Greetings,

Thank you all for serving on the Fayetteville Ethics Committee and doing your civic duty. We have proudly published the Up & Coming Weekly community newspaper for over 25 years and have never swayed from our mission and mandate to promote, accentuate and uplift the Fayetteville community while serving its residents. Those who know me personally know I am as passionate about this newspaper as the community. Consequently, I can be highly opinionated and sometimes brutally honest when it comes to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. Up & Coming Weekly has a reputation for always striving to be forthright and honest and never a purveyor of misinformation, gossip or drama. As a community publication, we aim to bring clarification, insight and opinion to policies, issues and matters affecting the local quality of life. Again, I love this community, and it saddens me to see our City's direction under its present leadership. This love of community is why I am writing this letter and voicing my opinion. I offer my advice and recommendations as the Ethics Committee moves forward in evaluating former City Council member Tisha Waddell's allegations of potential mismanagement and corruption, as stated in her November resignation letter.

My biggest concern is that you at the Ethics Commission may not have the full context as volunteers and Council-appointed members. You may not know what is happening at City Hall and who the people are making the decisions that raised Waddell's concerns and prompted her resignation. This lack of context could put the entire Commission at a significant disadvantage. The recently reversed and unanimous decision made by the City Council to send Waddell's allegations to the Ethics Commission has only increased citizens' suspicions that a cover-up is in the making. The reality is that the Council appoints the Ethics Committee. The assumption is that the Mayor and Council will not investigate themselves and intend to use members of the Ethics Committee as pawns to exonerate themselves and dismiss the allegations out of hand. Public opinion seems to echo that, if there is no substance to Waddell's claims of mismanagement and corruption, as the Council claims, then why not call for an independent external investigation and be done with it? If "there is nothing to see here," why not have a thorough external investigation? The Ethics Commission's previous decision to dismiss the eight charges against Fayetteville Police Chief Gina Hawkins has created even more mistrust and skepticism among citizens. It again confirmed that City Council would not investigate itself.

Most people would agree, "Where there is smoke, there's fire." We know every member of the Ethics Commission is an upstanding, law-abiding and honest community member. Still, the fact remains they are far removed from the realities of what is taking place in our city government. Undoubtedly, the Commission wants to do its best for the residents and the community. I ask that the Ethics Commission listen intently to all the concerns and allegations brought before you. If the circumstances warrant it, call for an independent external investigation of all allegations. Once the independent analysis is complete, the chips will fall where they may. If there is substance to some or all the complaints, they can be addressed individually. At least, once an independent investigation is conducted, it really will be over and done, and Fayetteville residents will be satisfied knowing that fairness and justice have prevailed. This external investigation is the only way the truth will ultimately come out, and confidence can be restored in our City government leadership.
Suppose the Commission finds no legitimacy to the Waddell allegations and dismisses the case like they did with Hawkins. In that case, I fear it will only cast dispersions on the Committee and cause more skepticism and mistrust among the Fayetteville residents proving the City Council will not investigate itself.

Calling for an external, independent investigation into Waddell's allegations is the only way to put these issues behind us and restore citizens' confidence and trust in the integrity of the City government and the Ethics Commission process.

There is much to learn from talking to residents out in the community. The unsolicited comments from city residents, city employees, downtown businesses, Fayetteville police officers and first responders speak of significant concerns with city leadership as well as concerns over escalating homicide and crime rates, the suspicious dealings surrounding the Prince Charles project and the parking deck fiasco, the halfway house Dismiss Project on Cain Rd. and the Barnhard Capital Partner's clandestine bid for Public Works Commission.

Again, I thank you for your service to our City and community. I write this as a friend and concerned citizen. You are not obligated to heed any of the advice. However, keep in mind that the City of Fayetteville today is nothing like when most of us started building our businesses and raising our families. We must do everything possible to maintain the integrity of our local government for the sake of those who will come after us.

A call for an independent external investigation will assure this.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Best Regards,
Bill

Rick's Place has planned an afternoon away for the families dealing with the stress of last-minute deployments, a way to connect with other military families and to take a break.

The Rick Herrema Foundation focuses on strengthening relationships and building community for military families through fun, quality activities. They host events and fun days at Rick's Place, a 50-acre park, to offer children a place to have fun and a place to support military families, so they know they aren't alone.

This weekend they are supporting families by hosting a Meet Us at the Park event specifically for families dealing with the rapid deployments occurring over the past three weeks.

"We wanted to do something extra," Vicky Jimenez, director of programs at RHF, said. "We wanted to do an event that would be dedicated for those families who have been impacted by the recent deployment."

From 2 to 5 p.m., there will be activities, inflatables, games for kids and local organizations offering resources to families. In addition, the food truck, Hot Dog Central, will be at the event feeding families in attendance.

Jimenez told Up & Coming Weekly that while families are at Rick's Place, they can set aside the stressors that deployment may have placed on them, at least for a short time.

"The importance of having these events is to connect people to these other families that are going through the same challenges as them," Jimenez said.

The Meet Us at the Park event will be followed by the monthly scheduled event, Family Fun Day, which is open to any military family. This month, RHF will be hosting a drive-in movie screening.

"This will be our first drive-in movie. So we wanted to try and give it a chance and give families different activities here at Rick's Place," Jimenez said.

The 2000s family classic, "The Chronicle of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," will be playing on the big screen. Families can enjoy the movie from the comfort of their warm vehicles or pull up a chair with blankets to watch it outside. RHF will give out free popcorn and hot cocoa to families. The movie starts around 5:30 p.m.

The two events take place on Saturday, Feb. 26. Registration to both events is required. Jimenez said that she is expecting 100 to 150 people to be at the two events, but they know there are countless more families who are impacted.

If families find out about the events after registration is closed, they can contact RHF by calling 910-444-1743 to see if space is available.

To pre-register for the event, visit rhfnow.org/event/meet-us-at-the-park-rapid-deployment-impacted-families-event/. To register for the movie night, visit rhfnow.org/event/february-family-fun-day-evening-drive-in-movie/.

The next Family Fun Day is scheduled for March 26 and is planned to be a Physical Fitness Family Challenge.

Families will have a change to compete against each other in several activities and lunch will be provided at no cost. Registration for that event is open.

Rick's Place is located at 5572 Shenandoah Drive.

For more information, visit rhfnow.org/events or call the Rick's Place team at 910-444-1743.

Unless you have been hiding from a Balrog under a moss encrusted rock, you have seen ads for Amazon's new TV series on the "Lord of the Rings." Several moss-encrusted decades ago, I read the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy during college. The new series takes place thousands of years before Frodo and pals graced Middle Earth. It also takes place without the guiding hands of J.R.R. Tolkien, being created from whole Mithril by writers living in the second decade of the 21st Century. Since Professor Tolkien sailed off in 1973 to the Gray Havens to join Bilbo, I am pretty sure he had nothing to do with the upcoming series. Feeling grumpy about his story being assumed by lesser writers than Tolkien, I decided to investigate the back story from whence Middle Earth emerged.

Norse mythology is as colorful as Greek mythology is convoluted. Tolkien was a fan of Norse mythology. Today we shall wander through and mangle Viking theology.

My first exposure to the Norsemen came in the form of an excellent 1958 movie called "The Vikings" with Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and the star of McHale's Navy, Ernest Borgnine. The Vikings were a rough bunch with an equally tough bunch of gods. The opening of "The Vikings" recites a line from the "English Book of Common Prayer": "Protect us, oh Lord from the wrath of the Northmen." So, hop on board Mr. Peabody's Way Back Machine to head back to the 11th Century when the Vikings were doing their thing.

Tolkien's Lord of the Rings saga was inspired by the Norse story of Andvari's magic ring. According to Mr. Google, Andvari was a dwarf who enjoyed humidity and lived under a waterfall. Andy, as his friends called him, could turn himself into a fish on demand. Why he wanted to become a fish is beyond the scope of this column. Andy owned a magic ring called Andvaranaut, which allowed him to find gold at will. One day when Andy was swimming about as a fish, he had the misfortune to be caught by the Norse god Loki. Loki strong-armed Andy into giving him the magic ring and all his gold. Naturally, Andy was not happy by this turn of events.

Andy put a curse on his stolen ring that whoever had it would come to a bad end. It's not nice to steal from dwarves, even if they are in the form of a fish.

Loki's background is nontraditional. When Loki was male, he was the proud father of a daughter named Hel, the goddess of the Underworld. Loki also had two sons. Loki was a bit of a jokester. Being bored one day, he turned himself into a mare and managed to get in the horsey family way by a stallion. While in his mare form, Loki gave birth to an eight-legged colt. Loki enjoyed shape-shifting and appeared as a number of critters, including a fly. He used the stolen ring to bribe Odin to give Loki a pass for killing the son of a god. A whole bunch of sword fighting, dragon-slaying and talking birds ensue from the curse of the ring. Lots of Viking folks end up with the ring, with each coming to a bad end. In one version, Queen Gurun ends up with the ring. Gurun then marries Attila, the Hun who succumbs to the ring's curse, losing his war with Rome.

Loki's bribe to Odin ultimately led to the death of one of Odin's sons. When Odin discovered Loki's role, he and his buddies are sorely vexed. Trigger warning: Don't upset Odin. Odin turned Loki's son Vali into a wolf, who then chowed down on Loki's other son Narfi creating shredded Narfi. The gods plucked out Narfi's unchewed organs and turned them into iron bands. Odin used the iron bands to fasten Loki to a rock. Some might consider being chained to a rock with the vital organs of a child to be a pretty harsh punishment. But not the Norse gods. Oh, no. Like Karen Carpenter once sang, they had only just begun. The goddess of the moon, a lass named Skadi, wanted to get in on the action.

She caught a giant drooling poisonous snake. Skadi tied the snake over Loki's head where it would drip venom right onto poor Loki, causing him pain and great mental anguish. This punishment lasted for quite a while until Loki's sweet wife Sigyn found Loki. She brought her favorite Calphalon pot to catch the venom as it dripped down on Loki. Sigyn is still sitting by Loki, catching venom even as you read these words.
Unfortunately, Sigyn must empty the pot when the venom fills it up periodically.

When she takes the pot away, the snake drool keeps hitting Loki while the pot is being emptied. The impact of the venom makes Loki shake in pain. The Vikings explain that Loki's shaking causes earthquakes.

So, what did we learn today?

Even if you can turn yourself into a fish, don't do it.

Don't anger the Norse gods.

And always be nice to your wife if you don't want venom dripped on your head.

The 40th annual Fayetteville Dogwood Festival hosted a media event at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 16. Run by a nonprofit by the same name, the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival group says that they “aim to entertain the members of our community, promote and sustain new and existing business. Enhance a positive community image, and attract out-of-town visitors, while sharing the cultural and recreational opportunities available in the Fayetteville Area.” While the organization supports and plans multiple events throughout the year, none is larger or more expansive than the Dogwood Festival.

And, after two years of pandemic-driven cancellations and rescheduling, according to Dogwood Festival Executive Director Sarahgrace Snipes, attended can expect a “full-fledged dogwood festival.”

“We are back,” Snipes proclaimed on Wednesday evening.

And back they are, with a record-setting five national acts slated to perform across the three-day festival beginning on April 22 and ending April 24.

On Friday, April 22, national acts Marcy Playground and Hoobastank will take the stage. On Saturday, April 23, Dillon Carmichael, Kameron Marlowe and Tyler Farr will perform an evening of country music. Sunday, April 24, will finish off the event with headliners The Purple Madness – A Tribute to Prince. Throughout all three nights, local talent will perform alongside these headliners.

At the media night, festival organizers assured attendees that all of the tried and true Dogwood Festival favorites would be back in full force and “better than ever.”

Attractions will include: Airborn Aerials performances, Boom & Bloom fireworks on Friday night, King BMX bike shows, the Cork and Fork event will return, there will be a silent auction, Lafayette Ford will present the Car, Motorcycle and Truck Show, there will be a performance area on Hay Street in front of the Market House, a street fair in the downtown area, the Midway with a mix of rides and attractions for all ages and finally the KidZone will be back as well.

In addition to these attractions, the Dogwood Festival has added new events for visitors this year. The Downtown Stage powered by Piedmont Natural Gas will offer country music on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at noon on Gillespie Street. Ring Wars of Carolina will be hosting a wrestling tournament on Saturday and Sunday at the intersection of Ray Avenue and Hay Street. Local attraction Sweet Valley Ranch will also be out with a mix of entertainment on offer as a new addition to this year’s attractions.

Sweet Valley Ranch Owner Fred Surgeon spoke at the media event and shared an impressive list of options Sweet Valley Ranch will bring with them to the Dogwood Festival. They will set up on Green Street, where visitors can enjoy a petting zoo with a broad mix of animals, carnival games and even take a ride down the street on a dinosaur.

Surgeon was particularly excited about the variety of animals with which festival-goers can meet and visit at the petting zoo.

“It’s about engaging with nature and with our animals,” Surgeon said.

In addition to these activities, the Surgeon explained that they would have their food truck on site. According to Surgeon, the Sweet Valley Ranch Giveback Food Truck partners with local nonprofits, and in November and December last year, the food truck program raised $25,000.

Snipes also announced continued support with annual events that, while not directly affiliated with the Dogwood Festival, are sanctioned by the organization. These include the annual Crimestoppers BBQ and the All American Tattoo Convention.

Close to 5,000 Fort Bragg troops are in Eastern Europe amidst a Ukraine-Russia standoff. Many of these soldiers are from the 82nd Airborne Division - an infantry division that is ready to go anywhere in the world within 18 hours.

Last week, the deployment of the second round of 3,000 paratroopers began to leave Fort Bragg. Several hundred soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault from Fort Campbell on the Kentucky Tennessee border are also headed to Eastern Europe.

Several commercial jets graced the runways at Pope Army Airfield last week, waiting to take several hundred soldiers overseas. While the paratroopers were waiting at Green Ramp, the final springboard for deploying soldiers, pizza, fried chicken and all types of food were being given out. The Religious Support Office had religious texts and books ready to go if anyone wanted, and there was a long line for stations set up to handle last-minute paperwork.

Many of the waiting paratroopers were socializing, rechecking their gear or catching a few moments of sleep.

Specialist Bryan Flores was laughing with the men next to him. He has been in the Army for almost four years and moved to Fort Bragg three months ago from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska.

Flores said this will be his first deployment and going out and serving on a mission is exciting.

"From the human's perspective, I'm really nervous. But as a soldier, I'm prepared, and because I know what to do, I know my job."

Flores is stationed at Fort Bragg with his wife, Marta, and her two children - ages 10 and 7 years old. He said he didn't want to tell the two kids he was leaving.

"I didn't want to tell them to their faces that I'm leaving because, of course, they would be very upset and really scared," Flores said. "It's hard to tell kids goodbye; I'm leaving somewhere, especially if it's in regard to conflict."

He says it's especially hard to leave his family as they just moved to Fort Bragg and were still getting adjusted to the base.

"I certainly didn't expect it to happen; it was more of a last-minute thing. But of course, that's what we're here to do," Flores said. "When we are ready to go, we're supposed to go and confront the enemy and protect the citizens of the world because that's what the United States is about; we protect."

Flores said that if he could bring something home from his deployment, he would try and find a figurine of a historical monument or something that represents liberation from World War II.

On the other hand, 27-year-old 1st Lt. Alex Blankenship said he would want to bring home a magnet for his unadorned fridge doors. Blakenship, who's been serving in the Army for almost three years, says he was able to see his family a week before his deployment orders came in. They took his cat and wished him a happy birthday before he left. For his family, deployments are just part of the military lifestyle.

"My parents went through this stuff with my dad being in the Navy," Blankenship said. "So, it's not anything new."

According to White House officials, these soldiers are not being sent to fight in Ukraine officially; they will support the allies of the United States. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the 82nd Airborne Division was chosen because they were already on heightened alert and multi-mission capable.

"I think their versatility, their ability to move quickly and to conduct a range of missions across a range of contingencies which is well-proven, that is why the Secretary has ordered them to go," Kirby said.

One of those missions might be to help support American evacuees fleeing Ukraine into Poland.

On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered troops to deploy to the two separatist regions of Eastern Ukraine.

More troops could be mobilized to Europe as the Russia-Ukraine crisis continues. The Pentagon put 8,500 troops on "high alert" in January for possible deployment if NATO's response forces are activated.

Fort Bragg’s Lt. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla will take responsibility for all U.S. military operations in the Middle East and neighboring nations in the coming weeks.

The U.S. Senate voted unanimously to confirm Kurilla’s nomination to lead U.S. Central Command and be promoted to a four-star general.

According to the Pentagon, he will soon replace Gen. Kenneth McKenzie of the Marine Corps, who has commanded CENTCOM since 2019. McKenzie is retiring in April.

Kurilla is the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg. He is a West Point graduate who led special operations and conventional forces in Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan. He previously commanded the 82nd Airborne Division, the elite 75th Ranger Regiment and its 2nd Battalion. He has also served as the assistant commander of Joint Special Operations Command and as the Pentagon’s deputy director for special operations and counterterrorism.

Kurilla is currently deployed to Germany, leading a task force of troops helping NATO allies in the unfolding Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Army Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue was confirmed by Senate to be promoted to lieutenant general and take command of the 18th Airborne Corps in Kurilla’s place. Donahue, the current 82nd Airborne Division commander, is also deployed to Europe in response to the Ukraine crisis.

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Photo Credit: Lt. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, gives a speech at the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) change of command, March 5, 2021, at the division parade field, Fort Campbell, Ky. Kurilla spoke on the great work that Maj. Gen. Brian Winski achieved and how he’s excited to see what Maj. Gen. JP McGee will accomplish.

Eligible Cumberland County residents at risk of spreading COVID-19 will be provided isolated shelter for the foreseeable future.

The county Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the renewal of the N.C. Non-Congregate Sheltering program on Monday.

The program provides shelter for those eligible who need to isolate due to exposure or contraction of COVID-19 and don’t have another way of safely quarantining.

Among those included are first responders and health care workers who need to isolate from family members because of exposure and those who test positive or were exposed and need to quarantine.

Those who need to socially distance as a precautionary measure are also eligible. It’s up to the discretion of public health officials, but it typically includes high-risk groups, such as people over age 65 or those with underlying health conditions.

The county, in partnership with local nonprofits and religious organizations, pays for shelter in a hotel along with other needs such as food, medicine and transportation, among other things.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and N.C. Emergency Management then fully reimburse the county.

The county reported that it has provided shelter and food to more than 70 people in Cumberland and transportation to 35.

Over 92% have been for those at risk of severe COVID-19, according to the county.

The program will operate as long as the federal government approves it or the governor’s state of emergency order stays in effect, or for one year, whichever date comes first.

Those who don’t have a safe way of quarantining due to their living arrangements and think they are eligible can email county Emergency Management Coordinator Garry Crumpler at gcrumpler@co.cumberland.nc.us.

Latest COVID-19 data for Cumberland

The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies Cumberland as a high transmission county, along with all of North Carolina and a wide swath of the rest of the country.

That designation is made based on new case counts and percentage of positive cases in the past week. New case counts over 100 per 100,000 people and a positivity rate over 10% are considered high transmission.

As of Monday, Cumberland has seen more than 350 new cases per 100,000 people in the past week, according to the CDC.

Among all tests in the past week, 19% have returned positive.

But that number has gone down. Earlier in the month, the positivity rate was more than 31%, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Based on the high transmission, the CDC recommends that anyone indoors in a public setting in Cumberland County wear a mask to reduce transmission.

But that will be by personal choice, as the county ended its indoor mask mandate on Sunday.

The county still recommends mask-wearing, and businesses can still require them if they choose to.

As of Monday, 548 people in Cumberland County have died due to COVID-19 during the pandemic.

After a two-week sprint, the state Supreme Court’s deadline looms for North Carolina’s General Assembly to submit revised political maps after justices ruled the prior maps to be unconstitutional partisan gerrymanders favoring Republicans.

On Thursday afternoon, the General Assembly passed the new map for the state House with bipartisan support. Later that night, the legislature passed the state Senate and U.S. congressional maps on party-line votes.
Earlier Thursday, state Sens. Paul Newton and Warren Daniel, the Republicans responsible for drawing new state Senate and U.S. congressional maps, presented them to the House redistricting committee.

“We believe that if either party runs good candidates and good campaigns and touches the issues that people care about, either party could have a majority at the end of the next election,” Newton said about the Senate maps.

Daniel presented the U.S. congressional maps and described them as highly competitive. Both senators described the maps as passing the mathematical measures for partisan fairness that the state Supreme Court laid out as potential tests for constitutionality.

But Democrats protested, along with one Republican.

“Boy, I’m really not sure how this map is going to pass constitutional muster,” said Rep. Pricey Harrison, D-Guilford, during the floor debate.

The constitutional standard for these maps was only set earlier in the week, when the state Supreme Court released its full opinion on Monday. The court previously released an order Feb. 4 that gave some guidance about what it would look for in constitutional maps.

Harrison based her analysis of metropolitan counties, such as Guilford in her district, that were split in the proposed congressional map.

Rep. John Szoka, R-Cumberland, a 20-year military veteran, voted against the congressional maps for splitting up Fort Bragg, the largest military base in the county. The maps followed the court’s mathematical standards for fairness at the expense of keeping communities of interest together, he said.

Rep. Charles Graham, D-Robeson, partially agreed with his Republican colleague. Graham had hoped to see more preservation of communities of interest, namely a U.S. congressional district encompassing all of the Sandhills region of the state. An early proposed version of the map included such a district, but in this passed version, the region is split into three districts.

On Friday, the maps will be filed with the three-judge panel at the trial court to review the maps for compliance with the state Supreme Court’s order on what counts as constitutional political maps. The court may also consider maps from the three groups that sued the Republican legislative leaders in December to stop their first attempts at redistricting from going forward.

As it stands now, the 2022 primaries are scheduled for May 17. Here are the court and election deadlines leading up to Election Day, and the ways it could all get delayed again.

Trial court to decide, again
When a plaintiff raises a constitutional question in North Carolina’s courts, it goes in front of a panel of three Superior Court judges. The panel appointed in this case, of two Republican judges and one Democrat, previously said the Republican maps drawn in November were constitutional.

Plaintiffs appealed that decision to the state Supreme Court, which overturned the decision. The higher court laid out some standards by which the partisan skew of a map, or how much it favors one political party over another, can be measured for constitutional compliance and sent the case back to the three-judge panel.

Now, Judges Graham Shirley II, R-Wake, Nathaniel Poovey, R-Catawba, and Dawn Layton, D-Richmond, will have until noon Feb. 23, to decide which maps the state will use in its 2022 primaries.
Each of the plaintiff groups in the case — the N.C. League of Conservation Voters, the Democratic Party-affiliated National Redistricting Fund and the nonpartisan good-governance group Common Cause — can submit their own maps for consideration.

If no party appeals the decision, the primaries would likely proceed as planned. Candidate filing would open Feb. 24 and close March 4. Then, absentee-by-mail ballots would go out at the latest on April 1. Early in-person voting would start April 28, and the primary election day would be May 17.

But an appeal of the trial court’s decision from any party by 5 p.m. Feb. 23 would likely delay all that, according to Catawba College political science professor and redistricting expert Michael Bitzer.

“It’s an extremely tight window that we’re operating under right now, and any further delay will have an effect on the primary date,” Bitzer wrote in an email to Carolina Public Press.

That’s even before considering the potential complications of an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court or the legal fight over the eligibility of U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R-Hendersonville, to run, both of which could further disrupt parts of the elections.

How voters are affected
Redistricting “​​is the most political activity in American politics,” and North Carolina’s voters are watching it play out in real time, Bitzer said.

As a consequence, voters have seen their voting districts split, zipped back together and recombined in ways that could change who is on their ballots. The primary was delayed from March and could be delayed again. Guilford County has seen some of the most dynamic proposed changes to its political maps.

But for voters who may be confused or frustrated with the redistricting process, the county’s election director, Charlie Collicutt, wants voters to remember there’s so much more on the ballot.

Voters could see county commissioners, sheriffs, school board members, bond issues or municipal offices on their ballots come May. Each of those elections is important, so even if voters are throwing up their hands with the state legislature or congressional elections, their votes can still make an impact in other races, Collicutt said.

Once candidate filing is complete, elections officials like Collicutt will have a couple of weeks under the current schedule to create ballots for each precinct in their counties. When that happens, voters can use N.C. State Board of Elections website to look up sample ballots to see the candidates and races that will be on their ballots to help them prepare to vote.

Voters can already request an absentee-by-mail ballot, which will be mailed out at least 45 days before the election. Even if they request an absentee ballot, voters can still choose to vote in person but may not do both.

“​​I’m a voter, too, and I don’t want it to be hard and confusing,” Collicutt said.

What’s next
Redistricting lawsuit schedule
Feb. 23: Noon deadline for the trial court to approve the General Assembly’s maps or adopt maps from plaintiffs

Feb. 23: 5 p.m. deadline for an emergency application of a stay with the state Supreme Court

If no party asks for a stay, the elections will likely follow the schedule below. If a party asks for a stay and the state Supreme Court grants it, every step below will likely be delayed.

Election schedule
Absentee-by-mail ballot portal is open.

Feb. 24-March 4: Candidate filing. Candidates who filed under the previous districts and want to move under the new maps can ask to have their first filing negated and refile.

March 28: County boards of elections will start mailing out absentee by-mail ballots. The State Board of Elections could delay this to April 1 if some counties need more time.

April 22: Civilian voter registration deadline for the primary.

April 28: One-stop, in-person early voting period begins.

May 10: Last day for civilians to ask for an absentee ballot.

May 14: Last day for one-stop, in-person early voting period.

May 17: Election Day for the primary and delayed municipal elections. All absentee-by-mail ballots have to be in the mail and postmarked by this date.

Cumberland County will be lifting the indoor mask mandate beginning Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. This comes after the Cumberland County Schools Board of Education voted to lift their mask mandate earlier this month.

The mask mandate for the county went into place back on Aug. 27 when the Delta Variant of COVID-19 was rising in the county. However, the latest data shows that the COVID-19 infection positivity rate peaked in North Carolina at 36.3% on Jan. 22 and has decreased to 14.4% as of Feb. 15. Cumberland County’s positivity rate has decreased from 37.8% on Jan. 31, to 25.5% on Feb. 15. The Cumberland County Department of Public Health says that the number continues to decline.

“The COVID-19 landscape looks different than it did two years ago. We know what works and what stops the spread of COVID-19,” said Dr. Jennifer Green, Cumberland County Public Health Director. “Masks remain an effective strategy for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Despite the recension of this formal order, we continue to recommend masking in public indoor spaces, particularly and in settings with lower vaccination rates.”

Masks will still be required in all Cumberland County government buildings, including the Cumberland County Department of Public Health and the Judge E. Maurice Braswell Cumberland County Courthouse. Residents should continue to comply with mask requirements in businesses, healthcare and long-term facilities, educational settings, and other institutions as appropriate.

The Federal CDC Order requires face masks to be worn by all people at indoor transportation hubs and while on public transportation, including school buses and vans, remains in place.

The City of Fayetteville held a Race in America roundtable discussion between public servants who have managed Fayetteville-Cumberland Human Relations efforts since the Commission's creation in 1965.

Town Hall Panelists included Former State Representative Elmer Floyd, Ron McElrath, Dr. Anthony Wade and the current Commission Vice-Chairwoman Milette Harris as the moderator.

Panelists spoke about where Fayetteville came from and where the future is heading.

"When it comes down to planning for the future, you have to understand where you come from," said Wade. "When you speak to these issues going forward, you speak to them based on your reflections of the past."

The panel said they could use the past as a launching pad to push Fayetteville to a better future. Many panelists believe the roadmap to a more progressive future is through the youth.

The human relation commission has discussed having a youth commission so the young leaders of the community can talk about the issues in their city and schools.

"It's never too late, and it's never too early to get involved," said Harris.'

The vice-chairwoman said the key to impact change is to educate, communicate and listen to everyone in the community, no matter the perspective.

McElrath says to work toward a more inclusive community; they need to look at where the decision-makers are and make sure that everyone is sitting at the table. He said constant dialogue is essential to ensure everyone is on the same page and understands everyone's perspective.

"We must never assume that what progress we've gained, we can't lose," McElrath said.

When we first meet someone, we're often taken by their accomplishments, the way they dress or speak or even the way they enter a room. Rarely though, do we consider the forces of life and nature which made them this way. Similarly, when we see the beauty – or even the desolation – in nature, we rarely consider the long-term change or forces by which it was created. Consider for a moment the steep, multifaceted walls, stunning colors and sheer magnitude of the Grand Canyon.

For as much beauty as it offers any beholder, it has obviously made it through a very violent past. It is living to tell the story of ice and raging waters, wind and time, which have made it the breathtaking beauty we see today. As humans, though our experiences alone do not define us, we are surely shaped, to various extents, by the waters of experience that have flowed through us, and maybe more so by our responses to them. Every one of us has a past. Measured in hours, days or years, the events of our lifetime have gradually developed us into what others see today. Our tendency is to see objects we consider beautiful without any consideration for the process of its creation. I enjoy giving gifts to family and friends that extend from one of my many hobbies (many, because I am 'blessed' with a short attention span). One of the hobbies I particularly enjoy is woodworking.

Rather than furniture or items that require great precision levels, I prefer to make small things where the appreciation value comes from their uniqueness. If I really dug into my psyche, I'd probably discover that this actually comes from a sense of inadequacy and that unique, one-of-a-kind gifts leave less room for judgment. But more than that, I believe there can even be a somewhat redemptive quality to woodworking. One year I wanted to do something special for the people I work with at Christmas and decided to make wooden Christmas ornaments. I first pulled a few pieces of firewood from the stack near the edge of our property. After cleaning them up, I began shaping them into rectangles about eight inches long and three to four inches across. After some preparation, I secured each piece on a lathe, which causes the wood to spin at rotations up to thousands of revolutions per minute. At first, they wobble. So, I spin them a little more slowly and introduce a large chisel to take off the rough edges, causing them to be unbalanced.

As the wood becomes a little more stable, I can increase the speed and use smaller chisels to begin the process of refining and shaping each piece into a definable shape. Eventually, I'm able to use sandpaper to make the newly formed shape smooth to the touch. This is us. This is the Grand Canyon. We are, over time, shaped with cuts both deep and shallow at the hands of a Creator. And just as one can see the beauty in one, or the wonder in another, so is the beauty of our uniqueness. We have all lived a story worth telling, and when we do, we can point people back to the Creator, who had a plan from the beginning of it all.

Gerrymandering.

It is a word only a sitting legislator in the majority party can love. For everyone else, it is a word that can send us into a deep sleep lasting the duration of any given election year. Yes, it is a boring concept for most of us, but make no mistake. When it comes to gerrymandering — you snooze, you lose.

Here is a quick tutorial. The US Constitution requires an actual count of how many people live in our nation taken every ten years, and that count is called a census.

The first census was taken in 1790 and found just under four million newly minted Americans. The 2020 census found almost 334 million of us. Census data has many uses, but their most important role is determining representation in the US House of Representatives and state legislatures.

For example, our least populous state, Wyoming, has only one member of the US House, while North Carolina, the 9th most populous state, now has 14 members of the House to represent us in Washington.
Redistricting based on census data is done in all states, mostly by partisan legislatures, including the NC General Assembly.

The idea is that each citizen has roughly equal representation — that no state’s and no citizen’s political clout is appreciably greater than any other’s based on population.

It is a simple stab at fairness that has been polluted from the birth of our nation. Simply put, the party in power at any given moment manipulates the census information to ensure that more candidates representing its point of view get elected than candidates from other parties and points of view. It has been done by political parties that no longer exist, and more recently, by both Democrats and Republicans.

At its basest definition, gerrymandering means politicians select their voters and not the other way around.

And why should you care? Isn’t gerrymandering just politics, as usual, no matter who is doing it? You should care because the people doing the gerrymandering may well be taking your vote away from you.

Consider this. If you are a Democrat in a congressional or legislative district heavily gerrymandered to be Republican, there is really no reason for you to make an effort to vote. The Democrats you support are not going to be elected. It works the other way, as well, for Republicans in heavily gerrymandered Democratic districts. Gerrymandering is a theft of a basic right of citizenship — your right to vote and choose who represents you.

But it is complicated. Over time, various and sometimes conflicting court rulings have made the redistricting process consider the rights of minority voters, the wholeness of communities both by geography and culture and other factors.

These are often difficult to assess and balance and are virtually impossible for average voters to grasp, which translates into a national sleeping potion.

Complicated though it is, legal redistricting and its ugly twin, gerrymandering, are facts of American life that affect each and every voter and those they love. You should care because not caring and opposing gerrymandering essentially gives your vote to others whose viewpoints and goals may well be the exact opposite of yours and may promote policies that harm you and your family.

More cynically, if you agree with the current gerrymanderers, legislators in North Carolina and throughout the nation, the political pendulum always swings. They, and you, will eventually be on the receiving end of gerrymandering, and you may not like that — not one little bit!

Much less painful and much more palatable is redistricting reform to rein in out-of-control gerrymandering birthed by vicious and out-of-control political partisanship.

The Cumberland Community Foundation manages more than 60 scholarship endowment funds created by local individuals, families, civic organizations and corporations who want to provide a path to higher education for future generations.

“Right now we are getting ready to open the community scholarship cycle, and the applications will be available online starting Wednesday, Feb. 16,” said Mary Holmes, president/CEO, Cumberland Community Foundation, Inc. “Between now and then, students should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and this is the process the foundation uses to verify financial need.”

She added, “Most of the scholarships are based on financial need, academic achievement and community service, but we do have a few that are not need-based and are achievement-based only.”

“So the student will go online between Wednesday, Feb. 16 and Wednesday, March 23 to fill out the application and answer questions about themselves,” said Holmes. “The questions want to know the high school you attend, which colleges you want to attend, your grade point average (GPA) and your intended major in college.”

Holmes added the online system would present the opportunities for which the student is eligible, and the applications will pop up for the student to apply.

Each year, Cumberland Community Foundation awards more than $900,000 in college scholarships to students from southeastern North Carolina. The Cumberland Community Foundation Scholarship Committee selects most scholarships. A few scholarships are selected by external selection committees at the individual high schools. High school students should check with their school’s guidance office to learn about scholarship opportunities.

“A lot of scholarships are narrowed down to a specific high school, and for example, the John Thomas Gibson Memorial Scholarship is for a student going from E. E. Smith High School to North Carolina A & T University,” said Holmes. “Some of our scholarships are for students in any high school in Cumberland County going to any college, and they just have to go online and apply to be presented with all of the opportunities.”

“We have a wonderful committee of mostly retired educators that serve as our scholarship selection committee,” said Holmes. “They read all of the applications, make the selection, and then they score all of the applications based on the priorities that the donor established.”

She added, “For example, a donor may want 50% of the points based on financial need, 25% on academic success, and 25% on community service.”

“We just completed the process of selecting 21 students for the Robert H. Short scholarship, and he left 10 million dollars to the Cumberland Community Foundation to help local students go to college,” said Holmes. “Those students will receive up to $30,000 payable over a 4-year period.”

Applications are due Wednesday, Mar. 23 at 11:59 pm. Students will be asked to submit their information from their FAFSA application, their transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.

Visit https://www.cumberlandcf.org/scholarships/how-to-apply-.html for information on how to apply for the scholarships. For more information, visit https://www.cumberlandcf.org/scholarships/.

The fitness industry continually evolves with apps, exercise equipment and the latest concepts in exercise science. The newest buzzword in the industry is "functional training." If you are not in the industry, you may ask what functional training is? Ask any personal trainer or group fitness instructor what functional training is, and chances are you will get a variety of explanations.

Functional training done correctly has a huge carry over on the way we move in everyday life with benefits for everyone regardless of age or fitness level. Fitness centers have historically modeled their floor exercise stations with sectorized equipment that uses a singular motion for specific muscle groups, emphasizing muscle development based on repetitions and weight. The bodybuilding industry had and still has a significant influence on training and gyms filled with machines designed to target muscle isolation.

Functional training enters the arena as an added approach to overall training. Fitness centers are seeing the need for functional training and making entire additions for rooms or an area with selected equipment specifically for this purpose.

Functional training is defined as training that relates to how we move daily. Functional training consists of five daily life patterns: bend and lift, push, pull, single-leg movement, and rotation. Our movements are multi-planar. The planes of motion incorporated with the five-movement patterns are frontal (side to side), sagittal (forward and backward movement) and transverse, which is rotation. As an example, you go to the grocery store pushing your cart, back up for something you missed, select items that are high and low on the shelves, take the items and place them on the checkout, put the items back in the cart, push the cart to the car and put the bags in. Drive home, take them out, carry groceries up the steps into the house and place them on shelves. You may not realize it, but this scenario involves all three planes of motion and all five movement patterns.

You pushed, pulled, bent and lifted, worked in a single leg motion and rotated. How does functional training help you with this scenario? Functional training significantly impacts life outside the gym and gives an added advantage in the sports arena. Fitness centers add entire rooms or areas for training that are distinctively different in concept and flow. A room might include workstations that involve multiple movements and unconventional exercises. Types of equipment might consist of a ski machine that works you in a forward motion like the movement of cross-country skiing using the triceps, back muscles, quads, glutes and core. A sled machine that requires you to push and pull from one point to the next, which involves the entire core and leg muscles to push and pull. A punching bag works the core, rotation, leg, back, arms and pectoral muscles. TRX equipment, weighted balls, rowing machines, air dynamic cycles and treadmills. Versatile workstations and a variety of equipment that is fun and challenging. Functional training is also becoming part of group fitness classes, emphasizing compound movement patterns that include weights. If you are thinking about joining a fitness center or hiring a personal trainer, inquire about functional training. It can improve your daily activities, sports games and recreation with strength stability, performance and movement patterns. Live, love life with increased movement and strength.

The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has fired a deputy following an officer-involved shooting earlier in February.

On Feb. 8, 40-year-old Deputy Luis Hernandez responded to a call in reference to a suspicious vehicle parked in a cul-de-sac on Mercedes Drive with no headlights on around 10:45 pm. According to the Sheriff's Office, while Hernandez approached the car, he observed three people inside. Hernandez asked the occupants to show him their hands, and they complied, putting their hands out the windows. Hernandez, according to the Sheriff's Office, directed a front seat passenger to exit the car, and he did. The vehicle immediately fled the scene, and Hernandez fired seven shots at the moving vehicle. No one has reported any injuries.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, Office of Professional Standards, investigated Hernandez’s response to the call. Following that internal personnel investigation, Hernandez’s employment was terminated on Feb. 11. Another investigation has begun into whether the former deputy engaged in criminal conduct in firing his weapon as a part of his response to the incident. That investigation is ongoing.

Hernandez was hired by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office on March 18, 2019.

Residents could see an increase in their trash collection costs as city officials are in discussions to increase the fee incrementally over the next few years.

The current solid-waste service, which collects trash and recyclables curbside, costs $225 annually. The fee, which fully funds the operation, is included within the city’s property taxes.

City officials are proposing a gradual increase in the coming years — $245 in 2023, $275 in 2025 and $282 in 2027, according to city documents. This would result in an overall increase of more than 25% for residents over the next five years.

The increase would allow for the city’s solid-waste service to build up a positive balance to cover operating costs for 30 to 90 days, allowing for more sustainability during unexpected events, Fayetteville Budget Director Kelly Olivera told Carolina Public Press.

“A modest increase in fees would create a situation where the self-supporting solid-waste fund carries a balance that could support unexpected changes like natural disasters or threats to public health, welfare and safety,” she said.

“A positive fund balance would allow service delivery to continue uninterrupted without significant impact to other city services and programs.”

An administrative report detailing the fee increases was presented to the City Council during a meeting Monday. The council unanimously voted to continue discussion of the possible increases at its next meeting.

Comparison to other Cumberland municipalities
Two other municipalities in Cumberland County, Hope Mills and Spring Lake, provide trash collection to residents.

Both charge more than the current Fayetteville rate.

Hope Mills bills $250.80 annually, or $20.90 a month. Spring Lake charges the most at $307 a year, well above the level Fayetteville is considering charging its solid-waste customers after the proposed series of increases.

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Photo Credit: Equipment at the Fayetteville City Dump is seen working on February 14, 2022. Melissa Sue Gerrits / Carolina Public Press

The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen discussed issues with the town's new website Monday evening.

After years of development, in December, Spring Lake moved to a new website, www.townofspringlake.com. Alderman Raul Palacios addressed various issues with the website, such as grammatical errors, broken links and its not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance – a requirement for government websites.

The town paid around $57,673 within the past three years on a "poorly developed" website that has yielded complaints from citizens, towns officials and business owners. Palacios believes the previous board pushed through the new website without reviewing all the details. He reviewed several proposals from reputable web developers for municipal websites with around $30,000 for a website. To renovate the town's current webpage would have been about $3,000 to $6,000.

Palacios and Alderwoman Sona Cooper suggested that the town cut its losses with Vision Quest Venture LLC, the current developer and go back to the previous website created by Biz Tools in 2006, www.spring-lake.org.

This move will save the city around $3,600 annually.

"The website has a lot of isses, we constantly get complaints about people not being able to pay water bills, complaints about not being able to sign up for rec events or programs," said Cooper. "I believe the best thing to do is to revert back to our old website."

The council raised some concern about the $57,000 loss to the town.

"In my opinion we should cut our losses and run," said Palacios. "We need a compliant website for Americans with disabilities."

According to Attorney Catherine Bama, if the board wants to try to recoup any money, the town would have to take legal action.

Fayetteville State University has named Ulysses Taylor as the new Dean of Broadwell College of Business & Economics. In his role as Dean, Taylor will be responsible for all undergraduate and graduate business programs which include approximately 1,750 students and 62 faculty and staff.

Taylor previously was the Professor of Accounting and Chair of Accounting, Finance, Healthcare, and Information Systems at FSU. 

Taylor is a former board member of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Economic Development Alliance. He currently serves as chairman of the Fayetteville State University Development Corporation and board member and treasurer of The Capitol Encore Academy. Taylor has also served as a consultant, tax attorney and Certified Public Accountant for various for profit and nonprofit organizations for over 30 years, and currently serves as Financial Secretary for the Kappa Alpha Psi Middle Eastern Province Foundation.

"Dean Taylor brings a unique combination of knowledge and practical experience to the deanship. He has proven to be strategic, entrepreneurial, and visionary. He is committed to the overall success of our students and is highly regarded in the field of business education. I am excited about the leadership and innovation that he will bring to the Broadwell College of Business and Economics." said Dr. Monica Terrell Leach, Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Construction will begin soon for several sidewalks in Fayetteville as part of the City of Fayetteville's goal to improve safety and quality of life.

Currently, Fayetteville includes 2,059,306 linear feet of sidewalk throughout the City.

“Sidewalks provide numerous health, economic and safety benefits,” Public Services Director Sheila Thomas-Ambat said in a press release. “Pedestrians deserve spaces that are safe and accessible. Fayetteville City Council Members challenge us to offer exemplary City services. The sidewalks coming in 2022 are just one example of services we are proud to offer.”

Since the start of 2022, two sections of sidewalk projects were finished and are now ready for pedestrians to walk on them. In January, crews completed work on 750 linear feet of new sidewalk with ADA ramps along Ramsey Street between Summerchase Drive and Andrews Road. Some 225 linear feet of sidewalk along Cliffdale Road between Skibo Road and the Freedom Center was finished earlier in February.

Three additional sidewalk sections are scheduled to be completed this summer, totaling nearly 14,000 linear feet in various areas of the City. Those areas are:

• Rosehill Road between Stuart Avenue and Hickory Hill Road will see 6,600 linear feet of sidewalk including ADA ramps, bus stops and a retaining wall.
• Helen Street between Pamalee and Stansfield Drives will get 3,500 feet of sidewalk and include ADA ramps.
• Reilly Road between Willowbrook and Cissna Drives will have 3,850 linear feet sidewalk and include ADA ramps and bus pads.

The secretary of defense has ordered an additional 3,000 soldiers from Fort Bragg to deploy to Poland, according to a senior defense official.

President Joe Biden directed to send the remaining 3,000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Infantry Brigade Combat Team from Fort Bragg to Poland.

The senior defense official said the soldiers will join the 1,700 troops already set for Poland to assist NATO allies.

"All told, these 5,000 additional personnel comprise a highly mobile and flexible force, capable of multiple missions," the official said to major news outlets. "They are being deployed to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO’s eastern flank, train with host-nation forces, and contribute to a wide range of contingencies. They will report to Gen. Tod Wolters, Commander, U.S. European Command."

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced on Friday that the rise of a Russia invasion of Ukraine has risen. He said that they believe Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion of Ukraine at any time, even before the end of the Beijing Olympics.

Fort Bragg troops started to deploy to Europe on Feb. 3. According to U.S. officials, these are not permanent moves for the troops.

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PHOTO CREDIT: More paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division make their way to the terminal after arriving on a C-17 Globemaster aircraft at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport, Poland Feb. 8. In coordination with the Polish Ministry of Defense and Polish government the nearly 2,000 Soldiers are deploying to support the United States’ decision to increase its presence and activities in the Eastern Flank as part of strong and unremitting commitment to our NATO Allies and partners. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Angel D. Martinez-Navedo)

The Cumberland County Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday night to make masks optional for both students and staff.

The school board approved the decision with a 5 to 4 vote. The decision will go into effect on Feb. 16.

"Going mask optional doesn't take away the right of someone who wears a mask, they can double mask, the N-95s are abundant now when they haven't been before," Chair Greg West said. "I think mask optional is a prudent first step to allow those who want a choice and waited for 22 months to have a choice."

Board Member Donna Vann said that after two-and-a-half years in a pandemic, everyone has their own personal responsibility to protect themselves.

"That's going to be the choice of each individual," Vann said.

However, other board members reiterated that masking is a group responsibility.

"The mask is a public health tool. It's for you caring about me or me caring about you, to protect you," Board Member Carrie Sutton said in opposition.

Board Members Sutton, Deanna Jones, Judy Musgrave and Charles McKellar all voted against making the masks optional.

However, the Cumberland County mask mandate is still in place by the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners. Masks are required indoors across Cumberland County, including all municipalities - Fayetteville, Hope Mills, Spring Lake, Wade, Eastover, Falcon, Godwin, Linden and Stedman. It is unclear how the new school board policy will be impacted by the county policy.

I previously reflected on the then-upcoming observance of Martin Luther King Day. For me, it both honors a towering American figure and serves as an annual occasion to remember his (and many others’) legacy in the continuing struggle against all forms of enmity, intolerance and inequity.

But that weekend saw a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, held hostage on the Jewish Sabbath. Blessedly, after many tense hours, the incident ended without any loss of innocent life when the rabbi and congregants utilized previously learned security preparedness and response training. Ironically, on that Sabbath, synagogues worldwide were reading the weekly scriptural portion about Moses and God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from ancient Egyptian slavery.

Tragically, houses of worship, schools and all manner of public and private institutions must be concerned with the potential for violent attacks rather than focusing their energies solely on the purposes for which they exist. Some faith traditions, ethnic communities and distinctly identifiable groups may be at more significant risk, but disturbingly, none of us is guaranteed complete security.

We each receive guidance from different sources, which for me means the teachings of the Jewish tradition. The Bible records that the Israelites found themselves trapped at sea with Pharaoh’s army in pursuit when leaving Egypt. An ancient Jewish legend says that Moses prayed for deliverance, but not until a single man waded into the water up to his neck did the sea split for the Israelites to pass through safely.

The Jewish views parallel the saying, “God helps those who help themselves.” Accordingly, Jewish tradition teaches not to rely on miracles, for they are purely gifts from God and not expectations to be ordered on demand, even though sincere prayer and devotion.

There are different opinions regarding appropriate steps in considering possible threats, but again I am guided by my tradition. Firstly, to follow in the footsteps of Moses’ brother Aaron, who Judaism teaches always sought peace and the resolution of discord. Still, it also teaches the legitimacy of self-defense if preventive measures fail. Even deadly force may be used, but only when there is no reasonable alternative, as our tradition teaches, “How do you know your blood is redder than the blood of another?”

And when direct defensive force cannot be avoided, I still learn from another Jewish legend. After the sea collapsed on and drowned Pharaoh’s army, the Israelites sang praises of thanksgiving for their Divine deliverance. In heaven, the angels wanted to join in the songs of praise, but God objected, asking rhetorically, “My handiwork (i.e., the Egyptians) are drowning in the sea, and you recite a song?!”

The Israelites who were saved understandably rejoiced in their relief, but others need to recognize that even while justified, human suffering still occurred.

So, it is customary at the Passover Seder ritual-meal to diminish the symbol of joyous redemption, wine, by removing a drop from our cups for each of the ten plagues suffered by the ancient Egyptians. All human life is always precious.