From Dec. 15 until Jan. 15, the Cumberland County Public Library system is inviting readers of all ages to keep up the excellent work of reading books over the holiday break during its Winter Reading Program, known as WRAP.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Cumberland County Public Library, Inc., WRAP allows readers of all ages to win prizes for tracking their reading progress and participating in library-related activities, according to the Cumberland County Public Library.

The Winter Reading Program is split into children, teens, adults, staff and family, and each category has different objectives.

“[The Winter Reading Program] is meant to be a program that encourages” people to continue reading during winter break, said Carla Brooks, Cumberland County Library Division Manager of Programs.

“We call it our Winter Reading and Activities Program.”

The 2022-2023 Children’s Winter Reading Program “encourages lifelong reading habits for children 11 and under,” according to the Cumberland County Public Library’s website.
The next category is for teens aged 12 to 18.

“[Kids] read for five hours, and they get a little record,” Brooks said. “They bring it back in and they can get a free book.”

These two categories offer virtually the same prizes: Read for five hours (or 300 minutes), earn a free book, and enter into drawings for the prize of “book bundles” at the Cumberland County library of your choice.

“It helps kids to start their own little home libraries if they don’t have any,” Brooks said. “Or, if they’ve got one, it helps them to continue to expand it.”

Remember that there are two distinct $25 gift certificates to be raffled away: Children earn the chance to win one to Barnes & Noble, while teenagers can win one to 2nd & Charles.

“For every five hours after [the 300 minutes], it’s just more chances in to the drawings,” she said.

The remaining categories are adults, library staff, and family, with a gift bundle and a potential $100 gift card grand prize. In addition, library staff and families can enter to win a gift bundle for employees.
Brooks said that adults get a bingo card to fill out with different things they might need, like reading under a blanket or reading an old childhood favorite.

“Once they get bingo one way, they bring the card back in, and this year the prize for adults is a mini flashlight,” she added.

The Winter Reading Program is happening at all eight libraries in the Cumberland County Library network.
Be aware all library locations are open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In addition, the Headquarters Library (downtown Fayetteville), Hope Mills Branch, North Regional Library and Cliffdale Regional Library are open Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m.

There are seven libraries besides the Headquarters Library in downtown, so visitors can choose the closest facility, Brooks said.

For information about exact library locations, please visit https://www.cumberlandcountync.gov/departments/library-group/library/locations.

The Fayetteville city manager on Dec. 9 announced the two finalists to become the city’s next police chief and both are already familiar with the department and the community.
City Manager Doug Hewett told members of the media that Kemberle Braden and James Nolette, both assistant chiefs in the Police Department, are the finalists to replace retiring Chief Gina Hawkins. Hewett, who will make the decision, said he hoped to have the chief named before Christmas.

Members of the public can ask questions of the candidates during a community forum scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the council chambers at City Hall. Residents also may submit questions in advance.
The link for online questions, which is set to be posted this afternoon, is available at fayettevillenc.gov/chiefsearch.

The candidates introduced themselves and spoke briefly about their history with the department. The media was not allowed to ask
questions.

“The candidates in this forum will not answer any questions. Only Mr. Hewett will,” said Loren Bymer, a spokesman for the city. “There will be (an) opportunity on Tuesday for candidates to receive questions.”

Bymer said Friday’s announcement of the two finalists was part of the employment process.
The names of the other candidates will not be released, Bymer said. Nolette and Braden were among 10 potential candidates identified during the search process.

“I am proud that following a rigorous process (that pooled a variety of candidates from around the country), both of our finalists are from here, Fayetteville, North Carolina, and have demonstrated that they are invested in this community,” Hewett said.

Braden commands the Field Operations Bureau for the department, which is made up of various patrol and investigative units and oversees patrol operations, major crimes and vice operations.

“I have been serving the Fayetteville community for the last 27 years,” he said. “And I’m originally from Fayetteville, as my father was a retired Special Forces soldier out at Fort Bragg.”

Nolette said he has been with the Fayetteville Police Department for approximately 25 years.

“I came to North Carolina — as based on my accent you can tell I’m not from here — originally from Providence, Rhode Island,” he said.

Technically, he said, he’s a third-generation police officer who has lived in Fayetteville since 1999. That included a six-year stint with Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division.

“I’ve made this my home. I didn’t want to go back to Rhode Island and shovel snow any more so this is where I stayed.”

He married his wife, who is from Fayetteville, and together they have an 11-year-old son.

“Incredibly humbled by this opportunity,” Nolette said.

Nolette commands the Specialized Services Bureau, which is comprised of various units in training and professional development, field operations support, the Community Resources Division, Specialized Operations, Central Record and the Technical Support Division.

“When we began this search,” Hewett said, “we went through a comprehensive process to gather input from stakeholders, including council, police department staff, city staff and the residents of Fayetteville. This information helped us understand what the important characteristics were for our next chief of police.”

“Overwhelmingly,” he added, “the feedback that we received was someone who prioritizes collaboration, transparency, accountability and a desire to make Fayetteville even safer and a more secure place to live. We knew based on community interest that our chief should be invested fully in this community.”

Through a search firm hired by the city, the Chapel Hill-based Developmental Associates,
the city began searching nationally for candidates who met that criteria, Hewett said. The search process included the identification of possible candidates, screening and preliminary interviews.

The assessment center run by the search firm included law enforcement professionals from communities across the nation and local community members who served as volunteer
evaluators.

Hi there Buckaroos! It’s that most wonderful time of the year again. Nope, this is not a treacly Hallmark ode to Christmas. It’s the time of year when the Oxford University Press announces the new Word of the Year.
What, you missed that stunning announcement while watching Carolina’s football and basketball teams crash and burn?

Lucky you, as a fine leisure service of Up & Coming Weekly, you will learn the 2022 Word of the Year. You can display your knowledge at the Christmas and New Year’s parties about to descend upon humanity. Dazzle your friends, and more importantly, irritate your enemies by knowing the 2022 Word of the Year.

The 2022 Oxford word of the year is actually two words — GOBLIN MODE. Chosen by a public vote of over 318,000 worldwide word fans, Goblin Mode is the winner. Unsure what Goblin Mode means? As Jules said in Pulp Fiction, “Allow me to retort.” Goblin Mode is “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.”
Goblin Mode appears on social media, where typists troll other human beings by saying all manner of obnoxious things because they are hidden behind a computer screen.

For a person who is in Goblin Mode, the sky is the limit for letting bad behavior roll.
Goblin Mode grabbed the Gold Medal with 93% of the vote, convincingly beating “Metaverse,” which won the Silver, and the hashtag “#Standwith” which earned the Bronze.
Over at Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word of the year was “Gaslighting.” Gaslighting is defined as “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.”

Politicians are quite familiar with the concepts of Goblin Mode and Gaslighting. You can let your own political preferences decide whether Democrats, Republicans, or MAGAs do these best.
The prominence of Goblin Mode made me wonder about Goblins themselves. Who were the original Goblins, and are there still real Goblins?
According to Mr. Google, Goblins “were small grotesque monstrous creatures found in European folk lore.” Female Goblins are known as Goblettes.

Goblins came in a wide range of shapes, sizes, personality disorders and flavors. Goblins first appeared in Medieval stories. They range from relatively harmless household sprites up the spectrum to malevolent violent critters who would chew off your extremities given the opportunity.

Goblins were closely related to a variety of unworldly creatures such as fairies, brownies, dwarfs, gnomes, imps and Kobolds. For extra credit at a holiday cocktail party, you can let it drop into your conversation that a Kobold is a “small humanoid creature skilled at building traps and ambushes.” Kobolds are genetically related to dragons.
There is a variety of Goblins known as Red Cap Goblins because they wear hats dyed red with human blood. This begs the question of whether there are Green Cap Goblins who wear hats dyed with dollars belonging to other humans.

Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there are no Green Cap Goblins. Papa says if you see it in the Up & Coming, it is so. Please tell me the truth: are there Green Cap Goblins?

Editor: Yes, Virginia, there are Green Cap Goblins. They exist as certainly as greed and gaslighting exist.

How dreary would the world be if there were no Green Cap Goblins. There would be no childlike faith in them, no poetry, no belief that something that sounds too good to be true is true. Green Cap Goblins exist! They live and live forever. Ten thousand years from now Green Cap Goblins will separate fools from their money. They are no longer called Green Cap Goblins. They are called Multi-Billionaires.
One of the greatest current Green Cap Goblins is our old pal Sam Bankman-Fried, the owner of the now-bankrupt FTX and its ugly cousin Alameda. Sam can do magic. He made billions of dollars disappear. Poof.

Now his depositors have money. Now they don’t. Admire Sam’s recent interview with The Wall Street Journal: People sent him money to invest in FTX to buy cryptocurrency and exotic stuff. Sam ran FTX and its associated bank called Alameda. Somehow $5 billion of the money the suckers (oops, depositors) sent to Sam got misplaced. Some of it went to Alameda, some of it went to FTX and then was sent to Alameda. It was kind of a mess.

Sam explained: “They were wired to Alameda, and … I can only speculate about what happened after that. Dollars are fungible with each other. And so, it’s not like there’s this $1 bill over here you can trace. What you get is more omnibus, you know, pots of assets of various forms.”

This is called Gobbly-Gook. Sam allowed that he was really busy: “I didn’t have enough brain cycles left to understand everything that was going on with Alameda if I wanted to.”
In effect, Sam says the money investors sent him went into his left pocket, called FTX, then he put the money in his right pocket, called Alameda. No one seems to know what happened after that.
And that, Dear Virginia, is what Goblin Mode is all about. Sam is a Green Hat Goblin. Bernie Madoff and Charles Ponzi are smiling in Hell.

Bundle up the kids, fill up the gas tank and head towards Sunnyside School Road to enjoy Sweet Valley Ranch’s drive-thru Festival of Lights now until Dec. 26.

Staff transformed about 40 acres of the farm into a magical Christmas Wonderland with over 1 million lights and over 350 animals.
While the show is a drive-through event – across the street – guests can also park at Tiny’s Winter Wonderland to relish a visit with Santa, vendors, a gift shop, amusement rides, food and more! All ticket holders must be in the same vehicle.

This year will mark three years Fred and Anita Surgeon, the owners of the ranch, have done the festival. Their inaugural year was Dec. 2020.
What is a farm without animals?

Surgeon said animals will be there decked out in Christmas garments and lit-up collars. Some will even be at the Nativity Scene exhibit.
Traditional farm animals will be there like sheep, goats and horses. As well as some exotic animals like cranes, llamas and zebras. He said there will be signs by the animals so attendees will know what type of animal it is. He said feedback from attendees over the years has been that they wanted to know which animals are which.

The special exhibits at the festival are the First Responder, Dinosaur World, Star Wars, Santa’s Drive-Thru Gift Shop, Ginger Bread House and there will be a Military Tribute. Another exhibit is The Grinch’s Mansions where a live Grinch will be. Another exhibit is Tiny’s Backyard.

For those wondering why there is a Tiny’s Winter Wonderland and Tiny’s Backyard, Tiny is the ranch’s mascot, a Brahma Bull that weighs 2,500 pounds. Tiny will be at the festival.
Those interested in attending the festival can view the schedule on the ranch’s website. Children under 2 are admitted for free. Ticket prices range from $8 to $10. Large groups will get special pricing.

Ticket pricing is as follows: one to three visitors in a car is $10 per person; four to 11 visitors is $9 per person; 12 or more visitors cost $8 per person. Visitors aged two and under are free.
The site is open from 6:30 to 10 p.m. on Dec. 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 26. Customer Appreciation Day is on Dec. 21, when all guests will be admitted for $8 each. The festival will be Closed on Dec. 24 and 25.

The event is located at 2990 Sunnyside School Road in Fayetteville. For more information visit their website https://www.sweetvalley.com

I was firmly opposed to the state of North Carolina getting into the lottery business back in 2005.

There were many reasons. What worried me most was that the government, which should be in the business of encouraging its citizens to make good financial choices, would instead be encouraging them to throw their money to the winds to a state-owned lottery,

The government would be selling a bill of goods to its people.
How were our legislators persuaded to get into a business that harmed its people? Now, I am beginning to remember.

Our leaders promised all kinds of things to get the votes they needed. There would be strict restrictions on advertising. Places for lottery sales would be limited. Programs to discourage addiction to gambling would be a part of the lottery’s responsibility. All that and other things to discourage participation would be put in place. Such restrictions were promised knowing that as soon as the lottery was in place, those provisions could be quietly eliminated.

On March 30, 2006, the first lottery scratch-off tickets went on sale. Two months later Powerball was offered, beginning an escalation of enticing prizes that continues today.
For instance, early on, according to the lottery, “Gradual product roll-outs allowed people unfamiliar with the lottery to learn how to play and try new games.”

“On Super Bowl Sunday in February 2016, the lottery joined the multistate game Lucky for Life. While some players enjoy the chance to win big top prizes or play for jackpots that grow larger, the unique top prize of $1,000 A Day for Life in the game offers the appeal of a prize that lasts a lifetime.”

The lottery boasted, “It is the only US lottery to achieve both growth in sales and growth in earnings every year during its first 10 years.”
Is there a downside for the lottery’s success in achieving so much participation?
If so, every state in the nation except for five, shares the challenges.

The national situation was described in Oct. 24 issue of The New Yorker in an article by Kathryn Schulz. It was titled “What We’ve Lost Playing the Lottery: The games are a bonanza for the companies that states hire to administer them. But what about the rest of us?” Her article was based in part on a new book, “For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America,” by historian Jonathan D. Cohen.

After describing some of the multiple games offered in convenience stores, such as Show Me $10,000!, $100,000 Lucky, Money Explosion, Cash Is King, Blazing Hot Cash, Big Cash Riches, Schulz writes, “The strangest of the many strange things about these tickets is that, unlike other convenience-store staples--Utz potato chips, Entenmann’s cinnamon-swirl buns, $1.98 bottles of wine--they are brought to you by your state government.”

These games, she writes “are, like state parks and driver’s licenses, a government service.”
Schultz writes, “At my local store, some customers snap up entire rolls--at a minimum, three hundred dollars’ worth of tickets--and others show up in the morning, play until they win something, then come back in the evening and do it again. All of this, repeated every day at grocery stores and liquor stores and mini-marts across the country, renders the lottery a ninety-one-billion-dollar business.”

Cohen writes, “Americans spend more on lottery tickets every year than on cigarettes, coffee, or smartphones, and they spend more on lottery tickets annually than on video streaming services, concert tickets, books, and movie tickets combined.”

So, lottery tickets could be viewed as either “a benign form of entertainment or a dangerous addiction.”

Either way, the question remains, according to Cohen, whether governments charged with promoting the general welfare should be in the business of producing lottery tickets, publicizing them, and profiting from them.

Editor’s Note: D.G. Martin, a lawyer, served as UNC-System’s vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch.

Terror

As the wife of a former prosecutor of major felonies and later a judge, I was a close observer of several of our community’s most sensational crimes and their resulting murder trials. Think the young Air Force wife and her two pre-school daughters, the couple who were shot dead walking downtown simply because of the color of their skin, and the attack at a McPherson Church Road restaurant that left four dead and seven injured.

In each of these shocking crimes, a perpetrator was arrested, tried and eventually convicted.

The hope is that the vicious stabbings of four students in a college town in Idaho will follow the same course.
At this writing, though, law enforcement authorities apparently remain baffled as to who committed these seemingly random murders and why.

Like the Cumberland County cases, the Idaho murders seem to be of the scariest sort — strangers who come out of nowhere and kill for reasons incomprehensible to the rest of us.
Fayetteville and Cumberland County support large and experienced law enforcement agencies that have, sadly, investigated and solved many murders over the years. Moscow, Idaho, a small town of about 25,000 that had not had a murder in seven years until last month.

State and federal investigators, including the FBI with all its experience, intellectual horsepower and crime-solving gadgetry, have stepped in, though whatever they are up to has yet to be disclosed publicly. The universal hope is that law enforcement has found a trail and is well on the way to identifying and arresting a suspect, or even scarier, suspects.

The alternative is too frightening to contemplate.

Trees

This holiday season, I have my first faux Christmas tree. Or, as a friend put it, a real tree, just one that has never been alive. My faux tree is, he opined, not a hologram.
I chose this route not because I do not love everything about a tree that has been alive but because I got tired of dealing with putting on and taking off hundreds of little white lights. Faux trees, it seems, can be purchased — mostly from China, “pre-lit,” so all one has to do is plug them in, put on all the special family ornaments, including the clothespin reindeer from Sunday school classes long past.

I am, however, suffering from faux tree guilt.

Debate continues over which is more environmentally safe and sustainable.

A 2018 article in The New York Times addressed this question and, like most other issues, it is a mixed bag. Live Christmas trees are a crop, just like food crops, that are planted every year and supports small farmers, including many in western North Carolina.

They can be recycled, and many recycled trees are now used along our coastline to help stave off erosion. They are also increasingly expensive, with the average price of a live tree this season being between $80-100.

Faux trees, on the other hand can be and are re-used for years, lessening the environmental impact of their plastic. It is also true that the environmental impact of faux trees is not much compared to the vehicular and air travel of the season and all the consumerism that comes with it. In addition, live trees in another big tree-producing state, Oregon, are harvested by helicopters, which can hardly be environmentally positive.

All of that said, I miss my live tree.

Tattoos

And, finally, a London tattoo removal parlor is offering free laser tattoo removal of Kanye West tatts, approximately a $2,500 value, following West’s recent rants admiring Adolph Hitler and other offensive statements.

My question is who would have wanted one in the first place?

With an eye on neighboring Moore County, the Fayetteville Public Works Commission says it is increasing its monitoring, reviewing security procedures, and working with local authorities to ensure the delivery of services to customers.

“We are following the situation in Moore County, and, if requested and able, will provide any resources to help,” PWC said in a post on its website. “We know this raises concerns for our customers, and we want to assure our community that the safety and security of our infrastructure is a top priority.”

The FBI has taken the lead in investigating what N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper has said may have been an act of domestic terrorism that damaged two electrical substations in Moore County on Dec. 3. One is located in West End, and the other substation is in Carthage.
Thousands of people were left without power when gunshots disabled electrical equipment.

“We obviously know people are concerned,” said Carolyn Justice-Hinson, a spokeswoman for PWC. “We take it very seriously. This is a priority for us and has been before Moore County. We will continue to work to protect our system and hope for the residents of Moore County and Duke Energy customers that this can be resolved.”

Moore County declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew after the power disruption.
Roughly 45,000 people were without power in North Carolina beginning Saturday. As of noon Wednesday, about 35,000 customers remained without power, said Emily Kissee, a spokeswoman for Duke Energy.

“That number is going down,” Kissee said.

Duke Energy anticipated having power restored for nearly all customers last week.
Moore County Sheriff Ronnie Fields told reporters that firearms were used to shoot and disable equipment at the two substations in Moore County over the weekend. Damage was estimated in the millions. No motive or suspect has identified.

“We have not released the caliber of weapon nor the type of weapon,” Moore County Chief Deputy Richard Maness said Wednesday.

“All of our available personnel with the Sheriff's Office is actively investigating any and all leads we have,” Maness said. “We’ve partnered with the FBI, the State Bureau of Investigation. We're working near and far around the clock to find out who did this. I'm not at liberty to release a lot of details.”

A tipline for anyone who may have information about the attacks is at 910-947-4444. Maness said investigators are looking into any leads.
On Dec. 7, Moore County residents were coping with a fourth day of power disruptions that began just after 7 p.m. Saturday, Fields has said.
Justice-Hinson said Dec. 6 by phone that PWC exceeds mandates for electric utility safety set by the federal government.

“We are reviewing our current plans and increasing our monitoring and continue to stay vigilant with it,” she said.

Justice-Hinson said the situation is a good reminder that nothing is 100% guaranteed.

“If you rely on electricity for medical purposes or you have young children in the home, always make sure you have a plan to get to somewhere with power or take care of your family,” she said. “No utility wants to let their customers go without services. Obviously, everyone is reliant on electricity.”

Moore County Public Safety has said officials are working to determine if the death of one county resident who was without power was the result of the power outage or a medical condition.
Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin said the city is definitely paying attention to what happened in Moore County.

“As we try to be helpful to our neighbors, we’re making sure we are taking the right precautions, preventative steps,” Colvin said.

Colvin said he has spoken with PWC Chairwoman Ronna Rowe Garret, adding, “I’m sure this will be a conversation we’ll be having in the coming weeks. It’s definitely a teachable moment for everyone.”
At South River Electric Membership Corp., headquartered in Fayetteville, spokeswoman Cathy O’Dell said safety has always been a priority.

“Not only the safety of our employees, but also the safety of our members in the greater community, securing our infrastructure and keeping safety as a top priority,” O’Dell said.

Since about 2017, O'Dell said, South River has maintained surveillance at its substations, including cameras and audio alarms. Some locations have a combination of those and other security measures, she said.

"Certainly, I think we’ve all been in a heightened state of awareness,” she said. “As a coastal state, I think we're in a position of preparedness. I certainly hope this is an isolated incident and does not grow in any way.”

Like PWC, Moore County is connected to the Duke Energy system. Part of Moore County also is served by an electric cooperative, Justice-Hinson said.

She said the utility’s employees have been reminded that they are “our eyes and ears in the community, and they need to stay very alert. If you see something, say something. Take everything seriously.”
Fayetteville PWC’s top priority, Justice-Hinson said, is reliable service.

“We want to do anything and everything we can to prevent disruption to services.”

Chanukah is a relatively modern holiday in regard to the Hebrew calendar. Unlike Yom Kippur or Passover, which are steeped in rich traditions, there are few Chanukah customs. Chanukah begins the evening of Dec. 18 and ends the evening of Dec. 26 this year.

Chanukah celebrants still participate in various customs each year, some of which are customized according to family preferences.

While some traditions, such as the lighting of the Chanukah menorah, are familiar, others may not be as widely known — especially to those outside of the faith. Here’s a look at a select few.
Saying the Shehecheyanu blessing

Traditionally, there are two blessings that some people say each night while lighting the candles. The first is recited while holding the lit shamash, and the second is said while lighting the candles.
Another blessing, known as the “Shehecheyanu,” is said on the first night only. This blessing is traditionally said on the first night of all Jewish holidays and other special occasions, whenever someone does something or experiences something for the first time during the year.

Singing “Ma’oz Tzur”

Chanukah songs may not be as numerous or as widely sung as Christmas carols during the holiday season, but there are a select few that are part of the festivities.

“Oh Chanukah Oh Chanukah” and “The Dreidel Song” are some of the most widely known songs, but some people also follow the custom of singing “Ma’oz Tzur (Rock of Ages)” around the menorah. The words were composed in the 13th century, and the song summarizes historical challenges faced by the Jewish people that were overcome with God’s help.

Use of oil in Chanukah feasts

It’s well known that latkes, or fried potato pancakes, are served around Chanukah. The reason is due to the oil used to fry them, which traditionally is olive oil. Fried foods call to mind a specific Chanukah miracle. After the Greeks destroyed the sanctuary and defiled what was thought to be all of the oil, one jug sealed with the imprint of the High Priest was found.

That one jug managed to keep the Temple’s menorah lit for eight days, despite it being insufficient to handle this task. This was considered a miracle and celebrated in subsequent years.
Another food eaten at Chanukah are donuts, because they are fried in oil. Sufganiyot are an Israeli deep-fried jelly doughnuts. These delicious dessert treats are made with yeast and must be allowed to rise.

They're often topped with confectioners sugar. For Sephardic Jews, bumuelos are eaten. These are fried fritters. Unlike the leavened sufganiyot, bumuelos are made with unleavened matzo meal as well as eggs, syrup, and both lemon and orange peel.

Chanukah is a relatively modern holiday with few traditions. However, the customs associated with this holiday are held dear.

All ages are invited to come out to experience the magic of trains at Fascinate-U Children’s Museum on Dec. 17. The Cape Fear Railroaders will showcase their model trains on the museum’s 3rd floor to delight children of all ages. The exhibit is scheduled to run from noon until 4 p.m. The exhibit will also be open on Saturdays in January.

Visitors can also enjoy the regular exhibits. Fascinate-U Children’s Museum has hands-on, child-friendly exhibits that keep kids’ active minds busy and let young imaginations run wild during these cool winter days.

“We are open every day except Monday and all of our exhibits are hands-on, so when you come to visit, the children get to play and pretend to be a grown-up,” said Susan Daniels, executive director of Fascinate-U.

“We have a grocery store, costume stage, a news desk, a doctor’s office, school room, army fort, post office, farm, voting booth and restaurant exhibit.” Daniels added that the children get to pretend to be employees through role-playing, manipulation, and interacting with each other.

The Cape Fear Railroaders are incorporated as a non-profit Historical and Educational organization, dedicated to keeping the history of railroads alive.
The organization's objectives are to expand interest in the history of rail transportation, to preserve the historical materials concerning railway transportation of all kinds, to collect data on the history of transportation and issue publications relating to the subject. Along with current rail transportation topics, the organization aims to inform and educate the public of the value of railroads and rail transportation.

They also seek to promote, sponsor and/or conduct restoration of railroad equipment and historical museum exhibits.
While promoting fellowship between those interested in rail history, current rail issues, they also wish to promote railroad history though the practice of model railroading, and to instruct, aid and assist model railroaders in the fulfillment of model railroading as a hobby.

Admission to Come See the Trains is free unless you want to stay to play in the museum. For adults, it’s $3 and for children, it’s $4.
Fascinate-U Childrens Museum is located at 116 Green Street. Museum hours on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Wednesday, hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours on Saturday are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday hours are noon until 5 p.m.

For more info, visit www.fascinate-u.com or https://www.facebook.com/fascinate.u.museum or call 910-829-9171.

Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Student Learning Center has had a few names and several locations through the years, but it has always been solid, reliable, helpful. Students approaching it are feeling anxious, exhausted, or mystified, but they leave with answers. And the only thing that anybody ever needs is a student ID.

In the Learning Center, alongside our director Kareka Chavis, we’ve worked with several students, but our oldest student, who had no trouble whatsoever with computers and who took classes simply because she loved to learn, was 85.

We have students from most of the continents, many dozens of countries, and of course Fort Bragg. They have children or even grandchildren, jobs and spouses, medical conditions or test anxiety.
They were inducted into the National Honor Society yesterday, or they’re being deployed tomorrow. They haven’t taken a class in 35 years, or they’ll be receiving high school diplomas and associate degrees on the same happy evening in May. From here, they’ll be going to Pembroke or Princeton. They have no idea what they want to do, or they’ve had the same dream since they were six years old.

When they visit us, they’re met by talented instructors who take tremendous satisfaction from watching the light turn on in a student’s mind. We tutor in English and anything that requires writing (sociology, history, religion, psychology, biology…), in every imaginable level of math, in chemistry and Spanish and accounting, in the scary behemoth known as computer science.

Classroom professors donate their time to work alongside our students a couple of hours a week. We have separate but neighboring math, writing, and science labs.

We partner with the men’s and women’s basketball teams, the baseball and softball teams, and the volleyball team, all of whose athletes spend time with us. Nursing and dental-technology students come with their study groups because our smaller rooms are conducive to serious concentrating. And every now and then we have something for everyone to eat because, after all, man does not live by Excel alone.

When COVID struck, we and our students needed a minute to regain our mental equilibrium. The entire campus was eerily quiet, and everything seemed unfamiliar. We recovered, but vast numbers of our classes were converted to online. Now, after a couple of years, the online courses co-exist peacefully with their face-to-face counterparts, but students of all ages and backgrounds have moments or entire semesters of desperately needing personal attention and immediate answers to questions. Of course, here we still are, upstairs in the VCC building.

Last week, I had students from Egypt, South Korea, Senegal, Yemen, India and Nigeria. And Hope Mills, Spring Lake and Raeford. All of them were panicked about the essays that needed to be written today, from scratch, and submitted tonight. Typical day in the Student Learning Center! Let us help you find your way forward! For more information contact tuleym@faytechcc.edu or 910-678-8266.

Segra Stadium welcomes holiday revelers to come down and check out the Fayetteville Holiday Lights, where “tens of thousands of lights” will be displayed “throughout the ballpark” every evening between 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. through Dec. 23.

Separate areas will have different lights and things to offer visitors, with lights in the concourse that wrap around the stadium and on the field itself. Each night presents a different theme, from fireworks, Christmas characters, Beers and Cheers, and more.

“Spectators can come in . . . and walk the full 360-degree concourse,” said Rachel Smith, Segra Stadium senior manager of events and guest services. “We have lights all through the seats, all through the concourse” and inflatables on the concourse side.

Nestled downtown beside the Prince Charles Hotel, Segra Stadium is Fayetteville’s baseball stadium and home to the Woodpeckers, a minor league Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros playing in the Carolina League.

Segra Stadium features a field of real grass and a 75-foot-wide digital video screen, which is the largest screen in the Big South Conference.

“Down on the warning track of the field is another walkthrough area, as well, so [there will be] different light displays down there,” Smith said. “And we change what the layout looks like each year.”

During the festival, Santa Claus is going to be hanging out at the Home Plate Bar, and revelers can take their pictures with him for free. On Thursdays, there will be Beers and Cheers. On Fridays, fireworks.

“We have food and beverage available, [and] different entertainment pieces,” Smith said.

On Thursdays, they will have music bingo and giveaways will happen on Saturdays.
Be on the lookout for a great photo opportunity by the 18-foot-tall Christmas tree in the concourse at the “Landing Deck.” Out in left field, the Kids Zone welcomes kids who want to climb around, while a tent will be set up over the third base line for kids who want to do arts and crafts.

“And then we have an element called “Trees for Charity,” Smith said. For $200, people can sponsor a tree, partner with a sponsor and decorate it.

“Spectators will vote on their favorite decorated tree . . . and [then the] money goes back to the top three nonprofits.”

Up in a darkened part of the stands, look forward to movie night Friday, Dec. 16, because Segra Stadium will play “How The Grinch Stole Christmas.” This area also serves as a cool vantage point to watch the goings on during the rest of the festival.
Tickets are $10 per adult and $8 per child in advance. At the gate, it’s two dollars more. Remember that tickets are timestamped by day.

“There are a lot of elements that are included,” Smith said. Movie night, fireworks and giveaways are all included in the ticket price.

The only additions are food and drinks, she said.
Segra Stadium is located at 460 Hay Street, in downtown Fayetteville. You can purchase tickets at https://www.milb.com/fayetteville/community/specialevents/holidaylights.

Fayetteville’s resident symphony orchestra is answering the call for seasonal cheer with a small holiday concert at Dirty Whiskey Craft Cocktail Bar on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m.

The upcoming installment of Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra’s wildly popular Symphony On Tap concert series will feature their jazz quartet and a program of festive favorites for patrons to enjoy.
While mistletoe and Moscow Mules might not go immediately hand in hand, the FSO’s commitment to bringing beautiful music directly to the people in the community has proven to be a savvy move. With 16 shows scheduled at various restaurants, breweries and watering holes around the city this concert season, there are plenty of opportunities to create new classical music fans.
FSO’s Marketing Manager, Meghan Woolbright, attributes the relaxed setting to the success of the concert series.

“People can look forward to experiencing our wonderful jazz quartet in a less traditional, more comfortable free flowing setting,” she told Up & Coming Weekly. “The fact that it’s free is also pretty neat,” she continued. “You don’t have to spend money to enjoy beautiful music. I think it’s grown in popularity because it’s become something fun and different to do on a Friday night.”

Both woman and veteran-owned, Dirty Whiskey offers a bevy of designer cocktails just right for a swanky holiday date night, a Dirty Santa exchange among girlfriends, or anyone looking to celebrate this time of year.

With seasonal offerings such as a Vanilla Chai Martini, an Orange Spiced Mule, and a Pomegranate Margarita, to name a few — it’s the perfect recipe for a cozy night out.

“I’m confident people will love the layout and drinks,” Woolbright said. “It’s very festive. The decorations are up, and it's a beautiful space.”

As an added perk, Dirty Whiskey partners with Dirtbag Ales Brewery, and concertgoers will have an opportunity to enjoy a local favorite, Napkins BBQ, and perhaps a food truck or two as the sound of Christmas music fills the air.

This concert, and others like it, are just one of the many ways the FSO acknowledges and honors the changing landscape of the community it serves.

As the leading musical resource in Cumberland County and the North Carolina Region, the FSO strives to create opportunities for people from all walks of life to enjoy the power of beautiful music.

In addition to Symphony on Tap, the FSO offers several other free concerts throughout the year.
For over 65 years, the FSO has been on a mission to educate, entertain and inspire the citizens of Cumberland County through the arts. The FSO has honed its skills as a professional regional orchestra praised for its artistic excellence.

Whether a fan of Christmas, music, fine spirits, or all three — Holiday Music at Dirty Whiskey is the perfect way to enjoy the season in Cumberland County.
Dirty Whiskey is located at 5431 Corporation Drive in Hope Mills.

For more information about the Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra and upcoming events, visit their website at https://www.fayettevillesymphony.org/.

“I came from the small side of the tracks and they told me I wasn’t college material,” Dr. J. Larry Keen said with a slight grin. Sitting behind the desk he has occupied for 15 years as the President of Fayetteville

Technical Community College, Keen took just a beat before he continued with a story about how that declaration put him in a vocational training class which would help change the course of his life.
He was put into an electronics class by his high school guidance counselor with the idea that learning a trade would be Keen’s path to a better future. What Keen gained from the class was an appreciation for the technical aspects of learning and the realization that the “VoTech” kids were smarter and more innovative than many gave them credit for.

“They were talking about stuff you couldn’t dream of at that time,” Keen said, recalling ideas the students had for technology automation.
Using that inspiration and the strength and perseverance he says he got from his mother, Keen found his own path.

“Opportunities opened up for me and I started taking advantage of those opportunities,” Keen said. “I went to college to play football.”

College ball took him from Florida to Oklahoma, where he met his future wife, Vicki. He worked on his degree while holding down a full-time job at the B.F. Goodrich tire manufacturing plant in Miami, Oklahoma.

“I went to college to play football and learned there’s a lot more to life than football,” he said.

Education “became a way of life” for him, Keen said. He would go on to earn his A.A. from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, his B.S. from Missouri Southern State College, his M.S. from Pittsburgh State University, and his Ed.D. from Oklahoma State University.

While earning degrees and raising two sons with Vicki, Keen would also serve 21 years in the Army Reserve.

“I learned if you just work hard and do the best you can do, destiny favors those who work hard,” Keen said. “Stay focused, continue to do the hard work and understand that things change, be adaptable to the change.”

Keen’s career includes classroom experience as a faculty member and educational leadership positions at the community college and university levels, as well as being a trainer for military and government programs. He held positions at Oklahoma State University and Northwestern Oklahoma A&M College. He then served as the Vice President of Economic and Workforce Development for the North Carolina

Community College System for five years before opportunity brought him to Fayetteville.
Dr. Marye J. Jeffries was the Chair of the FTCC Board of Trustees when Keen was selected as the President in 2007.

“We had interviewed a good number of candidates,” Jeffries remembers. “He was more impressive than any of them. With his experience and background, we thought he was the best candidate. We certainly have not been proven wrong.”

Now retired herself, Jeffries served on the Board from 1992 until 2018. She said among many successes Keen oversaw at FTCC, his efforts to “work cooperatively with other colleges— Fayetteville State and Methodist University — and building partnerships with other community colleges in North Carolina” are noteworthy.

“Fayetteville Tech was always one of the leading community colleges [in the state], but he took it to the next level,” Jeffries said. “He was always so knowledgeable about the needs and services a community college can [offer] … We’ve been recognized, largely because of his leadership and style.”

FTCC has been consistently recognized as a Top 10 Military Friendly school, Top Military Friendly Spouse school and Best for Vets school. Under Keen’s leadership, FTCC has made strides in focusing service to military members, veterans and their families. Keen led an ongoing collaboration with leaders at Fort Bragg to create a process to grant college credit for military training, and to open the All American Veterans Center on campus.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is what we’ve done with the U.S. military,” Keen said. “We initiated programs years ago, working with the military … to ascribe credit to military training. We provide training to finish their degrees.”

When asked what other things he is proud of from his time at FTCC, Keen is not short on replies.

Some are more localized, such as “the success rate of our students has improved over time … college transfer program success rates have improved … the systemization of what we do … our success in the use of financial resources — we get clean audits … our accreditation … how my executive team works together…”

Others have far-reaching impacts on the state and nation, providing a valuable workforce pool in critical fields.
Carolina Cyber Network — FTCC is in partnership with seven other community colleges and three four-year institutions seeking to fill the growing need for cybersecurity personnel through coordinated training programs at each institution.

Fire and Rescue Training Center with the Swiftwater Rescue Training Facility — The on-going development of the state-of-the-art facility will serve the county, region, state and beyond.
Expansion of the Nursing Program and renovation of the Nursing Education and Simulation Center — This expansion will allow FTCC to increase its capacity and provide much needed graduates for the medical community. Keen said the program will now have two start dates per year and hopes to graduate 400 students per year.
One successful effort that touches nearly all fields of study at FTCC was an early commitment to providing online education options. It enabled the college to move swiftly to online services at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I’m so proud of the way we navigated COVID,” Keen said. “It was disastrous for so many colleges.”

Keen’s team brought together a contingent of people with expertise in different areas to develop the plan and ensure instruction would continue using improved technologies and processes.

“It kept us not only abreast, but ahead of the game,” Keen said. “It caused us to be more attentive to how we interact with each other.”

While Keen is quick to point to the collaboration of everyone involved, others credit his initiative and guidance.

“It was his leadership that set the foundation, the college was well positioned when COVID hit,” said Dr. Mark Sorrells, who was selected to replace Keen when he retires Jan. 1.

Keen is not one to give himself praise for a job well done. His focus remains on providing opportunities for each person seeking education and opportunity.

“It’s takes all of us, it takes more than a village to make this happen,” he said. “It takes all of us to open doors … to serve those young people that come into our institution.”

Rep. John Szoka, who worked with him for ten years while serving in the state legislature, said Keen has made a personal and professional impact on him, as well as the entire community.

“He’s been an invaluable asset to our community,” Rep. Szoka said. “He’s been a resource to the community, to the college, and he’s gonna be really missed.”

The Local Government Commission has officially denied a proposed employment agreement that would allow the town of Spring Lake to hire Justine Jones as its next town manager.

The town board voted 3-2 on Oct. 10 to appoint Jones as permanent town manager with the condition that Jones, the Local Government Commission, the Board of Aldermen and the town attorney accept the contract terms.

State Treasurer Dale Folwell, who is also the chairman of the Local Government Commission, sent out a press release on Oct. 13 stating that he would not approve the money to hire Jones citing statutory authority and the commission’s financial oversight of Spring Lake as his reasons for not approving the funding.

He also cited concern over the potential for legal and financial liabilities and the potential adverse impact on town morale.

Mayor Kia Anthony has since referred to being in “limbo” as far as hiring a town manager, saying there has not been an official response from the commission to the town. Since Oct. 10, there have been numerous closed sessions with the board and Town Attorney Michael Porter citing personnel and attorney-client privilege.

Jones served as the town manager of Kenly for three months before being fired. The town made national headlines when seven employees, including the police chief and four full-time police officers, resigned after Jones had been on the job for 45 days. They said she created a hostile work environment.

Anthony and Porter have said Kenly hired a third-party private investigator who determined that the claims of a hostile work environment were unfounded.

In the four-page letter sent Dec. 7 to the town, Local Government Commission Secretary Sharon Edmundson, who also serves as the deputy treasurer for the State and Local Government Finance Division, provided clarification and reasoning for the commission’s decision to deny the contract.

Edmundson reminded the board that the LGC had by a resolution from October 2021 exercised its authority to assume full control of all of the financial affairs of the town.

The Local Government Commission took over the town’s finances in October 2021 amid concerns over budget deficits, fiscal disarray and possible missing money. 

She added that in its role as the governing board for the town’s financial matters, the LGC may exercise financial power to hire a town manager.

“The LGC staff have historically collaborated with local governments under the LGC’s financial control to give deference to elected officials’ choices, provided those choices are prudent, reasonable, and fiscally sound given the specific circumstances of that local government’s overall fiscal health and situation,” Edmundson said in the letter.

Edmundson then outlined six concerns that led to the decision to decline the proposed employment agreement by Folwell, Edmundson and David Erwin, who was appointed the town’s finance officer on Nov. 2.

Their reasoning was as follows:
That the candidate does not meet preferred qualifications agreed to by the board in its 2023 Fiscal Accountability Agreement dated Sept. 26, specifically that the candidate should have experience with an N.C. municipal government that was in good standing after his/her tenure. According to the letter, Jones had less than four months of experience in an N.C. municipal government position and the town of Kenly was not currently in good standing with the LGC due to its missing financial audit report in 2021.
Jones had no experience as a town manager of a municipality of comparable size. Kenly has one-fifth the population of Spring Lake. Kenly is in Johnston and Wilson counties and has around 1,500 residents. Spring Lake has almost 12,000 residents.
Jones has no experience as a manager of a town recovering from severe fiscal distress and mismanagement.
Other than the brief period in Kenly, her work history shows no experience in a local government management position for the last seven years, from 2015-2022.
There was a split 3-2 vote from the Board of Aldermen for the selection, which indicates that the board was not in agreement and that this indicated a lack of confidence in the candidate. According to LGC staff, this often leads to further problems.
Former interim town manager Joe Durham stated that Jones would need coaching to handle the current management needs of the town. He had offered free coaching. However, the LGC said this further showed there was a lack of substantial and necessary experience as a town manager.


Edmundson furthered that the LGC recognized that the town was still recovering from years of financial mismanagement and employee malfeasance.

An investigative audit report released March 17 by State Auditor Beth Wood outlined six findings, including that the former finance director Gay Tucker used more than $400,000 in town money for personal use and that town employees had spent over $100,000 in questionable credit card purchases.

Tucker pleaded guilty in September to embezzling more than $500,000 from the town between 2016 and 2021. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14.

“Recognizing this situation, the LGC staff aspire to work collaboratively with you, as the Town officials, to make the best financial decisions. But the duty of financial stewardship and loyalty of the LGC, its staff, and the Treasurer to the citizens and taxpayers should take precedence over the LGC staff’s customary deference to decisions of the elected officials,” Edmundson said.

The letter also noted that Porter had demanded LGC review the proposed employment agreement and had threatened multiple times to bring legal action against the LGC due to its delayed response.


Edmundson said these threats came despite the LGC staff continuing to handle financial matters of the town on a timely basis and as the town named Jason Williams to be interim town manager on Nov. 14.

She said Porter first provided the agreement less than an hour before a regularly scheduled meeting of the full Local Government Commission on Nov. 1 in Cullowhee without leaving any time for LGC staff to review the materials or advise commission members on the matter. She also added that the contract would normally not have been presented to the LGC for review and approval because of already approved LGC resolutions.

Considering Porter’s demands, the contract came up at the December LGC meeting on Tuesday, where Folwell brought up the proposed agreement and noted that staff recommended denial.

“The Treasurer stated that he was willing to put this matter to a separate vote by the Commission, despite the delegation of authority from the LGC to staff as noted above. Consequently, to move forward, we are now communicating the decision to not approve the proposed employment agreement,” Edmundson said.

She said Folwell and the LGC staff were willing to assist in hiring a town manager and outlined what the LGC considered necessary executive and administration qualifications for a new town manager.

This skill set includes:

• A demonstrated success and experience as a manager of a North Carolina municipality with a size of population, staff, services, and budget comparable to that of Spring Lake, most preferably for a minimum of two years. It was added that three to four years would be better.
• Possibly demonstrated success as a manager in turning around a distressed town or community.
• The ability to hit the ground running leading all town administrative functions.
• Demonstrated attention to detail in all written and oral correspondence. (Jones sent a cover letter and resume to the “Town of Spring Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia” before sending a corrected version to the town of Spring Lake.)
  
  
  Anthony, Mayor Pro Tem Robyn Chadwick and Alderwoman Sona Cooper did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
  
  Alderman Raul Palacios said in response to the letter Thursday that Folwell made the right call for Spring Lake. Palacios was one of the aldermen who voted against hiring Jones, saying there were other applicants who were more qualified.
  
  “Another positive outcome to this is that the LGC has defined its role in the hiring process and has outlined qualities they’re looking for in our next town manager,’’ Palacios said. “The treasurer’s office did acknowledge our interim town manager Jason Williams has been ‘performing well,’ so Spring Lake citizens can rest knowing we are in capable hands at this time.”
  
  According to Palacios, the board made the decision to file suit against the state and the LGC during a meeting Tuesday night.
  
  “The petition is for a Writ of Mandamus, which is asking the court to command a public authority to perform an official duty,’’ Palacios said. “In this case, the town is wanting the LGC to approve or deny the contract for Justine Jones.’’
  
  He said the board made the decision because the LGC had the contract for over 30 days and took no action other than news releases.
  
  Palacios said that after receiving the letter from Edmundson, Porter had emailed the board that in light of obtaining a final decision he would stand down until otherwise instructed.
  
  Edmundson said Folwell has consistently stated that the focus of the LGC’s financial decisions is to protect the town’s citizens, the taxpayers and their tax dollars, and to make wise use of the town’s limited resources.
  
  “The goal has always been to help the Town regain its financial footing so that full control may be returned to its governing board,” Edmundson said.
  
  She added that Folwell had repeatedly offered to meet with Anthony to discuss how best to move forward in finding the right candidate.
  
  “The practice of the LGC staff has always been to work in collaboration with Town officials and staff on key issues,’’ Edmundson said. “Yet it has been difficult to find points of agreement with the Town on both process and substance of financial decisions during this time of LGC financial control.”
  
  Folwell and Anthony have not met despite discussing meeting since mid-October.
  
  “We have great hopes for the future of Spring Lake and look forward to working collaboratively with you to identify and hire the appropriate individual for this key position,” Edmundson said.
  
  The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Aldermen is Monday, Dec. 12 at 6 p.m. at the Spring Lake Town Hall. There is a closed session on the agenda with general statutes cited for personnel and attorney-client privilege.

No life-threatening injuries were reported Dec. 8 when a Cumberland County Schools bus overturned in the 2000 block of Slocomb Road, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.

The accident was reported at 8:05 a.m. Thursday. School Bus 403 flipped over on the side of the road.
Twenty-three Pine Forest High School students were on the bus, according to a statement from Cumberland County Schools.

“As a precaution, students and the bus driver were transported to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center's main campus for evaluation,’’ the school system said.

Details of what caused the accident were not immediately available.

The N.C. State Highway Patrol is investigating the accident, the news release said.

“We are grateful to law enforcement and first responders who worked with school officials to respond quickly to this situation,’’ the school system said. “While the accident is still under investigation by law enforcement, we are thankful that there were no life-threatening injuries.’’

Drivers were cautioned to avoid Slocomb Road, which was closed to traffic.

Cynthia Leeks says she thinks ShotSpotter is a good company, but she told representatives of the gunshot-detection business on Dec. 7 that the technology is not suitable for Fayetteville.

Leeks was among more than 30 people who attended the first of three information sessions designed to explain the program to the public and field questions how it works.

Another in-person meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Kiwanis Recreation Center, 352 Devers St. A remote version of the presentation is set for noon Friday on the online meeting forum Zoom.

“This seems to be one-sided to me,” Leeks said from her seat in Smith Recreation Center on Slater Avenue. “I think you all are a great company, but this is not for Fayetteville, North Carolina. We are right here at Fort Bragg, and what the gentleman said, he hears M16s all night. I don’t know what they do out there.”

Law enforcement agencies across the country have implemented technology to help reduce gun violence. One of those tools is an acoustic gunshot detection system that can verify when and where shots are fired and to automatically notify police dispatchers.
On its website, ShotSpotter says it uses an array of acoustic sensors that are connected to a cloud-based application designed to accurately locate gunshots. Each acoustic sensor captures the precise time and audio from sounds that may be from gunfire. The data is used to locate where the noise originated and uses algorithms to determine if the source might be a gunshot.

Ron Teachman, director of public safety for ShotSpotter, said law enforcement officers have been shown to arrive faster with the use of the gunshot technology.

The cost for the “guns fired” technology will be $197,000, according to Jack Pontious, a director of Northeast region sales at ShotSpotter, which is based in Fremont, California.

“I’m real excited about working with Fayetteville police,” Pontious said.

But skeptics say the technology is no more effective than a 911 call from a resident or business.

“What is the police department saying about this?” Leeks asked Teachman. “It just seems to infringe on their responsibility. And it’s just not clear-cut here. I’m not at all happy with the fact that high crime is in my community. I’m a person of color; it’s in my community. What are you talking about doing — sending a police officer there each time we hear gunshots? I hear gunshots every night.”

Last month, the Fayetteville City Council voted 6-4 to proceed with implementing gunshot-reporting technology, with the stipulation that ShotSpotter representatives appear at three public forums to answer questions about how it works.

The council authorized the city manager to pursue a contract with ShotSpotter after the forums are held and with some contract modifications.
That followed a 7-3 vote against a motion by Councilman Mario Benavente that the council not proceed with the contract. Council members Courtney Banks-McLaughlin and Shakeyla Ingram joined Benavente to oppose pursuing a contract.

John Czajkowski, 71, came to Wednesday’s information session to hear the presentation from the ShotSpotter representatives.

“I’d rather see the money spent here,” Cazjkowski said. “If you want ShotSpotter, call 911 and give them the money. That will give them incentive. I believe in investing in community first.”

Leeks said she has encouraged people to call 911 instead of relying on the gunshot technology.

“I was just sitting here boiling because I cannot believe the city of Fayetteville has a contract with this company to come in and spend my tax dollars on stuff like this,” Leeks said. “You haven’t said a word about strengthening what we already have. You want to come in with something new and stress what we already have.”

Nathan Weber, a 35-year-old Methodist University student, and Susannah Wagner, 27 and a Cumberland County school teacher, both oppose the ShotSpotter contract.

“It’s a lot of money, in particular,” Wagner said.

Wagner said she and Weber spent a day researching the controversial technology before coming to the meeting.
Following the information session, representatives of Campaign Zero, a national campaign for police reform, offered what they called “the other side of the story.”

Campaign Zero, which dates to 2015, supports 10 proposals to reduce police violence. They cast double on what the ShotSpotter representatives said at Wednesday’s forum.

“They know what to say,” said Abby Magaraci, an analyst for Campaign Zero. “We're just not told the entire truth.”

Fayetteville Regional Airport unveiled its terminal renovations and expansion on Dec. 7, according to a city news release.

The renovations include a new entrance canopy; enhanced security screening area; reconstruction of the rental parking lot; Concourse B upgrades; new airline offices and counter spaces; new escalators and elevators; upgraded baggage claim wings; and new administrative offices, according to the news release.

Airport Director Toney Coleman presided at the ceremony.

In addition to Coleman, speakers included Mark Lynch, chairman of the Airport Commission, Mayor Mitch Colvin; City Councilwoman Courtney Banks-McLaughlin; and City Manager Doug Hewett.

The more than $37 million in renovations were financed through grants from the Federal Aviation Administration, state of North Carolina, and airport’s fund balance, the release said.

Airport officials said the renovations will save travelers time during the busy holiday travel season.

Methodist University will hold its winter commencement Saturday morning, Dec. 10 at the Crown Coliseum.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., according to a university news release. More than 100 graduates will receive their degrees in the final Class of 2022, the release said.

They include Charlisa Lawrence-Joseph, a Dominica native whose country’s flag will be presented during the commencement. The flag will then be permanently displayed in Berns Students Center on campus along with more than 120 flags from other countries across the world, the release said.

Continuing a university tradition, graduates will receive their degrees from Methodist President Stanley T. Wearden as well as participate in an academic hooding ceremony onstage. Each graduate will be hooded by an individual sponsor such as a parent, spouse, child, professor or friend, the release said.

The commencement speaker will be John “Mac” Healy, immediate past chairman of the university’s board of trustees. Healy is president of Healy Wholesale Co. and has lived in the Fayetteville area for more than four decades, the release said.

“It is my pleasure to address this impressive group of graduates,” Healy said in the news release. “These young adults have overcome enormous obstacles to be the newest group of Methodist University graduates. I am truly honored to share this hard-fought victory with them and their families and look forward to watching each of them accept their degree.”

A baccalaureate service recognizing the graduates is scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday in Matthews Chapel. The service will feature the MU Chamber Singers, voice and instrumental soloists, and readers from the graduating class who will lead the congregation in prayers, carols and hymns, according to the news release.

“The faculty, staff, alumni and friends of MU are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of our most recent Methodist University graduates,” Provost Suzanne Blum Malley said in the release. “They have navigated the demands of their academic programs during the upheaval of a global pandemic. We are impressed by their resilience and proud of their commitment to our Methodist University mission and values.”

Graduates and their families can find more information about the hooding ceremony, caps and gowns, parking, tickets, baccalaureate and more at www.methodist.edu/life-at-mu/graduation/.

Two people were shot in a possible road rage incident Sunday, Dec. 4 on Parkton Road, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies responded to a shooting on the 5700 block of Parkton Road in Hope Mills around 3:40 p.m. Deputies learned that “two vehicles were involved in a possible road rage incident where one of the vehicles was shot into and eventually came to a stop via an accident,’’ the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

The driver and a passenger were taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for their injuries, Lt. Patrice Bogertey, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said Monday. One of the shooting victims has been released but the other remains in the hospital, Bogertey said.

The other car sped away toward Woodington Road, the release said. Video footage of the incident shows the vehicle to be a gray sport utility vehicle.

The front passenger was described as a man wearing a bright orange long-sleeved sweater with his arm protruding out the window, the release said.

Anyone who has information about this investigation is asked to call detective D. Bennett at 910- 677-5506 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The curriculum committee of the Cumberland County Board of Education approved purchase agreements totaling about $8 million on Tuesday, Dec. 6 for services and goods with the educational supply companies Learning.com, Learning Environments LLC, Y&S Technologies and McGraw Hill.

The spending will now go before the full Board of Education for consideration on Dec. 13. Five of the board’s subcommittees met Tuesday afternoon at the Education Resource Center on Elementary Drive.

Mellotta Hill and Chris Young led the presentations on the purchases before the curriculum committee. Learning Environments LLC would provide and install musical instrument storage cabinets in middle and high school classrooms that need additional storage.

“These cabinets will, in fact, give a safe and inviting place to store musical instruments,” Hill said.

The cabinets would cost a total of $131,696, with funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER), a program of the federal Department of Education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learning.com is a subscription service for self-paced digital literacy curriculum and digital literacy assessment written to standards of the International Society of Technology for Technology in Education. According to the agenda packet, the subscription service and licenses accommodate 32,000 users at elementary and middle schools.

The cost to the school district is $247,360, with funding provided through the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. The goal is to implement “a robust learning experience.”

Y&S Technologies would provide 19,457 Chromebooks to the school system to replace aging and damaged Chromebooks, said Young.

The computers, which would cost a total of $7.3 million, are manufactured by Lenovo. They would be assigned to the district’s most successful students, officials said.
In this case, the strategic goal is to define, understand and promote educational equity to eliminate gaps and ensure opportunity and access for all students.

The customized kits include K-5 teacher materials, readers, educational manipulatives and digital access for all exceptional children’s teachers. The total cost would be $350,000. The committee voted 4-0 to approve all the purchase agreements.

The All-American Fencing Academy hosted the 15th Annual Harry Rulnick Fencing Tournament on Nov. 12. The tournament is named in honor of Fayetteville native Harry Rulnick, who fenced at UNC Chapel Hill from 1939-1943 and was South Atlantic Champion. He served in the Navy from 1942-1946 and returned to Fayetteville after WWII.

Rulnick donated funds to help purchase starter equipment for students upon learning that a fencing club had started in Fayetteville in 2001. When the annual tournament started in 2006, Rulnick attended as a guest. He died in 2009.

This year, there were 36 competitors from all over North Carolina and one fencer from Georgia. In the men’s foil event, Conrad Emenheiser from Apex Fencing Academy swept through the tournament undefeated and finished in 1st place. In women’s foil, Veronica Hernandez from Lotus Fencing Academy in Georgia took 1st place.

In the largest event, the adult epee event featured competitors from the UNC Chapel Hill Varsity Division 1 NCAA team, Apex, Greensboro, Charlotte and Fayetteville. William Joseph from UNC-Chapel Hill took 1st place.

The highest place taken by Fayetteville’s fencers were Andrew Iford who took 3rd place in both the adult epee and men’s foil event, while Elinor Morkos and Reagan Batdorff tied for 3rd in the women’s foil event.
Youth and Homeschoolers Medal in Greensboro Tournament

Last year, the Fayetteville Homeschool Fencing Team went undefeated and finished as the champions of the North Carolina Homeschool Fencing League. All of last year’s team members have graduated. This year’s team includes co-captains Elinor Morkos and Isaac Canady, as well as Caleb Bruno. This year’s team is not inexperienced in competition. All team members have been fencing for several years and have participated in several competitions.

On Nov. 19, the Fayetteville Homeschool Fencing Team competed in their second team event at Greensboro. After a solid victory against the Wilmington Homeschool Fencing Team, Fayetteville had their first test of their capabilities with Morkos anchoring the team. Oakridge Homeschool were able to tie the score at 44-44 in the final round, but Morkos managed to score the winning touch, winning 45-44.

In the Homeschool individual event, Canady went undefeated and finished in 1st place.
Fayetteville’s youth fencers also competed in Greensboro in the Pisacafe (Piedmont, Sandhills, Cape Fear) Youth Circuit.

In the elementary school division, Callaghan Young took the highest spot for the All-American Fencing Academy at 2nd place. In the middle school division, Daniel Wiskniewski took the highest spot for the All-American Fencing Academy, also at 2nd place.

The All-American Fencing Academy hosts a Walk-In Class for fencers who want to try the sport. The Walk-In Classes occur during Fayetteville’s Fourth Friday events. The All-American Fencing Academy is located in downtown Fayetteville at 207 B Donaldson St. It instructs and trains recreational and competitive fencers starting at age 7, teens, adults and veterans ages 40 and up. Its fencers compete regionally and nationally. Their coaches include former World Cup and NCAA fencers.

For more information about the All-American Fencing Academy and its classes, please call 910-644-0137, e-mail info@allamericanfencing.com or visit www.allamericanfencing.com.

Grace. The word literally means ‘favor.’

In Hebrew it is CHEN from a root word CHANAN — to bend or stoop in kindness to another as a superior to an inferior. I’ve experienced grace. On my best days I’ve even extended it to others. Once you recognize it you become aware it is nothing short of amazing.

Three years and a lifetime ago today our oldest son drew his final breath on this earth. In the time that’s passed since actualizing any parent’s worst nightmare, I’ve learned several things about myself, things about those I love, about those I endeavor to serve, and God. I’ve learned a lot about God.

I’ve become more aware than ever that life is full of difficult situations. And I’ve discovered the lens through which to view them from those who literally walked with and learned from Jesus.

Those who paved the pathway to understanding tell us in their letters inspired by God Himself and recorded for all of us in the Bible. Peter (the rough-around-the-edges disciple) called it a living hope. In the first of his recorded letters, (1 Peter 1:6-7) he says this, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith — more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire — may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Shining the light on hope in even the worst situations has become an everyday task in my world. For more than two decades I’ve been trusted with a platform extending the promises God made and still makes to us individually and collectively.

And what I’ve realized in the past three years is that the promise of the sorrow of the night giving way to a new joy in the morning is true. I’ve had nights I wrestled with the silence of sorrow, trying to drown it out with music or some white noise in my earbuds to carry me through ‘til morning. And then it came. Morning. The dawn of a new day. With the renewed promise of hope each new sunrise offers us.

So this — this moment of trial is part of the promise. If anything about the story of hope I weave is true beyond today, I must embrace it. I must put my feet on the floor, step into the day ahead, and share the promise with others — even as I am being refined in the fire of trial.

Yeah, grace truly is amazing. And as God bends to me with His kindness, I can only be grateful. Life has taught me the vanity of questioning ‘why.’ So I allow that grace — that kindness — to be enough, knowing this moment, this trial, this testing of all that’s encompassed in my use of the word faith will, in light of eternity, prove itself to have been only a little while.

When selecting gifts for the holidays, consider giving a fitness-oriented gift to that person on your list. Gifts that bring the gym to you are popular items for the fitness enthusiast

The most popular bike on the market is Peloton for indoor stationary exercise. It is a choice for those who would like to invest in a bike for home. The bike comes with a computerized screen that offers the participant a ride with live streaming or on-demand classes for a monthly fee.

The Nordic Track Commercial 1750 treadmill comes with a 14-inch touchscreen, and a lot of training options. It has keys to jump to a speed or incline with a single tap and an underfoot 22 by 60-inch deck to walk, jog or run. The Stair master 8 series Free Climber offers a workout for the cardio enthusiast. It comes with 10 programs that include a quick start, manual, fat burner, calorie burner, intervals, cup holder, streaming and Bluetooth.

The Tonal gym is a wall-mounted gym that is tailored to your fitness goals and works with digital weight. It adapts to your fitness needs and keeps track of your performance.

TRX is an all-in-one suspension trainer that takes up minimal space, can be used indoors or out, and was designed by a Navy Seal. The suspension training system is designed for complete body weight work with degrees of intensity based on body positions. It is considered all core all the time because the suspension system challenges the body to keep stable movement during exercises.

For the boxing enthusiast, Fight Camp can transform any space into your boxing gym. The boxing enthusiast will get a complete package for all your knockout rounds. Accessories include gloves, punch trackers, a free-standing bag, a mat, and on-demand workouts.

The Mirror is a sleek mirror that takes up minimal space and can be propped against the wall. Have your work out while watching a fifty-inch reflective surface with thousands of classes and workout types from five to sixty minutes.

Have someone on that gift list that loves technology and the latest trends and accessories? Technical gifts can consider many actions of the recipient from walking to sleeping.

The Apple Watch Series 8 is a fitness partner that fits on your wrist. The Apple Watch tracks all your workout routines with metrics to keep you on top of your goals. It tracks heart rate zones, power and elevation, and keeps information on your running pace. It is water-resistant and tracks your heart rate and blood pressure.

The Fitbit Luxe watch is a fashion accessory that blends in with all your attire whether in the gym or at leisure. It has features for fitness, health, sleep and stress as well as call and text notifications. Rather wear a ring than a watch? The Oura Ring Generation 3 is a subtle accessory that comes in two styles, and five finishes, and tracks your activities, meditation and sleep.

Jisulife has a portable neck fan to use for indoor cycling or activities such as marathon preparation. It helps keep body temperature down, is battery operated and rechargeable with three speeds. The Hidrate Spark water bottle is designed to keep you hydrated throughout the day. It includes a glow factor to remind you to drink, and tracks every sip or drink you take, with an app that recommends a daily water goal tracking your progress.

The Blend Jet portable blender comes in a large assortment of fashion colors that blends your favorite drinks and smoothies while on the go.

Live, love life and give fitness gifts.

When Philip Gerard died Nov. 7 in Wilmington, North Carolina lost one of its most productive and multitalented writers.

His students and colleagues in the creative writing department at UNC-Wilmington would remind us of his great talent as a teacher and mentor to other writers.
As an engaging fiction writer, he was careful to keep his stories’ underlying factual basis strictly accurate. For instance, his 2016 novel, “The Dark of the Island,” weaves a story line that brings together facts about German submarines and spying along our coastline together with fictional efforts to find and exploit oil deposits off those same shores.

The main character, Nick Wolf, is a researcher and publicist for the fictional NorthAm Oil Co., which is searching for oil off the North Carolina coast. NorthAm sends Wolf to the Outer Banks to persuade the locals that oil drilling off their coast would be a good thing for them.

Wolf’s grandfather was a German immigrant who died off the coast of Hatteras Island in 1942 reportedly while serving in the U.S. Merchant Marines, but possibly as a part of the German military. Out of this intriguing background, Gerard’s fiction emerges as an entertaining and provocative read.

As a talented writer of non-fiction, he knew how to weave the facts into compelling stories that held the attention of his readers.
In one of my favorites, “Down the Wild Cape Fear: A River Journey through the Heart of North Carolina,” I learned a lot about history, nature, environmental protection and degradation, public policy, human nature, and man’s search to find a proper place in the world he did not create.

Thanks to Gerard’s great writing, I experienced the drama, the challenges, the joys and the setbacks that are the seasonings of any journey through unfamiliar parts.
Starting a few miles below Jordan Lake where Haw River joins Deep River to form the Cape Fear, Gerard canoes downstream, passing by Raven Rock State Park before reaching the bridge at Lillington, getting through three sets of dams and locks, all the way to Fayetteville. Then, with the rapids behind, switching to a powerboat to follow the river as it passes Elizabethtown, he is on the way to Wilmington and into the ocean beyond Bald Head Island.

We can still benefit from Gerard’s stimulating writing. In May, Blair/Carolina Wren Press published his latest book, “North Carolina in the 1940s: The Decade of Transformation.”
Based on a series of articles Gerard wrote for Our State Magazine, his new book, in 13 short chapters, takes a look at North Carolina in the 1940’s. No one book, especially a short one, can adequately cover an entire decade. But Gerard’s selection and description of important topics gives his readers an informed introduction to the entire period.

Gerard’s small book covers: the 1940 hurricane that brought deathly floods to the mountains of North Carolina, the origins of the “Unto These Hills” (a theatrical extravaganza depicting Cherokee life and history); challenges of land ownership for Black North Carolinians; the polio epidemic; construction of the Fontana Dam and the painful relocation of local residents; the powerful 1944 storm that lashed the Outer Banks; strikes at Reynolds Tobacco in 1943; Black Mountain College and its shocking liberalism in conservative North Carolina; the establishment of the Marine Corps training facility at Camp Lejeune; and the “sensitive, steady, and reliable leadership” of Gov. Mel Broughton.

If these topics are not enough for you, there is some good news. Gerard left another book for us, “North Carolina in the 1950s: The Decade in Motion,” set for publication in March 2023.

Editor’s Note: D.G. Martin, a lawyer, served as UNC-System’s vice president for public affairs and hosted PBS-NC’s North Carolina Bookwatch.