https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/


  • 18 Generic football helmetWhen it comes to the long-term effects of concussions in sports, there is a wide range of information published — almost on a daily basis. Unfortunately, much of the media coverage as it relates to high school sports — and particularly the sport of football — is misleading.

    Recently, the Concussion Legacy Foundation introduced its new public-service announcement that compared youth football dangers to smoking. As the pre-teen football players puff on cigarettes, the voiceover says, “Tackle football is like smoking, the younger I start, the longer I’m exposed to danger.”

    The “Tackle Can Wait” campaign by the foundation is an attempt to steer children under the age of 14 into flag football. Although establishing a finite age may be difficult, reducing contact at youth levels is certainly a positive. USA Football is doing just that nationally through its Football Development Model. Likewise, the 51-member state associations of the National Federation of State High School Associations have enacted limitations on contact during preseason and practice sessions.

    Our concern is the term “exposed to danger.” These types of messages continue to spread unwarranted fear to parents of high school student-athletes. The “danger” refers to reports that players who incur repeated concussions can develop chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

    A 2017 study from the Journal of American Medical Association linked CTE in the brains of deceased National Football League players. Even if this report is accurate, these are individuals who endured repeated blows to the head for 20 to 25 years BEFORE any concussion protocols were in place.

    Less publicized is a study by Dr. Munro Cullum and his colleagues at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, which is a part of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. Cullum’s group studied 35 former NFL players age 50 and older who had sustained multiple concussions throughout their careers. The findings showed no significant association between the length of the individuals’ careers, the number of concussions and their cognitive function later in life.

    Two studies, two different conclusions. Regardless of the outcome, however, they are not applicable to kids playing football before and during high school. There is absolutely no linkage to CTE at these levels, and the word “danger” should not be a part of the discussion.

    A more applicable and significant study was also published in JAMA in 2017. In a study of about 4,000 men who graduated from Wisconsin high schools in 1957, there was no difference in cognitive function or decline between those who played football and those who did not as they reached 65 years of age. We would assume the majority of these individuals discontinued football after high school.

    With more than one million boys — and girls — playing the contact sport of football each year, severe injuries do occur from time to time, but parents should know that efforts to lessen the risk of a catastrophic injury, including head injuries, have never been stronger than they are today.

    In fact, new data from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study indicates some positive trends in concussion rates. The study, which was released in the American Academy of Pediatrics online issue of Pediatrics this week, indicated that concussion rates during football practices dropped from 5.47 to 4.44 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures between the 2013-14 and 2017-18 seasons.

    In addition, repeat concussion rates across all sports declined from 0.47 to 0.28 per 10,000 exposures during the same time period.

    Concussion laws are in place in every state. All NFHS sports rules books have concussion management protocols. Helmet-to-helmet hits are not allowed in football. Limits on contact in preseason and practice in football are in place in every state.

    After considering all the available research, we encourage parents to let their kids play their sport of choice in high school, but we would discourage moving away from football – or any contact sport – solely based on the fear of developing CTE later in life.


  • When Creed Kolasa was featured in a recent article in Up & Coming Weekly that told the story of his battle with a rare ailment called Duchenne’s disease, he wanted to share it with a friend of his.

    That friend is Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski, and last Monday Creed and his family were given the perfect chance to do just that.

    Creed, his parents, Jessica and Doren, and brother and sister, Jaren and McKinley, were invited to attend a closed basketball practice at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.

    The audience at practice included other families from Duke Children’s where Creed is being treated, along with boosters who had paid to attend.

    Creed’s mother, Jessica, was asked to speak to the group about Creed’s treatment and the work Duke Children’s had done on his behalf.

    Creed and his family toured the Duke Hall of Fame in Cameron and stayed for almost the full three hours of the practice.

    The children were allowed to go on the court to shoot baskets and talk with the Duke players.

    Later, everyone attended a dinner with Krzyzewski where he spoke, took pictures and signed autographs.

    McKinley, Creed’s sister, got to sit and talk with Krzyzewski’s wife, Mickie.

    McKinley loves softball and learned that Mickie Krzyzewski played softball growing up and in college.

    McKinley came away with a signed softball.

    Creed returned the favor to Coach Krzyzewski, giving him a signed copy of the Up & Coming Weekly article about Creed that included a picture of him and the coach.

    Creed Kolasa, bottom, with brother Jaren, sister McKinley. They are showing the note from Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s daughter, Debbie Savarino, excusing them from school Monday to attend a Duke basketball practice.

  • 03 anthony tran i ePv9Dxg7U unsplashSince Hinton James hoofed it from New Hanover County to Chapel Hill in 1795 to become the first student at the first public university in our fledgling nation, the University of North Carolina has educated generations of North Carolinians. First came white, land-owning men like James from all across what was once an entirely rural state. Today, the 17-campus system, including Fayetteville State University, serves nearly a quarter of a million students, the majority — but not all — from North Carolina. The university system has been our state’s crown jewel and has shaped our progress since its founding.

    All is not perfect, however, and the flagship institution, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has just had some of its dirty laundry aired on a national scale. The prestigious Association of American Universities has released a survey of nearly 200,000 students at 33 elite schools, which finds that more than a quarter of women students at UNC-CH for at least four years have experienced “nonconsensual sexual penetration,” otherwise known as rape. Most, but not all, victims were women, and the rates have risen from a similar study in 2015.

    Yep, you read that correctly. Twenty-seven percent of students at UNC-CH reported that experience on the AAU survey and they are not alone. The numbers are consistent with those from Ivy League schools, including Harvard and Yale, although far above government statistics, probably because only a small percentage of university assaults are reported to law enforcement authorities. Such numbers, if true, would mean that rape occurs in Chapel Hill, New Haven, Cambridge and other bastions of academia at rates higher than in war-ravaged and otherwise traumatized nations. It seems fair to say that if this were happening in Fayetteville and Cumberland County or some other nonacademic community, residents would be up in arms.

    The response from UNC-CH has been muted, with an understandable emphasis on education, prevention and overall awareness of what is acceptable and what is not. Part of what makes these numbers problematic, and the situation difficult to address, is that it is almost always a “he said, she said” circumstance. In addition, campus encounters often involve alcohol or some other mind-altering substance, a potent cocktail when mixed with raging youthful hormones. Low reporting occurs for all sorts of reasons, including embarrassment and not understanding what constitutes appropriate behavior or what to do about it, despite the rise of the #MeToo movement.

    UNC-CH is responding to the AAU report with several measures: working with students, faculty, and staff to beef up prevention efforts; working on bystander intervention more frequently, promoting consent education so that “no” actually means “no”; and confronting and changing the culture of sexual harassment throughout the university community. These are reasonable responses to what in other settings would be a law enforcement emergency.

    One cold, hard reality is that many of these situations involve serious criminal offenses, felonies for which many people have been imprisoned, even executed in years past. Another is that cases cannot be made, much less prosecuted, and convictions obtained if victims do not report, bystanders do not intervene, and people do not understand that a criminal offense has occurred.

    We already know we have a serious problem with sexual harassment and abuse in our nation. The takeaway from the AAU survey is that the problem is even more pronounced on the campuses of our nation’s most elite colleges and universities, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

  • 08 military housing familyFamily concerns about health and safety issues in military housing are widespread, according to a recent Army Inspector General report that reveals systemic problems with relationships between the Army and housing contractors. The government’s current oversight of these projects was insufficient to identify housing challenges. Inspectors found there was lack of joint authority, confusion regarding roles and responsibilities, lack of training, dramatic personnel cuts and lack of transparency among privatized housing companies. Inspectors uncovered a 2013 Army policy that specifically prohibited health and welfare inspections of military housing.

    Two-thirds of the 1,180 residents of military privatized housing communities who participated in the IG survey stated they were dissatisfied with their overall housing experience. Sixty-four percent said they would move off post if there were no financial costs or concerns, according to the report. The review was ordered by then-Secretary of the Army Mark Esper in the wake of reports about widespread problems of mold, water leakage, vermin infestations and other problems in military housing.

    Scores of Fort Bragg soldiers and family members complained to U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., about their military housing at a recent town hall meeting. It was the latest in a series of stops Tillis is making at military installations. It was his second town hall at Fort Bragg since summer. About 200 people bombarded him with complaints. The No. 1 issue was about mold in housing units. “I’ve seen the mold, and it’s legit,” Krista Lindholm said of mold in a neighbor’s house. “They’re sick, their kids are sick, and housing is just not coming and dealing with it.”

    Tillis said problems with military housing won’t be fixed overnight, but he said he hopes the information he gathers at town hall meetings helps him put things in place to speed up the process. “At every one of these town hall meetings, I ask people to call my office and open up a case so that we make sure we prioritize where medical professionals have said the conditions in the home are most likely the root cause of their health conditions,” he said.

    During the meeting, someone suggested that Fort Bragg commanders be given authority to hold private contractors to the same standards civilian landlords must meet. Off-post housing can and is placed off-limits when landlords fail to comply with military requirements.

    The IG report “validates the experiences of the brave military families who have spoken up for change,” said Shannon Razsadin, executive director of the Military Family Advisory Network, which conducted an online survey in early February of military families in all branches of service about their experience with privatized housing. More than half of 14,558 military families reported negative experiences. “There is a remarkable overlap between the Army IG report and MFAN’s research,” Razsadin said.

    Corvias Property Management is under contract at Fort Bragg and has committed $100 million for rehabilitation and new housing units on post.  Corvias relocated 4,670 families from their existing homes to newly built or renovated homes. The homes were then backfilled after renovation with another round of relocations to ensure all families received upgrades. The Army is already addressing most of the 20 recommendations in the IG report, according to a statement issued by Army officials.

  • 07 FireTrainingCenter copyFayetteville Technical Community College and county government have formally broken ground on the new Cumberland County Regional Fire and Rescue Training Center to serve the county’s volunteer fire departments. The ceremony took place Oct. 21 at the intersection of Corporation Drive and Tom Starling Road in the county industrial park. The complex will be constructed on 30 acres of property adjacent to the sheriff’s training center and will support Fayetteville Tech’s Fire Protection Technology program of study. The state-of-the art center will provide training opportunities for rural fire departments and other emergency responders in Cumberland County.

    The Center will enable FTCC to add classes not currently offered, including fire investigation/arson certification, thermal imaging, vehicular extrication and high-angle rescue.  In addition to classrooms, the complex will include live fire buildings, fire engine bays, technical rescue areas and specialized training areas. FTCC’s Corporate & Continuing Education Fire Training Program offers a number of certification courses that will allow volunteer fire fighters to keep their certifications current and their skills up to date.

    Classes will be available in daytime and evening schedules for fire academy certification courses. Interested individuals must be affiliated with recognized local fire departments and have appropriate training verification letters plus personnel protective equipment. “An educational facility that combines dynamic learning experiences for students in the classroom, laboratory, and through specialized training areas … leads to amazing results for students of Fayetteville Technical Community College and the citizens of Cumberland County,” said FTCC President Dr. Larry Keen.

    Cumberland County is responsible for funding capital projects at FTCC. The local facility is projected to cost $18 million. FTCC is committing $8 million, which the college was allocated from the Connect NC Bond Referendum. Cumberland County government has included $10 million for the project in its capital investment budget and will pursue grants and other funding opportunities to support the project.

    The paid Fayetteville Fire/Emergency Management Department will continue to operate its training division out of its own facility located at the airport. “The bulk of our recruit academy classes and multi-company training evolutions will be conducted at the airport training facility,” said Fayetteville Fire Chief Mike Hill. “However, we will participate in specialty classes and use some of the technical props planned for the new FTCC training grounds.” The Fayetteville Fire Training Center provides many of the same training facilities and opportunities to be offered at the county center.

    The city complex also offers training in specialized fields, such as confined space and trench rescue. A confined space simulator provides several tunnels and containers that allow trainees to conduct exercises that help prepare them for actual emergency situations. Each year the Fayetteville Training Division conducts a series of benchmark drills in accordance with National Fire Protection Association standards, which allow the department’s personnel to measure their ability to effectively mitigate situations on the fire ground.

    “Quickly gaining control of an emergency situation is equally as important as responding to it,” Hill noted.

  • 21 01 Roscoe BlueRoscoe Blue

    Terry Sanford • Football• Senior
     
    Blue has a 3.854 weighted grade point average. He is a captain on the football team. He is a member of the Key Club and enjoys taking college courses at Fayetteville Tech. Blue volunteers at other sporting events here at Terry Sanford and enjoys cooking at the baseball games.  During his free time he enjoys fishing.
     
    Jacob Knight

    Terry Sanford•Football•Senior

    21 02 Jacob KnightKnight has a 3.937 weighted grade point average. He is a captain on the Terry Sanford football team.  He is a member of Academically/Intellectually Gifted and National Honor Society and enjoys taking college courses at Fayetteville Tech.  Knight is a active member of Epicenter Church where his father Mark Knight is pastor.
     
  • 10 No ChildWith education being a hot topic on the county, state and national levels, discussions about the public school system are plentiful. By taking a humorous approach “No Child …” gives meaningful insight into the education system. The first show at the Cape Fear Regional Theater opens Oct. 31.

    The play, written by Nilaja Sun, is about her experience as a teaching artist who comes into a New York City classroom in 2006. With four years of teaching under her belt and a wealth of great ideas, she sets out to put on a play at the school, which is the worst-performing school in New York City’s district. 

    “It’s a story of a person coming to terms with the wonderfulness and resilience of the students that a lot of people have cast off, but also coming to terms with the education system and what’s guaranteed from a free public education,” said the play’s director, Kaja Dunn.

    The stars of the show are Ja’Maul Johnson, Tara Whitney Rison, Andrea Somera, Brandon Rivera, Monet Noelle Marshall.

    Rison plays Ms. Sun, an actor and educator who encounters experiences she’s never had before at the new school. She has to learn about herself and help students reflect on their lives to help them realize they can be better than what people expect them to be. In contrast, Rison plays Mrs. Kennedy, a seasoned administrator who, after working 17 years as a principal, has seen it all. 

    Somera plays Ms. Tam, Xiomara, Phillip and Mrs. Projensky. Ms. Tam is a teacher who worked in a law firm and is new to the world of education. Phillip, one of the students, is shy and Ms. Sun helps him get out of his shell.
    The characters have different backgrounds and perspectives and learn about themselves and each other.

    The show is humorous but has serious underlayers, so the theater recommends the play for ages 13 and up.

    The show’s set design will place the audience back in high school. “From the minute you cross into the theater, it’s like you’re falling through the wardrobe into Narnia, but instead of Narnia, you’re going into the Bronx,” said Mary Kate Burke, the CFRT artistic director. The seating for the production will be onstage.

    The play is a celebration of education and teaching, the power of art and the difference that good teachers can make to a group of children.
    The show will have a “Red for Ed” night, which is a teachers’ night that will offer a 25% discount and complimentary wine tasting to educators. In conjunction with the Junior League, CFRT is having a teacher basket giveaway. On CFRT’s Facebook page, people had the opportunity to nominate a teacher who impacted them for the chance to win.

    CFRT also has a program where, once a semester, they pick a show that 11th graders across Cumberland County can see for free with their English classes. “No Child...” is that show for this semester.

    On Nov. 6, Sun will attend the student matinee. After the evening show, there will be a talkback where the audience can ask questions.

    The play runs through Nov. 17. For more information or to buy tickets, call 910-323-4233. The cast pictured from L-R:The cast from L-R: Brandon Rivera, Monet Noelle Marshall, Tara Whitney Rison, Andrea Somera, Ja’Maul Johnson
  • 12 CoverstoryWhen the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra set out to find a new executive director, the committee was delighted to receive applications from around the world. In the end, it was a Fort Bragg soldier who won their confidence. Jesse L. Hughes Jr. is retiring from the Army and is set to begin his tenure at FSO Dec. 4. Hughes has played the trumpet professionally and has more than 15 years of leadership in the Army as a musician, instructor and organizational adviser, managing 28 military-connected musical organizations and 400 personnel. He has extensive experience in organizing and coordinating high profile musical events. Hughes has a Bachelor of Music in music performance from Wichita State University, a Master of Music in jazz studies from Howard University and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Northcentral University.

    “We did a national search, and we had some international candidates, which we did not expect,” said Deborah Teasley, FSO interim president and CEO. “The committee, comprised of board and nonboard members, went through the applications and did a first screening and some phone interviews and then narrowed the group and did another round of interviews.”

    Candidates were interviewed and the top seven were asked to write a scenario about their vision for the future of the symphony. “This allowed us to see their writing and their vision for FSO,” said Teasley. When the time came to select someone for the position, Teasley added, “The search committee’s recommendation was unanimous.”

    Although Hughes’ resume checked all the boxes from experience and educational requirements to management experience as well as a knowledge of the performing arts, it was his personality that stood out. “It was clear he is someone who had vision and would jump in and help in a variety of situations that come operating nonprofits,” Teasley said.

    Hughes knew he wanted to stay in the area after leaving Fort Bragg, finding a job that matched his skill set and passion so perfectly was a bonus.

    His music career started in earnest when Hughes was in high school. At 15, he was playing the trumpet and taking music lessons. At 18, he was at college on a music scholarship. “I went all the way through college and grad school,” said Hughes. “Then I got interested in military bands and started going to auditions. The Army was the branch most interested in me. I joined with the intent to do one tour and see the world and then get out. Once I got in, though, I was hooked. As I progressed, I wanted to learn more about how things work behind the scenes as well. In 2013, I enrolled in a doctoral program in educational leadership.”

    Hughes said he is looking forward to establishing a rapport with the community and with the other arts organizations here. He also has some big plans for helping FSO continue to grow. “I want to capture a wider audience and extend the organization’s reach to the schools to help solidify the future of the performing arts,” Hughes said. That might sound like a tall order for some, but Hughes disagrees. “It is like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time. There are a lot of people who don’t know there is a symphony here.” And he plans to change that.

     There are already initiatives in place that make FSO accessible and unintimidating to those unfamiliar with the symphony. “The Music Nerd,” Joshua Busman, who has a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, hosts a preconcert chat before most every performance. He spends about 45 minutes before each concert talking about the performers, the composers and their inspiration for the pieces they wrote as well as many other interesting facts that make the music make sense.

    The symphony was founded in 1956, and its mission is the educate, entertain and inspire the citizens of Fayetteville and the surrounding era. That means connecting with audiences. Making concerts affordable is one way to work toward achieving that goal. “We are totally indebted to our major donors,” said Teasley. “Our biggest donor is the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, but we also have a variety of grants. In our program, we have 29 corporate sponsors who give their money because they believe in the symphony and believe in bringing music to the community. We also have an endowment. The endowment, which has been gifted to symphony, provides our operating funds. Tickets to our concerts cost $25, and we have discounts for seniors, the military and kids. It is an incredible bargain.”

    There are several concerts remaining in the season. Thursday, Nov. 14, is “Copland in Paris.” It will be at St. John’s Episcopal Church on Green Street. “It is performed by three musicians,” said Teasley. “A flute, a piano and a clarinet. It features the music of Aaron Copland, the era in the 1920s and 30s, and his peer composers. The music is incredible. It is going to be a wonderful performance.”

    Saturday, Dec. 7, don’t miss “Deck the Halls” at Fayetteville State University’s Seabrook Auditorium. “That is our community holiday concert … and we are doing it jointly with Cumberland Choral Arts (formerly the Cumberland Oratorio Singers) and the Fayetteville  Academy choir,” said Teasley. “It will be a huge production. It will be everything from singalongs to nice classics and even some contemporary music.”

    Find out more about FSO, programs and future concerts at http://www.fayettevillesymphony.org/. Tickets are available on the website as well.

    Pictured: Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra‘s new executive director is set to begin his new duties Dec. 4.

  • 16 01 eatonOf all the people who will be hit hardest by the departure of the Fayetteville SwampDogs from the community, few will be more affected than Sam Eaton.

    Eaton is a 16-year-old special needs student at Gray’s Creek High School. For the past 12 years, the SwampDogs provided him with a place of joy that also gave his life a genuine purpose.

    The team embraced Eaton and Eaton embraced the team, and finding something that will fill the void of what used to be busy summers for Eaton will be difficult.

    It all started one day back in 2007 when Eaton’s mother Robin, a teacher in the Fort Bragg schools, was looking for a way to entertain her son and wound up taking him to a SwampDogs game.

    “He became very immersed in the rhythm of the onfield promotion of what was going on between innings,’’ she said. “The game was secondary to the fanfare.’’

    Despite an assortment of ailments that impaired his speech and also made it difficult for him to walk, Sam and the SwampDogs baseball team grew to be inseparable. He became close to the characters who wore the team’s Fungo mascot costume.

    Sam became an official unofficial member of the SwampDogs staff, and as time passed his responsibilities with the team grew.
    16 02 SN class
    He became friends with the guys in the Fungo costume, on and off the field. He’d advise them to drink water and stay hydrated on hot days at the ballpark, even making sure they went into the walk-in cooler on especially warm days.
    But he wasn’t just a sidekick to Fungo. “He knows the ins and outs of that whole place,’’ Mrs. Eaton said. “He knows when to turn on the lights, what inning to get the postgame meal prepped, what sequence of events is for the onfield promotions.’’

    In the real world, young Sam is just beginning to read, hasn’t mastered writing, and can’t drive a car or ride a bicycle.

    But in the SwampDogs world, he’s an asset. “He’s fully successful, depended on, relied on and treated as one of the staff and one of the team,’’ Mrs. Eaton said.

    Sam isn’t the only special needs person that the SwampDogs have offered a hand to. “They did the whole Special Olympics intern program,’’ Mrs. Eaton said.

    Sam is searching for something to occupy his time in place of the SwampDogs. He’s found some help at Gray’s Creek High School, where various members of the Bears coaching staff have welcomed Sam into their programs, including the baseball and football teams.

    But summers are still looking like a problem now that the SwampDogs are gone and Sam’s older sister has left for college.

    “I think he’ll be bored,’’ Mrs. Eaton said. “It will be a big change for our family and for Sam.’’

    Sam won’t be able to fit in just anywhere, because he doesn’t consider himself a fan. “He’s a worker,’’ Mrs. Eaton said. “He was in the right time at the right place and we’re sad it’s come to an end.’’

    But even in a time of sadness, Sam thought enough of his friends to make them recipients of charity from the SwampDogs.

    His grandmother, Peggy Jennings, helps keep the books for the SwampDogs, and she had the idea of putting together swag bags of team souvenirs that were no longer going to be needed. Sam immediately thought of his friends.
    “What came to mind were his classmates, Special Olympics athletes and Buddy Baseball athletes,’’ Ms. Eaton said. “Those are his peers. He knows they have a place with the SwampDogs.’’

    One of the groups that benefitted was the special needs classes at Gray’s Creek High School where Earl Horan is a special education teacher.

    He came into his classroom recently over a two-day period and saw bags filled with souvenirs, shirts and caps for his class and members of the faculty.

    "Sam’s a neat little character,’’ Horan said. “He has an infectious smile and everyone likes having Sam around.’’

    Horan also praised the SwampDogs for the work they’ve done with young men like Sam. “It gives the kids such a feeling of acceptance and self-worth,’’ he said. “It touches the whole family, makes them feel a part of the team and the community.’’
     

    Picture 1: Sam Eaton posing with and SwampDogs mascot, Fungo

    Picture 2: Students with Earl Horan’s special needs class show off SwampDogs swag shared by their fellow student Sam Eaton.

     
     
  • prediction football RESIZEDAs we head into the final weeks of the high school football season it’s a good time to remember the rules regarding fighting and ejections in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

    There’s never a good time to lose your temper on the field and get into an altercation with an opposing player, but the stretch drive is the worst time, especially for teams with playoff aspirations.

    The following violations get you kicked out of a game immediately: fighting, biting, taunting, baiting or spitting toward an opponent, obscene gestures or disrespectfully addressing an official.

    Everything on that list carries an additional penalty of one game missed, with the exception of fighting.

    If you are guilty of fighting, that means you are gone for the next two contests.

    Worse, if three players or coaches are ejected during a game, or six for a full season, that team loses its state playoff privileges for that year.

    It has happened before to teams from this area.

    Please make sure your team isn’t one of them this year. Keep calm and play by the rules.
     
    The record: 47-14
     
    I was almost perfect for two straight weeks but dropped one game to finish 7-1. The count for the year is 47-14, 78.3 percent.
     
    South View at Cape Fear- This is a huge Patriot Athletic Conference game for two of the league’s hottest teams.
    Both are peaking at the right time of the season. Home field definitely helps Cape Fear, but that still might not be enough for the Colts.
    I expect this to be a close one that a big play or key turnover could decide.
    South View 21, Cape Fear 20.
     
    Douglas Byrd at Overhills - I think Overhills has too much offense for the Eagles to get a win in this one.
    Overhills 28, Douglas Byrd 14.
     
    Pine Forest at E.E. Smith - This is a tough call because both teams have been inconsistent. I’m giving Smith the edge playing at home.
    E.E. Smith 22, Pine Forest 18.
     
    Hoke County at Jack Britt - Hoke has clearly been the surprise team of the season in the Sandhills Athletic Conference with its return to success. This is a big game for both teams trying to improve their state playoff chances.
    I think Britt will figure a way to win this one.
    Jack Britt 24, Hoke County 18.
     
    Purnell at Seventy-First - The Falcons get a much-needed win against a Swett team having a difficult season.
    Seventy-First 30, Purnell Swett 12.
     
    Westover at Terry Sanford - The Bulldogs celebrate homecoming with another victory as they brace for bigger foes down the road.
    Terry Sanford 31, Westover 8.
     
    Open date: Gray’s Creek.
     
    Other games: Word of God forfeited to Trinity Christian earlier this week; Faith Christian 30, Fayetteville Christian 14.
  • 14 Tell me a storyDid the late great writer, Pat Conroy’s late-in-life marriage to fellow writer Cassandra King make him a better writer?

    Just in case you don’t remember, Conroy, who died in 2016, was the best-selling author of “The Great Santini," “The Lords of Discipline,”  “The Prince of Tides," and “Beach Music." 

    All of these were dark compelling stories filled with angry characters and sad family conflicts.

    Conroy had what every writer or aspiring writer longs for, being a great storyteller and having a gift for writing moving prose.

    His storytelling gifts were intertwined with a life that was filled with turmoil and with unhappy and abusive family situations. Most memorable was his relationship with his father, Marine Corps Col. Don Conroy, who became the iconic and central figure in “The Great Santini.” 

    Conroy said that his dysfunctional family and abusive father were gifts that fueled his moving fiction.

    All that began to change in February 1995 when Conroy met Cassandra King at a party during a literary conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Their friendship began around a buffet table and conversations about food. But when the conversation turned to King’s book, Conroy told her to have the publisher send him a copy. “If I like it,” he said, “I’ll give you a blurb. If not. I’ll pretend it got lost in the mail.”

    King, now Cassandra King Conroy, tells the rest of the story in “Tell Me a Story: My Life with Pat Conroy,” to be released October 29.

    I will hold most of the details for a later column, but will share some of the story as it relates to the question in this column’s opening paragraph.

    After a long and mostly long-distance friendship, one that only gradually turned to romance, Conroy and Cassandra wed in 1998 and settled down in Conroy’s house at Fripp Island, near Beaufort, South Carolina.

    Conroy’s close friends worried about the gossip Cassandra would hear about his former wives and girlfriends. But when they learned that Cassandra’s first marriage had been to a minister, she joked, “From a holy man to Pat Conroy. Talk about a leap of faith.”

    Cassandra’s writing benefited from Conroy’s encouragement. Talking with author and Conroy friend, Anne Rivers Siddons, Cassandra said she was writing a book about a group of her women friends, “real-life friends I’ve had for years.”
    Siddons was alarmed and asked if Conroy had “urged you to do that.”

    When Cassandra nodded, yes, Siddons cautioned, “Tread carefully. You know what that very thing has cost Pat. Beneath his tough shell he suffers more about the stuff he’s written than he’ll ever let anyone see."

    In 2013, Conroy appeared with me on North Carolina Bookwatch to discuss his non-fiction book, “The Death of Santini," a memoir that centered on the death of his father. He was calm and relaxed as he talked about his writing routine.
    In the early part of the day, he and Cassandra would each spend several hours writing alone, then lunch together, and have afternoons to relax. He radiated happiness. See this interview at https://video.unctv.org/video/nc-bookwatch-pat-conroy-death-santini/

    And his writing did change. He published only one more long book of fiction after his marriage, “South of Broad," which got a mixed critical reaction. In his New York Times’ review Roy Hoffman, while acknowledging that “Conroy remains a magician of the page,” wrote that his traditional themes “have simply been done better — by the author himself.”

    On the other hand, his non-fiction books such as “My Losing Season,” and “Death of Santini,” although they show some of Conroy’s fiery spirit, the tone is moderated and sustains an authoritative command of his narrative. These books are two of my all-time favorites.

    So did marriage make Conroy a better writer?  Certainly it made him a happier one.  And, I think it made him a better one, too.

  •   11 Boo tanical arborTricks and treats await Halloween fans at the family-friendly Boo-tanical Garden event coming to Cape Fear Botanical Garden Oct. 25-27. Each night from 6-9 p.m., guests can enjoy a haven of all things Halloween. Costumes? Check. Fun and games? Check. Candy? Check. Check.

       Now in its fifth year, Boo-tanical Garden is a highly anticipated event for those wishing to expand the Halloween season beyond a one-day calendar celebration. The festival is one way, according to CFBG Director of Events and Marketing Sheila Hanrick, “to get your Halloween going before the actual day.”

     “Boo-tanical is for all ages — children, adults, families and individuals,” she said. “This year, we are offering the same community favorites such as the Boo-tanical holiday lights and trick-or-treat stations throughout the garden, but also some new activities our guests are sure to enjoy.”

    Candy stations are scattered throughout the nearly 16 acres of the garden proper lit with the Halloween colors of orange, purple, green and white found among garden flora and in the form of themed light sculptures. The warm glow of some 300 jack-o-lanterns, both friendly and frightful, will light up the Cypress Pond lawn.

    The fright factor is small, said Hanrick, emphasizing the child-friendliness of Boo-tanical. However, “any time it is Halloween, you have to have a little bit of fright going on,” she said.

    The smidgen of spookiness can be seen in the Boo-Crew skeleton vignettes, courtesy of Fayetteville Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine. Guests may find one of the Boo Crew planting flowers, weeding a garden bed, jumping rope or even fishing off the pond pier. They will be up to all kinds of mischief, said Hanrick, no bones about it.

    Friendly animated monsters will guide children in the Monster Bash dance on the garden’s Great Hall lawn. Singing pumpkins and friendly ghosts continue the animation action, with songs and skits galore. The children’s play area features lawn games, a hay bale maze and a giant tunnel slide built from hay bales. A tractor-pulled hayride around the Great Lawn completes the heyday of outdoor fun.

    Indoors the excitement continues with educational activities sponsored by Fayetteville Academy. Guests will learn about odd “monsters” in nature through hands-on lessons and touch boxes. They can meet CFBG’s eastern king snake, Duke, and eastern box turtle, Carlos. Face painting and balloon-animal making round out the inside fun.

    Don’t miss the festival fare, either. Boss Ross Dogs will be serving up hot dogs and sausages all evening, along with Nothin’ Fancy funnel cakes and the Pretty Stickie company’s candy and gourmet apples, and custom cookies. Find more food offerings at the newly opened garden cafe, including soups, salads and sandwiches.

    Tickets for Boo-tanical Garden can be purchased at the door each night. Tickets are $9 for garden members, $11 for nonmembers, $5 for children aged 2-12 and are free for children under 2. The event is weather dependent, so if in doubt, check the garden’s Facebook or website before heading out. For out more at https://www.capefearbg.org/.

  • 15 jazzThere’s just nothing quite as distinctive as jazz music. It reaches into the depths of your core and seems to radiate throughout your being. It’s smooth, harmonious and full of dynamic rhythm. It is perfect for relaxing after a long day, hanging out with friends and even to help set the mood for a romantic evening. It expands into multiple cultures, ages and generations. The Cape Fear Jazz Society knows the impact and the reach jazz has, which is why it has invited performer, Jazzmeia Horn, to provide an evening of culture and entertainment on Nov. 3, 2019 at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington Kenan Auditorium. 

     According to Primus Robinson, who represents the Cape Fear Jazz Society, the collaboration between the Society and the UNCW provides an opportunity to bring in nationally renowned talent, such as Horn, to a larger audience within this larger facility and contributes to the arts culture of the community.

    This is the first collaboration between the society and UNCW, and the staff with both organizations chose Grammy-nominated, award-winning talent of Horn to share her unique, jaw-dropping vocal talent to foster and promote jazz, a mission of the CFJS.

    The day after the concert, Horn will also teach a free “Artist Master Class,” offering students and fans an opportunity to learn from her about how the art of jazz captures her essence and how they can find that within themselves.

     The CFJS presents jazz in different locations, from small to large, with its tenth season currently in progress at The Cameron Art Museum. They havehad continued success to date with a sold-out crowd for its eight-month run.

    CFJS just wrapped up its five-month outdoor series at the Bellamy Mansion Museum, making it their most successful while also celebrating their 10-year anniversary.

    The CFJS is a nonprofit organization and has a mission to educate others on the appreciation of jazz, which is why it will continue to present jazz artists.

    In the words of Robinson, “My favorite thing is experiencing togetherness. People enjoy exploring and delighting in innovative art. Jazz is creative, intellectual, accessible and unifying. Music is the healing force of the universe, Cape Fear Jazz Society has the great gift of music and art, which is the goal of the CFJS. We've been getting it right for 21 years.”

    Tickets for the Jazzmeia Horn Concert begin at $20, and the event is appropriate for all ages and demographics.

    Jazz lovers can look forward to seeing Jazzmeia Horn perform on Nov. 3 at the UNCW Kenan auditorium.

  • 03 philippe goulet zg9dfG9IHL0 unsplashAt the past Cumberland County Veterans Council meeting we were informed by an assistant director of the VA Medical Center that, effective Oct. 1, there will be no smoking on the campus grounds of VA facilities. It came across that there was no warning that this prohibition was coming, and it hit the ears as a slam-dunk directive and (was) effective immediately.

    I do believe most people will agree that a no-smoking policy should stand and be enforced inside all VAMC buildings for health reasons. VA has instituted many smoking cessation programs, and they are well received and are helping many veterans. However, over many recent years, medical practitioners have noted that some people are truly addicted to tobacco and will not quit or break their habits. Some truly enjoy smoking the various tobacco products and have done so for years and years, regardless of the known risks smoking entails to themselves and others.

    VA set up outside pavilions so smokers could go outside the facilities, and they served the smoking veterans well and kept them away from the nonsmokers — which was also well received. Now these smoking areas are off limits, forcing the veterans who smoke to leave the VA campus. This decree coming down from VA, in my humble opinion, is not well studied in regards to the psychological affects it will have on many veterans who have PTSD and other debilitating health issues.

    Smoking and its nicotine gives them a calm and relaxing time,  which helps them cope in their own way. Taking this away from these veterans will not serve their general well-being by forcing them off campus to smoke. Will this adverse action cause veteran suicides to increase? Personally, I suffered immensely over my 79 years being raised in a smoking family. My parents, brother, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts and uncles all smoked. In 26 years in the U.S. Army, I was forced to attend countless meetings and conferences with smoke clouds so thick, at times, you could not see across the room.

    I have never smoked and don’t like being subjected to it by others. I find it quite discourteous of some smokers, regardless of rank or position, who force their rancid and smelly habits upon others and expect us to tolerate them.

    I still must offer words of support for my brother and sister veterans who have served their country well and find themselves in health harm’s way only to find comfort in having a smoke but having to leave the premises to do so. This is not helping the psychological well-being of the military veteran. Keep the smoking pavilions open on campus for those who need them. This situation that VA has slam-dunked on the veteran smokers should be discussed and challenged by every military fraternal organization from local to state and national headquarters, as with your help this adverse situation can be corrected by VA.

  • 09 01 Cirque Mei6Founded in 1976 and hailing from People’s Republic of China, Hebei Province, Cirque Mei is set to take the stage at Givens Performing Arts Center in Pembroke Oct. 27. The world-renowned group has performed internationally and recently appeared on an episode of “The Ellen Show.”

    In its entirety, the company is made up of 130 performers. The performance at GPAC features 40 of the elite circus artists and acrobats, who will perform popular routines, including hoops diving, lion dance, collective bicycle skills, flying meteors, foot juggling with umbrellas, female contortion and a ladder balancing act.

    Givens promises traditional and contemporary Chinese circus acts in a colorful and lively celebration of the internationally renowned Chinese circus arts.

    Cirque Mei blends ancient artistry with high energy for a non-stop extravaganza of family entertainment. With 30 elite circus artists and countless acrobats and stunts, Cirque Mei thrills young and old alike with their feats of agility, strength and poise.

    “This is not just a circus act, it’s a real cultural experience,” said James Bass, executive director of Givens Performing Arts Center. “This is not just a Chinese acrobat performance. This show contains a lot of traditional Chinese circus artistry, and so while it is amazing to see, it also exposes audiences to some of the glorious performing arts of Asia.”

    Tickets range from $10 for children under 12 to $36 and can be purchased online at uncp.edu/gpactickets or by calling the box office at 910-521-6361.

    09 02 Cirque Mei2If you can’t make this show, there are still exciting performances in the season lineup, including the UNCP Holiday Extravaganza, which is set for Nov. 22. The Nutcracker Ballet follows on Nov. 24.

    Established in 1887 as a normal school to train American Indian teachers, UNC Pembroke today has an enrollment of more than 7,600 in 41 undergraduate and 17 graduate programs. UNCP is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina System.

    For information about tickets and the full season lineup, visit uncp.edu/gpac or call 910-521-6361. Some shows on the season will also carry an option for the Act I Diner’s pre-show dinners. Call or check the website for dates.'

    Cirque Mei promises an evening of lively entertainment at Givens Performing Arts Center.

    09 03 Cirque Mei3

  • 16 generatorA short time ago, the Hope Mills Police Department swung an amazing deal to get a new tactical vehicle for special situations.

    Now the Hope Mills Fire Department is following suit, helping secure a generator that will provide power to keep Town Hall up and running enough to do business during times of power loss.

    Deputy Chief Steve Lopez of the Hope Mills Fire Department wears a number of hats. In addition to his role as a firefighter, he is also the operations chief for the fire department and the town safety director for Hope Mills.

    After a lengthy search, Lopez has located what is called a tactical quiet generator that he is now working to get final approval and installation for.

    Lopez said that when the Town Hall building was originally constructed, the intent was to get a generator.

    For whatever reason, that never took place, and after Hurricane Florence, when power was out to Town Hall for eight days, something needed to done.

    “We had a sit down (after Florence) and did a lessons learned type of thing,’’ Lopez said. “The problem we were having was the fact all the infrastructure for the servers and the phones were located in the Town Hall.’’

    During that same period of time, Cumberland County dispatch services were also down for two or three days. That meant certain services could not be dispatched by radio or reached by telephone. “The gist of the situation was we needed to try to get a generator here as quickly as we can,’’ Lopez said.

    But that’s a lot easier said than done. A generator of the type Hope Mills needed to keep Town Hall running cannot be purchased at the typical big box chain. The cost for a new one runs upwards of $35,000, which is well beyond the reach of the town budget.

    Lopez began looking at options available via military surplus. “The thing with generators on the military side is they are very powerful, they are made to government specifications and they are made to operate in the worst conditions,’’ he said.

    Lopez finally found what he was looking for with a federal surplus outlet in Raleigh. The cost was only $3,975.

    He checked it out and brought a generator mechanic with him. “He tested it and it passed with flying colors,’’ Lopez said.

    He then took the generator to a local trucking company to do further checks on the generator’s diesel motor. “They judged it to be in super condition,’’ he said.

    “It’s very, very quiet,’’ he said of the generator when it’s operating. “It’s actually used in a forward area where you have to keep the noise to a minimum.’’

    The next step will be to get an estimate on the cost for installing all the hardware needed to connect the generator to Town Hall and set it up so it will automatically turn on just 1.5 seconds after the building loses power in the next storm event or other cause of power failure.

    Should the cost to do all the connections run over $5,000, Lopez said it will have to go to the Board of Commissioners for final approval.

    Lopez added the generator is not designed to power Town Hall completely like normal current would, but he also noted that not everyone comes to work when power is out so every light and power outlet in the building won’t be needed in that situation.

    “There are critical functions in a municipality that need to stay functioning or have the ability to function,’’ Lopez said. “The manager’s office is one and payroll is another. We prioritize which areas we want stood up (powered).’’

    Another major consideration is the detrimental effect no power can have on some equipment. During the time of Florence, Lopez said it got too humid inside the building, causing problems for some of the town’s computers.

    “This generator should power pretty much everything we need in a storm event and post-storm event,’’ Lopez said.

  • woman with flagPolitics are on everyone’s minds during intense campaign seasons like this one, and progressive Democrats like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez — aka AOC — have a lot to say about wealth distribution and associated inequities. They fret publicly about the top 1% holding and securing most of the financial cards, tamping down the dearly held American Dream of upward mobility for those who work hard walk the straight and narrow.  

    Turns out, they are probably right.

    Richard Reeves is a Brookings Institution researcher and author of the 2017 book, “Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It.”

    Reeves defines the upper middle class as those earning the top 20% of income and addresses the growing gaps in family structure, neighborhoods, attitudes, educations and general lifestyles between that fortunate percentage and everyone else. His premise is that those at the top are increasingly effective at ensuring their status for their children, whether or not those offspring are as capable as their achiever parents. The result, Reeves says, is not just an economic gap but a fracture in our American culture.

    The human experience over centuries informs us that some people will always have more than others. Some people will have great resources. Some people will have few, and most people will fall in between. This has been the American story as well, accompanied by Horatio Alger stories, true and apocryphal, of individuals pulling themselves from rags to riches, the quintessential American Dream.    

    Apparently, upward mobility has stagnated. Reeves and other researchers find that people born in 1940 had an overwhelming chance, 90%, to earn more than their parents. For people born in 1984, early millennials, the opportunity is 50-50, but with not much movement either way. In other words, millions of people are stuck in place.

    What Reeves points out is not so much the difficulty of rising up as the difficulty of falling down by those already in the upper 20%. Says Reeves, “There’s a lot of talent being wasted because it’s not able to rise, but there’s also a lot of relatively untalented people who aren’t falling and end up occupying positions they shouldn’t.” Parents are passing their status on to their children, which economists call “stickiness.”

    Reeves calls this phenomenon the “glass floor” and notes that upper-middle-class offspring are often employed by their parents or friends of their parents — think the Trump children — setting them up for permanent membership in the 20%. This entitlement system is aided and abetted by an elite higher education system that gives preference to already privileged students. A recent Duke University study found that children from the highest 1% income families are 77 times more like to attend Ivy League universities than the lowest 20% and that the class of 2022 at Harvard has more legacy students than African Americans. Reeves points out that this system of educational entitlement not only leaves talented low-income students behind, it elevates less talented students—more stickiness.

    The terrifying aspect of entrenched entitlement is that through education, our tax system and other structural factors, we are stratifying our nation and permanently building in the toxic resentment that already permeates and poisons our politics and our culture. We are putting the American Dream on the endangered list.

    The progressive left may not have all the answers, but it is asking the right questions.

    Is the American Dream in danger? If so, what has changed?

  • 17 moxieBusiness partners Mary Susan Megill and Tara Freeman don’t look at what they do as owners of Moxie Hair Studio on Legion Road as a job.

    “A lot of people look at it as a hobby, which kind of in a way it is, but it’s a hobby that is also a job that we like,’’ Freeman said. “It doesn’t feel like work. I genuinely like my clients and like to make them feel good about themselves.’’

    The two recently opened their new studio in the Coffman Commons shopping center at 4251 Legion Road.

    “I had previously worked in Hope Mills and had built a clientele out there,’’ Megill said. “It’s close enough to most things in Fayetteville and it wasn’t too far for most of our clients.’’

    Freeman lives in the Gray’s Creek area and saw it as a chance to add another hairstyling option for people in what is a rapidly-growing part of Cumberland County. "It’s an opportunity to market this area more,’’ she said.

    They describe the business as a full-service hair salon available to the entire family. Women, men and children are all welcome.

    For the time being, Megill and Freeman are the only stylists in the shop, but they have openings to add more stylists in the future.

    There are no firm hours with most business being appointment-based. Walk-ins are welcome but depending on the appointment load, it’s better to schedule something in advance.

    Generally, the studio is open during traditional business hours Tuesday through Saturdays.

    Freeman got her cosmetology training at a vocational high school in Ohio. Megill learned the trade at a local hairstyling school.

    Both took the traditional 1,500 hours of training, which for both is ongoing on the job. Between them they’ve got 33 years of experience on the job.

    “It’s always changing,’’ Megill said. “There’s always something new, the client thing, as well. You become close to your clients. You build a relationship with them.

    “We both have clients we’ve been seeing for years. (You) watch them grow with their families and their jobs and whatever else is going on in their life.’’

    Megill said that technique-wise there is always something cool coming out in the hairstyling business. “It’s not boring,’’ she said. “It really, truly is a fun job.’’

    While the main services they offer are hair cutting and coloring, they offer specialty work like rainbow hair coloring and balayage.

    Balayage is when dye is actually painted on to create a graduated, natural-looking effect.

    The procedure can take as long as two hours to perform. The two also do fashion colors and corrective colors.

    For further information on the business, visit their Facebook page, Moxie Hair Studio. You can contact them at 910-491-4542 or by email at moxiehairstudio19@gmail.com.

  • 12 01 d0279a870e17b863288a00370f95dc227b3b4adbFall is in the air, and with it comes a bevy of activities ranging from hayrides and pumpkin patches to haunted trails and houses and even zombie-related events. Here are some favorites you won’t want to miss.

    The Poe House at the Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex may have a few skeletons in its closets. Come find out Oct. 23-25 as the museum partners with Gilbert Theater for the eight season of “Hallowe’en Revels: Night Tours of the 1897 Poe House.” This year’s theme is “invoking spirits.”  Call 910-500-4240 for more information.

    Maybe the Poe House isn’t the only local dwelling with ghostly visitors. The Sandford House at Heritage Square in downtown Fayetteville is said to have spirits with unfinished businesses lurking in its halls. Through Oct. 31, join Q98, Magic 106.9, Rock 103 and WFNC along with the Association of Paranormal Study to investigate Hauntings at Heritage Square. Participants in each tour will be provided ghost hunting equipment for the event. Tours last about 90 minutes. Call 910-401-9857 for tickets and information.

    12 02 Zombie WalkIf you’ve never been to a Zombie Walk or a Zombie Prom, head downtown Oct. 25. In addition to 4th Friday festivities, prepare for a zombie invasion. It’s open to everyone. The Zombie Walk preparty starts at 6 p.m. at Headquarters Library on Maiden Lane. There will be music, face painting, costume contests and more. Johnny Awesome will be the master of ceremonies and will conduct the walk and will be the MC until participants leave for the official Zombie Prom After Party at The Tap House, which is next door to Huske Hardware. The Zombie Walk starts at 8 p.m. — only those dressed as zombies will be part of the street walk. There will also be three bands, The Answers, KEYSE and The Sherman Neckties. Search Fayetteville Zombie Walk & Prom 2019 Downtown of Facebook for more information.

    If you are looking for something more low key to do on Oct. 25, check out the The All-American City Jazz Festival: Beach and Shag Music at Festival Park. The jazz festival runs through Oct. 27 and includes local as well as nationally renowned performers. Call 910-987-2426 to learn more.

     Halloween at the Boo-tanical Garden is the perfect family-friendly event for the younger set. Oct. 25-27, the Cape Fear Botanical Garden welcomes families to come and trick or treat throughout the garden and enjoy hayrides and lawn games. Visit capefearbg.org for details.

    The Stoney Point Trail of Terror is a hair-raising tradition for many in the area. Through Nov. 2, venture into the darkness at the rear of the Stoney Point Fire Department property for an experience that 12 03 N1404P17013Cincludes state-of-the-art sound, lighting and environmental effects and live actors determined to scare even the most stoic of visitors. Other events at the Stoney Point FD include a Zombie Rampage. Load up your paintball marker and take on the field of zombies as they come you. A more child-friendly event is the Trail of Candy. This takes place during daylight hours Saturday, Oct. 26 from noon until 2 p.m. Bring the kids, enjoy a costume contest, trick or treating, concessions and more. Call 910-424-0694 to learn more.

    Gallberry Corn Maze is one of several local mazes. Through Nov. 3, guests can enjoy 12 acres of nothing but fun. There are nearly 20 attractions designed to keep the entire family engaged —  farm animals, pig racing, hayrides, a jumping pillow, bouncy ball corral, corn hole, Spookley the Square Pumpkin barn, covered picnic area, a giant corn shack, pony lasso, barrel train rides, photo ops, double barrel tube slide, a fire pit, fantastic food, hay mountain, air cannons and much more. Find out more at gallberrycornmaze.com.

    Dirtbag Ales and Rogue Alpha Athletics will host the Dirtbag Ales Halloween Beer Mile Oct. 26 at Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom from 5-8 p.m. Come in your best Halloween costume and run, jog, walk, crawl the 1 mile-ish course and enjoy four 10-ounce beers from Dirtbag Ales brewery. Participants must be 21 or older to drink beer. Search the Dirtbag Ales Halloween Beer Mile on Facebook for details.

    Trick or treat at the Poe House Oct. 26 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. While you are there, search for ravens in the Poe House, play old-fashioned games, listen to a Halloween story and enjoy a free concert. Joy the Clown will be there, too, performing magic tricks. And don’t miss the costume contest, too. Admission is free. Call 910-500-4240 to learn more.

    Arnette Park will host a Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat Saturday, Oct. 26, from 4-6 p.m.  Enjoy food, candy, games, face painting, and inflatables for children. The event is hosted by Sapona Road Church. Find out more at https://www.saponaroadchurch.com. Everything is free, but registration is requested.
    12 04 Halloween
    Count Dracula’s Livery and Carriage Services will be downtown Oct. 31 to offer Perfectly Horrible Carriage Rides to kids and their families from 3-8 p.m. Dracula’s carriage, pulled by horses black as death, will rumble over the brick-paved streets of old downtown for a heart-stopping ride. Photo ops with the count are part of the adventure, so come in your best costume. Call 910-286-3979 to make reservations. Tickets cost $5 for children under 10 and $10 for adults. 

     

     

    12 05 Trick or Treat at the Poe House 2018

     

     

  • PUB PENThe political climate is changing in Hope Mills, and it is changing for the better. Why? Because residents are realizing that Hope Mills is no longer a media desert. The more informed Hope Mills residents are, the more they become involved and learn about the community and its challenges and opportunities and about the people entrusted with managing the town’s valuable assets. Through the citizens’ engagement, the town becomes more vibrant, relevant and livable.
     
    Of course, all the above will take a little time and effort on the part of the residents. However, as the recent series of Community Roundtables sponsored by our newspaper and the Hope Mills Chamber of Commerce and the 2019 Candidates’ Forum sponsored by the ALMS HOUSE and hosted by the Hope Mills Shrine Club so aptly demonstrated, positive, constructive and open conversation combined with limited exposure to negative and gossipy social media outlets will make for more trusted, healthy and effective communication.
     
    Get involved. This type of personal interaction has never failed to build relationships and net positive, constructive results. Eventually, it will displace that traditional nagging cloud of negativity that hovers over Hope Mills as a result of the abundant dissemination of hate talk, misinformation, deception and just plain lies perpetrated by selfish self-serving people, people who care more about themselves than the wellbeing of 16,000 Hope Mills residents.
     
    Recently, a near-perfect example of this has been reported several times in The Fayetteville Observer. Hope Mills Commissioner Meg Larson has opted out of running for a second term because she couldn’t stomach the thought of serving another term with fellow commissioner Pat Edwards and Mayor Jackie Warner. Yet, she has allowed Lisa Carter Waring, writer for The Fayetteville Observer’s Sandspur and founder and administrator of the Hope Mills Chatter, a private, hatemongering social media blog that encourages and bolsters the childish antics of malcontents like Larson. Waring initiated a write-in campaign to re-elect Larson. Larson, by the way, has gone on record to declare that if she is elected she will serve, but only if political compadre, Mayor pro tem Mike Mitchell defeats Jackie Warner for the mayoral spot. If Warner wins, she will not serve. This is proof positive that these people have vindictive hate agendas. This is an explicit indication that the best interest and welfare of the town of Hope Mills and its residents are not being served.
     
    In closing, this is my invitation for you to join us at the next Hope Mills Community Roundtable and see for yourself what a positive, progressive community Hope Mills is and meet the people who are making the difference.
    Hope to see you there. Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.
     

    Hope Mills Community Roundtables bring citizens together to effect positive change in the community.

     
     
  • 05 01 Rowan StIn the 1970s and 80s, Fayetteville’s Rowan Street Park was a popular family gathering place for picnics, recreation and outdoor concerts. It won’t be long before the park will regain its long-lost popularity — but for an altogether new reason. A glance at the park from West Rowan Street or Woodside Avenue. reveals a major construction project. City Council decided over the summer to build a skateboard park where the natural amphitheater used to be. Voters approved a $35 million parks and recreation bond referendum in 2016 and about $1 million of it is for this park. A preliminary sketch indicates it will have a concrete bowl for skaters to ride rapidly up and down to do tricks. There also is to be a large “street skate” area with ramps and fixtures to simulate skateboarding on public streets. The park will have a concession area and restroom facilities and viewing stands. Team Pain Skate Park Design & Construction of Winter Springs, Florida, is building the park.
     
    Combatting roadway deaths

    The North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program has awarded more than $18 million in grants to keep travelers safe on N.C. roads. “Reducing the number of traffic deaths and serious injuries is a top priority,” said Mark Ezzell, director of the Governor’s Highway Safety Program. Ninety-seven community-based grants will be allocated during the federal fiscal year from October 05 02 State Patrolman2019 to September 2020. The grants will address drunk driving, speeding and seat belt usage — the leading causes of traffic deaths and injuries. The grants will be used to train prosecutors and law enforcement officers and will continue support for DWI treatment courts in Cumberland, Robeson and Buncombe counties. More than $3 million is allocated to expand blood-alcohol testing, toxicology and field sobriety testing training. About $8.7 million — the largest share of the grant funding — will aim to reduce drunk driving. About 30% of the state’s traffic deaths each year involve drunk drivers. A complete list of grant recipients is available online at www.ncghsp.gov.
     
    New Spring Lake fire station

    The town of Spring Lake broke ground last week on Spring Lake Fire Department’s new Station 11. It will serve the northside of town at 2355 Lillington Highway/N.C. Highway 210. It will be the second firehouse for the department and will also serve the former Manchester Fire District in an adjoining unincorporated area of Cumberland County. The Manchester Fire Department was dissolved approximately 20 years ago. Cumberland County provides funding and contracts with the Town of Spring Lake to provide fire service in the Manchester Fire District.
     
    05 03 Spring Lake Fire DeptUNC Pembroke street update

    A major reconstruction of the main gateway to the UNC Pembroke campus is open to traffic and pedestrians. The N.C. Department of Transportation spent $5 million overhauling a mile of North Odom Street/Prospect Road off West Third Street. The improvements make the roadway safer and more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly. A median, two roundabouts and sidewalks were built. Bike lanes and 12 crosswalks were added. The roundabouts improve safety by slowing traffic and providing a U-turn location. The wide, grassy median replaced an open center turn lane. It provides a refuge for pedestrians when crossing the roadway. “With so many of our students, faculty and staff crossing Prospect Road throughout the day, this was a much-needed project on our campus,” said University Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings. “We are so thankful to the Department of Transportation for their efforts to help us increase the safety on our campus as we accommodate and continue the growth we are experiencing.”

    The orange barrels will be removed after a few remaining touch-up items are completed.
     
    05 04 Pembroke State Univ roadwayPWC solar weatherization project

    The N.C. Weatherization Assistance Program has awarded grant funds of $128,000 to three organizations that provide community solar resources for qualified low-income residents. NCWAP will provide $3,200 per home to Fayetteville’s Public Works Commission, Roanoke Electric Cooperative and Blue Ridge Energy for a pilot program covering a total of 40 homes. The funding allows NCWAP clients to participate in the community solar programs of these electric utilities.

    “This is an innovative approach that allows low-income households to support and participate in a clean energy resource that would otherwise be inaccessible,” said Secretary Michael S. Regan of the Department of Environmental Quality.

    NCWAP will also provide weatherization services to these single-family households. Services can include energy-related health and safety issues like duct sealing, insulation, air sealing, lighting upgrades and refrigerator/heating/cooling system evaluations. PWC will use its funding to support the participation of 10 eligible households in its Community Solar Weatherization Pilot project. Target benefits of the community solar pilot program will be approximately $365 per year per eligible household for no less than 15 years. 
     
    05 05 PWC Solar
     
     
     
  • 19 mcdanielWhen veteran athletic administrator Fred McDaniel became the latest person with Fayetteville ties to be named to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, he had difficulty figuring what the fuss was about.
    “I don’t know why you’re doing this,’’ he said after learning he was a member of the 2020 class of inductees that will be honored in April. “I’m just doing my job. I was doing what I was supposed to.’’

    In doing that job, McDaniel has become recognized in both Cumberland County and around the state of North Carolina as a hardworking professional who helped raise the profile of the athletic director’s job while also providing guidance and leadership to others in the position.

    A Fayetteville native, McDaniel is a graduate of old Central High School and what is now the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, earning a degree in health and physical education.

    He taught briefly at Red Springs High School before returning to Cumberland County to coach baseball, wrestling and football at Terry Sanford High School.

    He advanced to the administrative level in 1988 when he became athletic director and assistant principal at Westover High School.

    From there, he went to the same position at Cape Fear High School in 1994, then moved to the Cumberland County Schools central office as student activities director, were he remained until 1999 when he retired from full-time work.

    McDaniel played a key role for the North Carolina Athletic Directors Association, which earned him both state and national recognition.

    He received a citation award from the National Federation of State High School Associations in 2011 and was selected to the NCADA Hall of Fame in 2013. He’s also a member of the Fayetteville Sports Club Hall of Fame.

    The NCHSAA honored him with its Dave Harris Award as the state’s athletic director of the year.

    McDaniel gives credit for much of his success as an athletic administrator to three great athletic directors he worked with earlier in is career: Len Maness at Terry Sanford, John Daskal at Reid Ross and Terry Sanford and Bill Carver of E.E. Smith, also a former county student activities director.

    “These people helped me tremulously along the way and made me what I was,’’ he said. “I want to give them credit too. Len Maness taught me more than I can imagine anybody could teach me about life and anything else.
    “They did it for me. They made me who I am.’’

    McDaniel said the most gratifying thing about his career were the memories of times former players came back to him and thanked him for the influence he had on their lives.

    “You don’t see it right then,’’ he said. “Down the road you see you had an influence, hopefully a positive influence.’’

    Another area where McDaniel has had a positive influence is teaching NCADA Leadership Training Institute courses for fellow athletic directors to help them better understand the nature of their job.

    McDaniel remembered when he was first hired as an athletic director he was given a set of keys and pointed toward the football field.

    “We’ve tried to make it easier for people so they know what to do better,’’ he said. McDaniel still teaches LTI courses for the NCADA.

    “We want to make a better athletic program for the kids,’’ McDaniel said. “It’s all about the kids.’’

    From L-R: NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker takes a picture  with Fred McDaniel and his Hall of Fame plaque.

  • 21 01 toni blackwelllEditor's note: The Cape Fear girls won their third consecutive N.C. High School Athletic Association 3-A East Regional title on Tuesday and Toni Blackwell took her second consecutive individual title. Blackwell shot a 76 at Reedy Creek Golf Course in Four Oaks. The Colt team shot a 269 to beat second-place Topsail High school by nine strokes. Cape Fear’s other scores that counted were a 91 by Gabby Bynum and a 102 by Lexi Perez. After a season dominating play in the Patriot Athletic Conference, the Cape Fear girls golf team is ready to make another run at state golf honors.

    Led by overall conference champion Toni Blackwell, Cape Fear won all seven conference regular-season tournaments, with Blackwell taking medalist honors each time.

    Blackwell averaged 77.9 per match, only shooting one round in the 80s. The average winning score for the Colt team was 268.8.

    They ended the regular season with a round of 255, their lowest of the year, on their home course at Baywood Golf Club.

    Colt golf coach Todd Edge said the final two weeks of the season the team exceeded his expectations. In the last match at Baywood his top four golfers all broke 100.

    He knew the Colts would be led by returning veterans Blackwell and Gabby Bynum, but at the start of the season he was concerned who would step up to provide the third score in each match that’s used 21 02 Gabby to determine the team total.
    That turned out to be freshman Lexi Perez, who ended the season with a 100.6 average.

    “We knew she could hit the ball, but there’s a difference between hitting and scoring,’’ Edge said. “She has really picked it up and become our No. 3 scorer for the majority of the season.’’

    This is only Perez’s second year playing golf, and she said she felt pressure not to let the team down and prevent them from having a chance to take the conference title again.

    “All of my clubs have improved from when I started,’’ she said.

    With her one round of 83, Blackwell missed her goal of having all of her regular season rounds in the 70s. She felt she played well during the year and is looking forward to another shot at regional and state success.

    “I think it will help me and Gabby because we know what to expect and we’re used to it,’’ she said of the postseason. “We have to stay focused, work hard and practice.’’

    Bynum said the biggest difference in the postseason will be the level of competition the Colts will face. “These girls are shooting in the 70s and lower 80s,’’ she said. “It’s just the nerves. They really do get 21 03 lexito you.’’

    She said the key to success in the postseason will be containing nerves and hitting the ball well in the right spots.

    The Colts have won the 3-A East Regional tournament the past two seasons, but Edge knows winning a third will be a challenge.

    The regional was held this past Monday at Reedy Creek Golf Course in Four Oaks.

    It’s the home course for a number of schools scheduled to play in the regional, so they all have more experience on the course than the Cape Fear golfers do.

    The state tournament, which the Colts hope to qualify for, will be held at Foxfire Village’s Red Course.

    ”It’s been closed for the majority of the year,’’ Edge said of the Red Course. “They redid their greens.’’

    Cape Fear finished fifth in the state on the Red course last season.

    “We’ve got to get there first,’’ Edge said. “Going to the regionals is our goal, then getting a team into states. Once we get to states, we’ll see.’’

     

    Pictured from top to bottom: Toni Blackwell, Gabby Bynum, Lexi Perez

  • Elements of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command are conducting realistic military training on Fort Bragg and in the greater Fayetteville area, including Hope Mills, from Oct. 28 until Nov. 22.

    You may see soldiers in civilian clothes meeting at predetermined locations throughout the city as part of the training scenario. This has been coordinated with Fayetteville law enforcement and the city manager and the town manager of Hope Mills.

    This type of training is routine and gives soldiers the opportunity to work in a more realistic environment. The military sincerely appreciates the cooperation of citizens and local businesses in the vicinity of this training and apologizes for any disturbance it may cause.

    Q. Are townspeople likely to notice anything?

    A. The soldiers taking part in this training will not be in uniform, carrying weapons or driving military vehicles. Members of the community are not likely to notice anything out of the ordinary while this training is conducted.

    Q. Can you share anything about the general purpose of the exercise?

    A. Special operations soldiers regularly conduct this type of training off of military installations because it adds an increased level of realism and greater training value for our special operations personnel.

    Q. Why does the exercise last as long as it does?

    A. Four weeks is simply the amount of time it will take to cover all of the course material and complete the practical exercises. Readiness determines our ability to fight and win our nation’s wars. It is the capability of our forces to conduct the full range of military operations to defeat all enemies regardless of the threats they pose.

    Q. Will different Fort Bragg personnel rotate in and out of the exercise from week to week or will it be the same group of participants start to finish?

    A. This is a single course, therefore the same personnel will be participating in this training for the entire four weeks.

    Q. Is this a 24/7 event or will the exercise only be in morning or evening hours?

    A. This training will mostly be conducted during the day, Monday through Friday.

    Q. How many personnel will take part?

    A. A total of 18 students will take part in this course.

    Q. What kind of things will the participants be doing?

    A. Special operations soldiers will be conducting network enabler training. This training will certify civil affairs soldiers on their informant network-building skills, a critical skill for special operations soldiers.

    Small groups of soldiers in civilian clothes will conduct interviews in public places throughout the greater Fayetteville area. It is important to note that any interaction with members of the public will be secondary.

    Soldiers will not be interacting with members of the public to gather information for this training.

    All information gathering will take place between students and instructors or previous graduates of the course.

  • 07 Matthew Goldstayn 2War hero or murderer? It’s a question that has dogged the military career of Army Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn for eight years. Golsteyn’s story is an extraordinary one — a Green Beret decorated for valor in combat who, during a job interview with the C.I.A. in 2011, volunteered that he had killed a suspected bomb-maker a year earlier in Afghanistan. The Army opened an investigation but did not charge Golsteyn, instead stripping him of a Silver Star and issuing a letter of reprimand.

    President Donald Trump intervened in the case via Twitter, saying, “I will be reviewing the case of a U.S. Military hero, Major Matt Golsteyn, who is charged with murder.” As commander in chief, Trump complicated the military’s case against Golsteyn, raising questions of undue command influence, as well as the possibility that the prosecution is bound to be short-circuited by a pardon. With that tweet, Trump made an extraordinary intervention into the American judicial system.

    “Major Golsteyn admitted to what appears to be a summary execution — a very serious crime under international law, and it is vital that the investigation go forward,” said Patricia Gossman, senior researcher for Afghanistan at Human Rights Watch.

    Three years ago, in an appearance on Fox News, Major Golsteyn again said he had shot the Afghan. The Army opened a second investigation in late 2016, and charged Golsteyn with murder. In an interview, Golsteyn’s lawyer, Phillip Stackhouse, called the Army’s decision to charge his client with murder a case of “political correctness,” and said he was glad that Trump was going to look into it.

    Golsteyn was in Afghanistan in 2010 during the battle for the city of Marja in the Helmand Province. More than 15,000 American, Afghan, British, Canadian, Danish and Estonian troops attacked the Taliban stronghold. Over the next several months, dozens of Americans were killed, and hundreds were wounded. In February of that year, a roadside bomb killed two Marines who had been working with Major Golsteyn’s Green Beret team. There are conflicting accounts of what happened next.

    Army documents, which claim to recount what Major Golsteyn told the C.I.A., suggest that he and his team began clearing buildings looking for the source of the roadside bomb, eventually finding explosive materials like those used in the bomb that killed the Marines. The team took a suspected bomb-maker back to its base where he was identified as a member of the Taliban. Golsteyn and another American soldier, concerned that if released, the man would kill American troops, took him off the base, shot and killed him and buried his remains in a shallow grave, the documents say.

    According to public reporting and his admission, Golsteyn returned to the burial site to retrieve the body and burned it in a burn pit. Prosecutors say such alleged actions provide powerful insight into the major’s criminal state of mind at the time of the killing. A court-martial is set for Dec. 2 at Fort Bragg, the home of Army Special Operations. Golsteyn will stand trial for premeditated murder. He pleaded not guilty in July.

    Pictured: Maj. Matthew Goldsteyn

     

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