Arts & Lifestyle
Of Interest
Smoky Park bridge
named for heroic firefighter
The N.C. Board of Transportation this morning
unanimously voted to rename the
p i n a. n -J t _
omu&y raiK Diiugc un l-^tu over
the French Broad River in
Asheville for Capt. Jeff Bowen, an
Asheville firefighter who lost his
life fighting a fire in July 2011.
The bridge will be known as the
Capt. Jeffrey Bowen Bridge.
"We have heard a strong out
pouring of support for Capt.
Bowen from the local community
and want to be responsive to their
concerns," said Board of
Rawen
Transportation Chairman Judge Robert Collier.
The vote was taken based on the recommendation
of the Board's Road Naming Committee, which unan
imously voted yesterday to rename the bridge after
Bowen.
Additionally, the Road Naming Committee voted
to examine existing procedures regarding the naming
of state-owned roads, bridges and ferries. In the inter
im, the Board will not consider similar naming
requests.
Essence site earns kudos
ESSENCE.com won in the Best Redesign award
during MinOnline's 2012 Best of the Web Awards. The
site also received an honorable mention in the Best
Consumer Relaunch category.
?_ ***"? . f . I _ II J.L.
Ebanks
Mm s Best 01 me weo
Awards" is the industry's top
honor in the digital space, recog
nizing outstanding Web sites and
digital initiatives.
During ESSENCE.com's
relaunch process in June 2011, the
team re-imagined the site as a
neighborhood beauty shop, where
African-American women could
gather to set their own agendas on
the topics of romance, fashion and
celebrity. The resulting new design highlights
key ESSENCE franchises within a layout that makes
each easy to identify at a glance.
"ESSENCE.com is extremely proud of this honor.
Over the years, the brand's long-time mission has
always been to serve our audience and provide them
with the tools they need to live their best life," said
Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications
Inc. "ESSENCE.com's relaunch has not only helped to
provide our audience with an even more robust user
experience."
Taxes Paid games make debut
The N.C. Education Lottery has rolled out three
new "Taxes Paid" instant games, giving players the
chance to win top prizes up to $100,000 with the ini
tial taxes already paid.
A $5 ticket for the $ 100,000 Taxes Paid game gives
a player the chance to take home one of six after-tax
prizes of $100,000. Players
can also match numbers to
win one of 1,100 prizes rang
ing from $500 to $50,000.
Scratching to reveal certain
symbols will win more. For
example, a "money bags"
symbol wins double the prize
shown and a "money stack"
wins $50 instantly. The game
begins with more than $20.1
million in prizes.
Players who buy a $2 Taxes Paid ticket could win
one of eight top prizes of $30,000 with initial taxes
paid. The game starts with more than $8.2 million in
total prizes, including more than 106,'000 prizes^
between $20 and $100. Players who scratch and reveal
a "money bag" symbol win $20. A $1 version of the
game features a top prize of $5,000 with the initial
taxes paid.
The lottery will pay the minimum mandatory
required federal and state tax withholding as part of the
top prizes awarded for each of the three instant games,
so the actual top prizes for each game are as follows:
$7,353 for the $5,000 game; $44,118 for the $30,000
game; and $147,059 for the $100,000 game.
Fulbright Scholar from India
speaking today at WSSU
Dr. Ananda Amritmahal, a Fulbright Scholar from
India, will speak on "Myths, Folklore and Gender-role
Stereotypes in India" today, Thursday, April 12, at 2
p.m. in Diggs Gallery on the Winston-Salem State
University (WSSU) campus. Her lecture is free and
open to the public.
Amritmahal
An expert in women's studies,
Amritmahal has published a num
ber of articles on issues related to
women and serves as a guest
speaker and resource person for
training programs and workshops
in addition to her academic efforts.
Amritmahal specializes in
women's writing and feminist lit
erary criticism, and Indian writing
in English, as well as women mys
tic poets, children's literature, and the place of myth
and fantasy in shaping our responses to life.
Amritmaha! is currently a Visiting Fulbright
Scholar at Loyola University in Chicago and was also
appointed the Gannon Visiting Research Scholar for
the 2012 spring semester. In India, she is head of the
English Department at Sophia College in Mumbai and
coordinator of the Sophia Centre for Women's Studies
and Development.
VanderVcen Photographers
(Back row) Mondre Moffett and the North Carolina A&T State University Jazz Ensemble with (cen
ter) Jamia Tucker, Frank Viveros, Angela Birvhett, Richard Waits and Soara-Joye Ross.
"Ain't Misbehavin'"
at Triad Stage
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Greensboro's Triad Stage, 232 South Elm St.,
will stage "Ain't Misbehavin"' beginning on
Sunday, April 15.
The acclaimed musical is being
directed by Donna Baldwin-Bradby
and presented in collaboration with
the North Carolina A&T State
University Jazz Ensemble under the
direction of Mondre Moffett.
"Ain't Misbehavin"' is a tribute to
the black sound, and the men and
women who made it famous, of the
1920s and '30s. The musical takes its
name from a Fats Waller classic and
made its Broadway debut in 1978
with a cast that included Nell Carter,
Irene eara ana Anare ue^nteias.
In addition to the Waller classic, the show fea
tures 30 beloved tunes, including '"T'Ain't
Nobody's Bizness If I Do," "Honeysuckle Rose,"
"Mean To Me" and "I Can't Give You Anything
But Love."
The A&T Jazz Ensemble - featuring Tyvoris
Finch, Eric Giles, Johnny Jackson, Kyle Leitch,
Kasey Polk, Tyrissa Swilley and Patrice Ware -
will bring the music to life, while a talented cast
of actor/singers will belt out the classics. The cast
includes several Triad Stage veterans, including
Angela Birchett, Jamia Tucker, Frank Viveros,
Richard Waits and Soara-Joye Ross.
Baldwin-Bradby is an acclaimed
director and choreographer who serves
as a adjunct professor and director of
Marketing and Publicity for the
Department of Visual and Performing
Arts at North Carolina A&T.
She has directed, choreographed
and performed for professional, com
munity and educational theatres local
ly and regionally. Most recently, she
directed productions of "Mad at Miles:
A Black Woman's Guide to Truth" at
Triad Stage, The National Black
Theatre Festival, N.C. A&T and Atlanta s Seven
Stages and Spelman College.
"Ain't Misbehavin'" will be staged at various
times through May 13. Ticket prices vary depend
ing on seat location and the day of the perform
ance.
Go**96&il$tp Hfwww.tr iddstage.org for more
information.
Symphony performing '80s hits
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The Winston-Salem Symphony is going retro.
"Hits of the 80s!" part of the Symphony's
Plugged-in Pops Series, is the theme of the
Saturday, April 21 performance, slated to take place
at Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road at
7:30 p.m.
Under the batori of Maestro Robert Moody, the
Symphony will perform some of the tunes that made
the '80s great, including Michael Jackson's "Billie
Jean," Madonna's "Holiday," Kenny Loggins'
"Footloose," Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time,"
David Bowie's "Let's Dance," The Police's " Every
Breath You Take" and "(I've had The) Time of My
Life," the theme of the hit film "Dirty Dancing."
Broadway stars Jenn Gambatese and Matt
Cavenaugh will provide vocals.
Gambatese, a native of Cleveland, has toured
both Europe and North America as Serena Katz in
"Fame," earning a National Broadway Theater
Aftncl.com image
King Pop Michael Jackson
See Symphony on A9
Billboard touts student art show
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
You may have seen the work of three talented young artists on a jumbo
digital billboard along Business 40 East.
Creations by Annie Tyner, Yadira Dorantes and Kenaz McMillan began
their rotations on the 14-by-48-foot billboard - which is on the Southside
of the highway just past Stratford Road - late last month to promote the
2012 Spring Art Extravaganza.
Yadira Dorantes is an eighth-grader at Clemmons Middle School who
studies art under
teacher Catherine
Howard. Kenaz
McMillan, a first
grader at Bolton
Elementary School, is
taught by Heidi
Wicker.
The Spring Art
Extravaganza features
the work of more than
1,500 art students.
Artwork by elemen
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** ***** Center for tit Arts 9
WSflT Schools Photo
Kenaz McMillan's artwork
tary scnool stuaents was displayed at tne Milton Rhodes Center tor the
Arts from March 30 - April 8. Art by middle and high school students will
be displayed at the City Market, 301 N. Cherry St., through April 15.
The art was selected by art teachers, and all elementary, middle and
high schools in the system are represented. The works on display will
include drawings, paintings, digitalfy^dreated images as well as ceramics
and other three-dimensional works.
The school system has been putting on an annual show of student art
for more than 35 years.
/ The billboard images promoting Art Extravaganza will be displayed
for eight seconds once every three minutes through April 15. Fairway
Outdoor Advertising is providing the billboard ads - a donation to the
school system that is worth $1,500.
Fashion,
inspiration
on tap for
'Unity' day
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
The youth organization
Victory In Life will present
its 3rd annual Unity In The
Community Day on Saturday,
April 14 at 1 p.m. at Parkland
High School, 1600 Brewer
Road.
The family-friendly day
will feature guest speakers
like local NAACP President
S. Wayne Patterson, County
Commissioner Everette
Witherspoon, City Council
Member James Taylor,
Mechanics & Farmers Bank's
Wendy Williamson and
Mayor
r-x * I I
r r o
Tempore
Vivian
Burke,
who will
issue a
procla
mation.
The
Victory
in Life
Models
Braithwaite
will present a fashion show
featuring African, casual and
designs created by Miles
King, a lOth-grader at Carter
G. Woodson.
Performers include the
Winston Lake Family YMCA
Jazzy Jumpers, the Exalted
Praise Gospel Choir,
Fulfilled, Paris Johnson,
Inner Rhythm City Choir,
Naeema Graham, Antonette
Farmer and dancers Ariel
Gary, Sharika Bey and Anasa
Melton. Spoken word and
poetry artists Rocia Terry,
Silent War, Renee Andrews
(Aza Ashe), Amani and Judy
Willis will also perform.
Parkland student Robert Dula
will be honored during the
event for academic excel
lence.
Unity In The Community
Day was started by Victory In
Life Founder Masika
Braithwaite. Through the col
laboration of the performing
arts and the use of various
educational tools, Victory in
Life, a non-profit organiza
tion, engages youth while
providing mentoring, devel
oping positive self- esteem,
enhancing social skills and
promoting cultural aware
ness.
Tickets for the event are
$10. A percentage of all pro
ceeds will go to Group
Homes of Forsyth., Inc.
Attendees are also encour
aged to bring non-perishable
food item(s) for donation to
the Central Terrace Methodist
Church Food Ministry.
For more information,
call 336-473-2082.
Deac on the Rise
PRNewsFoto/Wellecley Co?egt
Wake Forest University alum Melissa Harris-Ferry
will give the commencement address on May 25 at
Massachusetts' Wellesley College. Harris-Perry is a f
noted author and college professor but is best known
as the host of "Melissa Harris-Perry," a weekend
news and opinion show on MSNBC. She earned her
undergraduate degree in English from Wake Forest in
1994 before earning a Ph.D. in political science from
Duke University.
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