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the-record-columns · 6 years ago

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June 20, 2018:Columns

A Life Lesson...

By KEN WELBORN

Record Publisher

Sometimes a story comes to mind at random that just will not go away.

The piece I wrote last week about Clayton Hall and the K-33 Rocker newspaper rack made me think about another long ago story about the kindness of strangers. I want to recount it for you today.

The occasion was an auction my son, Sam, and I went to about 15 years ago in the town of Rockford in Surry County. The auction was of the personal property from the estate of one Annie Gray Seats Barnett, a sweet soul who for many years ran the Rockford General Store on The Old Rockford Road, and lived across the highway on the old Rockford train depot building. In that depot building was housed a truly amazing collection of advertising items including hundreds of old thermometers, metal signs, and banners of all descriptions. The first time I ever set foot in Annie Gray's home, I broke the commandment about coveting and never recovered.

Sam and I got to the auction about an hour before it was to begin, and set about looking around. There was a tremendous array of things I love to collect. I even found a Brame's Vapo-Mentha Salve sign which hangs in my office to this day. Among the things I found myself looking for was, of course, A Port-A-John, me being the most frequent-flyer of that airline. I found one next to an old shed below the depot building and I ended up "getting inside" and looking through the shed as well. Inside was a beautiful chest Coca-Cola cooler and many other items, but it was a two-sided metal sign which read "Barnett's Antique Shoppe." which immediately caught my fancy. I told Sam that this was the kind of thing I was looking for above all else, that is something that was made for her, something she used, and which was something which had a more than passing personal attachment to my dear friend, Annie Gray.

I made my way to one of the auctioneer's ring men and asked when they were going to sell out the contents of the little shed down the hill. After a bit, the man returned and said that stuff was NOT for sale, that it stayed with the new owners of the property.

My heart sank. At least I had met Annie Gray's family, but now I am going to have to deal with a total stranger. And he was a foreigner to boot, all the way from Winston-Salem.

Soon I met Paul Carter, a man who said he was out looking for a house one day, made a wrong turn, ended up in Rockford, and bought the Rockford General Store and the depot the same day. A pleasant seeming man, he listened intently as I told him of my love for Annie Gray Seats Barnett and my hope to preserve a bit of history that was personally hers. I then told him about the antique store sign in the shed and how very much I wanted to buy it. "I can make that happen," Mr. Carter said, "...it won't be a problem." "That's great," I blurted, "...how much do you want for it?"

I was totally unprepared for his answer. Paul Carter smiled as he told me, "Oh, Mr. Welborn, after talking with you, I wouldn't thing of charging you anything." I am sure the look on my face showed my surprise and pleasure as he continued, Take the sign. It's a gift."

I was especially pleased that my Son Sam heard this conversation. I am sure Sam was just waiting for Mr. Carter to price the sign and hear me try to get the price down.

Instead, he witnessed a man being kind to a complete stranger.

A life lesson like no other.

Acts of Love

By LAURA WELBORN

In review of last week's column about the Pulse Nightclub’s grieving relatives who came up with 49 Acts of Love to counteract the violence and perhaps prevent violent acts in the future. I was intent this whole week to think about what I could do as an act of love.

The first of the week I decided to try and pull off a reunion for Fathers Day in honor of Ken and three of his children. It meant coming up with a location so no one would have to travel over three hours. I also decided to fix Ken’s recipe of Ikey Eller’s famous barbecue chicken as each one of them had great memories growing up around cooking chicken. So I got up early Sunday morning and began the lengthy process of barbecuing.

It turned out to be a wonderful event despite the nervousness they all had about not being together for 20 plus years. They ended up having a great time comparing toes, frequent urination issues and bad driving skills that they attributed to inherited traits. And yes Ken for once was lost for words as he sat back and enjoyed watching them. I knew my act of love was successful, besides the chicken and lunch being a huge success. But I must confess it all started several years ago through an act of kindness by someone who just wanted to see a family reunited.

My next focus began when my nephew dropped in from his trip across the United States. As I talked to him I realized how lost and confused he was so I got some poster board and began to do a Life Vision Board with him. What was his life's purpose? Where did he need emotional healing? Spiritual awakening? And finally we worked on an action plan. I watched him become more focused with less anxiety as he mapped out what he wanted to accomplish in little steps in the next three months, six months and then nine months. Another act of love accomplished!

When I think back on this week I also recognize how others touched my life- to boost my spirits, give me encouragement, and confidence. I am not even sure they know how much they helped me and that they had accomplished an act of love.

Maybe there is something to what the Pulse nightclub survivors saw when they listed 49 ways to put love out in the world- and maybe it's not so much about their 49 acts but the ones we come up with ourselves.

The Daylily Man and Master Gardeners

By Carl White

Life in the Carolinas

Who do you call when you need to know what vegetables or flowers will grow where you live? If you come from a family of home gardeners or farmers, chances are you already have a good idea of what works for you. If you do not fall into this category a call to your local Cooperative Extension office can set you on the path of great discovery. If your community has an active Master Gardener program you are even more fortunate.

Master Gardeners are a true asset to our communities and without them we would be far less informed on how to plant, grow and enjoy those delightful things that spring forth from the ground.

In the Carolinas we have two excellent state programs. In South Carolina the Master Gardener program is administered by Clemson University and in North Carolina NC State University is the administrator.

Julie Flowers is with the Extension office in Gaston and Cleveland NC, which has a combined total of 150 Master Gardener’s. When ask about Daylilies she could not say enough good about Paul Owen, a world-renowned authority and Daylily hybridize that resides in Cleveland County.

Julie said Paul is always willing to help the Master Gardener program and when called upon the Master Gardeners are willing to help him as well. Not so long ago when the American Daylily Society visited Paul’s celebrated display garden he needed help prepping his gardens for the arrival of the national group. When he needed help, thirty Master Gardeners showed and met the task head on, and the gardens were perfect for the arrival of the honored guest.

It was not difficult to find people who have good things to say about Paul, his gardens and his children; that’s what he calls the nearly 300 daylilies he has hybridized and officially named.

During my research visits, I came to understand why people like Paul. He is well educated, practical, funny and driven with a passion of excellence to create something beautiful. Both his father and mother were psychologist and with a smile he said, “that should explain a lot.”

He has what he calls a win, win, win philosophy and he contributes that way of thinking with leading him to where he is now. The property and gardens that he nurtures has turned into a desirable venue for brides seeking that perfect place for the perfect wedding day. The views are outstanding, the gardens are award winning and the new couple get something that they can only get from Paul. He will name one of his new daylilies for the couple’s special day; nowhere else on earth can that happen.

One bride shared in a social post that her wedding day experience at Paul’s venue was so special that they named their first child from the event. “Lilly.”

It was early morning when we arrived with cameras for our production visit to Slightly Different Nursery in Cleveland County. The hotter June weather had set in and I was glad our production was not later in the day.

As it turns out, daylilies like the morning hours and by midmorning they are at peak bloom for the day, which was the perfect time for filming our segment that features the amazing daylilies Paul has cultivated.

We see a lot of daylilies in the Carolinas and their contribution to the beauty of our landscapes can not be denied. In a conversation with American Daylily Society’s past President Nikki Schmith, she shared with me that few people rise to the level of excellence that Paul Owen possess in professionalism, proven ideas and the willingness to push the envelope in the world of hybridizing daylilies. She said “He’s a popular speaker that knows what he is talking about, people just love him”

We had a great time. We learned how the hybridizing process works and why it takes six years to know if a newly designed daylily will make it to market. Most do not, they must be special. Paul’s more popular children are big and proud, have a long blooming season and live a very long time.

Getting to know Paul, the Master Gardeners and the people who value them has been a great joy.

You can email Carl at [email protected] Carl White is the executive producer and host of the award winning syndicated TV show Carl White’s Life In the Carolinas. The weekly show is now in its seventh year of syndication and can be seen in the Charlotte viewing market on WJZY Fox 46 Saturdays at noon. For more on the show visit www.lifeinthecarolinas.com You can also catch episodes of Life In The Carolinas on Amazon Prime.

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grgedoors02142 · 8 years ago

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The Anti-Trump Movement In North Carolina Has The Potential To Flip The South

DURHAM, N.C. ― North Carolina has been in an almost constant state of protest for the last year.

It started in March 2016, when former Gov. Pat McCrory (R) signed HB 2, a measure preventing local governments from passing anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people, into law. Thousands of protesters responded by storming the state Capitol. In late September, six consecutive nights of protest rocked Charlotte after a police officer fatally shot 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott. In October, the state chapter of the NAACP sued several counties over an alleged voter suppression attempt. Protesters again swarmed the capital, Raleigh, in December to stand against GOP-backed measures to limit the powers of the newly elected Gov. Roy Cooper (D).

Now many activists are coalescing around another shared concern: President Donald Trump.

Progressives see North Carolina as a breeding ground of possibility, as recent liberal activism has begun to show what’s possible when organizers take aim at a common threat. This is especially true in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, where more than 20 colleges and universities house plenty of aggravated liberals. Liberal Tar Heels want to use their energy to turn the state solidly blue by 2020, when a number of key political offices will be up for grabs.

Avid Trump supporter Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who has been very critical of the current wave of protests, will be up for re-election in 2020. So will Cooper. And Democrats are aiming to take control of the state legislature ― Republicans currently hold 74 state House seats, compared to Democrats’ 46, and 35 state Senate seats, compared to Democrats’ 15.

Although these activists will have to contend with the state’s racial gerrymandering ― the general assembly drew new district lines in 2014 and 2016 that put a high number of voters of color into certain districts in order to dilute their voting power ― North Carolina’s status as a purple state makes progressives optimistic.

Many people assume North Carolina is a Republican state, but the state Senate was under Democratic control from 1992 to 2011. Democrats also controlled the state House from 1992 to 1994, and again from 1999 to 2010. Only three Republican governors have led the state in the last 50 years, and North Carolina went blue for former President Barack Obama in 2008. But that was the first time since 1976 that the state had voted for a Democratic presidential nominee, and it went for Republicans Mitt Romney in 2012 and Trump in 2016. Last year’s election was very close, however: Trump beat Hillary Clinton by just 3.6 percent.

Activists say they hope flipping North Carolina can cause a ripple effect across the 14 states that constitute the South. Republicans below the Mason-Dixon Line currently control 24 Senate seats, 110 House seats and 180 Electoral College votes (167 of which went to Trump in November).

“If you fundamentally shift any of those states ― and they begin to vote in more progressive ways ― then you fundamentally change the American democracy and the landscape,” Rev. William Barber, the president of North Carolina’s NAACP, told reporters last year.

North Carolina has a strong, influential history of political protest. On Feb. 1, 1960, four black students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University refused to move from a lunch counter in downtown Greensboro after being denied service. By Feb. 5, the Greensboro sit-ins had grown to include approximately 300 students.

Extensive television media coverage of the sit-ins helped the anti-segregation movement circulate through southern and northern college towns; students began peacefully protesting segregated libraries, beaches, hotels and other businesses. By the end of March, protests were underway in at least 55 cities in 13 states. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a youth organization that played an integral role in the civil rights movement, was founded a month later at Shaw University.

Real policy change followed: Eateries throughout the South began integrating by the end of that summer.

That fight was similar to the current battle against Trump, said Marcus Bass, an organizing member of Charlotte-based activist group The Tribe.

“North Carolina’s civil rights history has been embedded in this political fight ― so much so that it makes sense for us to have a lot of this mobility around organizing,” he said.

In addition to fighting police violence, which has garnered a significant amount of media attention, black activities have been deeply involved in advocating for LGBTQ, immigrant and women’s rights in North Carolina. They are also key figures in the Moral Mondays protests, a movement launched in April 2013 to object against Republican legislative policies. Moral Monday protesters began meeting every Monday at the state Capitol to protest the actions McCrory and the Republican legislature had taken against voting and abortion rights, the environment and racial justice. Like the Greensboro sit-ins, the movement ignited activists in other states, including Georgia, South Carolina, New Mexico, Illinois and Massachusetts.

“It’s provided a catalyst on a state level and on a local level for folks to begin to get engaged,” Bass said of Moral Mondays.

An estimated 80,000 people participated in the 11th annual Forward Together Moral March on Feb. 11, which Barber led. This year’s march focused on the duty of participants to stand against the Trump administration and its policies ― such as repealing the Affordable Care Act ― as well as race-based gerrymandering and HB 2.

“We march not as a spontaneous action but as a movement that stands upon deep foundations of organizing that have gone on for years, setting the groundwork for times such as this,” Barber said to the crowd at the march. “Four years later we realize we have been preparing all along for such a time as this.”

Moral Mondays also laid the groundwork for other protests ― nearly 17,000 people participated in Raleigh’s Women’s March the day after Trump’s inauguration. And more than 1,500 protesters flooded the state’s airports after Trump issued the first version of his executive order banning immigrants from a group of predominantly Muslim countries on Jan. 27.

There was a strong protest movement in North Carolina before Trump, but his candidacy and election also worked to galvanize new activists. His election inspired Kelly Garvy, a 29-year-old graduate student at Duke University, to start the activist group Protecting Progress in Durham. Most of the group’s members weren’t involved in politics prior to the election.

“Many people feel a moral duty to get more involved,” Garvy said. “Trump has scared a lot of people.”

Many people feel a moral duty to get more involved. Trump has scared a lot of people. Kelly Garvy, Protecting Progress in Durham founder

longChristopher Butler, 36, started out phone banking for the N.C. Democratic Party last fall and housing people who were working for Clinton’s campaign ― something he said he never would have done before Trump. Catherine Caprio, 50, became chair of Durham’s 25th Precinct after volunteering on Clinton’s campaign and registering voters in rural parts of the county. Cherry Foreman, a 42-year-old Democrat, said she started going door to door and helping people register to vote last fall.

These activists ― new and seasoned alike ― are laying groundwork they say can help elect more Democrats in 2018 and 2020.

Mandy Carter, a 69-year-old activist involved in several local and national organizations, is identifying rallying causes, such as education, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and the environment. She’s also paying attention to demographic changes and watching individual precincts for opportunities to elect progressives.

“All politics is local,” she said. “On Nov. 9, when I woke up that morning, besides being traumatized, nothing changed for me. My city council and my county commissioners have more control of my day-to-day life than what happens in D.C.”

Alyssa Canty, a member of the Raleigh Police Accountability Task Force, is working to institutionalize voting at North Carolina’s historically black colleges and universities and increase turnout among millennial voters, while also supporting and raising money for black candidates.

Protecting Progress in Durham is focusing its efforts on rectifying voting laws that disproportionately hurt black voters, like vague voter registration forms and limited early voting opportunities, and getting the state’s gerrymandered district lines redrawn more fairly. The group is also working to boost grassroots organizing in rural areas in order to win back the nine counties that voted for Obama in 2008 but went to Trump in November.

“North Carolina goes blue, it changes the game in a lot of different ways,” Garvy said. “The work that we’re doing here can’t be understated.”

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repwinpril9y0a1 · 8 years ago