Triad Today

I once asked the Reverend Jesse Jackson if voter apathy was the biggest threat to our democracy. “No,” he said. “The biggest threat is voter suppression.” Unfortunately, Jackson’s assessment has become all too real. In some states, minorities are purged from the voter rolls because they didn’t cast a ballot in a previous election. In other states, the number of early voting days and polling places have been reduced.

In North Carolina if you vote early, then die before Election Day, your vote doesn’t count. Leading up to the 2020 election, the Postmaster General scrapped hundreds of sorting machines, and forced postal workers to leave bags of mail undelivered because overtime has been slashed. Add to that the practice of ongoing gerrymandering which all but assures the election of white candidates, and you can understand why people of color are concerned about this year’s midterm elections. One of them is Keith Grandberry, but instead of just complaining about voter suppression, he’s taking steps to combat it.

Grandberry is the former CEO of the Winston-Salem Urban League, and now Founder of Helping Hands Consultants and president of B & G Creative Strategies. On the global front, Keith has worked with leaders in underdeveloped nations to create new industry, and build libraries and hospitals. Back home, his passion is voter education, so he travels throughout a nine-state area to spearhead voter registration drives. The reason is simple. “The power of your voice is your vote,” says Grandberry.

Keith has been a regular panelist on my Triad Today Roundtable for more than 20 years, and over time we’ve had numerous discussions about his tireless efforts to encourage everyone to exercise their vote.

 

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JL: It seems like you’re on some sort of personal crusade.

KG: I am. One day about six years ago my daughter Shayla and I had a discussion about the systemic racism that this country was dealing with. Shayla said that she and her friends make their voices heard by protesting. I certainly never discouraged her from protesting at rallies and marches, but I told her that the most powerful form of protest is voting.

JL: But traditional protests can, themselves lead to reform, right?

KG: Absolutely. We all know about the marches that John Lewis participated in at great risk to his own safety, and those protests paved the way for passage of the Civil Rights Act. I have also worked closely with Winnie Mandela on some economic development projects, and she spoke to me of the protests that led to the end of Apartheid, and the election of her husband [Nelson Mandela] as president [of South Africa]. Those protests gave Black people a voice in their government. But here in America we already have the right to vote, and the right to participate in government. The problem is we don’t exercise that vote as we should.

JL: You’re referring to what happened in 2016.

KG: Yes. Blacks turned out in large numbers to vote for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. Yet, many of those same people didn’t show up at the polls in 2016, and that, in large part, led to an era of unprecedented voter suppression.

JL: You mentioned the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which was enacted by President Lyndon Johnson. I’ve heard that one of your favorite quotes came from LBJ.

KG: Yeah, after he signed the Voting Rights Act, Johnson said, “The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men just because they are different from other men.”

JL: That’s inspiring, but do today’s Black youth get it? Do they even have an appreciation for folks who came before them?

KG: We have to remind them, and that brings me back to my daughter. I tell her all the time about the achievements of my heroes and mentors, like Mr. Bob Brown, who single-handedly created the Minority Business Enterprise program while he served in the Nixon administration. Like Vivian Burke who helped me establish an employment assistance center when I headed up the Urban League. Like Maya Angelou who advocated for women’s health issues, and for whom I was able to have a Triad-area hospital named after. Like Sylvia Sprinkle Hamlin who I worked with to set up a scholarship program for students at the School of the Arts. And like Congressman John Lewis, who hosted a meeting between me and Deputy President Baleka Mbete of South Africa to discuss voting and civic engagement. These were all strong individuals who made a difference, and young people can make a difference too, just by voting. The power of your voice is your vote.

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Over the past few months Keith has traveled extensively to urge folks young and old alike to register to vote and then to show up on election day. This weekend, Keith will be my sole guest on a special edition of Triad Today in which we’ll discuss a wide range of issues. Triad Today airs Saturdays at 7:30am on abc45, Sundays at 11am on MY48, and streams on WFMY+.

 
 

NBC was founded by the Radio Corporation of America on November 15, 1926, which means that the radio network will soon celebrate its centennial birthday. True, NBC didn’t go into the TV business until 1939, but since one medium begat the other, and since my life and career have mostly been shaped by television, allow me to use this special anniversary of one medium to wax nostalgic about the other.

When thinking about NBC’s legacy, two words come to mind: ‘tradition’ and ‘continuity’. Meet the Press has been on the air since 1947, the Today show since 1952, and The Tonight Show since 1954 (the year I was born). I had the pleasure of knowing funny man Steve Allen, who created and hosted The Tonight Show for its first three seasons. His intellect and sense of humor set a high bar for all late-night hosts to come, and his footprint is still visible in every interview desk and every comedy sketch. Another late-night entry, Saturday Night Live, has been on air since 1975, and Law and Order SVU is now the longest-running prime-time live-action series in history. Talk about tradition and continuity.

NBC has had other ground-breaking programs in its storied line-up, including Howdy Doody, the first coast-to-coast kid’s show. And it was NBC that broadcast the first baseball World Series in 1947. In 1957, Nat King Cole became the first African American to host his own variety show, and in 1968, Diahann Carroll became the first Black woman to headline her own sitcom (Julia). Looking for talent shows? The Original Amateur Hour was popular five decades before American Idol.

NBC also pioneered the use of color in prime time, starting with Bonanza in 1959. It’s difficult for kids today to imagine the excitement that my generation experienced when we first saw the NBC peacock spread its multi-colored feathers as the announcer said, “The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC.” It still gives me goosebumps when I come across those old network intros on YouTube.

In 1951, Red Skelton launched his own variety series on NBC, proving that a successful film star could also host a successful TV series (Though he moved his show to CBS, Red returned to the Peacock network in 1970 to wrap up his 20-year run). Meanwhile, another film comedian, Bob Hope, made his mark with occasional specials such as his annual Christmas time excursions to entertain our troops overseas.

In the 1990’s NBC coined the phrase “Must-See TV” with shows like Cheers, The Golden Girls, Designing Women, Friends, Seinfeld and The Cosby Show.

Along the way, NBC was also known for its over-the-top comedies like Laugh-In and Get Smart, and for providing audiences with reliable nightly news, starting with the nation’s first dual, multi-city anchor team on The Huntley Brinkley Report. It’s also the network that gave us light-hearted dramas like Matlock and Rockford, and for being the first television network to give rise to a film franchise in Star Trek.

Today NBC has a dozen owned and operated TV stations, plus 222 affiliate stations, and its current crop of shows includes my friend Dick Wolf’s Law & Order duo and his Chicago trio (Fire, Med, and PD).

I hope to be around in 13 years to celebrate NBC TV’s 100th birthday, by which time I’ll be watching SNL’s 65th season, and a 75-year-old Mariska Hargitay putting handcuffs on SVU bad guys. For now, though, I’m just happy to recognize NBC Radio for giving birth to the medium I love — television.

 
 

Each day I monitor a number of mainstream news sources, and recently I came across a segment on FOX News in which Jesse Watters presented a series of man-on-the-street interviews with young people who were hanging out at the Jersey Shore. The interviewer asked a series of simple questions relating to government, geography, and civics. Their responses are almost as distressing as the fact that many of these idiots actually vote. More on that in a moment, but first here are highlights from the interviews:

Q: Who is Trump’s vice president?

A: J.K. Rowling

Q:  Name the three branches of government.

A: Republican, Democrat, and Independent. 

Q: What is the First Amendment to the Constitution?

A: Free will.

Q: What is the Second Amendment about?

A: The right to vote.
A: The right to go places.

Q: How many Supreme Court Justices are there?

A: 20
A: 101
A: 13
A: 7

Q:  Name a current Supreme Court Justice.

A: Amy Winehouse
A: Sonya Gomez
A: Samuel Adams
A: Nancy Pelosi
A: Neil Armstrong

Q: Name a state that borders on California.

A: I don’t know history.
A: Kentucky
A: Florida
A: The one to the left. (interviewer: “That’s the Pacific Ocean.”) Yeah, that one.

Q: Who was our president in the 1990s?

A: FDR
A: Joe Clinton
A: How am I supposed to know that?

That last response says it all and gets to the heart of our overreaching problem in America. Today’s youth can text with lightning-fast speed and navigate the most complicated video games, but many kids aren’t learning or retaining the kind of information that would make them responsible citizens who can sustain our democracy going forward. Even so, there are some elected officials who believe that we should lower the voting age from 18 to 16 (it had been 21 until 1971). One such advocate is Washington, D.C. City Councilman Charles Allen, who said, “At the age of 16 our society already gives young people greater legal responsibility. They can drive a car. They can work, and they pay taxes. Yet they can’t exercise their voice where it matters most — at the ballot box.”

All that is true, but attaining the ripe old age of 16 and working part-time at McDonald’s doesn’t mean that kids today are qualified to help decide who goes to Congress or who occupies the White House. The Jersey Shore gang proves that point, but only for one reason. As I mentioned, those young people suffer from self-imposed ignorance resulting from not paying attention in class. But their lack of knowledge is also the result of WHERE they choose to get their misinformation. According to a 2025 PEW report, only 15% of young people ages 18 to 29 even bother to follow current events, and 76% of that group get their news solely from social media, mainly Instagram and TikTok, both of which are unregulated platforms that are not obligated to disseminate accurate information.

In the 1992 election, 55% of 18-year-olds and other young, first-time voters participated in the process because they were energized by the candidacy of Bill Clinton (or Joe Clinton if you live on the Jersey Shore). That number was nearly matched in 2008 when Barack Obama’s candidacy drove young people to the polls. However, only about 38% of 18- to 29-year-olds usually turn out to vote in any given year. Even so, that means those young voters can decide the outcome of crucial races — something which worries me given the fact that many of them are armed with either no information or inaccurate information about the issues and candidates.

It’s no wonder that Georgetown University professor Jason Brennan recently proposed that we operate as an “epistocracy” whereby the right to vote is conditional on knowledge. Brennan suggests that we establish some type of national competency exam to determine if an individual is capable of casting an informed vote. Under his proposal, we could either use the U.S. citizenship test or develop something new, so long as it is drafted in a nonpartisan manner and not based on ideologies of any one political party.

We all know about the dangers of voter suppression and voter apathy, but it’s high time we address the problem of voter ignorance. That’s why I agree with Professor Brennan that voting rights should be tied to voter competency. No doubt such a proposal would be heavily litigated, and if so, then it can be decided by our 101 Supreme Court Justices.

 
 

For years now, I have called on Congress and the FCC to regulate social media of all kinds, including videos, podcasts, and blog sites. As it is, anyone can post or share almost anything without being held accountable. Unfortunately, my efforts have fallen on deaf ears; meanwhile, harmful content, whether accurate or fabricated, continues to go unchecked.

Those who disagree with me say that regulating social media content is tantamount to censorship and would violate our First Amendment right to free speech. But the First Amendment doesn’t give us the right to say anything that pops into our head, and that’s something which regulated broadcasters have understood for nearly a hundred years, either out of a sense of decency, or because they feared losing their license (or both). 

In making an argument for regulating social media, one can easily point to the more sensational examples, such as cyberbullying that leads to suicide, and hate speech that leads to political violence. Absent government regulation, however, the best we can hope for is to put pressure on or shame content providers into removing their most egregious posts. Earlier this month, the public was outraged when Rep. Max Miller’s divorce attorney “accidentally” posted nude photos of the Congressman’s allegedly abused two-year-old daughter. In that case, the image was quickly deleted, but truth be told, the removal probably had more to do with divorce negotiations than human decency. In other instances, content has been removed under threat of civil litigation for defamation, or when a business or individual wants to minimize bad PR. Regardless of the motives, though, I’m thankful that at least some harmful social media content is being removed. At the same time, I am also concerned about the dangers of removing other kinds of content, especially when it comes to political candidates who attempt to hide their real beliefs by deleting past statements in order to change their image. And that brings me to Abdul El-Sayed.

El-Sayed is Michigan’s liberal Democratic candidate for United States Senate, and lately, he’s been busy deleting many of his socialist posts so that he will appear more centrist for the November general election. Among the videos and posts El-Sayed has removed are his calls for defunding the police, banning fireworks, banning pro football, abolishing prisons, and replacing the Second Amendment right to bear arms with a constitutional right to health care.

According to a report by CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski, El-Sayed claims that his old videos and posts do not reflect his current views. His campaign then referred Kaczynski to several social media posts from last year, which show his recent support for gun rights, fireworks, police, and every other thing that he previously railed against. These kinds of content revisions are as potentially harmful to our democracy as anything created by Artificial Intelligence because millions of people may base their vote on the candidate’s revised political views (with which they agree), rather than the candidate’s actual views (which they oppose).

Republicans can talk all they want about stolen elections, but there’s no proof that any state or federal election has ever been won or lost because of voter fraud. On the other hand, I believe that candidates who delete, then deliberately alter their social media posts in order to secure votes are guilty of vote tampering, and that CAN lead to a stolen election. Unfortunately, there’s no law against this kind of fraud, which continues to thrive because its victims don’t know what’s been done to them until after all the votes have been counted. 

Talk about late returns.

 
 

Earlier this month, Wake Forest University head football coach Jake Dickert and Lost World’s Brewery founder Dave Hamme held a press conference to announce that a new incarnation of Deacon Ale would soon be available at Lowe’s Foods and at Allegacy Stadium during Wake home games. The Deacon mascot was also on hand because it’s his image that appears on each can of ale, along with an illustration of Wait Chapel, both reminders of the university’s Southern Baptist heritage. Given that heritage, it would be easy to take a cheap shot at the irony and hypocrisy of a drinking Deacon, but the more significant issue has to do with making the beer seem attractive to young people who support and follow Wake football. Said Dickert, “Our fans need to get on board with this.”  His was an innocent enough statement, but one that is inherently fraught with caution.

Here in North Carolina, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase, possess, or consume alcoholic beverages. So, what then is the problem with the manufacture of Deacon Ale?  First, thanks to studies by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) dating back over two decades, we know that the majority of Americans think it is wrong for colleges to take money from beer companies. More importantly, survey respondents also believe that beer companies deliberately use sports to reach, influence, and advertise to persons under the legal drinking age. It’s much like when, in 1923, 26-year-old Paul Perritt was asked why he robs banks. Perritt replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” At the very least, marketing beer via college sports is a legal way of nurturing future customers, but despite state laws, young people under 21 have ready access to beer now and are already consuming it.

According to a 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted by NIH, nearly 33% of young people (12.7 million) ages 12 to 20 report that they have consumed an alcoholic beverage. 27% (10.4 million) say they drank in the past year, 13% (3 million) within the past month, and 8% reported recent binge drinking. And according to the CDC, 29% of young people aged 15 to 20 who are killed in motor vehicle crashes have been drinking.

The problem of underage drinking and alcohol use among young adults is not just reflected in national statistics. The problem hits closer to home as I learned from a recent conversation with Michael Duncan, director of Forsyth County Behavioral Services.

 

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JL: Why do you say alcohol abuse is a public health issue?

MD: One in two Americans drink alcohol. Unlike opioid abuse, it is socially accepted, and it’s readily available.

JL: How much of a problem is alcohol abuse in Forsyth County?

MD: In 2024, we had 1,741 overdose cases. Of those, 1,583 were alcohol related.

JL: Are alcohol overdoses as dangerous as drug overdoses?

MD: They are often more dangerous and for a lot of reasons. One is they often build up a tolerance to alcohol; then they drink more to get the same effect, and that can lead to alcohol poisoning, which is deadly.

JL: Are certain age groups more susceptible to alcohol abuse?

MD: As we said, alcohol is readily available, and now we’re seeing a rise in binge drinking among young people, college-age, and even high schoolers. They taste alcohol and they drink too much because they don’t know their limit.

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Duncan’s assessment is backed up by NIH and CSPI research. Currently, 7.2 million college students are binge drinkers, and 44% of students attending a four-year college drink at binge levels. Moreover, each year over 1,800 college students die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, and 150,000 develop an alcohol-related health problem. Aside from individual health risks, there’s also collateral damage resulting from underage drinking. Nearly 100,000 college students are victims of alcohol-related assault or date rape. 25% of all college students have academic problems due to alcohol use, including missing class and receiving poor grades. And, according to Penn State professor Jeff Hayes, students who are binge drinkers suffer with depression and anxiety and are more suicidal.

All of this suggests that it’s probably not a good idea for colleges and universities to promote and encourage drinking, much less profit from selling their own brand of beer.

Some say that drinking alcohol is a rite of passage, but perhaps the time has come for us to take a prohibitive stand on college drinking as a way of preventing alcohol-related problems. The rite of passage is one thing. The right to pass out is another.

 
 

Nothing can quite prepare you for a GAA Classic Cars auction. The Greensboro-based facility consists of an eight-acre, climate-controlled showroom filled with hundreds of classic and collectible cars. It’s like attending a major sporting event and a world-class history museum all at once. Some folks come to watch the fast-paced auction. Others come to bid on the classic car that they’ve always dreamed of owning. And thousands more come just to browse the hundreds of vehicles on display, hoping to catch a glimpse of a car just like the one they first drove, or their parents once owned. Fortunately, this once-in-a-lifetime experience happens several times each year, and the next GAA event runs from July 23 through July 25.

Greensboro Auto Auction, a premier collector vehicle auction company, was founded by automotive entrepreneur Dean Green in 2012, and the Palace auctions have grown in size every year since, today bringing in upwards of $20 million dollars per show. GAA also uses the auctions to raise funds for charitable causes, such as helping to rebuild homes in Western North Carolina following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, supporting Victory Junction, and providing housing for homeless veterans.

The July auction will be jammed-packed with classic and collectible vehicles, including two 1969 Ford Mustang muscle cars worth about a half million dollars each; a 2006 Ford GT with just 18 original miles on the odometer valued at $600,000; and a 1958 Nash Metropolitan, once owned by “Margaritaville” icon Jimmy Buffett. Other cars up for auction include a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS LS6, a 1966 Ford GT40 MKII Kit Car, and a selection of over 50 Corvettes highlighted by an impossible-to-find, consecutively numbered manufactured sequence spanning from 1958 to 1967.  There’s also a novelty item: a SpaceX rocket replica mounted to a 1985 International Harvester truck.

“Our inventory is growing dynamically every day, and this lineup is frankly spectacular,” said Kristen Harlow, marketing manager for GAA Classic Cars. “Whether you want a museum-grade supercar with delivery miles, a piece of music history, or a wild custom build that will stop traffic anywhere on earth, this auction delivers the absolute wow factor.” 

This month’s auction runs from Thursday, July 23, through Saturday, July 25. Gates open daily at 8 a.m. The auction starts at 9 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. each day. Daily general admission is $20 for adults, free for children under age 5. On-site parking is free. The Palace also includes a concession area, but the real treats are the cars on display for browsing and bidding. The Palace is located at 301 Norwalk St. in Greensboro. For more information or to view auction inventory, visit GAAclassiccars.com.

 
 

My wife Pam once told me that there are only three men she would ever leave me for: Tom Selleck, some guy named Jessie who she dated in college, and Rick Springfield. I am relieved to report that Selleck lives two thousand miles away, and Jessie is in prison making stained glass. However, hunky Rick Springfield is winding his way to us at this very moment, claiming that he’s scheduled to perform in Boone later this month. A likely story.

Rick’s story began in Guildford New South Wales, Australia. He was born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on August 23, 1949. Developing an early love for the guitar, Rick joined a number of different bands in both Australia and England (his Dad, a career military man, was stationed on both continents), but as he turned 20, his vocal and instrumental talents really began to gain notice with the pop rock group Zoot.

Rick’s first big solo hit came in 1972 with “Speak to the Sky,” but it was “Jessie’s Girl” that propelled him to superstardom in 1981, which coincided with his starring turn on General Hospital, in which he played Dr. Noah Drake. That officially made Rick a quadruple threat: singer, songwriter, guitarist, and actor, and a heart throb to millions of women. His TV credits include starring on 1992’s Human Target and 1994’s High Tide, and guest starring in shows like The Rockford Files, Supernatural, and American Horror Story. Rick has also appeared on the big screen with Meryl Streep and even took his talents to Broadway in “Smokey Joe’s Café.”

This year, his tour includes a concert at Appalachian State University’s Schaefer Center on July 23. I caught up with my rival a few days ago, and here are some highlights from our conversation.

 

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Jim: My wife has had a thing for you since 1981.

Rick: [laughs] She doesn’t know me.

Jim: Don’t you feel guilty that millions of husbands still feel threatened by you? 

Rick: No, my wife has her hall passes too, so it all works out. 

Jim: OK, let’s go back to before you became a rock superstar. I understand that you first picked up a guitar at around age 13.  The question is, at what age did you know you were good?

Rick: Oh wow, I’ve always been trying to get better, so I never really felt like I was where I wanted to be. I got a couple of awards in Australia for being the best guitar player or the most popular guitar player. Anyway, it was sometime in the early 70s, so I started thinking I was OK at that point.

Jim: Were your parents musically inclined? 

Rick: My dad entered some singing competitions, and he had a great voice, but he never really pursued music professionally. We grew up without TV because of where we lived in Australia, so we would gather around the piano after dinner and sing show songs. That’s how I got started with music. It was great for us.

Jim: Did your mom play an instrument?

Rick: No, she couldn’t even sing, God bless her [both laugh]. She had a horrible voice. 

Jim: Who was your favorite singer when you were a kid?

Rick: The first one I really became aware of and was a big fan of was Cliff Richard. That’s when we lived in England. Cliff was sort of a mix between Elvis and Ricky Nelson. He was wonderful and he had a great band (The Shadows), featuring Hank Marvin, the first English guitar hero. 

Jim: Your fans all know that you take great care of your body, you eat right, and go to the gym almost every day, but let’s talk about how you take care of your voice. Twelve years ago, I was talking with Pat Boone as he turned 80, and he told me that to keep his “instrument” in shape, he worked with a voice coach to help him retrain his tone. What, if anything, do you do to keep your voice in shape and ready to perform? 

Rick: Nothing really, I mean, I’ve never been good at that kind of thing. I just scream for a couple of minutes, and that’s about it [laughs]. I’ve never really had a focus on my voice, I was mainly into writing songs, so my voice was kind of secondary. It was really just to facilitate the songwriting. I didn’t really view my voice as my instrument. I viewed my guitar as my instrument.

Jim: In 1981, you were touring while also appearing on General Hospital. I’ve talked to a number of actors who told me how demanding it is to work on a soap, so just how difficult was it for you to do a soap and tour at the same time? 

Rick: It was pretty rough. I was doing the soap Monday through Friday, then on a plane out to the weekend shows, and then I had to be back at General Hospital by 6 a.m. on Monday, so I really didn’t sleep much.  

Jim: You’ll be performing at the Appalachian Summer Festival in Boone on July 23. In general, when you’re touring, do you ever change up the set or add material from city to city?    

Rick: Yeah, we change it around and play what the people come for. We pull out the newer stuff later on just to keep it interesting for us.

Jim: Dating from the late 1950’s, young actors who starred in a TV series were expected to cut a hit record in order to boost ratings for the show. But you sort of turned that formula on its head. Help me out here. What was the timeline for when and how you were cast in General Hospital? Did having a hit record land you that job? 

Rick: I had just finished recording Working Class Dog, and RCA didn’t know what to do with it. It was a guitar-based pop rock album, and the radio was all disco and ballads, so they just held onto it, and I thought, “Oh, they’re not going to release it.” Meanwhile, I went up for the soap opera. I didn’t think I would get it, didn’t think I was right for it, and didn’t think it would have any effect on my music because I thought it was just for blue-haired old ladies watching it while ironing [laughs]. But I landed General Hospital that summer, and it became the biggest show on television. College kids were re-arranging their class schedules because they wouldn’t show up when the soap was on. It was serendipitous that I was on the show at that time because RCA decided to release the album. They didn’t know I was on the TV show, and the TV people didn’t know I had a record coming out, and suddenly it all came together.

Jim: In general, musicians and actors don’t have a great track record with marriage, and yet you and Barbara have been together for 42 years. How have you been able to sustain that relationship? 

Through the good graces of my lovely wife. She’s the reason we’re together. She’s the best person I’ve ever known. We’ve had our ups and downs, but when people ask, “How come you’re still together?” I say, “Don’t get divorced, work through it.” 

Jim: Does she ever go on tour with you?

Rick: She comes on tour to the fun places, big cities, and whenever we go overseas. It’s not really a lot of fun on the road because the travel is pretty frigging brutal at times.

Jim: Speaking with Men’s Health recently, you were asked, “Who would you most like to work out with at the gym?” and you said, “My future self.” [Rick laughs] Which I thought was a really brilliant answer. So then, how old will your future self be when he stops performing?

Rick: I’ll keep going as long as I’m not in pain, having fun, and can still do it. If I feel like I’m not putting out 150% on stage, then I’ll stop. But I love those moments on stage. They’re awesome.

Jim: I mentioned that my wife has had a crush on you since 1981, so let me bring her to the phone. Pam, what would you like to say to Rick? 

Pam: I love the 80s, and Rick, you made the 80s great. You’re awesome, and I love your music.

Rick: Thank you very much. We’re just finishing up a new record right now, and it should be out in a couple of months.

Jim: One final thing. I know that sometimes you take your shirt off during your concerts, so is that shirt going to come off in Boone? 

Rick: [laughs] I don’t know, it’s a momentary thing and if I feel the energy. It’s like a party on stage and it varies, the energy varies, but it’s not written into the act.

Jim: We’re about the same age, but I’m not in the same shape as you, and when I take my shirt off, it frightens young children. 

Rick: [laughs] Well, I work out five days a week.

Jim: I think Pam just fainted. I’ll see if I can bring her around,  but right now we have several days of 100-degree temperatures ahead of us. 

Rick: Well, YOUR shirt may be coming off then. [laughs]

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Don Martin is a numbers guy who gravitated to the study of mathematics early in life. He is the living embodiment of who we point to when a young student asks, “When will I ever use math in real life?” The fact is that Don has been a master of equations throughout his career in public service, but he always made numbers serve the human equation above all else, first as a teacher, then as superintendent, and finally as a county commissioner.

Don Martin grew up in Athens, Georgia, and his future career path was informed by a mother who taught school and a father who was a sales engineer with Gulf Oil Corporation. That combination of role models served him well as he matriculated through Duke University, where he majored in physics and obtained a Masters of Arts in Teaching. He then attended the University of Kentucky, where he received a doctorate in Educational Administration.

Don’s first teaching job came at Wilkes Central High School, where he taught math and physics for four years. After leaving U.K., he served as superintendent of two different Kentucky school districts before heading up the newly-formed Rowan-Salisbury school system. In 1994, he was tapped to lead the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, where he served in that position for 19 years. He was elected to the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners in 2014, and became chairman in 2022. He is retiring from that post at the end of July.

I first met Don over 20 years ago when we co-produced a monthly television series that focused on issues and initiatives related to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools system. Many years later, we re-created that broadcast model with a monthly television series about Forsyth County, which keeps the public informed of policies, programs, and services available through county government. Don is also a regular member of the Triad Today roundtable.

I caught up with Don recently to discuss his career in education and government.

 

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Jim: Who or what led you to pursue a career in teaching?

Don: My ending up in teaching was somewhat of an accident. I was a senior physics major in college, and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated. Then I saw a bulletin board in the math department hallway that said, “We’ll find you a job.” Turns out it was an ad for Duke’s Master of Arts in Teaching degree program. It required two summers and one academic year, then they found you a regular teaching job. After completing the program, Duke found me a job at Wilkes Central.

Jim: Why the change in focus from teaching to administration?

Don: My high school principal had just finished a doctor’s degree from the University of Kentucky, and we talked a lot about his career. That inspired me to enroll in a doctoral program to become a high school principal.

Jim: You were superintendent of the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools for nearly 20 years. What are some accomplishments you were proud of achieving during that tenure?

Don: As I’ve explained many times, I didn’t teach students in my office. My job was to remove barriers so that teachers could teach those students. To that point, I was also able to hire some really good people, and we all worked well as a team, which included principals and central office administrators, who were there to help schools be successful. I think we really did learn to do a lot with less in terms of resources. We provided more dollars to schools with higher percentages of high poverty students, and we did that by assigning school staff based on a “weighted” student system, so that we could better accommodate the needs of all students, including those in special ed and ESL instruction. Student enrollment grew a lot during my tenure, from 38,000 to 53,000, and many new schools were built, all of which were facilitated by the passage of three successful school bond issues.

Jim: There’s a raging debate these days about parental rights when it comes to their child’s education. How involved should parents be, and should that involvement include input on instruction and textbooks?

Don: Parents should be very involved in their child’s education, but unless they have received some training in curriculum, I don’t think they should be trying to select textbooks or determine how content is taught. However, parents should feel comfortable asking questions about assignments or teacher decisions if they seem illogical. Teachers should be able to explain what they are doing without getting defensive.

Jim: Earlier, you mentioned that school enrollment grew significantly while you served as superintendent. Since then, there has been a steady decline, with an increase in homeschooling and private school enrollment. Do you see those trends continuing, and if so, why?

Don: First, the birth rate has declined and continues to decline, so some loss of students is predictable. Clearly, there are also more choices, and some parents will gravitate to other schools.   

Jim: How do you stand on vouchers for private schools?

Don: I have no problem with vouchers, but when state dollars are invested in education, then private schools who receive state funds should be subject to the same accountability testing that traditional public and charter schools do. I also believe that vouchers should not be given to parents who make over the designated income, for example, vouchers should not be awarded to those families who earn over $250k annually.

Jim: What made you want to run for office after you left the school system, and why the board of commissioners?

Don: The county commissioners provide local dollars for schools. During my tenure as superintendent, I did not think that our commissioners supported schools enough, both in terms of bond issue amounts and responsiveness to unavoidable cost increases.

Jim: What are some highlights of your time on the board?

Don: There are a lot of highlights when it comes to economic development because we supported a number of new projects with incentives, which increased business capital investment by over a billion dollars, while adding over 2,200 jobs. At the same time, we have constructed a number of new facilities, invested in our parks, created a new fire commission that will provide more equity between our volunteer fire departments, and we have adopted a funding formula for schools that assures they receive their proportionate share of new tax dollars. All this while maintaining our triple-A bond rating.

Jim: What’s the biggest challenge for local government now and in the future?

Don: I think that funding government services will be the biggest challenge because local governments are facing more and more unfunded mandates. For example, just this year, Forsyth County will be required to double the amount it pays to administer Medicaid due to reductions in federal funds without any reduction in required responsibilities. Also, our N.C. General Assembly will ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment this fall to limit property taxes at a time when the cost of fire trucks, ambulances, and patrol cars has risen considerably faster than inflation. So eventually, services will have to be cut in those areas in which the county has discretion.

Jim: Finally, all indications are that you would have easily won re-election to the board, so why retire now, and will you remain active in the community?

Don: In 2022, I promised my wife that I would retire from public life at age 75 and, Lord willing, I’ll reach that age next month. I certainly will remain active in the community, and that includes serving for eight more months as co-chair of the N.C. Blue Ribbon Commission on Public Education.

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On a personal note, I wish that Don wasn’t so damn good with numbers, otherwise I would try and convince him that he won’t turn 75 for another 10 years. We need his leadership for a while longer yet.

 
 

Next week, we celebrate our 250th anniversary of independence from Great Britain. A few weeks ago, we celebrated Memorial Day, where we honored men and women who had made the ultimate sacrifice. I’m as patriotic as the next guy, but over the years, I have come to dread these holidays, and I can explain my disdain in one word: Fireworks.

Despite what we see in old movies, war is not glamorous. It is not glorious, and it is almost never necessary. And so, there’s a morbid kind of irony about the fact that we honor those who died in war by firing off a barrage of mortars and rockets designed to recreate the violent sounds of war.

In my neck of the woods, fireworks are shot off by neighbors in their backyards, and by so-called professionals who are hired by local government to punctuate community gatherings. During a previous Independence Day fete, the combination of private and municipal rocket fire caused the windows of our house to vibrate, and the constant barrage of Scud-like missile activity also caused our dogs to shake uncontrollably. Meanwhile, the noise disrupted bed rest at area nursing homes and retirement complexes. Wildlife fled from their limited wooded habitats and ran nervously into on-going traffic, where at least one deer met its doom. These are all too common scenarios across the country and are of particular interest to Chapel Hill-based Noise Free America.

NFA was founded by the late Ted Reuter, and under his guidance, the organization acted as a clearinghouse for noise complaints and as an advocate for a ban on fireworks altogether. I recall an email exchange I had with Ted back in 2014, in which he reminded me that noise wasn’t the only problem resulting from our annual Independence Day fireworks displays. Serious injuries and deaths also occur. That year, those included three small children and an infant who died in a Philadelphia house fire, which had started when a firecracker was thrown onto a sofa on their front porch. And then there was the man from Michigan who lit some fireworks, which then flew back into his chest, killing him. Ted also mentioned another man who blew his arm off while using fireworks. It’s no wonder that Reuter referred to the Fourth of July as a “deadly and very disruptive holiday.”

Disruptive indeed. In 2023, the National Fire Protection Association reported that over 32,000 fires were caused by fireworks. Those included 3,700 structure fires, 849 vehicle fires, and 27,000 outside fires. That year, fireworks caused over $142 million dollars in property damage. Not surprisingly, more fires are reported on the Fourth of July than on any other day of the year, and fireworks account for half of those fires. By the way, at least 15 people died in the aforementioned fires. 

Speaking of human suffering and loss, according to a 2024 report by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, hospital emergency departments treated nearly 15,000 people for fireworks-related injuries, including 26% who were children under the age of 15, and 40% who were under the age of 20.

And, as if we didn’t have enough to worry about, there’s also another kind of danger involving fireworks. Beginning in 2017, Forbes reported a rise in people flying their drones in the airspace just above fireworks displays. When rockets collide with drones, the latter can cause the former to detonate off target and can force hazardous debris down onto unsuspecting spectators.

In addition to producing noise and causing fires and injuries, fireworks are also increasingly causing environmental damage. Studies by the EPA show that chemical residue from fireworks is polluting lakes, ponds, and even contaminating groundwater. That, in turn, negatively impacts the health of humans and wildlife alike.

Because of noise, air, and water pollution, commercial as well as consumer fireworks displays should be banned, with the caveat that localities can issue special permits for venues so long as they aren’t near a residential area, don’t border on a body of water, and where qualified technicians use non-hazardous materials. As a reminder, here in North Carolina, it is illegal for private individuals to use fireworks. According to section 14-414 of the State General Statutes, only caps for toy pistols, smoke devices, party poppers, and wire sparklers are exempt from the ban. 

Let’s face it, there’s nothing particularly patriotic or even appropriate about shooting off fireworks in celebration of Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Memorial Day. Surely, we don’t need to be bombarded with the sounds of war when pausing to recognize our freedoms or the sacrifices of our veterans. A simple parade, display of American flags, a brass band, and some sparklers are more than adequate to present a safer, quieter commemoration. I just can’t imagine that anyone who died in battle would feel good about the injury, death, and damage caused by fireworks on his behalf. That kind of senseless loss only serves to dishonor those whom we seek to honor.

 
 

There’s an ongoing debate over how and when votes are tabulated in states like California and Florida, but they can’t hold a candle to YES! Weekly, and the egregious election fraud involved with “Triad’s Best.” In fact, problems with this annual list of so-called “bests” are numerous, among them: misleading categories, corruption, and prejudice. I’ll begin with the selection of categories.

The winners in many categories seem to be at odds with the category itself. For example, “Best Romantic Dinner” was awarded to Machete, which is a weapon used by drug lords to hack up patrons who don’t pay.  Now that’s what I call romantic.

State Employees’ Credit Union won both “Best Bank” and “Best Credit Union,” but that’s contradictory.  SECU can’t be the best bank, otherwise their name would be State Employees’ Bank. 

“Best Frozen Yogurt” went to Sweet Frog. I’ve eaten frog legs before, but I do not want frogs in my yogurt, even if it means getting extra protein.

“Best Morning Radio Show” was won by Two Guys Named Chris. The problem is there’s only ONE guy named Chris on the show. That constitutes false advertising, so if Sweet Frog is an advertiser, I’d ask for a refund.

Then there’s “Best Place to Eat After Midnight.” The winner in this category is Neighbors, but I ask you, when is the last time you knocked on a neighbor’s door at 2 a.m. and asked for something to eat? You’re either lost, drunk, or running from someone with a machete.

Now for the corruption. Triad’s Best features approximately one thousand categories, and 98% of them were won by a place called Lockwood Tavern. Best salad? Lockwood Tavern. Best sandwiches? Lockwood Tavern. Best Country Cooking? Lockwood Tavern. Best Bloody Mary? Lockwood Tavern. Best Fried Chicken? Lockwood Tavern. Best Lunch? You guessed it—Lockwood Tavern. The only category not won by Lockwood Tavern was Best Frozen Yogurt, and on that, they were probably cheated. Ask yourself: How did Lockwood Tavern win every category? Just follow the money. I have it on good authority that YES! Weekly Editor Chanel Davis is the major stockholder in Lockwood Tavern. Last year, Lockwood Tavern was hardly mentioned in Triad’s Best, so Chanel must have bought up the stock a few months ago. I also heard that Chanel just bought a yacht and named it “Lockwood.”

Confusing categories and insider trading are bad enough, but the worst crime committed by Triad’s Best involves a clear case of prejudice. For the past 21 years, I have asked to have a category included that would honor “Best Local Public Affairs TV Show,” and “Best Host of a Local Public Affairs TV Show,” however, my requests have continued to fall on deaf ears. Years ago, YES! Weekly Publisher Charles Womack explained that he couldn’t include those categories because Triad Today is the only local public affairs TV show in the Triad, and I am the only host of that show. Said Womack, “You can’t have a category with only one entry.” Pretty lame reasoning if you ask me.

I don’t know what our editor has against me unless it’s because I exposed her insider trading deal with Lockwood Tavern. Nevertheless, this is a clear case of prejudice against an elderly white man with no friends and no stock options. Anyway, despite my protests, I doubt that my categories will make it into next year’s Triad’s Best, and I suppose it’s just as well. If they added a category for best local public affairs TV show, Lockwood Tavern would probably beat me. I’m so depressed, I could eat a quart of frog yogurt.

 
 

In the not-so-distant past, when someone was accused of adultery, they might avoid a scandal by simply denying the accusation. But today, thanks to security cameras, smartphone cameras, tracking devices, emails and text messages, it is extremely difficult for a cheating spouse to get away with bad behavior. You’d assume, then, that folks would think twice about violating their marriage vows, and yet, philandering is now more prevalent than ever.

According to a recent report by Technopedia.com and Ashley Madison, 71% of American men and women admit to having cheated on their significant other. That makes the United States the country with the most adulterers in the world. Not surprisingly, the state with the most cheaters is Texas, and that doesn’t even include gerrymanderers. Perhaps the most highly visible cheaters, though, are politicians, and that’s the demographic I want to focus on, mainly because they often do their philandering on our dime. They are so arrogant (or stupid) that they don’t think technology or taxpayers will catch them.

2026 has been a particularly busy year for adulterous politicians. The year is not yet half over, and already we’ve learned about a number of high-profile political scandals.

Those include N.C. Rep. Chuck Edwards who was accused of sexually harassing staff; California Congressmen Eric Swalwell and Jimmy Gomez accused of sexual assault and sexual misconduct respectively; former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem who allegedly had sex with her top advisor while flying aboard a government jet; and, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer from Maine who was poised to unseat incumbent Senator Susan Collins until his sexual perversions and Nazi tattoos surfaced. Of course, this type of behavior is nothing new, and to prove my point, let’s travel down memory lane for a look back at some famous elected officials who strayed. 

Gary Hart

This popular Colorado Senator was the Democrats’ best hope to beat Vice President George H.W. Bush in the presidential sweepstakes of 1988. But the very married Hart couldn’t resist the charms of Donna Rice, who was a frequent visitor to his D.C. townhouse. When media hounds questioned him about the affair, Hart denied everything and even invited reporters to follow him around and dig for dirt. They did, and a photo of Hart and Rice getting cozy on a yacht sank Gary’s run for the White House. 

Bill Clinton

Most times, proof of adulterous behavior is enough to derail hopes of higher office, but Bill Clinton had a wife whose own political ambitions matched his, so she enabled his horndog ways, which had persisted since his days as governor of Arkansas. Still, had his Oval Office trysts with intern Monica Lewinski surfaced in 1993 instead of 1998, I doubt that he would have won a second term. He was impeached, not for having sex with an intern, but for lying about it to Congress.

John Edwards

His boyish good looks and empathy for the downtrodden made Edwards a popular senator from North Carolina and a logical choice to be John Kerry’s running mate in 2004. Edwards was then positioned to be the Democrats’ golden boy in 2008, and an alternative to Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. But John’s star faded fast when it was discovered that he was having an affair (and a child) with Rielle Hunter while his wife was dying of cancer.

Elliott Spitzer

Not content with paying hookers for sex while married, the New York governor was accused of using campaign funds to transport his favorite ladies to the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. Spitzer was a rare combination of a liberal Democrat who was also tough on crime, having been a successful prosecutor in New York City, then attorney general, where he was known as “The Sheriff of Wall Street.” While serving as governor, Spitzer was touted as a possible presidential candidate in 2008, but hooker-gate turned him into a political footnote.

Anthony Weiner

The New York Congressman was a media favorite with lots of exposure (pardon the expression). He was also married to Huma Abedin, who worked for and was a close friend of Hillary Clinton. But his popularity and political connections couldn’t save him from himself. He resigned from office after it was revealed that he had a proclivity for sending sexually explicit photos to a number of different women. He was a proud member of Congress who was also proud of his member, so much so that he went to prison for sending d*ck pics to a minor.

Cal Cunningham

In 2020, the Democratic Party pinned its hopes on Cunningham to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Thom Tillis. A native of Winston-Salem, Cal was personable and popular. He looked like Prince William with hair and was a respected state senator when tapped to take on Tillis. Late in the campaign some polls even had Cunningham in the lead, but just days before the election, Cal’s dreams of higher office were dashed when it was reported that he had been carrying on an affair. Even worse, he and his mistress allegedly had sex in the Cunninghams’ own bed while Cal’s wife was out of town. Ouch! Mention Cunningham’s name today, and most folks will say, “Cal who?”

As I mentioned earlier, 2026 isn’t even half over yet, so likely as not, we’ll learn of more political sex scandals before the year is out. And while that’s not surprising, it is, nevertheless, disappointing to know that the people we put so much faith in are so unfaithful.

 
 

Much has been written about the controversies over late-night television, including the recent cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel last fall. Certainly, both instances were triggered by networks, corporations, and television station groups trying to curry favor with the White House. For example, Paramount Global and Skydance Media needing federal approval to move forward with their merger, and Nexstar’s pending deal to buy Tegna. Left unchecked, these kinds of political appeasements could very well lead to the demise of late-night, network TV talk shows as we now know them.  

No doubt Paramount and Nexstar couldn’t afford to alienate the FCC when they both had deals pending that would greatly benefit their stockholders. That’s why CBS had agreed to pay Trump $36 million dollars over the so-called “edited” 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. That’s why ABC paid Trump $15 million dollars after George Stephanopoulos mischaracterized candidate Trump’s role in the alleged rape of E. Jean Carroll. That’s why CBS/Paramount agreed to take Colbert off the air so that he would no longer have a national forum for nightly Trump-bashing. And that’s why Nexstar joined with ABC and Sinclair to call for dismissal of Kimmel over an ill-timed joke about Charlie Kirk. Yes, broadcasters need to make money, but when they give in to political pressure in order to facilitate their own expansive greed, then they have failed to serve their primary stockholder: the public who own the airwaves.

But if the talk genre should disappear from the television landscape, a lot of the blame will lie at the feet of the hosts themselves. That’s because the new breed of monologists haven’t adhered to the time-honored tradition of how humor should be disseminated on free TV.  Johnny Carson dominated late-night for 30 years because he knew how to appeal to a wide audience and do political humor without being political.  Letterman and Leno never veered too far from Carson’s example, but Kimmel, Colbert, Seth Meyers, and (to some extent) Jimmy Fallon have disregarded it, thus alienating half of their potential viewers in the process. The result is less ad revenue and higher production deficits for the networks.        

Don’t get me wrong. As a broadcast veteran of 56 years, I believe strongly in freedom of expression, and I abhor any form of censorship, whether it comes through intimidation or extortion. No one should lose their job for speaking truth to power, but they CAN lose their job if they lose sight of their primary mission. For hosts of network TV shows, that mission is to entertain and hold as many viewers as possible. It’s different for guys like Bill Maher, John Oliver, and Jon Stewart because they appear on pay cable and can be openly partisan with their smaller, niche audiences. Kimmel and Colbert can’t afford that luxury. Bill Maher learned that lesson when his original show was cancelled by ABC after he referred to 9/11 terrorists as heroes. His comment was taken out of context by advertisers and the Bush White House, but the handwriting was on the wall, and Bill packed his bags for HBO.

Sometimes you have to stand up to intimidation. Sometimes you have to take a stand against politics and avarice (and the politics of avarice). But if you host a network show which is broadcast over publicly owned airwaves, you need to learn how to entertain the masses without offending half of them, or else face the consequences. Colbert has just launched his own YouTube channel and will now be free to bash anyone and anything within tasteful bounds. My advice to Kimmel, Meyers, and Fallon is to either launder partisan politics from their monologues or else abandon network television before it abandons them.