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.

“Flu season” has become such a commonplace turn of phrase that it’s easy to overlook just how big a threat the flu can pose.

Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that as many as 41 million illnesses and 52,000 deaths each year can be attributed to the flu.

There’s no denying that the flu can be a formidable foe, even for those who recover from it within a few days of becoming ill. Flu vaccines can make cases of the flu more manageable, making now a great time to answer some common questions that arise every flu season.

Why are flu vaccinations important? The CDC notes that annual flu vaccinations help to reduce the risk of getting the flu. But it’s also worth noting that a flu shot helps to prevent more serious complications for those people that do get it. Such complications can include ear infections, sinus infections, bacterial pneumonia, and the worsening of chronic conditions like asthma and diabetes.

How do flu vaccines work? Researchers work year-round to get an idea of which influenza viruses are likely to be most common in a given flu season. This is why flu vaccines change from year to year. Regardless of those changes, the CDC notes that all flu vaccines work in the same way, with each causing the development of antibodies in the body within a couple of weeks of vaccination. These antibodies protect against the flu virus.

Flu viruses are constantly changing, so a vaccination that might have been effective one year will not necessarily provide significant protection in the following year. In addition, the protection provided by the flu vaccine wanes over time, so people won’t necessarily be well fortified against the flu if they aren’t vaccinated each year.

Do flu vaccines take individuals into account? The CDC notes that, during the 2022-23 flu season, three flu vaccines are preferentially recommended for people ages 65 and older. That recommendation was based on research suggesting the three vaccines are more effective for people in this age group than the standard dose flu vaccine. For the 2022-23 flu season, the CDC has no preferential recommendation for people under 65.

Should everyone receive a flu shot? Though there are rare exceptions, the CDC urges all individuals age six months and older to get a flu shot every year. Vaccination can be especially important for people considered to be at elevated risk of serious complications should they develop the flu. This includes individuals over 65, people with chronic health conditions and children younger than two-years-old, among others. A more complete list of people who could be at high risk of flu complications is available at cdc.gov/flu/highrisk/index.htm. Am I protected immediately after receiving a flu shot? The flu shot does not provide immediate protection. The CDC notes that it takes roughly two weeks for antibodies to develop and provide protection against the flu virus. This is one reason why it’s wise to get a flu shot before flu season begins.

Flu vaccines are a highly effective mode of protection against influenza viruses. More information is available at www.cdc.gov.

Santa is stepping away from the North Pole to enjoy breakfast and photo opportunities with his friends at Huske Hardware House restaurant in Fayetteville.

Santa will be making appearances during two breakfast sessions on Saturday, Dec. 10. The first session will begin at 9 a.m. and last until 10:15 a.m. Guests wanting to attend the first session must arrive between 8:45 and 9 a.m. Breakfast will not be served after 9:45 a.m. Session two will start at 10:15 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m. with patrons arriving no later than 10:15 a.m. Breakfast will not be served after 10:45 a.m.

Huske Hardware House Restaurant won't disappoint with the menu for this festive event. Kids under the age of 10 will be served the Happy Eggs Breakfast which consists of one scrambled egg, two strips of bacon, and a Belgian Pearl Sugar Waffle.

Those who are 10 and older will be served the Simply Southern Breakfast, which comes with two scrambled eggs, two slices of bacon, one banger sausage, a buttered biscuit, and crispy hash browns.
Tickets must be purchased in advance and seating is limited. For kids, the cost is $12 and for adults it is $15. Tickets are required for all guests two years old and older. All reservations will be made through ticket purchases on Eventbrite.com and are non-refundable.

Located in historic downtown Fayetteville, the Huske Hardware House Restaurant & Brewery has a rich 115-year-old history. On the National Register of Historic Places, the original building was built in 1903 by Benjamin R. Huske. Over the years, the original Victorian-era masonry frame was added to accommodate the booming hardware store. It expanded upward an additional story and to the west to add three more storefronts. Between 1970 and 1996, the building took on a variety of tenants, from furniture merchants to jewelry stores. However, in 1996 Dr. Joseph Baggett renovated the east side to create the restaurant and brewery of today.

Arnette Park is set to light up the night this holiday season. Gather the whole family for Arnette Park's 13th Annual Christmas in the Park event.

If you haven’t attended before, this year is your chance to enjoy the beautiful lights, the camaraderie and the brisk fall breeze that all make for a memorable experience.

The Parks and Recreation staff wants all Fayetteville citizens and the residents of surrounding areas to come out for a night and revel in the light show along with lots of other special Christmas events.

The event is a festival of lights — a combination of holiday-themed displays and natural woodland spanning 100 acres adjacent to the Cape Fear River. It will be a magical way to spend the evening during this wonderful time of year.

Arnette Park will be hosting Christmas in the Park from Dec. 4 to 8, 11 to 15, and 18 to 21 (excludes Fridays and Saturdays). The festivities start at 6 p.m. and last until 9 p.m. each night at Arnette Park.

Admission is free and guests must remain in their vehicle and drive through the park while taking in the sights and sounds of the Christmas season.

 Whether you are two or 82, this year’s Christmas in the Park will be fun for everyone in the family and offers plenty of opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit.

“Christmas in the Park brought back some of my favorite childhood memories and helped me make a few new ones with my own children,” says visitor Tiffany Haywood.

“I can promise you, my family and I have found our newest Christmas tradition and I think perhaps you can find yours too!”

Animals, other than service animals, are not permitted in the park. For additional information, call 910-433-1574. During inclement weather, call 910-306-7325 to check if the park will be open.

The Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery branch of Wreaths Across America will hold their annual wreath laying event Saturday, Dec. 17 at noon at the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake. The wreaths are to honor and remember those who have served in the United States military and who are laid to rest in veterans’ cemeteries.

Wreaths Across America started in Arlington National Cemetery in 1992. A local wreath maker created wreaths for the cemetery as a tribute to the veterans buried there. National Wreaths Across America Day was soon created, and now the day encompasses more than 2,500 veterans’ cemeteries across the nation.

“The Wreaths Across America motto is ‘Remember, Honor, Teach.’ Remember those who served, honor their families and people currently serving now, and teach the next generation the value of freedom. They couldn’t have come up with a better motto,” said Ann Provencher, coordinator of the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery Wreaths Across America Day.

Provencher is in her fourth year as coordinator of the event and her twelfth year as a part of the organization.

“I’m a military family person, my grandparents served, my dad served, I served, my husband served, a couple of my kids served. I’m a very veteran oriented person. Anything that honors our veterans I am pretty much a part of it,” Provencher said.

Wreaths Across America Day will kick off at the cemetery with the delivery of the wreaths. This year, Provencher is hoping to have around 8,000 wreaths to lay at both the Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery and the Main Post Cemetery on Fort Bragg.

The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry will present the colors, and the Overhills High School marching band will play throughout the ceremony.

A regimental bagpiper will play Amazing Grace, and the Missing Man Table will be presented by the Women’s Veterans Interactive Group. New to the ceremony this year will be a large magnetic board with an empty wreath frame. Each wreath is built of 10 balsam bouquets, and each bouquet of the wreath has an important meaning.

This year, Gold Star families will build a wreath on the board as Provencher talks about the individual pieces. The 10 qualities that veterans embody include such ideas as strength, pride, humility and hopes and dreams.
Once the ceremony has concluded, those in attendance will begin laying the wreaths on headstones. There is an important way to do this, Provencher said.
The wreath is placed at the bottom of the headstone with the ribbon on top. Once a volunteer places the wreath, they say the veteran’s name out loud and pay their respects, whether through a moment of silence or a brief prayer.

Provencher said saying the name out loud is important.

“The reason we pay tribute and lay the wreaths, say their name and pay our respects is so that they are remembered. A lot of times family moves on or dies off and no one is left to visit them,” she said.

“I have friends buried in Sandhills. It’s important that they are remembered. I’m a firm believer you die twice, once when you leave your body and once when you’re forgotten.”

Wreaths Across America Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery is always looking for volunteers and donations to continue to honor and remember our nation’s veterans.
To sponsor a wreath visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/pages/166832. To volunteer or to donate, contact Ann Provencher at 910-670-9280 or by email at ann3989@yahoo.com.

The holiday season is upon Fayetteville, and with it, a bevy of activities to help ring in the holiday season. As the town gears up for the “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” it’s the perfect time to get out and about.
For those who can’t resist a little four-wheeled fun, the city’s festive transportation offerings promise something for everyone, just in time for Cool Spring Downtown District’s third annual “Light Up The City” event.

The friendly storefront decorating competition lets customers and visitors to downtown Fayetteville vote on businesses with the “best-dressed windows” for a chance to win the coveted “Viewers Choice Award.”
Though the competition can be judged on foot, for those who'd rather ride in style, Cool Spring Downtown District has a few more tricks up their holiday sleeve that will allow folks to do just that.
First up is the “Sleigh What Comedy?!” trolley on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 7 and 8 p.m. Experience a ride-share like no other as Cool Spring Downtown District invites everyone 21 and up to come make merry aboard the trussed-up “Can Do Coldwell Banker” trolley.

Departing from 222 Hay Street for a hilarious jaunt through downtown, each ride will take approximately 45 minutes and feature the comedic stylings of Fayetteville’s own Kristi Howard. Tickets are $30 each and come with a complimentary drink.

Next, Cool Spring Downtown District and its coterie of elves are on hand to take merrymakers on a festive journey around Fayetteville aboard the Holly Jolly Sing-along Trolley. With musical elf Michael Daughtry in tow, revelers will tour local spots ablaze with holiday lights and decorations.

The 45-minute trip will be full of songs and good cheer; passengers are encouraged to dress for the season and come ready to sing along to a playlist of holiday favorites. The trolley sets out from 222 Hay Street on Thursday, Dec. 15 and Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 and 8 p.m. Adult tickets cost $30; $15 for children under 18.

These holiday offerings, while fun in their own right, speak to Cool Spring's mission to highlight what’s special about downtown Fayetteville while working to support visibility for small businesses. In addition to that lofty aim, it also preserves a bit of the holiday spirit so often lacking in Black Friday sales ads and Cyber Monday digital shopping carts.

“We get so excited about seeing lights in different neighborhoods around the city,” Lauren Falls, Marketing and Events Director for Cool Spring, told Up and Coming Weekly. “Why not enjoy the same thing downtown? Events like ‘Sleigh What?’ and the Holly Jolly Trolley tour let us showcase some of the wonderful talent we have here.”

Whether as a fun family outing or an excuse for a night out with friends, Cool Spring Downtown District’s holiday events are an excellent opportunity to create new memories and get into that holiday spirit.
For tickets and information, visit visitdowntownfayetteville.com/ or call 910-223-1089.

A brand new Disney on Ice show is coming to Fayetteville. Frozen & Encanto showcases two of the most popular Disney movies of the last decade.
The combination of the two movies tells the tale that everyone has their own gifts, magical or not. Being true to oneself and loving those around you is what makes you special.

Audiences will see Anna, Elsa, the entire Madrigal Family as well as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald and Goofy.

“All of their favorite characters are going to be there. We have numbers to everyone’s favorite songs. ‘Bruno’ is a visible crowd favorite; we can hear it from people singing along with ‘Bruno.’ It’s so fantastic,” Natalie Dayvault, one of the cast members, told Up & Coming Weekly.

Dayvault, who is from Acworth, Georgia, says this is her first year working with Disney on Ice and has loved it so far. She is part of the general ensemble, doing all the choreography behind the main characters throughout the show. She says that even though she may not do a whole lot in the number, it all comes together to make something really cool at the end.

The first act of the ice show will be the telling of “Frozen,” narrated by the lovable snowman himself, Olaf. Astounding ice skating transports families to Arendelle to be a part of Anna’s adventure to find Elsa, whose icy powers unleashed an eternal winter. Kristoff and Sven take fans along as they encounter wintry conditions in a race to bring back summer.

The second act will take audiences from frozen Arendelle to hot Colombia, where the Madrigal family live. Mirabel tells the tale of her amazing family and her journey to save her enchanted family casita, alongside her sisters: Isabela, the perfectionist, and Luisa, the strong one.

“My favorite part of the show is the aerial section. So where Isabella’s up, she’s flying through the air, throwing her flower petals just like she is in the movie and when her song comes on. And so that’s something a little bit different that you’re not going to see in a normal performance. You’re going to get something a little bit extra on Disney on Ice,” Dayvault said.

This show features Mirabel and the whole Madrigal family for the first time on ice since the movie came out in 2021.

“I’m just super excited to be part of something that’s so cool and so brand new,” Dayvault said. “I’m just so excited that I’m able to be a part of that.”

Disney on Ice will be at the Crown Coliseum from Dec. 15 through Dec. 18. Show times and ticket prices vary.

All guests aged 2 and older are required to have a ticket. There is an eight ticket limit per person. No costumes are allowed for guests 14 and older.
If you want your children to have interactive time with Elsa and Mirabel, you can also purchase the Character Experience ticket. This ticket would allow your child to be part of a pre-show experience with the characters. To buy tickets go to https://bit.ly/3UcSRLR or call 888-257-6208.

The Special Forces Charitable Trust is a 501(c)(3) designated charity that provides support programs to the “Quiet Professionals” that put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, often without any thanks or fanfare from the general public.

The SFCT is a national organization founded in 2010 by Green Berets, who decided that there were several gaps in support for the warriors and families of the Special Forces community. The organization is locally based, with offices in Southern Pines outside the western border of Fort Bragg. The executive director of the SFCT, Jodi Burns, describes the organization’s work, “[special forces personnel] are quiet professionals, as you know, they don't really talk about who they are … They take that Quiet Professional title very seriously and almost to their detriment. We’re hoping to change that by being their voice, subtly.”

She said, “We pride ourselves in being flexible to their needs because nothing is a cookie-cutter lifestyle with these guys. They have to flex with the changing needs of war and that kind of thing as a family. We pride ourselves in flexing with them and providing for those needs as they change.”

One of the programs that Burns described that the SFCT operates is “Beyond the Battlefield.” “Beyond the Battlefield” is “an operational stress management and suicide prevention platform that offers soldiers an option to anonymously explore and invest in their mental and emotional health. The goal is to provide an option that offers a silently suffering soldier and his family a path towards help, without worrying how it may impact his career.”

Burns stated that before the “Beyond the Battlefield” initiative launch, a 3-day weekend retreat for the whole family, “Mettle and Moxie,” was their signature program. Burns elaborated on the program: “We bring in experts on a given topic to address the family unit, either before or right after deployment, to ensure that their family resilience is intact and being fed. A soldier does his best work when he knows that his family at home is being taken care of.”

One program area of the SFCT that Burns described is geared toward the morale of the soldiers and their families. The SFCT offers events throughout the year, such as Easter Egg Hunts and other family fun events, to help families that may “forget how to celebrate” due to the nature of deployments and a significant family member being out of place during key moments for the family.

One specific area that Burns stated was an area that the SFCT will be growing into is in providing events for the spouses of our soldiers to get together to meet each other, “giving those ladies a chance to gel and get to know each other is super important … it’s super important to allow them the environment to cultivate relationships so they feel more empowered and understood.”

The SFCT website, www.specialforcescharitabletrust.org, also describes educational grants and scholarships available to “help to keep a family strong and resilient” through education. Specific examples include educational assistance grants for spouses, merit-based scholarships for children, and other personal development programs such as financial management, self-defense, and parenting strategies.

The greater community funds all the work that the Special Forces Charitable Trust does. Without the community’s continual support, many beneficial programs would not be possible. On Wednesday, Dec. 14, at the Pinehurst Resort, our community can provide that much-needed support by attending a Celebrity Mix & Mingle.

The Mix & Mingle is connected to a larger event, the Annual Celebrity Tactical Challenge held on Fort Bragg at Range 37. During the challenge, a celebrity participant is partnered with two active Special Forces soldiers that train and coach them on the completion of a series of events that are similar to training exercises soldiers might go through. On the morning of Dec. 15, the celebrities will gear up and hit Range 37 in what Burns called a “fun, fast and furious competition to see who is the best.” Each star also brings in sponsorships that contribute to the organization’s fundraising goals.

Since the tactical challenge is not open to the public, the Mix & Mingle was established for the public to have the opportunity to get involved. Burns describes the event as “educational, as you’re getting to rub shoulders with the SF soldiers … we paint a picture of exactly who they are, what they do, why they’re important to our nation, and the security and freedoms we all benefit from.” She also shared that, “in addition to the SF soldiers, guests also get to meet celebrities and see their interactions with the Green Berets and how they support them. They’ll get to enjoy a roast of those celebrities, door prizes, good food, and drink.”

The reigning Tactical Challenge Champion, former NFL player Andrew East, Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast Shawn Johnson, and MMA superstar Dan Henderson and Bellator Heavyweight Champion Ryan Bader are scheduled to attend the event. Also scheduled to attend are country music singers and songwriters Jimmie Allen, Michael Ray and Tyler Farr. Crossfit Games veteran Jacob Heppner will be there to meet as well as former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard. This list of celebrity attendees is expected to grow in the coming days.

Tickets to attend the event are $100 and available via the SFCT website at www.specialforcescharitabletrust.org/events within the Celebrity Tactical Challenge 2022. The proceeds from the event go to keeping the work of the SFCT moving forward as they serve as a voice of our nation’s “Quiet Professionals.”

Presidential portrait of Dr. J. Larry Keen unveiled

Fayetteville Technical Community College unveiled the presidential portrait of Dr. J. Larry Keen on Nov. 21 in a ceremony in the lobby
of the Thomas R. McLean Administration Building.

The portrait was commissioned by FTCC Foundation in anticipation of Keen’s retirement on Jan. 1.

Brad Hurley, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, said he spent the day with Keen at the Foundation’s annual golf tournament fundraiser earlier this month.

“I got to see his heart in a different way than ever before,” Hurley said. “And I’m just very proud to be a part of this.”

Keen’s portrait joins those of other significant figures in FTCC’s history, including the College’s first three presidents: Howard E. Boudreau, who served from 1964-1983; Dr. R. Craig Allen, 1983-1996; and Dr. Larry B. Norris, 1997-2007. Like his predecessors, Keen is depicted in his academic regalia.

Dr. Mark A. Sorrells, FTCC’s Vice President for Academic and Student Services, will succeed Keen as president next year. Sorrells delivered remarks on behalf of Keen, who was unable to attend the unveiling due to illness.

“This is a special event for Dr. Keen in honor of his service of 15 years at the College but also for the Keen family and what they’ve contributed to our community,” Sorrells said.

The portrait was painted by Wilmington artist Todd Carignan, who has won multiple awards for his art, including an Oil Painters of America Award of Excellence. His art is included in collections throughout the United States and internationally. He received his BFA in Sequential Art and minored in Art History at the Savannah College of Art and Design.

For more about Carignan, please visit www.toddcarignan.com/about.

New mural highlights reopening of Success Closet

Fayetteville Technical Community College celebrated the grand reopening of its Success Closet on Nov. 29 and dedicated a colorful new mural painted on the exterior of the
location.

The FTCC Success Closet is next to the FTCC Food Pantry on the rear side of the Horace Sisk Building at 2220 Hull Road.
The mural, featuring colorful graphical representations of buttons, a zipper and other clothing items, was painted by FTCC alum Britney Deveault and was made possible through a grant from the Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County.

It is a companion mural to one painted last year by Deveault on the exterior of FTCC's Food Pantry. That mural, featuring colorful graphical representations of different foods, was also funded by a grant from the Arts Council.

Deveault is a freelance graphic designer and artist who owns Deveault Design. She is a 2021 graduate of the FTCC Graphic Design and Advertising Program.
The FTCC Success Closet provides free professional attire for students for job interviews and work. The FTCC Food Pantry stocks a healthy variety of food plus personal care items and household cleaning products, all available for free to FTCC students.

The reopening celebration coincided with Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving. Visitors were encouraged to bring food and personal care items for the FTCC Food Pantry.

Foundation receives grant for High School Connections program

Tammy Thurman of Piedmont Natural Gas presented a $10,000 check to FTCC Foundation on Nov. 21, to support the College's High School Connections program.
Thurman is PNG's Community Relations Manager and a member of FTCC's Board of Trustees. She presented the check to Dr. Mark A. Sorrells, who is currently FTCC's Senior Vice President for Academic and

Student Services, and Sandy Ammons, Executive Director of FTCC Foundation.

The High School Connections program is FTCC's branch of North Carolina's Career and College Promise program. The program provides seamless dual enrollment educational opportunities for eligible North Carolina high school students. Students are able to take college classes tuition-free and earn college credits that transfer with them upon graduation from high school, potentially saving them thousands of dollars on the cost of college.

The PNG grant will go into FTCC Foundation's Resource Fund for High School Connections. The fund pays for books and other resources for high school students from low-income families.

FTCC was founded in 1961 as a job-training institution and became a community college in 1963 when the statewide Community College System was created. The College serves more than 28,000 students a year with occupational, technical, general education, college transfer and continuing education programs leading to more than 280 degrees, diplomas and certificates. For more information, please visit www.faytechcc.edu.

FTCC Foundation manages donations for the College, including contributions from private donors, corporations, alumni, employees, retirees and in-kind gifts. These resources provide access for students to attain their educational and career goals. For more information, visit www.faytechcc.edu/giving/.

A newly-formed nonprofit organization, the North Carolina Alliance for Safe Transportation, or NCAST, has launched an inaugural traffic safety campaign. The message is for parents or guardians to make sure the vehicles teens drive include appropriate safety features, and to discourage young motorists from driving distracted.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens. Every day in the U.S. an average of eight teens ages 13–19 die from motor vehicle crash injuries. Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16–19 have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers ages 20 and older.

According to NCDOT statistics for 2021, in North Carolina there were 49,606 crashes involving teen drivers, resulting in 10,901 injuries and 102 fatalities.

The NCAST ad will run during the 2022 holiday season on social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) and on statewide cable television. It features a portrayal of a mom and daughter discussing the important vehicle safety features, and highlights distractions — such as loud music, snacking, and using a mobile phone — teen drivers should avoid when behind the wheel.

The ad, and links to resources for parents and teen drivers, can be found on the NCAST website, www.ncallianceforsafetransportation.com.

“NCAST was conceived by a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to making North Carolina roads and highways safer for everyone,” said Joe Stewart, vice president for governmental affairs for the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina, and initial chair of the NCAST board.

“This organization was formed to collaborate with existing issue-specific safety groups, to amplify and enhance message impact with the very specific goal of changing driving behaviors that lead to crashes, injuries and deaths among motorist, pedestrians, bicyclists, and others using North Carolina’s transportation infrastructure.”

“I am pleased and delighted to be a part of getting this organization up and running,” said Tiffany Wright, director of public affairs for AAA Carolinas — the Auto Club Group and vice chair of the NCAST board.

“NCAST will use research and analysis to figure out who needs to hear the message, and what that message needs to be, given the particular transportation safety issue being addressed.”

NCAST has received a grant from the North Carolina Governor’s Highway Safety Program of $272,000 to help cover initial operational and staffing costs, as well as a $50,000 grant from IIANC for the development and placement of the initial teen driver awareness campaign ads.

The organization has plans to conduct other awareness campaigns in 2023, including initiatives around Distracted Driving Awareness Month in April, high school prom and summer vacation seasons, as well as Teen Driver Safety Week in October.

The number of homicides and the overall crime rate have continued to climb over the past year, according to police statistics presented to the Fayetteville City Council on Nov. 28.

From January through September, 36 homicides were reported, statistics show. That is a 9% increase compared to this time a year ago, when 33 homicides were reported. The numbers are nothing new. The last quarterly report from Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins showed the same upward trend in total crime and homicides. The report also noted that the department has a total of 392 positions filled out of a budgeted 431.

Hawkins was the lead presenter of the crime report during the council’s monthly meeting at City Hall. Assisting her were Assistant Police Chiefs Kemberle Braeden and James Nolette.

“I always like to share the amazing work that the Police Department does for the community,” Hawkins said. “And this is a summary snapshot.”

The number of rapes reported in the city continued to decline, from 68 in 2021 to 58 in 2022, Braeden said. Aggravated assault reports rose by 9.8%, from 816 cases in 2021 to 896 as of Sept. 28, according to Braeden.

“The third quarter was mainly uneventful,” Braeden said.

Hawkins left immediately after the meeting and was unavailable for additional comment. Nolette said after the meeting that the department has been successful addressing crime.

“The department is doing exactly what it needs to,” Nolette said. “It’s a partnership with the community. It’s a partnership with nonprofits in finding solutions and outside-the-box thinking to address crime at its core, problem-solving and really evaluating what is causing the issue. There are so many different factors that go into crime itself, but we look at the location of the crime where it’s occurring, we look at the victim, and we look at the suspects and try to figure out why it’s happening at those places.”

When asked, Nolette said the numbers indicate that the Police Department could be doing a better job.

“I’m a little biased to ask that question because I think we’re doing a good job,” he said. “But can we do better? Sure. We do really well. We have almost 100% clearance rate in homicides … We’re above the average in clearance rates. We don’t report to the end of the year, but that is something that we track, and we’re above national average in clearance rates on many of our crimes.”

Nolette said the clearance rate is when the department has “closed out cases and arrested or sought charges on suspects who have committed crime.”

“What we do a good job at — and what the officers do a good job at — is identifying crime trends and getting ahead of those crime trends. So that way, we don’t perpetuate the process victimizing the citizens of Fayetteville.”

Police representatives reported that the number of drug overdoses dropped from 67 to 50, a decrease of 25.4%.

The police statistics also showed:
A total of 3,164 personal crimes have been reported over the first nine months of this year, up from 3,005 in 2021. That’s an increase of 5.3%.

“Person’s crimes run the gamut from communication by threat — ‘I’m going to shoot you’ — to pointing the gun, which is another crime, to actually shooting someone; shooting and hitting someone; to actually attempted murder,” Braeden said.

Property crime — which includes trespassing, damage to property, vandalism, and breaking and entering — has increased by 29.90%, from 7,809 cases last year to 9,295 in 2022.

“Again, as we look at those, those have slightly increased over the last year,” Braeden said. “As I would say, as we spoke earlier during [Fire] Chief [Mike] Hill’s presentation about COVID, we have gone from people being home during COVID and we can see why there has been an increase in 2022 as post-COVID people going out of their residences back to work...”

Felonies are up 23%, with 782 arrests this year. That compares with 620 a year ago.
Motor vehicle thefts also pose a problem, with the Monday report showing an increase of 36.92% over the last quarterly report.

I’m a fiscally conservative North Carolinian — and I think state taxes should be significantly higher. I’m not referring here to projected revenues from a fast-growing economy.
I truly mean North Carolina ought to levy higher state taxes. But only if federal taxes go down by at least as much. That is, I believe large swaths of the federal budget represent an illegal use of the tax and spending powers granted to Congress by Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution. The programs in question provide for neither “the common defense” nor the “general welfare.”

What we call “welfare” spending is a prime example of the problem. When the Constitution was drafted and ratified in the 18th century, the prevailing public understanding of the phrase “general welfare” was that it strictly limited the fiscal authority of Congress. As James Madison later put it, the phrase referred to “general and national,” not “local or state” benefit. It was certainly never meant to describe a program giving private individuals money, shelter, food, or other direct benefits.

As originally written, then, the Constitution allowed Congress to fund a road or port facility if its main purpose was military, for example, but not if it was to facilitate commerce. Madison and other constitutionally minded presidents repeatedly vetoed bills that violated this principle.

The principle applies only to the federal government, however. Most state and local governments operate under no such limitation. They enjoy a broad “police power” that Washington lacks — a power not just to enact civil and criminal statutes but also to levy taxes to fund a wide variety of expenditures.

In other words, regardless of whether you think government should provide a safety net of cash and non-cash benefits, or how such a system should be designed and administered, you ought to be addressing your arguments to governors, state legislators, county commissioners, and the like, not to presidents or federal judges or members of Congress. State and local officials ought to be at least the primary decision makers when it comes to welfare programs.

That’s what the federal Constitution requires, properly understood. When during the 20th century progressives argued that public pensions for single mothers and the elderly, unemployment compensation, and other welfare programs should be provided by the federal government, they should have used the amendment process to ask the American people to revise Article 1. Instead, progressives ignored the Constitution, enacted whatever they wanted, and then reshaped the federal judiciary until it became sufficiently deferential to federal power.

Their gambit worked. Before the 1930s, most federal spending went to the current armed forces, payments to veterans of prior wars, and payments on federal debts that were overwhelmingly incurred during those wars. Today, entitlements and welfare programs comprise most of the (vastly larger) federal budget.

I’m enough of a realist to concede there’s no way to cram the genie back into the bottle. But the current Washington-dominated safety net is unaffordable, unaccountable, and unconscionably destructive of families and the work ethic. In a new book, American Enterprise Institute senior fellows Angele Rachidi, Matt Weidinger, and Scott Winship describe a creative way to strike a better balance between the federal government and the states.

They propose to phase in a 50%-50% match for some $300 billion worth of safety-net programs other than Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. States would shoulder more fiscal responsibility for such functions as cash welfare, nutrition assistance, and housing subsidies — but they would also receive vastly more authority to reshape and repackage the programs, along with financial incentives to move families off public assistance altogether (because doing so would count toward a state’s matching requirement).

Such a strategy would make American government as a whole smaller as well as more effective. I’d take that deal in a heartbeat.

Hosted by the Downtown Alliance and the Fayetteville History Museum at “Franklin Square,” where the Victorian-era train station served as a fitting backdrop, this time-honored tradition was attended by a diverse crowd that numbered in the thousands. And in the spirit of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” it was a joyous crowd greeting each other and expressing goodwill towards one another all day long.

Like any good event, the public seldom sees all the hard work that goes into its making. My purpose in writing this is to shine a little light on some of the folks who did the work on this beloved downtown event. And I do so not in any official capacity, but merely as a citizen who has long believed in our downtown’s future.

Elaine Kelley, an Alliance board member, and owner of Turner Lane, called me soon after my op-ed piece in the Aug. 28 Fayetteville Observer, in which I questioned the Arts Council’s decision to cancel A Dickens Holiday. Her board had voted to do Dickens themselves! She asked if I would help, since I had been a part of the event since its founding. I told her I would, but it seemed impossible! After all, we had less than 90 days for an event that is normally 10 months in the planning. In our favor, the Alliance had co-hosted it for its first 20 years and most of our volunteers were still around. We agreed that she should chair the event and that I would round up the volunteers and sponsors and track down the popular performers from past years.

Downtown Alliance leaders — Elaine, Robin Matthews, Molly Arnold — and the History Museum’s Heidi Bleazey and Emily Sussman, rolled up their sleeves and showed what leadership is all about. Perhaps it is no coincidence that so many of the successful downtown businesses are woman-owned and operated!

Elaine Kelley especially deserves a big shoutout, even though she has resolutely refused any recognition. She worked on Dickens with uncommon passion and energy, even closing her business at times to devote a whole day to contacting vendors and performers and City departments. She assembled a team of marketers, headed up by Betsy McElwee. She was on the ground as “Central Command” during the event itself.

Without Elaine, we would not have had A Dickens Holiday this year. Period.

And the volunteers! Their importance to an event with so many moving parts is paramount. If you were downtown on the day after Thanksgiving, much that you saw and enjoyed was the work of volunteers — the London Bobbies, the poor street urchins selling flowers, the “coachman’s assistants” on the carriage rides (Thank you, Scouts from Troop 747), the English Country Dancers, the musical entertainments by the Fayetteville Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Sinfonietta, the Cross Creek Pipes and Drums, Father Christmas, and even Queen Victoria herself. I cannot possibly name them all! And there were innumerable people who worked behind the scenes, like the folks from the Salvation Army manning the hospitality room for volunteers and performers. Volunteers even helped decorate the train station and surrounding grounds on the day before Thanksgiving.

Eighteen — that’s 18 — very generous sponsors gave the Downtown Alliance the financial wherewithal to stage such an event. The DTA is an all-volunteer association of downtown merchants, property owners, and residents, and receives no funding from the City or County or any government agency. When asked, each and every sponsor said without hesitation “Yes” and “How much do you need?” Take a look at the Alliance website www.faydta.com to see the list of sponsors. Please patronize their places of business if you can and give them a big “Thank You” when you see them. While online, look at the Alliance’s Facebook page to see some amazing pictures from Dickens.

So yes, A Dickens Holiday is back! The marvelous sights and sounds, the diverse crowds and performers, and the fun and relaxed shopping were all there. It is still exactly what its founders — the Arts Council and the Downtown Alliance — imagined it to be 23 years ago. The Arts Council should be proud of what it started. It is my hope that the Downtown Alliance will continue the tradition.

Now, in the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us every one!”

A Fayetteville man was killed in a fiery three-vehicle crash Friday night, Dec. 1 at the intersection of Skibo and Morganton roads, the Fayetteville Police Department said. Two others were injured.

Eugene A. Roberts Jr., 23, of the 1000 block of Vandenberg Drive, was operating a black 2018 Acura traveling north on Skibo Road and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a release.

Angelia Holmes, 52, of the 5000 block of South Forty Drive in Hope Mills, was operating a 2016 Chevrolet SUV traveling on Morganton Road. She was taken to the hospital for her injuries but was reported to be in stable condition, police said in the release.

Hannah Barton, 28, of the 200 block of Waterdown Drive, was operating a 2019 Ford Fusion traveling on Morganton Road. She received minor injuries but was not taken to the hospital, the release said.

Around 11 p.m., a patrol unit observed the Acura traveling at a high rate of speed on Skibo Road near Cliffdale Road and initiated its emergency equipment in an attempt to stop the vehicle, the release said. The patrol unit disengaged the attempt to stop the vehicle near Skibo Road and Red Tip Road.

The vehicle continued to travel at a high rate of speed and failed to stop for the red light on Skibo Road at Morganton Road and collided with the two other vehicles that had the green light for traffic in their direction of travel, the release said.

The vehicle caught fire in the parking lot of 1899 Skibo Road, the release said. Officers were able to pull the driver from the vehicle, but he died on the scene, the release said.

The intersection of Skibo and Morganton roads was temporarily closed while police investigated.

Hundreds of families from across Cumberland County attended the Choice Fair 2022 on Saturday, Dec. 3 to learn about the educational options available in the local school district, officials said.

The three-hour event, held at E.E. Smith High School, was the first time the fair had been held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

According to event organizers, more than 500 attended the informational fair, which highlights educational options within the district that fit students' needs, interests and learning styles.

"This was a truly awesome event," Dr. Mellotta Hill, the event organizer and CCS' assistant superintendent of K-12 Instructional Programs, said in a release. "It was great to be able to come back together again and to bring our military and local communities 'under one roof' in order to get some good information about our Choice Programs. We want our families to make informed decisions about their child's education, and I believe Choice Fair 2022 accomplished just that."

Educators and student ambassadors manned school, career academy and departmental information tables that lined the walls of the high school's atriums, cafeteria and gymnasium as families with students filed into the school well before the event started at 9 a.m., the release said.

"I thought the Choice Fair was beneficial, informative and enlightening," Tynekia McQueen, a parent of a rising sixth-grader who is new to the district, said in the release. "In our previous school district, we didn't have this opportunity. At the end of the day, Choice in academics is about excellence. When we include our children in making this decision, they are passionate about their education, and they strive for greater."

McQueen's daughter, who is interested in the fine arts, was excited about the choice she made. "I love theater and the arts," said Xzanara. "I'm definitely applying to Reid Ross Classical. That's where I want to be!"

The application period began on Nov. 28 and ends on Jan. 31. Families can apply by visiting the CCS' Choice Programs website, www.choice.ccs.k12.nc.us, where they can also get information about Choice programs from engineering and fire science to the arts and foreign languages.

Members of the Fayetteville City Council on Monday, Dec. 5 are expected to hear from five applicants seeking a seat on the Public Works Commission Board.

The City Council work session begins at 5 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall.
There are five candidates looking to join the PWC Board. Each applicant will be given three minutes to address the council, said city spokeswoman Jodi Phelps, and the council will have the opportunity to ask questions. Any discussion would be at the direction of the mayor and council.

The choice will need a majority vote to get the PWC seat. The position pays $600 a month, Phelps said by email.
The appointment will be made at a time determined by the council. No action will be taken during the work session. That will occur during a regular monthly meeting.

The council is looking to find someone to replace Commissioner Wade Fowler on the utility board. The eventual choice would have a vote as one of four members of the board.

A City Council appointments committee previously recommended that former City Council member Chris Davis be appointed to the Fayetteville Public Works Commission despite a current council member’s request that the decision be delayed until a full-time CEO and general manager is named over the local utility.

While serving on the council, Davis was the PWC liaison.

The other applicants are William Gothard, Josef Hallatschek, Peter Stewart and Ted Mohn.
Elaina Ball, who had been the CEO and general manager of the public utility for less than two years, announced her resignation on Aug. 26. Her last day on the job was Sept. 2. She accepted a job in her home state of Texas.

PWC Chief Operations Officer Mick Noland was named interim CEO and general manager until the position is filled full-time. Noland has overseen the Water Resources Division of the utility since 1993, according to PWC.
City Council newcomer Deno Hondros was named the new liaison to the PWC – a nonvoting role with the utility.

The Cumberland County Board of Commissioners on Monday, Dec. 5 will install two new members and elect a new board chairman. The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Crown Coliseum Ballroom.

Democrats Veronica Jones and Marshall Faircloth, both of whom won at-large seats on the seven-member board in the November general election are expected to take the oath of office. Also taking the oath of office will be Commissioners Jeannette Council and Glenn Adams, both of whom were unopposed in their district re-election bids.

Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms. Two commissioners are elected at-large, two in District 1, and three commissioners are elected in District 2. The four-year terms of Commissioners Toni Stewart, Jimmy Keefe and Michael Boose expire in December 2024.
State Sen. Kirk deViere is scheduled to administer the oath of office to Jones. Cumberland County Register of Deeds J. Lee Warren Jr. will administer the oath to Faircloth. District Court Judge Cull Jordan III will swear in Council, and Superior Court Judge Gale M. Adams is scheduled to administer the oath to her husband, current board Chairman Adams.

The board also is scheduled to elect a chairman and vice chairman. Currently, Toni Stewart serves as vice chair. Historically, the vice chair is elected chairman. Adams for the past year has given Stewart more opportunities to represent the board at various functions.

The meeting is open to the public. People who attend should park in the West VIP parking lot of the Crown Complex, located at 1960 Coliseum Drive. There will be signs in the parking lot to direct people to the appropriate lot, the county said.

The meeting also will be streamed live via the county’s website, and the meeting will be aired live on CCNC-TV Spectrum Channel 5.

The Fayetteville Police Department has made an arrest in a fatal shooting that happened Oct. 18 on Slater Avenue.

Tyreese Robinson, 30, was arrested Dec. 2 in the area of Summerwind Drive, the Police Department said in a release. He is being charged with first-degree murder in the death of 26-year-old Damian R. Lee, police said. He is being held at the Cumberland County
Detention Center without bond.

Police have said the shooting was not a random incident and that Robinson and Lee were known to each other.

Officers responded to a reported shooting on the 1800 block of Slater Avenue around 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 18.

They found Lee with a gunshot wound. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died, police have said.

A Spring Lake man was killed in a shooting Saturday morning, Dec. 3 on West Orange Street, the Fayetteville Police Department said.

Officers responded to the 1000 block of West Orange Street at approximately 4:45 a.m. for reports of shots fired.

They found a man outside a residence with multiple gunshot wounds, the Police Department said in a release. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police identified the man as 50-year-old Curtis Lamont Melvin of the 400 block of Elizabeth Street in Spring Lake.

Detectives with the Police Department’s Homicide Unit are investigating.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Detective C. Crews at 910-751-1046 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

The Hope Mills Board of Commissioners on Monday, Dec. 5 will hear about the latest change order for the new Public Safety building that will require modifications to several areas outside the building.

The board meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall.

Scott Garner, the architect of the new Public Safety building, is scheduled to review the latest changes, which are tied to sidewalk adjustments by the N.C. Department of Transportation and Duke Energy, according to agenda materials.

Garner told commissioners at the last board meeting that these changes were coming.

N.C. DOT and Duke Energy gave notice of acquisition of additional easement along Rockfish Road, according to Garner’s memo to the board. The easement extends from the walking trail to the front of the new building. As part of the adjustment, overhead power lines will need to be relocated to the Public Safety building side of the street, the memo states.

The masonry building sign and three flag poles were in place but the flag poles will now need to be relocated, the memo states. The sign could remain on a provisional basis, the memo states.

Garner says a new design with flag poles, police and fire memorials and a digital sign has been created.

The costs associated with the easement are just over $75,000, according to the memo. But the town’s Park and Recreation Department will be able to do some of the work, bringing the total of the change order to $47,345, according to the memo.

The board is also scheduled to hold a public hearing on a request to amend the Hope Mills Zoning Ordinance related to a recent moratorium.

“Town of Hope Mills Planning staff is requesting the approval of a text amendment tied to a recent moratorium that instituted a town-wide halt on specific uses that negatively impact the character, use, and overall harmony of existing and future development areas,’’ according to agenda materials.
This summer, the board agreed to place a temporary moratorium on certain businesses while the town’s staff works to create an overlay district.
The moratorium included the following businesses:
● Motor vehicle parts and accessory sales.
● Motor vehicle repair and/or body work.
● Motor vehicle rentals.
● Motor vehicle sales, new and used.
● Retail establishments primarily tied to smoke shops and vape establishments.

Anyone who wishes to speak during the public hearing is asked to sign up with the town clerk prior to the meeting and limit their comments to three minutes.

The board also will be asked to consider an amendment to the town’s Parks and Recreation fee schedule for special events permits. In a memo to Town Manager Scott Meszaros, Parks and Recreation Director Lamarco Morrison said the town has seen an increase in special events permits, which has generated a need to increase the town’s special events fees in an effort to recover some of the town’s costs. The fees cover items like the roll-out trash bins, portable bleachers, electricity access, temporary fences, a portable stage and maintenance staff and parking attendants.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11, the North Carolina State Ballet and Charlotte Blume School of Dance will present "The Nutcracker" at the Crown Theater at 3 p.m.

“We’ve changed bits and pieces of our choreography to add some excitement and fun [this year],” Dina Lewis, Charlotte Blume's Studio Manager, said.

Charlotte Blume’s Nutcracker is the “oldest grandfathered production” at the Crown Theater.

“It’s fun. We’ve been rehearsing all summer,” Lewis said. “Right now it’s a seven-day-a-week job, and we can’t wait to get this thing on stage.”

Originally from Texas, Charlotte Blume started the school in the mid-1950s, bringing artistic professionalism to the Fayetteville region by teaching ballet, her own top-flight training pedigree and her insistence on high standards and authenticity.

“The dance studio is [the] Charlotte Blume School of Dance, but we also have a ballet company,” Lewis said. “North Carolina State Ballet... and it’s been around forever.”

According to the dance studio, no other local dance studio used mirrors or bars before Blume's arrival.

“We are as close to a pre-professional company as you can get without going professional,” Lewis said.

For many, participating in Blume’s productions and studying at her studio has helped win admission to top colleges. She taught Fayetteville’s prominent families as well as the less fortunate. Within the studio, all were treated equally.

The Charlotte Blume School of Dance presents more of a traditional Nutcracker than other productions in the area.

Blume’s absolute devotion to merit made her somewhat of a de facto civil rights pioneer. In Fayetteville, the first students were Black. White families quietly boycotted her integrated operation until their daughters insisted that they, too, wanted to receive the finest instruction.

In the South, Blume welcomed white and Black students equally. There was never any question that they would learn together in the same classes and that the prime dancing parts would go to those students who worked hard and showed talent.

Blume passed away in 2016, but the studio continues to produce similar, traditional ballet studios with "classically-trained students."

"If you go to New York and you’ve seen our production, you’ll see something very similar,” Lewis said.

“All of the girls you see on stage are literally working seven days a week to prepare for this Nutcracker performance, Lewis said.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Crown Complex Box Office or online at CrownComplexNC.com.

“We’re different than other dance studios in Fayetteville,” Lewis said. “I’m very firm, and the girls are so precious because they know my motto: it’s ‘we,’ not ‘me.’”

Charlotte Blume is located at 1312 Morganton Road, “literally in the heart of Haymount.” For more information, visit BlumeSchoolOfDance.com or www.facebook.com/charlotteblumeschoolofdance.

“[Ballet] is a dying art,” Lewis said. “There’s a lot of reverence for that stage, [and] we teach the girls that you have to respect each other... the stage, and when you hit it, you’re going to nail it every single time.”