Triad Today

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 three main 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 out of work, 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 that 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, medication and 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 s 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 also 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.

Say YES to Education Guilford provides qualified students with college scholarships, and much more. Say YES to Education Guilford 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. Say YES relies in part upon donations from companies and individuals. To learn more about scholarships, or to make a donation, visit SayYesGuilford.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.

 
 

Throughout this past year, I had the unenviable task of writing a number of 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. Here are some excerpts from those columns.

 

 

DAWN WELLS

In the annuals of pop culture there have been three great debates: Coke or Pepsi?, Ford or Chevy?, and Ginger or Mary Ann? The answers to the first two questions may never be settled, but the third is a no-brainer. The overwhelming majority of men and women everywhere prefer girl-next-door Mary Ann Summers, a fictional character from the ‘60s comedy series, Gilligan’s Island, played expertly by Dawn Wells. Dawn was a stage and screen actress, a teacher, and author of What Would Mary Ann Do? Dawn Wells passed away on December 30 from complications of COVID. She was 82.

I first met Dawn in 2013 when she attended the Western Film Festival in Winston-Salem. We re-connected five years later when she performed at the High Point Theatre to promote her book.

 

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JL: Why did you write the book in the first place?

DW: Because we don’t have a Mary Ann today, and I think it’s very difficult being a parent, or a best friend. There’s no guidelines. But there still needs to be a guideline behind it, and I think that’s Mary Ann. Above all, don’t lose the values you’ve been raised with.

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That’s pretty good advice from America’s girl next door. Rest in peace, Dawn.

 

 

HAL HOLBROOK

During his storied career, Hal Holbrook portrayed, among other things, a President, a Senator, a Secretary of State, and a Deep Throat whistleblower, all of whom spoke eloquently about life, politics, and the human condition. But it was Hal himself who often articulated views that were befitting of the characters he played, such as this gem from a private conversation we had in 2013:

“What’s more important in a democracy, that somebody should become a billionaire at the expense of others, or that people who run things should make sure that the people of the United States have work, and can feed their families?”

Hal the philosopher was most famous for his award-winning and long-running one-man show Mark Twain Tonight, which he first tried out on local stages around the country.

 

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Hal: The first time we performed a Twain number was in the suicide ward of the Chillicothe insane asylum, and the next time we did it was for the Kiwanis in Newark, Ohio.

Jim: What was the difference between the Kiwanis and the asylum patients?

Hal: Well, mainly we didn’t know which ones were nuts.”

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I first got to know Hal through his wife, the late Dixie Carter (Designing Women) who had participated in a panel I convened for the Television Academy back in 2000. Hal and I stayed in touch after that, and then we met up in Greensboro when he was in town to perform Twain at the Carolina Theatre.

It’s unfortunate that Hal never was a Senator or a President in real life, but he left us with a body of work that entertained and inspired us, and we are better for having experienced it. Hal Holbrook passed away on January 23. He was 95.

 

 

CLORIS LEACHMAN

I had only known Cloris Leachman for less than 30 minutes when she asked me to take off my clothes. More on that in a moment, but suffice to say it was one of those things that sort of sticks in your head, much like everything Cloris did, and she did a lot. Cloris passed away on January 26. She was 94.

Cloris is best known as Phyllis Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and for playing the same character in her own series, Phyllis. But Leachman left her mark on the big screen as well, starring in everything from comedies like Young Frankenstein, to dramatic films such as The Last Picture Show, for which she won an Oscar. She also picked up nine Emmys along the way.

I first met Cloris in May of 2008 when she participated in “A Mother’s Day Salute to TV Moms”, which I produced and moderated for the Television Academy. Needless to say, Cloris took over the event and kept everyone in stitches. She talked about the time she posed naked for a health magazine and then suggested that I disrobe right there on stage in front of 800 people. Cloris was wild alright, but she was always in control when it came to her acting, no matter the part.

 

 

JOHNNY CRAWFORD

Much has been said about the importance of adult role models, and the positive impact they can have on children. But for those of us little buckaroos who grew up in the 1950s, there was no finer role model than Johnny Crawford, himself just a kid when he starred as Mark McCain on the hit TV series The Rifleman. On screen, Johnny seemed like a great guy, so we just assumed he was like that in real life. Turns out, we were right. Johnny could ride and rope with the best of them. He was a talented actor and an accomplished musician. He had a genuine smile and a genuine interest in people. He had a great sense of humor and an even greater sense of humility. He was the kind of guy you wanted to be like, whether you watched him as a kid or got to know him as an adult. I was lucky. I got to do both.

In his later years, Johnny was a fan favorite at nostalgia conventions, while continuing to conduct his band and act. In 2019, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and he died on April 29, 2021, after battling COVID, and a bout of pneumonia. Johnny Crawford was 75 years old.

I met Johnny in 2014 when he attended the Western Film Festival in Winston-Salem, and in the years since I would call him on his birthday and exchange holiday cards. Our last conversation was just prior to his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and we talked about his cameo role in a film in which he portrayed silent movie star, William S. Hart.

There were plenty of TV cowboys who I enjoyed watching as a kid, but it was Johnny Crawford who I wanted to hang out with. Six decades later I finally got my chance, and he didn’t disappoint. A real role model never does.

 

 

NORMAN LLOYD

In his 20s, Norman Lloyd was directed on stage by Orson Welles. In his 30s, he was directed in films by Charlie Chaplin and Alfred Hitchcock. In his 50s and 60s, he produced and directed award-winning episodic television, and in his 70s, Norman won acclaim starring on St. Elsewhere. In his 80s, he was directed by Martin Scorsese, and in his 90s, he co-starred with the likes of George Clooney and Cameron Diaz. Norman had a distinctly regal voice and a distinctly wicked sense of humor. He was a great storyteller and an even greater listener. And I’ve never known anyone to match his energy level. Set designer Roy Christopher once remarked, “Norman’s creative motor was always running.” I guess that’s why I always thought Norman would live forever but forever came too soon. He passed away on the morning of May 11. Norman Lloyd was 106 years old.

I first got to know Norman nearly 30 years ago when I was doing research for a series of articles on St. Elsewhere, and we stayed in touch from then on. I will always cherish our telephone visits, including one which occurred on his 100th birthday.

 

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JL: Has anyone ever offered you a part in a film in which you would have to appear nude?

Lloyd: No, I’ve never been that fortunate [laughs]. If I had, my career would have ascended. It would have been enormous. I would, of course, have had a great fan club of the female persuasion.

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GAVIN MACLEOD

In the early 1980s when The Love Boat was navigating prime time waters, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show and McHale’s Navy were still in re-runs, an Entertainment Tonight poll named Gavin MacLeod (who starred in all three shows) the most recognized man on TV. If they had taken a poll of the most likable star, he would have topped that list too. Truth is, everybody liked Gavin.

I first got to know Gavin back in 2013 when I interviewed him about his newly released autobiography, “This is Your Captain Speaking”: My Fantastic Voyage Through Hollywood, Faith, and Life. He was 82 at the time, and I asked him why he waited so long to write his memoirs. Said Gavin, “I only have a few years left, and I wanted to do it while I could still remember.” In the years since then, we stayed in touch, and I always enjoyed our conversations. Sadly, I will no longer have the privilege of speaking with one of the nicest men I’ve ever known. Gavin passed away on May 29 of this year. He was 90.

I once asked Gavin to recall his first acting experience, and he told me he played the part of a little boy trying to decide what to give his Mom for Mother’s Day. And why was he cast in that role? “Because I had just won the Charming Child contest by the New York Daily Mirror.” Gavin was in kindergarten then, and his performance was a huge success. “The audience applauded and I thought, ‘they like me! I want to do more of this.’” Lucky for us he did.

 

 

ED ASNER

I would imagine that most wealthy nonagenarians spend their days relaxing at the beach or at their mountain villa, but not Ed Asner. After appearing in over 150 TV shows, 70 films, and countless plays, Ed had, at the time of his death, no less than 15 projects in the works. Of course, anyone who knew Ed wasn’t surprised by his energy or his level of professional activity. It’s what we expected from the man whose blue-collar upbringing taught him the value of hard work. Ed passed away on August 29. He was 91.

Ed was best known for portraying Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and then playing the same character in his own series, Lou Grant. He then became the only actor to ever win an Emmy for playing the same role in two different series, and he won seven Emmys in all.

I first got to know Ed back in 2010 when he was filming Elephant Sighs in North Carolina and stopped by to tape an episode of Triad Today. We stayed in touch regularly by phone after that, including discussions about politics and his reason for writing The Grouchy Historian: An Old Time Lefty Defends Our Constitution Against Right-Wing Hypocrites and Nutjobs, which was published in 2017.

 

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Jim: What would it take for you to stop being grouchy?

Ed: I don’t want to stop being grouchy. I think being avuncular is very attractive, and I like filling those shoes, so mind your own God damn business! [both laugh]

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BETTY LYNN

Betty Lynn was a busy character actress in Hollywood long before being cast in The Andy Griffith Show as Thelma Lou, the girlfriend of Sheriff Andy’s Deputy Barney Fife. Over the years, she visited Mt. Airy several times and had fallen in love with the town and its people. So, after her house in Los Angeles kept getting burglarized, she relocated to the town that inspired Thelma Lou’s Mayberry. That was in 2007, and ever since, she gave of her time and talents to promote the TV show and her adopted hometown. That commitment included attending every Mayberry Days Festival, and appearing once a week at the Andy Griffith Museum where she signed autographs for adoring fans. Mt. Airy’s ambassador continued to give of herself until illness and old age would no longer permit it. Betty Lynn passed away on October 17. She was 95 years old.

I first met Betty in 2008 when she enthusiastically agreed to appear on Triad Today. She was a delightful human being, and I enjoyed being with her. At the end of our interview I said, “I hope you don’t mind when I slip and call you Thelma Lou.” Betty leaned over, kissed me on the cheek and said, “Oh no. I love Thelma Lou.” So do we, Betty. Rest in peace, my friend.

 

 

The good news for senior citizens is that starting next year, they will see an increase in their monthly social security check. The bad news is they will also see an increase in their Medicare part B premium. And so goes the shell game being run by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the FDA, and their not so silent partner, Big Pharma.

Last month, CMS announced that the average Medicare Part B premium would rise by just over $21 per month. That may not seem like much to some folks, but to others living on a fixed income, it might as well be $1,000 per month. That’s one problem. The other is that the increase is being driven by a single drug that may or may not be effective, and may or may not even be prescribed. That drug is Aduhelm, and it is made by those stellar humanitarians at Biogen.

Biogen claims that Aduhelm can reduce plaque in the brain, and could, therefore, slow the rate of dementia. The company also says the cost of the drug (which must be administered intravenously) is about $56,000 per year. Never mind that it won’t cure Alzheimer’s, might not even retard it, and, according to some independent sources, is grossly overpriced. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that last year, an FDA advisory panel voted against recommending Aduhelm’s approval, “citing flaws in Biogen’s studies.” Also, Biogen executives are under Congressional investigation for improper contact with FDA officials.

Those of us who have family members with Alzheimer’s would like nothing better than to know that a new miracle drug exists, but Aduhelm isn’t that miracle. It isn’t even close. What’s more, Biogen has apparently inflated the cost of the drug to such a degree, that it is now driving an increase in monthly premiums for every senior citizen, even if no one ever uses Aduhelm. In fact, CMS officials told the AP that half the increase in next year’s Medicare Part B premiums is “due to contingency planning IF the program ultimately has to cover Aduhelm.”

This all begs the question, who the hell is overseeing CMS? Supposedly that job falls to the House subcommittee on Health, so I was going to call North Carolina representative George Butterworth who sits on that committee. But, alas, Butterworth is retiring, plus, according to GovTrack, he has been investigated for pocketing the difference “between his requested travel per diems, and the amount he actually spent.” On second thought, maybe he wouldn’t have been the best person to expose price gouging.

It should be noted, however, that Congress is considering a compromise bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, and, if passed, that could go a long way toward neutralizing alleged price gouging companies like Biogen. But in the case of Aduhelm, the new legislation wouldn’t help because Democrats on the Hill had to agree to exclude all newly launched drugs from the negotiating process. Call me reactionary, but all this seems a lot like elder abuse.

 
 

Presidents are only human, so they make mistakes. No, I’m not talking about Bill Clinton hooking up with Monica Lewinski, or Joe Biden falling asleep at a global climate conference. 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 because of the lingering pandemic, many of us will still forego our traditional Thanksgiving gatherings. We’ll celebrate with loved ones via Zoom, Skype, and old fashioned phone calls, and we’ll remember those who are no longer with us. And, despite the tragedies and restrictions of 2020 and 2021, we will find a way to give thanks for what we have and who we’re 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.
 
 

If you watch enough old movies, you know that there are two types of bank robberies. The first kind is where the bad guys wait until the middle of the night when folks are asleep, then break into the bank and dynamite the safe. Then there’s the other kind of caper, where the bad guys are so bold and arrogant, that they rob the bank in broad daylight. The latter approach is a real insult to the townsfolk because not only are you stealing their money, you’re also thumbing your nose at them while you’re fleecing them. That’s how it is with Republican legislators in Raleigh every time they commence to re-draw the state’s congressional districts. Last week they did it again.

Thanks to the latest U.S. Census, North Carolina picked up an additional seat in Congress, which will bring our total delegation to fourteen representatives next year. According to the State Board of Elections, there are more Democrats registered to vote than there are Republicans. In fact, GOP registration (1.5 million) comes in third behind Dems (2.1 million) and unaffiliated voters (2 million). And so, you’d think that when the new district lines are drawn, there’d be a majority Democrats, for example, an 8-to-6 split. But a funny thing happened on the way to the drawing board. Republican lawmakers have come up with a new map that could easily give them eleven congressmen to the Dems’ three. How is that possible? One word: gerrymandering.

Instead of grouping entire counties into a single congressional district, the GOP map as proposed, carves up counties in such a messy way that it would make a butcher cringe. For example, Kathy Manning currently represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes all of Guilford and most of Forsyth, and takes in all three of the Triad’s largest cities, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. But according to initial reports, the GOP map would divide Guilford county into three separate districts, and pit Manning against Watauga’s Virginia Foxx.

Groups like the NAACP and Common Cause believe the GOP map would make it unfairly difficult for Democrats and minorities to win a seat in Congress, and they have filed suit to ask that racial data be considered when drawing the new districts, so as to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. Meanwhile, elected officials are openly complaining about the corrupt system of gerrymandering.

“It’s not coincident that it’s only in the urban areas that you subject these counties to that kind of treatment,” said Senator Dan Blue of Wake County. And Manning added, “The proposed lines are not a reflection of the best interests of North Carolina but rather, an offering to the national Republican party.”

A few years ago, a class of 8th graders at a Pennsylvania middle school was given the assignment to draw an equitable congressional map. In short order, they divided up districts according to population while respecting county boundaries as much as possible. It was hailed as a blueprint for ensuring fair and balanced representation among races and political parties. Clearly what we need here in North Carolina is a bunch of kids to draw our new congressional map. The problem is there’s never an 8th grader around when you need one.

 
 

When most folks start a new job, they expect to enjoy an uneventful period of quiet transition, with plenty of time to settle in. Not so for Tricia McManus, who is just now winding up her first year as superintendent of the Winston-Salem Forsyth County schools. And what a year it has been. From day one she was faced with transitioning students from pandemic-related at-home learning, back to the classroom, all the while keeping an eye on COVID surges and variants that could affect who could return and when. Then came heated debate over mask mandates, followed by politically fueled battles over vaccines. McManus then had to deal with the fatal shooting of one student by another, while keeping an eye on TikTok challenges that encouraged vandalism and assault. I kept waiting for things to settle down so I could invite her to appear on Triad Today, but even on the day we scheduled our interview, she first had to avert a strike by school bus drivers, and then meet with students. Fortunately, Tricia McManus has boundless energy, and a genuine positive attitude about everyone and everything. It’s no wonder that school board member Dana Caudill Jones said of McManus, “She’s the perfect leader for our district.”

I caught up with Tricia recently at the WSFCS Cable 2 studio, and we taped a segment for Triad Today. Here are a few highlights of our conversation.

 

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JL: You graduated from the University of South Florida, and later became assistant superintendent of Hillsborough schools, so I’m assuming you have deep roots in Florida.

TM: [smiles] Born and raised in Tampa.

JL: Who or what led you to a career in education?

TM: Both of my parents had degrees in education, and my father was a physical education teacher for his entire career, that was over 40 years. He was also the winningest high school football coach in Hillsborough County up until the time he passed. But he was an amazing educator, and the stories he would tell us, the summers we spent with him at the gym, education was just in our blood. As a result, five of the eight children in our family are educators.

JL: You were named interim superintendent last November, then took over the post officially in February of this year, and had to hit the ground running because of the pandemic. We’re still not out of the woods yet, but give me your assessment of how the school system has weathered the COVID storm thus far.

TM: Last year our district staff really rose to the occasion with response to everything from feeding our families when we were not in school, to making sure our schools were equipped to return in a safe manner. They responded to every single protocol, from removing furniture, to our custodians keeping buildings clean. There was a huge amount of work, and our staff were absolutely amazing. Still, it was not an ideal situation. Many of our students struggled last year with the isolation and not being in school the full year, and so our academic results have declined.

JL: But you need to put an asterisk behind those statistics because what happened was nobody’s fault.

TM: Absolutely. It happened everywhere across the country, but it is still impactful to our students. There have also been a lot of issues around trauma and mental health, and families dealing with loss, and all of the changes that occurred are real for our students as they returned this year. And so yes, as you said, it’s not over. We’re still dealing with COVID, and with all of the protocols and procedures that come with that. But I will say that even with all those challenges, we are educators, and educators are strong and resilient, and we are here for our students. So that keeps us moving forward even amidst the challenges.

JL: As you know, there are more guns in circulation in America than there are people, so it’s not surprising that kids have access to guns. Nevertheless, what steps are you taking to at least keep guns out of schools?

TM: Sadly those are not new statistics. Guns have been in schools for a long time, but the good news is that every time we’ve had one, they’ve been reported, and so when kids know something, they’re saying something, and that’s amazing.

JL: What’s the most gratifying thing about your job?

TM: It’s being in a classroom with kids. It’s seeing our students smiling. It’s seeing them engaged in learning, and it’s seeing them interact with staff in a positive way. It’s seeing our students be successful. That’s what it’s all about.

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No doubt Andy Griffith is Mt. Airy’s most famous native son. After all, he created The Andy Griffith Show, a TV series set in a fictional version of his hometown, which has aired continuously since 1960. Andy is also revered in Mt. Airy because when NAFTA all but killed the furniture and textile industries there, the town fathers parlayed the popularity of Andy’s iconic television show into a life-imitating-art tourism destination. There are Mayberry-themed shops and diners along Main Street. There’s a life-like statue of Andy and Opie adorning the grounds of the Andy Griffith Playhouse and museum. And, every year the Mayberry Days festival attracts fans from all over the world. Yet for all that his namesake has done for Mt. Airy, Andy himself was never a hands-on cheerleader for his hometown. He never attended a single Mayberry Days festival, and rarely returned to Surry County for public events. Instead, the title of Mt. Airy’s cultural ambassador belongs to Betty Lynn, an unassuming actress who played Thelma Lou, the girlfriend of Sheriff Andy’s Deputy Barney Fife, played by Don Knotts.

Born in Kansas City Missouri, Betty Lynn followed in her mother’s footsteps and pursued a career in show business, first by traveling with a USO tour, then landing supporting roles on Broadway. The entire country finally got their first look at Betty in 1948 when she had a small role in the film Sitting Pretty, and, after that, more movie appearances followed. She also found regular work in episodic television before being cast as Thelma Lou, a character who came to symbolize the ideal girlfriend for every knuckle-headed guy in America.

Over the years, Betty had visited Mt. Airy several times, and had fallen in love with the town and its people. So, after her house in Los Angeles kept getting burglarized, she relocated to the town that inspired Thelma Lou’s Mayberry. That was in 2007, and ever since, she has given her time and talents to promote the TV show and her adopted hometown. That commitment included attending every Mayberry Days Festival, and appearing once a week at the Andy Griffith Museum where she signed autographs for adoring fans. Mt. Airy’s ambassador continued to give of herself until illness and old age would no longer permit it. Betty Lynn passed away on October 17. She was 95 years old.

I first met Betty in 2008 when she enthusiastically agreed to appear on my Triad Today show (video available at JimLongworth.com). Here are a few highlights of our conversation:

 

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JL: Some folks think that your career began with The Andy Griffith Show, but you were already a seasoned actress before that, both on stage and in film.

BL: That’s right. 20th Century Fox brought me out from a show I did on Broadway. They tested me in New York on 8th Avenue.

JL: I was tested once on 8th Avenue, but that’s another story.

BL: [laughs] So that’s how I came out to California.

JL: How did you land the job as Thelma Lou?

BL: By then it was 1961, and I was under contract to Walt Disney Studios, doing a series called Texas John Slaughter, a western with Tom Tryon. While we were on hiatus, I got a call from the casting director, and she wanted me to come and read for a part on The Andy Griffith Show. Well, I had only seen the show twice before, and I was so impressed. I laughed out loud watching it, and I was all alone in the house. And I thought, “Oh my gosh, this is a funny show. They are really good.” So, I went in and I read for Bob Sweeney, the director, and Aaron Ruben, the producer, and when I finished they said, “We’d love to have you do this role”. And I said, “Well I’d love to, but I’m under contract with Walt Disney,” but in the meantime Disney dropped our show.

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Disney’s loss was Mayberry’s gain, yet Betty confessed that she never had a contract with the Griffith show, and instead just kept getting called back as a recurring character. Her portrayal of Thelma Lou was so beloved and memorable, however, that it seemed as though she was in our living rooms every week. In truth Betty Lynn only appeared in 26 episodes, but for the next 60 years, she embraced that iconic role and used it to help promote America’s favorite fictional town, and the real town that inspired it.

Thelma Lou and Barney finally got married in 1986 on Return to Mayberry, a highly rated TV reunion movie, but in real life, Betty Lynn never tied the knot. Nevertheless, she was blessed with a huge family of fans and friends who adored her. At the end of our interview I said, “I hope you don’t mind when I slip and call you Thelma Lou.” Betty leaned over, kissed me on the cheek and said, “Oh no. I love Thelma Lou”. So do we, Betty. Rest in peace my friend.

 
 

Although technically incorrect, I was always taught that the polite way to address a lieutenant governor is to call him or her, “Governor.” It sounds like an instant promotion, but it’s just a respectful formality, unless of course, the lieutenant governor in question abuses the title.

Earlier this month, North Carolina’s lieutenant governor Mark Robinson became an instant object of derision for remarks he made to the congregation of Asbury Baptist Church in Seagrove last summer. Speaking about the kinds of things he doesn’t want our children to be exposed to while in a school classroom, Robinson said, “There’s no reason anybody anywhere in America should be telling any child about transgenderism, homosexuality, any of that filth.”

Ever since a video of his speech was posted, Robinson has come under fire from a host of high-profile groups and individuals. They range from The Human Rights Campaign to President Biden, and all of them have called on the lieutenant governor to resign his office. Meanwhile, Gov. Roy Cooper called Robinson’s remarks “abhorrent.” But if Cooper is smart, he better only utter his criticisms of Robinson from within our state borders. That’s because according to the North Carolina Constitution, the lieutenant governor assumes the powers and responsibilities of our governor anytime the chief executive is incapacitated or leaves the state.

Of course, there’s no real worry that Robinson would ever take advantage of a Constitutional loophole. Or is there? For an answer to that question, let’s examine what happened in Idaho just two weeks ago.

While Idaho Governor Brad Little was on a fact-finding trip to the US/Mexico border, his lieutenant governor, Janice McGeachin issued several executive orders on her own authority, including one that extends a ban on COVID vaccine mandates. McGeachin also attempted to order the Idaho National Guard to the Mexico border. Fortunately, Gov. Little hurried home and rescinded all of the hare-brained actions taken by Ms. McGeachin in his absence.

Given the dangerous divisiveness in America today, we must guard against any elected official being able to implement his or her own wacky agenda, especially when they aren’t even legally elected to the office which they are usurping. In Idaho, Lt. Gov. McGeachin’s power grab was short-lived and without any real consequence. And here in North Carolina, Lt. Gov. Robinson’s homophobic views didn’t translate to executive action since Roy Cooper was still in residence. But Idaho and North Carolina may have just dodged a bullet. That’s why every state needs to amend its Constitution, so as to update and specify the conditions under which a governor can be replaced by his second-in-command.

It’s important to keep in mind that the powers of North Carolina’s lieutenant governor were created by our State Constitution in 1868. Back then if a governor traveled out of his home state, he could be gone for weeks or months with no way of enacting orders until his return. Moreover, there were no telephones in 1868. There was no texting, no emailing, and no faxing. But that was then, and this is now. Today if Roy Cooper has to leave the state, he can communicate instantly with his staff in Raleigh should the need arise. In other words, a governor in this century is not incapacitated just because he’s attending a conference a thousand miles away from home, so there’s no justification for transferring power to the lieutenant governor simply because of a temporary absence. But until our constitution can be amended, governors would do well to remember an old Mafia saying, “Keep your friends close, and your lieutenant governor even closer.”

 
 

Earlier this month former Facebook employee Frances Haugen told Congress that Facebook has a negative impact on teenagers, creates divisiveness, and consistently chooses profit over safety. During her testimony up on Capitol Hill, Haugen produced thousands of internal documents containing some rather alarming data. For example, 13.5% of teenage girls said Instagram worsens suicidal thoughts, and 17% said Instagram contributes to their eating disorders. Ms. Haugen also likened the addictive nature of Facebook and Instagram to that of cigarettes. Not surprisingly she called on Congress to reign in, regulate, and reform the social media giant. But as harmful as Facebook can be to kids, there is another platform that may be worse. It’s called TikTok.

TikTok is a social networking service that encourages young people across the globe to produce and post all sorts of narcissistic videos. Granted, most of the videos are merely obnoxious, but others are obscene, cruel, and encourage violent behavior. The latest TikTok craze is a series of challenges whereby students are encouraged to vandalize school property and worse. One such challenge tells students to have a bowel movement, then smear their feces on school walls. A Triad area parent recently told me about a student in her son’s school who took the challenge, and engaged in fecal smearing, then got caught when someone posted the dirty deed on video. Ironically, the mother of the vandal wasn’t upset about the fecal incident, rather she was angry that once the video went viral, her son had to endure cyberbullying from students who disapproved of the boy’s stunt.

And then there’s the “Devious Licks Challenge” and “Slap a Teacher Challenge” which have educators across the country concerned for their safety, and rightly so. Already a school teacher in South Carolina has been victimized by the challenge when a student slapped her in the back of the head. Then last week, a 64-year-old, wheelchair-bound teacher was attacked by a Louisiana high school student. Meanwhile, incidents of vandalism continue, with over a half dozen States reporting damage to and theft of school property. In Connecticut, these challenges have caused so much concern that Attorney General William Tong has asked TikTok executives to meet with parents and educators to work together to prevent any further incidents.

Such cooperation is certainly welcome, but I’m not so sure it will net any substantive results. For example, one school district in Oklahoma sent the following message to parents: “If your child uses social media, please talk to him/her about being socially responsible and kind.” It’s a nice thought, but a bit naïve, and probably too little too late. That’s because, as MyParentingJournal.com points out, “Parents must teach these things to their children at an early age.” Granted I grew up in the 1950s, but my parents drilled common sense into my head before I ever started school. I knew from age 5 not to cross the street unless I looked both ways first. I was taught not to get into a car with a stranger. And, I was taught to respect my elders, which included not slapping them in the back of the head. And please don’t tell me that I’m too old to understand “influencers” just because social media didn’t exist 68 years ago. Kids have always been susceptible to influence of one kind or another, and from all sorts of people, old and young alike. However, if they learn common sense and common courtesy early on, then they are less likely to blindly follow anyone or anything that doesn’t pass the smell test (fecal smearing notwithstanding). The problem is that not even teaching a child right from wrong guarantees that those lessons will stick. According to AConsciousRethink.com, “Some people are better at judging cause and effect than others, or understanding the consequences of their actions.” Of course, that’s true, which is all the more reason to believe that emails to parents won’t solve this problem.

Just as Frances Haugen called on Congress to reform Facebook, so too must we demand that TikTok and all other such platforms be regulated. Fortunately, our elected officials are finally becoming woke to the dangers of social media, and hopefully, their new found awareness will lead to a swift crack-down on anyone who presents or facilitates the dissemination of harmful material. So, beware TikTok, your day of reckoning may be coming soon. The handwriting is on your fecally smeared wall.

 
 

By the time I was a junior in high school, I had already embarked on a career in broadcasting. My first job was as a weekend announcer at WSJS radio in Winston-Salem. I was jazzed about the work, and all I could think about was landing a full-time position and skipping college. But no one in my extended family had ever graduated from college, and I knew it would mean a lot to my parents for me to be the first. Nevertheless, I was not going to give up my weekend job, so that meant I would need to attend a college that was close to work. That’s when I decided to drop by the UNCG admissions office and see if they would take me. Then as now, I was not particularly good-looking, but the woman who greeted me just about leapt out of her chair when she saw me. I was flattered until I found out the reason for her excitement. Not only did UNCG want me to enroll, they NEEDED me to enroll. That’s because the University was still transitioning from single-gender to coed, and on the day of my visit, women outnumbered men by a ratio of 7 to 1. It was a win/win for everyone. UNCG landed another male student, and I was able to keep my radio job, work at the campus TV station, and get a college degree. I apologize for boring you with my personal story, but I promise there is a more universal point to this saga.

UNCG’s coed transition aside, that same year, a national survey showed that men comprised 59% of all college students, and women comprised 41%. But a not-so-funny thing happened over the next 50 years. Last week, Scott Galloway, clinical professor of marketing at the New York University Stern School of Business, told CNN’s Michael Smerconish that college enrollment is now 60% female and 40% male, with every indication that the latter figure will continue to decline. In fact, these days, there are one million more women applying to college than men. According to Galloway, we are experiencing the largest gender gap in the history of American higher education, and that gap has created “mating inequality” in our society.

“College educated women are not interested in mating with men who don’t have college degrees,” said Galloway. Ouch!

Clearly, today’s young men don’t value college as much as previous generations did. And while the cost of a college degree and resulting debt is a possible deterrent, it is also true that many of today’s males are just not very motivated, and that concerns Galloway.

“Uneducated men pose a risk to our economy and our society. If you look at the most unstable, violent societies in the world, they all have one thing in common: they have young, depressed men who aren’t attaching to work, aren’t attaching to school, and aren’t attaching to relationships. The most dangerous person in the world is a broke and alone male, and we are producing too many of them.”

Galloway’s warning implies that the only time these lonely males get off their parents’ sofa is when they engage in hacking, insurrection, or some other anti-social activity, and that is both really scary and really sad. I don’t know what it’s going to take to motivate these guys in a positive direction, except to remind them as often as possible that they have value and potential, and that somewhere, there’s an admissions counselor who would be excited to see them walk through her door.

 
 

Back in the 1960s, Fletcher’s Castoria ran a TV ad that compared the benefit of their laxative versus the number of prunes you’d have to eat each day to stay regular. It asked the question, “Is three enough? Is six too many?” Prunes aside, that commercial said a lot about common sense limits, and it harkened back to Benjamin Franklin’s suggestion that we do everything in moderation. Of course, there’s a difference between setting limits that only affect our own lives, versus those that affect everyone. And that brings me to politics. Unfortunately, the teachings of Fletcher and Franklin are lost on those of us who keep re-electing the same people over and over again, without any regard for the power that they amass, or the dangers and inefficiencies of the government that they run.

Here in North Carolina, for example, there are twice as many Democrats and Unaffiliated voters than there are registered Republicans. Yet thanks to gerrymandering, Republicans control the state legislature and have been free to pass a number of laws that are prejudicial to Democrats, Blacks, the LGBTQ community, and even to small-town newspapers. The only way to break this cycle of repression and suppression is to allow every citizen to vote on a Constitutional Amendment that would limit the terms of state lawmakers. In the meantime, we also need to put limits on the number of days the General Assembly is allowed to be in session, and restore the concept of a part-time citizen legislature.

The North Carolina General Assembly has been in session since January, and, as of a few days ago, they still had not finalized a budget, allocated the surplus, or re-drawn district voting lines. Not only that, but, as columnist Tom Campbell noted recently, it costs taxpayers about $850,000 per month just to keep the session running. That’s almost $7.7 million dollars we’ve spent for these politicians to spar with one another and accomplish very little. But isn’t that pretty much normal for every state? No, it’s not.

Currently, 39 of the 50 states have constitutional amendments in place that limit the number of days their legislators can be in session. Most often those limits are in the 60 to 90-day range, unlike North Carolina, which allows our lawmakers to stick around Raleigh like ticks on a hound. Nevertheless, our legislature is still considered to be a part-time body, as opposed to those that are full-time, such as California, New York, and eight other states. According to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) lawmakers in the ten full-time states spend 84% of their time on the job, and are paid an average of $82,000. That compares to legislators in part-time states like North Carolina, who spend 74% of their time on the job and are paid an average of $41,000. In that sense, I suppose we’re getting a bargain, but the point is that we don’t need our elected state officials to spend so much time on legislative business.

 
 

If there was a competition for the “Most Enthusiastic CEO”, Jennifer Wilcox would be a finalist for sure. Though still new to the job of Chief Executive Officer (she was hired in late July), Jennifer is both leader and cheerleader for Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, an organization that stretches across 40 counties in North Carolina, and serves nearly 7,000 Girl Scouts. Jennifer comes by her enthusiasm for Girl Scouts honestly, as she told me during a recent segment of Triad Today.

 

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JL: You might be new to Girl Scouts in this area, but you’re not new to Girl Scouts.

JW: That’s right. I grew up in southern Indiana, and I was a Girl Scout in Jeffersonville, which is right across the river from Louisville, Kentucky. I was a Girl Scout Brownie and Junior, and I stayed in Girl Scouts until I got to middle school.

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After graduating from the University of Evansville, and obtaining a Masters from Webster University, Jennifer served as the Associate Economic Development director for her hometown of Jeffersonville, then started her own non-profit agency to promote community development throughout Indiana and Kentucky. Before long, Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana came calling and hired Jennifer as Chief Operating Officer. Most recently she served as Senior Director of National Events at Girl Scouts of the USA, where she created the first-ever virtual National Council Session during the 2020 pandemic.

 

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JL: You had great success at the national level, so what attracted you to this job?

JW: The attraction to come to North Carolina and to be a part of the Peaks to Piedmont team was really about coming home. I had a fantastic opportunity with Girl Scouts USA and got to see the global reach that we have, but I had a longing to get back to the basics of our organization, and back to the basics of our mission.

JL: I’ve learned over the years that a big part of that mission is to empower girls, so how would you describe the value of being a Girl Scout?

JW: There are so many wonderful things that girls get to take away from Girl Scouts. You get to make new friends, and you get to have fun. You also have fantastic role models and mentoring. Above all, Girl Scouts is a safe space that gives girls an opportunity to try new things that they may never have otherwise tried, and you have leaders around you, and sisters around you to support you in that space.

JL: YoYou mentioned leaders and role models. How many adult volunteers do you have now, and do you need more?

JW: We have 4,000 volunteers employed across the forty counties, but we still need more. In fact, we’re in the middle of our recruitment season, and we’re looking for both girls and adult members, so this is the perfect time to become a Girl Scout.

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To learn more about becoming a Girl Scout or an adult volunteer, visit GirlScoutsP2P.org or call 1-800 672-2148.