Cumberland County Public Libraries no longer charge late fees for overdue items like books and DVDs. The library will also not charge for long overdue or lost fees on these items. The goal is to increase access to library services for previously blocked customers, particularly young borrowers. The change does not include laptops, hotspots or Playaway Launchpads.

The library system charged $.20 per day per item with a maximum of $5 per item charged. Borrowers were blocked from checking out materials if they had $10 in late fees. Approximately one-third of library card accounts are inactive, with fees preventing those cardholders from using library resources.

Public Library Director Faith Phillips requested the change to the County Board of Commissioners, who approved dismissing charges in their August meeting. Phillips told the board that library systems that have gone late-fee free have experienced a huge return of customers, broken down barriers to access, increased the community members they serve, experienced a huge amount of good will within the community, ensured their practices meet industry standards and been fiscally responsible.

Phillips estimated that late fees generate about $33,600 a year in revenue for the library system and that the County could recoup that funding by no longer paying a collection agency to recover lost materials and by seeking grant opportunities.
September is National Library Card Sign Up Month and Cumberland County Public Library is inviting all residents to join the library. This card will give you access to technology, resources and services to help encourage expression, enlightenment and exploration.

For more information about signing up for a library card, returning long overdue items, or in-person and virtual programs at the library, please visit cumberlandcountync.gov/library and follow them on social media.

Cumberland County Animal Services is participating in the nationwide “Clear the Shelters” event from Sept. 13-18.

During this week, adoption fees will be waived for all shelter pets.

The shelter is located at 4704 Corporation Drive in Fayetteville and will be open for adoptions from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1-5 p.m. on Saturday.

Adopters must have a photo ID and be at least 18 years old.

All adoptions will be on a first-come, first-served basis and up to two pets can be adopted per household.

This month is the 25th anniversary of Hurricane Fran, the 3rd most powerful storm to strike North Carolina since record keeping began. In 1954, Hurricane Hazel set the standard by which others have been compared.

Hurricane Fran formed from a tropical wave that emerged from the west coast of Africa in mid-August of 1996. In early September, the category 3 hurricane struck North Carolina near Cape Fear. The Tar Heel state got the worst of the storm, and therefore experienced the worst of the damage.

The highest wind gust of 137 mph occurred at Wilmington. The Kure Beach Pier was destroyed along with the Emerald Isle fishing pier. Storm surge in North Topsail Beach created a 100-foot-wide inlet. Swansboro and New Bern experienced 10 feet of storm surge, causing many waterfront businesses to be destroyed.

Fran remained at hurricane strength as it moved inland. The eye of the storm passed over Clinton, 30 miles east of Fayetteville. Raleigh and Fayetteville each reported wind gusts of up to 79 mph.

According to Associated Press reports, Fran was responsible for 37 deaths. Most of the deaths were caused by flash flooding in the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Of those deaths, 21were in North Carolina. Wind damage and power outages were widespread. Rainfall exceeding 7 inches caused flooding along the Cape Fear River. Fran caused an estimated $2.4 billion in damage in 1996 dollars, or about $3.65 billion today.

Across Cumberland County Schools there are more than 4,600 employees in the classroom who are dedicated to helping students succeed. To support teachers and help those who are interested in seeking leadership opportunities, CCS is beginning its third year of CCS Talent Pathways. The pathway, which is part of the district’s strategic plan, will offer fully licensed teachers an opportunity to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to assume leadership roles.

Employees can choose to begin preparations to become assistant principals, instructional coaches, national board-certified instructors, or impact instruction through the Instructional Assistants Pathway.

“We have an amazing staff in our district who are positively impacting our students every day,” said Dr. Theresa Perry, director of Professional Development. “Through this initiative, we are offering them a chance to reach beyond the classroom and impact even more students and educators throughout the district.”

America lost a great man this summer, a man who rivaled Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford in inventiveness: the incomparable Ron Popeil. Ron passed away in July leaving us alone and friendless. Readers of a certain attenuated age will recall his many contributions easing the way in which Americans encountered life’s vicissitudes in the last quarter of the 20th century. Ron was the King of late-night TV, the impresario and inventor of the Informercial, the founder of Ronco, the purveyor of gadgets to the masses. What was so rare as a Ron Popeil invention? Let me count the ways. Would a Kitchen Magician Food Slicer by any other name smell as sweet? Nay, a thousand times nay. I am not just saying that because I have been taking pumpkin spice Ivermectin to ward off the Rona. My personal physician, Dr. Mr. Ed the Talking Horse asked me to request both my readers not to buy ivermectin from the farm supply as the shortage of ivermectin is causing horses to walk around full of parasites. But I digress.

Allow me to return to Ron Popeil. To misquote Marc Antony at Caesar’s funeral oration: “Friends, Romans, Cumberland County countrymen, lend me your ears and Visa cards, I come to bury Ron Popeil, not to praise him. The evil men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.” Let not the great and good inventions left behind by Ron be forgotten. We should cherish them, honor them, and hold them up as a bright light against the darkness that currently enfolds us. Is it not better to use a Chop-O-Matic hand food processor than to cut off your thumb slicing tomatoes? Opposable thumbs are all that separate humans from banana slugs. We must preserve our opposable thumbs as well as our precious bodily fluids. Without opposable thumbs mankind and womankind, (note: gender sensitivity on display here) humans would be condemned to compete with banana slugs eating moldy bananas and be unable to text while driving. The horror, the horror as Colonel Kurtz would say.

Consider some of the Ronco products which made life in the 1970’s more tolerable. The 70’s were a hard time for everyone. Disco was popular then creating a bleak time for anyone who had ears to hear. Ronco commercials were a light in the gloom of the post-midnight forest of television when only 3 channels were available. Who can forget the happiness that GLH-9 Hair Spray in a can brought to millions of bald men? Spray on hair was the bee’s knees. The GLH stood for Great Looking Hair. No one could tell your bald head was covered in black paint. The Chop-O-Matic begat the Bass-O-Matic on Saturday Night Live as sold by Dan Akroyd. Ponder the wonderful Electric Food Dehydrator from
Ronco. To quote Sir Walter Scott: “Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This is my own native Electric Food Dehydrator!” Wouldn’t it be great to dehydrate a rutabaga by merely dropping it into your Electric Food Dehydrator?

If you give a man a fish, he can eat for one day. If you give a man a Ronco Pocket Fisherman he can eat for the rest of his life. He will always have a food source for an endless supply of Bass-O-Matic protein shakes. How many times have you been trying to crack an egg to scramble it only to have the egg shell splinter into tiny pieces in the frying pan? You futilely try to fish out the egg shells with a spoon only to have the slippery little devils evade capture. Ultimately you stick your fingers into the frying pan to get the shell out thereby burning your fingers and endangering your all-important opposable thumb. Ron knew of this silent kitchen tragedy and invented the Inside-the-Shell-Egg-Scrambler. The scrambler inserted a pin into the egg, swirled it around, thus producing a perfect scrambled egg every time. Ron must have shouted “Eureka” just as Archimedes did when he discovered buoyancy while bathing. After the invention of the Inside the Egg Scrambler, the yolk was on anyone who was foolish to try to scramble an egg the old-fashioned way.

Ron brought us possibly the greatest invention since Turok the Caveman invented the wheel- the amazing Mr. Microphone. Mr. Microphone allowed teen age boys to drive around yelling sweet nothings at teen age girls. Who can forget the immortal lines from the commercial when a carload of boys uses Mr. Microphone to yell: “Hey Good Looking! I’ll be back to pick you up later.” According to the commercial this was a surefire way to pick up girls. Results may have varied in real life.

As my readership becomes older and grip strength declines, who wouldn’t want the Cap Snaffler? Hard to open caps came off in a jiffy. It “snaffles caps off any size jug, bottle, or jar.” Who among us wouldn’t delight in spending an afternoon snaffling the caps of every container in the kitchen, including those jars of pimentos which have been sitting in the back of the cabinet since the first Bush Administration? Snaffle away America, your opposable thumbs will be safe.

Have we learned anything today? Finally, the answer is yes. Ron Popeil was a great man. We shall not see his like again. As Marc Antony concluded: “Bear with me; My heart is in the coffin there with Ron. And I must pause till it comes back to me.”

Pictured: Ron Popeil was an inventor, pitchman and television star who popularized the phrase “But wait, there’s more!” He introduced Americans to the infomercial.

Statistics can be cold and clinical to the point that we put them aside.

Not so for the stats coming out of the COVID-delayed 2020 U.S. Census. These numbers continue the fascinating story of a still relatively young nation as it grows and matures. The numbers are critical, because they determine how and where federal dollars are spent and how much representation communities have in Congress and in state legislatures.

The U.S. Constitution requires a census, a count of our nation’s population, every decade and a census is now conducted in the years ending with a 0. The first census in 1790 was taken by U.S. Marshals, the young nation’s total population was estimated at just under 4 million people. Over the next two centuries-plus, census data has expanded so that we know more about the people who live in our nation than just how many of us there are.

Here is some of what we know in 2021.

We are now a nation of more than 331 million souls, more than 10 million of whom live in North Carolina. The U.S. population is more diverse than it has ever been, with large increases in people who identify themselves as Hispanic, Asian, and more than one race. People who identify as non-Hispanic white remain the largest demographic group, but that group has shrunk from 69% in 2010 to 58% in 2020. More and more Americans live in metropolitan areas, while our smaller, more rural areas are losing population. More and more of us live in the South and West, while there is less growth in the Northeast and Midwest. The United States does continue to grow, but our growth is now at its second slowest rate since counting began in 1790 because of less immigration and a declining birth rate.

Here is what is happening in our neck of the woods.

Fayetteville has grown since 2010, but not as dramatically as other cities. It has dropped from North Carolina’s 4th largest to 6th. Cumberland County grew by roughly 15,000 people. Charlotte, on the other hand, grew by nearly 20%. Raleigh grew as well, and Wilmington and Asheville are also booming.The metro areas surrounding cities are expanding, attracting younger and often highly educated people more likely to have births than deaths. Together the Charlotte and Raleigh metro areas account for almost 39% of our state's current residents.

Rural areas have less happy news. Half of North Carolina’s 50 counties lost population over the decade, mostly in the eastern part of the state. Tyrell, Hyde and Northampton have each lost 20% or more of their residents since 2010. There has even been talk of combining several of those shrinking counties into one larger one. Jim Johnson, a demographer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, says deaths exceeded births in 23 Tar Heel counties. Our neighbor, Bladen County, lost nearly 10% of its people over the same period. Our metro gains and rural losses mirror what is happening in many other states and are worrisome for all.

On balance, the 2020 census looks like good news for North Carolina. Our state is now the 9th largest in the union, just behind Georgia and ahead of Michigan. Our gain of another Congressional seat — we will have 14 in the next redistricting cycle — means we will have more clout in Congress and in the Electoral College. And our size, thriving economy, educational, cultural and natural resources paint a portrait of a state not without problems but also poised for a successful, even thriving, decade ahead.

The next Rock’n On The River concert on Sept. 17 will feature Cool Heat and Bad, Inc. at Campbellton Landing (1122 Person St. behind Deep Creek Grill). The concert is free, but parking costs $5 per person. Parking begins at 5 p.m. and the music begins at 6 p.m.

Cool Heat is a variety cover band playing rhythm and blues, soul, funk, beach and classics from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Members grew up listening to R & B which is prevalent in their music.

Donnie Egan, a member of Cool Heat, says, “Old school music is the greatest era of music, and we love to keep old school going.”

The local area band includes: Chris Imber on lead guitar; Richard Warren on percussion and trumpet; Allen Jones on bass and vocals; lead singer Ron Warren on keyboards; and Egan on drums.

Bad, Inc. is known as the ultimate Bad Company tribute band. Based in Raleigh and composed of some of the state's most accomplished musicians, Bad, Inc. is a national touring act, wowing audiences up and down the east coast with their recreation of one of the most iconic British supergroups.

The group is lead by Neil Wells on vocals, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Bad Company front man Paul Rodgers, both in sound and looks. For decades, Wells has been a successful lead singer with a passion for paying tribute to one of his singing idols.

Members of Bad, Inc. — Kevin Segrist, Amy Hall, Jack Getz, LP Hitzigrath and Wells — have won musical awards, including "Best Tribute Band," and have performed on television.

The band has opened for Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson, Scotty McCreery and Mother's Finest. The band has also played such prestigious venues as House of Blues, The Fillmore, Rams Head, Jannus Live, as well as festivals, weddings, private parties, and casinos from New York to Florida. For more information on the band visit their band at https://badincnc.com/.

Rock’n On The River is a free live concert series sponsored by Healy Wholesale, Bob 96.5 FM radio and Up & Coming Weekly.

Guests should bring chairs for lawn seating. Pets, coolers and outside food are prohibited at the event. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from Healy Wholesale and Deep Creek Grill.

The event is first come first serve, as the venue can only host 1200 to 1400 people. For more information, visit the Rock’n On The River’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Rockn-On-The-River-271048666818630/

The American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina urges everyone to plan for emergencies by making preparedness a priority this September during National Preparedness Month. We have recently seen emergencies impacting people who don’t usually experience a major disaster or extreme weather, while other communities are going through the devastation of disasters multiple times a year.

“Disasters can happen anywhere, anytime. We urge people to prepare now and be ready if an emergency occurs in their home or in our local community,” said Barry Porter, Regional CEO, American Red Cross Eastern North Carolina Region. “Helping people during disasters is at the heart of our mission. Help keep your loved ones safe — get Red Cross Ready today.”

Help keep your family safe by taking three actions to 1) Get a Kit. 2) Make a Plan. 3) Be Informed.

First, build your emergency kit with a gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food, a flashlight, battery-powered radio, first aid kit, medications, supplies for infants or pets, a multi-purpose tool, personal hygiene items, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers, blankets, maps of the area and emergency contact information.

Next, plan what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and what to do if you have to evacuate. Coordinate your plan with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans. Don’t forget to include your pets. Know in advance which pet-friendly hotels are in your area, and where your pets can stay in an emergency situation.

Finally, plan to stay informed by finding out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.

Depending on your household’s needs, there might be additional considerations to take into account as part of your emergency planning. For example, older adults or people with mobility, hearing, learning or seeing disabilities may need to create a support network of people that can help during an emergency.The Red Cross recommends creating a plan that considers each person’s capabilities, any help they may need and who can provide it. This is especially important if evacuations are called for or if the power goes out for several days.

Disasters can be scary for children. It’s important to talk with your kids about preparing for common emergencies, how to stay safe and what to expect before a disaster happens. The Red Cross has free programs and tools to help, visit redcross.org/youthprep for more information.

National Preparedness Month is also a good time to take steps to help your community get prepared for emergencies of all sizes. By volunteering, donating blood or learning lifesaving skills, you can be ready to help your loved ones and neighbors when needed. Visit redcross.org to learn more.

Red Cross volunteers play several critical roles in their local communities, including providing aid after disasters and educating people about home fire safety. People can also support local military members, veterans and their families, or volunteer as a blood donor ambassador or a blood transportation specialist to be the critical link between blood donors and recipients.

Blood can take up to three days to be tested, processed and made available for patients, so it’s the blood already on the shelves that helps to save lives in an emergency. To help prepare your community, make an appointment to donate blood or platelets and help save lives.

Learn lifesaving skills so you can help people in a crisis until medical professionals arrive. Sign up for a first aid, CPR or other classes available online or in-person.

Pictured: Learn what to pack in an emergency kit at https://rdcrss.org/3tolVEv (Photo courtesy American Red Cross)

On Sept. 18, community cleanups will take place in Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake and unincorporated areas of Cumberland County. The goal is to combat health, environmental and economic harm caused by litter.

At the Fayetteville Beautiful cleanup, volunteers will be given free t-shirts and other giveaways. You can choose to clean around your school, street, church or other faith organization, or right in front of your home. Cleanup teams can enter a photo contest for a chance to win milkshakes for every team member, donated by Duck Donuts.

Fayetteville Beautiful is organized by the city of Fayetteville and the nonprofit Sustainable Sandhills. It is a bi-annual city-wide cleanup, held to raise awareness about litter prevention and help residents take pride in their city and neighborhoods. In Fayetteville, litter has been measured at a 14-year high, and litter crews pick up more than two tons of litter each week.

Litter is not only harmful to wildlife, but it is costly for businesses and city litter crews to clean up. It can also lower property values by around 7%. Wind and rain can also wash litter into and pollute waterways such as the Cape Fear River, which is a source for drinking water.

On Sept. 18, Fayetteville Beautiful volunteer team leaders can pick up supplies in front of Segra Stadium between 8 and 10 a.m., and then join their team to clean up the area they are registered for. Volunteer registration and more details are available at fayettevillebeautiful.com. All cleanup supplies will be provided.

Fayetteville City Council Member Yvonne Kinston is one of the event organizers. “Sign up online now to participate in this wonderful event,” Kinston said. “Clean up with friends and relatives or do this yourself to show that you care about the place we call home. The big win is that we’re helping ourselves, our futures and the earth. I challenge you to show up in a big way.”

"We want to go beyond cleaning up litter, and also convince people not to litter in the first place," says Jonelle Kimbrough, executive director of Sustainable Sandhills.

Kimbrough hopes that large community cleanups like Fayetteville Beautiful can help bring awareness to the problem and reach people with the message to not litter.

"Reducing disposables is also part of the solution," says Kimbrough. "That's why it's so important to use reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and grocery bags."

Fayetteville Beautiful partners include Duck Donuts, Beasley Media, Fayetteville Public Works Commission, the Rotary Club of Fayetteville, 4imprint, the Fayetteville Woodpeckers, Dunkin' Donuts, Biscuitville, Starbucks, Lidl and Navy Federal.

Pictured above: Volunteer registration and details on how to sign up for the Sept. 18 cleanup event in Cumberland County are available at fayettevillebeautiful.com. (Photo of previous cleanup courtesy Sustainable Sandhills)

The following editorial is written for those who love living and working in Hope Mills. It reiterates the age-old adages "seeing is believing" and "believe in what you can see and not what you hear." The Town of Hope Mills is a model community in our state, and there are many good reasons for this. History has dictated that Marxists, Socialists, fascists and communists all object adamantly to the Free Press (newspapers), media in general and free speech concepts. The first thing one must determine if objecting to this editorial is which category do they fall into. Dissenting opinions are encouraged and welcomed — but only if the writer takes ownership of it. We do not acknowledge anonymous comments or points of view. We'll leave that to the unsavory Facebook trolls. Thank you and enjoy. — The Publisher

Hope Mills' progress reflects the dedication and leadership of Mayor Jackie Warner.

Being Mayor of Hope Mills is a full-time job and Jackie Warner will say it has been a blessing and the highlight of her career. Serving the residents of the Hope Mills community is a passion, honor and privilege and watching her hometown grow and prosper is anything but work for this dedicated public servant.

Being Mayor of a thriving and growing community like Hope Mills is much more than showing up for public functions, networking and ribbon cuttings. It takes heartfelt dedication, organization, planning, forethought and teamwork to protect the interests of 17,000 residents. Warner is the catalyst for why Hope Mills is one of the fastest-growing municipalities in North Carolina.

It takes hard work and full-time dedication to keep up with the ever-changing laws and regulations that impact residents. Many of these things take place behind the scenes outside Hope Mills proper and the general public's view. Warner's decade of involvement and leadership in organizations like the Mayor's Coalition has saved Hope Mills over one million dollars yearly after negotiating the Sales Tax Distribution agreement. More importantly, her leadership and Mayor Cliff Turpin of Falcon have all Cumberland County municipalities working together in solidarity and cooperation.

Another example of the Mayor's investment in countless hours of study that benefited Hope Mills is her involvement in the Fayetteville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. She is also chairman of the Transportation Policy Board. Hope Mills benefited from the Multimodal Congestion Plan and governmental grants for community sidewalks and pedestrian crosswalks. A joint resolution was signed by the Hope Mills Board and Fayetteville City Council to change the designation of Highway 59 to Main Street (Hope Mills Road), moving trucks and other commercial vehicles going from Raeford Road to Highway 162 as a by-pass. The new configuration of the Highway 59 bridge completion came sooner than expected, along with better access on and off-ramps to Business 95. Warner is a participant with state and national DOT's which have designed and planned significant road improvements in and around Hope Mills — two I-295 interchanges that will assist in alleviating traffic congestion.

These are only a few of Mayor Jackie Warner's tireless but essential tasks in a working day. I could go on if I wanted to mention her involvement with:

*Mid Carolina Area Agency Advisory Council as a Senior Tarheel Alternate Delegate that works to establish and advocate "Legislative Priorities" for seniors with the NC General
Assembly

*National League of Cities — Community and Economic Development Committee with discussions related to economic development and recovery after COVID

*American Rescue Plan Act virtual meetings with Congressional representatives and Cumberland County Commissioners and Legislators. Warner appointed a Hope Mills Tier I Committee seeking funding for the town's most vulnerable populations, including seniors, veterans, youth and special needs residents. She spearheaded developing partnerships that will benefit the community like FTCC, YMCA, Cumberland County Schools, Cumberland County Commissioners, Advocacy Groups and the Department of Commerce, to name a few.

Warner also serves on the Gateway Study Committee, Fayetteville Cumberland Economic Development Corporation, promotes arts and culture in Hope Mills by advocating and grant writing and working with the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Arts Council. Warner established the Mayor's Youth Leadership Council in 2015 with membership from Grays Creek, Jack Britt and Southview High Schools and received State Youth Council Charter in 2021.

She actively supports our veterans and Hometown Heroes by working with the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitor's Bureau to support the Heroes Homecoming annual event. As a small business owner, she advocates for business and is involved with the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce.

As a wife, mother of two, grandmother of five, a former teacher and principal, Warner has made a heartfelt commitment to make Hope Mills a better town and community for future generations.

The ever-improving environment, image and reputation of this former "sleepy" little town have the indelible fingerprints of Jackie Warner's relentless public service. The citizens of Hope Mills are the beneficiaries of Warner's outstanding leadership. She is a doer! Honesty, integrity and work ethic is her trifecta for success. Jackie Warner is an authentic "public servant," and Hope Mills is a better, safer and more prosperous community because of her.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Pictured above: Hope Mills Mayor Jackie Warner

When the 53rd annual Cumberland County Golf Championship tees off in October, it will have a new look.

A youth division for players in middle and high school has been added for the tournament at Gates Four Golf & Country Club.

“The reason we created it is to grow and develop the champions of tomorrow,” said tournament director Bill Bowman.
“I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback. Everyone thinks it’s a great idea and they have been very supportive.”

There will be divisions for boys and girls in age groups of 12 to 14 (middle school) and 15 to 18 (high school). The CCGC will be held Oct. 15-17 at Gates Four. The youths will play the final two days for a 36-hole event. The entry fee is $145 which includes the Champions Reception & Pairing Party, a practice round, range balls, food and on-course beverages and the CCGC Winners Reception.

Billy West, an 8-time champion of the CCGC, first played in the tournament when he turned 16 and became eligible.

“I am very excited to see the CCGC add a junior division,” he said, “When I was a junior golfer growing up in Cumberland County, I could not wait to turn 16 so I could compete in the CCGC. I admired and looked up to local golfers such as Gary Robinson Gene Howell, Mike Williford, Gary Moore and David Hinkamp. I dreamed of one day having my name on the CCGC trophy.”

Bowman and West hope the addition of a Junior Division will develop players for the main CCGC tournament in the future.

“I think the addition of a Junior Division will not only help grow junior golf in our area but also will help sustain the adult divisions for years to come,” West said.
“We have many great junior players right now in Cumberland County who are some of the best players in the state and country in their age divisions. I hope they will compete in the CCGC Junior Division.”

Bowman added “the talent is out there. We just need to groom it. I think the kids are going to have a good time. I think they can learn a lot by watching some of the veteran players we have signed up.”

Anthony Carstarphen, the golf coach at South View High School and a teaching pro at Gates Four, is helping Bowman get the project off the ground. He believes interest in the Junior Division will be high.

“I had kids trying to sign up before the site was even up,” he said. “So, we definitely have got the interest.”

There are players in the county to tap into. Gates Four, Cypress Lakes, King’s Grant and Highland Country Club all have junior golf programs — not to mention the many high school golf teams in the county.

“It’s going to give us players for the future,” Carstarphen said. “That’s what will allow this tournament to keep going.”

Kevin Lavertu, the general manager at Gates Four, said he had discussed with Bowman about adding a junior division for a few years.

“We thought we would take a shot at it,” Lavertu said.

Bowman said he is limiting the Junior Division field to 30 players this year.

“We have to be able to manage the field and get our hands around it,” Lavertu said. “We host U.S. Kids Golf here two times a year and we get 80 to 100 players. If it gets to that point, maybe we need to have a Cumberland County junior tournament that would take place in the summer when the kids are out of school.”

The 53-year-old main CCGC tournament has struggled in recent years since losing its major sponsor. Bowman, the publisher of Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper, took up the mantle in 2017 and has led the effort trying to rebuild the event. With the support and encouragement of businesses like the Richardson Law Firm, Healy Wholesale, Fastsigns and dozens of other local businesses who realize how important it is to maintain this golfing tradition in Cumberland County for future generations.

“We want to start the kids young in tournament play and hopefully build the county tournament back up,” Lavertu said. “It used to be 200-plus people playing multiple golf courses.”

Junior players who are at least 16 years old can still choose to play in the main tournament instead of the Junior Division. Spencer Oxendine won the CCGC in 2018 when he was a senior at Jack Britt High School and Toni Blackwell won the women’s division in 2019 when she was a senior at Cape Fear.

“This is kind of a test in the water and see what the interest level is,” Lavertu said. “We’ll evaluate it and assess it and see what makes sense moving forward.”

If junior players need any encouragement to sign up, they can listen to West.

“For me, there has been no greater honor in my golf career than winning my county’s golf championship,” he said. “I hope our local junior players will feel the same way about the CCGC. It is a special tournament and always has been the most important to me from the age of 16 to present.”

Junior players must reside in Cumberland County and must sign up by Oct. 10 at 5 p.m. Players can register online at cumberlandcountygolfclassic.com or by returning an application to Kevin Lavertu at Gates Four Country Club. Application forms are available at all local golf courses. Players who register by Sept. 30 will receive a free round for a foursome at Gates Four, Baywood, Stryker and King’s Grant.

James Sherrill local businessman and owner of sweetFrog premium frozen yogurt thinks this a great opportunity for developing young athletes, and has signed on to be the Title Sponsor for the CCGC Junior Division.

Local businesses and organizations can support the Junior Division by sponsoring players. All sponsors are invited to the champion’s reception and pairings party and the awards and trophy presentations. They also will have their name and logo on youth commemorative shirts and promotional materials.

To sponsor a child or for more information, contact Bill Bowman at 910-391-3859 or email bbowman@upandcomingweekly.com.

Pictured above: Arianna Mclawhorn prepares to tee off on Hole #1 at Gates Four.

After the 2020 COVID hiatus, venues around Fayetteville and Cumberland County have begun to rebound and the 2021 season of music and entertainment is off to a promising start.

Last week, The Isley Brothers kicked off the 86th season of Community Concerts. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performers delivered a stellar show and set the tone for the rest of the season.

“The goal of the Community Concerts program is to bring quality entertainment to the more than 400,000 residents of Cumberland County and neighboring counties of the Cape Fear Region,” said Bill Kirby Jr., the president of Community Concerts of Fayetteville.

Jim Grafstrom, the general manager of the Crown Complex, calls the Community Concerts line-up a “great season.”

Next up is Rick Springfield on Oct. 2 at the Crown Theatre.

As a Grammy Award-winning songwriter, musician, actor and best-selling author, Springfield is a man of many talents. For many, he is the image of the 1980s rockstar. He has sold 25 million albums and scored 17 U.S. Top 40 hits including “Jessie’s Girl,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers,” “An Affair of the Heart,” "I've Done Everything for You,” “Love Somebody,” and “Human Touch.”

As an actor, Springfield has an impressive list of credits. Although he had several guest spots on American TV in the 1970s, Springfield’s acting career gained momentum in 1981 when he became Dr. Noah Drake on daytime television’s “General Hospital,” a role he has revisited over the years, much to the delight of fans of the show. More recently, his credits include starring opposite Meryl Streep in “Ricki and the Flash,” a performance as Dr. Pitlor in the HBO drama “True Detective,” a portrayal of Lucifer on the CW hit “Supernatural” and as Pastor Charles on “American Horror Story.”

As if making music and performing for more than five decades isn’t enough, Springfield is also a New York Times best-selling author, and collaborates with his friend and fellow rocker Sammy Hagar in the rum business with Beach Bar Rum.
Springfield is sure to deliver a high-energy show. The show starts at 7 p.m. The opening act for the Rick Springfield concert is Fayetteville-based band Rivermist.

“Not every concert has an opening act, but Rivermist is a local group with talented musicians,” Kirby said. “We could not be more pleased that they will be a part of the Rick Springfield concert. It’s an added bonus for the concert.”

Rivermist’s Greg Adair said the band is looking forward to the experience. “It will be our first time playing in the Crown Theatre,” Adair said. “It’s on our bucket list.”

Fans of Rivermist know they do a good job on a few Springfield covers, but “it’s hard to find a local band that doesn’t play ‘Jessie’s Girl,’” Adair said.

“I’ve always been a fan,” he said, adding that he saw Springfield in concert a few years ago in Raleigh.

“We are looking forward to opening for him and his band,” Adair said. “We have eight songs in 35 minutes, we hope to make the whole show better.”

Rivermist includes Adair, Doug Bass, Cliff Bender, Tony Harrison and Allen Pier.

Tickets for Rick Springfield range from $40 to $100 and can be purchased on www.crowncomplexnc.com. Face coverings for staff and guests are required in the Crown Theatre.

After the Rick Springfield show, Community Concerts will welcome Straight No Chaser on Nov. 4. Styx will perform on April 23, 2022. “Jersey Boys” is scheduled for April 28, 2022.

The final show of the season will be the Oak Ridge Boys on May 13, 2022, a show rescheduled from last season.

“The Oak Ridge Boys is the only repeat performance from the previous season, and we are grateful these musicians kept their promise to perform,” said Kirby.

With such a variety of accomplished performers lined up for the 86th season, Kirby said he is pleased and grateful for all those who worked to make the season a reality.

“I have to give credit to Cape Fear Valley Health and City View magazine as our new Master of Ceremonies lead sponsors,” Kirby said. “This 86th season likely would not have come to fruition without support from Mike Nagowski, chief

executive officer of CFVH, and Tony Chavonne, our former city mayor and publisher of City View.”

Kirby also thanked The Arts Council, the Riddle family, and the support of community leaders like Ralph and Linda Huff, Lonnie Player, Dr. Dave Dickerhoff, Dr. Gary Jones and many others.

Kirby said the board of Community Concerts dedicates the 86th season to the late Tony Ragan, the Crown Complex production director, who died in April.

“This difficult season took more than a village,” Kirby said, “This difficult season took a community.”

2021-2022 Season
Community Concerts will welcome Straight No Chaser on Nov. 4. The a cappella group makes music through the captivating sound of nine human voices, with a sense of humor. The group has sold more than 1.6 million albums and has made numerous national TV appearances. The audience can expect to enjoy a pitch perfect night of hits and Christmas favorites from the group that has become an a cappella world-wide sensation.

Styx will perform on April 23, 2022. The American rock band from Chicago became famous for its albums released in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known for melding hard rock guitar balanced with acoustic guitar, synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano, upbeat tracks with power ballads, and incorporating elements of international musical theatre.

The band established itself with a progressive rock sound in the 1970s, and began to incorporate pop rock and soft rock elements in the 1980s. Styx is best known for the hit songs “Lady,” “Come Sail Away,” “Babe,” “The Best of Times,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Mr. Roboto” and “Don’t Let It End.”

Styx has had 16 Top 40 singles in the U.S., eight of which hit the Top 10.

“Jersey Boys” is scheduled for April 28, 2022. The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical is directed by Des McAnuff. “Jersey Boys” is written by Academy Award-winner Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.

The musical is the behind-the-music story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard and the radio just couldn’t get enough of them. While their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story — a story that has made them an international sensation all over again.
The show features all their hits including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Oh What A Night,” “Walk Like A Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Working My Way Back To You.”

The Oak Ridge Boys will perform on May 13, 2022. The group has one of the most distinctive sounds in the music industry. The four-part harmonies and upbeat songs have created dozens of country hits and a #1 pop smash. The group has earned Grammy, Dove, CMA and ACM awards and garnered a host of other industry and fan accolades.

Their string of hits includes the pop chart-topper “Elvira,” as well as “Bobbie Sue,” “Thank God For Kids,” “American Made,” “I Guess It Never Hurts To Hurt Sometimes,” “Fancy Free,” “Gonna Take A Lot Of River,” and many others.
The group has had more than a dozen national number one singles and more than 30 Top Ten hits. Having sold over 41 million albums, the Oak Ridge Boys were also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2015, inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Oak Ridge Boys have earned 5 Grammy Awards, 2 AMA Awards, 4 ACM Awards, 4 CMA Awards, 11 Dove Awards, 5 Billboard Awards, 8 Cashbox Awards, and many others.

Most of us can probably remember our first trip to the fair. Holding tightly to mom or dad's hand as the exciting sights and sounds swirled around us.

Teenagers darted around the midway as carnival barkers beckoned them closer and food vendors offered meals and treats of every kind.

I love to visit the place the fair holds in my memory. It's full of music and family and sweet aromas that remind me of a time when life was simpler.

Now that I'm a father and a grandfather, I realize the fair is far more than the things that excited me as a kid.

It's a celebration of farmers and artists, an opportunity to compete and recognize the accomplishments of our friends and neighbors, and even to
reward those we all agree was the most impressive of all with a cherished blue ribbon.

And most of all – above the nostalgia, the competition and the celebrations – the fair is about community.

The Cumberland County Fair is only one of dozens of gatherings which went unmet in 2020. From concerts to holidays, church to business meetings, we were encouraged by those we put our collective trust in to stand a little further apart and, indoors or out, to keep our groups a little smaller.

That's only part of what makes the return of the County Fair on September 3rd something worth celebrating.

From Sept. 3-12 the grounds and buildings that comprise the Crown Coliseum Complex will turn into an exciting emporium of fun.

You may be wondering “In a world filled with iPhones, X-Box, Facebook and Netflix, does a county fair still matter?”

It does. Maybe now more than ever. Not for the games. Not for the rides, not for the exhibits or the pig races. But for community.

If we've learned nothing else in the past 18 months, we've learned how important we are to one another.

Leveling the ground around us and knocking down the walls between us is as important as it's ever been, and while it may be unfair to hang that much expectation on a County Fair, it's a great place to start.

When we come together to celebrate the same things, we can begin to erase the things that keep us apart.

And as we get close enough to smile and laugh together, we'll quickly find ourselves on the road to healing. As individuals, as families, as neighbors and as a community.

The 4th Annual Lumbee Film Festival returns with 18 new films directed by indigenous filmmakers screening over two days at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub on Main Street in Pembroke. This year’s festival is scheduled for Sept. 17-18 and is presented by the North Carolina Museum of Art and includes live music, film, food and fellowship.

“Each year the Lumbee Film Festival gets better and better,” said festival Founding Director Kim Pevia. “I am so excited about this year's line-up of short and feature films. Some are traditional and some have us thinking out of the box. Some are local and some are far away. Just like in real life. Something for everyone. Come join us. You will be glad you did."

The festival witl begin with an outdoor screening of “RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World,” an electrifying look at the Native American influence in popular music despite attempts to ban, censor and erase Indian culture.

The film reveals how early pioneers of the blues and jazz had Native American roots, and how artists like North Carolina’s own Link Wray helped to define its evolution and forever changed the trajectory of rock 'n' roll.

Before the film, Robeson county native and Lumbee Tribe member Charly Lowry will perform a mix of her songs. Lowry appears in “RUMBLE” along with mentor Pura Fé and many other well-known Lumbee musicians. Lowry first gained international recognition as a semi-finalist on “American Idol” in 2004, but has since built a following for her energetic and captivating performances. She is also active as an advocate for Native rights and women’s rights.

The festival is organized through a partnership between the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina and the Cucalorus Film Foundation with the goal of showcasing films made by American Indians while raising awareness about the legacy of indigenous artists. The festival creates a platform for emerging Native artists, especially those working in the Southeastern United States.

Three shorts blocks will screen at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub on Sept. 18 at 2 p.m. with the “The Sun Shines, The Water Flows” shorts block which includes films by Lumbee youth like “Climate Change” made through the Unlocking Silent Histories project as well as films from the Wapikoni Mobile collective from Canada who use media to raise awareness about Indigenous cultures, issues and rights.

The “Roots Run Deep” shorts block starts at 3:30 p.m. and includes the poetic and observational documentary “Concrete 49” by LFF Alum Justin Deegan. The short is a subtle and effective examination of the lives of indigenous people living in New York City. The “All My Relations” shorts block brings together five dramatic works to close out the afternoon’s survey of short form indigenous cinema.

A special screening of “The Trancscenders,” a feature film by Montana Cypress (Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida) will be screened immediately following an awards ceremony at 8 p.m. on Sept.18 at the Thomas Entrepreneurship Hub. The film follows the struggles of two brothers who find a remedy that promises to “transform their primitive behavior” as they transition from life in the city which differs greatly from their upbringing on the reservation.

For tickets, passes and the full festival schedule visit www.cucalorus.org/lumbee-film-festival/.

As summer winds down and the kids head back to school, many families start thinking about the fall … cooler weather, football games and, of course, the Cumberland County Fair!

The Cumberland County Fair has been a constant in the lives of many families in Cumberland County for several generations. Held at the Crown Coliseum Complex, this year’s theme is “Agriculture, Food and Rides! Oh My!” While many people visit the fair for the rides and the yummy fair food, it’s important to note that the Cumberland County Fair is rooted in the agricultural heritage of Cumberland County.

That being said, one of the big draws to the fair annually, is the agricultural competitions that see kids of all ages vying for Blue Ribbons and accolades. According to organizers of the fair, there will be livestock shows and exhibits every day. If it’s been a while since you were in FFA (Future Farmers of America for those of you not in the know) or FHA (Future Home Makers of America), it’s not too late to pull your old blue corduroy jacket out of the closet or pull out your favorite recipe for pickles of jams and join in the fun.

Of course, the fair is more than that. There are fun events like the interactive petting farm. Some of these animals are cute and cuddly and some are slippery and slimy. If you like to live dangerously, you can also check out the toddler driving school, which, if done correctly, could morph into a demolition derby! If that isn’t something that gets you excited, let’s be honest: Who doesn’t want to see the mayhem created by toddlers driving while hyped up on cotton candy?

If toddlers crashing around isn’t your idea of fun — there is still more. Cumberland County citizens of all ages submit various works of art for the annual arts and crafts show. Beautiful baskets, paintings and pottery are just some of the works of arts you will see on display - and yes, the artist can win a ribbon! If you have a talent you would like to share, it is not too late to enter it into the show.

The Cumberland County Fair is also known for great music, and this year promises to entertain. Music is on tap throughout the fair’s run, and includes a variety of musical genres.

•Reflections II band is a Fayetteville-based band that plays a variety of music that leaves their fans asking for more. Playing mostly cover tunes, one of the band’s fans noted, “Great guys … awesome talent, great set list. Top shelf entertainment.” You might want to do what one fan suggested — get on your dancing shoes and boogy on down at the fair.

•The Throwback Collaboration Band plays the best of rhythm and blues, dance and old school music.

•If you are a little bit country, the Steel County Express has something for you. The band plays modern country and some rock and roll.

•Rivermist, also a Fayetteville-based band, started its musical journey in 2014. Rivermist is a variety, party band that plays a little something for everyone. They have a great local following and a number of kudos such as several Up & Coming Weekly Best of Fayetteville awards.

Another kind of talent will be on display at the Fair, and it includes some of the most beautiful people in the county. The Cumberland County Fair Pageant is Sept. 4. There are 10 pageant categories for contestants from birth to ages 20 and up.

Of course, we saved the best for last: Rides, lots and lots of rides! Bumper cars, ferris wheels, scramblers, etc. Anything that spins, turns, goes upside down and back up again will on be center stage at the fair. so, grab your sweetie and lock into the ferris wheel and check out the view from the top — or get on a rollercoaster, and let your stomach drop.

With all of the amazing things to do, you won’t want to miss it! So, review the schedule with daily specials listed below.

Admission is $8 per person (adults and children ages 3 and up). Single ride tickets are $1.25; unlimited ride wristbands are $25. Residents can purchase tickets in advance at CapeFearTix.com, Fort Bragg Leisure Travel Services and in person at the Crown Complex Box Office. The fair schedule and special ticket prices are listed below:

Sept. 3: Gates open at 5 p.m. Free admission for healthcare professionals. Children ages 3 - 12 get in for $5. Admission is $8 for all other individuals ages 13 and older.

Sept. 4: Gates open at 1 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults and children 3 years of age and older.

Sept. 5: Gates open at 1 p.m. Day of Giving. Free admission with six non-perishable food items. One free ticket for every six items donated. Admission is $8 for adults and children 3 years of age and older.

Sept. 6: Gates open at 1 p.m. Pay One Price Night $15 admission and rides are unlimited.

Sept. 7- 9: Gates open at 5 p.m. Pay One Price Night $15 admission and rides are unlimited.

Sept. 10: Gates open at 5 p.m. Free admission for school personnel with valid ID. Admission is $8 for all other individuals ages 13 and older.

Sept. 11: Gates open at 1 p.m. Free admission for military and first responders with valid ID. Admission is $8 for all other individuals ages 13 and older.

Sept. 12: Gates open at 1 p.m. Admission is $8 for all individuals ages 13 and older

For all indoor events at the fair, masks must be worn.

For more information about the Cumberland County Fair, including entertainment and exhibits, go to cumberlandcountyfair.org.

Each September, The Lafayette Society and the City of Fayetteville celebrate the birthday of the Marquis de Lafayette, the city’s namesake. This year, focus will be on the popular French music concert and a ribbon-cutting and dedication of the new Lafayette Plaza East.

The Lafayette Society’s Hank Parfitt said the annual celebration promotes the significance of Lafayette’s contributions to Fayetteville while educating and entertaining the public through music and the arts. The events are made possible mostly by the efforts of volunteers.

“I am proud of our board, as well as our general membership, for their time, energy and enduring support of our mission as a civic as well as an historical organization,” Parfitt said.
On Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Gail Morfesis and Friends will present “L’ensemble de la Famille: Musical Families and their Historical Significance” at Hay Street United Methodist Church in downtown Fayetteville.

Morfesis has been organizing and performing in concerts as part of Lafayette celebrations since 2014. She organized this year’s concert with a grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County and the North Carolina Arts Council awarded to help promote music in the community.

“The concert is basically performed in French,” she said, “we try to educate the audience about Lafayette and French musical traditions.” There will be translations and notes in the program.

This year, Morfesis wanted to recall an era before electronic devices to highlight the tradition of families entertaining themselves with music — singing and playing instruments and “making music in
their homes.”

“I want to point out that during COVID, because families were at home together, we saw a resurgence of a tradition — families creating and entertaining themselves with music” Morfesis said.

The concert will showcase the talents of professional musical artists from eastern North Carolina and will include married couples, a father-daughter duo, and two groups who are “just like family.”

This lively, fast-paced concert will appeal to a broad audience, Morfesis said. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and can be purchased at City Center Gallery & Books on Hay Street or online at www.lafayettesociety.org/events. CDC precautions will be observed with safe distancing in the sanctuary but attendees are asked to wear masks.

On Sept. 12 at 2 p.m., the Lafayette Society will be joined by the Mayor and members of the City Council and County Board of Commissioners to dedicate the new Lafayette Plaza East. The existing brick plaza and stage with seating walls on the west side of the Lafayette statue was funded by the Society and dedicated in 2013.

This past year, the Society’s Park and Statue Committee worked with the City to develop a performing stage on the east side of the statue with new landscaping. This created an outdoor amphitheater downtown suitable for concerts and other performances. It also made the entire park more attractive as a place for recreation and gathering.

The Camp Flintlock Fife and Drum will be there to help Mayor Mitch Colvin, Commissioner Glenn Adams, and District 2 Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram with the ribbon cutting. Lafayette himself will also make an appearance, thanks to re-enactor Stanley Seay.

Pictured above: City officials will help The Lafayette Society dedicate the new Lafayette Plaza East on Sept. 12. (Photo by Dylan Hooker). The music concert will be Sept. 9 at Hay Street United Methodist Church.

Residents of the new Ponderosa community off Bonanza Drive and city leaders were on hand for a neighborhood ribbon-cutting last month.

Residents, officials of the city’s Economic and Community Development Department and Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation worked to refurbish the community entryway. The program fosters neighborhood pride in moderate income communities by providing funding for erection of neighborhood signs, landscaping and placemaking.

The objective is to create quality neighborhoods. Residents interested in learning more about the Neighborhood Beautification Program should contact the Economic and Community Development Department at 910-433-1590. Additional information: www.fayettevillenc.gov/city-services/economic-community-development/neighborhood-resources.

The attack last week at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, claimed the lives of 13 service members including 11 Marines, a Navy corpsman and an Army soldier assigned to a unit from Fort Bragg.

Several Marines were wounded in the attack, said Marine Corps spokesman Maj. Jim Stenger. The attack was one of the deadliest of U.S. forces in the 20-year history of the war in Afghanistan.

“Freedom comes at a cost,” Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger said while visiting Camp Lejeune, N.C. “I think the best that we can do from where we sit here in North Carolina is send them our prayers,” Berger added. “These fallen heroes answered the call to go into harm’s way to do the honorable work of helping others. We are proud of their service and deeply saddened by their loss.”

There were more than 2,000 Marines in Kabul, Afghanistan. They had been rushed to the airport to aid in the evacuation of U.S. citizens and Afghans attempting to flee the country. They mostly came from the Central Command’s 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force.

Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, a soldier assigned to Fort Bragg’s 9th Battalion, 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) died as a result of wounds sustained from an attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, where he was supporting non-combatant evacuation operations Aug. 26 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

“We share in the tremendous grief over the loss of Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, and we stand in support of his wife and entire family during this tragic time,” said Col. Jeremy Mushtare, commander of 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne). “Ryan was the embodiment of an Army Special Operations Forces soldier, a testament to the professionalism of the non-commissioned officer corps, and a steadfast husband and teammate. His loss is devastating to our formation and Army family.”

Knauss, 23, of Corryton, Tenn., joined the Army in May 2016. Following Initial Entry Training and Airborne School at Fort Benning, Ga., Knauss was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, and deployed to Afghanistan in 2017 as an infantryman. Upon returning home he attended and completed the Psychological Operations Assessment and Selection Course and the Psychological Operations Qualification Course. Upon graduation, Knauss was assigned to 9th Battalion, 8th POG (Airborne).

Staff Sgt. Knauss’s military education includes the Basic Airborne Course, Basic Leader Course, Advanced Leader Course, Psychological Operations Assessment and Selection Course, Psychological Operations Qualification Course, and Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course (Level C).

His awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Bronze Star Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Combat Action Badge, and the Army Basic Parachutist Badge.

U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Fort Bragg's Congressman, released a statement Saturday that read "Renee and I join our country in praying for the family of Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss, including his wife in Pinebluff and his extended family in Tennessee and Florida. His loss is felt by our entire Fort Bragg community and our nation will never forget his sacrifice, as well as that of all of our fallen service members. They put their lives on the line to save our fellow citizens and allies in harm's way. They are heroes."

Pictured: Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss (Photo courtesy 1st Special Forces Command)

Jack once said: “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” t is possible that Jack came up with his admonition about the proper use of a club after hearing the nursery rhyme about Little Bunny Foo Foo. If you haven’t read “Call of the Wild” in the last 40 years, read it again. Excellent book filled with Alaskan gold rushers, city slickers falling into crevasses, mean dogs and wolves. Discover what Buck the Dog has been doing since 8th grade. Rumor has it that in the most recent edition Buck set sail on the Pequod with Ismael to chase Moby Dick. Maybe this time the whale will lose. Captain Ahab might win with the help of Buck.

Now to refresh your recollection of Bunny Foo Foo. “Little Bunny Foo Foo/ Hopping through the forest/ Scooping up the field mice/ And bopping them on the head/ And down came the Good Fairy and said: / Little Bunny Foo Foo/ I don’t want to see you/ Scooping up the field mice/ And bopping them on the head/.” The Good Fairy then threatens to turn Bunny Foo Foo into a Goon. Undeterred, Bunny Foo Foo continues mice head-bopping behavior.

What are we to make of this situation? A homicidal rabbit armed with Jack London’s club engaged in the serial killing of rodents. Why does the rabbit take this hideous action? What did the mice do to warrant such vengeance? Who appointed the Good Fairy as judge, jury and executioner of Ms. Foo? Why did generations of adults recite this murderous ode into the innocent ears of pre-school children? Ms. Foo gets her just comeuppance when she is transmogrified into a Goon. Given the choice between being a cute little homicidal bunny or a creepy goon, clearly the Good Fairy has imposed harsh punishment on Ms. Foo. This leads to the question of what is a Goon? Read on, MacDuff.

Take Jack London’s club and head down another road less taken. Ride on Mr. Peabody’s Way Back Machine into the land of 1950’s cartoons. “Popeye” was the first cartoon character to take on the Goons. Attend to what Mr. Google has to say about Goons. Unsurprisingly, Goons live on an uncharted isle called Goon Island. The Goons originated on the moon but somehow came to Earth. The details of how they got here remain murky. Goons are tall, somewhat human in appearance, and have well developed chests like steroidal NFL players. Their arms and legs are quite thin. They have bald heads and fur covering their naughty bits. The Head Goon is a female named Alice who fought Popeye. Being a gentleman, Popeye stopped fighting her once he discovered Alice was female. It is lost in the mists of time whether Little Bunny Foo Foo and Alice the Goon are the same being.

While pondering ancient cartoons let us consider a few more classics. The first cartoon I can recall was “Crusader Rabbit” and his pal, Rags the Tiger. Crusader wore a suit of armor and fought Dudley Nightshade and his evil helper Bilious Green. If you can personally remember Crusader Rabbit, then you probably should not drive at night. Another classic cartoon was Tom Terrific who appeared on the “Captain Kangaroo” show. Tom wore a funnel hat on his head. His faithful but dumb companion was Mighty Manfred the Wonder Dog. The animation was primitive but Tom made up for it by fighting Crabby Appleton and singing a really fine theme song. “I’m Tom Terrific/ Greatest hero ever/ Terrific is the name for me/ Because I’m so clever/ … When there is trouble/ I’m there on the double/ From Atlantic to Pacific they know Tom Terrific/” This ear worm song will stick in the head of someone out there. You can thank me later.

“Winky Dink” was an interactive cartoon. You sent off for a piece of plastic to stick to the TV screen and some magic crayons to write on it. When Mr. Dink came to a place he needed a ladder, you drew the ladder on the screen and he would climb up your ladder. Many kids got into trouble by drawing directly on the TV without the plastic cover. I deny doing this.

Undoubtably, the creepiest cartoon of that period was “Clutch Cargo,” his boy side kick Spinner, and his dachshund Paddlefoot. Clutch was a pilot who fought a lot of pirates. The weird thing about Clutch was the cheapness of the animation. Most of the time the background didn’t move. When Clutch and the other characters talked, the animators just inserted real human mouths into the face of the characters. The moving lips in frozen faces was disturbing but not in a good way. Even Paddlefoot the dog had a human mouth.

So, what have we learned today? Sadly, almost nothing. All this blot on world literature has produced is the regret of having wasted a few moments of your lives reliving useless information from decades ago.

However, if you can now recite the “Ballad of Bunny Foo Foo” or sing the “Tom Terrific” song to irritate your significant other, then perhaps it is not a total loss. Blame Jack London. Or you can blame it on the Bossa Nova. Just don’t put the blame on Mame.

I spent 33 years in Special Operations as both an active duty soldier and civil servant. My son also served in Special Operations and did five tours between Iraq and Afghanistan. I have been trying to follow the chaos and the situation changing hour by hour in Afghanistan. Folks, as of the writing, it is not good lucking for anyone. Therefore, Americans are angry, perplexed and confused about how our President, Vice President, the intelligence apparatus, the State Department and military leaders have made so many miscalculations.

A few years ago, on Veterans Day, I was at Buffalo Wild Wings. I looked over and saw a veteran and his friends. They were drinking, eating and laughing. As I looked at this man, his legs were gone, scars and burns were noticeable on his hands and face. At that moment, my heart was happy because this veteran was being the best he could be, having a good time and enjoying every moment he could.

On September 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed the Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF. It states: "That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons."

December 2009: President Barack Obama spoke about Afghanistan, "As we know, these men belonged to al Qaeda a group of extremists who have distorted and defiled Islam … After the Taliban refused to turn over Osama bin Laden — we sent our troops into Afghanistan."

May 2, 2011: Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan by the U.S. military.

December 2018: To deliver on his longtime pledge to exit from "endless wars," President Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to withdraw about half of the 14,000 U.S. troops currently deployed to Afghanistan. In November 2020, President Trump ordered the Pentagon to accelerate a drawdown of U.S. troops to 2,500.

April 14, 2021: U.S. President Joe Biden announces that all troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
He accelerated his timeline to August 31.

May 4, 2021: The Taliban launches its first major offensive on the Afghan military in Helmand and surrounding provinces.

July 2, 2021: The U.S. quietly withdraws soldiers from Bagram Air Base, which was their main military base throughout the war.

August 13, 2021: The Taliban took Kandahar, Afghanistan's second largest city.

August 14, 2021: U.S. President Joe Biden puts out a statement confirming the deployment of approximately 5,000 U.S. troops to help with the evacuation from Afghanistan.

August 15, 2021: Kabul is seized by the Taliban. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaves the country. The U.S. embassy is evacuated.

As the images of Afghan people hanging onto airplanes flooded the news, Americans realized that something was still happening in Afghanistan. For Fort Bragg, Fayetteville and hundreds of
thousands of military personnel and their families, the wars for the past 20 years have been part of their lives.

For many Americans, the decision to pull out of Afghanistan was way overdue. For most, it was not the pulling out of Afghanistan that has the world baffled; it was the stupidity of it.

After the killing of Bin Laden, many thought that the authority under the AUMF was complete. Still, every president has used it to continue to neutralize bad people around the globe to keep terrorist groups from growing and bringing their terror here.

President Biden left an estimated 10,000 – 50,000 Americans in that country to fend for themselves and the embassy. Didn't he learn anything about Benghazi (he was V.P. at the time)?

Somewhere in the military, some Specialist is getting an Article 15 for losing a pocket watch, and we left C-130s, A-29s attack aircraft, UH-60 Black Hawks, and other helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. We left thousands of armored vehicles, HMMWVs, MRAPs, night vision goggles, and yes, we left drones. The State Department left their helicopter, for crying out loud. It appears that the only published report of any guidance came from a Washington Post article which reported that a leaked memo to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul read "destroy items which could be misused in propaganda efforts, which included American flags."

I heard the President's speech about how they did not think the Taliban could take Kabul so quickly, but it did come out that they knew it would happen within a month or more. To be honest, it is hard to put a date on something when it is evident that people are just trying to spin a bad decision. Or was it a bad decision? If you knew the Taliban were already on the move, then why would you leave all the goodies unless you intended to give the Taliban a modernized army and air force.

They knew the Taliban was going to be in power. Those reports came out under Trump's administration. We watched the Taliban leaders do a press conference announcing their place on the world stage as the new government of Afghanistan. We knew some of them because President Barack Obama released five of those leaders because they were Taliban commanders from the Guantanamo Bay prison in exchange for American deserter Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl in 2014. At the time, President Obama assured the public that the dangerous enemy combatants would be transferred to Qatar and kept from causing any trouble in Afghanistan. They didn't know that much of the Taliban was hanging out in Pakistan. It has been the back door the whole time we have been in Afghanistan. With all of the intelligence services we have out there, yet no one knew that there was an offensive coming?

It has been tough to comprehend this mess. I know that a lot of military and their families are mad as hell. I know a lot of civil service people are mad as hell. I know the families of their fallen soldiers and the contractors who have died there are mad as hell. As of April this year, 2,448 American service members have been killed in Afghanistan, and an additional 3,846 U.S. contractors also lost their lives." That is a total of 6,294 lost. It is hard to find out how many U.S. personnel have been wounded in Afghanistan, but it appears to be over a million when you count the post-war physical and mental issues, and sadly, the suicides.

We do not account for the hardships on the families. The lonely nights. The single parent who is trying to keep things together. The joys, difficulties and emotional roller coaster ride when they return from war. For the fallen, the nightmare of the parents, spouses and children cannot be measured. Nothing can fill that void.

So how do we comprehend this? For everyone mad as hell, you have every right to be mad as hell. For all of those who have friends or family left behind over there, you have every right to be mad as hell.

You may question. Why? What was this for? What about all of those precious years wasted? What about all the lives and destruction? You have every right to ask those questions.

But I would like to remind you of a few things. It was not you that threw the first punch. You joined the military and did your job. For 20 years, Americans and other countries provided a generation of people freedom from a tyrannical regime. You gave little kids a chance to grow up. You gave some people a chance to see a better life. You have let them see a different way of life. You gave them medicine and healed their sick. They heard the music they would have never heard. They have read books they would have never seen. You will be in their minds for their lifetime, and you gave them a vision of a better life. That is a lot to be proud of!

For those still in the military, continue whatever your orders are and do it well. The American people still need you. We are proud of your service, your sacrifices and for always being on guard for us.

Although it is tempting to be mad as hell, try to focus on your well-being, enjoy your family, your friends and your freedom. Please do not let this be an excuse to mess up your life. Be the best you can be, have a good time and enjoy every moment you can. From all of us, to all of you: thank you again for all that you do every day, and may God keep watch over you.

Pictured above: U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force - Crisis Response - Central Command, provide assistance at an Evacuation Control Checkpoint during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 21. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Victor Mancilla)