Despite the current spike in COVID-19 infections and deaths, there is good news on the not-so-distant horizon. Three effective vaccines are in the pipeline. Some North Carolinians — those battling coronavirus on the frontlines as well as those put at greatest risk by infection — will being vaccinated in the coming weeks.

When vaccines become more widely available, will you be among those who get the shots? A large share of the general public won’t say yes, at least not yet.

According to a late-November survey by the Pew Research Center, 29% of Americans said they would “definitely” get vaccinated if the vaccine were immediately available. Another 31% said they “probably” would. That’s a majority, yes. But with 39% saying they would definitely or probably reject it, there are grounds to wonder whether enough people will get vaccinated to establish the herd immunity required to get us past the pandemic stage.

These are countrywide findings, admittedly. But North Carolinians appear to be, if anything, even more skeptical than the average American. In an October study by Elon University’s survey team, only 37% of registered voters in our state said they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine, with 36% saying they wouldn’t accept it and the rest unsure.

I think it is possible these poll respondent aren’t being entirely honest — or, to put it another way, that they aren’t accurately predicting how they will feel when the opportunity for vaccination actually arrives.

Some Democratic-leaning North Carolinians who are suspicious of the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed project to speed the approval and distribution of vaccines may be more willing to get their shots when a different president is in the White House. And some Republicans who tended to downplay their risk of contracting COVID-19 during election season may alter their perceptions of the risk for the same reason, because the political climate has changed.

Moreover, as December turns into January, and winter into spring, those worried that vaccine development was unsafely rushed during 2020 may get more comfortable with the final product. Millions will already vaccinated by then, likely with few or no side-effects. That will be reassuring.

Still, if we want some semblance of normalcy to return to our economy, our communities, our households, and our personal freedoms, we cannot afford merely to assume that vaccination rates will be high. To the extent some of our fellow citizens maintain a deep suspicion of medical providers and drug manufacturers, or continue to see the vaccination issue through partisan lenses, our leaders need a well-planned, sustained campaign to respond to their concerns.

That’s why three former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama — have volunteered to get their shots in front of television cameras. That’s why Hollywood and Madison Avenue are getting involved. We need different messages for different audiences, addressing the different sources of public skepticism.

That skepticism isn’t limited to a single group. For example, the Pew survey revealed that 69% of Democratic-leaning voters said they would definitely or probably get vaccinated, vs. 50% of Republican-leaning voters. That’s a partisan gap, to be sure. But that still leaves lots of Democrats in the “no” camp.

Indeed, Pew also found that African-Americans, who overwhelmingly vote Democratic, are far less likely to say they’ll get vaccinated (42%) than are whites (61%), Hispanics (63%), and Asians (83%).

Widespread vaccination will be necessary to put this public-health crisis behind us. It’s the main way we’ll save the businesses, jobs, and community institutions threatened by the virus itself and by the cumbersome regulations governments have enacted to combat it while vaccines were being developed.

Even so, I believe neither that we should use force to get everyone their shots nor that such a recourse will be necessary. While the vaccination rate must be high, it need not be 100%. Some individuals have real health conditions or adverse immune-system responses that merit special consideration.

But for most other objections, I think persuasion will be a proper and effective response. Let’s begin.

More than 1,000 Fort Bragg paratroopers jumped from C-130 aircraft and helicopters for a good cause as part of the 82nd Airborne Divisions’ annual Presents from Paratroopers holiday toy drive.

About 600 of the soldiers were selected in a special raffle. To enter the raffle, each paratrooper donated a toy to the Travis Mills Foundation which serves as the program’s civilian partner.

About 1,500 toys were donated this year. The foundation distributes the toys to charities around the state including the North Carolina Children’s Home Society, the Armed Services YMCA, the Fort Bragg USO, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the Fayetteville Urban Ministry.

This year’s jumpers had the opportunity to earn Chilean Army jump wings. Troops are authorized to wear the wings on their dress uniforms.

“It’s great to get your foreign wings, but [the toy drive] has a bigger purpose: giving back to the community and being able to bring the unit together,” said 1st Lt. Blake Wilson. “That’s what brings us all joy.”

He donated a new kids’ bike to secure his place in the jump.

Military women and female veterans are using the VA’s health care system for everything from mammograms and respiratory testing to prescription refills and urgent medical care. The VA says 50 percent of women see navigating VA benefits as their greatest challenge when transitioning to civilian life.

The Women’s Health Transition Training Program helps female service members and veterans learn about services the VA provides and how to enroll in VA health care.

The goal of the program is that participants leave the course feeling empowered to proactively manage their health care and to be comforted by their new support system at VA who can guide them through the military transition process and help them navigate personal health and wellness for the rest of their lives. It’s offered online twice per day, five days per week.

To register for a session visit VA Women’s Health Transition Training - Center for Women Veterans (CWV).

“This training provides a leg up to the new wave of women veterans by giving them the information they need about VA health care,” said one of the veterans who asked not to be identified. VA training sessions for women are conducted by military spouses and female health professionals.

Cumberland County Schools’ 2021 Teacher of the Year has been voted the Regional Teacher of the Year. Nicole Rivers learned that she had been named the 2021 Sandhills Regional Teacher of the Year while attending a routine meeting. She teaches ninth and tenth grade English at Gray's Creek High School.

"I'm just overwhelmed. I thought I would have found out with just a simple phone call,” she said. “They got me good with the announcement during the Zoom meeting." Rivers will compete against eight other regional winners for the state title. Interviews are scheduled for Feb. 19 in Cary.

The N.C. Teacher of the Year program is sponsored by Burroughs Wellcome.

The Army has concluded that Spc. Enrique Roman-Martinez’s death was a homicide, but the cause of death remains undetermined because only his head was available for examination, according to the Division of Forensic Pathology at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.

The soldier had been decapitated and dismembered, officials said. “A positive identification was made using the soldier’s dental records,” the report stated. Martinez, 21, was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. His remains were washed ashore on Shackleford Banks Inlet of the Cape Lookout National Seashore.

A $25,000 reward has been offered for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for his death, the Army said. The Army Criminal Investigation Command continues to probe the case.

The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County announced the expansion of the Artists In Schools initiative with the assistance of a grant from the North Carolina Glaxo SmithKline Foundation.

The Arts Council received $25,000 through the Ribbon of Hope Grant Program to expand access to AIS for Title One schools in Cumberland County.AIS is a program explicitly developed to prepare students for the challenges they face in the next decade by including an interactive arts education experience.

Artists in Schools goes beyond painting, singing and dancing. AIS provides schools with highly trained professional artists who work with teachers and students in core subject matter areas through the arts.

Artists In Schools has operated in partnership with Cumberland County Schools for over two decades. Since 2005, AIS serves approximately 20,000 students in grades K to 12 each year in Cumberland County and over 300,000 in total.

“The Ribbon of Hope directly aligns with our goal for the AIS Program: expansion of a successful arts and culture initiative to meet the needs of our youth in Cumberland County,” said Bob C. Pinson, interim president and CEO of the Arts Council.

 The Cumberland County Department of Social Services is accepting applications for the North Carolina Low Income Energy Assistance Program to help qualified families with their heating costs. The federally funded program provides a one-time vendor payment to help eligible households pay their heating bills.

Households including a person age 60 or older or disabled persons receiving services through the N.C. Division of Aging and Adult Services are eligible to sign up for assistance until Dec. 31. Disabled persons are defined as receiving Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Administration or Veterans Administration disability.

All other households may apply from Jan. 4 through March 31 or until funds are exhausted.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services announced Nov. 30 that it will issue assistance to 2019-2020 LIEAP recipients. These benefits will be paid directly to their energy vendor. The traditional application process will be eliminated for elderly and disabled individuals who normally are required to apply for LIEAP funds.

Eligible households may qualify to receive the LIEAP payments for the 2020-2021 season if a member of the household:
•is age 60 or older or a person with a disability receiving DAAS services, and
•is currently receiving Food and Nutrition services, and
•received LIEAP during the 2019-2020 season.

To be eligible for the LIEAP program, a household must:
•Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria
•Have income equal to or less than 130% of the federal poverty limit
•Have resources, such as saving and checking accounts and cash on hand, at or below $2,250
•Be responsible for their heating cost

The following verifications must be provided to determine eligibility:
•Identification for the applicant
•Social Security numbers for all household members
•Copy of the heating bill
•Proof of gross income received in the prior month
•Proof of childcare expenses and legal support obligations paid in prior month

Since the Cumberland County DSS building remains closed to the public, applications can be accessed at www.ccdssnc.com/energy-assistance-programs/ and may be returned by:
•fax to 910-677-2885
•email to energyprogram@ccdssnc.com
•mail to P.O. Box 2429, Fayetteville, NC 28302
•drop off at CCDSS drop boxes at 1225 Ramsey St. in Fayetteville

Households that include a Native American who is 18 years of age or older who wish to apply for LIEAP benefits, must do so through the Lumbee Tribe at www.lumbeetribe.com/services.

For more information, contact the DSS LIEAP message line at 910-677-2821 or the Cumberland County Department of Social Services at 910-323-1540.

What is an A1c anyway? Besides being something that your doctor checks at most office visits, A1c is literally the amount of glucose attached to the red blood cells in your body. The more glucose in your blood, the more red blood cells have glucose attached to them. The A1c value is the percentage of red blood cells in your body that have glucose attached to them.

What does that information tell us? A lot of things. First, it gives us an idea of what your average blood sugar has been over the last few months. People without diabetes often have an average blood sugar less than 100. People who are at increased risk of diabetes, or have prediabetes, have an A1c value of 5.7 to 6.4. This means people with prediabetes have an average blood sugar of 126 to 140. People who have diabetes have an A1c value of 6.5 or higher. This means people who have diabetes often have a blood sugar greater than 140. The higher your A1c, the higher your average blood sugar. If your A1c is 9.0, your average blood sugar is 212. If your A1c is 10, your average blood sugar is 240. Having an A1c of 9.0 or higher means that on average, your blood sugar is almost twice as high as people who don’t have diabetes.

Why does it matter? Over time, diabetes causes a lot of problems in your body. The longer your blood sugar is above what is considered normal, the higher your risk of developing permanent, irreversible damage from diabetes. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to skin infections, blindness, glaucoma, cataracts, nerve damage and loss of sensation in the feet, as well as kidney damage which may lead to dialysis. When uncontrolled diabetes is present with high blood pressure and high cholesterol, the risk of heart attack and stroke also increases. All of these problems can be avoided with keeping blood sugar as close to normal as possible.

How else does A1c help us? For one thing, it helps us determine if the treatment we put you on is working. Every time a medication is added, we should expect to see some level of improvement in the A1c. If we are trying lots of different medications and your A1c isn’t changing, it could be the medications. Testing the A1c helps us determine if your treatment plan is right for you. It also helps us determine if your blood sugar meter is correct. If you are checking your blood sugar at home and getting lots of low numbers or lots of normal numbers but your A1c is very high, it may be time to purchase a new meter.

What should my A1c be? Your target is your own. You are unique and your goal A1c is as unique as you are. Work with your doctor to understand your health and develop a goal A1c that is safe
for you.

Kelsey Simmons, D.O., is a family medicine physician who completed a fellowship in diabetes at Duke/Southern Regional AHEC in Fayetteville. She provides care at Southeastern Health’s Southeastern Medical Clinic Gray’s Creek.

Fort Bragg invited community members to assist the Engineering Division of the Directorate of Public Works in planting the next generation of Tulip Poplar trees at the Bastogne Gables Park on post Dec. 9 to kick off a series of monthly events leading up to Arbor Day in April 2021.

“Planting trees is a generational opportunity,” said Brian Vesely, registered architect with the DPW and Arbor Board chair. “It is an investment that will continue to make Fort Bragg a better place to live and work.”

In an initiative to be great stewards of the environment, 40 Tulip Poplar trees were planted. Tulip Poplars are large, upright and fast-growing trees with big flowers similar to a magnolia, producing yellow leaves in the fall.

At the event, DPW senior wildlife biologist Erich Hoffman demonstrated to the volunteers how to properly plant a tree.

“When you take the tree out of the pot, you see the roots are pressed against the soil, break the roots up to stabilize root growth because much moisture on the tree can cause some damage, it’s a little bit of a process,” Hoffman said. Mixing the amendment and the soil together helps to ensure there is extra room to grow. Always make sure when you look up the tree that it is straight, so it can grow properly, he said.

Hoffman instructed that adding mulch helps keep the moisture in the dry seasons and emphasized the importance of the first year of the tree’s survival.

“If you can get the tree to survive for the first year, it has a higher chance of survival afterwards,” Hoffman said.

Fort Bragg will host five other events, one each month, leading up to Arbor Day in April 2021. Each event offers the opportunity for volunteers to plant trees in designated areas throughout the installation, said Elvia Kelly, spokeswoman for Fort Bragg Garrison Public Affairs Office.

The other events will be similar to the kick-off, where volunteers will bring their own gloves, and DPW will provide the trees, shovels and other needed materials.

“The intent is to ensure Fort Bragg’s natural infrastructure, trees and vegetation are here for future generations to enjoy and is a highlight of the installation,” Kelly said.

The post will continue to manage and take care of its infrastructure and environment because it promotes readiness and a sense of community, she said.

Pictured: Volunteers help workers from Fort Bragg's Directorate of Public Works plant Tulip Poplar trees on post to kick off a six-month initiative leading up to Arbor Day 2021.

Taking us back in time, and yet reminding us very much of our current turbulent ones, “The Carols,” written by Jennifer Childs, transports its audience into a feel-good, nostalgic and wholesome family drama of Christmas and life.

“The Carols” directed by Robyne Parrish will run at the Gilbert Theater until Dec. 20, bringing a genuine good time filled with many laughs, great songs, a tear in your eye possibly, but also a reminder to enjoy the
present.

In the war and poverty-stricken setting of a 1940’s Veterans of Foreign War post where gloominess lingers, three sisters — Sylvia, Rose and Lily — shine bright with their optimistic natures.

Sylvia (played by Molly Hamelin) is determined to make a change in the world and is obsessed with Eleanor Roosevelt. Rose (played by Megan Martinez), dreams of marrying a general and Lily (played by Eden S. Kinsey) holds down the homestead with her charm.

The first half of the production focuses on the chaotic, hilarious challenges of putting on “A Christmas Carol.” This includes convincing the fascinating Miss Betty (played by Karen Morgan Williams), who runs the VFW, to have the production and find the right cast. Then enters Melvin Shaatz (played by Evan Bridenstine), the Jewish comedian who brings everyone a very Yiddish “Christmas Carol.”

The themes in the show touch on loss of those at war, the state of poverty in the present, and how everyone is looking forward to the future while enduring the present.

The actors put on a charming musical with wonderful jokes.

The second act brings an usual yet entertaining version of “A Christmas Carol” with Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim and the Ghosts of Christmas past, present and future with hilarious modifications. It brings a smile to everyone’s face.

The Yiddish punchlines, the 40’s slang, the “bah humbugs” is just what the audience needs — a two-hour escape from the times of COVID-19.

The talented actors do a great job in reminding everyone, while looking forward so much and focusing on the misfortunes of the past, that we should not forget to live in and enjoy the present, no matter how hard
things get.

For those who just need to get away for some light-hearted singing and comedy, "The Carols" is a must watch with its reminder to hold on to right now and cherish it.

The final weekend of the show is Dec. 18-20. For more information on the play and schedule, visit https://www.gilberttheater.com/season27/thecarols.php

The nomination of retired U.S. Army Gen. Lloyd Austin to become Secretary of Defense in the Biden Administration doesn’t surprise co-workers or politicians.

President-elect Joe Biden has known Austin at least since the general’s years leading U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq when Biden was vice president. Austin was deployed to command the Multi-National Corps-Iraq in 2008 while serving as commanding general of 18th Airborne Corps. As commander of MNC-I, he directed the operations of 152,000 coalition forces in all sectors of Iraq.

Austin’s service as a three-star general at Fort Bragg was not his only assignment at the local Army post. Soon after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, then-Captain Austin was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he commanded the Combat Support Company, 2nd Battalion (Airborne), 508th Infantry and also served as the Assistant S-3 (Operations) for the 82nd’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. Years later, in 1993, Austin returned to the 82nd to command the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment and later served as G-3 for the Division. Following graduation from the U.S. Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, then-Colonel Austin returned again to Fort Bragg and took command of the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne.

“I served under Gen. Austin when he was the commander of U.S. Forces-Iraq,” said retired Army Colonel Kevin Arata of Fayetteville. Arata said he did not work for Austin directly, but had “the opportunity to view his leadership style on many occasions. He always struck me as someone who exudes very positive leadership qualities.” Arata was Chief of Public Information in 2011, in Baghdad, Iraq.

If confirmed as Secretary of Defense by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon. He also served in 2012 as the first Black vice chief of staff of the Army, the service’s number 2 ranking position.

As a career military officer who served 41 years in uniform, the 67-year-old Austin would need to obtain a congressional waiver to serve as defense secretary, exempting him from the legal requirement that a former member of the military be out of uniform at least seven years before serving as secretary of defense. The law was meant to preserve the civilian nature of the Department of Defense. There is some opposition in Congress who believe a clearer line should be drawn between the civilian and military leadership of the DoD.

Austin has a reputation for strong leadership, integrity and a sharp intellect. When he retired in 2016, President Obama praised his “character and competence” as well as his judgment and
leadership.

He would not be a prototypical defense secretary, not because of his 41-year military career but because he has always shied from the public eye. Officials in the know contend it would be an understatement to say he was a quiet general. Although he testified before Congress, he gave few interviews and preferred not to speak publicly about military operations.

Are you stressed out enough, Bunkie? Would you like some more tension in your life? Time to add a new layer of anxiety to your weary load. What are the perfect Christmas presents to magically cancel your loved ones’ 2020 stress? As a service to both my readers, here are some gift ideas that will turn 2020 into purple haze of happiness morphing this year into a triumph of comfort and joy.

Being a person of the oblivious male persuasion, I frequently encounter troubles finding the perfect gift for my wife, Lani. Other clueless husbands may have similar Christmas issues. Husbands, I feel your pain. I know you would rather watch a basketball game than go shopping, but that is not to be. You must buy the perfect gift. No pressure. Find something for her that will erase all of your shortcomings of the past year.

The first place to start looking for gift ideas is on the inside back cover of old Superman and Donald Duck comic books. There are more gift ideas there than a 19th Century Mormon would need for all his wives. I began collecting comic books back in the 1950s when they were only a dime. I had zillions of them. I ordered treasures from the back of the book: ant farms, toy soldiers and an Invisible Space Helmet. Really good stuff. A bit of background information about those ads to get us started. The Father of Comic Books ads was a dude named Harold von Braunhut. Harold was an inventor and better salesman than even Don Draper of “Madmen.” According to Mr. Google, Harold came up with 195 patents including the amazing Sea Monkeys, Invisible Goldfish, and X-Ray Specs which allegedly allowed adolescent boys to see under the clothing of ladies of the female race. (Author’s note: the X-Ray Specs did not work).

Enough history, you say: “What hath Harold wrought?” The ads on the back of the comic books were a wonderland of great gags, hilarious and disgusting products and phony teeth. Consider what you can buy from the inside cover: a 7-foot-long Polaris nuclear submarine which fires rockets and torpedoes for only $6.98. Learn to be a ventriloquist for only a quarter. See Behind Glasses with secret mirrors that let you see what was happening behind your back. Onion Gum that “looks like real gum but tastes like ONIONS!” (emphasis in original). A Joy Buzzer you wear like a ring “when you shake hands, it almost raises the victim off his feet with a shocking sensation.” (I had one of those) Trick black soap that “looks ordinary but the victim washes his face and gets blacker and blacker” for only 25 cents. A Secret Spy scope with “a wide field magnifier concealed in a pen sized pocket scope that lets you peek to your heart’s content. So handy for sporting events, counter-spying, and Girl Watching.” Only $2.98.

But wait! There are more items for your consideration: police handcuffs for $4.98. Fake bullet hole decals that are “strikingly effective on cars or windows. Looks like you’ve been shot at.” 49 cents. Fake vomit, providing loads of laughs. A squirrel monkey for only $13.50. A Geiger Counter for $24.95 — “This is no toy! It is a scientific instrument — yet a child can use it to find great wealth!” A tool that can remove ugly blackheads in seconds for only $1.00.

Need a gift for a 97-pound weakling? Give the gift from Charles Atlas who can make you a new man in only 15 minutes a day through his patented Dynamic Tension method. Remember the beach bully who yelled “Hey Skinny… Yer ribs are showing” at Joe the 97-pound weakling? His girlfriend tells him not to let the bully hit him. Unfortunately, the bully clobbers him, telling Joe: “Shut up, you Bag of Bones!” Embarrassed, Joe orders Charles Atlas’ system and works out. On Joe’s return to the beach, he socks the bully saying: “Here’s a love tap from the Bag of Bones.” Girlfriend dutifully impressed, takes Joe’s arm and says “Oh Joe, you are a real He-Man after all.” Two other girls on the beach say “What a man, and he used to be so skinny!” Turn your 97-pound weakling friend into a real He-Man.

Unfortunately, not all ads could be verified as truthful. The World of Hijinks page from Unsupervised Corp accompanying this column may have some fake items. Pet cigarettes featuring a cat smoking might be an exaggeration. A Door Mat Mine that explodes will make your friends fly. Pit Vipers “delivered direct to your favorite victim. What a hoot!” Eye Daggers with “spring loaded carbon steel knives shoot from your eyes.” Uranium Gum Looks like regular gum. But it will make their teeth glow in the dark.” A life-sized model guillotine for $3. A barrel of live monkeys —“Oh boy, that’s right, real monkeys! Don’t ask where we got ‘em. We have to move them fast. They already ate all our exploding sandwiches.” The famous Exploding Sandwich “Sit back and watch the fun. Your victim will go on a diet.”

Everyone on your Christmas list will be more than delighted to receive any of these fine items as a Yuletide treat. Sorry, no refunds. All sales are final. Merry Christmas!

Food plays a major role in our lives, especially during what we call “the holidays.”

We kick off the season with Thanksgiving turkey and all the “fixins,” whatever that means, at individual celebrations. Right now, we are in what I think of as the goodie phase of the holidays. Neighbors share divine treats — toffee, salted nuts, homemade holiday cookies with icing, even fruitcakes, and we love them all. Many of us have big Christmas dinners, maybe not the proverbial English goose and “figgie” pudding, but our own versions of feasting nonetheless. We top off the season with New Year’s bubbly and greens and black-eyed peas for good luck.

We also have huge problems with the systems that produce our food. Food production in the United States and in other parts of the world has become so industrialized that is endangering us and our environment. Food production of both crops and livestock is so mechanized that it bears little resemblance to the crops our forebears grew or the animals they tended.

What does industrial food production actually mean?

Since the mid-20th century, crops of all sorts have been increasingly grown with the use of machinery, irrigation and especially the widespread use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. This growth takes place on huge fields of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of acres and often lacks crop diversity or crop rotation. This system is efficient and has been profitable for the large corporations which use it, but at a high cost to our environment. Agriculture accounts for as much as 90% of fresh water use in some parts of the nation, and farming the same crops in the same way year after year depletes the soil. In addition, it leaves behind chemicals and elements and, in truth, no one really knows the long-term impacts on our earth or on us. There are lakes and other bodies of water in our nation where swimming and other recreational activities are no longer allowed, dead zones where no plant or animal life exists because of agricultural chemicals.

Ditto for livestock — cattle, poultry, seafood — production, which is so industrialized that some animals’ feet never touch the earth. They go from “house” to “house” as they grow in size until the day they meet their maker and their body parts begin journeys to our neighborhood supermarkets, a practice known as confined animal feeding operations, or CAFO. These packed-in animals grow up on antibiotics, hormones and vitamins, whose effects on us or our environment are not always clear. Eastern North Carolina, including Cumberland and surrounding counties, have ongoing experience with this sort of livestock production and its consequences. No matter what we call them, “lagoons” of animal waste dotting the North Carolina landscape cannot be a state asset.

Industrial food production is efficient but unsustainable, with preserved food traveling sometimes cross-country and internationally before human beings consume it. We cannot continue this way without severe and long-lasting environmental damage and negative effects on the human beings in proximity to such operations. We do not really know the effects on those who consume these products, both plant and animal. Quantity may not be more important than quality.

To be sure, there is growing concern about industrialized food production, and increasing numbers of Americans are turning to more sustainably produced food, grown in more traditional and more humane conditions. Such food, however, is unavailable in some communities and when it is available, it is likely to be more expensive than industrially produced food.

Among the many challenges facing our nation and the world in coming decades is developing more sustainable and more humane food production and making it both available and affordable. Earl Butz, America’s Secretary of Agriculture in the 1970s, famously said to farmers “get big or get out,” and that has largely happened. It is time now to pay attention to a quote attributed to various 19th century Europeans, “we are what we eat.”

All I can say is that this American is trying to eat cleaner and closer to home this holiday season, goodies and all.

No doubt about it, the flow of relevant, truthful and honest news is being attacked on many fronts.

The business of media has experienced profound changes, and we find ourselves continually dealing with the way we gather the news, receive the news, and actually how we fund the news. Local media is under assault nationwide with chains absorbing community newspapers, and often decimating them.

The Fayetteville community lacks a strong, daily source of local news. We have a mediocre talk radio station, no local TV station, and a daily left-of-center daily newspaper that is a shadow of its former self. It's a sad situation for a community of 300,000-plus residents. No doubt, Fayetteville is on the verge of becoming North Carolina's next "news media desert." We cannot let this happen.

Here in Fayetteville, we have difficulty staying informed of important issues that go before the Fayetteville City Council, County Commissioners and the CC school board. Without dedicated news reporters no one is covering these meetings, asking pertinent questions and presenting the facts for analyses and discussion by the community.

Up & Coming Weekly, like other weekly newspapers across the country, has always been the local community's heart and conscience. We celebrate the community and promote people, businesses, organizations, music, the arts and culture. We showcase our community's uniqueness and provide a platform for views – both popular and unpopular. We reflect the values of our residents, businesses and organizations. When the occasion calls for it, we challenge decisions and actions made by community leaders. This is necessary to ensure transparency. Our citizens deserve no less than our best effort on these tasks.

Local community newspapers are different than dailies, many of which carry the same regional and national stories shared from content sources. The publishers of a daily in Raleigh simply are not interested in reporting on local details here that do not profoundly affect their city. That task is often left to local area community newspapers, like Up & Coming Weekly, and we’ve been doing that for 25 years.

You can get headlines anywhere. But, as more and more people rely on social media to keep up with their community, they realize they are missing the essence of what defines their community. This is why a community newspaper is so important. Locally, our citizens need a voice, and they need to know what is going on and taking place in the community. They need to know what their leaders are doing and what decisions are being made. Unlike the state, regional, national and international news, there is no substitute for locally-produced news and views. However, local coverage depends solely on local newsgathering. Local news is all about the community and what is happening in and about your neighborhoods.

At Up & Coming Weekly, we are committed to continuing to serve as a local news source. We endeavor to keep you informed of what is happening in our community and highlight people and organizations doing great things. We aim to hold our leaders accountable to you. We know Fayetteville and Cumberland County residents value Up & Coming Weekly and our efforts to provide news and information. We welcome your ideas and feedback. We hear you, and rest assured, our newspaper will be expanding to meet the demands of the community.

Thank you for a great 25 years. We look forward to continuing to serve as your community newspaper.

Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly.

Richard Wilson is a prolific artist who can create a one-of-a-kind masterpiece that will stand out in any art show, contest or crowd. Up & Coming Weekly recently sat down with the authentic artist to discuss making history, his favorite work of art and the moment his passion for drawing began.

How did it feel being the first African-American artist to have a portrait displayed in a North Carolina courthouse?
I was commissioned by The Phoenix Historical Society in Tarboro, North Carolina, to do the portrait of George Henry White, the last former slave to serve in Congress. I was grateful to do it and we also had an art show to coordinate with the unveiling of the portrait of my work. After the unveiling, Mr. Knight [of the Historical Society] was interviewed by the television station and indicated that not only did they make history that night with the portrait, but the artist made history as well by being the first African-American artist to have a portrait hung in any courthouse in North Carolina. I was shocked when I heard that. I was a young budding artist at the time and I was just trying to get my name out there and thought this was a great opportunity for people to get to know who I am. It got my name out there and the show that we did right after that, I had a few of my pieces sell before the show had started. That was an honor for me.

Please share your story of how you began drawing.
I started drawing at the age of 8 and I remember watching my dad because he was an artist. My dad used to paint the signs in the town that we lived in and I would help him paint those signs. One thing that was really vivid in my memory was I remember sitting at the dinner table and my dad was drawing me and my brothers while we were sitting at the table. It was so realistic and I thought it was so amazing. It sparked something in me and I started doing it myself and have never stopped.

Do you have a favorite work of art and can you tell us why?
That is a hard question because all of the girls in my paintings are my daughters and all of the boys are my nephews. One of them is a piece called “Between Us.” It is a little girl and boy standing by a tree. This piece is the one that actually put me on the map. I was determined to get my work shown to the world so I took vacation leave to send this piece to New York. There was an international art competition in New York called the Pastel Society of America and I entered the contest. The president of the society called to congratulate and tell me that I won one of the top awards which is the National Arts Club Award. I was floored when I heard this. I won $1,000 and a certificate.

Tell our readers how your Facebook Live Art Shows came about.
I started this because what I normally do is travel all over the country doing the top arts festivals in several different states. I travel as far as Colorado, Florida and New York. Right when COVID-19 hit, all of my shows started canceling. I had to figure out a way to reach my clients so I decided to do this Facebook Live Art Show and sell my prints. That is how that came about. It has been going very well. When I first started I didn’t think about the fact that I had to do a lot of shipping because when I go to the shows I take the artwork in the van and sell it right there on the spot. Now I am getting a lot of orders so I have to package stuff up. I am doing a lot of shipping and I’m not complaining about it, but it is just another thing added to my workload. Once I get back on the road I will continue to do this because it has allowed me to reach people that I was not reaching at my shows. Social media is one of the things that I was lacking in because I was traveling all the time and just selling my work from place to place. I was trying to do a little bit of social media to try to reach people, but now I am able to reach a lot more people online than I did before.
I’ve gained some new collectors since I’ve started doing the live show. I still have a website and a lot of people that I’ve seen at shows, I still have them on my mailing list. I have 15,000 people on my mailing list that I generated from doing shows over the years. I’m networking with more people now than I did before.

Tell us about the inspiration behind the piece “Faithful Journey.”
It is based off of my life. It is about me stepping out on faith to become a full-time artist. I was actually teaching an art class at Pitt Community College. My goal has always been to do my art full time. In 2014, I told my wife that I had to give myself a chance to do this because you only live once and I have to step out and go for it. So I added more shows to my schedule to compensate my teaching salary and the very first show I did after I quit my job, I made more money that weekend than I did teaching for a whole year. That opened my eyes and that is what “Faithful Journey” is all about because the little boy that was looking back was the voice that was speaking to me right before I told my boss that I was going to leave my job to do my art full time. The little girl pulling the little boy along was that voice that started telling me that we were going to be alright, let’s go! I never looked back and I have been full time ever since. It has been the best decision I have ever made.

Wilson’s art is being featured in Cool Spring Downtown District’s Art Alley until Dec. 31. Located at 222 Hay St. in downtown Fayetteville, the Art Alley is free and open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information on Wilson and his art visit www.richardwilsonart.com/

Above photo: "Faithful Journey"

Below clockwise: "Going Up Yonda," "Between Us," "Stretching Ballerina," "Bessie Coleman"

All photos courtesy of Richard Wilson

Fayetteville area civic leaders and health experts are pleading with citizens to take the COVID-19 pandemic seriously. They came together in a joint news conference Dec. 9th urging residents to take personal responsibility to protect themselves and others in the fight to defeat the virus.

“I want everyone to remember these cases are people — our brothers, our sisters, our parents, grandparents, friends and fellow citizens,” County Commission Chairman Charles Evans said.

Mike Nagowski, CEO of Cape Fear Valley Health System said 60 local people are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Evans and Nagowski were joined at the news conference in front of the county courthouse by Fayetteville Mayor Mitch Colvin and Cumberland County Public Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green.

“Make no mistake – this is a virus that affects everyone,” Nagowski told reporters. North Carolina hospitals currently have enough beds and staff to treat people who need to be in the hospital, whether for COVID-19 or other reasons. But researchers at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services say the number of COVID-19 patients has increased nearly 20% a week on average in the past three weeks, and that at that pace hospitals will run out of space. The availability of intensive care unit beds would likely run out sooner, in a little more than 4.5 weeks, the Sheps Center researchers estimate.

Local officials acknowledged the repetition of warnings during the news briefing, but urged everyone to wear masks, not to cluster together with others and to wash their hands frequently.

“There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it’s a long tunnel,” Evans said.

Army Col. Sheryl Bedno, director of Fort Bragg’s Health Department, said military officials are working to keep soldiers aware of the need to slow the spread of the disease. “We need to work together to fight COVID-19,” she said, noting that many soldiers live off post.

The state of North Carolina will enter a modified stay-at-home order or overnight curfew Dec. 11, restricting most activities from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. When Gov. Cooper did not shut down dining rooms in North Carolina this time restauranteurs breathed a sigh of relief. Restaurant dining rooms will close at 10 p.m. though takeout can continue afterward. Most restaurant owners are on record saying they don’t do much business after 9 p.m. anyway. Last call for liquor at bars and restaurants has been moved back to 9 p.m. Fast food drive-thru service can continue after 10 p.m. without interruption along with places that provide to-go and curbside pickup service.

Only large-scale federal emergency financial aid will stave off widespread restaurant closings and continuous damage to the nation’s economy. Restaurant managers have had to limit seating availability to about one half their usual patronage.

With the decline in business some employees have been temporarily laid off and some menus have been cut back for savings in food purchases. Hours of operation in some cases have been reduced to the most popular times of day.

Reflecting in the calm glow of a tree dressed up for the holidays, I close my eyes to see a kid who fell in love. I couldn't have foretold how long this affair would go on when we first met. And honestly, I can't recall how it started. Was it on the living room floor while mom played the piano, or one of the countless times I stood chin in hands with elbows propped up on the kitchen counter listening to that old radio? All I can really remember is when I first realized it was love.

Sitting cross-legged behind my childhood home making pictures in the dirt with a tiny twig, I began to sing. There was a hum and a gentle rhythm coming from the dryer vent which sounded like music to that kid. So I sang. Harmonizing with the drone, stringing words into stories and stories into songs.

Fast forward several decades to the introduction of a fresh Christmas-themed playlist on WCLN the day following Thanksgiving. After weeks of sampling, organizing and planning, a well-curated selection of songs new and old began its 4-week life on the air.

It was as exciting to launch those songs as it was to receive a copy of the original release of the album, “Let It Be” from the Beatles, long before anyone called it a classic. Reflecting on this lifelong relationship, I'm increasingly aware that my love affair isn't with a certain style or genre, it's not with music from this decade or another, it's music. I love music. I thrill to share the latest discovery as much as I do a long-forgotten treasure with others.

There was a time in America – and perhaps it still exists to a certain extent – that mass exposure to music was limited to what a few dozen people thought was cool. Or at least what was marketable. Artists and record label execs would collaborate to get songs recorded and begin lobbying radio notables to get the songs distributed and broadcast over the air across the country, leading to record sales and concert tours. It was the only way. But today, with myriad digital options for recording and distribution alike, music lovers and music makers have a very open relationship. It simplifies the process a great deal and makes music more available than ever. Intriguing until those crafting melodies from the depths of their souls realized how much passive listening there is without a thought of who the artist is.

And that's where I reenter the picture. Introducing radio listeners to artists, their songs, their stories and more. I even use the latest digital tools to highlight special events (look for the WCLN Christmas 2020 playlist on Spotify).
It's about the music. Sharing the music, more specifically. Music that moves, motivates, calms or excites its listeners to a new or better place. That's what this relationship has become.

Pictured: Sharing music, whether it be the latest hit or a classic, is a thrill for the author, who also helped craft WCLN's Christmas-themed playlist on the air now.

Students with disabilities who transition from high school to college often have questions about support services. When planning for college, students need to understand that disability services or accommodations may be different than those provided on a high school education level. It is important for students to understand their rights and responsibilities.

FTCC does not exclude students with physical, psychological or learning disabilities. Discrimination is never tolerated nor are students with disabilities denied benefits of any collegiate activities or programs.

For high school students with disabilities who are eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDA) or Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the need for accommodations and modifications is often addressed by an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 plan. Sharing this information with FTCC is at the disclosure of the student. According to the Office of Civil Rights, an IEP or Section 504 plan can assist the college to identify services that were effective for the student during high school. However, this type of documentation is generally not sufficient because there are differences between high school and college. Since the nature of the disability could change from high school to college, accommodations may differ. If a student is under the age of 18, a parent or legal guardian must accompany the student. FTCC, through the Disability Support Services office, will ensure that the need for accommodations will be considered for the student. Medical documentation from a healthcare or psychological provider is required.

Students enrolled at FTCC who are requesting disability services or accommodations must include required medical documentation from a healthcare or psychological provider. Documentation should be current (within the past five years) and will be used to evaluate requests for reasonable accommodations and auxiliary aids. The evaluation process will include the impact of the documentation on the objectives and standards of the program, course or activity. As suitable to the disability, the documentation should include six essential elements: 1) Diagnostic statements must identify the diagnosis, which the student should provide the most current date of the diagnostic evaluation. 2) Descriptions of diagnostic criteria, methods and tests upon evaluations. 3) Descriptions of the disabilities current functional impact on the student, such as the examiner’s recommendations and interpretations. 4) Services, treatments, assistive technology or devices, and medications currently prescribed or applied. 5) Descriptions of the stability or expected progression of the disability as it impacts the student within the next few years. 6) Credentials of the diagnostic professional should be eligible and qualifiable. In addition to these elements within the documentation, the diagnostician’s recommendations for accommodations will be considered by the college.

All documentation is confidential and should be submitted to the Disability Support Services Office at FTCC. For more information about disability support, to request accommodations or more specific information from the Disability Support Services, please email ADA@faytechcc.edu or call 910-678-8349.

Pictured: FTCC is committed to helping students with disabilities transition from high school to college.

The Cumberland County Health Department has reopened the Baby Store which is located on the second floor of the Public Health Center at 1235 Ramsey St. The store is for clients who spend “baby bucks” earned by attending appointments and participating in programs.

To protect against the spread of COVID-19, appointments are required to visit the store and only the customer and her children will be allowed to enter. Call 910-433-3890 to secure a 15-minute appointment.

Shoppers must wear facemasks and visit the hand sanitizing station prior to shopping.

The Baby Store is an incentive-based, prenatal health promotion program that aims to create healthy moms and healthy babies. Health Department clients earn “baby bucks” by attending their prenatal care appointments and participating in health education programs such as smoking cessation, childbirth, parenting and breastfeeding classes.

Cumberland County Health Department

The Cumberland County Public Library system is preparing for some fun this winter with its annual Winter Reading and Activity Program or WRAP which launched Dec. 1 and goes through Jan. 31. All eight library branches give customers opportunities to win prizes for reading or participating in reading-related activities.

While the libraries remain closed to the public because of COVID-19 precautions, residents can pick up program materials at the front of the libraries during business hours. WRAP uses Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for programming, including videos and interactive virtual events. A calendar of events is available at co.cumberland.nc.us/departments/library/events-calendar.

North Regional Library customer Julia Furman depends on curbside pick-up to help supplement her 6-year-old twins’ learning at home. With assistance from Youth Services Library Associate Robin McKoy, Furman checks out about 150 books every two weeks.

“The resources are endless, and the customer service is phenomenal—there’s nothing like it,” Furman said.

“The WRAP program is a perfect starting point if you have never used the Cumberland County Public Library,” said McKoy. “Public Libraries are a gift,” said Furman. “They offer the opportunity for endless learning and growth for all ages.”

The city of Fayetteville isn’t always able to match county government’s employee wage structure. City police officers are paid less than sheriff’s deputies, something Police Chief Gina Hawkins says she has been working with City Manager Doug Hewett to correct.

Assistant Fayetteville City Manager Angel Wright-Lanier surprised some in city hall when she recently announced she is going across town for a similar job with county government Jan. 1. Cumberland County Manager Amy Cannon is hiring Wright-Lanier an assistant manager filling a vacancy created by a recent retirement.

Wright-Lanier is receiving a nice pay raise. Official records indicate she will earn an annual starting salary of $162,000 compared to $155,500 that she is being paid by the city.

“I look forward to the new role and continuing to develop as a leader, while still serving this community,” Wright-Lanier said. She has a bachelors degree, two masters and is studying for a doctorate in education from Vanderbilt University.

Wright-Lanier is the second senior administrator to leave city government this year. Long time Deputy Manager Kristoff Bauer resigned in July.

Pictured: Angel Wright-Lanier

Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller has made it official: the U.S. military will draw down forces in Afghanistan and Iraq by Jan. 15, 2021. Forces will be cut in half in Afghanistan to 2,500, and by 500 troops in Iraq to 2,500, Miller said.

This decision by the president is based on continuous engagement with his national security cabinet over the past several months, Miller said. “I have also spoken with our military commanders and we all will execute this repositioning in a way that protects our fighting men and women,” he added.

Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division in the region could be among the troops to come home. President Trump has called for American troops to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan since he assumed office in 2017. The troop drawdown will be completed just five days before President-elect Joe Biden’s planned inauguration.

The order was announced days after Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper and replaced him with Miller. Shortly before his firing, Esper sent a classified memo to the White House in which he expressed concern about the accelerated timeline for a troop withdrawal.

Pictured: A Paratrooper assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division provides security during a key leader engagement earlier this year in southeastern Afghanistan. (Photo by Master Sgt. Alejandro Licea, courtesy of DVIDS)

In D.G. Martin's Nov. 18 article “Waking up as a Republican” we once again see that the far left “Intelligentsia” is one of the primary sources of both the animus and the divisiveness that is so prevalent in our country today.

It is obvious that Martin's arrogance has led him to base his judgments on either the latest slogans being shouted in the street or a willful involvement in misrepresenting those who do not agree with the socialist approach to our problems.

The founders of this country had the attention span and classic training to think deep thoughts and make great plans; something sadly missing today. They knew that government was a cruel and dangerous task master. They wanted to guard against its over reach and the resulting tyrant of a ruling class. Take a look around you and determine for yourself, have we maintained the wisdom they passed on to us?

One of the founding principles is the freedom to strive to be all you can be, devoid of any interference by government. It is a system that rewards preparation, hard work, calculated risk taking, grasping opportunities that present themselves and a positive attitude toward yourself and life in general.

It also has an element of competition and as any sports coach will tell you, competition makes the team better.

This is why we were the greatest economic engine in the world. The move to replace this element of our national personality and replace it with an overdeveloped sense of “everybody-gets-a-trophy fairness” is why we have shipped our productivity offshore to the lowest bidder so that we can have more cheap stuff. It is why China is in the process of replacing us as the premier superpower.

Lots of people of all ethnicities and economic circumstances are waking up to the fact that the “Nanny State” does not guarantee success in life. It doesn't even guarantee “fairness.”

What it does guarantee is that you will be held at the point that you remain dependent on the government. If we reject this tyranny by the ruling class and adhere to the rule of law then we will have true fairness. At this point if you are white, Black, Asian, Hispanic, Native American or whatever – WHO CARES! Show me what you’ve got. What do you bring to the game?

Is this all there is to it? Of course not, but it is the foundation. Will we not need any regulations, oversight or negative consequences for gaming the system? Of course we will, but every law, regulation or consequence should increase freedom not reduce it. Are there those who we have a moral obligation to help. Definitively yes and that is another discussion.

So how about it. Do you have the guts to compete? Are you curious about what you can accomplish if no one is standing in your way? Can you try, fail and try again until you succeed? Do you believe that the people who wrote our founding documents were smart, visionary individuals? If your answers are yes, then maybe you should wake up and realize you are a Republican.

While modern conservatism in America brings together a number of discrete groups, interests and priorities, one of its unifying themes is maximizing freedom — by which conservatives mean maximizing the right of individuals, families and private associations to make their own decisions rather than having them overruled by government coercion.

Applying this principle can be challenging. To limit is not to extinguish, for example. The vast majority of conservatives accept that government can and should intervene in private affairs when required to protect the rights to life, liberty and property.

Because those violations aren’t always easy to detect, or to adjudicate in court, conservatives accept that regulation may be needed (in the case of combatting air pollution or communicable disease, for example).

Moreover, applying the freedom principle is complicated by differing definitions of terms. Some say it clearly includes the right of women to terminate pregnancies. Others argue that both the mother and the unborn child have rights that merit government protection.

Complexities aside, maximizing freedom is a core conservative goal. Over the past 10 years of largely conservative governance in North Carolina, we have made significant progress toward that goal.

For starters, when government collects only the tax revenue required to fund core services and otherwise keeps its hands out of our pockets, that leaves us freer both to take care of our families and to support the enterprises and causes that best reflect our values.

Thanks to fiscal restraint and a series of tax reforms, North Carolina now ranks 10th in the nation in tax climate, according to the Tax Foundation, up from 34th as recently as 2014.

Another legislative priority since 2010 has been lightening North Carolina’s regulatory burden. Lawmakers have repealed or rewritten many regulations. They have also changed the system itself, requiring state agencies to review old rules on a
regular basis.

Combining both fiscal and regulatory measures, the Frasier Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America index now ranks North Carolina 11th in the nation, up from 19th in 2010.

Even in areas where government must by constitutional design or practical considerations play a significant role, such as education, conservatives generally argue that those who receive public services should be allowed to choose the provider that best meets their needs.

We dislike monopolies here for precisely the same reasons we dislike monopolies in other sectors.

Since 2010, North Carolina has promoted choice and competition in education by removing a statewide cap on charter schools and giving students with special needs or modest incomes direct aid to attend the schools of their choice.

On the Cato Institute’s index of educational freedom, North Carolina ranks 6th in the nation, up from 21st as recently as 2012.

Moreover, an increasing share of North Carolinians are making use of alternative arrangements. Our state ranks 9th in the nation in the share of K-12 students enrolled in an option other than district-run public schools.

Of course, not all indicators show such gains in freedom. North Carolina still licenses too many occupations, keeping workers from boosting their incomes and entrepreneurs from starting new businesses.

We have not made enough progress in breaking up health-care monopolies. And there are too many governmental rules still on the books that do not deliver real-world benefits greater than their all-too-real costs.

Nevertheless, I think North Carolina conservatives should be pleased with the overall trajectory.

Our state is a much-freer place than it was a decade ago.

Of course, I recognize that other North Carolinians may be looking at these same indicators and cringing.

They think our taxes ought to be higher, and more elaborately designed to favor some sectors or behaviors over others.

They think state government (and many local governments) are underfinanced.

They think a lot more tax money would make education and other services a lot better.

And many reject the very definition of freedom I’m using here, the absence of government restraint.

By all means, let’s continue having that conversation. Fortunately, we are all free to do so.