldn’t” blend, forging creative synergy through craftsmanship and patience. Inspired by family, community, and local history, including the legacy of Salem artisan Peter Oliver, Vickers’ evolving body of work balances strength and delicacy, structure and growth. His art reflects both mechanical precision and tender humanity.
Together, these three artists demonstrate that creative expression can be both personal and political, intimate and communal. “By Any Means Necessary” is more than an exhibition; it is an invitation to reflect, to feel, and to pursue purpose with courage. Join us for an evening of conversation, connection, and inspiration as we celebrate art that dares to ask what we are willing to become. !
WANNA go?
See the “By Any Means Necessary” exhibit at the Main Gallery, First Floor of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N, Spruce St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101, on Friday, Feb. 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and is wheelchair accessible.
[WEEKLY SUDOKU] [KING CROSSWORD]
ACROSS
1 Stew morsels
5 G-man, e.g.
8 Bun-topping seeds
15 Razor brand
19 “That’s —!” (“Untrue!”)
20 God, in Turin
21 Perk up
22 Picnic pests
23 “Secret Love” singer having two opposing personalities?
26 Performs like LL Cool J
27 2007 documentary about the U.S. health care system
28 Pick-up-sticks math game
29 Su x with 110-Across 30 “Aquaman” star Jason 31 “Seven Year Ache” singer buying goods at wholesale?
37 — kwon do
39 Change habitats
40 Brigitte of “Contempt”
41 Not smart
44 Height: Abbr.
45 Ghana’s capital 47 Biol. or geol.
49 Star of many silent Westerns creating an ensemble?
53 Butterfly food
55 Cineplex — (old theater)
67 “Sleuth” co-star portraying a policeman? 71 Boot parts 74 Silent “yes”
Network on the telly, with “the”
Street deg., often
Head, in Pau
Speller’s clarification
Cute, cutesily
Scottish language
Frequent USO show performer wishing earnestly?
way things are now
too much, briefly
“Mame” star weighing people down?
56 Alternatives to co ees
57 Distinctive times 59 Wife of Zeus 60 Stimpy’s pal 61 Go — ride 63 Luau gift
64 “ER” co-star Anthony
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This is exactly what I needed: not just a new career path but an inspiring community that believes in me. At GTCC, I can see my future because I step into it every day.
Applying unlocks everything. Let us know you want in. gtcc.edu/whygtcc
Homeowners fear revaluation will greatly increase tax
Notices received in early February indicate Guilford County’s 2026 property reappraisal may result in homeowners paying a higher tax bill in July. According to some recipients, the assessed value of their homes has increased by as much as 100%. Multiple residents of such neighborhoods as Glenwood say that this figure is unrealistic and does not represent what they would receive from selling their homes.
According to www.guilfordcountync. gov, the revaluations are the result of analyzing comparable sales in the same
neighborhoods, and are conducted “entirely in-house by appraisers familiar with the local market.”
Reappraisals were mailed midFebruary to residential owners, and will be sent to commercial ones in March. Those appealing must do so by May 15 via the Guilford County tax website.
Final tax rates for the 2026-2027 fiscal year will be determined by county commissioners in June, with invoices mailed in the first two weeks of July and due Sept. 1, 2026. The last day to pay without accrued interest will be Jan. 5, 2027.
“I’d be very surprised if they kept the property tax rate where it is with this new valuation,” wrote community organizer and Glenwood resident Casey Thomas in a statement to YES! Weekly.
“My house is now valued at twice what it was, which more or less matches the market.”
Thomas emphasized she is not arguing for the revenue-neutral tax
rate that Republicans such as Sen. Phil Berger and Forsyth County Rep. Jeff Zenger are advocating.
“The state government put us in this position by telling corporations they don’t have to pay enough in taxes, and that we’d pick up the tab. This is what that looks like.”
Thomas is not the only Greensboro homeowner facing a much higher tax bill than last year.
NOCHE FLAMENCA: Searching for Goya
THURSDAY MARCH 5 @ 7:30PM
Searching for Goya consists of approximately 10-12 vignettes inspired by Francisco de Goya’s paintings, featuring original music, wardrobe and lighting design as well as original mask design by world-renowned artist Mary Frank. Director Martin Santangelo has brought to life the extraordinary art through the language of flamenco, featuring a company of dancers, singers, and musicians whose mastery of flamenco stretches the boundaries of the art form.
“My home, which we have owned since 2000, jumped 83.33 percent,” wrote a respondent who asked to be anonymous, but who lives in Dunleath and owns commercial property in College Hill.
“There is no way I could sell it for that value. My Airbnb is currently listed, as ‘under review,’ so I don’t know what that means in terms of the value. It doubled in the last revaluation. My customers are already stretched. My higher-dollar ones have stayed buoyant, but my mid-to-lower-end ones have dropped, and they are being pulled apart by job losses and high everyday prices. This tax increase is gonna hurt them even more. The other sentiment I’ve heard is ‘what am I getting for this $$?’ There’s a disconnect between what the government values and what the taxpayer expects.”
A North Greensboro resident who also owns property in College Hill expressed similar fears.
“If the taxes are kept at the previ-
ous rate on the same value for the new assessment, it will essentially force my taxes up around 50%. My taxes on a couple of properties that my brother and I own would be around $10,000 combined, and go up to around $3,500. We already make barely any net dollars on these properties after our mortgage, insurance, upkeep and expenses, so this would 100% force a rent increase. It also strongly makes me consider leaving Greensboro. As one of the highest property-taxed areas in the state, it doesn’t seem as attractive to stay here.”
In a much-viewed and forwarded post to his Facebook page, downtown property owner and former Greensboro mayoral candidate Eric Robert advised vigilance but not panic.
“Guilford County commissioners have not yet set the rate for this reassessment cycle. When they do, they’ll have to decide if they should lower the tax rate so that total tax collections stay roughly the same (that’s called the revenue-neutral rate, and North Carolina law requires them to calculate it) or keep the rate where it is.”
Robert opined doing the latter will result in more business closings downtown as well as people across the county becoming unhoused.
“I am advocating for a revenueneutral rate because a revenue-neutral rate forces officials to openly justify, vote on, and explain any tax increase,
Ian McDowell
Contributor
and because that’s just honest government.”
Economist Andrew Brod does not support the revenue-neutral rate, but acknowledged county commissioners may only have two options.
“They’ll either lower the rate to make it revenue-neutral, or they’ll lower it by a bit less to generate a slight increase in tax revenue. They’re not going to leave the rate unchanged — that’d be politically stupid. They’re also not going to reduce the rate by so much that tax revenue falls. They’ll reduce it by some amount, and whether they reduce it by enough to remain revenue-neutral is what we’re all waiting to find out.”
Brod emphasized that these were just predictions on his part.
“This means that people who own a lot of property will continue to make money, and people just trying to get by may suffer an inordinate amount,” said Michael Driver, realtor with eXp Realty and owner of Your Home Triad Property Management.
“I never take into consideration tax values, as they never accurately reflect the value of a home. But this will have far-reaching effects. Older folks or
people who just barely got into home ownership will feel the pinch of their house payments going up because of increased escrows to pay these taxes. And landlords who for years had stagnant rents have had increases in the past few years, which will now be swallowed by new taxes. Which means rents will continue to rise. If the tax rate stays the same, then many people are going to suffer.” !
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.
PRESENTS
hot pour
NAME: Anna Raven
BAR:
Grey’s Tavern and The Rhino Club in downtown Greensboro
AGE: 23
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Crestview, Fla.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING?
2.5 years
[BARTENDER OF THE WEEK COMPILED BY NATALIE GARCIA]
Check out videos on our Facebook!
HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER?
I was a server for about five years and always wanted to bartend. As soon as I turned 21, I applied at a hotel as a bartender. They trained me mostly on high-end cocktails, but business was really slow, which led me to apply elsewhere. I was hired at Grey’s Tavern in October 2024 and have been there ever since. In the meantime, I also helped open The Rhino Club.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING?
I enjoy every aspect of bartending, but what I love most is crafting drinks and creating new cocktails. I genuinely enjoy the conversations with guests and the energy of working behind the bar alongside my coworkers.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK?
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BARTENDING?
As a beginner bartender, I find changing kegs to be the most challenging part. Some people might assume busy shifts or dealing with intoxicated guests would be the hardest, but to me, that’s just part of the job. I genuinely enjoy everything that comes with bartending, besides those dang kegs!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE?
That’s a hard question. I’d say I have two favorites. My all-time favorite to make is a lavender lemon drop martini because people always rave about it, especially when I suggest it to someone who wants something sweet. I also love making espresso martinis because of the smell of fresh espresso filling the bar.
Definitely a dirty martini. I know it’s not for everyone, but I absolutely love olives!
WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK?
I’d recommend something sweet, like a white Russian, because it’s almost like dessert in a glass. Or I’d suggest a French 75. The champagne bubbles make it refreshing and light after a meal.
WHAT’S THE STRANGEST DRINK REQUEST YOU’VE HAD?
I once had someone ask for a smoked old fashioned made with well tequila. In my opinion, that doesn’t sound like it would taste good. I know there’s a tequila version of an old fashioned, but specifying well tequila was wild to me. I made it anyway!
WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING?
Thankfully, nothing too wild yet, but probably a customer who spent over $200 on Keno and didn’t win anything.
WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE FOUND IN A BAR BATHROOM?
I’ll never forget walking into the bathroom at the hotel where I first worked and finding the sink completely full of throw up. The towel rack was pulled o the wall, and there was toilet paper everywhere.
WHAT’S THE BEST/BIGGEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN?
The biggest tip I’ve ever received was $175. A customer asked how much I had made so far that shift. I told him around $175, and he left that exact amount.
Launch of SparkHub at UNCG
Photos by Natalie Garcia
Darius Rucker Songs of Summer Tour visiting White Oak Ampitheatre in June
Three-time GRAMMY Award winner Darius Rucker hits the road this summer with his 20-city Songs of Summer Tour, bringing his signature baritone voice and fan-favorite hits to amphitheaters and iconic venues nationwide. Promoted by Live Nation, the 2026 trek features special guests Lauren Alaina, George Birge, Evan Honer, Old Crow Medicine Show, Robert Randolph and Austin Williams joining select dates.
“For me, it’s not summer if we’re not playing music outdoors,” says Rucker. “When I think of the concerts I love attending, it’s the people, the hits and the hot summer air… there’s nothing that compares, so Songs of Summer in a lot of ways is my nod to being in that moment together.”
Tickets go on sale starting this Friday, Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. local time, with select cities on sale in March. For full ticket details, see below and visit DariusRucker.com.
The Songs of Summer Tour will also o er a variety of di erent VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level. Packages vary but include premium tickets, exclusive pre-show meet & greet and photo op with Darius Rucker, guided backstage tour, autographed tour poster and more. VIP package contents vary based on the o er selected. For more information, visit vipnation.com.
Rucker also recently announced a one-night-only Big Band Gala at Charleston’s Gaillard Center on April 7. Presented by Explore Charleston, the performance o ers fans a rare opportunity to experience Rucker in an elevated, intimate concert setting backed by Robert Lewis and the Charleston Jazz
Orchestra, conducted by Peter Graves. A portion of proceeds will benefit the CMA Foundation’s music education initiatives for Charleston County Schools and the Carolyn G. Rucker Nursing Scholarship at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital.
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the Grammy Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (22-times Platinum) debut “Cracked Rear View,” which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard country
chart plus 10 No. 1 singles at country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012, and he won his third career Grammy Award in 2014 for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11-times Platinum) version of “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling country songs of all time. His latest album “Carolyn’s Boy” is available everywhere now as is his New York Times bestselling memoir “Life’s Too Short,” released via Dey Street in 2024.
As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $5.1 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through his annual Darius and Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics line of NFL, MLB, NHL and NCAA apparel available via Fanatics.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency. !
‘Disrespect invites disrespect’ — housing chair responds to mayor’s dismissal of predecessor
“Disrespect invites disrespect,” wrote Samuel L. Hawkins, chair of the Greensboro Minimum Housing Standards Commission (MHSC), in a statement Hawkins read aloud at the commission’s Feb. 18 meeting and later emailed to the press.
“When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose. Now this instinct to humiliate, when modeled in the public platform by someone powerful, filters down to everybody’s life because it gives permission for others to do the same thing. It is heartbreaking when we, as humans, choose to be so inhumane. We can do better, but we must choose to do so. Our residents deserve better, and certainly not anything less.”
Hawkins did not speak of Mayor Marikay Abuzuaiter by name, but was referring to her Dec. 18 dismissal of his predecessor, Franklin Scott, after City Attorney Lora Cubbage sent Abuzuaiter an email alleging that Scott had been “disrespectful” towards Assistant City Attorney Brent Ducharme.
During the Dec. 18 city council meeting, Abuzuaiter emailed Scott that he was immediately removed from the MHSC. Twenty-two minutes later, she called for a vote on his removal and stated that any council members who wished to know the reason could view the video of the Nov. 19 MHSC meeting. Council then voted unanimously to remove Scott without discussing the issue. Abuzuaiter later stated that the vote was merely a formality, and that, as the council member who had appointed Scott, she did not “need permission” to remove him.
As previously reported, the “disrespect” alleged by Abuzuaiter occurred during Scott’s exchange with Ducharme during the November MHSC meeting. As seen on video, 39 minutes into that meeting, Scott described how council, on the advice of Cubbage, removed MHSC’s powers to study rents and inspect apartments. He said, before this happened, commissioners had been trying for months to talk to council about their concerns.
Ducharme attempted to interject and was cut o by Scott. “This isn’t your time to speak. If you would like to schedule a special meeting, we can schedule a special meeting.”
Scott and Hawkins allege that city attorneys have a history of interrupting MHSC deliberations, particularly when commissioners discuss predatory landlords. Both have described such interruptions as occurring during the section of the agenda allotted for “personal
Ian McDowell
Contributor
reflection.” According to Hawkins, Scott, and several former commissioners, that section of the agenda is for discussion among themselves.
According to Hawkins, Scott telling Ducharme not to speak was a reaction to months of commissioners being told the same thing by city attorneys and sta when the subject was something that sta did not want discussed.
Since December, the section of MHSC meeting agendas allotted to “personal reflection” has been removed.
In his Feb. 18 speech, Hawkins quoted a section of the Code of Conduct that housing commissioners were asked to sign. It stated that the city “is committed to providing a positive work environment free of discrimination, bias, and bullying” and “any conduct or action which creates an o ensive or hostile environment is prohibited.” The removal of Scott, said Hawkins, was not in response to bullying conduct, but an example of it.
“The former chair of the Minimum Housing Standards Commission sought to seek better for our residents, yet rather than acknowledgement, he was removed (in my opinion) in a most atrocious and petty manner. If I choose not to speak out against such, then I would be as wrong as those who committed such a heinous act. Additionally, such an injustice not only directly a ects this commission, but those whom we, as volunteers and residents of the City of Greensboro, have been appointed to protect in our cases as a quasi-judicial
commission. So, to that end, I wish to formally convey my personal thanks to former Chair Scott and his dedication and time commitment, as well as his degree of service. Former Chair Franklin Scott, thank you for your service to our residents.”
Hawkins’ statement concluded with the following paragraph:
“Former Chair Scott was constantly being interrupted by representatives of the city attorney’s o ce while attempting to address the business and duties of this commission. I feel as though he was well within his rights and authority to do so.”
Scott, who was present in the council chamber when Hawkins read this statement, later emailed the following response:
“Public service often requires di cult conversations and principled stands. I am confident that transparency, accountability, and respect for due process will always serve our city well. I sincerely thank those who have expressed support and appreciation. I hope that current Chairman Samuel Hawkins is not targeted for retaliation for speaking his truth.”
As of press time, Abuzuaiter and Cubbage have not responded to a request for comment on Hawkins’ statement. !
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.
Mayor Marikay Abuzaiter
Samuel L. Hawkins
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