What the world needs now more than love sweet love, are smarter, more socially attuned rats. Mr. Science has developed a method to put human brain cells into rats. What could possibly go wrong with this interesting development?

Today we enter the door that opens into this brave new world of improved rats. Quoting the The New York Times: “Scientists have successfully transplanted clusters of human neutrons into the brains of new born rats…” As Flounder said in “Animal House” — “Oh Boy! Is this great!”

Let us ponder the how, then the why, and the what this might mean for ratkind and humankind. Like many occasionally startling trends, poking human brain cells into rat brains originated in California. Our friends at Stanford not only left the cake out in the rain at McArthur Park but found the recipe again.

First, you put a bunch of human skin cells into a petri dish. Gently mix in some chemicals to cause the skin cells to morph into embryo cells. The newly hatched embryo cells can grow into almost anything except a Mercedes Benz. Fold in some more chemicals that cause embryo cells to develop into nerve cells, AKA neurons. Put the neurons into a commercial grade Commando 1500 E Class 10,000-watt Food Processor. Add Stanford’s secret recipe of 11 herbs and spices. Spin for two hours until the cells form large clumps of neurons called progenitor brain cells.

These brain cells become three types of nerve cells called Organoids. These new improved brain cells do not develop into regular or extra crispy Organoids, but come in three delicious flavors: brain cortex cells, spinal cord cells and muscle cells.

Now comes the fun part. Mr. Science implants the human nerve cells into the brains of volunteer two-day old baby rats to see what happens next. The Organoids are put into the part of the rat brains that understands pain, touch and bodily signals. Rats get a lot of information about the outside world from their whiskers. Human Organoids can speak Rat Whisker. Once at home in the baby rat brain, the Organoids flourish and grow to take up about 1/3 of the rat’s cortex.

Party on, Organoids! Mr. Science discovered the rats with human Organoids learned much more quickly than mere rat brained rats. We now can produce intellectually gifted rats who will require private schools.
Why do we want better rat brains? By Mr. Science studying the new improved rat brains, medical advances may be made into understanding autism, brain injuries and other neurological disorders. Some soreheads have ethical questions about implanting Organoids into rats. At this point, apparently Organoids have not been implanted into chimpanzees or border collies. But if winter comes, can blizzards of new improved animals be far behind? Stay tuned.

Eventually PETA is likely to object to the biological downgrading of rats by diluting their rodent identity through injecting human brain cells. Rats will become less than fully rat, declining into mere Ratoids adulterated by human brain cells. Humans have done a lot of things, and not all of them were good. Introducing human brain cells into rats is species colonialism. The insertion of human brain cells into rats is the first step on a slippery slope of cultural appropriation of rat history.

Will Ratoids become addicted to following the latest antics of Kardashians or the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills? Will Ratoids become influencers on social media? Will Ratoids become Democrats or Republicans, or form a new Party of Ratacrustians?

Not everything must be bleak in the coming Ratoid future. What is sauce for the rat, is sauce for the human. If human brain cells can be injected into rats, then rat brain cells can be injected into humans. The insertion of rat brain cells into humans would improve a lot of humans.

Consider Putin with a new improved rat brain. Vlad would be a kinder, gentler, murderous dictator. There are some things that even rats won’t do. Putin has shown there is nothing he won’t do. Rat Brain Putin would be an upgrade. Rat brain cells would improve Kanye West by slowing his spew of antisemitic comments, thereby allowing him to focus on finding cheese instead of vomiting hatred. Elon Musk clearly would benefit from rat brains. Former Dook Coach K’s disposition could be upgraded to almost semi-catatonic with an infusion of rat brains. Coach K already resembles a rat. His transformation from almost human to rat would not be a stretch. In a display of almost superhuman restraint, I will refrain from suggesting whether an infusion of rat brain cells would improve the Former Guy.

So, what have we learned today? Who put the rat in rational and irrational? Who knows? Boys will be boys. Rats will be rats. Until now, never the twain shall meet. Once humans comingle their brain cells in rats, we will end up with a nation of Dook fans. As Colonel Walter E. Kurtz in “Apocalypse Now” once said, “The Horror. The Horror.”

Contrary to what North Carolina progressives seem to think, the truth is that the Republican-controlled General Assembly now has a governing supermajority. This dynamic threatens Gov. Roy Cooper’s ability to continue building upon his record of having the most vetoes of any state governor.

Tuesday’s electoral results also put state public policy outcomes in North Carolina into a favorable position for those who value limited government.
The social media politico echo chambers are spiking with analysis after Tuesday’s election. Folks on the left and right are giving their thoughts about what the results mean for our political landscape. Overall, it is fair to conclude that what should have been an environment where Republicans saw a massive red wave across the country turned up short, but here at home, they secured critical victories.

The NCGOP took a sweeping victory over the judiciary, gaining the majority on the North Carolina Supreme Court for the foreseeable future. This will positively impact conservatives and those who value constitutionality in how judges interpret the law rather than judicial activism. Likewise, this will potentially impact redistricting, righting the wrongs of previous activist judges.

Most notably, Republicans gained a supermajority in the state Senate, bringing them to 30 seats in the upper chamber and a “functional supermajority” in the NC House, coming up short only by one, with 71 seats.
Nationally, the GOP did not do as well as many pundits predicted. There are potentially many reasons why that happened. One can speculate that this could be seen as a referendum on Trumpism — that it’s time for Republicans to move beyond Donald Trump and that populist rhetoric is not necessarily the catch-all winning strategy for conservatives moving forward. With what we saw in this election cycle in North Carolina with the loss of the three Trump-endorsed congressional candidates (Cawthorn, Hines and Smith), even with a Budd victory, that seems to be a good argument.

While the red wave may not have been felt at the national level, and social media rhetoric reflects that sentiment, #NCPOL Twitter is seemingly different from the rest of the country, as we did see positive gains for Republicans on the state level and, of course, with Budd’s U.S. Senate victory.

So, as for the General Assembly, what does a “functioning or governing supermajority” mean for legislating and the governor’s veto power?
Republicans in the General Assembly only need one House Democrat to align with them to override Gov. Cooper’s veto. House Republicans have a rich environment of moderate Democrats to vote with them on a wide variety of policies, especially now that Democrats do not have to worry about the wrath of Cooper’s vengeance since his time as governor is coming to a close. Senate Republicans have the votes to override a veto even without Democrat support.

On a vote-by-vote basis, and almost every issue imaginable, Republicans in the General Assembly can expect to have practically no problem finding Democrats to effectively caucus with them on votes, thus making Cooper’s veto no longer safe.

It would be politically savvy for moderate Democrats to deliver on being moderates and work in a bipartisan fashion. Likewise, this also means Republicans will have to moderate, albeit only slightly, on some issues to win the hearts of their colleagues. Overall, this is arguably not bad for a good and balanced government.

Editor’s Note: André Béliveau is the strategic projects and government affairs manager at the John Locke Foundation. He is an M.A. in government candidate at Johns Hopkins University and previously served as a policy advisor in the North Carolina Senate.

A Fayetteville man has been charged in a fatal shooting at the Carolina Motor Inn on Saturday night, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said.

Bobbie Colston Farrior, 41, was arrested Sunday, Nov. 13, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

He is charged in the fatal shooting of Rafael Ramon Purdie 39, of Hope Mills.

Farrior is being held without bond at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a charge of first-degree murder, the Sheriff’s Office said. His first appearance is set for 2:30 p.m. Monday.

Deputies were dispatched to the motel at 2533 Gillespie St. around 11:10 p.m. in reference to a shooting, the Sheriff’s Office said in a release.

The preliminary investigation revealed that Purdie was taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the hospital, the release said.

The Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone who has information about this investigation is asked to call Detective Sgt. R. Brinkley at 910-677-5463 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-TIPS (8477).

This is the second fatal shooting in the county in three days.

Carlos Runquiz Whitted, 40, of Hope Mills, died after a shooting Thursday night on Lawndale Street.

The Spring Lake Board of Aldermen is expected to swear in Fire Chief Jason Williams as interim town manager Monday night, Nov. 14, as it continues to search for a permanent town manager.

“It looks like I will be in this position for a little longer than when I was first appointed as the acting town manager,” Williams said.

Williams was appointed interim town manager on Oct. 24 after state Treasurer Dale Folwell said he would not approve funding to hire Justine Jones as Spring Lake town manager.

After a two-month search, the board voted 3-2 on Oct. 10 to appoint Jones as permanent town manager on conditional approval of the contract by the Local Government Commission, the Board of Aldermen and the town attorney, and acceptance of the contract terms by Jones.

Folwell issued a news release on Oct. 13 saying he would not approve the funding for Jones, who had recently been fired after 90 days from her first job as town manager in Kenly. She was let go after the entire full-time Police Department, including the police chief and two other employees, quit making headline news. They said she created a hostile work environment.

Folwell cited past employment history, concern for potential legal and financial liabilities and the potential adverse impact on town morale as his reasons for not supporting the hire.

Folwell said in an interview earlier this month that the ability to budget and manage the finances of a large organization should be at the forefront of the board’s decision-making when selecting a town manager.

Folwell also serves as chairman of the Local Government Commission which took over Spring Lake’s finances in October 2021 amid concerns of potential budget deficits, longstanding fiscal disarray and an investigation of missing money.

According to Jones’ resume, she has one year of budget experience and 90 days of town management experience. Prior to her brief employment in Kenly, Jones sued Richland County, South Carolina, alleging gender and racial discrimination after she was fired. In between, she spent five years operating her own consultant company.

Mayor Kia Anthony and town attorney Michael Porter said Kenly hired a third-party private investigator who showed that the claims of a hostile work environment were unfounded.

Anthony announced at the Oct. 24 meeting after Williams was appointed as interim town manager that the town would be sending a contract to the Local Government Commission for Jones to be the next manager despite the opposition from Folwell.

Williams has served as the acting town manager for the last three weeks. He said he is hoping to make some good changes in Spring Lake. He has taken a proactive approach to running the town, working with all departments to get equipment working again to clean streets and improve the appearance of the town.

“We’ve gotten the street sweeper back and running and we are working on getting things moving forward,’’ Williams said. “We got the claw machine on the truck adjusted and fixed so employees have returned to picking up bulk trash items.”

Williams hopes that residents can see that employees are trying to get the town cleaned up.

“If we can get the streets cleaned up and the trash picked up, then hopefully the people in Spring Lake can take pride in the town,’’ he said. “We just put up the flags on Main Street. We are just going to keep working at it.”

Williams added that the town Christmas tree lighting has been scheduled for Dec. 1 with town departments once again coming out to man stations for children.

“Santa will be there and we are going to do things a little bigger this year,” Williams said. “It’s about community and what I want the most is positive things coming from this town.”

In other business, the board is expected to hear a rezoning case to build new townhomes off Chapel Hill Road. The board is also expected to go into closed session citing N.C. General Statutes for privilege-confidential-approval closed session minutes, attorney-client privilege and personnel.

The board meets at 6 p.m. in the Grady Howard conference room of Spring Lake Town Hall.

The Fayetteville City Council has a meaty agenda scheduled for Monday, Nov. 14 with topics that include the N.C. History Center on the Civil War, Emancipation and Reconstruction, execution of a contract for gunshot technology and the potential appointment of a Fayetteville Public Works Commission member.

“We’ve been working through stuff,” Mayor Mitch Colvin said Thursday. “We're trying to push them on. We’re trying to clear the plate before the end of the year when we break for winter.”

The regular monthly meeting begins at 7 p.m. at City Hall.

In a consent item, the City Council will consider authorization to execute a memorandum of understanding with the history center foundation and adoption of a budget ordinance amendment 2023-7.

“We gave consensus for the manager, if certain conditions are met, to sign an agreement to fund it like a memorandum of agreement,” Colvin said. “It could be to vote to officially do that. I think we did that in a work session. It will appropriate the money with the passage of it but not disperse it until the conditions are met.”

Council voted 9-0 on Oct, 24 to allocate $6.6 million to the center, contingent on stipulations.

Another consent item involves approval of an interlocal agreement between the city and Cumberland County regarding the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park project.

The N.C. General Assembly appropriated $2.5 million to the Fayetteville/Cumberland County Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Committee, a nonprofit corporation, “as partial funding for a project to construct a memorial spire in a circular, stone meditation plaza” in the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park owned by the city, meeting materials state.

Gunshot technology, PWC appointment

When it comes to the gunshot detection technology services, the awarding of the contract could be forthcoming when the council reconsiders the execution of the transaction.

“(We’re) trying to give authorization to sign a contract if certain conditions are met,” Colvin said when asked what he anticipated would take place regarding a potential contract with the gunshot technology company ShotSpotter. “And some of the council’s concerns were public engagement meetings and just one or two other points to the proposed contract. That was something I brought to the council because it was stuck in limbo. Now it’s moved back to the table for official vote. Either pass it or not.”

Council members also are expected to make an appointment to the Fayetteville PWC.

Downtown social district

In other business, the City Council is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the adoption of Fayetteville’s proposed Downtown Social District.

Last year, the General Assembly enacted legislation allowing municipalities to designate social districts within their jurisdiction to allow alcoholic beverages sold by licensed premises to be consumed within the district, outside of the establishment where the beverage was purchased.

The city and the Cool Spring Downtown District, according to agenda materials, have worked together to propose a social district in the downtown area. Those two entities “believe that a social district is a valuable tool to increase economic activity and the vibrancy of downtown Fayetteville …”

As recommended by staff, the days and hours of operation for the city’s planned social district would be Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 10 p.m.

Only alcoholic beverages purchased from a permittee located in or contiguous to the social district may be possessed and consumed, the proposed ordinance states.

Cape Fear River Park

A Cape Fear River Park update also is listed on the agenda for council discussion.
Based on meeting materials, the project area consists of about 13 acres of city-owned property between Grove and Person streets along the west bank of the Cape Fear River. More than 1,000 feet of riverbank is included in the project.

Democrat Val Applewhite on Tuesday defeated veteran Republican candidate Wesley Meredith for a seat in the North Carolina Senate representing District 19, according to unofficial returns.

With all precincts reporting, Applewhite received 30,219 votes compared with 27,424 votes for Meredith, according to unofficial results.

"I got a very nice call from Wesley," Applewhite said after the results came in, "and he wished me well. Offered to help in any way that he could when I go to Raleigh, and we chatted, and that was very great."

Meredith said earlier in the day that he would not be commenting on the results.
Local political analyst George Breece had called the Senate District 19 race the “thriller in the ‘Ville in this 2022 election.”

"What I always say is that nobody is going to outwork me," said Applewhite, who is 61. "I think I had a very intense ground game directly engaging voters and just making my way through the community. This has been a long campaign season for me from the primary to here, and it never stopped. But I kept connecting with the citizens."

Applewhite, an Air Force veteran, and Army veteran Meredith served together on the Fayetteville City Council for three years beginning in 2007.
The race between Applewhite and Meredith included an interesting footnote: Gov. Roy Cooper endorsed her before the Democratic primary, when she defeated Sen. Kirk deViere to face Meredith.

"I think it was very instrumental because it allowed me resources, fundraising," she said of the endorsement. "Some people even said, 'Hey, if the governor supports you, I support you, as well.’ It did have a big impact but at the same time I brought my own special brand to this campaign."

Abortion was among the issues that showed the candidates' contrasting views of political and public policies.
Applewhite, a real estate broker, ran on the premise that there should be no restrictions on abortion. Close to her heart is the right of women to make their own decisions about abortion.

Meredith adamantly opposed late-term and partial-birth abortion and said he would work “to restrict those barbaric practices.” He supports new regulations on abortion that include clear exceptions for rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother.
Meredith, who runs a landscaping business, served four terms in the state Senate beginning in 2010 but lost re-election to deViere in 2018 and 2020.

Applewhite served on the Fayetteville City Council for three terms beginning in 2007 but later lost her two bids for mayor.
Senate District 19 encompasses most of Cumberland County, including rural areas on the northern, southern and eastern sides, plus Hope Mills and parts of Fayetteville.

City residents spoke loudly Tuesday in overwhelmingly approving a total of $97 million in bond packages for investments in public safety, infrastructure and housing.

A $60 million bond package for public safety received 28,430 votes, or 61.84%, to 17,547 votes, or 38.16%, in opposition, according to unofficial returns from the Cumberland County Board of Elections.

A bond package on infrastructure to upgrade roadways and sidewalks received 30,569 votes, or 66.44%, to 15,441, or 33.56%, according to the elections board website. A bond package for housing garnered 27,236 votes, or 59.13%, to 18,826 votes, or 40.87%, according to unofficial returns.

“It’s a great night for the city of Fayetteville,” City Manager Doug Hewett said, who said he is thankful to the City Council for its bold initiative.

Approval of the bonds, according to the city, comes at the cost of a municipal property tax increase of 4 cents to residents. For a home valued at $100,000, the property tax increase would be about $3.33 per month, or $40 per year, the city website says. A home valued at $200,000 would be taxed an additional $6.67 per month, or $80 a year.

Referendums for the bonds were unanimously approved on Aug. 8 by the City Council.

“Clearly, it was the largest bond ever contemplated in the city,” Hewett said. “With $97 million, I pledge to honor this vote in shaping the future of Fayetteville. I can’t wait to get to work in the morning to get the plan in action.”

Public safety needs for the city, according to its website, include emergency services, new fire stations, renovations to older fire stations and construction of a Police Department 911 call center. Public infrastructure needs, the city website says, are street resurfacing, sidewalk and intersection improvements, and bicycle paths. Housing needs, the website says, include development, rehabilitation of existing homes and homeownership programs.

“It’s an amazing night,” Hewett said. “Truly a celebratory night.”

Two Democrats defeated two Republicans for at-large seats on the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners in Tuesday’s general election, according to unofficial returns from the county Board of Elections.

Veronica Jones led the ticket with 40,914 votes. Former county Commissioner Marshall Faircloth came in second with an unofficial count of 38,530 votes.
Republicans John Szoka and Ron Ross came in third and fourth, respectively. Szoka, a former member of the N.C. House, garnered 35,253 in unofficial returns and Ross had 30,116.

One of the two at-large seats is being vacated by Commissioner Charles Evans, who ran for Congress. The second seat was held by Larry Lancaster, who lost in the Democratic primary to Jones and Faircloth.

Commissioners Jeannette Council and Glenn Adams, both Democrats, ran unopposed in District 1. All commissioners serve four-year terms. Although unopposed, Council received 15,511 votes and Adams received 13,970, in unofficial returns.
Jones attended a voting watch party at the Metropolitan on Green Street with fellow candidate Val Applewhite, who won a seat in the N.C. Senate.

“I won the primary and hoped that community still had faith in me,” said Jones, who added that her success at the polls came through her engagement with voters.

“I would go to as many of the polls as possible, from Gray’s Creek to the Kiwanis Center,” she said.

She said voters appreciated her engagement and other candidates’ engagement with them. They came with voter guides and good questions, she said.

“Sometimes people don’t give voters enough credit,” Jones said.

Faircloth stayed home during the vote count.

“I campaigned all day. It was a long day, and I was tired,” he said. “I spent a quiet evening at home biting my fingernails,” he said.

Faircloth said he figured that Jones would win and he would be in a tight race with John Szoka.
Faircloth said he ran for office again because he never finished some of the projects he was involved in as a Cumberland County commissioner. He said the most important project ahead is for the county to hire a new manager.

“There’s so much to be done, but getting a new county manager is probably the most important thing right now,” he said.

Democrat Ennis Wright will serve another term as Cumberland County sheriff after defeating Republican challenger LaRue Windham in Tuesday’s election, according to unofficial returns.

Wright, 63, received 49,275 votes, or 60% of the ballot count, compared with 32,797 votes, or almost 40%, for Windham, according to unofficial results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections.

Wright did not respond to a request for comment.

Wright was appointed sheriff in 2017 and was first elected in 2018. He is a Fayetteville native who has spent almost 30 years in law enforcement. Before he was named sheriff, he served as the chief deputy, supervising the entire Sheriff’s Office. In his first term, he initiated the Citizens Academy, which connects and educates the public with services available through the Sheriff’s Office.

He is a graduate of Terry Sanford High School and attended basic training and individual training at Fort Knox and was an honors graduate. He ended his military career honorably and attended basic law enforcement training at Robeson Community College in Lumberton. He worked with the Spring Lake Police Department before joining the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office as a road deputy.
  

Windham, 63, a 20-year veteran of law enforcement, said he had hoped to bring trust back to the Sheriff’s Office, where he once worked as a deputy operations commander. Windham worked in the N.C. Department of Correction in a special operations unit and as the training coordinator at the Morrison Correctional Institution (now Richmond Correctional Institution) in Richmond County before moving to probation and parole services for the N.C. Department of Public Safety.

“I’m definitely disappointed,’’ Windham said Tuesday night. “We thought we had a chance to pull this off, but I’d like to give praise and thanks to my supporters. I have some of the best supporters in Cumberland County. Congratulations to Wright and I hope things start to improve in the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.’’

In a race that could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, Republican Ted Budd defeated Democrat Cheri Beasley in Tuesday's general election, complete but unofficial election returns show.

Republicans need to flip only one Senate seat to gain control. The Senate is now split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans. Thirty-four seats are being contested.

But Budd’s victory would not be the one to flip Senate control. The winner between Budd and Beasley will replace retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr.
Returns from the North Carolina State Board of Elections on Tuesday night showed Budd receiving 2.87 million votes, or 50.75% of the ballots cast, to 1.74 million votes, or 47.04%, for Beasley.

Once the votes are canvassed and the election returns are certified, It appears that Budd will replace Burr.
Budd, 50, has been in the U.S. House of Representatives representing North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District since 2017. His House term ends in January.

Beasley, 56, is a former chief justice of the state Supreme Court. She also served on the state Court of Appeals and as a District Court judge in Cumberland County.

As was the case in the 2020 presidential election, rural voters largely supported the Republican candidate, while voters in the state’s most populous counties — including Cumberland — voted heavily Democratic. Beasley won only 21 of the state’s 100 counties. About half of the state’s registered voters cast ballots.

In Cumberland County, Beasley received 55.06% of the vote to 42.72% for Budd.
Budd was endorsed by former President Donald Trump and adheres to many of his political positions. Budd opposes abortion even in the case of rape, incest or threat to a woman's health. He grew up on a farm in rural Davie County and still lives there today. He says he will fight against President Joe Biden’s agenda and uphold conservative values. He supported Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
In his campaign ads, Budd attacked Beasley, calling her soft on crime while she served on the state Supreme Court and too liberal for North Carolina.

Among other issues, Budd accused Beasley of supporting student loan forgiveness and using taxpayer money to help the rich at the expense of everyone else.

Beasley’s campaign attacked Budd as a Trump-backed politician who opposes abortion, failed to vote for legislation to lower prescription drug prices and played a role in the settlement of his father’s bankrupt agricultural business, costing farmers millions.

The race was tame — one political pundit even called it “boring” — compared with celebrity races in Georgia and Pennsylvania.
Although Beasley outraised Budd by nearly a 3-1 margin, national Republicans poured far more money into Budd’s campaign than did their Democratic counterparts in the campaign's final weeks, The Associated Press reported.

In his acceptance speech, Budd thanked Beasley for her service and Trump, his family and North Carolina voters for their support.
Two other candidates were in the race. Libertarian Shannon W. Bray received 1.36% of the vote, and Green Party candidate Matthew Hoh received 0.78%.

Voters in Fayetteville sent the message Tuesday that they are happy with the way the City Council is structured.

The referendum on the Vote Yes Fayetteville initiative failed at the polls, 26,209 to 20,361, according to unofficial returns.

“The citizens of this community have had enough of the elite calling the political and economic decisions,” said Mayor Mitch Colvin, who opposed a potential change in the way the City Council was shaped. “And they spoke clearly to that tonight. I worked hard and several other members of the council worked hard to make our case. And the citizens bought into it. Hopefully, we’re finished with this type of conversation for a while.”

Had the initiative been approved, the City Charter would have been amended and the way City Council members were elected would have been restructured. Instead of all nine members being elected from individual districts, four members would have been elected at-large and five would have been elected by district. The mayor would have continued to be elected citywide.

“I’m not sad,” said Tisha Waddell, a former City Council member and supporter of the Vote Yes effort. “I’ve come to expect results like this out of the city of Fayetteville. I’m not sad; I’m not disappointed. I think that the people have spoken, and now we have to respect what they said and hope that the council will serve in a way that doesn’t make us regret this decision.”

Vote Yes advocates argued that at-large seats would give voters greater representation, increase turnout in municipal elections and create accountability in city government. They say council members elected at-large would be more likely to make decisions that benefit the city as a whole and not only their respective districts.

“I really think it was very confusing for a lot of voters. I’ve had so many people to explain this to at the polls,” Waddell said. “And if I had not been there to articulate to them – and not to tell them to vote or whether to not – but simply to explain what this meant to them. We may not have done a good job really articulating to the community what this initiative was.

“We very early on were accused of racism,” she said. “Early on we were accused of this narrative of Republicans trying to change the composition of the council. It became more about responding to those allegations, I think, than about really having an opportunity to educate the community.”

Supporters of the plan circulated a petition directing the City Council to put the measure before voters in a referendum.

After some council members raised questions about whether the petitioners had followed proper procedures, the Vote Yes organizers took the issue to court. Superior Court Judge Jim Ammons ordered the City Council to move forward with the referendum. The city appealed that decision, but it was upheld by the N.C. Court of Appeals.

Incumbent Diane Wheatley on Tuesday defeated veteran Democratic challenger Elmer Floyd for the N.C. House District 43 seat, according to unofficial returns.

The district includes parts of central Fayetteville and a large portion of Cumberland County east of the Cape Fear River. Wade, Stedman, Eastover, Godwin, Falcon, Gray’s Creek and Cedar Creek are all within the district.

Wheatley received 14,318 votes compared with Floyd’s 11,614, according to unofficial results from the N.C. State Board of Elections.

“I’m ready to go back to Raleigh and go to work and I appreciate their support,’’ Wheatley said. “I will try not to disappoint them and will always represent our community.

“I look forward to hearing from my constituents and (am) looking forward to serving our county,” Wheatley said.

Wheatley said she believes the country is on the wrong track, while Floyd said he believes the country is heading in the right direction. Both candidates stated they strongly believe in supporting law enforcement.

When asked why she thought the voters sent her back to Raleigh, Wheatley had this to offer: “I think I worked very hard to make sure Cumberland County has not been left out in Raleigh. I think I've been here serving the community for 16 years as a school board chairman and as a county commissioner. I served two years in Raleigh with great success with the delegation that I enjoyed working with.”

“I’m hopeful we can do the same when I get to Raleigh,’’ she said. “I think people know I want to work with the folks who are elected and to be effective for our county.”

Floyd could not be reached for comment.

The Fayetteville Woodpeckers have decided to cancel the annual “United for Veterans” event scheduled for Friday, Nov. 11 at Segra Stadium. It will not be rescheduled for 2022. This decision was made in an effort to keep staff, attendees and vendors safe during the forecasted hit of Tropical Storm Nicole in Fayetteville on Friday.

United for Veterans was to feature a resource fair with dozens of organizations that offer services for veterans and military families. Among these were organizations providing education services, employment assistance, medical and mental health care, housing, fitness, recreational activities and more. In place of this event, a “virtual resource fair” has been created through Linktree to connect those interested to these organizations: https://linktr.ee/UnitedForVeterans.

For more information about the Woodpeckers or upcoming events, please visit www.fayettevillewoodpeckers.com.

Corporations seek those with leadership ability because they believe these individuals bring special assets to their organization and, ultimately, improve the bottom line.
— Peter G. Northouse, “Leadership”

Why does leadership matter? In today’s global environment, organizations and communities want leaders who can guide them and drive positive change. Now more than ever, these same organizations and communities seek agile, creative and analytical leaders who are capable of operating in a complex and ever-changing environment.

In other words, candidates are sought who can successfully lead businesses and organizations out of the post-pandemic period and into the emerging “meta” era. Is this you?
Do leaders matter? Leaders at all levels assess requirements against capabilities and, in turn, leverage their personnel to attain goals. However, it is the skilled leader who visualizes, describes and directs not solely on where “we are” but rather synergizes the past and forecasts the future to positively affect “today.” Is this you?

Leadership changes the world. We study leadership so we can be successful leaders for organizations now and in the future. The Leadership Studies program at Fayetteville Technical Community College is looking for students who have the passion, drive and commitment to confront challenges in a constantly changing global world. Are you ready to meet the challenge?
Interested in leadership? Perhaps you should consider a degree in Leadership Studies. FTCC's Leadership Studies degree is a 5 semester/64-credit-hour program designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and growth into leadership positions.

Course work includes various subject areas related to leadership involving data-driven decision-making, change management, strategic leadership, planning, team-building, leadership capacity, motivation and effective communication.
Graduates will earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) and may qualify for leadership positions in the public and private sectors. Occupations may include positions specific to the military, governmental agencies, public policy, non-governmental agencies, law enforcement and homeland security.

How do you begin? Registration for Spring classes at FTCC is open, and Spring classes begin Jan. 9.

The arrival of a new year brings renewed hope and excitement, a “clean slate” waiting to be filled with ideas and directions for pursuing a new career, upgrading job skills and improving overall quality
of life.

Your local community college is an outstanding resource for pursuing a better quality of life through education. Whether your educational interest falls in the area of Leadership Studies, or in some other field or area, FTCC has over 280 academic programs to choose from, conveniently and affordably offered to help you make the most of your career decision.

For additional information about the Leadership Studies program, please visit https://www.faytechcc.edu/academics/business-programs/leadership-studies/ or call 910-678-8521 or email smithse@faytechcc.edu.

You can reach an FTCC Admissions representative at admissions@faytechcc.edu to get started at FTCC.

Your journey to a new career begins with the first step at FTCC. Let us help you find your way forward.

Alondria McCoy is the founder of Alon Entertainment and the writer and director of “First Lady the Stage Play” — a story of domestic violence and mental health in the church.

Fact vs. Fiction

This play is based on a true story. McCoy had a co-worker that detailed what happened to her as a First Lady, a title given to the wife of a church pastor. McCoy could not believe such horrendous things happened to the woman and inquired if she could turn the woman’s story into a stage play. The woman did not believe her story could be used for a stage play, but McCoy voiced she had the background in it and it could happen.

For two and a half months, details of the woman’s story resided on sticky notes as McCoy pieced the story together. It didn’t take her long to get the story together. On opening night, her co-worker sat in the audience and watched as her experience was told through a stage play.
After the show, her co-worker had tears in her eyes and told McCoy to have this play shown to the masses.

“Where I grew up in the church, I would have never thought this was real,” she said. “I’ve never seen anything like this in the church. It was easy for me to make a play of it.”

For the last six years, McCoy has done this show multiple times in different locations in the Carolinas and Virginia. To individuals who are wondering why this stage play on domestic violence is unique, this story is from a different perspective. In religious situations, when someone has a burden to bear, like domestic violence, they go to their pastor or leaders in the church.

In this story, the First Lady does not have anyone to go to because her abuser is the pastor and well-loved by the community. The cast is full of pastors, professionals and entrepreneurs that want to bring some form of awareness to domestic violence — education in the form of entertainment. Community resources on mental health and domestic violence will be available the night of the performance. McCoy said this is done by contacting the county in advance before they perform in a city and the county informs them of the organizations and resources available.

She said she does this because someone may never go to a church or therapist, but they might go to the stage play where the lobby has information on their different
options.

Mental health conversation

“Domestic violence and mental health is an issue in every community,” McCoy said. “We focus on African Americans because we know the struggles that lie in those communities.”

She added that domestic violence and mental illness have no color or gender and can happen to anyone.

“We’re not just trying to help the African American community, we want to help everyone. We want everyone to know that this is a serious issue and we want to help them get out of it.”

Over the years, attendees of the show have said “I felt that punch” or “I felt that slap.”

“Mental illness is not talked about enough,” McCoy said.

Cherie Porter plays “Victoria,” the First Lady of the church. Jewalle Wright plays “Linda.”
Porter said it is a taboo topic because of the fear of admitting mental illness. People worry others will say, ”You’re crazy.” She said the best way to heal is to talk. Wright added “Discussing mental health will help us to understand that we are not alone because a mental illness is not to be fought alone. We all need each other in some way. Connecting with others is more important than one might think. It can decrease levels of anxiety and depression, it can help us navigate our emotions, and much more, which can improve our overall well-being.”

“The resources were not available to a lot of African American communities to talk to someone,” McCoy said.

She said that now there is a more significant opportunity for African Americans to get help and talk to someone in a clinical profession, not just a spiritual counselor like a pastor or minister.

“Sometimes you need clinical advice more than spiritual,” she said. “Someone licensed and skillful.”

While certain African American communities may have more resources for clinical help for counseling, McCoy said there is still a stigma on medication. She said she wants people to understand that just because they are prescribed medicine doesn’t mean they are crazy. She said there are various coping mechanisms to utilize that a licensed professional can tell them about.

“There are options and we want people to know there are options,” she said.

‘What goes on in our house, stays in our house’

This phrase may seem familiar to many individuals and McCoy and Porter gave their thoughts on it.

“I believe it is the biggest misconception that can be used with that phrase,” McCoy said. “Sometimes you begin to function in dysfunction. When you begin to act in a certain behavior, it can become normal for you and before you know it, you don’t feel like anything is wrong with the state you are in or recognize help is needed.”

She said there are many forms of abuse — physical, psychological, verbal or how the abuser looks at the victim.
McCoy said this includes the men who are abused by women, but because they are taught not to hit a woman, the woman physically harms him.

“First Lady the Stage Play” will be Nov. 12 in Seabrook Auditorium, on the Fayetteville State University campus. Doors open at 6 p.m. The pre-show starts at 6:30 p.m.

The play begins at 7 p.m. The Seabrook Auditorium is located at 1200 Murchison Road. Ticket prices for the production range from $25 to $35.
For more information, visit https://alon-entertainment1.ticketleap.com/first-lady-the-stage-play/.

“Today is my third anniversary,” Chelsea Perkins exclaims as she jumps a little in her seat. “Sorry I kind of yelled that.”

She laughs but the smile across her face does not fade. Andre, Chelsea’s husband, is the one, she says, who balances her out.

“I can be very high-strung.”

Chelsea sits back into the chair and relaxes a little. As she talks about Andre, her head kind of glides along. She opens her hand then quickly clasps them back together. Andre and Chelsea met at their hometown church in Whiteville when Chelsea would come back home from college. Chelsea served eight years in the Army Reserves and luckily for both her and Andre, her duty station was Fort Bragg. Andre also served ten years in the Army. Probably a more common and less answered reason for joining the service, Chelsea admits the luster was to gain financial independence for herself. She was always a number’s person, she says.

“It was a turning point in my life,” she says. “I took some time off from school and joined the military. It was one of the greatest decisions I made.”

Admittedly, Chelsea says, there were a lot of things that never crossed her mind about being in the service. Deployment was one of those. However, as fate would have it, Chelsea did not get a combat deployment during her eight years of service.

“If I look back at my career, that’s an experience that I wish I kind of had. No one wishes to be deployed but the experience, you know,” she says. “It's kind of like that guilt of some people lost their lives. Some people sacrificed more than others.”

Currently, Chelsea is a loan officer for Veterans United and she did eventually graduate with an undergraduate degree in Finance. Now, Chelsea feels great being able to help veterans afford to buy their own homes.

“I’m honored to be able to give back to the community,” she says. “I just want to help them achieve their goals.”

Chelsea hopes that the future will bring more opportunities to give back to the community. Her passion, she says, is figuring out how to help the homeless, specifically veterans in the community. Chelsea helps with hosting workshops, financial literacy, and partnering with organizations to give back.

“My goal is to make Fayetteville one of the best communities to live in … ever,” she says.

In the future, Chelsea plans to continue that goal for Fayetteville, maybe spend some time at the beach and one day have kids. For now, she laughs, she is the proud mom to two Yorkies.

Watching Marc de la Concha and Jonathan Judge-Russo practice lines is like watching a one-two punch. A little different from the common ringside accompaniments — theirs is a match of wits, comedic lines and neurotic displays — and maybe some weird wheezing and ticks. All part of the contemporary comedy that is Neil Simon.

De la Concha and Judge-Russo are making rounds as Felix Unger and Oscar Madison in Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s version of “The Odd Couple.” And it will be the only theatre in the country where audiences can watch one of Neil Simon’s plays currently.

“They put a pause on Neil Simon’s works. We wrote to his widow and his estate about how beneficial it would be. They wrote back and said, ‘Oh my goodness. We’d love to grant you permission to do the show.’” Ashley Owen, CFRT marketing director said.

The theatre’s employees were delighted. The next decision was how to honor that permission with outstanding performances of the play.
Part of that equation, according to Director David Hemsley Caldwell, was De La Concha and Judge-Russo who were a shoe-in for the parts. Their banter and natural chemistry was undeniable.

“We read them together. It was just magic. It just falls into place. It just makes sense with these two gentlemen,” Caldwell said.

For Judge-Russo, Oscar is a nice break from the types he’s always been cast in TV — the murderer, the nonstop bad guy. “Yikes,” he says as he recounts his normal casting. This makes de la Concha laugh.
De la Concha, on the other hand, is revisiting the role he played 11 years ago — the neurotic, clean-freak Felix. After finding himself on the end of a divorce, Felix finds himself in need of a home and finds a very odd placement with the laid-back, messy Oscar. This, of course, makes for some comedy.

“The banter between the two of them... It’s almost like watching a sporting event,” Caldwell said. “If you just follow what you are given by Mr. Simon then you are three-fourths of the way there.”

Judge-Russo agrees. For him, he says, you just have to get out of the play’s way and “let it live.” He says he tries to exist within it. While Judge-Russo and de la Concha have both been in productions at Cape Fear Regional Theatre, this is their first time working together.

“I’m having a great time under my N95 right now because of the level where Marc is at,” Judge-Russo said. “He’s so funny. If you are not matching it, if you are not volleying his serve, you will come unglued a bit.”

This is lucky for both actors, who seem to be having a great time, as the production is about two-thirds just Oscar and Felix bantering back and forth. And the rhythm they strike is just as important as the jokes.

“The rhythm it counts on needs to be perfect for the jokes to land,” Caldwell said. “There’s a lot of playwrights that are not good at writing dialogue but [Simon] is. Rhythmically, the way he writes, he is a musician. It is note perfect. You owe it to him and his play to play it that way.”

“The Odd Couple” will run until Nov. 13. For this production, this is a shorter run with only 11 performances. Tickets range from $15-28, depending on the night. Visit www.cfrt.org for more information.

The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association has over 20,000 members nationally and living abroad who ride motorcycles. Local to Fayetteville, Fort Bragg and the Sandhills, the CVMA All American 15-1 Chapter has approximately 120 members.

The mission of the CVMA is to support those who have defended their country and their freedom. Members come from all branches of the Armed Forces, and many are still serving.
Officially formed in 2001 as a 501(c)19, nonprofit organization, the focus of the CVMA is to provide assistance and help individual veterans, veteran care facilities, as well as other veteran organizations and registered charities. Though the CVMA has their own geographical locations, the organization does not claim territory, and clearly states that this is an association not a motorcycle club. The All American Chapter 15-1 was formed in 2006.

There are three membership classifications: Full Members, Support Members and Auxiliary Members. Full Members have verified combat services, while Support Members have non-combat military service. Auxiliary Members are the spouse, widow or widower of a member.

The CVMA constantly supports and works with other local veteran associations and community outreach. These organizations include the Cumberland County Veteran’s Council, VFW Posts and American Legions. The organization routinely works with vendors and sponsors of events. The All American chapter proudly raises tens of thousands of dollars annually which all supports local veterans, their families and veteran charities.

In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the CVMA has provided the funds and volunteer services to improve the homes and lives of veterans through critical home repairs. This includes building wheelchair ramps to make homes accessible. The All American chapter even serves veterans by helping them relocate and move.
James “Jim Dandy” Dennis serves as the Secretary of the 15-1 chapter. He says, “We have two big events annually, our Summer Bash and the Memorial Ride and Dedication in the spring. This upcoming year CVMA will be hosting the event at the Crown Complex with raffles, music, food and vendors.”

Other CVMA chapters will be attending and participating. The events are open to the public and support local veterans.
The All American Chapter 15-1 participated in the Veterans Day parade as part of the Heroes Homecoming events. The parade is hosted by the Cumberland County Veterans Council and the city of Fayetteville.

Eric “EO” Olson commented, “I got my first Harley in 2016 and have been riding with the Combat Veterans All American Chapter for the past 6 years. I enjoy being able to give back to my combat veteran brothers and sisters.”

Upcoming event information can be found on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/cvmanc15.1.

Information about the local All-American Chapter, sponsorship opportunities, and ways to make donations can be found on their website www.cvma15-1.net. For information about membership, email the chapter secretary at sec.nccvma.15.1@gmail.com.

The 11th hour has become synonymous with Veterans Day, originally called Armistice Day, in recognition of the document signed at the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month.
In reality, the Armistice ending the war to end all wars was signed around 5 a.m. on November 11th. Over the course of the next 6 hours, nearly 3,000 men would lose their lives in the final hours of a war that had already claimed the lives of 20 million military personnel.

The final death of WWI came at 10:59 a.m. one minute before the guns of war would fall silent.

Private Henry Gunther was a German-American drafted in the fall of 1917. Most accounts state that his final actions were motivated by Gunther’s need to demonstrate that he was “courageous and all-American.” A chaplain from Gunther’s unit recounted, “As 11 a.m. approached, Gunther suddenly rose with his rifle and ran through thick fog. His men shouted for him to stop. So did the Germans. But Gunther kept running and firing. One machine gun blast later, he was dead. His death was recorded at 10:59 a.m.

In every conflict, inevitably a final service member pays the ultimate sacrifice.

In the closing days of World War II, Private Charley Havlat, the son of Czech immigrants, found himself liberating his parents’ former homeland. During a reconnaissance patrol near the town of Volary on May 7, 1945, enemy fire from a woodline hit the patrol, wounding several and killing Havlat. Word of the cease-fire reached Havlat’s position minutes after he was killed.

Officially, the U.S. has never declared a final casualty in the Korean War. Since the armistice was signed, nearly 100 U.S. soldiers have been killed in combat on the Korean peninsula.
On April 29, 1975, Charles McMahon and Darwin Judge were two of a small number of Marines tasked with safeguarding the U.S. Embassy in Saigon. McMahon had been in Saigon only 11 days, and was 11 days shy of his 22nd birthday. Judge, 19, had arrived in early March. They were killed in a rocket attack. The U.S. would complete the process of withdrawing from Saigon the following day. Initial reports said their bodies had been evacuated. In fact, they were left behind. McMahon and Judge were repatriated Feb. 22, 1976, following diplomatic efforts led by Senator Edward Kennedy.

Staff Sergeant Ryan Knauss was among the last of the 2,461 service members who died in Afghanistan. Knauss and 12 of his comrades were killed when suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds at Hamid Karzai International Airport during the withdrawal from Kabul. Assigned to the 8th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne) at Fort Bragg, Knauss was supporting the noncombatant evacuation operation. He had previously served in Afghanistan as an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division.

In every war, there is always one that must fill the dignified but dubious role in history as being the last to give the full measure of devotion. Each year on the 11th day of the 11th month as a nation we pause, not only to honor those that have given their lives, but for all those who believed so deeply in American exceptionalism that they were willing to risk their lives to defend it.

For most Americans, talking about war is conceptual, something learned through history books, news reports and movies — those who have served do not know that luxury.
Not only should we remember that the democratic principles we hold so dear have been defended by generations of Americans whom we honor on Veterans Day, but more importantly, we should take inspiration from that sacrifice. Our country, despite all our self-imposed differences, needs to look to our veterans and see that there are no divisions in a foxhole — there are only those who stand in defense of democracy and those who stand against it.

While we may only celebrate Veterans Day with a few moments of silence each year, we have an opportunity to use those moments to find our own way to serve as part of our commitment to living up to the legacy of our veterans.

When the Armistice was signed in 1918, when the Japanese surrendered, and when the last flights departed Saigon and Kabul — these were not simply endings, they were new beginnings. We honor those who serve by recommitting ourselves to making the sacrifices necessary to preserve our way of life.
As Adlai Stevenson once stated, “Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” Let this Veterans Day be a new beginning. Go forth and find a way to serve our nation, our communities and each other — we owe it to our veterans.

Editor’s Note: Joseph Reagan served eight years as an active duty officer in the U.S. Army, including two tours to Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division. He is a graduate of Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the country.
Wreaths Across America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded to continue and expand the annual wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery begun by Maine businessman Morrill Worcester in 1992. The organization’s mission — Remember, Honor, Teach — is carried out in part each year by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies in December at Arlington, as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and other locations in all 50 states and beyond. For more information or to sponsor a wreath please visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org.

While there are several veteran-owned businesses in Fayetteville, and we certainly cannot fit them all here, there are some that definitely stand out. Support local veterans by supporting their local businesses.

Boone Trail Fit Body Boot Camp: Owner Dinah Goodman has a love for fitness and helping people reach their fitness goals. Goodman joined the Army at the age of 17, where she learned she could do more than she thought she was physically capable of doing. Boone Trail Fit Body Boot Camp offers high-powered 30-minute classes. Every workout is professionally designed and led by nationally certified coaches who are driven to help you get the results you want. This fitness center has been voted as Up & Coming Weekly’s Best Veteran-Owned Business of 2022. They are located at 3039 Boone Trail #100.

Dirtbag Ales Brewery & Taproom: The Dirtbag Ales legend began several years ago while its founders were serving in the U.S. Army. One of Dirtbag Ales’ founders, Tito, traded the promise of free beer for life in exchange for a friend’s home-brew kit. There were many long nights of stove-top brews, which led to a homemade all-grain brewing system founded in Tito’s garage. Brew after successful brew led to a new calling for Tito and the preliminary beginnings of Dirtbag Ales Brewery. This staple in Hope Mills has been named Up & Coming Weekly’s Best Venue, Club for Live Music, Bar for Craft Beers, and Best Brew House. They are located at 5435 Corporation Drive.

Heritage Jewelers: This veteran-owned jewelry store is known for military custom jewelry, like the Special Forces Ring. They are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. They are located at 114 Westwood Shopping Center.

Meraki Creative Agency: At Meraki Creative Agency, joy, happiness and color are their passion. This veteran-owned company dedicates their creative efforts to impact and stimulate the local community. They thrive on helping to design and develop joyful experiences for your personal celebrations, businesses and corporate events. Karoll Echeverri, veteran, and Brittany Cobb, Army spouse, are the ladies behind the business doing the best they can to find joy every day and help your celebrations, large and small, become even more beautiful. To look at their services, go to www.yourlittlejoyshop.com or visit their physical location at 1009 Marlborough Road.

Pressed — A Creative Space: This store sells clothing, crystals and other items of interest for those who see things differently. They are a veteran-owned business in downtown Fayetteville. They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. They are located at 120 Hay Street.

The Virtual Call Center, Inc: This call center provides a wide range of professional support services to hundreds of U.S. Virtual Agents, Freelancers, Sole Proprietors, Client Support Professionals and Independent Contracting Agents, who are certified to deliver high-quality services for a wide range of growing enterprises, national brands and Fortune 500 companies. The work from home movement continues to gain momentum daily. Virtual technology has transformed the way we work. With so many work-from-home opportunities available nationwide, it's important that people decide if the opportunity is reputable and creates work-life balance for their family. This local business is owned by veteran Toya Collins-Younger. To learn more, go to www.jt-virtual.com/.

Triangle Rock Club — Fayetteville: The Triangle Rock Club is a premiere indoor rock climbing center and gym. Their new, state-of-the-art facility offers both lead and top rope climbing, bouldering and a comprehensive fitness center. Don't dread that mundane workout at your ‘average’ fitness center, come to Triangle Rock Club to put some excitement back into your life. This gym is located at 5213 Raeford Road.

The military marching band is always 42 members, said Dr. Willie Lockett, who spent 25 years in United States Army bands all over the world. The band marches in a block five rows by eight, with a commander at the leading right corner and a first sergeant up front holding a mace.

In 1973, 17-year-old Lockett enlisted in the United States Army. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, he knew he wanted to be a military bandsman, but finding his way to an audition wasn’t as easy as the recruiter made it seem.

Anybody can join the band if you sign up is what the recruiter said, but “that’s not true,” he said. “I signed up for a Hercules missile crewman, so then I went to Germany.”
In Germany, Lockett maintained a nuclear missile pointed at Russia from an isolated silo carved into the top of a hill. There was no one there but crewmen.

“The first guy I saw that had some rank, I said, ‘Can you get me in the band’?” said Lockett. “He made some phone calls,” and after an audition he was in the Army band in Kaiserslautern before getting transferred to the 8th Infantry Division Band, still in Germany.

Lockett was maintaining surface-to-air missiles while honing musical skills that would serve him for the rest of his life.

“My job was a Hercules missile crewman... but I was detailed to the band,” Lockett said.

Because the military requires every musician to play a “march-able” instrument, Lockett played percussion any time the band marched. Fortunately, he could sight-read drum music. Reading bass music was a different story: he played by ear.

“When I got in the band, the only thing [we did] was play music,” Lockett said. “At the time, I was low rank, living in the barracks. The only thing [I was] responsible for was to practice.”

Luckily, the barracks and practice room were on the same floor, so Lockett and his comrades jammed “from sun up to sun down.”

“That’s all we did was practice,” Lockett said. “So, I got pretty good at reading on bass.”

Along with the 8th Infantry Band, Lockett was Rhythm Group Leader for the 1st Cavalry Division Band in Texas, and Senior Instructor at the Army’s School of Music in Virginia.

“As you make rank, they just give you a different title,” Lockett said. “When you first come in, you’re just a bass player, a piano player, flute player, etc. When you become E-6, then you’re a section leader. When you become E-7, you are now a group leader, and so on."

After completing Warrant Officer school, Lockett went on to become the Commander/Bandmaster of the 82nd Airborne Division Band at Fort Bragg. He later held the same position at the 2nd Infantry Division Band at Camp Casey in Korea.
“The majority of your gigs, band wise, here at Fort Bragg, is going to be ceremonies,” Lockett said.
“In fact, my rookie year as a bandmaster, we did 1002 performances in one year,” he added.

Despite being a marching band, Army musicians spend most of their time away from the parade field, entertaining service members and civilians alike in jazz and rock and roll ensembles, as well as other settings.
The bugle player might have five burials in a day, Lockett said. There’s change of command ceremonies, civilian events like the International Folk Festival and Fayetteville State University homecoming parade.

“The Army plays music at each one,” he added.
Unfortunately, being an Army bandsperson isn’t music 24-hours-a-day; when there’s a conflict, musicians have military duties to fulfill. The entire time Lockett was in the military, he said Army bands assumed other duties during wartime.

“The military band is one of the few jobs in the military where your peace time job and war time job are different,” Lockett said. “You’re not going to play music on the battlefield.”

He said, during Desert Storm, one half of the band provided security for a general, while the other half of the band augmented the military police processing Iraqi prisoners.
Since retiring in 1998, Lockett has pursued computer science degrees from multiple universities throughout the United States. His upwardly mobile Army career made education somewhat of a luxury.

“When you’re in the military, you go to whatever school is servicing that military [installation],” Lockett said. “When I got to Fort Bragg, I was finally able to go to school on a regular basis.”

In Fayetteville, Lockett got an associate degree from Fayetteville State University because at the time FSU was the only school that would give diplomas to active duty soldiers.

“Once I got out [of the Army], I went to the University of North Carolina, Pembroke on the G.I. Bill,” he said, “and it took me a year to get a bachelor’s degree because I had accumulated credit hours.”

Afterwards, Lockett earned his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix, and his Ph.D. from Capella University.

“It took me three years to write my dissertation,” Lockett said.

Today, Lockett is a professor of computer science at Fayetteville Technical Community College. He’s still playing electric bass, too, in a Carolina Beach Music band based out of Greenville named The Main Event, as well as in local churches.

“I’m 68 right now,” Dr. Lockett said.

“I could retire, but I like moving around and being busy.”

The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is back with its annual World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry sale, Nov. 16 between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.

“Spaghetti is the perfect food for everyone of all ages,” Lia Hasapis said.

The spaghetti dinner not only serves as a fundraiser for the church, but also a delicious lunch and dinner for the community. According to Hasapis, the sauce is a special recipe passed down from generation to generation, and the spaghetti dinner and pastry sale is a chance for the church to show the community “kefi,” which means fun, enthusiasm and a passion for life
in Greek.

“We provide kefi at the [spaghetti dinner],” Hasapis said.

It takes nearly 4,000 pounds of dry spaghetti, 900 gallons of tomato sauce and over 100 volunteers to make this delicious fundraiser a reality. The volunteers at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church start by preparing noodles, spaghetti sauce, cheese, bread and baking pastries days in advance.

“With the spaghetti dinner and Greek pastry sale [called] the world’s largest, it takes a lot of prep work to [get ready] for such” a big event, Hasapis said.

If you missed the Greek pastries Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church delivered back in September during the Greek Festival, this is your opportunity to right that wrong.
Desserts include Baklava, Greece’s most famous dessert, a phyllo layered pastry filled with honey, spices and chopped nuts; Kataifi, shredded phyllo filled with nuts, dipped in honey and syrup; Finikia, a traditional Greek spice cookie that is sweet, crumbly, dipped in honey and topped with nuts, plus much more.

The World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry sale is takeout only, between the hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16. Tickets are $10 per spaghetti plate, plus a la carte for everything else.
The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church was built in 1954, when the Parish Council and Board of Directors for the Hellenic Community Center signed the contract to build the Hellenic Center at the northern edge of Oakridge Avenue.

The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church has a chapel, classroom, fellowship hall and porch that opens into a spacious lot and stage. Since 2009, Reverend Alexander M. Papagikos has been serving the parish.

The Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church is located at 614 Oakridge Avenue, at the very end if coming from Hay Street. Keep in mind Oakridge Avenue begins directly across from the Cape Fear Regional Theatre at the top of the hill in Haymount.

The World’s Largest Spaghetti Dinner and Greek Pastry sale began in 1958, thanks to parishioner Pete Parrous. To learn more about the Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, or to pre-order as many spaghetti plates as possible to be picked up during the event, please visit www.FayGreekChurch.com.

A trip to Holden Beach took us through the country with beautiful views of farms and fields. We rounded a curve and there was a field of cotton so beautiful it looked like it had been painted.
Even in that passing moment, I could see the open blossoms a bright white against the landscape and sky. Thus, my inspiration for this week’s article.

The word cotton comes from the Arabic word “quton”. The earliest production was in India dating back to 5,000 B.C. Arab merchants brought cotton cloth to Europe around A.D. 800, and when Columbus discovered America in 1492, he saw cotton growing in fields on the Bahama Islands and along the east coast.

The history of cotton spans more than 7,000 years. About 3000 B.C., cotton was cultivated in the Indus River Valley, and about 2500 B.C., Chinese, South Americans and Egyptians began wearing cotton fabrics. Cotton spread west to Egypt, Turkey, Central America and the Caribbean.
Cotton is soft and fluffy, and the United States is the largest producer of cotton as an export. The production is a lengthy and involved process from planting to picking. It is not easy to grow and prefers warm and humid climates.

Historically, cotton was picked by hand, which took hours to process and separate. Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin in 1794, which revolutionized the process.
Today, cotton pickers are machinery that picks the entire plant, and a cotton stripper is used for separation. After it is picked it is baled and stored before going to a gin. At the gin it is cleaned and fluffed to separate the cotton from seeds and lint, then it is compressed and ready to ship to textile mills.

When it is cleaned and fluffed it is put into a carding machine which cleans the material again and forms short fibers into long untwisted rope for spinning and weaving
There are four types of cotton.
Pima is the finest because the fibers are extra soft and long. Egyptian cotton has similar qualities but is grown in the Nile River Valley in Egypt. Upland cotton makes up about 90% of the world’s total cotton production in Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Florida. Organic cotton is cotton grown without chemicals.

Cotton is indeed the fabric of our lives, and its uses are in the hundreds. There are some traces of cotton in almost everything we wear or use daily. Cotton is used to make all types of clothing because of its versatility and comfort, and it is used in making industrial products. It is used in making fabrics such as flannel, velvet, velour and corduroy. It is used to make fishnets, book bindings and coffee filters. It can be used as food for cattle because it is edible, and cottonseed oil is in high demand as an alternative to vegetable oil. It is used in the production of cosmetic products and soaps. It is a key ingredient in beauty products such as sheet masks, makeup remover wipes and cottonseed oil to nourish the skin.

When purchasing sheets 100% cotton is always a go-to for comfort and durability. Thread counts should range from 200 to 500 and anything above that is not necessarily better quality. Labels that read cotton rich are less than 100% cotton. Bamboo sheets become rayon once they are processed with chemicals that change the composition and texture. The Oeko-Tex certification on a textile signifies that all the product has been tested for toxins.

Live, love, life and cotton.