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  • 7a The Chemours chemical company blamed for polluting water supplies in southwestern Cumberland County, the Cape Fear River and points south into Wilmington today filed legal action against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and its health advisory data released in late June.

    In June, Chemours hinted it was considering legal action after EPA and North Carolina released new health advisories for private drinking water wells in the Gray’s Creek Community. Those advisories upgraded what EPA believed were dangers to the public exposed to chemical compounds that leached into local area wells.
    Chemours Fayetteville Works is located along the Cumberland/Bladen County line and was previously known as DuPont.

    Today, the Chemour Company petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit for a review of the June 15 EPA health advisory for hexafluoropropylene oxide dimer acid (HFPO-DA) and its ammonium salt.
    In a recent statement, Chemours states that it supports government regulation “that is grounded in best available science and follows the law.” It claims that the health advisory issued by EPA in June fails to follow science or the law.

    “When an agency misuses its authority to promulgate a health advisory that is scientifically unsound, in a manner contrary to the agency’s own processes and standards, we have an obligation to challenge it, administratively and in the courts,” according to the statement.

    Chemours argues that nationally recognized toxicologists and other scientists evaluated the EPA’s analysis and determined it “fundamentally flawed.” Chemours also contends that EPA knew its data was flawed, ignored relevant data and used “grossly” incorrect and “overstated” exposure assumptions in determining GenX levels.

    Hexafluoropropylene oxide (HFPO) dimer acid and its ammonium salt are compounds used in manufacturing and referred to by their trade name GenX. Chemours states that its parent company DuPont sought EPA approval to use GenX under the Toxic Substance Control Act and was given the go-ahead by the EPA in January 2009.

    In its June 15 health advisory, the EPA dramatically changed the minimum levels of GenX in drinking water from 140 parts per trillion (ppt) to 10 parts per trillion. The new minimum ppt replaces the state’s provisional safe drinking water goal for GenX, established in 2018.

    The EPA’s final health advisory for GenX affects a current consent order requiring Chemour to provide whole house filtration or connection to public water for any private drinking well that tests above the new health advisory ppt.

    The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality already directed Chemour to revise its drinking water compliance requirements by considering the 10 ppt for GenX. According to the state, the newly released lower GenX ppt levels will make about 1,700 more private wells eligible for whole house filtration systems.
    The concern of GenX contamination of private water wells in area communities is prevalent among County leaders and staff. So far, well water contamination has ranged 10 miles south and 25 miles north of the plant.

    The EPA had also listed interim health advisory levels for several other PFAS chemicals: PFOS at .004 ppt and PFOA at.02 ppt. A third chemical, PFBS, did not have significant concentrations in samples taken to date in North Carolina.

    The NCDEQ scheduled an in-person community information meeting on Tuesday, July 26, at the Crown Theater. Registration is open at 5:30 p.m., and the meeting starts at 6.
    The intent of the meeting is to share information and answer questions about how the EPA’s newly revised lower health advisory for GenX affects drinking water well sampling in Cumberland, Bladen, Sampson and Robeson counties.

  • 4 Publisher's Note:
    Unfortunately, lies and misrepresentations of the Vote Yes initiative are creating a significant injustice for the Black community, by the Black community.
    In essence, this proposal to add four at-large seats on the council with five district seats is not a racial issue by any stretch of the imagination. Approving and passing this proposal will allow every Fayetteville citizen to have a voice in choosing Fayetteville's elected officials.

    Under the current system, citizens get only two votes. Under the proposed plan, each citizen would receive six votes. One for Mayor, one for their district council member, and four at-large council members. Every citizen benefits!

    Much discussion lately has been aimed at low voter turnout at the polls during election time. The presumed blame falling mostly on “apathetic and lazy citizens.” Not so. With 10 elected officials running our city, we ask citizens to leave their homes, families and places of employment and travel to a precinct polling location to cast a ballot for only two out of 10 candidates. Fayetteville residents obviously do not see the value in that, yet those currently on the city council ignore this fact so as not to weaken or jeopardize their position.

    As a result, thousands of residents are being represented (or misrepresented) by unqualified candidates elected by only a few hundred votes or less.
    For our community to move forward into a prosperous 21st century, we need good ethical people with common sense, intelligence and leadership abilities.
    Without it, crime, overall community safety, homelessness, affordable housing, infrastructure and stormwater issues and trash-litter problems will continue to escalate throughout our city.
    — Bill Bowman, Publisher

     

    The term “democracy” comes from two Greek words: "demos" (the people) and “kratia” (power and authority). So, democracy is a form of government that gives power to the people. Lately, America's democracy has been strained at all levels.

    First, there's the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee hearing about an effort to overturn the 2020 elections. Second, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued some controversial opinions this term: upended a 50-year-old precedent on abortion, expanded gun rights for the first time in a decade, bolstered religious rights, notably those of Christians and declared that a violation of Miranda does not necessarily constitute a violation of the Constitution.
    Passionate opinions have caused demonstrations on both sides of the issues. Democracy is a model form of government, but it's not a guarantee.

    Life won't always go the way you want it to sometimes.
    Democracy is supposed to allow all citizens an opportunity to have an equal voice, and it achieves that purpose most of the time. Democracy is imperfect but inherently and highly flexible.

    What happens in Raleigh and Washington, D.C., gets most of the attention, but local government is the most important for several reasons.
    First, municipal governments impact constituents far more frequently and positively than either state or federal legislators. Second, citizens can have far more influence at the local level than they ever will at higher echelons.

    One-stop voting for Fayetteville's municipal election is from July 7 through July 23. The General Election is July 26. Voter turnout is predicted to be very low. The power rests with the people, but that power can't be realized if citizens don't vote. Fayetteville elected officials are presently under a council-manager form of government.
    The council comprises the mayor and nine council representatives elected to single-member districts. Lately, the question has become, as Fayetteville is evolving, should it continue with all single-member districts, or is the time ripe for change? A Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative recently secured 5,007 signatures from city residents to change the Fayetteville City Council from nine single-member districts to a combination of five single-member districts and four at-large districts.

    If the Vote Yes initiative is successful, Fayetteville City voters could cast six votes — one for Mayor, four for at-large council members and a district council member. Fundamental fairness dictates Vote Yes supporters deserve an equal voice, and we expect this matter to be on the November ballot.
    The current council has 10 members — eight are African American, including the mayor. The mayor and several African-American council members have voiced concerns about the proposed change.
    It is rumored heavily in the Black community that racism is behind the call for change since eight out of 10 present members of the council are African American.

    Vote Yes supporters, including two former mayors, two former mayors pro tem and two past Fayetteville City Council members, deny the race allegation. The Vote Yes initiative began the signature collection process a year ago.
    Is the proposed change about race? Thus far, the allegations appear unfounded. I know players on both sides of the issue, and I believe this is more about trust than race.

    I fully understand some members of the Black community holding the white community as suspect, but declaring unfounded fears as racial motivation is unfair to both sides of the process.
    Again, democracy ought to give power to the people and provide an opportunity for an equal voice.

    Pause the racially-charged rhetoric and let the people decide at the polls. Indeed, the ability to raise enough money to run at large is not racial. It's economics.

  • 18 Empowering young girls and women, that is Andréa Williams’ mission in all of her projects.
    Williams is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization Blazin Beauty. The nonprofit’s goal is to educate, inform and empower women. Williams is also the owner and operator of Silhouettes Firearms Training, LLC.

    With her organizations, she endeavors to support the community.

    “I wanted to be able to contribute to the community in a different type of way, using Silhouettes and use partnerships within the community. So we’re always inspired by our youth. We do feel that it takes a village to raise a child. We believe in that,” Williams said. “So we just want to do our part to encourage our youth.”

    Williams' team at Blazin Beauty and Sillhouettes Firearm Training, LLC will be partnering with Family Martial Arts Academy to host a one-day seminar for girls aged 11 through 16. Williams says this age is critical.

    “Our girls are dealing with different stresses than what we were dealing with when we were growing up. And so it is critical that they have examples that are in the community that live among them where, one, they’re able to turn to as mentors, but two, they are able to see that ‘these people have kind of been where I was when I was younger,’ even though they may consider us old. These people have been where we are. They can relate,” Williams said.

    The event aims to teach the girls self-confidence, help them practice their social skills and communication, learn self-defense and learn how to use their body and voice as proactive defense tools. The seminar is not a firearms training event.

    “I think that [the girls] will have fun learning those self-defense tactics that Tracy Huff has in place,” Williams told Up & Coming Weekly.

    “But I would hope that they take away having that confidence to use their voices, whether it’s to stand up for themselves or even to stand up for others.”

    This seminar is the first time Williams is putting on this program. The goal is to see if the community responds well. She hopes that by providing a different set of tools to these young girls, they can use those tools again and have the courage to be themselves.

    “Because that’s what it’s about, is really just having the courage to be yourself, understanding that you are enough,” Williams said.

    The event is $15 and tickets can be purchased at www.buy.stripe.com/14k03989D6Di7QccMM. There are 80 spots total.

    The seminar will take place on July 16 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Silhouettes Firearms Training, LLC. at 1165 N Bragg Blvd. in Spring Lake.
    The event will include lunch. Parents and caregivers are welcome to stay during the seminar.

  • 5 Trigger warning: Today, we enter Room 237 at the Overlook Hotel. There is a 100% chance that this column will irritate certain readers. If you think that the Former Guy was the greatest President in American history, tear up this page, mutter some curses and buy a copy of “Guns & Glory.” You ain’t gonna like the rest of the column. I will wait while the room empties out. Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Everybody out of the pool?

    Remember in Stanley Kubrick’s movie version of Stephen King’s “The Shining” when Mr. Halloran is talking with Danny about what happened in the Overlook Hotel? If you don’t recall, not to worry. I will mansplain it to you. Danny is a little boy who has moved to the Overlook Hotel, where his father is going to spend the winter as the caretaker for the empty resort. Danny has the supernatural ability to ‘shine,’ which lets him see events that happened in the past. Danny correctly intuits there is something bad about the Overlook. The hotel cook, Mr. Halloran, tells Danny that a lot of things happened at the Overlook, and not all of them were good. Danny asks, “What happened in Room 237?” Halloran says, “Nothing happened in Room 237. But you ain’t got no business going in there anyway. So, stay out! Stay out!” Naturally, Danny ends up in Room 237.

    The year of our Lord 2022 is the chronological equivalent of Room 237. This year we are all in Room 237. A lot of stuff happened in 2022. As Mr. Halloran said, not all of it was good. Instead of one of my usual ridiculous columns about cheese caves or Putin’s digestive production, today we will stare at mass shootings and the Supreme Court's decision on abortion. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

    These topics have no common ground between opposing parties. They tend to offend. This column was written the same day of the Highland Park mass shooting. Accordingly, I am cranky about gun violence while producing this stain on western literature. By the time this doggerel hits the streets, there will probably have been yet another mass murdering. They seem to be rolling in about every 10 days. It is difficult to keep track of the latest fresh horror without a program. Mass shootings prove once again that crocodile tears, thoughts and prayers are not a defense against a moron with a grudge and an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle.

    Mass shootings claim elementary students, parade watchers, church goers and grocery shoppers. The mythical good guy with a gun doesn’t stop the slaughters. They keep happening. At Uvalde, a whole passel of good guys with guns stood in a school hallway while a moron with a gun killed kids and their teachers. If the cops are afraid to go against a moron with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle, arming Beaver’s teacher Miss Landers at Mayfield Elementary with a pistol ain’t gonna stop said armed moron.

    The argument that “guns don’t kill people; people kill people” is a catchy bumper sticker, but it’s wrong. The slogan’s premise is the gun just lays there and does not hurt anyone. It is not the innocent gun’s fault. Big Tobacco could make the same argument about cigarettes. A pack of cigarettes just lays there and does not hurt anyone. But when someone picks up the pack and starts smoking, the innocent little cigarettes kill people. When a moron picks up a gun and starts shooting, the guns kill people.

    The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, removing abortion as a federal constitutional right. This delighted the anti-abortion folks and angered the pro-choice side. For the foreseeable future, all Supreme Court decisions will be based on simple arithmetic: six is greater than three. The religious beliefs of the Court’s six are that abortion is murder. Other people disagree. We have entered the wonderful world of living in a theocracy. When religion becomes law, there will be a bad moon rising. Trouble is on the way.

    Guy A says: “My religion says I can’t do that.” Guy B responds: “OK.” Then Guy A says: “My religion says you can’t do that.” Guy B replies, “Buzz off.” (Dialogue cleaned up). When Religion A tells nonbelievers in Religion A, they must follow Religion A’s beliefs we are in Shiite versus Sunni territory. Any readers left? Are you mad yet? The six can change any rules to suit their politically and theologically correct thoughts. Math rules. Unlike when Jimi Hendrix sang: “Now if six turned out to be nine/ I don’t mind, I don’t mind.” Lots of people gonna mind while the six change all the rules.

    So, what have we learned today? Math conquers all. Six is more than three. The current Supreme Court can overturn any precedent it chooses. It’s always too soon to talk about gun control. Apologies for this rant. This column tries to avoid doom scrolling. Get your bad news elsewhere. My ability to ignore reality faltered briefly, resulting in today’s fuss. Goodbye to Room 237. A return to ridiculous
    topics next time.

  • 15 One Friday a month, the good people of Fayetteville can make their way down to the Cape Fear River for a truly awesome live music experience. In a sea of canvas camping chairs, people can gather together with beer and burger in hand, united in one goal: to have a good time.

    The Rock'n On The River concert series showcases some of the area’s most talented musicians in a laid-back outdoor venue that’s free for all and family-friendly.
    Located behind Deep Creek Outfitters at Campbellton Landing, the pavilion-like stage has already presented some of Fayetteville’s favorite bands this summer season. From the country music stylings of Dark Horse to 80s hard rock cover band, The Fifth, Rock'n On The River has a band for every taste.

    Next up, on July 22, is rhythm and blues band Autumn Tyde, followed by Foreigner tribute band Rev On.
    Autumn Tyde, created by legendary musician and Fayetteville Music Hall of Famer Doyle Wood, will grace the stage at 6 p.m. and Wood can’t wait.
    As a relatively new band on the scene, Rock'n On The River will be the band’s first concert in Fayetteville, which only adds to the excitement for long-time musician Wood.

    “This is a great band with such great musicians,” he said of the group. “We have four lead singers in the band — it’s not a one-man show at all, and I just really enjoy doing it.”
    Playing a mix of rock, R & B, original music and the beach music suggested by the band’s name, Wood is keen to share a little something for everyone. Concert-goers can expect to hear some Prince, James Brown, Joe Bonamassa and a little Poco.

    “It’ll be a fun show,” he assured. “We’ve got a different setup than most, and I think the crowd will really enjoy it. At the end of the night, I hope they enjoyed our original music and noted the musicianship and professionalism of the band. These guys are good; if not, I wouldn’t be doing it.”

    For those in the audience who “Want to Know What Love Is,” Rev On, featuring Jan Fields, will hit the stage at 8 p.m. and close out the night.
    While guests are encouraged to bring their camping chairs, no outside food, coolers or containers will be allowed. Food and beverages will be for sale courtesy of Deep Creek Grill, and event sponsor Healy Wholesale will provide alcoholic beverages for guests 21 and up.

    Though the concert is free and open to the public, on-site parking will be $10 per vehicle, a departure from last year.
    Rockin’ on the River is located at 1122 Pearson St. East in Fayetteville. For more information about the venue, follow them at www.facebook.com/Rockn-On-The-River-271048666818630.
    For updates, news and show information, follow Autumn Tyde at www.facebook.com/autumntyde.

    To keep up with Rev-On, visit the band at their website https://revonband.com/.

     

  • 12 It all started with a friendship. In 2014, 9-year-old Seth Wofford noticed Mr. Steve, a gentleman he often saw behind his school in downtown Fayetteville. The two felt a connection right away and struck up an unlikely friendship.  A simple wish

    “Steve was really kind,” Seth's mother, Lindsey Wofford, said. “He would also say hello to the parents as they passed by with their kids, and Seth just really liked him.”

    Filled with the curiosity common at that age, Seth asked questions that were difficult to answer.

    “Where does Steve live, and where does he go when it's cold?”

    Through a difficult conversation, Lindsey Wofford tried to help her son understand, Mr. Steve was homeless. Filled with the pure and dauntless intentions of a child, Seth was determined to help Mr. Steve and others in a similar predicament in any way he could. After months of brainstorming, the answer came from a surprising source — a television commercial.

    Capital One was running a campaign called A Wish for Others that asked viewers to submit a wish they had on someone else's behalf, and Seth Wofford had a big one.

    A national problem
    According to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, over 500,000 Americans currently live in a state of homelessness. Homelessness as a national issue originated in the late 19th century, mostly in dense urban areas, and has been a steadily growing issue across the United States ever since. Due largely to a worsening drug epidemic, a steady increase in housing costs, stagnation of wages, the displacement of LGBTQ+ youth and few resources for those with mental illness, the number of homeless people in America has grown exponentially.

    As of 2019, an estimated 9,314 homeless people live in North Carolina, about 798 of whom are veterans, and just under 500 live in Cumberland County. With the economic fallout of COVID-19 and the highest spike in prices in over 30 years, the rate of homelessness in America isn't likely to slow down anytime soon.

    A wish fulfilled
    Armed with a $1000 gift card from Capitol One, Seth Wofford set about to make his wish a reality.

    “He was so excited,” Lindsey Wofford shared.

    “We picked out stuff for Steve and a couple of others, and we just kept meeting people who wanted to help. We learned as we went, it kept snowballing, and it slowly grew to this,” she said, her arms spread wide to demonstrate the enormity of their work. “Sometimes we look around and say, ‘how did this even happen?’”

    From the joy of that first shopping trip, Lindsey Wofford felt the power of her son's wish and has never looked back. After obtaining 501(c)3 status in 2015, Seth's Wish has created a space where people can get the help they need with dignity and kindness. The organization's mission: “To positively impact lives and bring together the community by providing the necessary resources to those facing food insecurity, homelessness and other poverty-stricken crises in Fayetteville,” is at the heart of all they do.

    Standing at about 5'2", Lindsey Wofford has a smile and a greeting for everyone who walks into the Day Room of Seth's Wish, now headquartered on South Reilly Road in Fayetteville. Warm and funny in cut-offs and a T-shirt, Wofford treats the people who walk into the white house with the blue shutters like guests in her home. The Day Room, open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., is well organized and meant to suggest a shopping experience no different than any other. There are no need-based forms to fill out or embarrassing questions to answer before people fill their carts.

    “People come in and say, ‘hey, I need stuff,’” Lindsey Wofford explained, “and if you need it, then you need it. It's yours. We're here to give it, so we're going to give it.”
    And while it might seem an opportunity for unscrupulous individuals to swoop in and take advantage of the generosity on display, Lindsey Wofford doesn't worry about that. “For every one person that takes what they don't need, there are a hundred people that do,” she said.

    Clothing items are hung on racks that line the walls, while baby items, toys, household goods, entertainment and fresh produce from the garden are laid out on tables in the middle. A pantry off to the side holds a wealth of non-perishables donated from food banks and people in the community, and a refrigerator houses essentials such as milk, eggs and deli sandwiches. Seth's Wish also serves food from their kitchen if anyone wants or needs a plate for the road. Meals like lasagna with rolls and a glass of sweet tea might be the only full meal some patrons have all day. Seth's Wish and the items found therein are donated by people of the community, with clothing items — especially those for children, being the largest percentage of donations.

    “Donations are literally how we function,” Lindsey Wofford said. “They're how this room stays full.”

    Seth's Wish also partners with Second Harvest Food Bank and receives donations from outlets all over the city, including Walmart. With help from Sustainable Sandhills, Seth's Wish also grows fresh produce in the house's backyard.

    “Everyone just comes and plants stuff,” Lindsey Wofford joked.

    “I don't even know what's in here.”
    The tomatoes, green beans and cucumbers are easily identified in the carefully tended gardens, and it's clear they're grown by a very green thumb. Fresh vegetables, which are often overlooked due to their cost and fragility in times of food insecurity, are a welcome and necessary addition to the organization's pantry. While the Day Room is a space for patrons to fill a basket with what they need, the front of the house, called Seth's Wish Gift Shop, is a space where they can shop for the things they want. Filled with jewelry, paintings, pottery and wreaths, the little boutique is a project of which Lindsey Wofford is immensely proud.

    “This is our coolest program ever,” she gushed while walking through the shelves of handmade items.

    “People that come in for services who are talented or crafty, we open a file on them and feature their work in the store. When they make a sale, 100% of the money goes back to the artist that created it. It's just a way for them to make some extra money.”

    Many of the items are created through donated crafting materials, which keep costs low for the artists and free up space at Seth's Wish.

    “We have such great stuff here,” Lindsey Wofford said. “There are just so many talented people.”

    A home lost and found

    It's hard to argue with the success of Seth's Wish in the community, but that's not to say there haven't been a few setbacks. Originally operating in a building on South Cool Spring Street, the organization, known for its efforts in the homeless community, suddenly became homeless themselves. About two months after COVID-19 gripped the city and the nation, tragedy struck Seth's Wish literally and figuratively when a van crashed through their building, destroying the Day Room. While no one was injured, the building was officially condemned. It was another two years before the organization found a space they could call home.

    “We're very definite on the fact that the money that comes in or is donated goes toward services. We don't want to pay $1000 monthly to rent a space when that money could go toward helping people.”

    A chance meeting with a gentleman who owned a house used as a food pantry for his church donated the space to Seth's Wish. The rest is history.

    “I never thought we'd be able to find something like this,” she said, the gratitude plain on her face. “It was just meant to be.”

    A request

    Seth's Wish, run by Lindsey Wofford and a smattering of volunteers, is more than grateful for the organization's success and the kindness of the community. And while the Day Room and back room are filled with clothing for people to take home, Lindsey Wofford admits there are at least two things they could always use more of, food donations and time.

    “Groceries are so hard right now,” Lindsey Wofford told Up & Coming Weekly. “We'll take anything, but we really need non-perishable items the most.”

    Another donation Seth's Wish could use is help from the community.

    “We always need volunteers,” she admitted.
    People are always needed in the garden and can sign up for tasks via Seth's Community Garden, found on Facebook. Volunteering to water the plants or flip compost are all small acts that go a long way. Everyone is welcome to show up and lend their time every Tuesday and Thursday.

    Passion in practice

    Seth, now a teenager, often helps his mom in the little house founded on his selfless wish.

    “He loves it,” his mom said, beaming with pride.
    The new space, with its wide front lawn and big backyard, offers many opportunities for Seth's Wish to engage with its community in meaningful and heartfelt ways. With a back room stocked and ready for the next batch of people in need through Seth's Wish, now in operation for the past seven and a half years, Lindsey Wofford hopes to continue what her son started for as long as they're needed. When asked why she does it, Lindsey Wofford had a simple answer:

    “I just like it.”

    Seth's Wish is located at 204 South Reilly Road in Fayetteville.

    For more information regarding donations, volunteer opportunities, and events, visit www.facebook.com/sethswish/ or call 910-476-6613.

  • 11 Ron Dahle shouldered his PVC-constructed potato gun and fired yet another shot of compressed air over the limb of a tall North Carolina pine tree. His shot propelled a plastic projectile attached to a fishing line. A fishing reel mounted atop the launcher fed the line out like a well-practiced angler. The goal was to get the projectile to thread the fishing line up, over and down the other side of the limb. Reaching the right limb enabled him and his fellow radio enthusiasts to hoist antenna wire high into the tree. It was the first part of creating a loop antenna. To finish the project, the process had to be repeated at another tall nearby tree.

    Dahle is president of the Cape Fear Amateur Radio Society, a 130-member-strong amateur ham radio organization in Cumberland County. The CFARS routinely steps up to help local emergency responders with radio communication services during hurricanes, blizzards or any other community crisis. When the call comes, members set up in local disaster shelters and provide communication via ham radios, while other forms of communication may have been affected by outages.

    Dahle and his compatriots recently spent a hot Friday afternoon setting up antennas to prepare for the following day’s Field Day, an annual event testing the club’s ability to set up and communicate with other amateur radio organizations throughout the United States and Canada.

    “This was a readiness exercise to determine the ability of CFARS to provide communication support to the community in emergency operations and disasters,” Dahle said. He emphasized this was not a contest to see how many radio contacts were made, although contacts are tracked and tabulated. “There are numerous varied contests throughout the year in different disciplines of communication where the main goal is purely a number count.”

    CFARS held its annual Field Day on Saturday through Sunday, June 25 to 26, at the Hope Mills Golfview Greenway Walking Trail. The field day spans a continuous 24 hours, from 2 p.m. Saturday through 2 p.m. Sunday. The event is held under the auspices of the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio in the United States founded in 1914.
    This was the first year CFARS held the event at the Hope Mills Walking Trail. In the past, CFARS’ Field Day took place at Methodist University, which also housed the group’s repeater. The previous chancellor of the University was a CFARS member.

    Among ARRL’s missions is promoting and recruiting people into the amateur radio hobby. But another key job of ARRL is to protect radio frequencies used by amateur radio organizations and ensure they remain available to the public. Radio frequencies are limited, and someone always vies for Federal Communications Commission-controlled radio frequencies.

    The annual readiness exercise and Field Day occur in the United States, Canada and even some worldwide locations may participate. It is held on the fourth full weekend in June. Along with testing their ability to function properly in the event of an emergency, amateur radio operators try to make voice or Morse code contact with as many other amateur radio operators as possible.

    The CFARS’s setup at the Golfview Greenway site included a Morse code station, a Get-On-The-Air station, and a voice communications station. A GOTA station allows people without a radio license or newly licensed individuals to speak and connect with someone on ham radio. It gives someone a chance to experience first-hand radio communication.

    The ARRL website provided 2022 Field Day locations throughout the United States for interested citizens or news media. In North Carolina alone, there were dozens of sites, including Dublin, Calabash, New Bern, Jacksonville, Robbins, Albemarle atop Morrow Mountain and in the mountains of West Jefferson, among many others.
    Local radio enthusiasts established CFARS as a non-profit organization in 1976 with 31 members, according to George Davenport, current vice-president and event coordinator. Davenport joined CFARS in 2016 after getting his FCC-required license. A year later, the club asked him to help coordinate its Field Day. He’s been coordinating the event ever since.

    “I became interested in amateur radio after joining a Special Forces Facebook page,” Davenport said.

    The page identified friends and Special Forces colleagues who were amateur radio operators. “I did a little research and found CFARS,” he said.
    Both Davenport and Dahle are retired from the military and were initially introduced to radio communications during their time as Green Berets. Davenport’s introduction to communications came when he was cross-trained on a Special Forces team. Dahle, a retired command sergeant major, says the first part of his career was dedicated to communications but lessened as he was promoted through the ranks into leadership positions.

    But when Dahle was in his mid-70s, he needed an outlet for what he describes as “his creative juices.”
    He joined CFARS in 2018 after getting his FCC license.

    “Ham radio and Morse code was a natural path for me,” he said.
    Dahle, who describes himself as process-driven and regimented, says a successful field is knowing the club performed to expected standards. He defined these standards by noting whether the equipment held up

    throughout the exercise, whether the club adequately handled unforeseen issues, if any, and whether the club left the grounds in the same condition as they found it.
    To Davenport, a successful field day has many faces.

    “It should be a learning experience for all involved,” he said.

    It needs to have a wide range of tasks and activities that encourages member participation, and the event should meet all of its operational goals.
    But, since one of its other goals is to foster greater interest and participation in the hobby, Davenport believes a successful field day should be a “fun activity.”

  • fayetteville nc logo Foot traffic was slow around noon Thursday, July 7 on the first day of early voting at the Cumberland County Board of Elections. There were more candidates and their supporters outside the elections office than there were early voters.
    At 12:18 p.m. — more than four hours after early voting began — 123 people had cast their votes, according to Angie Amaro, the interim director for the Cumberland County Board of Elections.

    “It’s about what we expected,” she said. “It will pick up probably the last week.”
    Early voting continues through July 23 for the July 26 municipal election. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Hours on July 23, a Saturday, are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Early voting is only available at the Board of Elections Office at 227 Fountainhead Lane. Fayetteville voters will select a mayor and nine City Council district representatives. Fayetteville has 126,989 registered voters, Amaro said.

    “They’ve got to live in the city limits of Fayetteville,” Amaro said of the residents eligible to vote.

    She estimated that the overall turnout for this off-year election would be roughly 16%.

    “Because every race is contested, which is unusual for Fayetteville,” she said.
    She said the May primary drew 16.25% of the voters. Amaro, who has served as the Board of Election’s interim director since Jan. 1, said a lot of people tend to vote early.

    “It’s picked up over the years,” she said, “as more and more people have heard about it.”

    Wesley McIntyre El, 26, of Fayetteville, was outside the Board of Elections Office to support Brenda McNair, who is running against incumbent Larry Wright for the District 7 seat on the City Council. He said he voted Thursday morning.

    “You always prepare for a storm,” he said. “Anything in life — you prepare for. You don’t want to wait until the last minute.”

    McIntyre said he wasn’t surprised that turnout was slow on the first day of early voting.

    “It’s a polarized climate,” he said. “There’s no love in the air.”

    Several candidates — including Mayor Mitch Colvin and his mayoral opponent Freddie Delacruz — were mostly trying to brave the stifling heat and humidity by sitting under tents and standing in the shade of a tree.
    Maria Cantu, 28, was working for candidate Mario Benavente, who is campaigning for the right to represent District 3. District 3 Councilman Antonio Jones, who was appointed to the seat and is running to keep it, was also among the candidates outside the Board of Elections Office. Cantu said she cast her vote earlier in the day.

    “I feel that not enough young people are engaged. Both parties want to engage the millennial voter and the GenZer voters," she said of the Republicans and Democrats. “Basically, everyone wants to see young voters.

    “It’s important to vote and make my voice heard,” Cantu said. “Even one vote can make a difference.”

    On the ballot
    In Fayetteville, voters will choose between the following candidates in 10 contests.

    Mayor:
    Mitch Colvin, Freddie Delacruz
    City Council District 1:
    Kathy Keefe Jensen, Alex Rodriguez
    City Council District 2:
    Shakeyla Ingram, Tyrone A. Williams
    City Council District 3:
    Mario Benavente, Antonio Jones
    City Council District 4:
    Thomas Greene, D.J. Haire
    City Council District 5:
    Johnny Dawkins, Fred Lachance
    City Council District 6:
    Peter Pappas, Derrick Thompson
    City Council District 7:
    Brenda McNair, Larry Wright
    City Council District 8:
    Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, Michael Pinkston
    City Council District 9:
    Deno Hondros, Yvonne Kinston

  • 17 Local nonprofit Grace Helping Others is hosting its inaugural Mother & Son Date Night on July 16, at the Kiwanis Recreation Center.
    The event will offer a unique opportunity to celebrate the bond between young men and the special women in their lives.

    While it is advertised as a “Mother & Son” event, grandmothers, aunts, sisters or any other notable women are invited to attend and honor the important relationships they share with the young men in their lives.
    Grace Helping Others was established in January 2021 by Carmen Jones as a nonprofit tasked with offering support to surrounding communities. The volunteer organization commits to at least five fundraisers per year to assist a minimum of 200 individuals or families per year, empowering them to become more self-sufficient.

    The idea for a mother and son event came to Jones when she noticed how often the area offered organized outings for fathers and daughters.

    “I saw lots of father/daughter dinners and such, but nothing for mothers and sons,” Jones said.

    This sparked an idea.
    While it is quite common for young ladies to have the chance to try on fancy attire, the same is not always true for young men. Mother & Son Date Night offers time together and time for which attendees are encouraged to pull out their best attire, from semi-formal to dress-to-impress. There will even be prizes for Best Dressed Duo.

    As this will be the first year for Mother & Son Date Night, Jones is hoping that it will be the stepping stone to bigger events in the years to come.

    “We hope to have more participants each year as word spreads and excitement builds,” Jones said.

    Mother & Son Date Night is the perfect opportunity to create magical memories while letting Grace Helping Others handle all the details, including endless hors-d’oeuvres, dancing and a 360 photo booth. All participants will be emailed a link to the photos taken in the 360 photo booth, a video platform that captures 120 frames per second as users stand within a revolving camera while it captures slow-motion video.

    Couples’ tickets start at $30 for general admission ($10 for each additional child), or a VIP option is available for $45 ($15 for each additional child).

    Individual tickets are also available for $20 per person.
    Mother & Son Date Night will be held July 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Kiwanis Recreation Center and Honeycutt Park, 352 Devers St.

    For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/mother-and-son-date-night-tickets-314025457597.

  • 14 Knowledge is power, and the United Negro College Fund said it best: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”
    Education is learning what you didn’t know that you didn’t know, and becoming a lifelong learner striving to become the best version of oneself is imperative.
    Cumberland County Schools currently have 470 students who dropped out of school, and that is why they are presenting their Back-to-School Launch Party Thursday, July 21 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Alger B. Wilkins High School.

    “The purpose of our Back-to-School Launch Party is to reengage students who have gotten out of school for various reasons such as lack of engagement, being unmotivated, having to work during COVID-19, experiencing a sickness, missed a lot of days of school and more,” explained Candice Revels, a school social worker for the Office of Indian Education with Cumberland County Schools.

    “And this was a part of that lack of engagement, and they just felt like they were overwhelmed, so we really want to reengage them and give them the best option for their circumstances now.”
    The event will discuss the options for students returning to school, if a student qualifies to attend the online academy and what kinds of community resources the student may need.

    “There will be tables set up so that students can rotate and receive the information that they need,” said Revels. “For example, Miller-Motte College will be there to assist with information on how to obtain your truck driver certification.”

    The party will feature a Speak On It Teen Health Awareness Fair. “They will talk about some of those health aspects to include mental health awareness, safe sex practices, navigating life after COVID-19, self-care, financial literacy, resources and next steps,” Revels said. “They will also discuss what life after high school will look like for the individual.”

    There will be many future options presented to potential returning students. “The discussion will center around if the student wants to go into the workforce, join the military or
    attend a two-year or four-year college, Revels said.

    The event is free and open to the public. Organizers will have door prizes and swag bags will be given to each student who attends the event and reenrolls in school.
    Alger B. Wilkins High School is located at 1429 Skibo Road.

  • 9 The Bragg ‘N Barn on Fort Bragg is making room to better serve the families that serve their country. The main post thrift store is currently undergoing renovations to bring positive logistical changes to the beloved second-hand shop. Conceived in large part by the Bragg ‘N Barn's manager of three months, Monica Allen, the World War II-era building will undergo a remodel that focuses on enhancing the experience of both shoppers and workers.

    “The end goal is a clean, safe shopping environment for our community, as well as a good proper flow of donated and consigned items,” Allen explained to Up & Coming Weekly. “We want to ensure there's a place for everything and that the store is organized so we can increase sales and give back even more through our welfare grants and scholarships to military dependents.”

    The Bragg ‘N Barn is a space nearly bursting at the seams with good intentions and is stocked full of clothing, furniture, household goods, books and toys. Still receiving donations during this time, the store is excited to implement the new plans and get more merchandise out on the floor.

    “We're focused on making more floor space to accommodate more donated items,” Allen said, sharing plans for the store's renovation. “There's a lot of focus on cleanliness in the dressing rooms and the children's play area. The children love the play area, and it's a constant struggle to keep it clean and organized because they're having fun with their shopping. We want to make it safer and easier for employees to keep it clean.”

    Originally a mule barn built during WWII, the Bragg ‘N Barn gets its rustic moniker from its roots. The historic brick building is a slice of the past now serving as the site of so much good. Dawn Miller, president of the Board of Directors for the Bragg ‘N Barn, feels the building's current duty as a thrift shop is more than fitting.

    “It's always good to repurpose,” she said. “It's a great use of the building. By people shopping here, donating here, consigning here, volunteering and working here — it's a wonderful cycle. Our sole mission is to help the

    Fort Bragg community and the greater Fayetteville area; it's the only reason we're here.”
    Apart from their service as a place for families across Fort Bragg to shop for needed items at affordable prices, the Bragg ‘N Barn has fingers that reach far beyond the crowded shelves and overflowing racks in the shop.

    The Bragg ‘N Barn has been a long-time employer of military spouses and dependents. The money received through in-store purchases goes toward the aforementioned welfare grants and scholarships for military high school seniors and those who wish to continue their education.

    As the project progresses, there have been interruptions to daily operations, and a few more are likely to occur before August. As the workers commit to keeping up operations while keeping shut-downs to a minimum, Allen admits, it's been difficult.

    “We've had a lot of obstacles, but our volunteers have been great. We're hoping to get more volunteer teams in to help.”

    Miller also chimed in with the store's need for those willing to give their time and talents to help the Bragg ‘N Barn thrive.

    “We need more people to come in and lend that helping hand. Volunteers have become a precious resource that is disappearing,” she stated. “It's only ‘goodness’ when you volunteer for your community.”

    For those who wish to volunteer, Allen is more than happy to help log those hours into the Volunteer Management Information System for the military. Allen also invites teenagers on school break to come and lend a hand as long as they're registered with Child & Youth Services.

    Additionally, the Bragg ‘N Barn is hunting for a washer and dryer for their warehouse and items to spruce up the employee breakroom.

    The scheduled August grand reopening coincides with National Thrift Store Day, observed on Wednesday, Aug. 17, this year. Allen hopes to make it a full month of celebration.
    The Bragg ‘N Barn is located on Ft. Bragg at 2-2412 Woodruff St.

    Volunteer forms can be found in-store or through the Bragg ‘N Barn Facebook page www.facebook.com/BraggNBarnThriftShop/.

  • 16 A new Association of the U.S. Army event is coming to the Crown Complex this month. The AUSA Warfighter Summit and Exposition is a two-day, in-person summit to teach leadership and professional development.
    The theme this year is “America’s Response Force: Ready Today, Ready Tomorrow.”

    Retired Brig. Gen. Jack Haley is the Vice President, Membership and Meetings for the AUSA. He says they have wanted to host a big event at Fort Bragg for a while and is excited to kick this event off as it’s aimed at the everyday soldier.

    “We wanted to do an event that was focused purely on the soldier, the warfighter,” Haley said. “We have been wanting to do this for a long time, and it’s finally coming together.”

    The summit will feature presentations by Army senior leaders and commands based at Fort Bragg, as well as experts from industry and academia. Topics will span the seven warfighting functions and highlight the way Army operational forces can sharpen their capabilities to win on the future battlefield.

    There also will be discussions on best practices to sustain foundational readiness and modernization and promote installation resilience.
    But it won’t be all lectures and panels. On the other side of the Crown Complex will be an obstacle course called the Battle Challenge Area.

    “We will run soldiers through the obstacle course and reward top male and top female over the two days,” Haley said.
    The keynote speaker on the first day of the summit will be Gen. James C. McConville, the Chief of Staff of the Army. The keynote speaker on the second day of the summit will be Sgt. Maj. of the Army, Michael A. Grinston.

    One speaker Haley thinks will excite people will be former NFL Player and Army Captain Alejandro Villanueva. Villanueva will deliver a PRIME Talk on People, Readiness, Innovation, Modernization and Education.

    “He’s going to talk to soldiers about leadership, morals and ethics that he learned when he was deployed in Afghanistan,” Haley said. “I also think he will run the battle course with a couple of troops and do a physical training session with some of the soldiers at Fort Bragg.”

    Gen. Andrew Poppas, the new commander of United States Army Forces Command, will also have a chance to talk to Fort Bragg soldiers during a town hall on the second day of the summit. Poppas and Grinston will hold a discussion on building readiness through cohesive teams that are highly trained, disciplined and fit.

    In addition, a session dedicated to the spouses and families of servicemembers will be held. That panel called Community Grit: Building Family Support Readiness will take place on the first day of the expo.

    For those who can’t make it to all of the panels, many of them will be live-streamed on AUSA’s website and social media.

    Online registration is open until July 20. The event itself will take place on July 27 and July 28. There is no cost for military and government civilian personnel.
    All attendees, exhibitors and speakers are to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Masks are optional. To register, go to https://meetings.ausa.org/warfighter/index.cfm.

     

  • FPD logo The grandparents of the woman who was fatally shot by Fayetteville police on Friday night dispute the department’s account of the incident.

    "This was bad. It was an egregious murder by the Fayetteville police," said Rick Iwanski, who is the grandfather of the woman killed, Jada Johnson. "Mental illness is not a crime."

    Johnson's family said she was suffering a mental crisis when she was tackled by police trying to get a handgun away from the 22-year-old. Police said the struggle came after officers spent about an hour trying to deescalate the situation and working to persuade Johnson to put down the handgun.

    Police said Johnson was threatening to hurt herself. Her grandmother, Maria Iwanski, and her daughter La’Naya also were in harm’s way, police have said.

    The shooting happened at Rick Iwanski's home in the 2300 block of Colgate Drive.

    The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the shooting.

    Two police officers have been placed on administrative duty pending the outcome of the investigation, which is standard procedure, said Officer Jeremy Strickland, a spokesman for the Police Department. He said the officers' names and the amount of time they have been with the Police Department are not being released at this time.

    The department has said its Internal Affairs Unit will conduct an internal investigation to ensure departmental policies and procedures were followed during the incident.

    Strickland said he could not comment further on the case.

    "Pretty much everything else will come from the SBI because we turned everything over to them," Strickland said. "Any further questions should be directed to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation because they have taken the case."

    Events unfold

    Officers were sent to Iwanski’s house just after 9:40 p.m. when an attempted break-in was reported, Assistant Police Chief James Nolette said during a news conference early Saturday.

    Officers were told that four men tried to break into the residence. Officers contacted the occupants, Nolette said. No evidence of a break-in could be determined, he said.
    The Iwanskis, who are married but estranged, were inside the residence along with Johnson and Johnson’s 2 1/2-year-old daughter.

    Nolette said there were inconsistencies with Johnson’s story. She also appeared “as if she were in crisis,’’ he said.

    “And then suddenly, she produced a firearm,’’ Nolette said, adding that she began to threaten to harm herself.

    Nolette said two officers spent about an hour talking with Johnson, trying to get her to put down the gun and discussing getting her help. After about an hour of trying to deescalate the situation, Nolette said, officers tried to secure the weapon and the struggle went to the ground.

    Maria Iwanski described her granddaughter as being tackled, like a football player, by one of the officers who edged closer to her while another one spoke from farther away, apparently in an attempt to distract Johnson.

    “I had the baby with me. I was close to her,” Maria Iwanksi said.

    Maria Iwanski said Johnson felt threatened by police. At one point, Johnson told the officer who continued to draw closer to her to back off, according to her grandmother.

    “'See, Mom, they’re trying to do something,’’’ Iwanski said Johnson told her.

    “She said as long as the baby was with me, they would not shoot her,” Maria Iwanski said.

    After her granddaughter was restrained, the 64-year-old Iwanski said, “she hit the edge of the table and fell flat on the floor. Her eyes were wide open, but nothing in her eyes.”

    Iwanski said she heard two shots and the baby screaming.

    She said Johnson was shot multiple times in the back "when she was largely unconscious already.”

    Strickland referred questions about the shooting, including how many times Johnson was shot, to the SBI.

    “They shot her like a freaking horse, like an animal,’’ Maria Iwanski said in an emotional outburst Tuesday.

    Maria Iwanski said Johnson had placed the handgun on the floor for a couple of minutes before being shot. At the time, they were both in the living room with La'Naya and Rick Iwanski.

    "Police never made an attempt to get it," she said.

    Earlier mental health treatment

    Maria Iwanski said her granddaughter was released earlier in the day from Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. She said Johnson had been admitted two days before after experiencing mental problems, including ramped-up anxiety.

    She said doctors told her at the time of Johnson’s release that her granddaughter had "mental problems." She was given pills, Iwanski said, and released.

    Maria Iwanski said her granddaughter was anxious about a toxic situation with her former boyfriend, from whom she had recently split. Johnson got the gun for protection, her grandmother said. She told Iwanski that the only thing her ex-boyfriend respects is a gun.

    Iwanski said she and her husband raised Johnson like a daughter.

    During the Saturday morning news conference, Nolette said two officers spent about an hour talking with Johnson trying to get her to put down the handgun. They also discussed getting her help, he said.

    Johnson agreed to get assistance through Cape Fear Valley, according to Nolette, and police had medical crews ready to respond.

    But Maria Iwanski said police canceled the emergency vehicle while they continued to try to persuade Johnson to give up the gun.

    “They said it was not needed,” she recalled of the EMS vehicle. “She wanted to go back to the hospital. She got more and more anxious.’’

    At one point, Iwanski said, the officers went outside and talked in private. When they returned, Johnson asked what they had been talking about, Iwanski said. She was told that the conversation was private.

    After about an hour, police said they attempted to take the gun from Johnson and secure control of it. Police and the woman struggled and fell to the ground before the officer fired, according to Nolette.

    Maria Iwanski said she saw an officer shoot Johnson in the back.

    Rick Iwanski said he did not hear any shots fired by Johnson.

    "From what I saw, it was the police. I did not hear any shots from her, from when she went down or after she went down," he said.

    Iwanski said the family plans to take some type of legal action, but at this point, "we don't know the route. I believe we have to wait until the SBI's investigation is complete. In the meantime, we'll have some protests, some picketing, some demonstrations. We're working it now," he added.

    "She was a wonderful girl," Maria Iwanski said of her granddaughter. "I have cancer. She helped me. She was here for me during the treatments. She was very helpful."

  • pexels Crime tape A woman was found shot to death Wednesday morning in a street in north Fayetteville.

    Fayetteville police officers were dispatched just after 10:50 a.m. to the 2000 block of Blake Street in reference to a shooting. Blake Street is off Sherman Drive in north Fayetteville.

    A woman with an apparent gunshot wound was found in the street, police said in a release. She was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Her identity is being withheld until her next of kin is notified.

    Members of the department’s Homicide Unit are investigating.

    Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective S. Shirey at 910-751-3009 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

  • sunny pexels pixabay 301599 Fayetteville will see temperatures above normal for July over the next few days, and Cumberland County officials want to make sure people without air conditioning have a place to stay cool.
    The county announced Wednesday that it has opened select buildings as cooling stations for those residents who do not have access to air conditioning.

    The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory until 7 p.m. Wednesday for Cumberland County with a heat index value up to 109 degrees.
    At 3 p.m. Wednesday, the temperature in Fayetteville was 95 degrees with a heat index of 107, the National Weather Service said.

    “The temperature reported is actually the temperature in the shade,’’ said meteorologist Aaron Swiggett.

    The warm temperatures are expected to continue Thursday with a heat index of 100 to 105 degrees, Swiggett said.
    Fayetteville is seeing temperatures four to five degrees above normal. The normal high for Fayetteville is 91 degrees, Swiggett said.

    Cooling stations

    The county said these buildings are available as cooling stations:

    The auxiliary lobby on the first floor at the Department of Social Services at 1225 Ramsey St. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Masks or face coverings are optional. However, masks and social distancing are encouraged, the county said.

    The first-floor lobby of the Cumberland County Department of Public Health at 1235 Ramsey St. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone entering the Health Department is required to wear a mask and receive a temperature scan.

    All eight Cumberland County public libraries also are open as cooling stations, the county said. Libraries are open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Headquarters Library at 300 Maiden Lane is also open Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m.

    The 18 Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks & Recreation Centers — which are open to the public year-round during normal operating hours — may also be used by residents to escape the heat.

    Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses, particularly for those working in outdoor activities, the county said.

    Swiggett said people who work outdoors should take breaks often and be aware of heat-related illnesses and symptoms. He also reminded people to:
    Drink plenty of fluids.
    Check on elderly relatives and neighbors and make sure they have adequate ways to stay cool.
    And never leave children or pets unattended in vehicles.

     The area could see relief this weekend. A cold front expected to pass through on Saturday could bring below-normal temperatures Sunday and Monday. The high Sunday is expected to be 83 degrees.

  • North Carolina Leglslature Building by Frank Taylor Carolina Public Press The state’s nearly $2 billion budget for the new fiscal year includes $1.5 million to boost Fayetteville State University’s fledgling training program for sexual assault nurse examiners, or SANE nurses.

    The program, led by Dr. Sheila Cannon, recently received approval from the state Board of Nursing. Late last year, legislators approved $125,000 for a SANE nurse pilot training project in Cumberland County, overseen by Rape Crisis Volunteers of Cumberland County.

    With that initial amount, Cannon told CPP she expected to train 10 students this summer.
    But the legislature’s appropriation, if the state budget is approved by Gov. Roy Cooper, could expand her program over multiple years.
    Fayetteville State University is a historically Black university and may be the first HBCU in the entire nation to become a hub for SANE nurse training, according to Jennifer Pierce-Weeks, chief executive officer for the International Association of Forensic Nurses.

    “Having nurses who provide trauma-informed, evidence-based, patient-centered care who also represent the communities they serve is one of the many ways we can begin to bridge the gap in health disparities,” Pierce-Weeks said.

    Cannon has plans to train SANE nurses who intend to remain in North Carolina. A Carolina Public Press investigation published last year surveyed 130 hospitals and community programs statewide. The responses showed that few SANE nurses work in rural areas, and many urban areas only had a few.
    The investigation showed some rape victims had to travel to multiple hospitals across several days to find a credentialed SANE nurse.

    “This is a big step forward,” said Skye David, an attorney for the N.C. Coalition Against Sexual Assault, of the appropriation for FSU.

    “Your reporting shed some light for folks to see we really need to focus on that. Having a training program at an HBCU and encouraging people to stay in North Carolina is really huge both for survivors and for Fayetteville State.”

    While 18% of white women will face a sexual assault in their lifetimes, nearly 19% of Black women and more than 1-in-3 Native American women will also face sexual assault, according to the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.
    People of color are “not likely at all” to see someone who resembles them when they seek a SANE nurse, Cannon said in April.

    “Because we are so culturally diverse here at FSU, we can certainly generate more people of color who are SANE-trained and can grow that interest in that way.”
    Cannon said the state needs a sustainable way to train SANE nurses.

    “This is a long-term problem,” Cannon said in April. “This is something that needs to be fixed, and I don’t think people get the magnitude of what this might mean.”
    People arriving in an emergency room after an assault “need the compassion, need the support and care, and need (SANE nurses) to get them through that trauma they are experiencing,” Cannon said. “They are often retraumatized from the lack of compassion.”

    Other legislation related to sexual assaults

    Lawmakers also passed a bill last week to collect DNA from domestic-violence abusers and increase payments to hospitals for sexual assault exams.
    The state reimburses hospitals up to $800 for a physician or SANE nure to conduct a sexual assault exam, and hospitals are required to accept that money as “as payment in full.” However, sometimes victims are billed for the costs anyway, and hospitals have said $800 isn’t enough to pay for a nurse’s time for what can be a multihour examination for forensic evidence and compassionate care to a sexual assault victim.

    State Sen. Natasha Marcus, D-Mecklenburg, filed a bill to increase the cap to $1,500 last year. She said she was pleased Sens. Danny Britt, R-Robeson, and Kathy Harrington, R-Gaston, along with Rep. Billy Richardson, D-Cumberland, were willing to roll her bill into HB 674.

    “It’s my understanding that one of the main reasons why providers were billing victims for their forensic exams was because they were not receiving full reimbursement for the exams due to the cap,” Marcus said.

    If signed by the governor, House Bill 674 requires the state to collect DNA from people convicted of assault on a female, a charge typically associated with domestic violence. The bill initially sought to collect DNA when someone was charged with assault on a female.

  • 4Everyone knows I am a huge Chamber of Commerce advocate. So when our newspaper was invited to assist in moderating the June 30 Fayetteville Municipal Candidate's Forum at the Crown Coliseum along with CityView TODAY and the Fayetteville Observer, I was delighted. The Chamber's Government Affairs Committee hosted the forum under the direction of Eva Henderson, and Gary Rogers emceed the event. The event was well attended by all incumbents and challengers seeking city council elected positions for all nine districts and the office of mayor. Only Deno Hondras, District 9 candidate, was absent due to an out-of-town commitment. The attendance of concerned citizens, estimated at 70, was disappointing considering that this was the final forum before early voting beings on July 7.

    I was excited to be a part of this informational exercise. However, I was equally disappointed in the outcome once it was over. It left me with a hollow feeling about the future of our community. Without a doubt, the candidates readily identified and acknowledged the Fayetteville community's needs and its citizens' concerns. Homelessness, the crime and homicide rates, the need for affordable housing, higher-paying jobs, the desire to attract more industry, improve our image and have a cleaner, more beautiful city. But collectively, and with only a few exceptions, after listening to the incumbents' positions, they confirmed what I and many others suspected, they are primarily about maintaining their roles within their districts and have little knowledge or concern for the needs of the cumulative 210,000 citizens. This became evident when I reviewed my notes, which revealed this sentiment was a pattern among incumbents from the mayor on down. When Mayor Mitch Colvin was asked about Fayetteville's homeless encampments on Gillespie Street and the four city center encampments encompassing three blocks between Rowan and Hay streets, he instinctively punted the problem over to the North Carolina Department of Transportation. Colvin stated that this city council had done more for homelessness over the last term than in 25 years. I don't remember homelessness being an epidemic problem 25 years ago. Truth be known, the situation has only gotten worse under this administration.

    As I listened to the mayor and the nine incumbents responding to questions about homelessness, crime, overall community safety, out-of-control traffic, lack of police accountability and the shameful amount of trash and litter in our city, it became apparent that their main priority was to safeguard and secure their positions. They radiated little concern, empathy or knowledge of the needs of the entire Fayetteville community. Evidence of this surfaced with the incumbent's adverse reactions to the viability of term limits. And again, concerning the pending referendum that will appear on the November ballot for changing Fayetteville's nine district/mayor structure. This structure only allows a resident two votes out of ten in determining Fayetteville's leadership compared to a possible four at large seats and five districts plus the mayor. This change would give all Fayetteville residents six out of ten votes in determining local leadership. Six votes versus two! One would think, “what's not to like about that?”

    I'll close by saying everyone needs to look to the future. Go to the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce website and view the Forum video. It says it all. Fayetteville's future is now! Voting starts on July 7, and I will make this prediction hoping and praying it doesn't turn into a sad and disappointing epitaph. “Fayetteville will ultimately get the kind of leadership it deserves.”
    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 27I don’t get to use the word flabbergasted much. It simply means greatly surprised or astonished, but it sounds more striking, so I’m going to use it today.

    Flabbergasted. That’s the state I’d have to say I’ve found myself in more than once in the past couple of years.

    As I see and hear the responses to local, national and international events from people who I’ve worked with, worshiped with, and even shared meals with, I’ve had multiple occasions to realize just how little I know about the people I thought I was close with, and I’m, well, flabbergasted!

    Publicly, I’m a fairly low-key guy, so you’re not likely to trip me up after a reckless social media post or outburst at a gathering somewhere.
    The river runs deep, though. I’ve just learned to listen more than I speak.

    Moreover, other than emergencies, I believe a little thought goes a long way before action.
    So when I see the public outcry and people tearing one another down in response to wars, sanctions, Supreme Court decisions and new legislation, I am often greatly surprised or astonished — especially when it comes from people I’ve locked arms with.

    I take the collective charge to the Church (capital C) seriously. Here’s what the Apostle Paul had to say about us staying on the same page: Ephesians 4:1b-6... I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

    This is clearly a call to unity. It’s a call for us to remain friends and continue working together toward honorable goals no matter how much we may disagree.
    It’s a call to recognize that though many things may attempt to divide us, through humility, gentleness and with patience, there is little that can succeed in doing so.

    There is no doubt that we live in a world and culture that adopts rules and enacts legislation that runs counter to the Truth of who God calls us to be. Yet, we must endure and even flourish.
    I’m with you, friend. I don’t agree with everything I read in all caps on social media the other day, but I understand you better and am still willing to talk it out and work together for a better tomorrow.

     

  • 8Candidates and incumbents for the Fayetteville City Council squared off in brief mayoral and council district debates on June 30, hoping to sway voters to their way of thinking.

    The Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce hosted the candidate forum at the Crown Coliseum Complex. The Fayetteville City Council and Mayoral election are on July 26. The election consists of a mayoral race and nine single-member districts.

    The forum did not allow the approximate 60 audience members to understand how all members felt about any single topic since district candidates were asked different questions. Candidates who served in the military touted their leadership expertise, while those who owned or operated businesses touted their business acumen.

    One emerging theme among those seeking office for the first time was that the current leadership was lacking. Incumbents mostly pointed to current city programs when asked about their accomplishments. Many candidates seeking their first terms promised more of everything, among them enticements to keep those getting out of the military and recent college graduates to stay in Fayetteville.

    Mayor Mitch Colvin said the city is business-friendly and has demonstrated that through supporting small businesses, especially during the height of the pandemic, and forming partnerships to help businesses. He points to the more than 2,500 jobs created and $250 million in new investments.

    Mayoral candidate Freddie de la Cruz said his focus would be on better mass transportation to help people get from their homes to work and back again. He advocated a more efficient way of getting to bus stops from homes, possibly using Lyft or Uber.

    De la Cruz also criticized the city’s leadership response to the riots and the burning of the Market House.

    “I didn’t like the way that was run,” he said. He said removing the “black painted stripe” around the Market House and then paying to repaint the street was an inefficient use of city resources. The Black Lives Matter issue surrounding the Market House was divisive, he said.

    Colvin and de la Cruz also differed on their approach to finding a solution for the growing number of unhoused individuals in the city and the idea of term limits for the mayor and city council. Colvin noted the city is currently working on several programs to mitigate homelessness in the city, citing a proposed homeless shelter and other programs.

    De la Cruz said much of the homelessness is a family matter and should be handled accordingly. He supports using public money for homeless centers for those who, because of mental illness or drug addiction, are not able to function without help. Others, who are capable of working, should be put back into the workforce, and that should be accomplished by bolstering the city’s economy, he said.

    De la Cruz, a retired lieutenant colonel, said the mayor and city council offices should have term limits. He likened it to the Army’s change-of-command, where new leadership is infused often. Colvin, who has served as councilmember and mayor pro tem before becoming the city’s second African-American mayor in 2017, said the current two-year term works best. He was first elected to City Council in 2013.

    “We have the shortest terms in the state, and we all run at the same time,” Colvin said. The city council and mayor all run for two-year terms and are not staggered.

    “At any given time, there can be a complete turnover. Citizens decide every 24 months,” he said.

    District 5 candidate Frederick LaChance, a Navy veteran and a graduate of the original Pine Forest High School, called for the removal of Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins. LaChance is running against long-time incumbent Johnny Dawkins Jr. LaChance also said his position is based on how the city, in his view, failed to respond to the riots and burning of the Market House. LaChance also endorsed combining city and county services.

    Dawkins said he is a staunch proponent of a well-paid and well-equipped police department. He agreed with LaChance that some services should be combined and noted the Fayetteville Parks and Recreation services currently are a joint city-county venture.

    The issue of race relations emerged in the debate between District 8 incumbent Courtney Banks-McLaughlin and downtown businessman Michael Pinkston. Pinkston previously ran for city council in 2015.

    When asked about race being an issue in Fayetteville, Pinkston replied, “Race disturbs me deeply, but we need to get over ourselves.” He envisions a council that will discuss issues, not race, one that works on problems and votes for whatever is best for Fayetteville.

    Pinkston said he supports the “Yes Fayetteville” initiative, which seeks to have at-large council representation, thus giving city voters more than two candidates to vote for. Currently, city residents can only vote for a mayor and their respective district representative. Adding at-large candidates would give city voters more voting options and, once elected, more council members responsive to that district.
    Banks-McLaughlin told the primarily Black audience she was not in favor of the proposed “Yes Fayetteville” referendum, calling it racist and an attempt by some to achieve power and control over the city. Currently, eight of the 10-member council are Black.

    Pinkston said voting in favor of having at-large council members would put us in league with other North Carolina cities like Raleigh and Durham.

    Pinkston also said he supports the city’s previous pledge of $7.5 million for the proposed Civil War and Reconstruction Museum. Both the city and Cumberland County previously pledged $7.5 million each, with a county proviso that the committee behind the museum get other funding. The state of North Carolina has allocated $60 million for the project.
    Banks-McLaughlin said she does not support the museum. She said there were more important issues in the community that the city could use the money for. Supporters of the museum have repeatedly noted the economic boon to Fayetteville in jobs and recurring tourist dollars once the history center is complete and under state control and operation.
    District 4 incumbent D.J. Haire also supports single-member districts and does not support the proposed “Yes Fayetteville” referendum. Haire said the smaller single-member districts allow him to get to know his constituents better.

    His opponent Thomas Greene asked, “What difference does it make?” Whether all single-member districts or some at-large districts, Greene said the issue is quality.

    “Fayetteville has a leadership problem,” he said, maintaining that having the right people in place will make the difference.

    Asked about the Murchison Road corridor, Greene said making residents along that route safe, enforcing building codes, and creating a better standard of living for those residents would do much to enhance that I-295 gateway into the city. Greene, a bail bondsman, said Fayetteville has a narco economy and a 50% increase in the murder rate. Working on those issues would greatly enhance Fayetteville’s image.

    Haire countered that he had been a “drum major” for Murchison Road, citing the development of Bronco Square across from Fayetteville State University and securing $350,000 for supporting small businesses in the area. Haire so far has served 10 terms on the city council and is the second-generation owner of a real estate firm.

    Others vying for office include incumbent Katherine Jensen and Jose Alex Rodriguez in District 1. Jensen, a small business owner, said people should shop locally and not travel to Raleigh or elsewhere to shop. Jensen listed her strengths as someone who collaborates with others to achieve results.

    Rodriguez said Fayetteville needs to provide incentives to recruit big business to keep exiting military and college graduates to stay and seek careers here.
    In District 2, incumbent Shakeyla Ingram hopes to ward off Tyrone Williams in an effort to keep her seat on the council. Williams is a former city council member. He resigned in May 2018 over ethical concerns. Ingram is looking to serve a second term and is an advocate of affordable housing, police accountability and the inclusion of the community in fighting crime.

    “You can’t arrest your way out of everything,” she said.

    Williams, an investor and developer who served on an economic development board in Norfolk, Va., said his family left their Raeford farm years ago to seek a better life in Fayetteville.

    “It hasn’t turned out that way,” he said. He said development and the use of $40 million in American Rescue Plan money could encourage development in Fayetteville.

    Mario “Be” Benavente and Antonio Jones are vying for the District 3 seat. Jones was appointed to the council in December 2021 to replace Councilwoman Tisha Waddell who resigned from the District 3 seat in November, alleging unethical behavior by several members of City Council.

    Mario Benavente recently earned his law degree from North Carolina Central University and is a graduate of the Fayetteville Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy. Benavente claimed racial profiling by police at traffic stops has increased during the past 10 years. He said a citizen endorsed Civilian Review Board has yet to be established.
    Jones is a certified military relocation realtor and refused to debate Benavente’s claim that he accepted dollars from an out-of-town super PAC.

    “I’m not getting into mud,” he responded.

    Jones also said Fayetteville needs industry to keep young people interested in staying, but they also need better entertainment venues.
    District 6 pits two newcomers to politics: Peter Pappas and Derrick Thompson. District 6 was left vacant after Councilman Chris Davis opted to run for state office. Pappas owns and operates the family’s Baldino Sub Shops. Thompson is a 20-year Army veteran and former U.S. postal carrier.

    District 7 incumbent Larry Wright faces Brenda McNair who trailed Wright by only four votes in the primary. McNair is running on a platform of reconciliation. Third term Wright says his primary concern is reducing crime.
    Finally, Fayetteville native Deno Hondros seeks to replace incumbent Yvonne Kinston. Hondros is a commercial realtor. He did not attend the forum because of a previous out-of-state commitment. Kinston is a telecommunications customer service representative and an officer in the Communications Workers of America Union.

    For more detailed information about each candidate’s position, see Up & Coming Weekly’s 2022 Election Guide at www.upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 4President Ronald Reagan once quipped, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Certainly good for a chuckle, but also enormously insulting to public service employees, 76,000 of them in North Carolina, according to the Office of State Human Services.

    If you live in Cumberland County, the chances are good that you, someone in your family or a friend is a state employee. Cumberland County is well within driving distance to the Triangle, home to our state capital and the workforce that supports state operations.

    In addition, various state departments and agencies have offices all over North Carolina, employing workers at all levels, including hundreds in our community.
    Most of them take their job responsibilities seriously while under increasing pressure and enjoying little public support in this era of anti-government sentiment.
    More and more public service employees at the state and local levels are deciding with their feet and taking their skills and experience elsewhere, many enticed by higher pay in the private sector. While the Office of State Human Resources touts 76,000 state employees, the current reality is much different.

    The News and Observer recently reported that the current vacancy rate among state agencies is now 21%, with almost a quarter of all jobs unfilled. Three years ago, that rate was 12%. COVID probably accounts for some of this, but for whatever reasons, the number of state employees has dropped from 61,800 in April 2020 to 57,200 today. Ronnie Condrey of State Human Resources told The News and Observer that unfilled jobs and high turnover are a serious problem for our state.

    “We spend a lot of time training people, and they turn around and use that elsewhere.”

    It is hard to blame them.

    Private sector jobs traditionally pay more. Public sector jobs generally come with more job protections and more generous benefits, although those have waned in recent years. At the end of the day, though, public sector pay has to be enough to live on, and that simply is no longer the case in North Carolina and many local communities.

    The North Carolina General Assembly has enacted a 5% pay raise for most state employees over two years, which is significantly lower than the current inflation rate. Cities and counties are scrambling to give raises as well, but even when there is the will, the way is difficult in poorer communities.

    Other factors affecting the public workforce include aging public employees and a younger population that is more mobile than ever before.
    I cannot speak for you, of course, but I want and expect certain services from my government at the local and state levels.

    From the state, I want the roads my family and I drive to be safe, well-maintained and patrolled. I want the schools my grandchildren attend to have well-trained teachers and administrators and enough of both. I want North Carolina prisons to have enough corrections officers to keep themselves and those in their custody safe. I want adequate numbers of health care professionals at state facilities to provide care to people who need it.

    From local governments, I want law enforcement officers to show up when we need them. I want someone to answer my 911 call in a timely manner. I want safety inspections for buildings, bus drivers for public transit and lifeguards at public pools. I am also grateful for public parks where families can enjoy each other and public libraries we can all explore.
    I will go out on a limb here and speculate that you want those services as well. They are not the “help” Ronald Reagan joked about so cavalierly. They are the services that keep our communities safe and the amenities that make them attractive places to work and live.

    If we want to keep them, we must insist our state and local decision-makers fund them.

  • 16Limitless is the only way to describe the exhibitions at Gallery 208 in Fayetteville. Each exhibition is an opportunity to share experimental contemporary artists, how curiosity has shaped an artist’s style and how material, sometimes the immaterial, can communicate an idea or feeling in a work of art.

    Intersection: Textiles and Printmaking by Martha Sisk is the newest exhibition, opening July 12, and exemplifies an artist who has merged the boundaries of fiber arts and the art of print. The public is invited to meet the artist during the reception of Intersection at Gallery 208 on July 12, between 5:30 to 7 p.m., to view an exhibition of wall hangings and fine art prints. Visitors to the reception will see how effortlessly Sisk moves between fabrics and printmaking — each medium influencing the other, and the ordinary becomes extraordinary!

    Whether it is fabric or printmaking, the core of this artist’s success is being inspired by nature and how fragments, or parts, can result in balanced completeness. Working methodically and intuitively, Sisk responds to pattern, color, shapes and texture to create cohesive designs and compositions.

    Working with fabric since she was a child, as an adult Sisk continues to work with fabrics to create dolls, children’s clothing, quilts and wall hangings.
    Her turning point towards creating nonfunctional fine art with fabrics took place in 2005 when Sisk attended a workshop on a “confetti” embroidery technique. Her piece, “Thank you, Monet,” is the result of the workshop and is being exhibited in Intersection.

    “Thank You, Monet” is an 18” x 24” inch framed work created from an assortment of many, many small pieces of fabric arranged to create an image. Created by the “confetti” technique, Sisk and the other participants were inspired by pictures they took to the workshop. Many small scraps of fabric were arranged to resemble their images, the surface of loose scraps held in place with “tull,” an undetectable netted fabric, then machine sewn on top to keep all the small pieces of fabric in place. (On the label, next to the work, is a small picture by Claude Monet, which inspired her interpretation of his landscape using fabric.)

    In comparison, fast forward to 2014, an 18” x 24” woven silkscreen in the exhibit titled “Borne Along by Dreams” is an example of how Sisk was influenced by her experiences in fiber arts to create an original type of fine art print. Rhythmic patterns of shapes of color and the surprising ways of creating a recognizable image by the unexpected placement of various textures are the results of her fiber arts experiences.

    Since the 1970s, due to the Women’s Movement, there has been a growing interest in fiber arts as fine art. During the last thirty years, a true renaissance in fiber arts has taken place by contemporary artists — nationally and globally. Gallery 208 is exhibiting Sisk to share a regional artist’s response to fabrics by displaying her wall hangings and original prints as a way for visitors can compare the ways two different mediums have influenced each other.

    Intersection is also an exhibition that exemplifies the ways in which artists respond to materials and the endless possibilities of any medium to express an idea. Sisk has been influenced in many ways to continue to work in fabrics and eventually printmaking.

    “I am a collector of materials and tools, machines, patterns, books, paper and thread; I have a willingness to try something new, and a fascination with nature,” she said.

    “In any work I create, I am always trying to share my love of nature — especially trees. Trees are so beautiful and fantastic no matter the shape, condition, size or type. I have an appreciation for forms and colors; I notice textures and see beauty in places and things many people might not. I see color most of all. I would like for the viewer to see what I see — beauty in the way I have used colors and shapes. Hopefully, the viewer will be transported to their own memory of places in nature.”

    The progression from fabric to screen prints as a material for her work has been natural.

    “After so many years of cutting up fabrics, it seemed natural to cut up unsuccessful silkscreen prints and use the colorfully inked paper surface in some way. What began as an experiment, cutting the silkscreen into long bands of color, then weaving them into an abstracted image, became an exciting way to work with the printed image.”
    When asked about the pleasures of working with fabrics or printmaking, Sisk shared the importance of enjoying the process and working towards a finished product.

    “Sometimes, solving a problem is a joy because the problem allows you to think in a different way — occasionally even allowing collaboration with a family member. It is satisfying to hear the solutions and work together.

    For both, just being creative is a positive activity that makes me happy.

    With fabrics, the art form includes so many variations that it is impossible to ‘get tired of it.’ Plus, it is a ‘clean’ art — requiring no water or solvents — nothing to clean up after I am through — except little threads on the floor and other little messes made from scissors and fabric. In printmaking, you have the advantage of multiples. But I like the monotype printmaking approach — weaving together parts to make one unique print.”
    Since all mediums have their advantages and disadvantages, Sisk explained, “Since I don’t use plain fabric, it’s difficult to find fabric with the colors and pattern I like. I love tools, but scissors and needles can get blunt and thread breaks. Unfortunately, sewing machines themselves can break. Quite differently, the tools for printmaking are simpler — almost primitive — and not inclined to break. However, the supplies used in printmaking, like ink, can be difficult to get consistent for an edition. For me, printmaking requires more patience than sewing. In silkscreen printmaking, drying time prevails; after pulling one color, the screen must be cleaned, then areas blocked out and have to dry before the next color; drying time is required before one layer can be added to the older layer.”

    Working with fabrics has always been an enjoyable hobby throughout her life, yet Sisk did not become a professional artist until after a non-art career. With the many responsibilities as a military spouse, Sisk earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a Master of Arts degree for Exceptional Children in the late 90s and became an educator. It wasn’t until she went back to school in 2013 to take some art classes at Fayetteville State University that she decided to complete the FSU Visual Arts degree. While working on the arts degree, Sisk began exhibiting her work; as a professional artist, her works are in many private collections.
    Intersection is more than an exhibit of works by Martha Sisk; the exhibit is a tribute to ways in which an artist explores the potential of material, alternate surfaces, shapes, color and texture.

    Hopefully, visitors will leave the exhibit excited about the possibilities of any collection of supplies, crafts or art and see the potential to express and share something beautiful, an idea or a feeling with unexpected materials.

    The public is invited to attend the opening reception for Intersection: Textiles and Printmaking by Martha Sisk on July 12, between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
    The exhibit will stay in the Gallery until Sept. 30. Gallery 208 is located at 208 Rowan St.

    Hours of operation are Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, call 910-484-6200.

  • As the dog days of summer approach, families are scrambling to complete their activity bucket lists before the new school year beckons.

    While getting it all done in one day may seem like a tall order, Prime Movers of Hope Mills aims to try on July 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    After a successful initial run last year, Family Fun Day returns with even more in store for those with an epic summer wish list to check off.

    The Prime Movers is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between millenials and the Board of Commissioners. Their primary goal is to increase millennial engagement within the community and the town of Hope Mills. Events like Family Fun Day align with the organization’s goal to create opportunities to unite people.

    “We had a great turnout last year,” said Monika Cotter, Hope Mills Prime Movers president. “This year, we wanted to make it bigger and better and change a few things. It’s a good way to get everybody to the Greenway

    Walking Trail, get outside, get active and let families have fun together.”
    Though “better” remains to be seen, a valiant attempt at “bigger” is apparent. This year’s itinerary is crammed with activities that appeal to every summer wish, dream and appetite.

    “Everybody should come to this event,” Cotter said. “It’s even dog friendly, and if your cat walks on a leash — you can bring them too,” she joked.

    Building on the success of last year’s Family Fun Day, this year will be packed with even more vendors and food trucks for people to enjoy. As a bonus, guests over 21 can take a stroll through Dirtbag Ales’ Beer Garden.

    For those under 21, there’s still fun to be had. Guests can enjoy some yoga, I-95 muscle cars, a craft table, a bounce house and a kid zone. And if that’s not enough, those who dare can step into the ring and test their mettle in a sumo competition, complete with a padded suit.

    The event will also feature an on-site photographer ready to snap an updated family photo in front of a fun background for just $5.
    Family Fun Day is a free event open to everyone, but Cotter is most excited to see kids enjoying the day with their loved ones.

    “I love seeing all the kids and their parents or grandparents taking part in what Hope Mills has to offer,” Cotter said.

    Though the primary goal of Family Fun Day is to bring people together for a good time, it’s also an excellent opportunity to serve the community.

    Prime Movers has organized a school supply drive to run concurrently with the day’s festivities as the school year approaches. Donations of notebooks, pencils, loose-leaf paper, disinfectant wipes, tissues, glue sticks, dry erase markers, water bottles and hand sanitizer will be collected on-site.

    At the end of the day, Cotter hopes people leave with a smile on their faces.

    “I hope to hear that people had a lot of fun with their families,” she said.
    Family Fun Day will be held at Hope Mills Golf Course, located at 3625 Golfview Road in Hope Mills.

    For more information about the event, visit www.facebook.com/hopemillsprimemovers2020.

  • 15Supporting local businesses and nonprofits is important to Gaston Brewing Company Founder and CEO Troy Rassmussen.
    After speaking to his team, they decided to create an event this summer that would be fun for the whole family while also supporting the community.

    “We wanted to do an event that would feature local vendors, local food, obviously local beverage, which was provided by us. And most of all, we wanted to partner with a local nonprofit organization to bring awareness to their cause and to help potentially raise some funds in support of what they're doing,” Rassmussen told Up & Coming Weekly.

    The nonprofit they chose was the Fayetteville Animal Protection Society — Cumberland County's only no-kill nonprofit animal shelter.

    The FAPS mission is "to provide a licensed, no-kill shelter for homeless animals until adopted into a loving and caring lifetime environment; to reduce the population of stray animals and to promote responsible pet ownership. FAPS receives no government funding and relies solely on the generosity of individuals and businesses to fund its lifesaving work,” according to their website.

    All profits from the multiple raffle drawings at the event will be donated to the FAPS.
    Some prizes for the raffle include gas gift cards, an indoor climbing package, local businesses' items and dancing lessons at Roland's Dance Studio.

    Rassmussen says there will be all types of vendors, boutiques, food and kid-friendly activities at the event. Some of the food trucks that have been named for the event include Big Chiefs Food Truck and Pelican Snowballs. Local musician Ethan Hanson will be performing at the event.

    For kids, Rassmussen says they are working on getting a kids zone section that will be a safe place for kids to play.
    Some planned activities include a possible petting zoo, a splash pad and various games.

    “It's going to be primarily an outdoor event," Rassmussen said. "So we'll have plenty for people to do and see and hopefully raise money for a good cause.”
    FAPS will be out at Shops N' Hops and bringing some of the animals they have available for adoption. While it won't be same-day adoption, Rassmussen hopes that the people who will come and see the animals will hopefully think about adopting.

    “So it'll be a great opportunity for people to come and meet the fine folks at FAPS, and hopefully, maybe one of the pups that they bring will find a new home,” Rassmussen said.
    Rassmussen hopes these Shops N' Hops events will continue as a regular event at Gaston's.

    “I think the idea is we would like to do this, you know, quarterly or maybe seasonally and choose a different nonprofit each time,”- Rassmussen said.
    Shops N' Hops will take place on July 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Gaston Brewing Taproom. The event is free and is geared toward people of all ages.

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