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EDITORIAL

Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com

YES! Writers JOHN BATCHELOR MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD LYNN FELDER JIM LONGWORTH IAN MCDOWELL

PRODUCTION

Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com

Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com

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Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com

Promotion NATALIE GARCIA MCKENZIE STONE

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK

The downtown business owners, restaurants, residents, and stakeholders would sincerely appreciate any support you can provide in helping bring attention to the GROWING CONCERNS surrounding downtown Greensboro, such as issues with the unhoused population, parking, overall cleanliness, cruising, and street outreach.

4 “ WISH ME GOOD LUCK” focuses on Sara (Melanie Nicholls-King), a woman who has gambled away her daughter’s inheritance and now stands to lose everything. She’s at a crossroads in her life, struggling to admit to — and overcome — her addiction and somehow manage to rebuild her life.

7 “ SACCHARINE” is anything but sweet, but it’s a triumph for writer/producer/director Natalie Erika James, who notches the hat trick after her earlier genre efforts “Relic” and “Apartment 7A.” The film premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and immediately caused buzz, and cult status is as assured as James’s deft handling of the grim material.

10 As Historic Preservation Month comes to a close, there’s a real rad wave of WEIRD GIRL ENERGY swelling around the region, pushing boundaries to explore time and space with unique reflection. 12 The family of SAID EZZINE, the Moroccan national killed last year by Greensboro Police Officer Lewis J. Wyatt, has retained attorneys who secured substantial settlements in two previous GPD homicides.

The growing problems in downtown Greensboro

BY KIM GRIMSLEY RITCHY Greensboro Resident

The downtown business owners, restaurants, residents, and stakeholders would sincerely appreciate any support you can provide in helping bring attention to the growing concerns surrounding downtown Greensboro, such as issues with the unhoused population, parking, overall cleanliness, cruising, and street outreach.

For far too long, many of these concerns have been ignored or minimized despite repeated outreach, public comments, meetings, and direct communication with city leadership. Downtown is not thriving the way it is often portrayed, and many businesses, employees, property owners, and residents are struggling with the day-to-day realities a ecting the area.

We are asking for factual, balanced reporting that highlights the real issues impacting downtown, including cleanliness, safety concerns, operational decisions, parking challenges, homelessnessrelated impacts, vandalism, and the overall customer and visitor experience.

Meaningful change will not happen without accountability, transparency, and honest public discussion. We need your help ensuring these concerns are seen, heard, and accurately reported so that productive solutions can ﬁnally move forward.

Change will not happen without action, and come hell or high water, I am not backing down for the good of downtown.

We do not need any more consultants telling us what we already know. We need leadership, accountability, and real support. Too often, leadership shows up for ribbon cuttings, photo opportunities, and award ceremonies, but what downtown needs right now is visible involvement in addressing the very real challenges businesses, residents, employees, and visitors are facing every single day.

Downtown Greensboro has incredible potential, but potential alone does not keep businesses open, attract visitors, or make people feel safe and welcomed. Action does. Leadership does. Support does. The people who are invested in downtown are tired of studies, presentations, and recycled talking points. We are

YES! Weekly welcomes letter to the editor. Our VOICES page allows readers the opportunity to share comments, opinions, and views regarding the issues that a ect us all. Please limit your letters to 250 words or less and include your name, address, and daytime phone number. Only your name and community will be printed. The other information is needed for author veriﬁcation. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters are limited to one per month. YES! Weekly reserves the right to edit or withhold any letter from publication for libelous content. Letters to the Editor represent the opinion of their writers, not that of YES! Weekly and its employees.

Hand-deliver, email chanel@yesweekly.com, or mail your letter to YES! Weekly, Attention: Letters to the Editor, 5500 Adams Farm Lane, Suite 204, Greensboro, NC 27407

asking for REAL solutions, operational competence, transparency, cleanliness, safety, and consistent support from the people elected and appointed to lead this city.

Downtown cannot continue operating in survival mode while leadership celebrates isolated successes and ignores the growing frustration from the business owners, residents, employees, and stakeholders who are here every single day living the reality.

There was signiﬁcant media attention surrounding the downtown walks, and many people participated, hoping they would lead to meaningful conversations, accountability, and PRIMARILY solutions. Instead, many left feeling disappointed by the lack of follow-through and tangible action afterward.

People took time away from work, businesses, and personal responsibilities to attend because they genuinely care about the future of downtown.

Had many known the walks would feel more like a photo opportunity for elected o cials rather than a serious working session focused on solutions, they likely would not have participated.

Downtown stakeholders are not asking for publicity campaigns or more staged events. They are asking for leadership, urgency, operational competence, transparency, cleanliness, safety, and consistent action. The frustration continues to grow because the problems being raised are not new, and many remain unresolved despite countless meetings, emails, walks, and public discussions.

Why doesn’t someone focus on the $25 million bond that wasn’t spent on Elm Street’s beautiﬁcation?

The message from downtown stakeholders is simple: stop studying the problems and start ﬁxing them.

Thank you for your time, attention, and support. !

Indie ﬁlmmakers take a gamble in ‘Wish Me Good Luck’

Last month, while the RiverRun International Film Festival was wrapping up, a talented group of independent filmmakers — many graduates of the UNCSA School of Filmmaking — were hard at work shooting an independent short film that explores the subject of gambling addiction.

“Wish Me Good Luck” focuses on Sara (Melanie Nicholls-King), a woman who has gambled away her daughter’s inheritance and now stands to lose everything. She’s at a crossroads in her life, struggling to admit to — and overcome — her addiction and somehow manage to rebuild her life.

It’s a “message movie,” but the filmmakers were determined to convey that message in the most believable and credible fashion possible, one that enlightens as well as entertains and, in a best-case scenario, inspires those suffering from gambling addictions to seek help, because it’s right there for the asking.

The film, which was shot in WinstonSalem, Greensboro, Graham, Lexington, and Seagrove, was co-written (with

Vincenzo Irrig), produced, and directed by Moaz Mubeen. Both Mubeen and Irrig are School of Filmmaking alumni, as are co-producer Ron Miller, unit production manager Chanel Smith, casting director Adriana Herring, associate producer Dimitri Dikhel, production designer Jason Kinsey, set costumer/ wardrobe stylist Atiba Jeffers, first assistant cameraman (first AC)/camera operator Ellie Probis, and key production assistant (PA) Ellie Forshey.

According to Mubeen, who originally hails from Pakistan, “this story is deeply inspired by my personal experiences and the people I regularly encountered while working at a gas station,” he

explained. “During our crowdfunding campaign, I described that personal connection in the following way: Before coming to the U.S., I had never been exposed to gambling. It simply wasn’t part of everyday life in Pakistan, and like many, I used to think of those who struggled with gambling as people who simply made poor financial choices.

“That belief changed, however, when I began working at a gas station in New York, where I sold scratch-off lottery tickets. What I saw in the faces of those people coming in to try their luck wasn’t carelessness — it was hope. The same hope as someone moving to a new city — or a new country — to start over, the hope of making it in film, or proposing to the person they love. That feeling stuck with me. I wanted to explore the fragile line between the harm that gambling causes and this very real hope — not with judgment but with empathy.”

Having previously worked with Mubeen on the horror short “Haint,” in which Mubeen was the unit production manager and she the lead, NichollsKing was eager to collaborate again on “Wish Me Good Luck.”

“First, that Moaz was at the helm, because I felt completely supported by him during the filming of ‘Haint’ and felt we connected even more on our drive back to the airport in Savan-

nah for my travel home,” Nicholls-King said. “Second was the script. I was captivated by the storytelling and the opportunity to dive into such a complex character. My character is addicted to hope. She believes that there’s a pot of gold waiting for her in that next scratch-off ticket. She knows she’s destined for bigger things and a bigger life, and she’s determined to do whatever it takes to achieve it. She’s also grieving and running from that grief by focusing on her idea of a bright future.”

“Haint” screened at this year’s RiverRun festival, but Nicholls-King and

Mark Burger

Contributor

Mubeen were unable to attend because they were working on this film, but coproducer Miller hopes “Wish Me Good Luck” will be selected for next year’s event.

Miller previously worked with Mubeen when UNCSA professor Lauren Vilchik — mentor to both—recommended Mubeen to edit Miller’s upcoming documentary, “Dark Water, White Rice: Preserving the Gullah Geechee Culture in North Carolina.” Then Mubeen pitched him “Wish Me Good Luck.”

“From the first, I was hooked,” Miller said. “I was immediately intrigued by the theme: The inherent risk we all take in life for various reasons, much like the leap of faith we took in making this very film. I believe we did a beautiful job of humanizing our main character, Sara. Although she is a gambling addict, we portrayed her in a way that is deeply relatable. This is a story that will resonate with everyone.

“When Moaz asked if I would co-

produce, I didn’t hesitate. One thing I’ve learned about UNCSA alumni is that we rarely say no to each other. That is the foundation of the Creative Producing program — collaboration.”

“We had an incredible crew that worked tirelessly over four days across 10 different locations,” Mubeen said.

“On top of that, the cast was absolutely wonderful. Everyone connected deeply with the story and gave their best performances. We’re genuinely very happy with the footage we created, and I’m excited to begin the editing process by the end of next month.”

“In the middle of pre-production, Moaz had to return home to Pakistan,” Miller revealed. “He was afraid he would not be able to make it back because of what’s going on in Iran. He then gave me all the credit cards and bank account information and said, ‘Hey bro, I don’t know if I will be able to make it back from Pakistan, so you will have to direct the short.’ I wasn’t afraid to direct because I knew the story in and out and helped provide notes to the writer. Luckily, Moaz was able to return on time!”

“I would like to add that I was drawn to the project by the fact that Moaz was shining a light on addiction through the lens of a mother and business owner who, on the outside, looks ‘normal’ but is just as caught up in the chaos that any kind of addiction brings,” Nicholls-King said.

For more information about “Wish Me Good Luck,” visit the official Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/ wishmegoodluck26/?hl=en . !

[WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP] THE HISTORY OF JOURNEY TRIBUTE TRIAL BY FIRE

SUBMITTED BY ERNIE SHEPHERD TRIAL BY FIRE - TRIBUTE TO JOURNEY

In the world of tribute bands, authenticity matters. Fans want more than familiar songs — they want to relive an era. That is exactly what Trial by Fire set out to do: recreate the power, emotion, and arena-rock magic of Journey at their peak.

The band’s name comes from Journey’s 1996 reunion album “Trial by Fire,” which reunited vocalist Steve Perry with the classic lineup after years apart. The album was highly anticipated, but the planned world tour was canceled after Perry su ered a hip injury. For many fans, it became “the tour that never was.” That unﬁnished chapter in Journey history became the inspiration behind the tribute band’s concept.

Rather than simply performing the hits, Trial by Fire built a live show imagining what that lost 1996 Journey tour might have looked and sounded like. The result is more than a tribute concert — it is a celebration of one of rock’s greatest bands and a chance for audiences to experience a moment that never happened.

Formed by a group of seasoned North Carolina musicians with a shared love for Journey’s music, the band quickly focused on authenticity, musicianship, and delivering a high-energy concert experience. Their goal was simple: honor the Steve Perry era of Journey with a show that captured the sound, spirit, and excitement fans remember.

The lineup has featured talented performers including Ernie Shepherd, Dan Cummins, Don McCray, Rich Barefoot, and Kevin Lynch. Together, they have built a reputation for powerful live performances and attention to detail.

Fans often praise the band for its strong musicianship, soaring vocals, and faithful recreation of the Journey concert experience. Whether performing in theaters, performing arts centers, festivals, or large music venues, Trial by Fire has earned a loyal following throughout

the Southeast and beyond.

The group has played shows across North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Georgia, and other states, bringing Journey’s timeless catalog to audiences of all ages. For longtime fans, the music brings back memories of the golden age of arena rock. For younger listeners, it o ers a chance to discover these classic songs performed live. What makes Trial by Fire stand out is that it is not simply a cover band. It is a tribute built around a story — the idea of ﬁnishing a chapter Journey never got to complete.

Today, Trial by Fire continues to grow its fan base and carry on the legacy of one of rock’s most iconic bands. Their performances prove that great music never fades. It only ﬁnds new voices, new audiences, and new stages. !

WANNA go?

Upcoming shows: June 5 at the Reynolds Place Theater in Winston-Salem July 17 at the Crown at the Carolina Theater in Greensboro Tickets can be purchased at www.trialbyﬁrejourney.net

“DARK FILM MYSTERIES IV” (Film Chest Media Group): A three-disc DVD selection ($19.98 retail) of a dozen vintage mysteries and thrillers: 1955’s “The Big Combo” starring Cornel Wilde, Richard Conte, Brian Donlevy, and Jean Wallace (then married to Wilde); “Borderline” (1950) starring Fred MacMurray and Claire Trevor; “The Chase” (1946), based on Cornell Woolrich’s 1944 novel “The Black Path of Fear,” starring Robert Cummings, Michele Morgan, Steve Cochran, and Peter Lorre; “The Second Woman” (1950) starring Robert Young and Betsy Drake; “Too Late for Tears” (1949), based on screenwriter Roy Huggins’ “Saturday Evening Post” serial, starring Lizabeth Scott, Don DeFore, Dan Duryea, and Arthur Kennedy; writer/producer/director Samuel Fuller’s 1964 cult classic “The Naked Kiss” starring Constance Towers, Anthony Eisley, and Michael Dante; “Please, Murder Me!” (1960) starring Angela Lansbury, Raymond Burr, and Dick Foran; 1959’s fact-based “St. Louis Bank Robbery” (also known as “The Great St. Louis Bank Robbery”), an early starring vehicle for Steve McQueen; 1947’s “Dishonored Lady” (also released as “Sins of Madeleine”), based on a 1930 play, starring Hedy Lamarr and then-husband John Loder; “The Kennel Murder Case” (1933), based on S.S. Van Dine’s novel, directed by Michael Curtiz and starring William Powell (as Philo Vance) and Mary Astor; producer/director Otto Preminger’s “The Man With the Golden Arm” (1955), based on Nelson Algren’s best-selling novel, starring Frank Sinatra, Kim Novak, and Eleanor Parker, which earned Oscar nominations for Best Actor (Sinatra), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (blackand-white), and Best Original Score; and “The Man Who Cheated Himself” (1950) starring Lee J. Cobb, Jane Wyatt, and John Dall.

“DESPERATE TEENAGE LOVEDOLLS & LOVEDOLLS SUPERSTAR”: THE COMPLETE 4K REMASTERED COLLECTION (Eclectic/MVD Entertainment Group): A self-explanatory Blu-ray double feature ($39.95 retail) of writer/producer/editor/cinematographer/director David Markey’s low-budget 1984 cult classic detailing the rise and fall of an underground, all-girl punk rock group in Los Angeles and its 1986 sequel “Lovedolls Superstar,” with Jennifer Schwartz, Hilary Rubens, Janet Housden, Kim Pilkington, Steven McDonald, and Je McDonald appear-

[VIDEO VAULT]

BY MARK BURGER

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: “TALK RADIO” (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

After the one-two punch of “Platoon” (1986) and “Wall Street” (1987), Oliver Stone next set his sights on Eric Bogosian’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated 1987 play, with original cast members Bogosian, John C. McGinley, Michael Wincott, and Zach Grenier reprising their stage roles.

Barry Champlain (Bogosian) is the hottest talk-radio host in Dallas, an unabashed rabble-rouser who alternately entertains and infuriates his listeners with his abrasive and condescending attitude. Listeners either hate him or love him, but night after night they keep tuning in, and as a result his show is being considered for national syndication.

Bogosian couldn’t have created a better showcase for his

acting abilities. Barry is a character of Shakespearean complexities and dimensions. Arrogant yet vulnerable, bombastic yet self-loathing, he’s only really comfortable when behind the microphone. He’s not always likable but he’s always recognizably human.

He’s also surrounded by a first-rate ensemble, including Ellen Greene (as his still-adoring ex-wife), Alec Baldwin, John Pankow, Leslie Hope. Robert Trebor, Anna Levine, and Allan Corduner. McGinley (a long-time Stone collaborator) shines as Barry’s faithful engineer Stu and Wincott is genuinely unsettling as crazed listener Kent, whose visit to the studio is one of the film’s (many) highlights. In addition to being a crackling drama and perceptive character study, the film — like the play — explores the power of the spoken word and the potential consequences of free speech.

The sweeping cinematography by Robert Richardson opens up the play yet also emphasizes Champlain’s pent-up energy in a conﬁned space. It is only behind the microphone that he is the master of his domain. Stewart Copeland’s score is also a major asset.

There were some clashes between screenwriters Bogosian and Stone; the former wanted to preserve the integrity of his play and the latter the integrity of his ﬁlm. But the end result is seamless, fulﬁlling both artists’ intentions.

“Talk Radio” was released amidst a slew of awards contenders during the 1988 Christmas season and was essentially relegated to the art-house circuit. It received good reviews but floundered at the box-o ce before finding a more receptive audience on cable and videocassette. But like Stone’s best films it addresses issues that remain relevant and resonant to audiences today and it remains one of this critic’s favorite Oliver Stone films.

The Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) includes audio commentary, director’s interview, and theatrical trailer. Rated R.

ing in both ﬁlms. Bonus features include audio commentaries, 40th-anniversary panel discussion, deleted scenes and alternate takes, music video, and more.

“DR. CLIFF: WORLDWIDE VET” (IndiePix Films): Originally broadcast on PBS, writer/producer/director Diego A. Garcia’s feature documentary focuses on Canadian veterinarian Dr. Cli Redford (also an executive producer), who has built an international reputation as a globe-trotting veterinarian treating various animals around the world, accompanied by daughter Emily. The scenes of

which Hughes seems merely to be going through the motions, despite a friendly cast including Annette Bening (in her feature debut), Stephanie Faracy, Robert Prosky, Lucy Deakins, and Chris Young (in his feature debut). Bonus features include multiple audio commentaries, because you simply can’t get enough of “The Great Outdoors.” Rated PG.

“JESS FRANCO. FROM BANGKOK WITH BULLETS” (Severin Films): The indomitable — some would say — abominable Jesus “Jess” Franco (1930-2013), one of most prolific exploitation filmmakers of all time (with a cult following to match), journeyed to the titular capitol of Thailand to churn out a pair of low-budget action thrillers he wrote and directed, released back-to-back in 1985: “Trip to Bangkok, Co n Included” (originally titled “Viaje a Bangkok, ataud incluido”), based on an Edgar Wallace story and starring Franco favorite Howard Vernon as globe-trotting British agent Col. Daniel Blimp; and “Bangkok, Date With Death” (originally titled “Bangkok, cita con la Muerte”), featuring Franco’s muse Lina Romay. Both films are in Spanish with English titles, with bonus features including retrospective interviews and “In the Land of Franco” (parts 14 and 15).

animal surgery may upset some viewers but are integral to the heart-warming narrative, available on DVD ($24.95 retail).

“THE GREAT OUTDOORS” (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): A 4K Ultra HD combo ($44.95 retail) of the ﬂaccid 1988 comedy written and produced by John Hughes, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy as bickering in-laws who go on a family vacation, with the requisite comedic complications and predictable sight gags. Despite its popularity, especially on late-‘80s cable, it’s a lazy endeavor in

“SUZZANNA: EMPRESS OF DARKNESS” (Severin Films): Suzzanna Martha Frederika van Osch (1942-2008), billed simply as “Suzzanna,” was considered “Queen of Indonesia Horror” for her frequent forays into that genre that made her an international icon and have now been packaged together in a three-disc, six-ﬁlm Blu-ray collection ($79.95 retail): 1991’s “Pact with the Forces of Darkness” (originally titled “Perjanjian di Malam Keramat”), 1988’s “White Crocodile Queen” (originally titled “Ratu buaya putih”), 1988’s “Malam Satu Soro,” 1986’s “Kliwon Friday Night” (originally titled “Malan Jumat Kliwon”), her 2008 feature swan song “Hantu Ambulance,” and writer/producer/director David Gregory’s 2024 documentary feature “Suzzanna: The Queen of Black Magic.” Each feature ﬁlm is in Indonesian with English subtitles, and bonus features include retrospective and vintage interviews, trailers, and more. !

“Saccharine” is anything but sweet, but it’s a triumph for writer/ producer/director Natalie Erika James, who notches the hat trick after her earlier genre e orts “Relic” (2020) and the 2024 “Rosemary’s Baby” prequel “Apartment 7A.” The ﬁlm premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and immediately caused buzz, and cult status is as assured as James’s deft handling of the grim material.

Like her earlier ﬁlms, “Saccharine” focuses on female characters, in this case Hana (Midori Francis), a medical student in Melbourne who is obsessed with losing weight. This is the latest example of the “body horror” sub-genre, so it comes as no surprise that her obsession proves her potential undoing.

At a party, Hana runs into an old highschool chum (Annie Shapero) who raves about a weight-loss capsule called “The Gray” and gifts her a few. Hana determines that the main ingredient is human ash and, rather than purchase the expensive and experimental drug, whips up her own batch using ﬂesh surreptitiously swiped from a cadaver she and her fellow students are conveniently dissecting.

Everything seems fine … at first. Hana begins shedding pounds while eating whatever she likes, but — surprise, surprise — there are side e ects. (If there hadn’t been, there wouldn’t be much of a movie.) The poor girl begins having nightmares, hallucinations, and even begins sleepwalking, inevitably awakening surrounded by remnants of whatever she’s been gorging herself on. Even worse, she begins seeing the visage of the obese corpse (cruelly nicknamed “Big Bertha” by her classmates), but only when reflected in a spoon or a frying pan. Before too long, doors are opening by themselves — particularly the refrigerator door. “Saccharine” isn’t necessarily a scary film, but it is a profoundly unsettling one, as it taps into one’s basic

fears and gives a whole new meaning to the adage “you are what you eat.” It’s also something of an addiction parable, the addiction in question being one for food and sustenance.

Anchored by Francis’s tour-de-force performance, the film doesn’t skimp on gore, and even the most hard-hearted genre aficionado may find it a bit queasy. Both literally and figuratively, “Saccharine” goes for the gut(s). The plot may be far-fetched, but setting it in the world of everyday reality goes a long way towards its e ectiveness.

The ﬁlm is further enhanced by Charlie Sarro ’s spectacularly stylish cinematography (heavy on grotesque imagery) and Hannah Peel’s powerhouse score. Madeleine Madden is appealing as Alanya, Hana’s attractive and driven trainer and life coach, as is Danielle Macdonald as Hana’s concerned classmate Josie, who provides the ﬁlm with its only moments of levity — although the laughs produced are distinctly uncomfortable ones.

“Saccharine” concludes on a particularly nasty but necessary (and inevitable) note. Much like the events preceding it, it’s not likely to arouse anyone’s appetite, except for the next cinematic morsel the talented James cooks up next. !

Mark Burger

Contributor

Ride the wave of N.C. weird girl energy this summer

As Historic Preservation

Month comes to a close, there’s a real rad wave of weird girl energy swelling around the region, pushing boundaries to explore time and space with unique reﬂection.

Those looking to take a glimpse into N.C. oddities don’t need to look far: award-winning storyteller and authority on North Carolina’s strange and unusual, Liz Z. Pardue, will be making several stops around the Triad on her “Keep N.C. Weird” library tour.

Though N.C. weirdness is daily life for the crew at the weirdly wonderful architectural oddity, Körner’s Folly, a 22-room Victorian house-turned-museum in the heart of Kernersville.

“Körner’s Folly has always been a place where architecture, landscape, and imagination overlap,” said Suzanna Ritz Malliett, Executive Director of Körner’s Folly Foundation, reﬂecting on the month of programming that culminates on May 31 with a round of “Crafting with the Körners,” a High Tea afternoon (complete with a hands-on ﬂoral design

workshop led by Idella’s Garden) that works to continue the Körners’ legacy of creativity and crafting.

Viewing legacy and preservation through an active lens, Ritz Malliett and her team, who oversee operations of the historically eccentric Forsyth County home, view their work as an invitation to consider what it means to care for the places that shape our communities. “Körner’s Folly is not preserved as a static object. It is an active environment, one that requires ongoing care, interpretation, and thoughtful use.” And with that, the Körner’s Folly team will shift its focus to the grounds, launching a campaign e ort to restore the garden pergola with a Party for the Pergola on June 4.

Creative hats and garden attire will be encouraged for attendees, who can look forward to botanical cocktails and nonalcoholic refreshments, a tea-party-inspired menu by Short Street Bakehouse & Café, and a silent auction featuring items for gardeners, artists, and curious collectors.

“This structure tells a layered story about adaptation, resourcefulness, and everyday life on the property,” Ritz Malliet said. “Restoring the pergola allows us to preserve not only a historic feature, but the atmosphere and continuity of the landscape itself.”

And while preservation remains sa-

lient for structures on the property, the interior of Körner’s Folly harkens history in new and interesting ways, thanks to a partnership and residency with the Piedmont Wind Symphony, o ering a series of chamber concerts inside the historic Cupid’s Park Theatre. “This project reconnects the house to one of its original purposes,” Ritz Malliett explained.

“The Folly was designed as a place where the exchange of ideas was inspired by music, art, and fascinating surroundings. Hearing period music in these rooms allows visitors to experience the house not just as historic architecture but as a living cultural space.”

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Launched in March with a ragtime party, the residency continues with a “Bierhallen to the Bandstand” celebration of German wind music on Aug. 18, and a round of Moravian Holiday Brass on Dec. 8.

“This partnership allows us to connect music, history, and place in a truly special way,” said Brianna Cantwell, Executive Director of the Piedmont Wind Symphony. “Presenting chamber music in Cupid’s Park Theatre creates an intimate and immersive experience for audiences while honoring the musical traditions that shaped our region.”

Meanwhile, outside the Folly, folklorist Liz Z. Pardue is bringing her “Keep N.C. Weird: North Carolina’s Strangest People, Places, & Legends” library tour to several locations across the Triad; with appearances on June 3 at the High Point Library, Davidson County Library’s

Welcome Branch, and Forsyth County’s Central Library; and on June 4 at the Archdale Library and Asheboro Library. O ering a “one-hour exploration of the best oddities, history, and lore in the Old North State,” Pardue has developed a trademark for being a sort of concierge for the N.C. weird world — and imbues a particularly e ervescent inﬂection to her exploration into North Carolina’s history of the strange and unusual. Pardue recently published her ﬁrst book, “Fuquay-Varina Ghosts, Legends and Lore,” and performed at the North Carolina Storytelling Festival, the Bynum Front Porch Series, the Monti, and the Stone Soup Storytelling Festival, where she won both the Linda Goodman New Voices and People’s Choice awards. She’s the founder of Sisterhood of Spirits, LLC, which operates ghost tours and spooky historical theatrical productions from her home in Fuquay-Varina, “the most haunted small town in the South,“ and she’ll be trucking a whole busload — literally, a Holiday Tours bus — of folks on a “Mountain Mysteries” tour leading out of Greensboro up to the sites of the Brown Mountain Lights in October (and yes, it rolls through Lydia’s Bridge in Jamestown, of course).

Folks looking to dip their toes into the delightfully peculiar can look toward the wave of wonderfully weird o erings around the Triad. !

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

Katei Cranford

Contributor

4 Preﬁx for “bird” 7 Man-to-man term of endearment 13 Luau skirt 19 Native (to)

21 Modern way to shop

22 Neckwear clasp

Noteworthy septet of

ﬂeet

[KING CROSSWORD]

77 Army NCO 78 Teensy bit

Noted period

Ruling eagle sitting in her high nest? 84 Org. giving tows

Iridescent button materials

88 Architect I.M. from China

89 “Avengers: Age of —”

Dozing

Spellbound 51 “This works like a charm!”

55 Up-to-the-minute

57 Director Ang

58 Like family-friendly ﬁlms

59 Pres. after FDR

62 Bring a Ferris wheel to a complete stop?

65 Scrape (by)

66 Charlotte —, Virgin Islands

69 Internet ID

70 TV host Philbin

71 Like a king who has wild mood swings?

76 Burns a little

Family of man shot by police retain civil rights lawyers

The family of Said Ezzine, the Moroccan national killed last year by Greensboro Police

O cer Lewis J. Wyatt, has retained attorneys who secured substantial settlements in two previous GPD homicides.

On Aug. 4, Wyatt fatally shot Ezzine after Ezzine refused to comply with Wyatt’s orders and approached the o cer with a pipe wrench in his hand. Residents of his Glenwood neighborhood and members of the Moroccan community have questioned the necessity of deadly force and why Wyatt shot Ezzine four times, including once in the back.

According to Greensboro attorney Graham Holt, Ezzine’s family has retained Holt and Flint Taylor, cofounder of the People’s Law O ce of Chicago, which specializes in representing victims of police violence.

In 2022, Taylor and Holt secured a $2.75 million settlement in the lawsuit over the 2018 fatal hogtying of Marcus Smith. Last year, Holt and Taylor secured $1.75 million for the family of Joseph Lopez, shot by former o cer Matthew Hamilton in 2021.

Last week, the Greensboro Police Department released the video from Wyatt’s body-worn camera. That footage reveals details not included in GPD’s 2025 media statements, which described the pipe wrench as “a weapon” and did not reveal Wyatt shot Ezzine four times.

“O cer Involved Shooting / August 2025 / O cer Wyatt BWC” can be found on the Greensboro Police Department’s

YouTube channel. It begins with Wyatt arriving at the corner of Marion and Edgecombe streets. A neighbor tells Wyatt Ezzine is trespassing in the backyard of the house at 1601 Marion, where he had been living in a metal shed.

Wyatt indicates he knows Ezzine, who is standing in the front yard of the house. “Said, come here, friend, I just want to talk to you.”

Ezzine approaches and addresses Wyatt as “my brother.”

“Don’t be acting out,” says Wyatt. “Come over here. I’m listening.” They walk towards the patrol car. “Do me a favor,” says Wyatt, “put your hands right here.”

Ezzine says something inaudible and starts to walk away, heading towards the shed.

“Don’t do it, Said, don’t do it,” says Wyatt.

“Please, don’t start,” says Ezzine. “Listen to me, because nobody like that. Do not make it happen.”

through the gate and tries to shut it behind him.

“No, we’re not going to do that,” says Wyatt as he follows Ezzine into the backyard. Ezzine approaches the metal shed.

Wyatt points his taser at Ezzine, who becomes more agitated and shouts, “Please, don’t start it. Listen to me. Do not make me mad. Don’t follow me.”

Wyatt holsters his taser. “Don’t follow you? All right, come on then.”

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“You are my brother,” says Ezzine, “I love you. That’s why I don’t say something stupid to you.” He continues towards the backyard.

“Then you need to go over here,” says Wyatt, “because this house has no trespassing.”

Ezzine turns back towards him. “Then you need to go away. I have said for a hundred times, my brother. Because I love you and respect you. Nobody help me. You know I’m gone tomorrow. You are my friend. I love you. I respect you, you are the police. But, my problem ...”

Wyatt interrupts him. “You need to chill out. I’m just checking to make sure you ain’t got no weapons.”

Ezzine becomes more agitated. He repeatedly states he has no weapon and asks Wyatt not to follow him.

Wyatt speaks into his radio. “Go ahead and have them step it up.” He tells Ezzine, “Put your hands on the wall, let me check to make sure you ain’t got no weapons.”

Ezzine walks towards the gate in the fence. “Don’t get close to me.” He steps

“Hey, you better not go in there!” shouts Wyatt, drawing his ﬁrearm. “Show me your f-cking hands!” Ezzine turns around: “I’m not scared for that shit!”

“Lay on the ground!” shouts Wyatt. Ezzine knocks over the metal door, which is detached from the shed. He turns toward Wyatt and gesticulates, shouting something incoherent.

Wyatt backs up. “Motherf-cker, I will shoot you, bro, I will shoot you!”

Because Wyatt is yelling, it is hard to discern what Ezzine yells back. Wyatt shouts, “I will shoot you right now, bro! I will shoot you!”

“Shoot me, make it happen!” shouts Ezzine. “You don’t want to mess with me, man. I got no weapon. Get the f-ck away!”

Wyatt retreats outside the fence gate. Ezzine fumbles in the shed and grasps what appears to be a small saw blade.

“He’s got a weapon, brandishing a weapon,” says Wyatt to his radio. Ezzine then fumbles with a bicycle as if he is going to get on it.

“Stop moving!” shouts Wyatt. “Get on the ground!” Then, into his radio, Wyatt shouts, “One at gunpoint, one at gunpoint!”

Ezzine turns back to Wyatt. “I said I have no weapon, I am nice to you, man.” Ezzine tosses the saw away and picks up a pipe wrench from the ground. He comes through the gate towards Wyatt

Ian McDowell

Contributor

Said Ezzine

and shouts what sounds like “I forgot I had it,” then more distinctly, “You gotta go!”

Wyatt shoots him twice. The impact spins Ezzine around. He falls to his side, then rises to his knees. Wyatt shoots him a third time as he’s on his knees. Ezzine rises and turns away from the o cer, who ﬁres a fourth time as Ezzine stumbles away behind the house with his back to Wyatt.

The coroner’s report describes four gunshot wounds in Ezzine’s body: an entry wound in the right side of his chest, penetrating his heart and liver; an entry wound in his back, penetrating the liver and lung; an entry wound in his left arm; and a grazing wound in his right arm.

Wyatt runs around the front of the house to the opposite side of the yard, where Ezzine is lying just inside the gate facing Edgecombe street. His face is upturned, and he is not moving. “Show me your f-cking hands!” shouts Wyatt. “Show me your hands now!”

Rather than approaching that gate, Wyatt runs back to the one on the other side of the house and enters the backyard. He radios for EMS, then runs to the prone Ezzine and shouts, “Roll the f-ck over now!”

He rolls the limp Ezzine onto his stomach and attempts to handcu him. Ezzine groans. Another o cer arrives and pats him down, then grips his left hand behind his back while Wyatt handcu s it to his right wrist. Ezzine’s groan becomes a rattle. The o cers roll him over on his back.

“Let me go get my kit, so we can try to plug him up,” says Wyatt. The video ends.

In a statement released with the video, recently sworn-in Greensboro Police Chief Kamran Afzal said Wyatt gave “repeated commands for Mr. Ezzine to drop the weapon.” At no point does Wyatt give that order in the shown video.

Following an investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the District Attorney’s Office determined Wyatt’s use of deadly force was justified under North Carolina law.

Several of Ezzine’s former neighbors allege he was previously a resident at the property where he was shot, and had been living in the backyard shed after the owner evicted him. The medical examiner’s report states, “The decedent does have an extensive mental illness history along with depression.”

On Monday, GPD Public Information Manager Annette Ayres sent the following statement regarding Afzal’s claim that Wyatt ordered Ezinne to drop the pipe wrench.

“The department is currently working to ensure the text in the script for the compilation video accurately reflects the information initially shared with our community in previous news releases. The script for the compilation video was prepared after the completion of the SBI investigation and the District Attorney’s determination in the case.” !

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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Screenshot from bodycam footage of the shooting.

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[SALOME’S STARS]

Week of June 1, 2026

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) An apparent act of injustice might turn out to be either an error in judgment or just plain stupidity. So, calm down, cool o , and let the explanations roll out.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s upsetting when someone you trusted has failed you. But with new opportunities ahead, you’ll soon be too busy to feel even a wee bit sorry for yourself.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A sense of uncertainty could be a good reason to change your position on an important matter. Someone close might try to talk you out of it, but it’s your decision to make.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Being too zealous in pursuing your goal could create some resistance. Try to be more mindful of what you ask people to do, and they’ll be more likely to do it.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Things change as you go from being ignored to being Lionized once again. This is a good time to reintroduce some previously rejected ideas to a more receptive audience.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Someone new in your life creates both anticipation as well as anxiety. Avoid the potential for misunderstandings by watching what you say and how you say it.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Watch your budget so that you don’t overspend now and have less to invest

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[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You might be upset by some of your critics. But most of your associates continue to have faith in your ability to get the job done — and done well.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You’ve reached an important point in the ongoing pursuit of your goals. You now might want to consider letting someone you trust join you on your journey.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You’ve been going through a spate of uncertainty involving people you care for. But it might be time to take a stand on a position that you feel sure you can defend.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Treading water keeps you busy, but it won’t get you where you need to go. It’s time to stop making excuses and start moving ahead toward your goals.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You see life as both creative and pragmatic. You’d be a ﬁne artist — and also a successful one.