Triad Today

Hall of Fame baseball player Johnny Bench once told me that you’re never too old to have heroes. One of mine is Barbara Johns, and I’m proud to say that soon a bronze sculpture of her will stand in the U.S. Capitol, replacing a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee.

Barbara Johns wasn’t just a participant in the civil rights movement, she triggered it. Barbara made her mark before Rosa Parks boarded a bus, before Dr. Martin Luther King marched, and before the Greensboro Four sat at the lunch counter. Barbara led a national movement for equality, and she did it at the ripe old age of 16.

In 1951 Barbara Johns was a junior at R.R. Moton High, an all-Black school in the Prince Edward County, Virginia town of Farmville. She was an exemplary student who enjoyed English, history, French, and music, and was a member of the debate team. Barbara was mature beyond her years and had a sense of social justice that was inspired by her uncle, The Rev. Vernon Johns, who, at the time was pastor of Dexter Ave. Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. (He would be succeeded in that role by Dr. King in 1952.)

Built in 1939, Moton was a small brick structure designed to hold 180 students. But by 1951, over 450 children were crammed into the school. Not only was the building over-crowded, it was also woefully inadequate for learning. There was no library, no cafeteria, no gym, and no science lab. To alleviate the overflow of students, the Prince Edward school board had several tar paper shacks erected adjacent to the main building. On rainy days, water poured through the leaky roofs, and on cold days students had to make do with a small stove. The stove was riddled with holes and hot coals would often pop out onto the floor. By contrast, just down the road stood the all-white high school, which had the best of everything. In those days, the concept of separate but equal was a cruel joke. Schools were separated by race for sure, but they were sure as hell not equal.

I began researching the Moton school saga about 30 years ago. Barbara had passed away by then, but I connected with some of her family and friends and was able to get a copy of Barbara’s unfinished manuscript soon after it was discovered in 1999. In it, Barbara wrote of the long walks she would take in the woods, contemplating the conditions of her school and of her dreams for a better one. 

 

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I imagined that a great storm came through and blew down the main building and splattered the shacks to splinters, and out of this wreckage was a magnificent building, and the students were joyous. Then the reality would set in, and I would acknowledge that nothing magical was going to produce a new school.” I prayed to God, “Please let us have a new place where we won’t have to keep our coats on all day to stay warm. God, please help us. We are your children too.

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Barbara then wrote about a defining incident that convinced her to take action.

 

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One morning I was rushing around helping my brother and sister get down the hill to catch the bus, but I had forgot my lunch. I ran back up the hill to retrieve it, but in the meantime the bus had left. Later, the white school bus drove by. It was half empty and would have to drive past my school to get to the white school, but they wouldn’t let me ride with them. Right then and there I decided something had to be done about this inequality.

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The action Barbara took would help trigger a national movement to provide an equal education for all students. On April 23, 1951, she enacted a carefully devised plan. First, she got the principal out of the building on a ruse, then she enlisted the aid of seven other students to deliver bogus notes to every teacher, advising them to have their students assemble in the auditorium. Barbara then addressed the student body and convinced them to stage a walkout. On the second day of the strike, Johns and a large group of students marched to the superintendent’s office where Barbara asked why Black students couldn’t just attend school with whites. The superintendent said that integration was against Virginia law, but promised that a new school was in the works for the Moton students. He lied about the new school. Even worse, he punished the protesting students by taking all of their buses out of commission. The strike lasted for two weeks, during which time Barbara received death threats. 

Barbara wrote to the NAACP and asked for help. Soon after, two attorneys arrived in Farmville to meet with Barbara and other student leaders. Eventually their case was folded into Brown v Board of Education, and by 1959, Prince Edward County schools were ordered to desegregate. But the racist county school board refused to comply, and they got around the law by closing all of their public schools, and then opening a makeshift private academy just for the white students to attend. Black students in the area became known as the Lost Generation because they were without a school for five years. Finally, in 1964, all public schools in Farmville were reopened when the Supreme Court ruled that Prince Edward’s racist scheme violated the 14th Amendment by denying Black students equal protection under the law. Still, it would be another 20 years before the county’s schools were fully integrated. Nevertheless, the state of public education had changed forever, and, in large part, we all have a 16-year-old girl to thank for it. 

Barbara Johns was a visionary and an activist, and if there was a Mt. Rushmore of Civil Rights leaders, she would be on it. For now, we’ll settle for having her likeness in the nation’s Capitol.

(The original Moton school has since been restored and today serves as a museum and a venue for community events. For more information or to make a donation, visit MotonMuseum.org)

 
 

Once upon a time, there were only three TV channels to watch, and in the late 1970s, no show was bigger than Laverne & Shirley, a sitcom starring Cindy Williams and Penny Marshall as roommates who worked at a Milwaukee beer factory. The series was a spin-off from a Happy Days episode in which Fonzie had arranged for Laverne (Marshall) and Shirley (Williams) to double date with him and Richie (Ron Howard). By its third season, Laverne & Shirley was the number one show in the country, and its stars became cultural icons.

I caught up with Cindy last April and we talked by phone about her then-upcoming one-woman show, “Me, Myself, and Shirley”, which she performed at High Point Theatre. The show was a big hit and we stayed in touch after that, but I wondered why I didn’t get a response to my most recent email. Now I know why. Cindy had been in bad health the past few months, and on January 25 she passed away at the age of 75. The following are highlights from our conversation back in April.

 

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JL: Do you remember the first time you performed on stage?

CW: Yes, it was in the first grade, and they had a talent show, and I sang “Hickory Dickory Dock”, and I had total stage fright, but I did it.

JL: Do you remember who won the talent show?

CW: No, but I’m sure it was some ne’er-do-well first-grader [laughs].

JL: When did you first realize that you wanted to act professionally?

CW: It was in high school. I had wanted to be a nurse, but I didn’t have an academic brain, so I entered a talent show at school, and the drama teacher, Mr. Kulp, said, “If you have an elective, I’d like to offer you a spot this coming semester to be in ‘Play Production’” so I did. That’s when I thought I’d like to be able to earn a living from acting. I just loved it so much.

JL: Over the years, various cast and crew members on Laverne & Shirley say that they had to work long hours because you and Penny would often do re-writes on the script. What drove you to work so hard on that show?

CW: We had a litmus test, which was if the script made Penny and me laugh out loud, then we figured it would translate to the audience at home. When it didn’t, we would re-write it, or try and put things in that made it funny. Once we got the show on its feet and started moving around, we would add things, add lines, and ad lib. The whole cast would.

JL: Even in the late 1970’s, there were certain things you couldn’t do or say on television, thus the reason for you and Penny using the phrase “Vody-O-Doe-Doe,” instead of saying “having sex”. If Laverne & Shirley were on the air today, would using more graphic language make the show better or funnier?

CW: No, it wouldn’t. When audiences of today laugh at graphic language, they’re usually laughing out of nervousness, not out of joy.

Also, we had a censor back then. He was a born-again Christian and the nicest guy, and he wouldn’t let us get away with anything. That’s how we came up with “Vody-O-Doe-Doe,” which made the audience laugh out loud, because they know what Shirley did. It’s much more fun when everybody is thinking the same thing at the same time. Instead of saying someone is showing pornography, we’d say, “They’re showing dirty pictures,” and the audience would laugh because it’s much more fun. We used innuendo and attitude in a fun-loving way.

JL: Moving from comedy to drama, I went back recently and watched the episode you did on Law & Order: SVU in which you played an evil woman who was trying to kill her little granddaughter. You also played serious roles in such films as “The Conversation” with Gene Hackman. Do you prefer doing drama over comedy, or wish you had done more?

CW: I’d like to have played more middle-of-the-road parts, but I didn’t have a chance because no one was going to cast me after Laverne & Shirley I remember going up for this big part, and I went in, and the producer said, “I’d love to cast you, but I can’t. You’re just too recognizable as Shirley Feeney.” And it’s the truth, and I understand that. Look, it’s a blessing that I got to play that character and it became so popular with people, so I never regret that.

JL: Do you remember when you first realized you were famous?

CW: I guess it was in the second season we were in New York City and they had asked us to be in the Thanksgiving Day parade, and we were on this float, and we saw all these people push past this barrier and they were running toward us. So we looked behind us to see who it was they were running toward, and we were going to join them [laughs]. It must be somebody big. Then all this security came up and we realized it was for us. That was the first time we realized the popularity of the show. Penny and I had this same glitch in our personalities where we thought, “we can’t possibly be the popular girls.” We never took show business seriously, and I think that’s part of the reason that Laverne & Shirley kept our feet on the ground.

JL: The road to success hasn’t always been easy for you. You had to wait tables at a pancake house, and you had all your scenes cut from your first film, but eventually became one of the most famous people in the world. What is it that anyone from any walk of life can learn from your journey?

CW: It can all be accomplished, but you have to always stay yourself. You have to keep your sense of humor. If you get knocked down, you have to get right back up and just keep going. God played a big part for me. I would talk to God and I’d get brave again. You always have to stay brave, and have faith in yourself and in all the beautiful things around you. You’re not always going to be invited to the party, you’re not always going to get the job, and you can’t let that deter you from what you want. If somebody else gets the job, you bless them and say “it wasn’t meant for me.” There was a point where I thought I’d be back to waiting tables, and I was OK with that, and it’s right before I got Laverne & Shirley.

JL: I know you get a lot of fan mail, but I wonder if you realize how much pleasure and even comfort you’ve given to people over the years. There must have been times when someone had just lost a loved one, or lost their job, and they turned the TV on and watched Laverne & Shirley and you had an impact on their lives.

CW: Thanks Jim. Yeah, people still come up to me and say, “You got me through a very bad time in my life, and made me laugh at a really bad time.” I love people, and want to comfort them.

JL: So in a way, I guess you did become a nurse.

CW: Yeah, in a way I guess I was a nurse. But doing the show was such a blessing for me and such a privilege.

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Fans of Cindy feel the same way whenever we watch her on screen. Cindy Williams left us way too soon, but she left us oh so much.

 
 

If you were a kid growing up in Winston-Salem during the late 1950s and early 1960s, you knew who Billy Packer was. At first, he was the fearless guard who, in 1962, led Wake Forest to its only Final Four appearance. The team was ranked as high as #3 in the nation that season, and Billy ended his stint with the Demon Deacons scoring over 1,300 points and averaging 82% at the free throw line. Billy also initiated the first official scrimmages between Wake and Winston-Salem State at a time when Black players and white players weren’t allowed to compete against each other.

Later, after his playing days were over, Billy served as an assistant coach for the Deacs. Then, in 1972 he was asked by C.D. Chesley (the broadcasting pioneer whose C.D. Chesley Company was the first to broadcast ACC basketball games on a regular basis) to fill in as an analyst on an ACC game being broadcast from Raleigh. The next year he was hired as the main analyst for ACC broadcasts and remained in that position until 2008. Billy knew the game of basketball inside and out and he was the best analyst in the business, so it’s not surprising that NBC came calling in 1974, and asked Packer to work their Final Four broadcast. He stayed with the Peacock network until CBS lured him away in 1981, and he continued to call Final Fours until 2008. In all, he worked 34 straight NCAA Final Four tournaments.

Although Billy was born in New York and later made his home in Charlotte, generations of Winston-Salem natives considered Billy as one of our own. That’s because even prior to his achieving national prominence, Billy was always active in the area. He even showed up one evening at my nephew’s recreation league banquet to hand out trophies, and he was a fixture at the new Stratford Road Putt Putt course in Winston, where he served as play-by-play man for televised matches. Only Billy Packer could make Putt Putt sound exciting.

I only worked with Billy briefly in 1974. I had just been hired by WFMY-TV, and he was contracted to produce and host a series of segments about ACC basketball. I ran studio camera for Billy and came to know him as a super nice guy, and the most prepared and knowledgeable basketball analyst in the history of television.

Several years ago, I called Billy and invited him to be a guest on my Triad Today TV show, but he declined. “Thanks Jim, but I just don’t get up to Winston that often anymore,” he said. I was disappointed, and I regret not having the opportunity to interview him, but I understood. Billy Packer passed away last week at the age of 82. He was an original. He was the best at what he did. He was a legend. He was one of us.

 
 

In 1999 Columbine was an anomaly, but within a decade, school shootings were becoming almost commonplace. Gun-toting students and former students have acted out their rage in places like Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Uvalde. But while school massacres continued to grab headlines, single-victim shootings have often flown under the media radar. Some confrontations were initiated by high school gang members, but increasingly gun violence in the classroom is being perpetrated by younger and younger children, and that brings me to the recent incident at Richneck Elementary school in Newport News, Virginia.

On Friday, January 6, 25-year-old Abigail Zwerner was conducting her first-grade class when a six-year-old male student pulled a 9mm semi-automatic Taurus handgun out of his backpack and deliberately shot her. The bullet went through her hand and into her chest. Though critically wounded, Zwerner managed to move the other students to safety while another school employee restrained the young shooter until police arrived. The gun, as it turns out, belonged to the boy’s mother who, despite her attorney’s denial, had not properly secured the weapon. Had she done so, her small, young son wouldn’t have had access to the gun. Speaking of that irresponsible woman, she later said that her son has a disability that requires a parent to be with the boy at school every day. But guess what? She wasn’t with him on the day of the shooting.

There’s a lot to unpack from this incident, and its impact on the national debate regarding everything from gun safety and parental responsibility, to the mainstreaming of mentally disabled children into traditional classrooms, to juvenile justice reforms. But rather than dwell on the Newport News shooting specifically, I want to focus on what is being done (and what should be done) to prevent such incidents in the future.

First of all, we must all recognize that what happened at Richneck Elementary is indicative of a growing trend in America. Noted researcher David Riedman recently told AP correspondents Ben Finley and Denise Lavoie that people are shot, or guns taken away, at schools “almost every day.” According to Riedman, there were 302 shootings on school property last year, and while he says he knows of only four cases where kids under age six have shot someone at school, that’s four too many. The fact is that more and more guns are showing up at schools these days, while the age of the students bringing those guns to school seems to be getting younger and younger. Despite this trend, local, state, and federal officials refuse to invest in comprehensive security measures at every school.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, as late as 2020, less than 2% of public elementary schools performed random metal detector checks on students. Meanwhile, only 2% of elementary schools required students to wear clear backpacks, and only 54% of those schools had security staff on-site once a week. Yet, every time I question elected officials about the need for metal detectors, security staff, electronically locking doors, and other devices, I’m given the same answer, “There’s just no money for that.”  Funny, but we can spend hundreds of billions of dollars in Ukraine, and billions more on pet projects of congresspersons, but there’s just no money that can be allocated to keep our kids safe in school. Politicians who spew that bilge aren’t just short-sighted, they are criminally negligent. Fortunately, the Newport News shooting has awakened some officials to the problem of school security. Virginia Delegate Mike Mullin, for example, is lobbying for state monies to make Richneck more secure. And, last week, the Newport News school board voted to place 90 walk-through metal detectors in schools across the district. Meanwhile, parents attending a recent public hearing have called for two security officers to be assigned to each elementary school.

Parents, teacher unions, politicians, and school board members in Newport News are to be commended for finally getting woke to the need for more security measures. Unfortunately, their enlightenment may not spur reforms across the country so long as eggheads like Amanda Nickerson have a say. Nickerson, a school psychology professor at State University of New York, Buffalo, told the AP, “Metal detectors and clear backpacks are more likely to cause young children to be fearful and feel criminalized.” Hey Amanda, go ask parents at Sandy Hook, Parkland, and Uvalde if they would have minded if their murdered children felt criminalized by metal detectors and clear backpacks.  

Yes, there will be a significant cost involved in making every school safe. It will cost money to install metal detectors and electronic locking doors. It will cost money to hire additional officers. And it will cost money to supply clear backpacks for children who can’t afford them. But we’re the richest nation in the world, and we can find the money if we want to. Otherwise, we’ll continue to put our children at risk, and while we argue about the price of security, some of those children will pay the ultimate price for a lack of it.

 
 

On November 14 of last year, a Texas woman loaded her four children into the car and went for a drive. The children ranged in age from 8 months to 6 years. None were wearing seat belts and the baby was not in a car seat. Suddenly one of the unlocked doors flew open, hurling the 8-month-old infant onto the highway where he was struck and killed by oncoming traffic.

A similar incident occurred last month in Kentucky where a Mom crashed the car, killing her 8-year-old child and injuring an 11-year-old. Neither of the kids were wearing seat belts.

And, that same day, a Greensboro man ran a red light on Freeman Mill Road and crashed into a car that was turning onto Randleman Road. His 4-year-old niece was killed. She was not wearing any kind of restraint.

I wish I could say these three tragic incidents were isolated and rare, but I can’t. The truth is, nationwide over 60,000 children are injured each year in motor vehicle accidents, and that includes over 600 fatalities. Here in North Carolina, car crashes are the leading cause of unintentional death for children. Even more tragic is that most of these deaths could have been prevented. According to the North Carolina Department of Insurance, nine out of 10 children are unrestrained when riding in a vehicle. Given that statistic, one would think that child restraints are optional. Just the opposite. In fact, child safety seats are required in all 50 states. But even if a parent wasn’t aware of the law, wouldn’t common sense prevail? Parents are instinctively supposed to protect their children. They shouldn’t have to be told by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers (ages 1 to 4). It shouldn’t take the death of a child to make someone a more aware and more responsible parent. We also shouldn’t let negligent parents off with just a slap on the wrist, and that brings me to enforcement.

Just as penalties for drunk drivers vary from state to state and county to county, so too do punishments for parents who endanger their children by not having their toddlers secured in car seats and their children buckled up in seat belts. Fines are often left to the discretion of local judges and are dependent upon a variety of circumstances. 

Following the Freeman Mill road crash, for example, the Greensboro News & Record reported that police officials issued a public reminder about car restraint laws, which include that children younger than 8 years old and who weigh less than 80 pounds must be properly secured in a child restraint or booster seat. Children younger than 5 years old and less than 40 pounds must be in the rear seat. And, when a child reaches age 8 regardless of weight or weighs 80 pounds, he must wear a seat belt. Yet parents who violate these regulations will probably only have 2 points added to their driving record and pay a fine of less than $250. The exception is if a child dies as a result of the violation, in which case prosecutors could charge the parent with endangerment. But even that crime has no strictly prescribed penalty and could result in a sentence of as little as six months in jail. Meanwhile, a parent who is drunk while driving, and crashes their car resulting in the death of a child might only serve seven days behind bars. 

Clearly what we need is for Congress to enact legislation that would make it a federal crime to cause the death of a child due to lack of a proper restraining device. That might not prevent some parents from breaking the law, but the severe penalties that it would carry might make others think twice about refusing to put their toddler in a car seat before pulling out of the driveway.

 
 

In 1994 liberal Democrat Congressman Stephen Neal decided not to run for re-election in North Carolina’s 5th district. That opened the door for Richard Burr, a lawn equipment salesman from Winston-Salem, to run for and win Neal’s seat. Burr, a moderate Republican, had all the makings of a southern statesman in the mold of Sam Ervin, Richardson Pryor, and Howard Coble. But instead of taking his place at the table of public service, Burr took his turn at the feeding trough, and enriched himself in ways that were unprecedented and unavailable to his constituents.  

Last month, Senator Burr gave his farewell address in which he spoke of “making a difference.” If only that were true. Sure, Burr became a media darling in his final years because he appeared to be bipartisan by voting to convict Trump at the second impeachment hearing. But Richard was a lame duck at that point, with no fear that Trump could ever “primary” him. For Burr, his wasn’t a courageous vote. It was a legacy vote. At any rate, it’s just too bad that Congress doesn’t allow rebuttal speeches after a farewell address. If it did, Burr would have been an easy target for his missteps and misdeeds. Here are just a few:

Healthcare

On January 11, 2017, Sen. Amy Klobucher proposed an amendment to a budget bill that would have allowed the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. For many Americans trying to make ends meet, the measure meant they would no longer have to choose between food and medicine. Burr voted against the bill, saying that drugs from Canada might not be safe. Speaking against his company’s own interests, Dr. Peter Rost, an executive with Pfizer, refuted Burr’s idiotic statement. Said Rost, “Drugs from Canada are absolutely, positively safe.” The fact is that Canadian drugs aren’t dangerous, they’re just cheaper, and that’s why Burr voted “nay”. But why should Burr care about the price of drugs? Because he was paid to care, that’s why. From 2009 until 2016, Senator Burr accepted nearly $420,000 from Big Pharma alone, thus, his vote to protect the industry’s domestic profits came as no surprise. Nor did his efforts to lobby for reducing Big Pharma’s tax rate. But that’s not all. Reporting for STATnews.com, Sheila Kaplan noted that there are over 200 companies located near Burr’s hometown that are in the business of developing or manufacturing drugs and medical devices. Together, those companies gave Richard over one million dollars for his final re-election campaign. Enough said.

Guns

In 2016, Burr voted against a bill that would have required universal background checks and limited sales of guns to known terrorists. Why? According to Becky Ceartas, then director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, Burr’s votes were a quid pro quo for the $800,000 he received from the NRA. Said Ceartas, “Burr chose not to put safety of our families first, pushing that aside to demonstrate [his] loyalty to the gun lobby.”

Veterans

Burr supported George Bush’s unprovoked invasion of Iraq even after learning that Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction and had nothing to do with 9-11. Had Burr stood up to Bush, he might have helped to spare the lives of over a million innocent Iraqi men, women, and children, as well as thousands of American soldiers. Then, to add insult to injury, the veterans who returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan faced an unemployment level of nearly 11%, yet, according to a report by Jon Erickson of WCTI-TV, Burr voted against a bill that would have created a job corps meant to employ veterans as firefighters and police officers. 

Insurance

Burr accepted big bucks from the insurance industry, then voted to oppose the ACA and to privatize Medicare. He also never took a stand on price gouging by health insurers who continued to charge exorbitant rates for monthly premiums. It was a triple punch to the gut of seniors and low-income Americans who were living day-to-day and hoping like hell they never got sick. 

Taxes

During his 2016 re-election campaign, Burr promised to lower the tax burden for the middle class, but in December of 2017, he voted to raise taxes on 55% of North Carolinians. According to the Raleigh News & Observer, those tax hikes amounted to $900 per household per year over a ten-year period. At the same time, Burr voted to lower the tax rate on wealthy Americans like himself, who would save an average of $115,000 per year. 

The STOCK ACT & COVID Stock Dump

In 2012, President Obama signed into law the STOCK Act (“Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act”) which made it illegal for a member of Congress to trade on and profit from non-public, insider knowledge that they had exclusive access to. Richard Burr was one of only two senators who voted against the bill, which raises the question: “Why?” Perhaps his staggering increase in personal wealth while serving in Congress explains it. According to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Burr’s net worth in 1994 was $189,000. But by 2018 OpenSecrets.org reports that his net worth had risen to over $7.4 million dollars. That’s an increase of 3,600 percent at a time when the income of average Americans rose by less than one percent. 

Burr has denied ever profiting from insider knowledge, but his denials just don’t pass the smell test, especially after his now famous stock dump of 2020. On January 24 of that year, Dr. Anthony Fauci began briefing Burr about the seriousness of the rapidly-spreading COVID-19 virus. Then, according to Reuters, three days after that briefing, Burr as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee began receiving daily COVID updates. Coincidentally Burr then began to liquidate his stocks, including all of those in the hotel and hospitality industry which would be the hardest hit by the pandemic. Then on three separate days, January 31, February 4, and February 13, Burr and his wife made a total of 33 stock trades worth an estimated $1.7 million dollars. Within hours after completing those transactions, U.S. Secretary of Health Alex Azar declared a national public health emergency. 

Prior to his stock dump, Burr assured the public (via a FOX News op-ed) that America was “better prepared than ever before to face emerging public health threats.” But as soon as his flurry of stock trades were complete, Burr told a private group of high rollers that COVID “is much more aggressive in its transmission than anything we’ve ever seen in recent history.” When news of Burr’s stock transactions went public, some in Congress called for his resignation, and NC 13th district congressional candidate Scott Huffman publicly shamed Burr, ”for not stepping up and sounding the alarm so we could have started preparing then (for the pandemic).” Even conservative FOX News pundit Tucker Carlson excoriated Burr, saying, “There is no greater moral crime than betraying your country in a time of crisis, and that appears to be what happened.”  

Facing a federal investigation, Burr denied using insider knowledge to profit from stock trades, saying first that he got his information by watching CNBC’s daily health and science reporting out of their Asia bureaus. He later revised his story and explained that his stock trades were made because there had been a long bull market and it was time for a course correction. FBI agent Brandon Merriman wasn’t buying those explanations. After reviewing Burr’s cell phone records and other documents, Merriman said, “I believe probable cause exists that Senator Burr used material, non-public information regarding the impact that COVID-19 would have on the economy, and that he gained that information by virtue of his position as a member of Congress.” Despite Merriman’s findings, the Justice Department gave Richard a pass. 

And so, Richard Burr departs Washington, D.C. unscathed after 28 years of enriching himself. Regrettably, he returns home without convictions of any kind.
 
 

I hate to start the new year out on a sour note, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that our governor just released another murderer from prison. I used to refer to Cooper as the man who, as attorney general, courageously waged war on innocent allergy sufferers, but now he has a new title: Roy Cooper, AAF (Accessory After the Fact).

Last March I reported on (and was critical of) Governor Roy Cooper’s commutation of April Barber’s two life sentences. Late last month he was at it again, commuting the life sentence of Janet Danahey. Between them, Barber and Danahey killed six people by burning them alive.  First a re-cap of the Barber case.

Thirty years ago, 15-year-old April Barber was tried in adult criminal court and convicted of killing her grandparents. Last year, the North Carolina Juvenile Sentencing Review Board determined that Barber was ready to take her place in civilized society again. After all, she had been an exemplary prisoner, having earned her GED and paralegal certificate. The problem is that there was nothing civilized about the crimes Ms. Barber committed.

April Barber had not been misidentified or wrongly convicted. There were no extenuating circumstances. She hadn’t been held hostage and forced to commit a crime. There was no DNA mix-up, she didn’t act out of self-defense, and she freely confessed to both murders. The fact is that April and her 30-year-old boyfriend carefully planned, and then deliberately set fire to her grandparents’ house, killing both of them. Why? Because April was pregnant, and according to her testimony, April’s grandparents had threatened to have the boyfriend charged with statutory rape if she didn’t abort the pregnancy.

Roy Cooper agreed with the sentencing board’s recommendation, perhaps because he felt that a 15-year-old didn’t know it was wrong to pour gasoline in a house, set fire to it, and trap two elderly people inside. Pardon my language, but that’s bullshit Governor. Anyone old enough to get a driver’s permit, get pregnant, and plot a double murder, is old enough to know right from wrong, and deserves to serve the full prison term. But I guess Roy didn’t hear what Jack Shepherd heard on that fateful night in 1991. Shepherd, who lived next door to the Barbers, told the Greensboro News & Record that, “She (April) could hear her grandmother crying and screaming in pain, and hollering for her, just as well as I could.”  The fire had blocked all exits to the house, so there was no escape for the loving couple who had been caring for April since she was a child. In March of last year, Cooper commuted Barber’s sentence to time served. Nine months later, our crusading Governor decided to open the cell door for another mass murderer.

In 2002, 23-year-old Janet Danahey (a former Olympic torchbearer) was upset because her boyfriend, Thad Johnson, had just broken up with her. She could have slashed his tires or egged his lawn to exact revenge. Instead, she set fire to a sofa on the porch of his apartment building in the middle of the night. Some residents escaped the fire, but four did not. Rachel Llewellyn, age 21, and her sister Donna (24) died in the blaze. So did 20-year-old Beth Harris and Ryan Bek, age 25. The four victims had tried to escape via a wooden staircase, but it had already burned down.

Rhonda Colwell was one of the lucky ones who escaped the fire on that tragic February night.  She told the News & Record, “You heard the screaming. All of us were in such a state of shock.”

Six people burned to death, and now, thanks to Roy Cooper, their killers are free to walk the streets. In listening to the voices who called for leniency, our governor has muted the screams of victims, AGAIN.

 
 

As we celebrate this holiday season, let’s not forget that there are people beyond our immediate circle of family and friends who are suffering, and could benefit from our love and generosity. Over the past decade, I’ve been able to showcase scores of community organizations on my Triad Today television show, and in the process, I’ve learned that there are several ways we can help these agencies help others. The first is to donate goods. Second is to donate money. And, third is to donate our time. Of course, some nonprofit groups can benefit from all three types of giving. Here, in no particular order, are just a few organizations to which you might lend your support.

Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC: Even prior to the pandemic, the Piedmont Triad had one of the worst food insecurity problems in the nation, and that included the problem of childhood hunger. Now, with thousands more of our neighbors in need, the problem has worsened, including for children. To help alleviate the hunger problem, Second Harvest Food Bank has stepped up its efforts to distribute food to nonprofit agencies who feed hungry people in an 18-county area. The Food Bank has also partnered with a number of area companies to provide meals for kids. You can write a check directly to the food bank, or you can drop off non-perishable food items at a number of locations in our area. For more information call 336-784-5770, or visit HungerNWNC.org.

Cancer Services, Inc.‘s stated mission is “to enhance quality of life for those living with cancer, and to provide the gift of life through education.” Their services include patient advocacy, financial assistance, providing equipment and supplies, offering peer support groups, and much more. Ninety percent of funds donated to Cancer Services, Inc. goes directly to providing client services. In addition to money, you can also donate used equipment and supplies. Call 336-760-9983, or visit CancerServicesOnline.org.

Greensboro Urban Ministry is on the front lines when it comes to providing emergency assistance. Greensboro Urban Ministry provides homeless families in Guilford County with a safe, temporary environment. Volunteers are needed to prepare and serve meals, manage shelters, tutor children, and perform a variety of other duties. Monetary donations are also much appreciated. Call 336-271-5959, or visit GreensboroUrbanMinistry.org.

Mtn. Valley Hospice is a nonprofit agency that serves an 18-county area in North Carolina and Virginia, and provides personalized care for patients at the end of life, as well as comfort to families. Mountain Valley Hospice has offices throughout the region, and operates two hospice homes. They also specialize in care for terminally ill children and veterans and offer grief support for kids and adults. To give money or inquire about volunteering, call 1-888 789-2922, or visit MtnValleyHospice.org.

The Petty Family Foundation: NASCAR legend Richard Petty and his family support a number of charitable organizations including Paralyzed Veterans of America and Victory Junction Camp, the latter of which provides an uplifting experience for children with severe disabilities and terminal illnesses. To make a donation or learn more, visit PettyFamilyFoundation.org.

Shift_ed provides qualified students with college scholarships, and much more. Formerly “Say YES Guilford”, Shift_ed also provides students with support services that are designed to help them be successful in life. Their equity-based program begins in kindergarten and includes everything from tutoring to career counseling. Shift_ed relies in part upon donations from companies and individuals. To learn more about scholarships, or to make a donation, visit Shift-ed.org.

Carolina Donor Services and Red Cross … There can be no greater gift at this holiday season than the gift of life, and that’s why you might consider donating blood and signing a donor card. Either gesture requires only a few minutes of your time, and will almost certainly result in saving someone’s life in the future. You can reach Carolina Donor Services at 1-800 200-2672, or CarolinaDonorServices.org. You can call the Red Cross at 336-333-2111, or visit them online at RedCross.org.

Please remember that your donations of time, money, or goods to area community organizations are vitally important, not just now, but throughout the coming year. It’s also a way for us to expand the circle of people we care about, and that’s something worth celebrating in this season of giving.

 
 

Over the past year, I had the unenviable task of writing a number of obituary columns about celebrity friends of mine who had passed away. Now, during this season of celebration, it is only fitting that we celebrate their remarkable lives and careers. What follows are excerpts from those columns.

 

 

Peter Bogdanovich

It is both surprising and shameful that Peter Bogdanovich doesn’t have a star along Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Perhaps that’s because it would take about a dozen stars to do him justice. He was, after all, a writer, director, producer, actor, author, documentarian, film historian, editor, voice-over talent, casting agent, film preservationist, and cinematographer. 

I caught up with Peter the Great back in 2011 when he was an artist in residence at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. My main reason for doing the interview was to talk about the 40th anniversary of The Last Picture Show ,but we also touched on his 1968 cult film Targets, about a young guy who goes on a shooting spree.

“I thought it would raise a little bit of controversy, but it didn’t raise much,” Peter told me. “The thing that’s awful about the film is that it’s not dated, a story where a guy buys a gun and starts killing people. That’s still very much alive.”

The genius filmmaker died on January 6. Peter Bogdanovich was 82.

 

 

Tony Dow

Most of us have a special place in our homes where we display pictures of our immediate family. For me, that special place is a credenza on top of which are framed photos of my wife Pam, our parents, my sister, and my two make-believe brothers, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers.

From 1957 to 1963, Jerry and Tony played brothers Theodore and Wally Cleaver on Leave it to Beaver, a sitcom about the adventures of two siblings growing up in Middle America. I first met the famous duo when they participated in an event that I was moderating in Los Angeles back in 2008, and we stayed in touch ever since.

Though Tony was best known for playing a big brother on TV, his real passion was sculpting, which he did masterfully. In fact, his burlwood sculptures were shown and sold all over the world, and once were even on display in the Louvre. Tony was a quiet, unassuming man who preferred the solitude of his workshop to the glitz of Hollywood, so it took some doing for me to coax him to my event. Once there, he and Jerry received the longest-standing ovation I’ve ever witnessed. Tony seemed surprised by the warm reception. That’s because he never realized what he meant to so many millions of fans. I was proud to have that humble man as my make-believe big brother. Tony Dow passed away on July 27. He was 77.

 

 

Clu Gulager

Clu Gulager was one of America’s greatest character actors, perhaps best known for his work in TV Westerns. But unlike most actors who have merely pretended to be a cowboy, Clu actually was one. 

“I was a cowboy in Oklahoma where we raised white-face cattle. I used to have to ride the fences and when I saw a break in the fence, I had to get down off my pony take some wire and fix that break. The thing I’m most proud of in my whole life is that, on my watch, not one white-face cow got away.”

Clu is also famous for being the only TV actor to be thrown out of work by Congress. It happened while he was portraying Billy the Kid on the NBC series The Tall Man.

“Congress debated the fact that Billy the Kid was a killer, and that I was playing him as a hero on television, which they thought wasn’t good for children. So, they pressured NBC to take The Tall Man off the air.”

But Congress couldn’t kill Clu’s career. He was constantly in demand as a guest star in movies and television. I first met Clu at the 2013 Western Film Festival, and I will always remember his wry sense of humor and cowboy charisma. Clu Gulager died on August 5th. He was 93.

 

 

Angela Lansbury

Geoffrey Rush referred to Dame Angela Lansbury as “The Living Definition of Range.” It’s an appropriate description for a woman who could play anything from a teapot to a communist conspirator. Angela was nominated for her first Oscar at age 17, and went on to win a slew of Tony awards for smash Broadway hits like Gypsy and Mame. But she will best be remembered as a middle-aged author turned sleuth in the long-running CBS series, Murder She Wrote.

I first met Angela at an event which I produced and moderated for the Television Academy back in 2006. She wanted me to call her Angie, but I refused. I told her it wouldn’t be dignified. She laughed. At one point I asked her what impact her portrayal of Jessica Fletcher had on women of her generation.

“I started Murder She Wrote when I was 59 years old, coming up to 60, and I was lucky to fall into an extraordinary role, a role model for women of my age. Women had never been represented in the way Jessica Fletcher approached her middle age, and for the first time, those women really counted for something. They became fascinated by what was possible for women of our age to attain.”

Dame Angela Lansbury died on October 11. She was 96 years old.

 

 

My wife Pam says that I complain all the time about a host of random things. I tell her that I’m not complaining, rather, I’m just reporting to her what I observe. She then usually tells me what I can do with my observations. And so, after spending the past week telling everyone what I’m thankful for, I thought I would mention some of the things I’m not so thankful for. Here then are a few of my pet peeves. Perhaps some of them are on your list too.

Infinitely scrolling screens on a web page I’m trying to read

If I could find the person who invented this “feature”, I would tie him to a chair in front of his computer for 24 hours straight and force him to try and read important articles that keep disappearing from view. Either that or have the police charge him with a moving violation.  

Robocalls

I don’t care what the phone company representatives tell you, NOTHING you do will stop unwanted robocalls. When I was in my early 60s, I was bombarded with calls about Medicare, but now that I’m actually on Medicare, I’m bombarded with calls about car warranties. It’s probably the same people making both calls who figure that old people and cars break down at about the same time.

Breaking news

CNN does a great job covering elections and live disasters, but they get low marks for hyperbole. Not everything is breaking news, yet CNN can’t go five minutes without flashing an alert on screen about a politician, pop star, or social media influencer. I’m sorry, but the only thing about Britney Spears that would ever qualify as breaking news is if she suddenly learned how to sing. 

Fast Food employees who fight among themselves

Normally I could care less if fast food employees don’t get along with each other, but when they have a major fight in front of me, and don’t get around to handing me my fries until they’ve gotten cold, then that bothers me. I won’t mention where this happens, but the name of the company begins with “Arby’s”.

Prescription pet food

Years ago, our veterinarian recommended Hill’s Science Diet for our standard poodles, both of whom have sensitive stomachs. The food seems to help, so I have no complaint about the high price, but I do have a problem with the manufacturer requiring that I get a prescription to buy their product. The fact is, there is no medicine in Hill’s Science Diet, so the only reason for requiring a prescription is if the company fears that my dogs and I will extract the ingredients and make meth. Wait a minute, I’m confused. I must be thinking of what my dogs do with Sudafed.

People who park too close

My car is pretty old, but I still try to keep it from getting dinged, so I always try and park way away from everyone. The other day I found a remote spot in a Harris Teeter lot that left three spaces free on either side of me. When I returned to my car a half hour later, all of the spaces were still vacant except for the one right next to me. Unbelievably someone had bypassed all of the free spaces and parked so close to me that I almost couldn’t get my door open. My wife says the other driver wasn’t out to get me, but I can’t help but think it was one of those Arby’s employees.

Apps are everywhere

While I don’t have a smartphone, I do recognize that apps play a vital role in today’s society. For example, apps can give you direct access to your healthcare providers, or allow you to check out the latest news and weather from streaming services like “WFMY+.” But sometimes apps make me angry. Like the time Pam and I went into a sandwich shop and the only way I could buy her a Coke was if I had loaded an app into the smartphone that I don’t have. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but that sandwich shop can kiss my app.

Surly clerks

The other day I was in the check-out line of a major chain store (who has the letters C, V, & S in its name), and I had to summon an employee to take my money. When she arrived, she said, “I can’t just stand behind the register. I have more important things to do.” Silly me, but I thought the most important thing for a retail store to do is to sell products. Oh well. Maybe she was just having a bad day, or perhaps she used to work at Arby’s. 

Anyway, now you know a few of my pet peeves. Send us yours and I’ll personally load them onto an infinitely scrolling screen where they can be partially viewed.

 
 

Presidents are only human, so they make mistakes. No, I’m not talking about Bill Clinton hooking up with Monica Lewinski, or Joe Biden introducing Kamala Harris as “the President”. I’m talking about John Kennedy, and how he misread history, unintentionally insulted the Commonwealth of Virginia, and was compelled to make amends.

The story begins on Wednesday December 4, 1619. That’s the day 38 English settlers from the London Company navigated their ship down the James River and onto Berkeley Hundred (Harrison’s Landing), in what is now Charles City, Virginia, just 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, which had been settled twelve years prior. The landing party was led by Captain John Woodlief, who, as prescribed in the company charter, ordered a day of Thanksgiving to be observed upon their arrival, and every December 4th thereafter.

Over time, Berkeley became known for its historic firsts. The first bourbon whiskey was made there in 1621 (by a preacher no less). “Taps” was played for the first time while the Union army was encamped at Berkeley in 1862. And, of course, it was the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. More on that in a moment.

In 1907 Berkeley was purchased by John Jamieson who had served as a Union drummer boy during the army’s encampment at the plantation. Ownership later fell to his son (and my friend) Malcolm, who passed away in 1997. Mac loved Berkeley and was aggressive in marketing the historic site, including through the use of promotional videos and commercials which I helped to produce. He invited the public to tour the house and grounds, sold Berkeley boxwoods and bourbon, and held an annual Thanksgiving pageant which attracted tourists from across the country. But the celebration wasn’t always widely recognized.

One hundred years after his father beat the Yankee drums at Berkeley, Mac was upset by something another Yankee did. In the fall of 1962, President Kennedy issued his yearly Thanksgiving Proclamation in which he recognized his home state of Massachusetts as the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. And so, on November 9th of that year, Virginia state Senator John Wicker was prompted by Mac to write to the President, and point out Kennedy’s faux pas. In his telegram, Wicker referenced historical records about Berkeley’s celebration, which took place one full year before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620.

Later that year, Kennedy confidant and noted historian Arthur Schlesinger sent a reply to Wicker with a tongue-in-cheek apology from the President. According to Berkeley records, Schlesinger “attributed the error to unconquerable New England bias on the part of the White House staff.”

The following year, on November 5, 1963, President Kennedy had to eat crow during his annual Thanksgiving proclamation, saying, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia and Massachusetts, far from home, in a lonely wilderness, set aside a day of thanksgiving.” Kennedy’s New England bias wouldn’t allow him to disavow Plymouth entirely, but Mac was happy that Berkeley finally gained official recognition for holding the first Thanksgiving, even if it was a shared honor. Sadly, it was to be Kennedy’s last proclamation. He was assassinated seventeen days later in Dallas.

The holiday season is now upon us, and, after having canceled in-person gatherings during the pandemic, most families will re-unite around the same table this year. And, despite the personal and financial losses we might have endured over the past few years, we will find a way to give thanks for what we have and who we are with. Perhaps we would also do well to emulate those weary English settlers, and just be thankful for surviving another day of our long journey. So, here’s a Berkeley bourbon toast to Captain Woodlief, a little drummer boy, old Mac, and to that Yankee president who finally set the record straight.

God bless, and Happy Thanksgiving.
 
 

The state of Georgia is in the spotlight these days because neither Senate candidate garnered enough votes to avoid a run-off, which will take place next month. No matter who wins, though, the contest itself has been significant because both candidates are Black. In a sense it is a victory for diversity in the very heart of the Confederacy, but not only there. These days our entire political landscape is awash in candidates of color. And while other pastimes and industries have room for improvement, most of them have also made considerable progress when it comes to racial equity, with one exception: baseball.  

As you know, the World Series recently concluded with Houston beating Philadelphia. But you may not be aware that there were no US-born Black players on either team, and that hasn’t happened since 1950. Soon thereafter, there were plenty of Black ball players that kids like me could idolize. Guys like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, and Willie McCovey. In fact, I was inspired to play first base because of McCovey, and I even tried to copy his batting stance. I was not alone. Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Black kids flocked to baseball, creating a pipeline of minority talent in a sport that had once been dominated by white players. But as basketball became increasingly more popular, kids of color turned away from our national pastime. Gradually the pipeline was broken. According to CNN, the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport recently reported that back in 1991, Black players comprised 18% of MLB teams. Today it’s a startling 7%.

To their credit, Major League Baseball has been trying to fix the problem, with initiatives like their “Dream Series”, which has resulted in four of this year’s top five draft picks being African American. But the pipeline is still in need of repair. Tony Reagins, MLB’s chief diversity officer told CNN’s Jalen Brown that, “The key is getting players from the youth leagues to college where they can be seen by scouts.” But that’s a big challenge for two reasons. First, because Black kids comprise only about 5% of college baseball rosters, and second, because youth leagues themselves are struggling to attract young players of color.

True enough, today’s African American youth are drawn more to basketball than baseball because the former is more popular than the latter. But there’s also a financial component to consider. No special uniform or equipment is required to play in a pick-up game of roundball, but it costs money to play youth baseball. For one thing, baseball equipment is a lot more expensive than it used to be and can be out of reach for struggling families of color. Meanwhile, there’s the problem of access. According to Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity & Ethics in Sports, baseball fields are not common in urban areas, and those that exist are usually in poor condition. 

The general consensus is that local communities need to make a concerted effort to encourage and support minority participation in youth baseball leagues, not just because a few more kids might make it to the big leagues, but because of what the sport of baseball can teach them about life, both on and off the field. 

It’s hard to believe now, but in 1965, 14 kids from Pacoima, California became the first all-Black team to get to the Little League World Series, and they didn’t get there alone. It took community support. Fifty-seven years later, no one from the US who looks like them played in the Major League World Series. This is one time when we need to look backward for a strategy on how to move forward.