https://www.upandcomingweekly.com/


  • 04 Pitt Dickey If you are looking for a warm, fuzzy Christmas story, kindly stop reading immediately and turn on the Hallmark Channel. Today, we shall rehabilitate the image of the first recorded victim of social media bullying, our old friend Medusa. Medusa has gotten a bad rap through the ages as a result of Greek mythology’s vilifying her as an evil woman in order to protect a powerful Greek god. She is the patron saint of the #MeToo movement. If Medusa’s story had taken place in the 21st century, her public image would have been much different from the ghastly reputation she has acquired due to being smeared to cover up what really happened.

    As you recall, in mythology, Medusa was the ugliest woman who ever lived. She was the originator of the bad hair day. How ugly was she? According to legend, she was so ugly that if you looked at her you would turn to stone. Her hair was a writhing mass of snakes. That is pretty yucky.

    Ponder her side of the story. How did this happen? Recall in the annual Yuletide TV classic movie, “A Christmas Story,” Ralphie fantasizes about coming home blind as a result of bad parenting and soap poisoning. His parents moan and groan about how he came to such a low state. Let us now moan and groan about how Medusa came to her lowly state.

    Medusa was one of the three Gorgon sisters. Her two sisters were monsters but had the benefit of being immortal. Medusa was mortal. She began as a healthy, beautiful girl with silky, snake-free hair. As a teenager, she got a job as an intern vestal virgin at the Temple of Athena. While working at the temple, she came to the attention of the much older powerful sea god, Poseidon. Poseidon used his position to make whoopee with the naive Medusa, who was smitten by the attention of a much older man. Does any of this remind you of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinski?

    Medusa became pregnant as a result of Poseidon’s attentions. When Athena found out about Medusa’s involvement with Poseidon, there was heck to pay. Athena blamed Medusa for Poseidon’s actions. Never take on the ladies of the Altar Guild or anger a Greek goddess. An enraged Athena changed Medusa’s hair into snakes, turned her teeth into fangs and uglified her facial features into monsterdom.

    Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Polydectes, the king of Seriphos, wanted to get rid of a dude named Perseus who had offended him. The king sent Perseus out on a quest to bring back the head of Medusa.

    Poly thought this quest would result in Perseus’ death as Medusa would do her thing and turn Percy into stone. It seemed impossible that Percy could cut off Medusa’s head without looking at her. Percy, being a professional hit man, had a plan. He snuck up on the pregnant Medusa while she was sleeping.

    Percy used his shiny bronze shield as a mirror to look at Medusa indirectly. This prevented him from turning to stone and let him chop off poor Medusa’s head. Like the knight who slew the Jabberwock in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass,” Percy went, “One two! One two! And through and through/ The vorpal blade went snicker-snack! He left it dead, and with its head/ He went galumphing back.”

    When Percy chopped off Medusa’s head with his vorpal blade, her two unborn children sprang out from her neck along with Pegasus the flying horse. Medusa had a lot of issues bottled up inside her. Percy hopped on Pegasus and flew back, carrying Medusa’s head to Poly.

    On the way home, he flew over Libya. Medusa’s blood dripped out, falling onto the Libyan ground and turning into snakes. That is the reason Libya has so many poisonous snakes. Percy had to stop to rest Pegasus. He got into an argument with Atlas, who was responsible for holding up the world. Percy whipped out Medusa’s head from its Versace tote bag and held it up for Atlas to see. Check out Versace’s logo; you’ll find Medusa.

    Atlas took one look at Medusa and that was that. Medusa didn’t get any better looking in death. She was the original Dead Head. She turned Atlas into stone, which formed the Atlas Mountains. After a number of other adventures in which he used Medusa’s head to stonify his enemies, Percy gave Medusa’s head to Athena, who had started the whole mess.

    Athena had anger management issues, which led to squabbles with mortals and gods. She recognized that Medusa’s head could help out by turning her enemies into stone. Athena stuck Medusa’s head on her shield whenever she got into a ruckus. This addition to Athena’s shield made her undefeatable. It’s hard to win a battle when you turn into stone.

    So, what have we learned today? Powerful men have always taken advantage of younger women. Even if you are having a bad hair day, it can’t compare with Medusa’s problems with split ends. Lewis Carroll stole Medusa’s story for his poem “Jabberwocky.” There is nothing new under the sun.

    Merry Christmas, anyway.

  • 03 margaret Food is the fuel for our bodies. All living creatures must have it in some form on a regular basis, or we will simply wither away.

    That, of course, is the most basic element of life, not taking into account what our necessary food is or how it tastes. Sustenance need not be pleasurable— it just has to be there.

    But sustenance can be, and often is, a deep and abiding pleasure, one so rich that it is woven into rhythms and memories throughout our lives.

    Take soup, for example.

    I have always loved soup of all kinds, and several Saturday mornings ago, I stood in my kitchen holding a mug of warm vegetable soup, watching out the window as cardinals pecked for their sustenance in our yard. The little girl I once was came rushing back as she greeted her beloved grandmother, arriving at my childhood home for a visit from her home in Kinston.

    Gobbie always brought two delicacies so special to me that I believed she alone could make them: Gobbie soup and Gobbie custard.

    Adult Margaret now knows that they were really her lovingly-prepared versions of homemade chickenvegetable soup and what we Southerners call “boiled” custard, an old-fashioned concoction of milk, eggsand sugar, so rich and so delicious that my children actually fuss over who eats the most when a friend brings jars of the divine liquid every Christmas.

    Little Margaret, though, understood only that Gobbie had made these special foods for her special first grandchild and her family and had brought them to Fayetteville with much love.

    It was a bit of a shock when I realized Gobbie also brought these goodies to her other grandchildren, my cousins, but that is another column.

    At Christmas, Gobbie also brought two kinds of Gobbie cookies, one with dried fruits and nuts made from an Austrian recipe handed down in her family. I have Gobbie’s special recipes, handwritten in a spiral notebook, and have tried to make those cookies, but all the rolling and dough-forming did me in. The other recipe, which she called “Rocks,” is more my speed, with raisins and walnuts and lots of butter dropped onto a baking sheet. This recipe, which I have guarded in a way I have guarded no other, makes dozens of cookies. Even though I give many away, we always have some left over.

    Two Christmases ago, I must have been feeling a bit lazy, and I skipped baking Rocks. Much to my amazement and deep satisfaction, my children — who had never said much one way or the other about Rocks — missed them. I promised never to fall down on that job again.

    Rocks, it seems, are more than sustenance.

    Several years ago, I began encountering the term “comfort food.” It seems to me that food in general is a comfort, since without it we would all be terribly uncomfortable. Particular foods, however, are associated with the term — macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, chicken potpie, plain soups and stews, baked chicken with rice, milk, maybe ice cream, and my own all-time favorite, pimento cheese. We probably do not put white wine, asparagus, sole, chocolate mousse or goose liver pate in the comfort food category even though we may enjoy those foods as well.

    So what is the difference?

    We are not talking calories or vital nutrientshere. We are not talking about the fuel that keeps our bodies going, not the sustenance that allows us to breathe and walk around.

    What we are talking about is the feeding and care of our souls.

    What Gobbie soup and Gobbie custard did for me, what the memory of them still does, and what Rocks do for my children is remind us that we are loved.

    They take us to a time when someone prepared for us ordinary foods that warmed our bellies, sustained our bodies and made us feel safe. They recall for us a time when we did not know enough to worry about school, jobs, bills, health, community obligations or any of the myriad responsibilities we all have, or to be concerned, even consumed by, the well-being of those we love. They zoom us back to a time when we were naive enough to think that life is simple and just and that we human beings are always kind to each other.

    What they cannot do is leave us in our fondly-remembered pasts.

    Real life, as we all learn the hard way, is complex and challenging, exhilarating and painful, occasionally fair and just, more and more mysterious as we move through it. Real life, as the television commercial truthfully notes, comes at us fast.

    That is why we all return to our own versions of Gobbie soup when we need to and why we are what we eat — all of it.

  • 01coverUAC121218001 Inventor Thomas Edison demonstrated the first incandescent light bulb in December 1879. A year later, he changed Christmas forever with a light display outside his laboratory. A few years later Edward Johnson, an inventor who worked for Edison, made a string of Christmas lights. By 1890, department stores were using stringed Christmas lights in displays. In 1895, President Grover Cleveland sponsored the first White House Christmas tree to have electric lights. As the lights became safer and more affordable, more and more people started decorating with them. Today, light displays are a holiday staple. The Sandhills are no exception. Here are some must-see attractions in the area.

    Holiday Lights in the Garden

    Weekends in December through Dec. 23, Cape Fear Botanical Garden is aglow with holiday cheer. This year marks the eighth year the garden has hosted Holiday Lights in the Garden. The theme is Polar Express. The hours are 5:30-9 p.m.

    Highlights of the experience include music and a synchronized light show over the Cyprus pond, a mile-long walking path lit with thousands of lights, a hayride that includes caroling, a train ride, story time with an edge, photos with Santa, an opportunity to roast marshmallows and make s’mores, and crafts for children.

    Local music groups will perform on selected days as well, featuring Dec. 14 — FTCC Ensemble & Saxophone; Dec. 16 —Reid Ross Classical School Choir; Dec. 20 — Cumberland Oratorio Singers; Dec. 21 — Honeycutt Elementary Chorus; and Dec. 23 — Reilly Road Community Church.

    The garden gift shop will be open during the event. An addition this year is Santa’s Workshop, where children can shop for parents and other loved ones. The workshop has a hot chocolate bar and includes a scavenger hunt. Santa will be at the garden every night during this event.

    Visit www.capefearbg.org/holiday-lights-garden or call 910-486-0221 for more information.

    Christmas in the Park

    Arnette Park features 100 acres of woodland adjacent to the Cape Fear River. And it’s magical decked out for the holidays.

    Open daily through Dec. 20, Christmas in the Park offers a half-mile paved walking path bursting with the sights and sounds of Christmas. After taking in the lights, guests can roast marshmallows and make s’mores around the fire pit or get creative at the craft station. An outdoor movie screen will play holiday films throughout each evening. There is also a train, the Christmas Express, ready to take visitors on a ride. And Santa will be there each night, too.

    Christmas in the Park runs from 6-9 p.m. each night through Dec. 20. Call 910-433-1547 for details.

    Lu Mil Vineyard Christmas Light Show

    Lu Mil Vineyard offers the beauty of Christmas lights from the warmth of your car. Tune the radio to the Lu Mil setting and enjoy the synchronized show as hundreds of thousands of lights dance in time to the music. Groups of 20 or more can rent the double-decker bus and enjoy the show together.

    Enjoy dinner at the country buffet (open 5-11 p.m.) before heading out to enjoy the lights. Help yourself to free wine-tastings daily and peruse the gift shop as well.

    The light display runs nightly Dec. 13-23. Call 910- 862-1603 for tickets and information.

    Meadow Lights

    Located on Godwin Lake Road in Benson, Meadow Lights has light displays that cover more than 30 acres.

    One of the things the owners of Meadow Lights embraces is the nativity and the story of Jesus Christ. There are more than six light displays showing the life of Jesus from his birth to his resurrection.

    In addition to lights, there is an old country store stocked with 300 varieties of candy — preserves, hard-to-find drinks like Sun Drop, Cheer Wine, Nehi and more — including Radio Flyer wagons and scooters and bikes.

    There is a train on-site ready to take visitors through 10 of the 30 acres of lights.

    Find out more at www.meadowlights.com or call 919-669-5969.

    Chinese Lantern Festival

    If you’re willing to drive to Cary, the Chinese Lantern Festival fills the Koa Booth Amphitheatre and runs through Jan. 13. Lanterns and silk structures steal the show.

    The festival features hundreds of colorful, largerthan- life lanterns and displays. The lanterns honor the more than 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition of lanternmaking. Each lantern at the festival is handcrafted, and more than 25 visiting artisans from China will be at the festival.

    There are 20 displays made up of more than 15,000 LED lights, including the star of the show — the Chinese dragon. Weighing 18,000-pounds in total, the dragon required a 15-person crew to install its head.

    Other displays include a bull fighting a tiger, and panda paradise and more.

    There are Chinese culture performances that showcase things like martial arts, dances, acrobatics, and drum performances each night as well.

    The self-guided walking tour takes about an hour. Food and beverages are available to purchase. Photography is encouraged. The festival is open Tuesday through Sundays from 6-10 p.m.

    Visit http://boothamphitheatre.com/nc-chineselantern-festival-cary or call 800-514-3849 for tickets and information.

  • 12blevins Dec. 3, the Hope Mills Board of Commissioners voted to approve a plan for Phase II of the lakebed project. The engineering firm, Fleming & Associates, has been presenting revised site plans to this board for a year, at a cost of $50,000.

    Monday, Dec. 3, the board was told federal regulations have changed since August, when they last discussed the project, and now require municipalities to be fully Americans with Disabilities Act accessible. The board voted to approve the plan with two changes: adding an additional ramp for wheelchair access and adding stairs with handrails to the swim area.

    The board initially voted to approve a site plan in July of 2017. Several weeks later they agreed to a $36,000 contract with Fleming & Associates, who would draw the site plan. It’s not clear why this board chose to reject the previous plan or spend an additional $14,000 on site plan revisions. But this newly approved site plan already has an issue. Board members were told Fleming & Associates took issue with some undisclosed aspect and they’re being asked to meet at the lake so they can personally see the problem.

    In November, when Commissioner Meg Larson proposed converting the old golf course property into a walking trail, Commissioner Pat Edwards cautioned the board to finish existing projects, like Phase II of the lake, before beginning new ones. The board voted to move forward with Larson’s idea.

    Anonymous sources have confirmed there’s no money earmarked to complete Phase II of the lakebed project, but the board has committed to funding the walking trail by April 2019. Early estimates indicate that project could cost the taxpayers as much as $150,000.

    After the board moved swiftly to approve a walking trail on the golf course, several new issues came to light. Mayor Pro Tem Mike Mitchell agreed to pay as much as $50,000 for a turn lane on Golfview Road to accommodate visitors to the trail, but the North Carolina Department of Transportation has plans to widen the road within the next three years to accommodate traffic coming from the 295 exits. Any changes made to Golfview Road will be removed to accommodate the additional lanes, which means any money spent on those changes will be wasted.

    There’s also a growing safety concern. In mid- November a man was shot in Ed Herring park in the Eaglewood Community of Hope Mills. The shooting occurred during daylight hours. Hope Mills Police Chief Joel Acciardo said Hope Mills Police Department was aware of a growing concern in the neighborhood. He also indicated the crime rates in that park were insignificant compared to the rates in Municipal Park.

    The board voted to add benches and trash cans to the walking trail on the golf course but not lights. Signs will be posted informing visitors the park is open from sunrise to sunset. Municipal Park is also open sunrise to sunset. It hasn’t prevented people from entering the park after hours or from committing crimes in the park.

    Only a small portion of the new walking trail will be visible during daylight hours, and none of it, nor the parking lot, will be visible after sunset. While Municipal park is in the heart of Hope Mills and surrounded by residential and commercial areas, the golf course is bordered by acres of trees and shrubs. The wooded areas, especially near the creek, have been used by the vagrant community for years. Several years ago, an arsonist was using the wooded area around the golf course to move around unseen after starting fires on the golf course.

    It’s also worth noting that town manager Melissa Adams advised the board she’d been in contact with the McAdams Group and a representative is coming to Hope Mills Dec. 10 to discuss the proposed walking trail.

    The board has commissioned McAdams Group to conduct an $87,000 survey of Hope Mills assets. The study began with a survey of Hope Mills residents to determine what recreational amenities they want the town to develop. A walking trail was not a priority for the residents, and it may have conflicted with what the experts were planning to suggest for that land.

    Larson altered the results of the study when she insisted McAdams Group include a 20-year-old PWC water survey indicating lakebed #2 was necessary for a future water reservoir. PWC has denounced that survey and declared it’s outdated. Now the board is altering the results again by dictating to the experts what they’re planning to develop on that land.

    Why spend money on an expert survey if you’re going to alter the validity with outdated documents and develop the land in ways that preclude developing what the citizens want?

    It’s clear this board’s members are struggling to find their footing. They’re wasting valuable time on highly anticipated projects while rushing ill- conceived projects. And they’ve proven to be horrible stewards of our tax money.

    Ironically, during the December meeting, this board also voted not to allow recall elections. So, while we’re aware of their incompetence, we have no recourse.

  • 09Prayer for Mother Emanuel The exhibition “Leo Twiggs in Fayetteville” recently opened at the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery on Gillespie Street. An educator and a painter, self-discovery and anonymity are integral parts of artmaking for Twiggs. Visitors to the exhibit will readily see the power of art to inspire, delight and enlighten. This is a tall order when visiting an exhibition, but if time is taken to examine and spend time with the works and understand the background of Leo Twiggs, then visitors may experience a personal self-discovery. The exhibit runs through January 19, 2019.

    Known as a pioneer in batik as a modern art form, Twiggs explores themes of race, African- American culture, politics, family relationships and personal history. Raised in South Carolina, the artist’s work reflects growing up in the 1960s to the present. The Confederate flag and other personal symbols show up in his work to expose truths about. growing up in the South.

    Other symbols used by the artist include railroad crossings, shadowy figures, hats and patterned print dresses from his aunts and mother — all symbols of his experiences. You don’t have to be African-American to enjoy and understand his work; his images touch all races and all regions as they remind us of an ever-present past and cast hope for the future. For example, in reference to the images of the railroad crossings, Twiggs said, “We all have something to cross over.”

    Visitors to the gallery will see two famous works from the “Requiem for Mother Emanuel” series. The whole series consists of nine paintings for the nine parishioners who lost their lives by the racially-motivated. murders at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015. A horrifying event, the slayings were a national reminder of the ever-increasing number of mass murders of innocents in this country.

    So how does an artist living in South Carolina visually interpret an event that inflicted so much pain on a group, a city, a state and the nation? Twiggs said, “The series of paintings are a testimony to the nine who were slain, but the works also represent the one shining moment people came together — not because of the color of their skin but because of the human-ness in their heart.” Go to www.youtubecom/watchv=LHF6zqCWhyk to view an interview with the artist about his “Requiem for Mother Emanuel” series.

    People in the community should be aware of the significance of Leo Twiggs, a renowned artist with a national reputation, and take the time to visit the Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery to see a beautifully transcendent and spiritual exhibit. The North Carolina Arts Council understood his significance: the gallery was given a grant to bring an exhibit by the artist to Fayetteville. The gallery was one of two other local agencies that received financial support. The others were the Arts Council of Fayetteville/ Cumberland County and Cape Fear Regional Theatre.

    Twiggs previously had a career in teaching at South Carolina State University, where he started the art department and was instrumental in opening and running the I. P. Stanback Museum. During an early part of his career, he began using the batik process — a traditional African method for decorating fabric using dye and wax.

    Similar to encaustic painting, the use of wax in a work creates a different color effect than oil or acrylic painting. The color in batik is bright in places but can be obscured by wax. What the viewer experiences in. the work is a layered message obscured by wax, looming shapes, shifting colors and anonymity.

    In batik painting, color “creeps” or bleeds into the fabric. Preventing color from staining the fabric, Twiggs uses wax to create lines that echo the properties of a resist. The resist lines are in direct contrast to the bleeding of colors across the surface of his work. One cannot help but respond to the tactility and somewhat “eeriness” of material, color, wax and Twiggs’ subject matter.

    By the 1970s, Twiggs’ national attention resulted in several solo exhibitions in the Northeast, including New York’s Studio Museum in Harlem. He has been involved in many group exhibitions that included significant artists like Romare Bearden and Jacob Lawrence.

    In 2002 and 2008, Twiggs was selected to design an ornament for the White House Christmas tree. From 2004-2006, a retrospective of his works traveled among prominent museums in the South. He was the first person to receive, as an individual, South Carolina’s highest art award, the Elizabeth O’Neil Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts.

    This year, the Gibbes Museum of Art announced Leo Twiggs in this year’s Society 1858 Prize for Contemporary Southern Art Winner. He was selected from more than 247 artists across the South and is the first artist from South Carolina to earn the award.

    After visiting the exhibition, people might be interested in purchasing the 316-page book about Twiggs titled “Messages from Home: The Art of Leo Twiggs,” which won the Next Generation Finalist Indie Book Award. Claflin University Press publishes the book, and signed copies may still be available.

    I would be remiss if I did not express my appreciation and acknowledge the Ellington- White Contemporary Gallery for bringing the exhibition “Leo Twiggs in Fayetteville” for our community and the region to enjoy. Although the artist’s presentations at Fayetteville State University’s Rosenthal Gallery and the Pate Room at the Cumberland County Library have passed, the exhibit will remain at the gallery until Jan. 19, 2019.

    Ellington-White Contemporary Gallery is located on 113 Gillespie St in downtown Fayetteville. The gallery is free. Hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Group tours with a presentation can be arranged at no charge. For more information, call the gallery at 910-483-1388 or visit www.ellington-white.com.

  • 07Business A bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly 1 1/2 years ago could have given Fayetteville City Council more autonomy in awarding construction bids to local and minority businesses. The measure, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Ben Clark, amended the Fayetteville City Charter, establishing a Small Business Enterprise program “to promote the development of small businesses in the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area and to enhance opportunities for small businesses to participate in city. contracts.” But the SBE program does not include the monetary incentives given to the cities of Durham and Charlotte in earlier legislation.

    The local statute allows Fayetteville City Council to give more preference to local bidders, especially businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. They comprise what the government calls disadvantaged business enterprises or historically underutilized businesses. In a report released early last year, the city said that of $65.7 million worth of city contracts in an eight-month period, only 35 percent went to local companies.

    The Fayetteville area “just doesn’t have the capacity to lure small, local businesses to bid on major projects,” said city of Fayetteville Purchasing Manager Kimberly Toon. As a result, almost half of the money went to out-of-state companies, the analysis showed. Fayetteville’s small business enterprise program can solicit bids from local companies only for small contracts that do not exceed $30,000, Toon said. In 2011, the legislature allowed the city of Durham to limit bidding to local small businesses for construction contracts up to $500,000.

    Fayetteville officials have sought additional local hiring authorization for years, but the city is hamstrung by state laws that require it to approve the lowest qualified bids, regardless of where the companies are from. To counter that, Toon said Fayetteville casts its net farther than it used to. “We make sure everyone in the (metropolitan statistical area) receives a copy of the proposal before it goes out for bid.”

    Durham has been unable to reach its goal of 25 percent of contract work staying local. The city reached 21 percent last year, officials said. Fayetteville has only the power of persuasion on its side and an enthusiastic purchasing office. Officials ask that bidders make a good faith effort to hire minorities and veterans. Toon noted that representatives of all local governments meet monthly to identify strengths and weaknesses of the local work force and economy. “It’s a group effort,” she said.

    Fayetteville City Councilman Larry Wright is dissatisfied with state regulations that hamper efforts to incentivize local businesses to seek business from city government. Toon said many minority small-business owners routinely deal with a lack of bonding capability or the presence of mandatory insurance minimums. She said her staff conducts classes for interested businessmen and women to put them in a better position to bid.

  • 07Business A bill introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly 1 1/2 years ago could have given Fayetteville City Council more autonomy in awarding construction bids to local and minority businesses. The measure, sponsored by Democrat Sen. Ben Clark, amended the Fayetteville City Charter, establishing a Small Business Enterprise program “to promote the development of small businesses in the Fayetteville Metropolitan Statistical Area and to enhance opportunities for small businesses to participate in city. contracts.” But the SBE program does not include the monetary incentives given to the cities of Durham and Charlotte in earlier legislation.

    The local statute allows Fayetteville City Council to give more preference to local bidders, especially businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. They comprise what the government calls disadvantaged business enterprises or historically underutilized businesses. In a report released early last year, the city said that of $65.7 million worth of city contracts in an eight-month period, only 35 percent went to local companies.

    The Fayetteville area “just doesn’t have the capacity to lure small, local businesses to bid on major projects,” said city of Fayetteville Purchasing Manager Kimberly Toon. As a result, almost half of the money went to out-of-state companies, the analysis showed. Fayetteville’s small business enterprise program can solicit bids from local companies only for small contracts that do not exceed $30,000, Toon said. In 2011, the legislature allowed the city of Durham to limit bidding to local small businesses for construction contracts up to $500,000.

    Fayetteville officials have sought additional local hiring authorization for years, but the city is hamstrung by state laws that require it to approve the lowest qualified bids, regardless of where the companies are from. To counter that, Toon said Fayetteville casts its net farther than it used to. “We make sure everyone in the (metropolitan statistical area) receives a copy of the proposal before it goes out for bid.”

    Durham has been unable to reach its goal of 25 percent of contract work staying local. The city reached 21 percent last year, officials said. Fayetteville has only the power of persuasion on its side and an enthusiastic purchasing office. Officials ask that bidders make a good faith effort to hire minorities and veterans. Toon noted that representatives of all local governments meet monthly to identify strengths and weaknesses of the local work force and economy. “It’s a group effort,” she said.

    Fayetteville City Councilman Larry Wright is dissatisfied with state regulations that hamper efforts to incentivize local businesses to seek business from city government. Toon said many minority small-business owners routinely deal with a lack of bonding capability or the presence of mandatory insurance minimums. She said her staff conducts classes for interested businessmen and women to put them in a better position to bid.

  • 04struggle Believe it or not, I try hard to understand the thinking of people with whom I disagree. My patience for, and commitment to, this effort are being stretched to a level that tempts me to give up. So much of what I see and hear is simply incomprehensible.

    For example, I cannot come close to understanding why there are people in America who want to allow participants in the caravan, now in Tijuana, Mexico, to enter our country without thorough vetting. In all honesty, I can only assume this is what they want. I must assume because I have not heard a clear explanation as to what is desired by supporters of the caravan. What I hear is loud, and verbally attacking, opposition to what President Donald Trump is doing to have these asylum-seekers processed in an orderly fashion that seeks to ensure the security of America. That means having individuals requesting asylum make their application at an official entry point along the U.S.-Mexico border. Persons entering the country illegally would not be allowed to request asylum. This requirement makes sense to me.

    However, an Associated Press article with the headline “Justice Dept: Judge’s Ruling Blocking Asylum ‘Absurd’” reported the following: “Trump cited an overwhelmed immigration system for his recent proclamation that officials will only process asylum claims for migrants who present themselves at an official entry point along the U.S.- Mexico frontier.

    “But civil rights groups sued, and on Monday U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar in San Francisco issued a temporary restraining order saying Congress has clearly allowed immigrants to apply for asylum regardless of how they entered the country.”

    The following is the basis for the Tigar decision as it appears in his ruling. This is taken from an article titled “Unsurprisingly, Judge Tigar Holds That Congress Meant What It Said — In 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(1). TRO Granted.”

    The article states, “The Immigration and Naturalization Act deals with one of the oldest and most important themes in our nation’s history: welcoming homeless refugees to our shores, and it ‘give(s) statutory meaning to our national commitment to human rights and humanitarian concerns.’ 125 Cong. Rec. 23231-32 (Sept. 6, 1979). As part of that commitment, Congress has clearly commanded in the INA that any alien who arrives in the United States, irrespective of that alien’s status, may apply for asylum – ‘whether or not at a designated port of arrival.’ 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(1).”

    The provision referenced by Judge Tigar is what has resulted in “catch and release.” This is where illegal immigrants have an initial hearing and are released into the country pending their return for a second hearing to resolve their asylum request. The troubling fact is that a sizeable number of those who are released do not appear for the second hearing. They simply go on living in America. There are all kinds of estimates as to numbers regarding this fail-to-return group. In a spirit of fairness, consider an article that, I think, strives to downplay this issue. In the article “Majority of undocumented immigrants show up for court, data shows,” John Kruzel writes that over a five-year period, fiscal year 2012 to 2016, “around 60 to 75 percent of non-detained migrants have attended their immigration court proceedings.”

    Then he adds: “But it’s worth noting that in absolute terms, that’s nearly 140,000 non-detained immigrants who were ordered to be deported between 2012-16 because they were not present in the courtroom, according to Justice Department data. (Though some immigration advocates say that count is high.)”

    Even in a generous assessment, that is a huge number of undocumented immigrants remaining here illegally. Further, only a small percentage of asylum claims are approved. These considerations, coupled with a large backlog of cases pending before immigration judges, led Trump to the action he took regarding the asylum application process.

    As is the case with so much of what makes no sense in America, Congress needs to fix the law. Instead, they spend their time being masters of collecting pay while producing little or nothing of worth. The American people tolerate this mess. Incomprehensible!

    In the absence of Congress stepping up, the president tries to act. This brings out people who make comments that undermine his efforts. Former President Barack Obama is a case in point. His comments were reported in an article titled “‘Political stunt:’ Obama attacks Trump’s response to migrant caravan – video.”

    The article reads: “Former U.S. President Barack Obama has labelled President Trump’s response to the migrant caravan a ‘political stunt.’ ‘They’re telling us the single most grave threat to America is a bunch of poor, impoverished, broke, hungry refugees a thousand miles away,’ Obama said during a rally for Democratic senator Joe Donnelly in Indiana.”

    Within a few days, the caravan had covered that thousand miles and was in Tijuana, Mexico, just across our southern border. In addition, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstien Nielsen confirmed that there are over 600 convicted criminals traveling with the caravan. Not many days after Obama’s pronouncement, several hundred caravan migrants rushed a border crossing near San Diego, California, while throwing rocks at Border Patrol personnel, injuring some. The attackers were forced to retreat when the Border Patrol disbursed tear gas into the onrushing crowd. Regarding the military presence at the border, the Border Patrol makes it clear that the support is needed and that it is proving to be an essential asset.

    Simply put, the preceding paragraph shows Obama’s comments to be far afield from an accurate assessment of the situation with regard to the caravan. What he did flies in the face of what is good for America. I cannot understand why he would make such statements. Even further, it baffles me that so many people will not examine his comments in light of what is really happening with the caravan. Incomprehensible.

    There is outrage because tear gas was used by Border Patrol agents against that attacking group of migrants. The outrage is that women and children were at the front of the group and got tear gassed. Report after report indicates that women and children were intentionally put at the front for effect. This is a tactic of the group. The Border Patrol gets overwhelming negative publicity while those parents and organizers receive empathy and support. Why aren’t those parents and caravan organizers held accountable? Incomprehensible.

    Hypocrisy shows its head again. On the heels of all the tear gas outrage, it is reported that tear gas and pepper spray were used on migrants during the Obama administration. Somehow, it becomes a horrendous event when done on Trump’s watch? Incomprehensible.

    The narrative put forth by liberal media and all who desire the destruction of Trump is that the caravan is primarily women and children. MSNBC, definitely not a network that is fond of Trump, told a truth that challenged this narrative. In an article titled “MSNBC: The Majority Of People Who Make Up The Migrant Caravan Are Men,” John Sexton reported the following regarding an on-air conversation between Stephanie Ruhle and Gadi Scwartz, who was on a live shot from Tijuana.

    “’From what we’ve seen, the majority are actually men, and some of these men have not articulated that need for asylum. Instead, they have talked about going to the United States for a better life and to find work,’ Schwartz added.”

    MSNBC destroys the “women and children” narrative. Given that asylum requires the applicant to be the subject of persecution in his or her home country, the comment about “a better life and to find work” points to asylum abuse. The abuse is more obvious in that a person escaping one country is to request asylum in the first country he or she reaches. That was Mexico for the caravan migrants. Mexico offered asylum, and it was refused. Millions of Americans will disregard these glaring indicators of asylum abuse and continue doing war with Trump. Incomprehensible.

    I invite readers to help me comprehend how a person can look at what is presented here and still support flinging the gates open and letting the caravan walk right into America.

  • Meetings

    For details about all meetings and activities, including location where not listed, call Town Clerk Jane Starling at 910-426-4113. Until the Parks and Recreation building has been repaired following damage from Hurricane Florence, some meetings may be moved to Luther Meeting Room at Town Hall at regular dates and times. Those meetings are noted with an asterisk below.

    Historic Preservation Commission Wednesday, Dec. 12, 5 p.m., Parks and Recreation Building*

    Mayor’s Youth Leadership Committee Monday, Dec. 17, 6 p.m., Front Lobby Meeting Room at Town Hall

    Board of Commissioners Monday, Dec. 17, 7 p.m., Bill Luther Meeting Room at Town Hall

    Activities

    For more information on these activities, contact Meghan Hawkins at 910-426-4109.

    Breakfast with Santa Saturday, Dec. 15, 8:30 a.m., at Hope Mills Fire Station.

    Town Offices Closed for the Holidays Monday-Wednesday, Dec. 24-26, and Tuesday, Jan. 1.

    Promote yourself

    Email hopemills@upandcomingweekly.com.

  • 03Tale News arrived last week that Cumberland County has slipped into Tier 1 status in North Carolina’s rankings of counties’ economic health. Cumberland joins 39 other counties as among our state’s most economically distressed, sometimes referred to as “low wealth” — the 20th most distressed to be exact. Joining us in the lowest economic designation are our neighbors Hoke, Robeson, Scotland, Sampson, Duplin and Richmond, as well as others scattered in mostly rural areas across the state.

    State and local officials tried to dress up the designation by saying it came because the state adjusted the method for calculating rankings. They correctly promoted that Tier 1 status makes Cumberland eligible for more state grants and individual companies eligible for additional incentives for bringing new jobs. In other words, Tier 1 designations come with perks.

    Make no mistake, though. This is not good news.

    Tier 1 is a marker of economic distress, and Cumberland County qualifies. It is the only county among North Carolina’s 10 most populous to have Tier 1 status. The nine other most populous counties hold Tier 2 or 3 designations, the more and the most economically blessed. One can find statistics to support most any assertion, and here are a few from the North Carolina Budget and Tax Center. More than 51 percent of local renters cannot afford their rent. More than 41 percent of residents are low income, and more than 12 percent have no health insurance. There are plenty more statistics, some negative and some positive.

    All of this is part of a much larger picture of North

    Carolina and many other states — a profound and growing rural-urban divide. North Carolina’s booming urban areas, notably Charlotte and the Triangle, have little in common with our rural areas. They have educated and well-paid workforces, access to technology, enviable school systems, world-class health care and, not surprisingly, rapidly growing populations.

    Rural areas, on the other hand, struggle to provide education, lack wide access to technology, see hospitals closing, and watch their young people move to urban areas for jobs and city amenities. A shorthand way of expressing this is that in a state of 100 counties, roughly 85 percent of the people live in 15 counties, and 15 percent of the people live in 85 counties. That said, our rural population is still larger than that of any other state except Texas.

    Cumberland is a county with a foot in each camp. On the one hand, we are populous, with cultural influences from many nations. Our economy has historically been somewhat insulated from downturns by the steady military presence. But we are less educated than our other urban sisters and brothers and have lower incomes. Our population is transient, affecting many areas of community life, including education.

    Much angst exists about the rural/urban divide, with conversations ongoing in both public and private sectors. How do we nurture the prosperity of our urban areas and handle the issues stemming from rapid growth but at the same time help our rural areas access the technology their residents require for both education and business?

    Cumberland County’s Tier 1 ranking is disheartening, but the good news is that with our urban center, we have more to work with than do many other North Carolina counties.

    There are excellent schools within our public system, and Fayetteville Technical Community College offers education and training at affordable rates. The military brings expertise in many areas, some of which can be translated into the private sector. We are proof of not  only the rural-urban divide but of the rural-urban interconnection. Both exist within our county’s boundaries and can help each other through partnerships of all sorts, including agriculture and technology, which are increasingly intertwined. Think farm-to-table and ways to make that possible in both stores and restaurants.

    We must also reach deep within our community for innovative and thoughtful leaders, people who understand the divide and are willing to experiment with bridging it. We must recognize that leaders come from all age groups and ranges of our community.

    As North Carolina state Sen. Erica Smith, who represents eight rural, mostly struggling counties, told a recent panel on the “two North Carolinas,” “We are only as strong as our weakest community.”

  • 14decoration 1 It’s a labor of love in late November and early December every year for families everywhere to put up the decorations of the Christmas season in their homes.

    But imagine the same challenge on a larger scale, like decorating an entire town. That’s what Maxey Dove and people in the Hope Mills Recreation and Parks Department have to deal with in decking the streets and buildings of the town with the trappings of the Christmas season.

    “It’s a lot of stuff,’’ Dove said of the assorted decorations that the town puts up for Christmas every year.

    It also covers a lot of territory. “We have banners on Main Street, Trade Street and Johnson Street,’’ Dove said. “We decorate the marquee and the gazebo at the lake.’’ There’s also a manger scene that used to be at the lake but has been moved to the municipal complex at Town Hall this year.

    The task of putting up the decorations goes on for multiple days and involves both maintenance staff of the parks and recreation department as well as members of the town’s Appearance Committee.

    There are two Christmas trees, both artificial, one at the lake and one at the municipal complex on Rockfish Road.

    “They are huge,’’ Dove said. Both trees stand about 20 to 22 feet tall. “They have big metal frames. I think the new one has LED lights. They are both pretty big productions.’’

    The banners and many of the other Christmas decorations around town are put in place with the help of a bucket truck from a local electrical contracting firm.

    How long do Christmas decoration last? Dove said it varies depending on the type of decorations. He estimates the two Christmas trees will probably be good for about 10 years. Wreaths usually last longer than the Christmas banners.

    “Usually, every few years we rotate new stuff in and new stuff out,’’ he said.

    As far as the choice of the style of decorations, that’s handled largely by the Appearance Committee, but Dove said they also get many suggestions from people in the town from time to time.

    “There are a lot of opinions,’’ Dove said. “We are always looking to do bigger, better and nicer. But at the same time, you have to keep in the back of your mind this is Hope Mills and there’s a certain way Hope Mills does things. Sometimes you’ve got to balance the two.’’

    The bottom line, Dove said, is many people have fond Christmas memories of Hope Mills.

    “We have several opportunities for families to come out and something for everybody to enjoy,’’ Dove said. “It just kind of gets everybody into the season.

    “Seeing the community come together and celebrate the holiday and family is one of the benefits of a small town. People take pride in it, and our volunteers are outstanding. Our Appearance Committee really helps out a lot.’’

  • 08ASOM War Dog 2 U.S. military working dogs are possibly the most unsung members of the fighting force. They and their handlers from every military service are deployed worldwide to support all kinds of missions. Hundreds of dogs have been used to aid troops in Afghanistan since the U.S. arrived in 2001 to oust the Taliban from power. They train for a variety of tasks, including detecting explosives and apprehending combatants. About 1,600 dogs are either in the field or helping veterans, the military said.

    An Army ranger and his dog were killed during a recent clash in Afghanistan, military officials confirmed after the dog’s unofficial biography began circulating on social media. The dog, named Maiko, and Sgt. Leandro Jasso — whose death was previously reported — were fatally wounded during a raid against al-Qaida militants on Nov. 24, military officials said. Jasso, 24, and his dog were hit by gunfire during a mission to take out Al-Qaeda- affiliated militants.

    The 7-year-old war dog was leading Rangers into a compound when at least one militant fired at him, revealing the militant’s position, which the Rangers then targeted, according to the dog’s biography. Like many of his human counterparts, Maiko had served several tours in Afghanistan and conducted more than 50 Ranger-led raids, the biography said.

    While many dogs train for specific tasks, multipurpose canines like Maiko are highly skilled and must undergo a rigorous selection process. Maiko had been trained in patrolling, tracking, bomb detection and apprehension functions.

    On July 27, 2013, the first bronze statue of a Special Operations Force K9 was unveiled on the grounds of the Airborne & Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville. More than 2,000 people gathered to honor brave K9s and remember what they have done for our country. The statue depicts a life-size Belgian Malinois wearing its full deployment kit.

    Special Operations Forces dogs are called super dogs. They parachute from planes with their handlers and can track enemy forces in difficult conditions. Most U.S. military war dogs are German and Dutch shepherds and Belgian Malinois breeds, said Army Col. David Rolfe, director of the Defense Department’s Military Working Dog Program. That’s also true of K9s involved in police work. The Fayetteville Police Department’s dogs are bred and initially trained in Europe.

    The breeds are high-strung, “very aggressive, very smart, very loyal and very athletic,” Rolfe said. Dogs have long been recognized as “force multipliers” by military fighting forces around the world for generations, Rolfe noted. Egyptians, Greeks, Persians and Romans used war dogs. The Roman Empire, starting with Marcus Aurelius, used dogs in combat.

    The now extinct Molossus dog was the strongest breed known to the Romans and was specifically trained for battle. The Romans often coated them in protective spiked metal collars and chain mail armor, arranging them into attack formations.

    The first official use of dogs for military purposes in the United States was during the Seminole Wars.

  • 17Donovan Brewington South View  Here is the Patriot Athletic All-Conference football team as chosen by the league’s head coaches.

    Coach of the year: Bill Sochovka, Pine Forest

    Offensive player of the year: Donovan Brewington, South View

    Athlete of the year: Earlee Melvin, Douglas Byrd

    Defensive player of the year: Dante Bowlding, Terry Sanford

    OFFENSE

    First team

    Linemen: Domion Evans, Douglas Byrd; Tanner Morris, Terry Sanford; Kurin Keys, Terry Sanford; Tony Tyndall, Gray’s Creek; Caleb Krings, Cape Fear; Deon Buchanan, Pine Forest

    Running backs: Matthew Pemberton, South View; Dorian Clark, Terry Sanford

    Wide receivers: Emery Simmons, South View; Kevin Brewington, South View; Toshiro Spivey, E.E. Smith; Leonard Mosley, Terry Sanford

    Quarterback: Davidjohn Herz, Terry Sanford

    Tight end: Denarea McMillan, South View

    Kicker: Mason Smith, Cape Fear

    Punter: Mason Smith, Cape Fear

    Second team

    Offensive line: David Locklear, South View; Anthony Glenn, E.E. Smith; Q’Vonntae Hall-Bonaparte, Westover; DaVon Smith, Overhills. Honorable mention — Connor Brady, Terry Sanford; John Sullivan, Pine Forest; Blake Marshburn, Pine Forest

    Running backs: Andre Allen, Gray’s Creek; D.J. Jones, PineForest. Honorable mention — Ronald Carroll, Douglas Byrd; Keyshown Lindsey, Westover; Trey Beckett, Gray’s Creek; Malik Daniels, Pine Forest

    Wide receivers: Jacob Knight, Terry Sanford; Zavion Whitehead, Westover; Trevor Thomas, Gray’s Creek; Taiquan Gamble, Cape Fear

    Quarterback: Xavier Marsh, Westover. Honorable mention Richard McEachern, Pine Forest.

    Tight end: Joshua George, South View. Honorable mention — Ezemdi Udoh, Terry Sanford

    Kicker: Kyle Dickerson, Pine Forest

    DEFENSE

    First team

    Defensive line: Nikai Butler, Douglas Byrd; Elijah Morris, Terry Sanford; Domonique McMillan, Gray’s Creek; Tyrique Williams, Pine Forest

    Linebackers: Jackson Deaver, Terry Sanford; Justin McLintock, Gray’s Creek; Jaylen Hudson, Cape Fear; Austin Hunt, Cape Fear

    Defensive backs: Corey Johnson, South View; Shawn Newman, Terry Sanford; Gabe Galloway, Cape Fear; Jordan Gladney, Pine Forest

    Second team

    Defensive line: Jaylin Webb, South View; Zion Hayes, Overhills; Isaiah Potts, Pine Forest; Nick Minnicapelli, Cape Fear. Honorable mention — Ayshawn Henley, South View; Bryce Kotson, Terry Sanford; Jerry Smith, Overhills; Luis Rivera, Pine Forest; Steven Woodbury, Pine Forest; Grant Seals, South View 

    Linebackers: Ray Dixon, Douglas Byrd; Ronald Carroll, Douglas Byrd; Markell Samuel, E.E. Smith; Bernard Flerlage, Pine Forest; Jarieal Douglas, South View. Honorable mention — Elijah Wyand, South View; Jarvis Dudley, E.E. Smith; Taurienne Freeman, Westover; Blake Little, Gray’s Creek; Tyshaun Bryant, Overhills; Dante Autry, Cape Fear; Jahqwan Bowden, Pine Forest

    Defensive backs: Randy Franklin, E.E. Smith; Brandon Handy, Westover; D.J. Crutcher, Gray’s Creek; Le’Vonte McLean, Pine Forest. Honorable mention — Timel Smith, South View; Emery Simmons, South View; Dalton Patrick, Gray’s Creek; Jerry Garcia, Gray’s Creek; Micah Nelson, Cape Fear; Austin Gonzales, Pine Forest; Jaquan Boykin, Douglas Byrd

    Photo: Donovan Brewington

  • 02quietzones1 I had to laugh at all the crazy comments flooding social media about wanting to silence the dozens of trains that pass through our community every day.

    Some people love it, some hate it, and some just don’t pay any attention to the trains anymore. They have gotten used to them. Ahhh! Urban living.

    I’m sure few of the people complaining one way or the other have ever lived in or spent the night on Wabash Avenue in downtown Chicago, Illinois. There, you constantly hear the rattling and clanging of the Chicago Transit Authority’s rapid transit system, the Chicago “L” (short for “elevated”). The “L” is Chicago’s primary mode of urban transportation, and, with a top speed of 55 miles per hour, you can bet it makes a lot of noise starting and stopping.

    I grew up in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at a time when electricpowered street cars were the main  mode of transportation. Talk about noise! To this day, I can still close my eyes and see the sparks flashing rainbow colors off the electric powerlines. I can hear the clanging of the warning bells and the screeching of metal on metal as the street cars came to a notso- subtle stop. It happened all day and all night.

    So, it’s hard for me to take all those social media comments seriously. Besides, who takes social media comments seriously anyway? Social media has a Wild West mentality where people can write anything regardless of the truth or facts. The mantra often seems to be, “Fire, ready, aim.”

    That pretty much describes all the hullabaloo over District 2 Councilman Dan Culliton’s suggestion that the city consider “quiet zones” downtown and get the good folks at the railroad to stop blasting those obnoxiously loud air horns as they come through our fair city. Sure, the blasts are for safety, but sometimes it sounds like the engineers at CSX may be having a little too much fun at our eardrums’ expense.

    People on both sides of this issue are opinionated. It would be nice if that much energy and passion could be directed toward annexing Shaw Heights and bringing consistency and muchneeded services to the poor and underserved in that community.

    Well, the train horn issue will be around for a long time. It is too early to waste intellectual energy on an issue like “quiet zones.” Besides, this issue will take care of itself in good time. After all, have you noticed no one has mentioned how much it will cost to comply with the state and federal regulations to convert our downtown railroad crossings to gated, railroad-safety approved standards?

    My guess? Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of taxpayers’ dollars. That’s one sound no one is going to like hearing. Then the controversy will be — you guessed it— who is going to pay for it!

    Stay tuned. This is going to get interesting. I would love for Fayetteville to have quiet zones, tranquil days and peaceful nights. But where will the money come from? Someone needs to do a cost-benefit analysis. If this is the way we go, fine. But, add it to our already long list of citywide priorities, and let’s see where it fits in.

    Regardless, I really like the way Culliton thinks. He’s attentive to what’s going on in his district. He’s respectful to his colleagues and constituents. He’s out there doing his job — and that’s pretty impressive. That’s leadership and something you can blast your horn about.

    Stay tuned.

    Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

  • 18Jamelene Whitfield Douglas Byrd 

    Jamelene Whitfield

    Douglas Byrd • Junior • Bowling/softball

    Whitfield has a grade point average of 4.15. She is a member of the Anime and Chess Clubs. She is also a member of the Alpha Omega Rho service sorority and the Douglas Byrd speech and debate team.

     

     

     19Tyrell McLucas Douglas Byrd

    Tyrell McLucas

    Douglas Byrd •Sophomore •Basketball/track

    McLucas has a 4.125 grade point average. He is a member of Delta Phi Iota service fraternity and the Academy of Green Technology. He also volunteers at his church, Abundant Grace.

  • 13German market

    EDIT: Due to concerns over the rain forecast on Saturday, Dec. 15, the location has changed to the original Dirtbag Ales at 3623 Legion Road in Hope Mills. Please visit the Hayat Yoga Shala page on Facebook for further details. 

     Hayat Hakim has lived in the Fayetteville-Hope Mills area for the past 10 years, but she still has fond memories of the first 20 years of her life spent growing up in Bonn, Germany.

    “I was raised going to the German Christmas market every year with my family,’’ Hakim said. “We basically celebrated by going with the entire family. The memories the entire time I was raised in Germany brought such a familiar feeling of community with me.’’

    Hakim, who operates Hayat Yoga Shala on Raeford Road, tried to bring the German Christmas market experience on a smaller scale to the students at her yoga studio four years ago.

    This year, with the help of Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom, Hakim is putting together a much larger scale event that will be held at Dirtbag’s new brewery at 5435 Corporation Dr. in the Gray’s Creek community. The market is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 15, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.

    “Every year at this time, I miss home very much,’’ Hakim said. For some time, she’s been exploring what could be done to bring a little bit of the German Christmas market feel to this community, which she described as versatile and diverse in cultural aspects.

    “I realized how much people wanted that experience in their lives; soldiers stationed in Germany, German spouses who came over here with their families,” she said. “They all just miss it. That’s why we are trying to recreate that good feel.’’

    An obvious feature of the German Christmas market will be multiple food and drink options. In addition to German-style beer, Hakim plans to offer “glühwein,” a German-Austrian after-ski drink.

    “It’s a warmer, sweeter red wine,’’ Hakim said. “It has different ingredients like orange and cinnamon and a homemade recipe of sweetness.’’ She described it as having a Christmas feeling that warms the whole body.

    Pastries are also a big part of the German Christmas market experience. A local catering service will be on hand to provide “lebkuchenherzen,” which are gingerbread hearts.

    A German food truck will be at the market, and an authentic German café will be recreated to offer dishes familiar to the German community.

    German potato salad will be available, along with assorted types of coffee popular to the German community.

    In addition to the food offerings, Hakim has commitments from up to 30 vendors for the German Christmas market with a goal of landing as many as 40.

    “We have a lot of handcrafted vendors,’’ she said, “from artists to unique jewelry makers.’’

    One artist scheduled to appear makes glass ornaments by hand and will be hand-painting them during the market.

    There will also be local farmers on hand with displays of produce.

    The market will also have a dog park for those who want to bring their pets, as well as a playground for children.

    While some of the vendors will accept credit cards, Hakim suggests people planning to make purchases at the market be prepared to bring cash with them.

    The event will be held outdoors so Hakim advises patrons to be prepared to dress for whatever weather may develop.

    For further information about the Christmas market, including details on specific vendors, visit the Dirtbag Ales Brewery and Taproom or the German Christmas Market pages on Facebook.

    Photo: Left to right: Dirtbag Ales staff Nick Demetris, Hope Demetris and Elizabeth Brogan; Hayat Hakim; and Dirtbag Ales co-owner Vernardo Simmons-Valenzuela.

  • 11Saru1 The Carolina Student Transfer Excellence Program, or C-STEP, housed in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, seeks to admit, identify, enroll and graduate high-achieving, low- to moderate-income students transferring to Carolina from partner community colleges. In the spring of 2011, Fayetteville Technical Community College partnered with UNCChapel Hill and established this premier program on its campus. In my time as an advisor for this program, I have encountered many inspiring, intelligent and dedicated students.

    One such student is Saru Rayamajhi. Currently a nursing major at UNC-Chapel Hill, Rayamajhi first entered C-STEP at FTCC in 2016. Her dedication, tenacity and enthusiasm earned her the award of the James M. Johnston Undergraduate Nursing Scholarship and the Carolina Covenant Scholarship, positioning her to graduate from undergraduate and nursing school debt-free.

    In a conversation following her white coat ceremony, Saru attributed her success to the continued support she received during her time as a student at FTCC, which helped her successfully transition to UNC-Chapel Hill. Saru’s success is primarily the result of her own willpower, and I have been fortunate and honored to be a part of her journey.

    As a C-STEP advisor, I experience — through the eyes of my students — the thrill of seeing what this program offers. I experience the students’ excitement when they visit the Carolina campus and begin to paint the canvas of their journey with whatever dreams they envision. I see firsthand the motivation of C-STEP students as they continually strive to do their best to live up to what it means to be a Carolina student. And while these experiences certainly motivate me, I am most appreciative of the strong bonds that form year after year with FTCC C-STEP students.

    Often, FTCC C-STEP students represent individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, yet all sharing a common goal: attending UNC Chapel Hill. C-STEP students share experiences with each other that last a lifetime. They demonstrate their allegiance through the personal bonds they form with each other, and they equally pledge their allegiance to the C-STEP program. Former students encourage incoming cohorts by filling them in on what to expect and by reaching out to provide post-grad opportunities for C-STEP students.

    The advantages offered to C-STEP students go beyond providing them with admission into UNC-Chapel Hill. C-STEP is an all-encompassing program that allows students the opportunity to gain extensive knowledge about the campus, meet key individuals who will assist them when they arrive and share meaningful camaraderie with likeminded individuals. Each year when I send an FTCC C-STEP student to UNC-Chapel Hill, I emphasize that the FTCC relationship never ends. FTCC is helping dreams come true through the C-STEP program.

    Students interested in obtaining more information regarding C-STEP should contact me, university outreach coordinator, at nelsonl@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-8205.

    Photo: Saru Rayamajhi

  • 15Ernest King 16Marcus Wall While Cumberland County only has one player on this year’s North Carolina roster for the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas football game, it will have two members of the coaching staff. Westover’s Ernest King and South View’s Marcus Wall are in Spartanburg, South Carolina, this week preparing the Tarheel team for the Saturday, Dec. 15, kickoff at 1 p.m. against a South Carolina allstar squad at Wofford College’s Gibbs stadium.

    King and Wall join South View wide receiver Emery Simmons as the representatives of Cumberland County in this year’s Shrine Bowl, which as the nation’s oldest high school all-star football game is marking its 82nd anniversary.

    Also on hand as part of the North Carolina contingent is South View High School student athletic trainer Mariana Blount.

    Wall’s selection is part of a change in the makeup of the Shrine Bowl staff where assistant football coaches are chosen along with head coaches. Wall will coach running backs in this week’s game.

    “It’s a great honor to be selected, assistant coach or head coach, for the Shrine Bowl,’’ he said. “Just to get recognized is a good thing. I’m just glad to be part of the game.’’

    King is following in the footsteps of his old high school coach, Milton Butts, who was also a Shrine Bowl coach. “You think about how long the game has been going on, what it’s for and the money they’ve raised for kids in need and their families,’’ King said. “To join a group of men who have done good things for kids is an honor.’’

    The game, along with other charities promoted by the Shriners, benefits the Shriners hospitals for handicapped and burned children, who are provided state-of-the-art treatment for their ailments at no cost to their families.

    In preparing for this year’s Shrine Bowl game, King, Wall and the rest of the North Carolina staff had to deal with a headache caused by the hurricanes that passed through the state this fall.

    Because of multiple days of school missed in certain areas, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association had to move the end date for high school football season back a week. That means the Shrine Bowl will be played the same day as most of this year’s NCHSAA state championship games.

    There are a number of players on the Shrine Bowl roster for North Carolina, who at this writing, are on teams still in contention for the state finals.

    That meant the North Carolina coaches had to prepare a list of alternate players to add in should some of the original players picked have to miss the Shrine Bowl for the NCHSAA championships.

    Wall, who will coach running backs, said a couple of North Carolina’s selections may have to miss the game for the NCHSAA finals. “We would definitely love to have them, but not at that cost,’’ he said.

    King is confident all the alternates North Carolina has lined up will be capable of stepping in. “They are great ball players as well,’’ he said.

    The biggest challenge in any all-star game is to get players from different offensive and defensive systems to come together and in barely a week’s time learn plays and formations so they can compete effectively in Saturday’s game.

    The task is made easier by using basic offensive formations while the defense is restricted to simple alignments with no blitzing allowed.

    “You can teach kids reads and keys,’’ King said of coaching defense. “It’s not that hard, especially when the offense can’t do so much.’’

    South Carolina leads the all-time Shrine Bowl series 44-32-4, but North Carolina is on a rare winning streak, taking the last three games, including last year’s by a 55-24 score.

    This is only the second time North Carolina has won three in a row. The previous time it happened was from 1949-51. The Tarheels have never won four in a row and could do that for the first time in Shrine Bowl history if they win this year’s game on Saturday.

    Photos: L: Ernst King; R: Marcus Wall

  • 10Carriage rides with Santa There is an interesting backstory to both the carriage and the horses featured in the annual Cool Spring Downtown District’s Carriage Rides with Santa. This year, the festive rides started this past weekend and run through Dec. 22 in downtown Fayetteville.

    Jim Bob and Jolene are dappled Percheron draft horses. When they are not on loan to Santa for the carriage rides, they live free-range with Gary and Tina Sessoms in a pasture on the Sessoms’ farm.

    Tina has been a horsewoman her whole life. She originally rode quarter-horses until a condition affecting her balance forced her to sell her horses. It wasn’t long before she realized that working with horses had to be part of her therapy. Because she could no longer ride, Tina and her husband, Gary, decided to work with draft horses.

    The Sessoms knew a gentleman who owned draft horses, so they arranged to work in his stable in exchange for lessons to learn how to hitch and drive the horses. When the Sessoms were ready to establish a herd of their own, they decided on Percherons because these horses have a reputation among the draft horse breeds as eager pullers.

    The Sessoms traveled to Amish country in Ohio and began purchasing fully trained draft horses being retired from field work. The Amish replace their farm horses when they are around 8 years old. Since eight years is still relatively young in horse years, the Sessoms knew these Percherons would still enjoy an active life.

    The Sessoms’ carriages also come from Ohio Amish country where carriages and wagons are still the approved mode of transportation. Gary credits a conversation with Hank Parfitt as the beginning of their association with the carriage rides in downtown Fayetteville. Jim Bob and Jolene and the carriage they pull are a perfect complement to the quaint downtown district, where the short carriage rides take place.

    What better way to slow down during this holiday season and enjoy the lovely decorations along Hay Street than from the vantage point and leisurely pace of a horse drawn-carriage?

    Carriage Rides with Santa take place on recurring Saturdays and Sundays from 1-8 p.m. They began Dec. 8 and run, weekends only, through Dec. 22. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and can be purchased by phone by calling 910-223-1089 or in person at the office of the Cool Spring Downtown District, which is located at 222 Hay St. Reservations are recommended. Jim Bob, Jolene and Santa will be waiting to greet everyone out in front of the CSDD office, where the carriage rides begin and end.

  • 05tucker carlson copy The Nov. 28, 2018, edition of Up & Coming Weekly featured an opinion piece by Karl Merritt titled “Decision time for Democrats.” Several readers responded. Two agreed to have their unedited comments published in our paper edition. Here is a link to the original article: www.upandcomingweekly.com/views/5597-decision-time-fordemocrats?fbclid=IwAR39ci_m2fusI7uKGoAzzYn5rsLEDbN9nha65Y5FfovMKL5ulLbtXczGFVg.

    Mr. Merritt,

    Read your article in the Up & Coming Weekly and respectfully disagree with some of your points. In your second paragraph you stated the Democrats can’t do both in legislate or investigate. Where was this when the Republicans had control of the Congress since 2010? They held so many investigations on the Obama administration, Hillary Clinton and the Russia investigation you can’t even count them all it will give you a migraine headache. Now the Democrats will have the gavel in January 2019 and you want them to legislate and just forget? Now with that being said there has to be oversight of the Trump administration but the Democrats should not over play their hand. If there are actual facts and evidence that an investigation is needed on an issue then by all means do so.

    Example if or when the Russian investigation report from Mueller comes out and the information in the report only satisfies Democrats without having Republicans saying “hey wait a minute this report has some serious issues that we can’t ignore” then the Democrats need to squash it and put to rest this Russia collusion mess and move on and don’t even think or bringing up impeachment.

    There is a lot of anger in this country on both sides and it needs to be called out. I don’t agree with protesters interrupting people trying to eat, walking through hallways or an owner of a restaurant refusing to serve someone because they are Trump supporters or works for the Trump administration. That is wrong on all counts. Going to someone’s house like Tucker Carlson’s is reprehensible. The problem I see is when Trump say’s or tweets something stupid or totally false no major Republican calls him out. Where is Mitch McConnell and the soon to be ex speaker of the house Paul Ryan? Nowhere to be found. People are more upset with their Republican representatives who will not stand up to Trump and say “this is wrong” or “what you are saying and tweeting is not factual correct”. Trump thinks the FBI and Department of Justice works personally for him they don’t they work for the American people. Trump is going to be Trump and he will continue the way he is and if Republicans who are in congress refuse to call him out and just hide because they are scared someone is going to primary them then they are only in it for themselves and the money not the people they represent.

    I am a Democrat and voted for Obama twice did I worship him absolutely not. Did I disagree with him on some policies yes I did. One example when the Syrian president crossed that red line Obama had drawn and gassed his own people action should have been taken right then and there. What was the ripple effect? You guessed it mass immigration and it’s a complete mess. People fleeing Syria and other middle eastern countries going to Europe, American and Canada. We all have our political differences but we can respectfully disagree with each other without getting crazy and physically or verbally attacking each other.

    Sincerely,

    Nelson L. Smith

    *******************************************

    Well written article, just makes me sad that we have come to this. Each of us has to decide how to behave, what behavior is acceptable in any situation, whether directed toward us or toward someone we dislike, and continue to communicate with our Congressional Representatives and Senators as to what our expectations are of them.

    Susan Dennis

    Photo: Tucker Carlson

  • 06Soldiers Two Fort Bragg soldiers were among four troops killed last month in Afghanistan when a roadside explosive device destroyed their vehicle. Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross, 29, of Lexington, Virginia, and Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond, 39, of Brush Prairie, Washington, were members of Fort Bragg’s 3rd Special Forces Group.

    The others were Air Force Staff Sgt. Dylan J. Elchin, 25, of Hookstown, Pennsylvania, and Army Sgt. Jason Mitchell McClary, 24, of Export, Pennsylvania. Elchin served with the 24th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. McClary died several days after being hospitalized in Landstuhl, Germany, as a result of injuries sustained in the blast. He was with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, Colorado.

    The incident is under investigation, according to NATO’s Resolute Support mission to train and advise Afghan forces. It was the deadliest attack against U.S. forces in Afghanistan this year.

    New Cumberland County Commission leadership

    Cumberland County Commissioners earlier this month selected Dr. Jeannette Council to serve as  chairperson in 2019. Marshall Faircloth was named vice chairman. Commissioner Michael Boose cast the lone dissenting vote. He had asked commissioners to support him as vice chairman, which would have put him in line to become chairman in 2020.

    Council was appointed to the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners 18 years ago and began serving as a District 1 representative in 2002. She has been re-elected every four years since.

    Council has previously served three terms as the board’s chair. She said she wants to end the board’s committee structure and instead wants commissioners to meet monthly for an agenda review session.

    Commissioners Larry Lancaster, Charles Evans and Glenn Adams, who voters re-elected in November, also took their oaths of office. Members of the seven-person board serve staggered terms.

    Fayetteville baseball half-season tickets available

    The Fayetteville Woodpeckers are offering half-season ticket packages for fans. The Single-A Advanced minor league baseball affiliate of the Houston Astros is offering two packages. One is a Friday package that includes all Friday home games. The other provides tickets for all Saturday home games. Both plans also include opening day and the July 3 celebrations.

    These 35-game packages can be purchased on the Woodpeckers’ website at www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com or at the Woodpeckers’ front office at 225 Ray Ave. Half-season packages start at $325.

    The Houston Astros own and operate the local farm team and agreed to a 30-year lease with the city of Fayetteville.

    FTCC Board gets new member

    Fayetteville attorney Chandan Shankar joined the Board of Trustees of Fayetteville Technical Community College. Shankar is a lawyer with the Richardson Firm.

    Existing board members Charles E. Koonce and David R. Williford were reappointed for an additional term. Shankar was appointed to a four-year term by Gov. Roy Cooper. The Cumberland County Board of Education reappointed Koonce, and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners named Williford.

    Legislation establishing North Carolina community colleges required that board memberships represent various elements of their communities. The FTCC Board of Trustees also re-elected Ronald C. Crosby Jr. as chairman of the board, Dr. Linwood Powell as vice chairman and Delores P. Ingram as secretary.

    FTCC was established in 1961 and serves more than 40,000 students.

    New Fayetteville Habitat community

    Oakridge Estates at Bunce and Old Bunce roads is a collaborative project of Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity and the city of Fayetteville to build 47 single-family homes on 14 acres. The site was once a dilapidated mobile home park. The formal kick-off event marked a historic partnership to provide affordable housing in an underserved community. 

    Gov. Roy Cooper was among the dignitaries on hand. Individuals and families displaced by hurricanes Matthew and Florence will occupy least 15 of the homes. The city’s role in the project is to serve as an investor while Fayetteville Area Habitat for Humanity’s role as the developer is to ensure affordability of the newly constructed homes.

    Habitat for Humanity brings people together, including the eventual home owners, to build homes and revitalize communities.

    Photo: Capt. Andrew Patrick Ross (left) and Sgt. 1st Class Eric Michael Emond (right)

  • I hope Seventy-First fans appreciate how big a deal Friday night is, and that a part of state high school football history belongs to them.
    Now that all state football championship games are played on neutral college fields, the Eastern football final is the biggest game that a high school can host in its own stadium.
     
    Thanks to the seeds of the teams left in the Eastern 4-A bracket, Seventy-First will enjoy that opportunity Friday when conference rival Scotland High School travels to Loyd E. Auman Athletic Field on Raeford Road for this year’s Eastern final.
     
    The winner will advance to next Saturday’s 4-A state championship game at Duke University’s Wallace Wade Stadium.
     
    Here’s some more history for you. Did you know that Wallace Wade Stadium is the only place other than Pasadena, California, to host the Rose Bowl? It’s true, and if you ever go to a game at Duke you can find a plaque that pays tribute to that historical event.
     
    Back in 1942, just weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor that we’ll remember the day of the Scotland-Seventy-First game, there was genuine concern about the Japanese trying something similar on the West Coast.
     
    A packed football stadium would have been an inviting target some feared, so when the matchup of Wallace Wade’s Duke team against Oregon State was announced, it was decided to move the game to Durham.
     
    Duke was 9-0 and ranked No. 2 in that year’s Associated Press poll while Oregon State was 7-2 and ranked No. 12.Even with the home field, Duke fell to the visiting Beavers 20-16.
     
    But back to that piece of history I mentioned earlier that Seventy-First owns. Care to guess where the last 4-A state championship game was played at a high school stadium in North Carolina?
     
    It was at Seventy-First’s Loyd E. Auman Athletic Field in 1986.
     
    Alex Gaines kicked a 19-yard field goal on the game’s final play to lift the Falcons to a 3-0 win over West Charlotte for the 4-A championship, the second won by Coach Bobby Poss when he led the Falcons.
     
    Since then, all 4-A title games, and eventually the games in all the classifications, have been at neutral fields.
     
     
    The record: 87-26
     
    I only missed one last week, which means I’m 11-2 for the postseason. Unfortunately, with fewer games to pick, you’ve got to be perfect for the season percentage to go up. Going 2-1 for the week dropped me to 87-26 for the season, which brings the percentage down to 77.0.
     
    Scotland at Seventy-First - I’m not surprised Seventy-First is the only Cumberland County team left standing in this year’s N.C. High School Athletic Association state football playoffs.
     
    Falcon coach Duran McLaurin has put together one of the most consistent programs in Cumberland County since returning to his alma mater in 2013.
    After going 5-6 his first year back, McLaurin’s teams have never had fewer than nine wins a season and never missed the state playoffs.
    This year’s run to the 4-A Eastern final is the Falcons’ deepest advance under McLaurin.
     
    Then again, Scotland is no stranger to the postseason. The school’s football Twitter account noted that the Scots are in the Eastern finals for the third year in a row and the sixth time in eight years.
     
    Scotland has 100 wins in football this decade, which ties it with 4-AA power Wake Forest. The two schools are three behind Charlotte Mallard Creek with 103.
    This game boils down to two guys, Scotland’s Smiley McQueen and Seventy-First’s Kyler Davis.
     
    The key for Seventy-First is to contain McQueen as much as possible, let him run free between the 20s but keep him from hitting one of those home run plays he’s famous for that puts Scotland on the scoreboard.
     
    Versatility is critical for Davis, who can hurt Scotland with his arm and his legs. The Falcons need him to put as much pressure on the Scotland defense as possible, while at the same time putting Scotland in a hole and forcing the Scots to come up with more points than they’ve been able to score in many of their games.
     
    Scotland already lost to Seventy-First 21-6 at Seventy-First on Oct. 12, so that’s plenty of motivation for a Scotland team that has been preaching an us against the world mantra during the postseason.
     
    But let’s not forget what happened between Scotland and Seventy-First just one year ago. I’m sure it’s going to be plastered on the locker room walls at Seventy-First and mentioned in pre-game speeches.
     
    Seventy-First lost not once but twice to Scotland last year by lopsided margins of 63-26 and 56-35.
     
    This is Seventy-First’s opportunity for payback in a big way, and a chance to earn the school’s fourth trip to the state championship game and its first since 2008.
     
    I like the Falcons in this one.
    Seventy-First 22, Scotland 19.
  •  Despite continued problems getting unfettered access to a local place to practice, the swimming program for Cumberland County Schools continues to make gradual progress.

    Here’s a general look at the prospects for this season, focusing on some of the programs that enjoyed the best success in 2017-18.

    12Amelia Shook Cape Fear swimmerCape Fear

    Coach Amey Shook has taken an aggressive approach to building the numbers at Cape Fear. She’s been reaching out to athletes from sports out of season and encouraging them to take part in swimming to help them stay in condition when their sport is over.

    “We have a little bit of everybody on our team again,’’ she said, noting the Colt swim roster includes players from soccer, volleyball, football and baseball.

    “Most of them don’t have any formal swimming experience,’’ she said, “maybe lessons when they were little. But they are strong kids that have swumin backyard pools, oceans or lakes. They come with a little bit of knowledge, but we have to teach them most of the technicalities, the strokes, the starts and the turns.’’

    With a mix of newcomers and some promising returners, Shook is hopeful that Cape Fear will again be competitive in the pool this season.

    Among the key returners is her daughter Amelia Shook, who made her swimming debut at Cape Fear last year as a freshman.

    “Her endurance and overall knowledge of swimming continues to grow into her sophomore season,’’Amey Shook said. “She can do all the turns

    and knows how to do the starts.’’

    The biggest challenge for Amelia will be coming back from a second tear of her ACL she suffered in March. “I could swim three months out from my surgery,’’ she said. “I started swimming mid-summer. I couldn’t do cross country and I’m still not cleared for soccer — hopefully by the end of December.’’

    She thinks the back stroke will be her best event as well as the fly. 

    13David Li Terry Sanford swimmer Terry Sanford

    Jared Kaiser, who swam for his dad, Richard, at Gray’s Creek, is in his first season coaching Terry Sanford, which has probably the richest tradition in swimming of any Cumberland County school.

    “I inherited a lot of good swimmers and I’m pushing them, expecting to score at the top,’’ he said. “I expect us to be up there with the best this season.’’

    The top returner for the Bulldogs is David Li. “His strength as a swimmer is not just consistency but the fact he swims year-round,’’ Kaiser said. “He’s doing a real good job working with the team and working with some of the newer swimmers as well.

    “I think that will actually be a good utility for us this year, helping get some of the freshmen and sophomores trained. The fact he’s got such long experience in the sport and knows how to do the techniques and the skills and can help pass that down, that’s going to be the most vital thing he can provide this year.’’

    Li said the high school swimming season is important to the development of a swimmer but added year-round training is the key to building the overall swimming program in the county.

    “Constant practice, constant building,’’ Li said.

    14Zizhou Lou Grays Creek swimmer Gray’s Creek

    The Bears will be dealing with some challenges as the season opens due to some graduation losses and an illness involving one of its top returning swimmers, Zizhou Lou.

    “Most of the boys team is new this year,’’ said head coach Richard Kaiser. “We’re going to struggle out of the gate. Hopefully some of the guys will pick it up.’’

    On the girls’ side, Kaiser has some veterans returning and feels a little better about their chances.

    The big concern is Lou, who qualified for the state meet last year but suffered a viral illness over the summer that led to him losing about 15 pounds. “He’s not a big guy so he’s trying to get his strength back right now,’’ Kaiser said. “We’re not sure where he’ll be at the end of the season.’ 

    Lou said he expects the early part of the season to be difficult. “I feel after a couple of months I should be back in shape,’’ he said. “I feel my overall energy and physical ability have gone down a little. I’m just going to practice harder than usual, get more time in the pool and be healthy.’’

    Teams to beat

    As usual, Cape Fear’s Amey Shook feels Terry Sanford will be among the top teams, along with South View, Pine Forest and Gray’s Creek.

    Gray’s Creek’s Kaiser thinks Cape Fear has solid swimmers on both of its teams. “I think the two powers are going to be Terry Sanford and Cape Fear,’’ he said.

    “A couple of teams that have been historically smaller, like Gray’s Creek, are getting better numbers,’’ said Terry Sanford’s Jared Kaiser. “It will be more competitive than it has been in the last few years.’’

    Kaiser expects the biggest competition to come from Cape Fear and Pine Forest. “It’s tough to tell because we’re not all practicing at the same time,’’ he said. “Those are the teams I’ve seen a little bit, and they are looking good so far.’’

    Photo: Amelia Shook; David Li; Zishou Lou

  • 08norman brown Just in time for the holidays, Seabrook Performance Series presents Norman Brown’s “Joyous Holiday Concert” at Seabrook Auditorium on the campus of Fayetteville State University. It’sset for Thursday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m.

    The concert also features Marion Meadows and Bobby Caldwell. “For the cost of this concert, people are getting a huge bargain, and what a gift for the end of the year to celebrate the holiday season with such great artists that have hit records in their own right,” said Aaron Singleton, marketing consultant for the Seabrook Performance Series. “The thing about Bobby Caldwell is that he has in his own respect a number of hits, but he has written hit songs for a number of other artists as well.”

    He added, “Norman Brown has sold nearly 2 million albums during his career. He has played for just about everybody who’s anybody in smooth jazz and jazz.”

    Singleton noted that Marion Meadows is up and coming.

    Norman Brown is a Grammy Award-winning contemporary jazz guitarist who picked up his first guitar at the age of 8. He has shared the stage with jazz superstars that include Boney James, Dave Koz and Gerald Albright.

    Bobby Caldwell is a singer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter best known for his hit smash, “What You Won’t Do for Love,” that reached the top 10 on the Billboard magazine R & B and Adult Contemporary charts. He started playing the piano and guitar when he was 12 years old.

    Marion Meadows is a saxophonist, composer and contemporary jazz recording artist. He has released a total of 14 albums. He began playing the clarinet and studying classical music at the age of 9. He started playing tenor sax in high school and migrated to soprano sax.

    The Seabrook Performance Series consists of nine concerts, which started in September and will run through March. In January, the series will host the largest collection of African-American magicians and comedians in the world; in February Nick Colionne will perform; and March features saxophonist Najee.

    “Please come out and join us because you are in for a real treat at this outstanding holiday concert,” said Singleton. “It is going to be an exciting show because each of these artists bring such big energy.”

    Tickets to “Joyous Holiday Concert” cost $20- $75. For more information, call 910-672-1724.

Latest Articles

  • Gallery 208: Beyond Surface: Abstractions by Kellie Perkins
  • Kindah Temple No. 62 hosts annual Spring Ceremonial
  • FTCC Foundation invests in students’ futures
  • Unique Easter traditions from around the globe
  • Flawless Touch Detailing celebrates new location
  • CFRT: The Play That Goes Wrong...Again
Up & Coming Weekly Calendar
  

Advertise Your Event:

 

Login/Subscribe