Edge of the Road

Charlotte: Willie Flemming, Obama Admirer

Listen to Willie's Thoughts on Obama's stance on Gay Marriage

I met Willie Flemming in the parking lot of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church while researching a story for NPR. It was examining the African American community's thoughts about Obama's endorsement of gay marriage. Willie voted against a North Carolina amendment that banned gay marriage. And he was proud that President Obama took a strong position on the issue.

"A good leader will always make a decision," said Flemming. "You gotta be somewhere. You can't lead and stay behind."

(Listen to my NPR story "Black Voters Weigh Obama, Support for Marriage Ban")

Charlotte: Jim Brown, Legal Observer

Listen to Jim describe his job at the protest

Jim Brown is a retiree from Asheville, NC, who came to Charlotte this week to be a legal observer on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild. Several hundred were in town protesting Bank of America during the company's shareholder meeting.

His role was to observe the crowd and police officers and take notes if there were altercations.

"We just hope that everyone is non-violent and that there's no problems."

On the whole there were six non-violent arrests. I saw Jim a few hours after I met him, and he had no significant notes on the protest.

(Listen to my WFAE story about the protest.)

Charlotte: Michael McPherson, Veteran Protestor

Listen to Michael talk about why he is protesting

Michael McPherson came from Newark, NJ, this week to protest Bank of America during the company's shareholder meeting.

He is a veteran of the first Gulf War.  And his son has just returned from military service in the Middle East.

"You fought a war overseas, and you come back home. It's almost like fighting a war here at home to survive. People can't find jobs. They get their house foreclosed on."

(For my story on the protest, click here.)

Union Grove, NC: "union grove pickers"

 

The first Union Grove Old Time Fiddlers Convention was started in 1924 by H.P. VanHoy to raise money for the North Carolina community's public school. The event grew to be one of the largest of its kind in the country.

By 1979, its size became problematic--locals complained of drug and alcohol use and sexual promiscuity--and the convention ended. After a 33-year hiatus, Casey VanHoy (the founder's grandson) is reviving the convention Easter weekend at the VanHoy Farms Family Campground.

In this video, Casey VanHoy speaks to Union Grove's musical heritage. He plays with local musicians J.P. VanHoy, Jr., Clay Lunsford, Jack Lunsford, and Bobby Martin.

Casey Vanhoy

Jack Lunsford

Bobby Martin

Charlotte: Willamena & Willie

I met Willamena while we waited patiently at the Tire Kingdom.

I asked her one question about local lunch places, and we started talking about food. She told me she worked several years as a cook and was famous for her black cobbler. She also drove a cab for a decade, a position that convinced her to carry a 9mm she still has in her purse.

She thinks men these days are sorry. No good. She's gets along just fine with a dildo she named Willie.

I asked her one question.

Matthews, NC: "Hardware"

Renfrow Hardware in downtown Matthews, NC, has been in business since 1900.

David Blackley bought it after he graduated college in 1984. In the almost 30 years since he's had it, David's survived everything from online shopping to the influx of big box stores.

Renfrow Hardware still owns its own little niche.

David Blackley, owner

Seeds

Charlotte: Cinderella Journey to Soccer's Final Four

I reported a story for WFAE on the UNC Charlotte men's soccer team and its unlikely berth in the sport's College Cup, the equivalent to the Final Four. Unlikely, because the team was unranked, and it upset powerhouse UCONN. They eventually made it all the way to the finals but lost to UNC Chapel Hill.

While reporting, I discovered that one of the team's star seniors was also a singer. I convinced him to sing a Stevie Wonder Christmas song on tape, which wonderfully made it into the piece.

Listen to the Story: Final Four for 49er Soccer

Winston-Salem, NC: Meeting Ellen Perryman, a Longtime Moravian

Listen to Ellen Perryman

I had the pleasure of meeting Ellen Perryman at the 150th Anniversary of the St. Philips African Moravian Church in Winston-Salem. I was reporting on the church's celebration and the fact that its founding congregation were Geman-speaking slaves.

The story: "Dwindling African Moravian Church Celebrates Its Rich History"  

Ellen is a member of another Moravian church in the area, but she came to St. Philips, because her friend was playing music in the band that performed. She also wanted to be part of the experience.

She came prepared with her pillow.

Those old wooden benches are very hard.

 

Tangier Island, VA: Mayor "Ooker" Eskridge

Listen to "Ooker" Eskridge

James "Ooker" Eskridge is a 3rd generation waterman and the mayor of Tangier Island, Virginia. Since it sits right out in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, the only way to get there is by ferry. Or private plane. 

I met Ooker while researching a feature story for Coastal Living magazine on the people and places along the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Tangier is truly one of the most unique places I've been, and that's partly because the locals there have their own accent. You'll hear it when you listen to Ooker. Words like "about," "out," "around," "down," and "town" emphasize the Cornish-tinged dialect. Many of the families here trace their roots directly back 300 years to Cornwall, England.

"I enjoy traveling and visiting places in the state and all around," says Ooker. "But it's nice to get back to the island. After I'm away so long, I think I start drying out. I need to get back to the water. I don't want to leave the water too long."

      

Centre, AL: Tiny Talks Big Fish at the Weiss Lake Lodge