The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s Executive Director, Cameron Ingram, has signed a proclamation outlining the 2023 striped bass harvest season in the Roanoke River Management Area.

The entire Roanoke River Management Area will be open for harvest of striped bass April 14 to 17 and April 22 to 23. The daily creel limit is one striped bass per day. The minimum length limit is 18 inches, and no striped bass between 22 and 27 inches may be possessed at any time.

The Roanoke River Management Area includes the Roanoke River and tributaries from the Roanoke Rapids Lake Dam downstream to the Albemarle Sound, including the Cashie, Middle and Eastmost rivers.

In 2020, a stock assessment of striped bass in the Roanoke River/Albemarle Sound indicated that the stock was overfished, and overfishing was occurring. To conserve and rebuild the striped bass population in the Roanoke River, this year’s harvest quota is 12,804 pounds. The six harvest days outlined in the proclamation were selected using past angler creel data with the goal of anglers having an opportunity to harvest fish throughout the river.

“Since 2006, we’ve seen declines in the abundance of Striped Bass, specifically, dramatic declines in the abundance of fish larger than 30 inches. These larger, older fish can produce over 1 million eggs per spawn. River flow is also important to having a successful spawns and high egg survival rates. NCWRC staff work weekly with staff from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide the best possible flow for spawning fish on the Roanoke River. Larger fish and river flow during critical spawning periods are keys to rebuilding the Roanoke River-Albemarle Sound Striped Bass population,” said Chris Smith, District 1 Fisheries Biologist with the Wildlife Commission. “However, appropriate flows alone will not help. The current management actions are intended to increase striped bass survival on the spawning grounds. Over time we anticipate the population will rebuild including larger older females which are very valuable to the population.”

Anglers can continue to catch and release striped bass throughout the spring. To reduce handling stress on fish that are released, the Wildlife Commission recommends anglers use a single barbless hook or a lure with a single barbless hook, which is a requirement when fishing in the upper Roanoke River above the U.S. Highway 258 bridge near Scotland Neck from April 1 through June 30.
Signage will be posted at boating access areas along the Roanoke River to notify anglers of the changes to the open harvest dates. More information can be found using the agency’s online BAA locator.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission     

Since 1947, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission has been dedicated to the conservation and sustainability of the state’s fish and wildlife resources through research, scientific management, wise use and public input. The Commission is the state regulatory agency responsible for the enforcement of fishing, hunting, trapping and boating laws and provides programs and opportunities for wildlife-related educational, recreational and sporting activities.     

To purchase or renew a fishing, trapping and hunting license and renew a vessel registration visit www.ncwildlife.org.     

In recent years, many businesses have made a concerted effort to create more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces.

Those efforts have thus far met with mixed results. An analysis of more than 1,000 large firms in 15 countries conducted by McKinsey & Company found that one-third significantly improved their diversity between 2015 and 2020.

Though that's good news, it also means two-thirds did not improve significantly, which underscores how much more work must be done to create more diverse workplaces across the globe.
Efforts to build more diverse workplaces may prove more successful if companies revisit the many reasons why the pursuit of such a goal is worthwhile.

Diverse workplaces impress employees and prospective employees. A 2021 CNBC/SurveyMonkey survey found that 80% of workers want to work for companies that value diversity, equity and inclusion. Companies that gain a reputation for such values may be more successful at retaining their existing employees, thus driving down costs associated with hiring and training new employees, and be in better position to attract qualified candidates who prioritize positive culture when looking for new opportunities.

Diversity benefits the bottom line. The positive impact of diversity on the bottom line provides more motivation for businesses to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive. In a report released in May 2020, McKinsey & Company found that firms in the top quarter of gender diversity on executive teams were more likely to experience above-average profitability than peer firms in the bottom quarter. Firms in the top quarter of ethnic and cultural diversity also outperformed fourth quarter firms by 36% in regard to profitability. Such data supports the notion that investing in a more diverse workplace is a sound investment that's likely to produce a strong and quantifiable return.

Multicultural diversity can facilitate expansion. Firms looking to expand into new overseas markets can benefit from a culturally diverse staff. Such staffs can provide invaluable insight and experience regarding local laws and regulations. Familiarity with overseas cultures, including local languages and cultural practices, also can help companies attract qualified local candidates and become competitive more quickly.

A diverse staff can lead to a more diverse offering of products. It makes sense that a more diverse staff can contribute to a more diverse offering of products. A more diverse staff increases the likelihood that a company will have a wider range of skills at its disposal, and such a staff also provides companies with a more expansive range of perspectives reflective of a wider customer base. Companies can utilize such diversity when developing new products and adapting to ever-shifting markets.

A more diverse workplace is a goal for many companies. Accomplishing such a goal can help companies in numerous ways, each of which can ultimately benefit the bottom line.

Spring brings a lot of buzz with honeybees. In the winter they cluster together to stay warm, and the worker bees vibrate their bodies to generate heat.

The queen bee rests all warm and comfy with temperatures ranging from 90 to 100 degrees, not too bad for the royal treatment. The cluster has two parts which are a dense outer mantle and a loose inner core where the bees have more room to move around. The cluster expands or contracts depending on the temperature.

Winter is the hardest season for the bees with the greatest loss and even the best beekeepers can encounter challenges to keep the colony alive. However, as in everything with nature, it is part of the cycle of survival. Winter survival depends mainly on food storage or if the colony enters the winter with a virus or disease.

Once Spring begins to emerge and temperatures begin to rise above 65 degrees the days begin to lengthen sources of pollen and nectar emerge for the brood. As Spring progresses the colony expands with the pronation of young bees and field worker bees begin to collect the nectar and pollen to expand and nourish the colony.

There is a lot of activity in the colony as the queen increases drone egg-laying for the worker bees and drones while the bees prepare for a new queen. The royal kitchen is busy in the hive with a few bees that have been selected for the higher court and fed a special gland food called “Royal Jelly’” and the rate of development accelerates. The number of queen cells varies with races and strains as the new queen or queens emerge.

The colonies are still busy as new combs are produced for honey storage. The royal court assembles for the new queen to emerge and before the nectar begins to flow the colony will swarm during the warmer hours of daylight while the old queen and her entourage fly to the limb of a tree and begin scouting for a new home to assemble.

The remaining bees are the parents of the colony and work the fields to collect nectar, pollen and water plus they care for eggs, larvae and food and guard the entrance. The emerging drones receive nourishment for a population to mate with the queen. When she emerges, she has nourished herself because she has rivals for the queen position. Alas, mortal combat begins, and it becomes survival of the fittest.

The queen that survives flies out about a week later to mate with one or more drones in the air. The males do not survive this intense ritual, but the queen returns to the nest as the queen mother and shortly begins to lay eggs while she is being cared for by nurse bees.

Honey bee trivia

They can fly up to 15 miles per hour. A worker bee makes an average of 1 and ½ teaspoons in a lifetime and a pound of honey is made by two million flower visits. Honey bees are the only bee to produce food for humans. They visit 50 to 100 flowers in one trip.

Honey is a natural energy booster, a mixture of minerals, and antioxidants, is antibacterial and works in preventing fatigue, and can boost athletic performance. Honey bees do not typically sting unless threatened
Live, love life and honey bees.

As part of its ongoing Black Culture Experience, The Arts Council of Fayetteville and its subsidiary, We Are The Arts, will host this year’s BlackLIT Book Fair on March 18 at the Volta Space in downtown Fayetteville.
Now in its second year, the BlackLIT Book Fair “continues to be an intentional effort to motivate, highlight, reaffirm, and empower cultures and the younger generation by making literacy relatable and relevant in communities of color.”

Working to close the significant reading gap present within the black community, the BlackLIT Book Fair works to showcase and uplift the lived experiences of African Americans as expressed through fiction, self-help, romance, empowerment, poetry, children’s books, and a variety of other genres.

Data pulled from the National Assessment of Educational Progress suggests an initiative like this couldn’t be more timely. In 2019, the Nation’s Report Card showed that only around 15% of Black 8th graders were at or above a proficient reading level.

The numbers don’t look much better after high school, as around 23% of Black adults are considered to be low literacy according to a 2019 report from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Boosting literary engagement is of crucial importance within the Black community and critical to its long-term success.

Literacy improves mental health, builds life-long learning and critical thinking skills, creates jobs, and is a powerful tool against poverty. The BlackLit Book Fair will host a number of activities, reading, panels and presentations for readers and writers of all ages throughout the day.

The Children’s Read-Aloud “inspires children and their parents to learn, grow and explore the world through the pages of a book,” shared Christy McNeil, Director of Marketing for the Arts Council of Fayetteville.
Six African American storytellers are slated to appear during this time and offer dynamic readings designed to grow the imaginations of their audience while fostering a love of reading and an expanded view of the world.

As an added incentive, all children in attendance will receive a BlackLit Voucher which can be redeemed for one free children’s book of their choosing at participating vendors as long as supplies last.
For poetry enthusiasts, The Literary Cafe: Poetry By The Hour will create an opportunity for authors and aficionados to engage in conversation over refreshments as “poetic expressionists read excerpts from their books.”

And for those writers of color, both emerging and established, the BlackLIT Book Fair will offer a Professional Writers Panel to offer advice and guidance around the ins and outs of the publishing world. Topics include “distribution, access to funding and small business loans, and other aspects of artist development,” according to the event’s website.

The BlackLIt Book Fair is an opportunity to support Black authors, discover new perspectives, and bolster the audacious notion that stories of color are stories worth reading and the world is better served by sharing them.

The BlackLit Book Fair is free to attend and open to the public. The Volta Space is located behind 116 Person St. in downtown Fayetteville.

For more information about the BlackLit Book Fair, visit https://www.wearethearts.com/blackculture.

“Rhythm is our universal mother tongue. It’s the language of the soul”
– Gabrielle Roth

Music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up listening to music, singing in choirs and dancing to all kinds of beats. One of my favorite artists was Michael Jackson, who captivated me with his unique voice, smooth dance moves and the ability to tell stories through music and movement.

I have been following the rhythm, not only in music, but also in life, for as long as I can remember. That’s why I’m excited about the theme “Rhythm of a Story” for the Cumberland County Public Library’s 14th Annual Storytelling Festival.

Throughout March, library programs will promote storytelling through various lenses while celebrating diverse cultures. All events are free and will highlight rhythmic talents and stories from various cultures, encouraging children to explore, embrace and express their own stories through rhythm. Join us and enjoy story times, guest performances and arts & crafts during the month of March.

The festival kicks off at Festival Park on March 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. There will be games, music and performances from local artists and organizations.
The featured presenter will be Carolina Storyteller, a bilingual performer born and raised in Cali, Colombia. Her stories explore the myths, legends, folktales, historical narratives and literature of Latin America and Hispanic cultures.

Carolina Storyteller will also perform March 3 at West Regional Library located at 7469 Century Circle in Fayetteville. Other performers for the festival include Lee Bryan, “That Puppet Guy” and Greg Whitt.

Bryan specializes in puppet performances and will be at North Regional Library, lcoated at 855 Mc Arthur Road, on March 6, and the Hope Mills Community Branch, 3411 Golfview Road in Hope Mills, on March 7.
Whitt promotes life in rhythm and harmony through an interactive experience called Drum for Change. He will perform at East Regional Library, located at 4809 Clinton Road, on March 23 and Cliffdale Regional Library, located at 6882 Cliffdale Road, on March 30.

The Storytelling Festival is supported by a mini grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, in part by contributions from community partners, and through grants from the City of Fayetteville, Cumberland County and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

For more information on these programs and more, call 910-483-7727, visit any of our eight locations or check out our website at www.cumberlandcountync.gov/library.

Cape Fear Studios is holding their annual military themed Alpha Romeo Tango show through March 21 at the Cape Fear Studios exhibit space in downtown Fayetteville.

“The artwork itself does not have to be military themed,” said Steve Opet, Cape Fear Studios board president.

“The artists themselves are military affiliated. The show is open to active duty, retired, veterans, all six branches of the military. It is also open to dependents and people 18 and over who are children of military affiliated people. We’ve accepted art from people who they themselves aren’t military but their fathers were WWII veterans.”

Alpha Romeo Tango is a show inspired by the nearby Fort Bragg and military community.

“Alpha Romeo Tango” spell “art” in the military phonetic alphabet. When artists submit their pieces for the A.R.T. show, Opet asks they attach a short bio telling how the artist is affiliated with the military.

“Right before COVID hit, the presenter for the awards was Col. Murray Mallett-Stein. When she was the presenter, she came down, put on her dress blues and gave a speech about importance of art in our community and the importance of art in the military community,” said Opet. “Last year was our first year since Covid having an in-person show. State Rep. John Szoka was the presenter in 2022.”

A.R.T. was held online for two years during the COVID pandemic, and during that time, Opet was the presenter for those who attended the online shows. Opet himself is also retired military.

“There are some really, really nice pieces (that get entered),” Opet said.

The work on display ranges from beginner to accomplished artists, all with one goal in mind: bringing together art and the military community.

A.R.T. is on display at the Cape Fear Studios on Maxwell Street until March 21. Cape Fear Studios is a nonprofit organization run entirely by the artists themselves.
For more information about Cape Fear Studios and A.R.T., visit https://www.capefearstudios.com/

The smell of fresh popcorn permeates the air as individuals line up for the snack, ready to purchase wine, beer, soda or candy as they prepare themselves to enjoy the Kaiju-Quest Film Series on Wednesdays at The Carolina Theatre of Durham.

Jim Carl, Senior Director of Film Programming at The Carolina Theatre of Durham, has curated a film series for kaiju film fans called, Kaiju-Quest.

What in the world is ‘Kaiju?’

The Japanese word ‘kaiju’ means “strange creature” or “giant monster.” There is a plethora of kaiju films.
Carl said American audiences think of Godzilla when they hear kaiju. He explained that there are many movies not necessarily from Japan that have “giant monsters” or “strange creatures” that can embody the word, kaiju.

“Kaiju can be a monster underwater or in space,” he said.

He said to think of the monsters in “Pacific Rim,” “The Host” or the queen alien in “Aliens.” The giant shark in “Jaws” can also be considered a kaiju.

“It doesn’t have to necessarily be a towering monster tearing down skyscrapers and national monuments,” Carl said.

Retro Film Series

In 1998, Carl started the Retro Film Series at the theatre.

“Throughout that series, we bring probably 100 films— classics — back to the screen that range from horror to action to westerns and sci-fi,” he said.

While a lot of classics are on streaming services, he said the theatre has cultivated an audience that enjoys coming back to see classics on the big screen. The requirement for a movie to be seen in the retro series: it must be 20 years old or older. There are other sub-series under the Retro Series where he hones in on niches like horror, noir and animated Disney films that are hard to find.

“At some point over the last few years, I started noticing that when I ran a foreign action film in its original Japanese version, attendance was huge,” Carl said.

He stated he wondered if there was an audience willing and clamoring to see some of the old Godzilla films.

“Not just to bring them back, but retro-rize them,” he said. “So I created the Kaiju-Quest Film Series.”

Retro-rize

To those in Fayetteville who are worried about the hour-and-a-half drive to Durham on Wednesdays, the experience may be worth it. When they screen Kaiju-Quest titles at The Carolina Theatre of Durham, they are not just showing you a classic film on a screen. Carl’s goal is to provide an experience.

Before the film starts, audiences are given an introduction to the film, door prizes, movie trivia and trailers from the film’s opening night in Japan. You read that correctly. He has trailers from when these kaiju films first opened in Japan. He researches the trailers and compiles them for the series.

For example, if the theatre showcases “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” which premiered July 24, 1971, attendees will get a “retro” experience. Attendees will watch montages of happenings related to the 1971 premiere. They will get an introduction from Carl, the door prizes and the trivia about the film. A title card comes up on the big screen which reads, “Tonight is July 24, 1971. It is the opening night of ‘Godzilla v. Hedorah’ at theatres across Japan.

Then a title card appears on screen announcing audiences will see trailers of Japanese movies which were playing in theatres during July 1971. As if you were indeed in attendance on that film’s opening night.
Then the featured film will begin.

Toho’s Agreement

This current season’s edition of the Series began in January and ends June 21, with eight films being shown. The reason Carl is doing this is because of Toho.
Toho, a production studio company in Japan (imagine Warner Bros or Disney), owns the rights to the original, uncut Japanese Godzilla films. According to Carl, very few of these movies have been available in America for theatrical screenings for decades. He said while there are uncut, original Godzilla films that can be found on some streaming services, some people have never had a chance to see these classic films on the big screen.

Two years ago, Toho entered an agreement with an American distributor named Janus Films. The agreement outlines that for a certain number of years, Janus will have theatrical rights to screen many of the original Godzilla films in America.

Carl said at some point in the future, the agreement with Janus Films will expire and these movies will no longer be available for exhibition in the United States.

“While that agreement is still in place, I’m trying to screen as many of these original Japanese language, uncut films. There are so many of them.”

He does his best to spread them out during a typical six-month season.

“You want to spread them out over a few months to give audiences a chance to discover the Series and tell their friends,” he said.

If they miss one kaiju film, there’s another one coming down the pipeline. In the inaugural season of Kaiju-Quest, he screened 10 films from July to December 2022. Between January and June 2023, he will showcase eight films. Another installment will run from July to December 2023.

Carl does occasionally make exceptions to his 20-year rule for films such as Toho’s 2016 “Shin and Godzilla.” He explained many people didn’t have the chance to see it at movie theaters during its brief theatrical run in the United States.

Picture Perfect

The theatre has a photo booth where guests can stand in front of a green screen for free photos. Stills from that evening’s films can be utilized as the backdrops. They can email or use a QR code to access their photos.

Carolina Theatre

Carolina Theatre has live events, film festivals and a two-screen arthouse cinema. They do present first-run Indie movies like Oscar contenders and Oscar shorts. They are a repertory theatre — bringing back classic movies to the big screen for new generations — like “E.T.,” “Casablanca,” and “The Goonies.”
All these Series are curated and produced by the Carolina Theatre and are not a traveling series. For more information about the Series, visit https://carolinatheatre.org/series/kaiju-quest- film-series/.

Assisting and empowering local women are goals of the Women’s Business Center of Fayetteville at the Center for Economic Empowerment and Development. As part of a new annual tradition, the event, HERFayetteville aims to empower women through mentorship, education, networking and collaboration. These events are being organized by the Women’s Business Center of Fayetteville.

Efforts to celebrate #HERFayetteville will focus on Heart, Equality and Resilience while celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month.
Suzy Hrabovsky, the Executive Director of the Center for Economic Empowerment and Development, said that she is excited to bring this event back after a successful launch last year.

“This is a week long celebration of what women have done, what they can do, and celebrating each other and coming together. So often we hear negative things about women empowerment, but this is just an inclusive, celebratory pat on the back and a time to just be happy and excited about what we've done and to continue to move forward and just take a little time to catch our breath,” Hrabovsky said.

The event starts on March 5, and each day has a specific theme. The themes are correlated as hashtags, so if people go or participate in the event, they can use the hashtags when they post about it on social media.

Day One: #HERImpact

Join CEED and the Women’s Business Center of Fayetteville on March 5 at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden for a morning full of delicious brunch and motivation. In honor of the launch of #HERWeek, they will be hosting inspiring female leaders in our community to celebrate the accomplishments of women in Fayetteville.

“We will have someone there from the SBA talking about the women in business. And we'll have a panel that’s talking about impacts women have made here locally,” Hrabovsky said.

At the time of publication, the panelists had not been named yet. Meraki Creative will also be at the brunch with interactive booths. The brunch starts at 10 a.m. Individual tickets are $35.

Day Two: #HERHealth

As the name suggests, the day is focusing on women’s health. CEED is offering Women's Health Expo sessions with Origins Naturopathic Health and Wellness — holistic team and medical partners from Fayetteville throughout the day. They will be highlighting not only physical health but also focusing on women’s mental and spiritual wellness.

Topics that will be discussed include breast health, the lymphatic system, movements, hormones, sleep, diet, general health and chiropractic health. Tickets are $25.

Day Three: #HERPitch

Join the Women’s Business Center at Volta Space March 8 to listen to aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their amazing business ideas to a panel of Fayetteville professionals. Think of it like “Shark Tank,” but for local women entrepreneurs. CEED Capital and Women of Power Society will award up to $10,000 in prizes to the entrepreneurs with the best pitch. Last year, eight competitors presented plans. Three business owners were awarded grants in the competition.

For more information about registering call 910-323-3377.

Since March 8 will be International Women’s Day, HERWeek Fayetteville will celebrate with an International Women’s Day Parade. The parade will be celebrating women from different cultures, nations and heritages. There is a $5 fee for parade entry.

Day Four: #HERBuild

The Women's Business Center of Fayetteville is partnering with Habitat for Humanity as part of the annual Women’s Build event. This event on March 9 will have stations where women can learn how to build and construct a home. Participants can learn the basics of plumbing, drywall and electrical work.

The class aims to give women the confidence to make home repairs and home improvements without having to spend hundreds of dollars for a professional to do it for you. No experience is necessary. There will be lunch, speakers, raffles and more to celebrate female entrepreneurship by learning new abilities, and sharing your support using the #HERFayetteville hashtags!

There will be a $25 fee. For more information and to sign up, go to https://www.fayettevillenchabitat.org/womensbuild2023.

Day Five: #HERService

This day is completely virtual. The Women’s Business Center of Fayetteville will be showcasing the female workers who support our local community. On their social media pages, the Women’s Business Center of Fayetteville will highlight firefighters, EMS workers, teachers, police officers, and military service members.

“We’ve done a bunch of interviews with different women in the community, from teaching to veterans to women who are firefighters, women who are at the 911 station, just women doing different services in our community,” Hrabovsky said.

For more information about the events during HERWeek Fayetteville, go to https://www.wbcfay.org/

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 670 is hosting the Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Luncheon Thursday, March 30 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will be held at VFW Post 670 on Doc Bennett Road.

“This year marks the 50th anniversary of American combat troops withdrawing from Vietnam on March 30, 1973,” said Amelia Smith, VFW Post 670 quartermaster and point of contact for the event.

“I am the daughter of a Vietnam veteran and I can remember the bitterness my father sometimes expressed about the treatment that he and others in his community received upon their return from Vietnam.”

She added, “A few years ago, Charlotte Motor Speedway hosted a huge Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans event and it was overwhelming to watch the guys who did not know one another act as if they had known each other for years. I have not seen any event like that before nor have I seen or heard of one happening since.”

“I realized that nothing was happening in Fayetteville for Vietnam Veterans, so last year we put together a luncheon and about 75 people attended,” said Smith.

“We did not have an official guest speaker, but we did have some awesome support from the local community.”

Smith added, “The one thing that I noticed during last year’s luncheon is there were not any females that claimed to have been in Vietnam during the war.”

This year’s goal is to have women who were in Vietnam during the war attend the luncheon so they can be recognized and appreciated.

“These ladies suffer from the same health problems as the men, have similar or the same mental health concerns and deserve to be recognized,” said Smith.

“For this year’s event, we have the support of Methodist University’s ROTC, The Fayetteville Sound, Rolling Thunder and a special guest speaker.”

Sponsors for the event include the Cumberland County Veterans Council, BluSky Restoration and Tom Biggerstaff.

“The sponsors and groups have definitely made it a lot easier to pull this event together,” said Smith. “I am so excited to see the Vietnam Veterans, both men and women, come out and have a couple of hours to feel appreciated on the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal from Vietnam.”

The event is free and space is limited. The deadline to RSVP is Wednesday, March 8.
According to the national website, the mission of the VFW is to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans.

The VFW vision is to ensure that veterans are respected for their service, always receive their earned entitlements, and are recognized for the sacrifices they and their loved ones have made on behalf of this great country.

For more information or to RSVP, call or text 910-709-8306, email 670vfw@gmail.com or stop by VFW Post 670 to let the bartender know your name and that you want to RSVP for the event.
For more information about VFW Post 670 membership and events visit https://vfw670.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp?nid=1.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a nonprofit veterans service organization comprised of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. There are three qualifiers for membership in the VFW, as set out in the National Bylaws. An individual must meet all three in order to become a member.

• 1: Must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. National.
  
• 2: Must have served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States and either received a discharge of Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions) or be currently serving.
  
• 3: Service in a war, campaign or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters*. This can be proven by any of the following:
  
  • An authorized campaign medal
    
  • Receipt of Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay (verified by a military pay statement)
    
  • Service in Korea for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days

This information is usually available through a veteran’s DD-214. If other information is needed or if a veteran’s DD-214 is not complete, they can contact the National Personnel Records Center online or at 314.801.0800 to request more information.

More detailed information on VFW eligibility can be accessed at https://www.vfw.org/join/eligibility.
If you are not eligible for membership in the VFW but you have a parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, sibling or spouse who would be eligible then you may apply for membership in the VFW Auxiliary. You can learn more at www.vfwauxiliary.org.

Each March, Women’s History Month highlights the contributions of women throughout history.

Women have played a vital role throughout the history of the world, even during eras and in countries where they have been marginalized and their freedoms limited.

There’s no shortage of milestone moments in women’s history, and the following are some everyone can appreciate and commemorate this March and beyond.

Marie Curie wins the Nobel Prize: In 1903, chemist and physicist Marie Curie and her husband, Pierre, were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work involving radiation. Curie became the first woman to win the distinguished prize, but she didn’t stop there, winning the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911. That made Curie a trailblazer of a different sort, as she became the first person to win or share two Nobel Prizes.

American women are granted the right to vote: The passage of the Nineteenth Amendment of the Constitution on August 18, 1920, guaranteed all American women the right to vote. The passage of the amendment, which was a byproduct of the hard work of women who had been fighting for suffrage for decades, enfranchised more than 25 million American women in the months ahead of the 1920 presidential election.

Though this was a momentous event for American women, the United States was not the first nation to grant voting rights to women. That distinction belongs to the colony of South Australia, which allowed women to vote in local elections in 1861.

Women serve in the armed forces during World War II: WWII has inspired countless books and Hollywood productions, but few have recognized or emphasized the role women played in that conflict.

That’s unfortunate and misleading, as the U.S. Army established the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps on May 15, 1942. Later known as the Women’s Army Corps, or WAC, this women’s branch of the U.S. Army was initially led by Colonel Oveta Culp Hobby, who later became just the second woman to serve in a presidential cabinet.
Roughly 150,000 women served in the WAAC or WAC during World War II, with some stationed in Europe, North Africa and New Guinea.

The National Organization for Women is founded: An American feminist organization, NOW was founded on June 30, 1966 and has since left an indelible mark on American society. Since its inception, NOW, which has an estimated membership of roughly half a million, has fought against discrimination and for equal rights for women.

Iceland makes equal pay the law of the land: In 2018, Iceland became the first country in the world to mandate that men and women in the same job be paid the same amount. This marked a major step forward for women, who have historically been paid less than their male counterparts holding the same positions.

Women’s History Month is a great time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions women have made throughout world history.

Dating back to social media usage that began in 2006, the social movement often referred to as “#MeToo” has done much to draw attention to violence against women.

Such violence was perpetrated prior to 2006 and has persisted even as the #MeToo movement has inspired women across the globe to share their stories in public.

Greater public understanding of the scope of violence against women may compel further action to combat such brutality.

• Estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that three in 10 women worldwide have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.
• WHO data indicates that 27% of women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have been in a relationship report that they have been subjected to some form of physical and/or sexual violence by their intimate partner. The organization UN Women indicates that, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 243 million women in that age bracket experienced such violence.
• A WHO analysis of prevalence data from 2000-2018 found that as many as 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners.
• Data regarding non-partner sexual violence is more limited, but the WHO indicates 6% of women across the globe report having been sexually assaulted by someone other than a partner.
• A 2013 study from the WHO examining the health burden associated with violence against women found that women who had been physically or sexually abused were 1.5 times more likely to have a sexually transmitted infection compared to women who had not experienced partner violence.
• A 2021 report from the United Nations indicated that domestic violence against women increased to unprecedented levels in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Commission on COVID-19 and criminal justice indicated a greater than 8% increase of such violence following the onset of lockdown orders in 2020.

Violence against women remains a significant yet wholly preventable issue.
Women in need of assistance in the United States can contact the National Domestic Violence hotline 24/7/365 at 1-800-799-7233.

Command Sgt. Maj. Gregory Seymour assumed responsibility as Fort Bragg’s Garrison senior non-commissioned officer, Feb. 24 at the Main Post Chapel — the same chapel that he married his wife, Candace,17 years ago.

“My family and I are truly humbled to be here today,” Seymour said. “However, in 1997, if you had asked that 19-year-old paratrooper from Augusta, Georgia that if he ever thought he’d be a command sergeant major, let alone the Fort Bragg garrison command sergeant major — he probably would have told you, you’re crazier than two squirrels in a walnut tree. My family and I are excited to get to know and serve you. I look forward to continuing the collaboration and innovation efforts in improving the quality of life for service members and their families on this installation.”

Having served on Fort Bragg most of his career, Seymour joins the Garrison Command team after serving as the operations sergeant major for the 82nd Airborne Division Artillery. Other previous assignments include cannon crewmember, ammunition team chief, gunner, howitzer section chief, Chief of Firing Battery/Platoon Sergeant and First Sergeant at Fort Bragg. He also served as the Operations Sergeant Major, 6th Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment at Camp Casey, Korea.

Seymour deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism during Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.

“I’m excited for the next chapter,” Seymour continued. “This is the crown jewel — the centerpiece of this power projection platform that we call the center of the universe. And what makes the center of the universe great? The people. This is a phenomenal team who works hard, around the clock, every day to help meet the needs of our service members and their families, veterans and retirees.”

The assumption of responsibility ceremony is rich in symbolism and heritage within the military. It reinforces the role of the noncommissioned officer in the Army, highlighting his or her role as a bridge between the commander and the formation's enlisted soldiers.

“The people of this installation have made Fort Bragg what it is today,” Seymour said. “It’s more than just a name, it’s the people who have served on this installation and continue to live the legacy of Fort Bragg as we transition to Fort Liberty. The biggest thing to take away from this, is that that legacy of you unit or organization is still alive. Fort Bragg lives in this room, Fort Bragg is shown through our comradery, and the honor of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we enjoy. That is the reason why Fort Liberty will continue to live.”

Seymour’s awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart with two oak-leaf Clusters, Meritorious Service Medal with five oak leaf clusters, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with bronze service star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with four bronze service stars, Combat Action Badge and the Master Parachutist Badge. He was also awarded the 3rd Brigade Combat Team Jump Master of the Year 2010.

“As the Fort Bragg Garrison looks to the future — a future with a new name and a new focus, I cannot think of anyone better than CSM Seymour,” said Col. John Wilcox, Fort Bragg garrison commander.

“Together we will set the standards of the garrison team to be part of the installation of the future — one that is ready, relevant and resilient; and above all one that is innovative.”

During a Fayetteville Public Works Commission meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 22 City Councilman Deno Hondros asked the utility board to forgive repayment of $4 million that PWC loaned to the city in 2020.
Hondros, who is also the City Council’s liaison to PWC, clarified in an interview after the meeting that he was speaking for himself and not representing the city or the City Council as a whole.

The loan was intended to help the city through the economic struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last month, PWC Chief Financial Officer Rhonda Haskins wrote to city Chief Financial Officer Jody Picarella asking the city to “promptly repay the $4 million to PWC.”
According to the initial written loan agreement, the city would have to repay PWC’s loan if it received pandemic relief funds from another source. Fayetteville has received more than $40 million from the American Rescue Plan Act, federal legislation enacted in March 2021 that sent money to state and local governments as a way to help recovery from the pandemic.

Hondros asked that PWC rescind this part of the agreement.

“My ask,” Hondros said at Wednesday’s meeting “is to rescind the ask or to reconsider the ask of the repayment of that.”

Hondros argued that the city and PWC’s money all comes from Fayetteville taxpayers.

“At the end of the day, it’s the same pot of money — whether the county raises taxes, whether PWC raises rates or whether the city raises taxes,” Hondros said.

After Hondros’ request, PWC Treasurer Wade Fowler said that under the PWC charter, the $4 million, if not repaid by the city, may be considered an impermissible transfer.
PWC spokeswoman Carolyn Justice-Hinson, in an email, echoed Fowler’s comments. She said the loan was made in compliance with the charter.

“That is a factor that will affect whether consideration can be given to the request,” Justice-Hinson said.

Fowler said during the meeting that it may be possible to extend the date for repayment.

In March 2020, Mayor Mitch Colvin declared a state of emergency because of COVID-19. That April, the mayor requested relief funds from PWC to help address the city’s hardships in addressing the pandemic.

Typically, PWC’s charter does not allow additional transfers of cash from PWC to the city, but a state of emergency order, along with a written agreement between the parties, allows for an exception. Colvin requested the money under this exception in the charter.

The city and PWC agreed to terms of the loan that May on the condition it be repaid.
Hondros said at the meeting that he was requesting forgiveness of the repayment in an effort to build a partnership with PWC.

“I think it will show a good-faith effort on PWC’s part,” Hondros said.

PWC Chairwoman Ronna Garrett thanked Hondros for his request.

“It takes a lot of courage to come before the board to ask for something like that, so thank you for your courage and representation,” Garrett said. “I appreciate the courage and the transparency and the intent to partner and break down silos. We, too, have the same goals and vision.”

We will probably never know how much of our money was squandered during the pandemic by reckless politicians. But here are two damning numbers to start with: $400 billion and $855,000 per job year.

The first is a reasonable estimate of unemployment-insurance payments either improperly paid or stolen by fraudulent claimants. As you may remember, one early congressional response to the onset of COVID-19 was to add a bonus of $600 a week to UI checks and to make it easier for people to claim those benefits.

Essentially, politicians turned UI into an honor system. Of course, dishonorable people pounced.
A few days ago, the U.S. Department of Labor’s inspector general announced that at “the low end” $191 billion was paid to people who didn’t qualify but that missing data and delayed reporting prevented a full accounting.

Matt Weidinger, an American Enterprise Institute scholar and former staffer at the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, puts the total amount of improper UI payments at closer to $400 billion, or 40% of the total.

“Significant shares were likely stolen by overseas criminal gangs, including in China and Russia,” Weidinger observes, and their schemes often began by stealing identities.

That’s what happened to me. I teach part-time at Duke University. A couple of years ago, university officials contacted me to ask why I, an adjunct faculty member, had filed an unemployment-insurance claim. I assured them I’d done no such thing. I submitted paperwork to Duke and reported the incident to law enforcement. Alas, it is my understanding that at least some UI payments were paid to my identity thief, anyway.

Now for the other number: $855,000 per job year. That’s the estimate AEI scholar Stan Veuger and University of California-San Diego economist Jeffrey Clemens put on the amount of COVID-era federal aid distributed to states and localities to prevent government layoffs divided by the number of positions that could reasonably be construed as “saved” per year by that aid.

As I’ve argued many times before, the federal government’s multi-trillion-dollar fiscal response to the pandemic was panicky and excessive.
North Carolina was among the jurisdictions that received far more (borrowed) federal cash than was needed to cover revenues lost or new expenditures truly necessitated by the disease itself and the economic consequences of COVID-era shutdowns.

The best defense of all this is that politicians were mistaken but acting in good faith, that hindsight is 20-20. It’s a poor defense.
Critics warned at the time that expanding the eligibility and amounts of UI benefits would have adverse consequences, both wasting money and slowing reemployment, and that states and localities didn’t need the massive sums Congress was about to throw at them.

But many politicians had long sought to expand unemployment insurance and the federal government’s role in funding state and local governments. They capitalized on the crisis — with other people’s capital.
The only way to prevent this from happening again is to erect legal guardrails.

Veuger and Clemens suggest, for example, that Congress should either institute preset formulas instead of a discretionary process for granting aid or that federal grant programs should be converted to loans that states and localities must repay.

Such steps are worth taking but we need to be thinking even bigger.

With unemployment insurance, for example, we ought to devolve the program more comprehensively to state governments, forbid any extended benefits funded by Washington, and make it more expensive for states to borrow federal funds when their UI trust funds run out.

That will encourage state policymakers to police fraud more aggressively and keep their benefits in line with fiscal realities.

More generally, we need to get the federal government’s finances under control.

There should be a constitutional requirement that its operating budget be balanced, and that it borrow only to fund physical capital such as federal buildings and military assets.

Let’s do something. The next crisis will again test the willpower of politicians. They’ll fail again.

Editor's note: John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His latest books, Mountain Folk and Forest Folk, combine epic fantasy with early American history. They are available at FolkloreCycle.com.

Spring is on the way, and here in Fayetteville, that usually has us looking forward to participating in and celebrating the 41st Dogwood Festival.

This award-winning Festival has quite a history in our community, and anyone who claims to be a true Fayettevillian has some time or somehow participated in, sponsored, or in some other way supported this event.

The Fayetteville Dogwood Festival should be something our city leaders are proud of. City leaders should implement ways to take advantage of its decades of success and notoriety. Competent Fayetteville leadership would be rallying around the Festival and using it to promote, market and brand our community throughout the state.

Unfortunately, Mayor Mitch Colvin and his Council colleagues only pay lip service to supporting this successful community event while their actions of late reveal how they feel about the event, its organizers and the community.

Actions always speak louder than words. Many may remember last year when Mayor Mitch Colvin and Council members Shakeyla Ingram, Courtney Banks-McLaughlin, and former Councilman Larry Wright criticized and berated the young Dogwood Festival Director Sarahgrace Snipes Mitchell.

The assault on Mitchell came when she went before them to request a measly $15,000 in support of this citywide event. An event that will cost hundreds of thousands to produce. The council's verbal assault on her was unprofessional, mean-spirited, and passionate, centered around the concerns that musical entertainment acts were not "diverse" enough and failed to reflect the city's population.

It's a noble cause to look out for all the citizens of Fayetteville and to be passionate about it. But it is not becoming for Mayor Colvin and Council members to gang up and criticize someone trying to do their job. And all she was asking for was $15,000.

How much do Mitch Colvin and the City Council really care about this city or a 41-year tradition that has brought joy, fun and quality entertainment to hundreds of thousands of people, not to mention the positive economic impact on the city, especially those who have invested in our historic downtown area?

On Feb. 15, at the Aevex Veterans Club in Segra Stadium, Sarahgrace Snipes Mitchell and the Dogwood Festival Committee held their official Festival Media Night where they recognized the corporate sponsors and thanked the dozens upon dozens of businesses, organizations, vendors, craftsmen and artists for coming together with their time, talent and financial resources to make this year's event a huge success.
It was a lovely gathering, but it lacked a “WOW factor” that gets everyone excited for an upcoming event. It is my opinion that the “WOW factor” element was absent from the event because the CITY WAS ABSENT FROM THE EVENT!

Actions speak louder than words! That evening Mitch Colvin and the entire City Council were missing from the most significant Fayetteville event announcement of the year.

Not a single member of the Council took the time to support, recognize or thank the efforts of hundreds of citizens that came together to showcase the assets, personality and hospitality of our city. That behavior speaks volumes to the leadership they are NOT providing. Our city is at a critical crossroads.

If you follow what actions (and non-actions) occur in City Hall, it's evident that collectively the Council lacks integrity, intelligence and common sense. Several critical and highly sensitive issues are being decided on concerning our city, and I see bias, racism and good ole boy politics taking precedence over what is right and good for the citizens of Fayetteville. Fayetteville deserves better.

We are becoming a media desert. Real critical news is still not getting out to the public. Yes, now we have better coverage of boards, meetings and what goes on in City Hall, but this is far from investigative reporting.

As a result, the bad guys keep getting badder, and the residents continue to be the victims without a voice. Actions speak louder than words!
Our leaders are NOT showing up in the community. They are not at the theatre or the art openings; they are basically AWOL from the community. Why? Because they don't want to face the public in fear that they may have to state their position on a proposal or, heaven forbid, explain why they voted the way they did on an issue.

They are AWOL from the community because they do not want people to know how out of touch they are with the community. Fayetteville has a leadership problem that must be addressed and remedied if our community is to take on the challenges of the 21st century.

I close by saying we have a Fayetteville election in November. Pay attention to the leadership decisions now and ask yourself if we can do better. We can. We must.

I love this community as much as you do, or you wouldn’t be reading this newspaper.
Again, I want to thank Sarahgrace Snipes Mitchell and her staff for a job well done. The 2023 Dogwood Festival will be a great event!

Thanks for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Jan. 27 was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, established 17 years ago by the United Nations. Jewish communities tend to put more emphasis on Yom HaSho’ah [in April], in Hebrew “Holocaust Day,” which was inaugurated in 1951, just 6 years after the collapse of Nazi Germany and the liberation of their concentration and death camps spread across Europe.

Beyond being older, it may make sense for the Jewish community to have a unique day for commemorating the Holocaust, which includes its own religious elements. Yet, there may also be a value in an annual occasion dedicated to its recognition and education under the auspices of the nearly universal international organization of nations.

Being in February, and coming just two weeks after Martin Luther King Day, we Americans find ourselves in the midst of Black History Month. Our nation, even before its founding, has had a long, complicated, and far too often profoundly troubling history with those of African heritage. We continue to wrestle with the challenges caused by what is frequently referred to as America’s original sin.

Undoubtedly, there is real value in recognizing both the many, usually unappreciated, contributions of African Americans to our nation, as well as in understanding the historical reality and ongoing suffering caused by slavery and its aftermath, which has impacted not only the Black community, but whether we realize it or not, the United States as a whole.

At its best, times dedicated to remembering, highlighting, and better comprehending the suffering endured by any group, should help us not only to improve our understanding of them, but also to recognize and respond appropriately to all who suffer.

Alarming to me, especially since I perceive it to be on the rise, is the seeming need among some in the Jewish and Black communities to debate whose suffering has been the greatest. And this debate is shared by other communities, here and around the globe, who also have experienced too much suffering.

But, it is a pernicious and pointless exercise. It is impossible to settle definitively such an argument. Even worse, I find it perverse for anyone to want to win the battle for the greatest suffering.

Yet most disturbing to me is the accompanying implication of this absurd competition, which minimizes the suffering of another community if I can “prove” that my community has suffered more.

No one has a corner on the market of suffering. There is plenty of suffering here and around the world, now and in the past, and we should have sufficient compassion for all who suffer, without feeling the need to quantify the depths of someone’s pain before we will deign to accord them a morsel of sympathy.

It is true that different cases of suffering may require different approaches to attempt to alleviate them. It may even be true that in a world with finite resources, we may have to make hard choices about how and when to allocate the resources we do have. But, we should care about everyone’s suffering, whether or not we are always yet in a position to deal with it as we would like.

Let us never undermine the reality and genuineness of pain and suffering; whether our own or anyone else’s. We are all entitled to compassion and caring; and we should both give it and accept it freely.

The nature of humanity seems that one or another form of suffering will always be with us. Yet, let us also make it the nature of humanity that we always seek to combat suffering, to the best of our ability, wherever it exists.

This spring, Cumberland County Public Library will take part in North Carolina Reads. This annual series features five books that explore issues of racial, social and gender equality as well as the history and culture of North Carolina.
Monthly discussions of the selected titles will take place at Headquarters Library, 300 Maiden Lane in downtown Fayetteville. All sessions are scheduled on Saturdays.

Participants will receive free copies of each book in the series, and light refreshments will be available at the meetings.

The series kicked off Feb. 18 with “Carolina Built” by Kianna Alexander. This novel is based on the life of Josephine N. Leary, an American entrepreneur who was emancipated in 1865 and set out to build a life of her own and a future for her family.

The remainder of the 2023 schedule is:

• 2 p.m. March 18: “Game Changers: Dean Smith, Charlie Scott, and the Era That Transformed a Southern College Town” by Art Chansky. This is the story of how basketball coaching legend Dean Smith and Charlie Scott, the first Black scholarship athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, helped transform a university, a community and the racial landscape of sports in the South.
• 2 p.m. April 15: “Money Rock: A Family’s Story of Cocaine, Race, and Ambition in the New South” by Pam Kelley. This gripping tale of a family swept up in the 1980s cocaine epidemic shows how racism, segregation, the war on drugs and mass incarceration help shape individual destinies.
• 2 p.m. May 20: “Under a Gilded Moon” by Joy Jordan-Lake. Set near the turn of the 20th century, this novel explores community tensions arising out of the construction of the Biltmore Estate in western North Carolina, as seen through the eyes of a young woman with a foot in both the Appalachians and New York.
• 2 p.m. June 17: “Step It Up and Go” by David Menconi. This book’s subtitle is “The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, From Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk.” The author explains how original music is as integral to the Tar Heel State’s character as barbecue, beaches and basketball.

North Carolina Reads is a program of the North Carolina Center for the Book and provided by North Carolina Humanities. NC Humanities will also host virtual monthly events featuring guest speakers, including book authors and topic experts.

To register, visit www.nchumanities.org/program/north-carolina-reads/. For more information about Cumberland County Public Library’s series or to arrange pickup of the books, contact Amanda Dekker at 910-483-7727, Ext. 1409. To learn about all library programs, call 910-483-7727 or visit www.cumberlandcountync.gov/library.

You have the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you. You can decide to exercise these rights and stop answering questions at any time. Do you understand each of these rights as I have explained them to you?

Many of us have heard those statements, but few of us fully understand them.

On March 13, 1963, police arrested Ernesto Miranda on charges of rape and kidnapping after a witness identified him in Phoenix, Arizona. Following his arrest, the police brought Miranda in for questioning on a larceny charge.

During his two-hour interrogation, police did not advise Miranda of his constitutional rights to an attorney or to remain silent. Nonetheless, Miranda signed a written confession affirming knowledge of these rights and admitting to the crimes.

On June 27, 1963, Miranda was convicted of rape, kidnapping and robbery.

Miranda appealed his conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court, which reviewed the case in 1966. The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision written by Chief Justice Earl Warren, ruled that the prosecution should not have introduced Miranda's confession as evidence because the police failed to first inform Miranda of his right to an attorney and his right against self-incrimination.

Today, the Miranda Rights remain, in the words of Chief Justice Earl Warren, “the essential mainstay” of our legal system.
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the arrest of Ernesto Miranda and the start of a three-year saga that culminated in the Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona, Fayetteville Technical Community College filmed a historical reenactment of the key moments in the Miranda ordeal.

Please join us at Cumberland Hall Auditorium, located at 2211 Hull Road, on the FTCC campus on March 7 from noon to 3 p.m. for “Making Noise About Silence,” the world premiere of FTCC’s educational film about the Miranda decision.

After playing the short film, legal and law enforcement experts from our community will share their thoughts on the Miranda case. Members of the panel will then answer audience questions.

Why is this educational event significant? What you learn at this event might be the only thing that keeps you — or someone you love — out of jail.

The event is open and free to the public. Guest speakers include:

• Hon. James F. Ammons, Jr., Resident Superior Court Judge, 12th Judicial District
• Chief Deputy Casper “Jack” Broadus, III, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office
• Billy West, Cumberland County District Attorney •Cynthia P. Black, Esq., Cumberland County Public Defender
• Larry Vick, Esq. Col (Ret.), U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps
• Chief Kimberle Braden, Fayetteville City Police Department

For more information about this event or to reserve a seat, call 910-678-0043.

The Greater Sandhills Chamber announced the opening of the Enclave Stress Recovery Center in Southwind Plaza in Spring Lake. The center provides a restorative environment for individuals seeking to manage stress and improve their mental health.

The Enclave features a Himalayan salt suite, an indoor garden, a beach room and an open floor for co-working and group sessions.

“Stress is a growing problem that affects everyone at some point, so we are thrilled to bring our unique services to Cumberland County,” said Executive Director Taneshia Kerr. “At The Enclave, we believe that wellness is a holistic journey, and we are committed to providing quality care, while helping our members achieve their best selves.”

The Enclave Stress Recovery Center offers a variety of immersive therapy suites, and other evidence-based therapies, including Christian counseling, aromatherapy, mindfulness practices, art therapy and stress management events.

“Each suite gives you the chance to immerse your senses,” Kerr said. “You can experience a relaxing time away, minus the road trip.” Enclave members can move from suite to suite at their own pace, alone or with friends. Members can enjoy a chair massage, do yoga, use meditation to refocus, have a complimentary drink with a book, or lay back and actively do nothing.

Speaking on behalf of the Greater Sandhills Chamber, Executive Treasurer Nisla Love described Kerr (who serves as President of the Chamber) as a giver. “It is an honor that you’re able to share and pour in to [the community] in this way,” Love said.

Mayor of Spring Lake Kia Anthony expressed gratitude for being at the site of the first location of the stress recovery center. “Mental health is very often overlooked so our town needs this place,” Anthony said. “I am so excited as the mayor of this community to see us growing and bringing in new businesses. I am excited to see such a need being filled with access to a safe place.”

The Enclave is also home to Fayetteville Christian Counseling. The Center is now accepting new members and they are available for private events and use by other wellness instructors and therapists.

The Enclave hosted a Galentine’s event earlier this month and plan a variety of events in the future, typically aimed at de-stressing and self-care. Up next on March 12 is Take Care Sis: A Day of Rest! The event, hosted by Ki and Kiki of Take Care Sis will include yoga, massages, sound bowl healing, self-care tips and more fun surprises. Each participant will also receive a swag bag.

Take Care Sis will be Sunday, March 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. To register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-care-sis-podcast-presents-a-day-of-rest-tickets-541979704887
For more information about Enclave Stress Recovery Center, call 910-339-0437 or visit www.EnclaveStressRecovery.com.

The Enclave is located at 1169 N. Bragg Blvd. in Spring Lake.

The Cape Fear Kiwanis Club is once again bringing breakfast to locals for a good cause. From 7 a.m. to noon on March 3 and 4, guests can enjoy some tasty pancakes and sausage. Guests will be able to either eat in at the Greek Orthodox Church and Hellenic Center, located at 611 Oakridge Avenue in Fayetteville or take their food to go.

Tickets are $7 per person and all proceeds benefit our children and community! The Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear’s annual Pancake Breakfast was started by John S. Poulos.
Poulos is also the founder of Superior Bakery, located in Hope Mills, which is now run by his son, Nicko.

Since the first pancake breakfast, the turnout gets bigger and bigger every year, according to Steve Goodson, this year’s chairman of the Pancake Breakfast.

“It’s just a fun thing for everybody to socialize, eat, meet and greet each other, and have a good time, ” says Goodson.

Goodson is responsible for making sure that everyone eats well and has an enjoyable experience at the pancake breakfast. Participants that would like to order for a large group can call ahead and the order will be ready for pick-up the days of the event. There are also sponsorship opportunities for local businesses and organizations. If you would like to promote your business on the days of the event, banner spots are available for $100.

Kiwanis Club
Kiwanis is a worldwide service organization appealing to people with a desire to be personally involved in making their community a better place to live.
The Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear was organized in 1960 and is one of more than 7,000 clubs in over 80 countries.
The Kiwanis Club is focused on serving the children and youth of Cumberland County. They do this through service projects, fundraising events, sponsoring school-based service leadership programs, grants to nonprofit organizations, and scholarships for college-bound students.
For more info visit the Kiwanis Club of Cape Fear’s Facebook Page at https://m.facebook.com/people/Kiwanis-Club-of-Cape-Fear/100057491266577 or call 910-624-4949.